OT: The Wire

Submitted by Braylon1 on

SIAP

I've been thinking about buying the first season of "The Wire", but I want to make sure the show is as good as it sounds.

So, are there any other fans on here of the show? I just want to know what's really good/bad about it and why it's worth watching.

mcfors

July 8th, 2010 at 6:32 PM ^

Every scene matters.  Everything is realistic.  It's incredibly well-written.  Very rich characters.  And there's some good comic relief. 

turd ferguson

July 8th, 2010 at 6:34 PM ^

i probably have 15 friends who have started it, and every one of them left thinking that it's the best show he's ever seen. (i agree with them, by the way.) it's realistic, gritty, dramatic, almost completely gimmick-free, and doesn't surrender to the good guys vs. bad guys thing that is common for lesser TV shows.

Nieme08

July 8th, 2010 at 6:37 PM ^

I've watched every season more than once.  Great character driven show. You'll find yourself loving/hating your fair share of both "good guys" and "bad guys". Its the best crime drama ever made. But if you have a problem with lots of violence and profanity you might not like it 

BrianAtUmich

July 8th, 2010 at 7:09 PM ^

Every character is dynamic and the show does this amazing thing where you understand why people do what they do. You need to start with the first season, but each season the show captures more and more of the city and each storyline intertwines with the actions of others sometimes directly and sometimes not.  It opens you up to the conflicts that plague everyone from the mayor to Bubbles the herion addict.

Also, I'd watch the show just to hear Clay Davis say "Shit" 

"Major crimes... Shieeeeeeeet"

MAgoBLUE

July 8th, 2010 at 6:48 PM ^

yeah I watched Homicide in the 90's and loved it.  It was on NBC so it's not as raw as The Wire but it was still pretty hard hitting for network television.

David Simon is the reason I started watching The Wire.  I was late to the party and started watching at the premeir of Season 4.  That opening scene with Snoop shopping in Home Depot for the nail gun was all it took and I was hooked

PurpleStuff

July 8th, 2010 at 6:51 PM ^

Haven't seen any episodes for a while, but I was a big fan when it was on originally.  It is more like a standard TV series than The Wire and didn't get the free rein or production money HBO provides, but still really good.  Great acting and characters.  Super gritty by broadcast TV standards (especially at that time) but nothing like The Wire. 

Definitely check it out.  If you aren't hooked when Richard Belzer is shouting, "I am not Montel Williams!" (as opposed to Oprah or some other big time host) at a perp who he thinks isn't showing him the proper respect, it may not be the show for you.

03 Blue 07

July 8th, 2010 at 7:33 PM ^

Yes, Ed Burns was a producer on "Homicide" too, right? He's a producer on "The Wire." Was David Simon involved with "Homicide"? I remember watching that show on NBC when it originally aired. "The Wire" is like a grittier, updated version in some ways (from what I recall of "Homicide").

BlueAggie

July 8th, 2010 at 9:10 PM ^

Reading this right now actually.  One of the real life detectives is actually named "Jay Landsman."  On the show, the real life Jay Landsman plays Bunny Colvin's LT in the Western.  If you enjoy the show, the book is definitely worth a look.

anonbastardo

July 8th, 2010 at 6:42 PM ^

Best 'cop' show ever.  No crimes / investigations solved in an episode (more like the whole season), spends a great amount of time following the criminals and the kids growing up being criminals, the police are seriously flawed but not corrupt on the level of the Shield, all weaved into a broken city underfunded and overpromised by corrupt politicians.  It is a brilliant show.

FgoWolve

July 8th, 2010 at 6:57 PM ^

I've always said that a good comparison would be if you took one Law and Order episode, and then spread it out over about 5 seasons worth of character development and depth. I realize this makes the show just about completely the opposite of Law and Order, which is why it is probably the best show ever.

Goblue89

July 8th, 2010 at 6:42 PM ^

Honestly, the best show I have every watched!  The characters are awesome and the drama is great!  First few episodes are a little slow but just don't give up.  You will be hooked by the end of Season One I promise.

BlockM

July 8th, 2010 at 6:53 PM ^

It's absolutely fantastic. I missed the first couple seasons, but picked up while one of my friends was watching 3-5. Don't even think about it, just do it.

Trust the Process

July 8th, 2010 at 6:49 PM ^

Honestly, save yourself the time and just buy the whole series now.  It is that good.  I think I have gone through the whole series 3 times now (I know, big loser) and could probably watch it again. 

Enjoy.

03 Blue 07

July 8th, 2010 at 7:30 PM ^

I've gone through it twice, and I don't own the series. That being said, I agree with you-- I visualize purchasing the boxed set for my third viewing. I often find myself just watching clips of scenes on YouTube for an hour or three on Sunday nights as well, which is probably a sign I need to just pony up the cash and buy the set soon.

Sidenote: are there any cool extras that come with the boxed set, like commentary or deleted scenes or anything?

Trust the Process

July 8th, 2010 at 8:16 PM ^

I would say that is definitely a sign, lol.  While I have not actually watched them (shocking), I know each season usually has a behind the scenes documentary and commentaries from David Simon and cast.

If you don't feel like buying the whole series at once, you could buy them one season at a time.  The complete series is $155 on amazon, while individual seasons are $30 each, fyi.

cohensh

July 8th, 2010 at 11:34 PM ^

There aren't tons of extras.  Some commentary  for probably 1/3 to 1/2 of the episodes.  A couple blooper/interview things.  Nothing amazing in the extras but the show more than makes up for it.  

I've watched every season at least 4 times and I get more things each time I watch it.  Best show ever.

blueloosh

July 8th, 2010 at 6:50 PM ^

It very may well be the best television show that has ever been produced.

One word of warning.  The plots -- over the course of a season -- sometimes take time to develop.  Stick with a season. 

My personal rankings of the five seasons would go...

Season 4

Season 1

Season 3

Season 5

Season 2

And even having said that, Season 2 is great.  Enjoy.

Nieme08

July 8th, 2010 at 6:58 PM ^

i loved season 2 as well but I just loved the other ones more. Honestly its really hard to rank them because they are all so good. (I hope the OP gets the point by now) 

Braylon1

July 8th, 2010 at 7:13 PM ^

Thanks for all the quick and helpful responses.

I have to be honest, I've watched the first 4 episodes before, but I'm still kind of unsure about the show. I love the writing, acting, and realism about The Wire thus far. I'm just wondering if there's more action as the show goes on. Don't get me wrong, I love the dialogue, and the show isn't too hard to understand, but I've found myself losing attention at times because of seemingly too much dialogue.

In reading about the series I've heard people call it a visual novel, and they are spot on. I'm just hoping the show picks up a little quicker with a little more action.

Blueroller

July 8th, 2010 at 7:15 PM ^

The only repeated complaint I've heard is that the plot can be hard to follow. That was more of an issue watching week-to-week, but it never bothered me at all. If I found myself lost, I didn't care, just kept watching. Eventually everything would get sorted out.

And that goes to the show's brilliance: it doesn't assume you're an idiot. Just the opposite. TV made by smart people for smart people. What a concept! It can be a little startling until you get used to it.

Big Firework

July 8th, 2010 at 7:17 PM ^

Just don't be fooled by the Rogue Cop Defies His Superiors plot that begins Season 1. The show's actual depth unfolds kind of slowly at first.

Also, it can be kind of jargon-y, and the writers expect you to figure it out along the way, which you will. Soon, anytime a character drops a reference to PC, hoppers, G-packs, the Deputy Ops, the Western, or CIs, you'll feel like you belong to some kind of Grizzled Old Police Veterans Club. It's awesome.

The show will leave you questioning the police work on OTHER TV shows. That's how real it feels. One gripe: I'm pretty sure they use the "Enhance" key on a computer image at some point that I vaguely recall. That's literally the biggest gripe I have about The Wire.

03 Blue 07

July 8th, 2010 at 7:25 PM ^

The Wire is my favorite achievement in cinema/film/television. It is, simply, incredible. Watch them in order. Start on season 1. If you find yourself thinking it's moving slowly, don't worry- just stick with it. It's absolutely phenomenal. It deals with a decaying city, and all of the problems inherent in that. I can't say enough good things about it.

And, on a side note, it has some of the richest, most rounded characters in all of cinema/television. Nothing is black and white on the show, nor are any of the characters' traits.

Trust me (and the others who have posted): You will thank yourself for doing this. Also, if you need help catching up with the street slang, use urbandictionary.com. Or listen to more hip-hop. Or refer to this link, which may be helpful: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/the-wire-get-on-the-burner-to-your-corner-boy-1656633.html

DrewG32

July 8th, 2010 at 7:26 PM ^

I had been hearing about the show via tweets from Dylan (UMHoops), the occasional references from Brian, and numerous people on Twitter, and was looking to buy the set forever.  About a month ago I saw a tweet from Simmons about Amazon having all five seasons for $90, marked down from 230. Needless to say I jumped all over that shit, and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Watched the entire series over the past month (pathetic, I know).  I would definitely recommend it to anyone who has not seen this.  Well worth the investment.

MGlobules

July 8th, 2010 at 7:48 PM ^

it's so f'ing addictive. My wife and I would pop in an episode late (our kid never goes to sleep), find ourselves on the third episode at 2:AM, and totally wrung out next day from the emotional highs and lows, discussing nothing else. The cast members became, more or less, members of our family.

It was really kind of a lost period for us. I'm ready to sit down and watch it all again.

NorthSideBlueFan

July 8th, 2010 at 7:55 PM ^

I had never seen the show, but always heard it was amazing. So two weeks ago I got disc 1 of season 1 through netflix. Less than 10 days later I finished the entire series.

IT IS F'ING INCREDIBLE TELEVISION. Definitely one of the greatest shows I have ever seen. It is Soprano's good, if not better. Nearly every episode is incredible.

Season 4 was amazingly powerful and probably the best IMHO. My wife is an inner city teacher here in Chicago in one of the worst neighborhoods so it really hit home for me.

Do yourself a favor and get them all as it is really riveting and addictive, you just cant wait to see what happens next!