The Wire

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Len
Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2004 7:48 pm
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#1 Post by Len » Thu Jan 03, 2008 9:06 pm

Yeah, it's not a film. However, I think that as the finest work of American crime fiction in ages, The Wire would deserve it's thread here, now that the final season is about to start. I'm sure I can't be the only one here who's obsessed about the series. It has constantly improved itself with every new season and I think it easily stands above everything else that tv or films have to offer in the crime genre these days. Not only is it the best show that HBO has ever produced, I'd say there's a good chance that The Wire might just be the finest work of art ever to be produced on tv (with the exception of various tv miniseries like Berlin Alexanderplatz etc).

Season 5 trailer - McNulty promo

I really hope they don't cop out by making McNulty revert entirely to his crowd pleasing drunken fuckup-persona from the second season, but it's neat to see him really be McNulty again. Such a great character (stating the obvious there).

Marlo promo - Omar promo - Bubbles promo - Carcetti promo

Season five looks absolutely fantastic. Four left us in a very interesting situation, with the discovery of young boy Marlo's tombs in the vacants leading to the re-formation of the MCU. Also it would seem that The Greek is back (what with Spiros meeting up with Marlo), so it seems they're really bringing everyone back for the finale. Avon seems to have some role to play in S5 too, here's to hoping it won't feel too forced. Too bad there'll be only 10 episodes, but from what I've heard, the last one would be two hours.

January 6th, 2008. Can't wait.

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Marcel Gioberti
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2007 9:55 pm
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#2 Post by Marcel Gioberti » Thu Jan 03, 2008 9:08 pm

It's only the greatest television show ever made. No biggie.

flyonthewall2983
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#3 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Thu Jan 03, 2008 9:26 pm

I loved the 2nd season, watched it all On Demand last year. I'm definitely looking forward to this season, despite not really keeping up with the others. After the 2nd season of Dexter I'm plenty ready for some good TV crime drama with no network restrictions.

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Hai2u
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2007 7:21 pm

#4 Post by Hai2u » Thu Jan 03, 2008 9:57 pm

Season 5 Episode 1 has been On Demand since the 31st, it's fantastic. Episode 2, 5, 6, 7 have all been leaked online as well.

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Len
Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2004 7:48 pm
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#5 Post by Len » Thu Jan 03, 2008 11:40 pm


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Belmondo
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#6 Post by Belmondo » Fri Jan 04, 2008 12:46 am

Hai2u wrote:Season 5 Episode 1 has been On Demand since the 31st, it's fantastic. Episode 2, 5, 6, 7 have all been leaked online as well.
Thanks! Just watched Episode 1 On Demand. Great stuff and it looks like the entire cast will be involved. (Some of them were pretty scarce last season). Who's that guy from "Homicide" now playing the city desk editor at the paper?
Every time I think of dumping the premium channels on cable, those rotten bastards at HBO give me a new season of something great, and, boy do I hate them for it.

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godardslave
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:44 pm
Location: Confusing and open ended = high art.

#7 Post by godardslave » Fri Jan 04, 2008 12:57 am

This is pathetically stupid, its like self-parody.

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Polybius
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 10:57 pm
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#8 Post by Polybius » Fri Jan 04, 2008 1:58 am

Belmondo wrote: Who's that guy from "Homicide" now playing the city desk editor at the paper?
The great Clark Johnson, sounding a bit different than he did as Meldrick Lewis.
Len wrote:Not only is it the best show that HBO has ever produced, I'd say there's a good chance that The Wire might just be the finest work of art ever to be produced on tv (with the exception of various tv miniseries like Berlin Alexanderplatz etc).
I usually just say "Best show in American TV history" and leave it at that.

HBO has also been running a couple of nice half hour docus this month, one reviewing the whole series and one previewing S5. Both well worth your time to watch.


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Polybius
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 10:57 pm
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#10 Post by Polybius » Fri Jan 04, 2008 7:13 am

Each of those, and the kid yelling at Carver as he slinks down the hall away from the ICU-burn unit, all made the grade when the cast was asked about their favorite scenes in the documentaries.

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Rsdio
Joined: Mon May 29, 2006 11:42 am
Location: UK

#11 Post by Rsdio » Fri Jan 04, 2008 2:15 pm

godardslave wrote:
This is pathetically stupid, its like self-parody.
Come on, it was fun.

It's a fantastic series which is completely obscure over here. I don't think it's ever been shown on any channel which, when you consider the amount of dire imports that are given prime slots, is more criminal than pretty much any of the shows characters. I'm still waiting for the Season 4 DVDs to arrive from Amazon, never mind worrying about the fifth.

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Marcel Gioberti
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2007 9:55 pm
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#12 Post by Marcel Gioberti » Fri Jan 04, 2008 2:18 pm

godardslave wrote:
This is pathetically stupid, its like self-parody.
I think you'd have to understand the characters to appreciate that scene. They're completely desensitized to their job and they use especially crude humor to cope. I find that scene hilarious...and Bunk/McNutty have so many amazing scenes together it's ridiculous.

My favorite is when they get completely pissed in the pub they frequent. Bunk ends up on the toilet hungover the next morning with his wife staring at him. Great stuff.

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Belmondo
Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 9:19 am
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#13 Post by Belmondo » Sun Jan 06, 2008 10:17 am

Excellent article on "The Wire" in the Sunday Boston Globe. It should come up online at "boston.com" shortly.

The article makes the point that this final season may be "readily understandable to first time viewers". This is because we get a new theme of media involvement and the new characters at the newspaper are forced to simplify the stories for their readers in a way that also will work for viewers new to the series.

So, no more excuses for avoiding television at its very best!

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Len
Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2004 7:48 pm
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#14 Post by Len » Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:14 pm

S05E1 was a great one. Definitely a promising start for the season. I'm not exactly thrilled about the whole newspaper setting yet, but I've faith it'll develop into something quite extraordinary.

The ep didn't really give much room to start speculating as to where this season is going (please, no spoilers from those who've watched the leaked eps), but sofar I like what I see. Loved to see the team drinking together again and showing how well Marlo's learned the game was a nice touch. The booty call-> coop meeting was classic.

Also one of the few instances where the show brought the whole democran/republicrat divide into the front, with the scene of Carcetti arguing with the FBI (?) guy. Obviously the show has long been very leftist, but isn't this one of the first times where they've actually attacked the republican party? Not complaining, of course.

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Belmondo
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#15 Post by Belmondo » Tue Jan 08, 2008 1:22 am

No spoilers from me, since I don't have any to offer, but I think we are free to assume that the newspaper setting will provide further evidence that yet another big city institution (a once respected newspaper) is failing the people it purports to serve. Budget cuts are destroying the cops and the school system and private institutions are not immune either. Of course, the series is much too smart to merely blame everything on lower budgets and makes the clear point that America has failed utterly to stop the deterioration that has plagued many big cities over many decades.

I don't think I agree that the show has been "leftist". The scene where Carcetti rejects the FBI offer of help is merely another example of raw politics trumping right thinking.
If anything, the show illustrates the complete failure of liberal thinking in addressing inner city problems (and you are hearing this from a classic Massachusetts liberal). Remember, Carcetti won the race for Mayor by beating incumbent Mayor Royce in the Democratic primary. In many big eastern cities, the power of democrats is so complete that republicans do not even field a candidate in certain districts.
In any case - it is a political failure but it is OUR collective failure. And the result is the hopelessness of the "young'uns" hawking drugs on the abandoned corners of a once great city. Shame on us.

And, shame on me - since I'm a liberal, I get to suffer plenty of liberal guilt for enjoying this series so much.

flyonthewall2983
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#16 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Tue Jan 08, 2008 3:02 am

This is unrelated to the first (and second, On Demand is GOD) episode, but going through the IMDB yesterday, I discovered that the Jim True-Frost, actor who portrays Pryzbylewski, also played Buzz the Elevator Operator in The Hudsucker Proxy for those who didn't know. Just a funny tid-bit I wanted to pass along.
Last edited by flyonthewall2983 on Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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jbeall
Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2006 9:22 am
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#17 Post by jbeall » Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:46 pm

flyonthewall2983 wrote:This is unrelated to the first (and second, On Demand is GOD) episode, but going through the IMDB yesterday, I discovered that the Jim-True Frost, actor who portrays Pryzbylewski, also played Buzz the Elevator Operator in The Hudsucker Proxy for those who didn't know. Just a funny tid-bit I wanted to pass along.
Slightly misplaced hyphen. It's actually Jim True-Frost (he's credited as Jim True in earlier roles; I'm assuming he's an enlightened male who's hyphenated his last name after getting married, but I can't say for sure). He was also Bailey in Singles.

Here's a good article on Season 5 of The Wire.

From the NY Times: No Happy Ending in Dickensian Baltimore

And from the New Yorker: Stealing Life: The Crusader Behind 'The Wire'

flyonthewall2983
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#18 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:53 pm

Change noted :)

Mise En Scene
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2005 4:24 pm

#19 Post by Mise En Scene » Wed Jan 09, 2008 5:11 pm

While the series isn't perfect, it more than deserves the critical acclaim.

The show does take place in Baltimore, but, the show's creator and executive producer said it's really about any urban city. While the police procedural, surveillance, and crime drama elements are of the highest order, the show is about much more than that. The show's fourth season ought to be mandatory viewing for policy makers and educators. In an earlier season, we witness an exploration of a dying working class and the international scope of a city's problems. With that said, the show is not devoid of humor.

With the exception of a misstep in the first season (forgivable for new shows to give in to studio execs), the storytelling is masterful. The dense, complex narrative should be studied.

Personally, I'd like to know from other members where does The Wire stand in the company of the world's greatest television shows/series of all-time because I want to know what surpasses it on any terms be it themes, ambition, content, writing, etc.

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Belmondo
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#20 Post by Belmondo » Wed Jan 09, 2008 7:12 pm

Mise En Scene wrote:Personally, I'd like to know from other members where does The Wire stand in the company of the world's greatest television shows/series of all-time because I want to know what surpasses it on any terms be it themes, ambition, content, writing, etc.
I would hate like hell to have to compare "The Wire" to other great television shows or series. For example, I was deeply involved and deeply moved by "Brideshead Revisited" when first I saw it. But any attempt to compare its merits to "The Wire" are beyond my ability to articulate and are, in my opinion, a useless exercise.

What is important is that David Simon keeps getting better and viewers continue to reap the benefits. "Homicide" was a great network series that pushed several boundaries. "The Corner" was a great cable series that had the courage to be depressing from first frame to last. "The Wire" is done so brilliantly that the viewer forgets to be depressed.

Evelyn Waugh said that the theme of "Brideshead Revisited" was "the effect of Divine Grace on a group of people". Looks like some of that grace shone on everybody associated with "The Wire".

And there ends my feeble attempt to connect one great series with another.

filmnoir1
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2006 11:36 pm

#21 Post by filmnoir1 » Thu Jan 10, 2008 12:58 pm

I just finished watching the fourth season (arguably one of the best) in marathon fashion. What is amazing about this show is how it grips the audience from the first frame to the last with situations that are so realistic we wish that we could forget about them and with characters who are three-dimensional rather than the standard stock types trotted out on American television screens. In each of these people and occupations we are allowed to see their inner struggles as well as those of the institutions which shape their very existence.
This is in my opinion the greatest show ever produced for American television. It captures all the potential of what life in America could be like for its citizens and in the same breath depicts in brutal honesty the joys and frustrations as well. The Wire demonstrates how neo-liberal economic policies benefit politicians and corporations as they seek to manufacture a fantasy form of America where every one is equal and possess the disposable income necessary to participate in this dream. However, what Simon and Burns recognize is that there is a dark unspoken quality to the American dream, that is fueled by abject poverty, willful neglect, the condescending rhetoric of Social Darwinism and the deconstruction of positive gender roles. Corner kids become the new drug kingpins in this world because for a time they are allowed to exist within the shadows of American exceptionalism only to become the face of America's drug and crime problem in the end. Therefore people in the show like 'Bodie' who are likable and not without heart are chopped up by the machinery of the system because they are young black men who have no real options except prison or professional sports. In either case they become nothing less than the source of white leisure or worse.
The Wire may not be recognized now for its social relevance and sheer genuis. Yet, years from now I would argue that scholars, critics, historians, and even the people will begin to understand how important this show was as it attempted to depict how a once proud American city was destroyed by years of ignorance, willful neglect, and economic policies that obliterated the blue collar workers of America and in the end will most likely result in the complete destruction of the American middle class as well.

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jbeall
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#22 Post by jbeall » Thu Jan 10, 2008 7:50 pm

Heading out to dinner, so no time to post in-depth, but I wanted to get this thought out there: it's probably so obvious that nobody's bothered, but this would make great watching alongside The Rules of the Game. I was thinking of Renoir's thoughts on his film included in the liner notes, along with the way the two characters in The Wire who try to change the game, Stringer Bell and Bunny Colvin, are executed (literally and figuratively) and have to accept their execution with, "get on with it, motherf..."

I've also just finished a marathon session of season 4, and will re-watch this weekend before writing more. If this isn't the best season (and it arguably is), it's certainly the most heartbreaking.

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zedz
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm

#23 Post by zedz » Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:30 am

If you haven't caught up with a_film_by's surreal thread(s) on this series, you're in for a - um - treat.

As far as I know, afb doesn't have its own equivalent of the Richard Cranium award. Yet.

Mise En Scene
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2005 4:24 pm

#24 Post by Mise En Scene » Tue Feb 19, 2008 5:25 pm

Zedz, what do you think of The Wire?

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zedz
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#25 Post by zedz » Tue Feb 19, 2008 7:47 pm

Mise En Scene wrote:Zedz, what do you think of The Wire?
I'm only just now catching up with it, relying on the DVD releases, but so far it's great, with a density, nuance and intricate narrative structure rare for TV and rare for cinema.

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