The Wire by reginaroadie

TALK STORY

The Wire

POSTED BY: REGINAROADIE
UPDATED: Wednesday, July 2, 2008 13:20
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VIEWED: 4576
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Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:21 PM

I know that there's a lot of "FIREFLYis the greatest show of all time" being shouted out here. But I was wondering if anyone here has seen THE WIRE. I've been hearing about it a lot lately, how it's HBO's hidden gem and that IT truly is the greatest TV show ever produced. Well, I finally rented the first season of it from the library, and I have to admit that I am incredibly impressed, and was wondering why I had taken so long to get into it.

As much as I love sci-fi and fantasy and genre stuff, I'm equally a big fan of real life drama. Movies and shows that aren't afraid to get into the down and dirty and show the downtrodden and god awful places and the people that live there. The reason I thought GONE BABY GONE was the best movie of last year was because I felt like I was seeing real people with real Bostonian accents working and living in the slums and crackhouses of the city.

And it's the same reason why I'm really starting to get into THE WIRE. Because it does feel like I'm seeing something that not only TV, but my place in society denies. I don't get to see the real police, who treat their job like anyone would treat any other job. With a weary, half-assed attitude who tries to make a name for themselves without stirring too much shit up. And I don't get to see a criminal underside that would fit easily into the corporate world. And I don't see the shmucks in between who are sociological prisoners of the classes and worlds they inhabit. David Simon, the creator of the show, says that the series is about institutions and how it's almost impossible to break free of those institutions. And he is so right.

By seeing THE WIRE, I feel as if I'm seeing the world for what it really is.

So I'm wondering if anyone here has actually seen this OTHER hidden gem of a tv series that came out in 2002.

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"And it starts with a sentence that might last a lifetime, or it all might just go down in flames. If I let you know me, then why would you want me? Each day I don't is a shame. Each day I don't is a great shame."

Loudon Wainwright III - "Strange Weirdos" off the "Knocked Up" soundtrack

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008 5:47 PM

DOGGIE

Seen it, loved it, great social commentary. If you liked The Wire you may want to try another one of HBO's gems. Deadwood.

As Propostion Joe would say "It's raw"

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008 6:00 PM

REGINAROADIE

Went through it. Amazing show as well. The thing that impressed me the most in DEADWOOD was Robin Weigert as Calamity Jane. As much a feminist as Joss is and has made his career on strong female characters, he's never written a female character like Jane. You look at Buffy or Zoe or River or any of Joss's female characters, yes they kick ass, but there's always an aspect of femininity to them. You're reminded that they're women. But Jane in my mind beats them all since she's intentionally purged any femininity within her. She's Jayne with an X chromosome. I find her so much more fascinating.

I'm a major HBO fan. Love anything they put on. I always wondered why Joss never goes over there with his shows.

But getting back to THE WIRE, I've only seen the first season, so I have four more to catch up with. I love the guy from Pawnshop that went from just sitting around and making doll furniture to being an integral part of the case. And Przbylewsky going from a fuck-up to the code cracker. And I like to fact that with McNulty, when he reveals why he's going after Barksdale, that's it's not some holy mission. He just wants to make a name for himself and be a big man, which gets him ending up on the boat.

So doggie, where do you NOT want to go?

**************************************************
"And it starts with a sentence that might last a lifetime, or it all might just go down in flames. If I let you know me, then why would you want me? Each day I don't is a shame. Each day I don't is a great shame."

Loudon Wainwright III - "Strange Weirdos" off the "Knocked Up" soundtrack

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Thursday, June 12, 2008 4:56 AM

PDCHARLES

What happened? He see your face?

Regina if you loved season 1 your head will virtually explode in 3-5. IMO, it IS some of the best television EVER created.

My top five TV series easy.

Each season adds another layer of the city onto the onion. The show moves from the corruption in the ports, city politics, school system, PO-leece, and then the media. It is amazing how they weave each storyline together over the seasons and show how it affects other characters that may never even meet. (...and can be on the show for years). It is not just a cop show. I have never watched a season of a “crime drama” in my life. This is a complete sociological breakdown of a city and how it relates to crime and those "time honored" institutions Simon referred to.

What I love of about it. No one is ever safe. ...any character, any time. All I can say is go “down in the hole” and enjoy.

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Thursday, June 12, 2008 6:13 AM

ECGORDON

There's no place I can be since I found Serenity.

I have yet to see any of The Wire since I've never had HBO when it was running regularly. But I recently added Season One to my Netflix queue because my son has been raving about it a lot. I'll let you know what I think in a week or so.

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Thursday, June 12, 2008 11:37 AM

CALLMEATH

I've been trying for the past 2 years to get everyone I know to watch this show. As much as I love Firefly and Buffy, the Wire is just the finest series I've ever seen, hands down. As one critic put it: "The Wire never won an Emmy? It deserves the Nobel Prize for Literature!" And I couldn't agree more.

The stories unfold like the best novels, the dialogue is incredibly deep and authentic, and the characters on the Wire make those from other shows look empty and one-dimensional.

Just wait until you get to season 4. In my opinion, it is the finest season ever made for television.

"Invader's blood marches through my veins like giant radioactive rubber pants. The pants command me! Do not ignore my veins!"

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Thursday, June 12, 2008 11:42 AM

CALLMEATH

Oh, and David Simon wrote 2 books that you should check out.

"Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets" and "The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood" with Ed Burns.

"Invader's blood marches through my veins like giant radioactive rubber pants. The pants command me! Do not ignore my veins!"

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Wednesday, July 2, 2008 1:12 PM

PEPPERG

best show ever made, imo
really took tv into an entirely different realm, on par with the best social commentaries of our time by folks like hl mencken, studs terkel, upton sinclair, f scott fitzgerald. it's almost an insult to call the wire a tv show, when you look at how infantile the competition is.
it really does have the almost unheard of capacity (in tv at least) to open your eyes as to how much of our world works, and to potentially change some of your attitudes in the process.

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Wednesday, July 2, 2008 1:20 PM

ECGORDON

There's no place I can be since I found Serenity.

I am loving what I have seen of this series so far. So realistic and believable. I got Disc 4 of the first season in the mail today.

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