The Wire

I watched season 5 again a few weeks ago. You're right - The Press is beautifully handled but I think the whole team had peaked in the previous season. If only they had handled McNulty and the police funding issue a bit more sensibly they could have had an equal to, say, season 3.

__________________
"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how the Tatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan

Agreed. There just wasn't anything they could have done to make the McNaughty character more interesting. They ran out of stuff for him and the other coppers to do and it really showed in this season. What did you think of the ambiguous final Marlo scene? What did it suggest to you?

That he had the sense (or base instinct) unlike Stringer to realise that he didn't belong - or that he'd have to do a hell of a lot of fitting in - to the world to which he'd been introduced. Of course, Levy is bound to have another crack at him and it's hard to imagine someone like Clay Davis coming from a vastly different home, and he survives ok.

If Émile Zola had been alive today (and American), he'd have written for The Wire.

I was mainly referring to the scene in which he approaches those two lads, but I do like your take on why he left that dinner party because I was a bit confused as to what was going on there myself. But you've cleared it up and it makes a lot of sense. Must admit I was kinda hoping that Stanfield would finally get his comeupppance but it wasn't to be. :0

And who is Emile Zola?!

He was a French writer and, if I remember correctly, a good friend of the Impressionist painter, Paul Cezzane. That's about as much as I know about him and I only know that because, back in my youth, I really got into Cezzane's work and watched a documentary about him.

Naturalism and determinism, basically.

"I am little concerned with beauty or perfection. I don't care for the great centuries. All I care about is life, struggle, intensity."

Finished Season 4 (except the epilogue bit which cut out the recording), beautifully developed character arcs but didn't find the whole season narrative arc as satisfying, which is probably why hold Season 2 as highest atm.

__________________

Wow. Season 2 was the least satisfying for me. I loved season 4.

"Hello! And welcome to Opposites World, with your hosts, HK and Pyro."

I could quite happily call 2 or 4 my favourite Wire season - it really depends on the one I've seen most recently (saw 4 most recently so it's that one for now).

Maybe season 4 will be better retrospectively after watching season 5 and the threads panning out, thought they set a LOT up to be wrapped up in season 5. There wasn't really any climatic events in it, i found, so never really seemed complete plus accidently read about Bodie before seeing it which was dampener. I liked the self-contained docks story in S2 and the Sobotka character a lot.

I think after you've watched season 5 you'll return back to previous seasons and change your mind about season 4. I love season 2 as well, and also really liked the Frank Sabotka. Though I felt that the actor that played him laid it on a bit too thick, imo. Seriously thick. My man chewed scenery like nobody's business. But it's still a great season, surprisingly underrated as most people that watch The Wire disregard it slightly and it's often hailed as a weak season alongside season 5.

I'd agree with that. 2 and 5 are the weakest season, IMO.

My best friend has been trying to get me into this show for months and I was a little hesitant at first because I've never really been into tv drama.

I bought the first Season about a month ago and I've gotta say it's amazing, might even beat Band of Brothers to my favourite tv show

__________________
If at his council I should turn aside, Into that ominous tract which all agree, Hides the Dark Tower. Yet aquiescingly I did turn as he pointed, neither pride nor hope at the end descried, so much as gladness that some end might be.

Robert Browning 'Childe Roland to The Dark Tower Came'

What didn't you like about season 2?

It's not that I didn't like it, more than I think one of the weakest. You have to remember that we're talking about the weakest season of The Wire. Which means that it's still better than about 95% of everything else.

But to try and answer the question. I didn't like the fact that we'd left 'the hood', I didn't like the son and his weasely friend (who's name escapes me at the moment) though I liked the storyline with The Greek.

Hmm, interesting. True, it does feel weird to have the words 'weak' and 'The Wire' in the same sentence. But yeah, I feel ya

Ziggy I believe is the guy you are referring to. That's Nicky's cousin and Frank Sobotka's son. I admit, they were pretty unlikeable, but I still felt for them as they were apart of a dying working class.

I too was a bit miffed when I realised the season wasn't going to focus on the ghettos of Baltimore, but then I realised that it was necessary. They had to expand the scope of the show and the docks with it's failed union is the perfect way to expand. I felt it gave the show more depth and wasn't just pertaining to a specific audience but rather everybody.

YES! Ziggy, that's the name I was searching for.

I think you're absolutely right about why the show left the ghetto for the docks and the failing union and the life of the dockworkers mirroring those in the ghetto, but I like what I like and I just wasn't as interested in them. I find that the bad guys are usually more interesting than the good guys, but in season 2, the good guys were definately more interesting to me. That's not a good sign.

Here's a nice little article I've just read on Slugger O'Toole.

Link

It might be old news to some but it's funny just the same.

Just started watching this show. I'm a couple of episodes away from finishing the first season. I got to say I'm impressed this show is amazing. I hope the next seasons are as good as the first.

Keep us informed on what you think, PV. I think that seasons 1,3 and 4 are far better than the other two, but there's plenty who disagree with that.