The Wire

OK, I know I am going to catch crap from my Baltimore fans for this, but I feel for my out of town friends I need to at least mention The Wire. It is difficult to go out in public in Baltimore, mention The Wire, and not have a total stranger offer their perspective, or tell you that they just started Season Three, and isn't Stringer Bell just a real jerk? Maybe you can go out in public, talk about The Wire, and not hear this stuff. But I know that brother Eric and I discussed it at an Agora function and made a friend because of it. I don't remember this friends' name, or anything about her for that matter.

The Wire is an HBO original series based in my beloved hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. It shows a side of Baltimore that I am admittedly not too familiar with, but I do believe it exists. Believing is enough...I don't have to see it. Anyway, this incredible HBO series aired for five seasons from 2002-2006. I just finished Season Five last week, and this show approaches but does not break into my top 5 favorite TV shows. It comes close though. Sidenote, as I conclude finally watching Arrested Development Season One in order, it comes dangerously close to breaking into my top five favorite TV shows.

One central element of the show is the Baltimore City Police Department, which plays a key role in all five seasons of the show. The shows title comes from a wire tap that a special department of the BCPD uses to build evidence against a major drug (the most major? majorest?) circle in the city. I don't even want to get into character names here, because it would take up more than one post. The seasons are brilliantly self-contained. Major characters are continual from season-to-season, and plot lines even vaguely continue, but each season has it's own theme or Baltimore problem that it addresses and occasionally wraps up in the end. Like I said, all seasons are heavily focused on the BCPD, but Season One examines a drug empire run by Avon Barksdale, Season Two the Baltimore docks and you guessed it, drugs. Season Three returns focus to the Barksdale family but introduces some new drug players and begins to examine the cities politics with the intro of unloveable Tommy Carcetti. Season Four covers the Baltimore City schools and may be the most disturbing and saddening of all five seasons. And Season Five focuses on new drug kingpin, Marlo Stanfield. This can't even begin to explain all of the well excecuted side plots, story lines, major character development, and emotional content that The Wire contains.

If you are in any way faint-of-heart, or easily disturbed The Wire is not your show. It can be pretty graphic and violent at times, but it is just so good. I highly, highly recommend it to anyone who can stomach it. I am thrilled that ganster-robinhood Omar Little has his own wikipedia entry here. Like everyone who has seen the show, Omar is easily my favorite character and I would definitely wear this shirt, pink or not. After just completing the fifth season I am ready to watch the whole thing again. My current order of the seasons, favorite to least favorite (bear in mind that they are all good, just some are better than others):

1) Season Three--I was overjoyed by the return of the Barksdale crew, especially following my least favorite season at the docks.

2) Season One--I think I loved it so much because it was new. I'm curious to see how this would stand on second viewing of the series.

3) Season Four--This would be higher if it didn't upset me so much.

4) Season Five--This would be better if McNulty wasn't such an idiot and that stupid serial killer plot just hadn't happened.

5) Season Two--The docks didn't do it for me. Ziggy's duck was good, but you know a season isn't great when a duck with jewlery is the best part of it.

I can't possibly pick a scene, or even three to sum up this series. All I can say is borrow Season One from a friend, or Netflix it. If you don't need to see more after it is over then it might not be your thing.