"The Wire" is touted as one of the greatest masterpieces the medium of television has to offer, and it deserves all of this praise. Broadcast between 2002 and 2008, it did not receive the appropriate acclaim it deserves during its run, but ever since it has achieved a legendary status. Truly, this series was ahead of its time, most notably in its approach to the sheer variety of social and political issues it tackles, always doing so with maturity and complexity.
What begins as a straightforward crime drama turns into a in-depth exploration of the Amerian City, in this case Baltimore. It details the fractured relationship between individuals and institutions, something that sadly also rings true to me as a foreigner. No one could have been chosen as a better lead then than Dominic West in the role of Jimmy McNulty, a rebellious detective who is fed up with the incompetence of bureaucracy and often sets off the plotlines for each season. "The Wire" is not a naïve, hopeful look that a rebel or two will change anything. It can be quite fatalist. Characters who go against the grain often pay a price for it, and may end up worse than those who simply chose to play along. A crushing reality, one that I see remaining true in the centuries to come.
Reality - this is a defining feature of the series. It is so dedicated to presenting its events away from typical Hollywood thrills that I think it occassionaly does so at the expense of satisfying storytelling. It's the only real issue I have here, most notably in Season 5 (ironically the one season that pushes its believalibility to the limit). Some arcs stutter at points. Season 2 is probably my least favourite season as its setting is simply not as interesting as the urban environment most of the show takes place in, but it's still incredibly tight plot-wise and tells a worthwhile tale. It's just the least essential one. My biggest issue with Season 4 and 5 is the major role Marlo takes on. He's a one-note character who literally has a single expression on the whole time. Such a let-down after how incredible Barskdale and Stringer were. The man is actually wholly incomptent and is able to go as big as he did only due to luck/plot convenience. This negativity pretty much encompassed all bad things I have to say about the series. Trully, I love the aprroach otherwise. Every character is threatened in some way, everyone suffers. No one is bigger than the world around them, no matter their ego. As much as it hates the system, "The Wire" concurs that you can't competely disavow it, as you'll only hurt yourself in the process. The best an individual can do is focus on making a meaningful change, however small it might seem. That's my takeaway at least. Even still, things don't always work out and you have to accept it.
The acting is fantastic and never ceases to amaze me. Every character is portrayed with gravity and feels human. "The Wire" pushed boundaries as to what your average viewer might expect. A predominantly black cast is featured, accurate to the Baltimore we see portrayed. Michael Kenneth Williams pllays my personal favourite - Omar Little, who along with Sonja Sohn's Kima Greggs set a precedent for outstanding LGBT representation that a lot of media still fails to follow on. Andre Royo is central to the heart of the series as Bubbles, giving this junkie a great deal of humanity. Idris Elba absolutely killed it as Stringer Bell, introduced as soon as we enter the show alongside Dominc West's Jimmy McNulty. Both have incredible arcs and function as pivotal main characters. Lance Reddick is convincing as Cedric Daniels and goes through much growth , especially in the first season. Clarke Peters is charismatic as Lester Freamon. Even seemingly smaller roles like J.D. Williams' Bodie go on to be central in Baltimore's story. Amazing are also the child actors who drive the fourth season, every single one of them. While I wouldn't quite call it my favourite for reasons stated above, I found it to be the most gut-wrenching and that is no small part due to their work.
Much can be said about "The Wire" as it continues to make me think on the questions it set forth. It makes no light of the heavy themes it deals with, while at the same time maintaining its charm throughout. The comedy can be quite underrated, as it packs quite a punch in a world so grim. It doesn't spend too much time moping around either, just as much as it needs. Things are grim, very few born on the lower steps of society get a happy ending, and many born near the top won't bother with those below. It's not about hope, it's not about hopelessness - it's just how things are. Simply showing that can be more telling than any predefined message. "The game is the game".
Review by Martin SestrimskiBlockedParent2022-01-28T15:17:33Z
"The Wire" is touted as one of the greatest masterpieces the medium of television has to offer, and it deserves all of this praise. Broadcast between 2002 and 2008, it did not receive the appropriate acclaim it deserves during its run, but ever since it has achieved a legendary status. Truly, this series was ahead of its time, most notably in its approach to the sheer variety of social and political issues it tackles, always doing so with maturity and complexity.
What begins as a straightforward crime drama turns into a in-depth exploration of the Amerian City, in this case Baltimore. It details the fractured relationship between individuals and institutions, something that sadly also rings true to me as a foreigner. No one could have been chosen as a better lead then than Dominic West in the role of Jimmy McNulty, a rebellious detective who is fed up with the incompetence of bureaucracy and often sets off the plotlines for each season. "The Wire" is not a naïve, hopeful look that a rebel or two will change anything. It can be quite fatalist. Characters who go against the grain often pay a price for it, and may end up worse than those who simply chose to play along. A crushing reality, one that I see remaining true in the centuries to come.
Reality - this is a defining feature of the series. It is so dedicated to presenting its events away from typical Hollywood thrills that I think it occassionaly does so at the expense of satisfying storytelling. It's the only real issue I have here, most notably in Season 5 (ironically the one season that pushes its believalibility to the limit). Some arcs stutter at points. Season 2 is probably my least favourite season as its setting is simply not as interesting as the urban environment most of the show takes place in, but it's still incredibly tight plot-wise and tells a worthwhile tale. It's just the least essential one. My biggest issue with Season 4 and 5 is the major role Marlo takes on. He's a one-note character who literally has a single expression on the whole time. Such a let-down after how incredible Barskdale and Stringer were. The man is actually wholly incomptent and is able to go as big as he did only due to luck/plot convenience. This negativity pretty much encompassed all bad things I have to say about the series. Trully, I love the aprroach otherwise. Every character is threatened in some way, everyone suffers. No one is bigger than the world around them, no matter their ego. As much as it hates the system, "The Wire" concurs that you can't competely disavow it, as you'll only hurt yourself in the process. The best an individual can do is focus on making a meaningful change, however small it might seem. That's my takeaway at least. Even still, things don't always work out and you have to accept it.
The acting is fantastic and never ceases to amaze me. Every character is portrayed with gravity and feels human. "The Wire" pushed boundaries as to what your average viewer might expect. A predominantly black cast is featured, accurate to the Baltimore we see portrayed. Michael Kenneth Williams pllays my personal favourite - Omar Little, who along with Sonja Sohn's Kima Greggs set a precedent for outstanding LGBT representation that a lot of media still fails to follow on. Andre Royo is central to the heart of the series as Bubbles, giving this junkie a great deal of humanity. Idris Elba absolutely killed it as Stringer Bell, introduced as soon as we enter the show alongside Dominc West's Jimmy McNulty. Both have incredible arcs and function as pivotal main characters. Lance Reddick is convincing as Cedric Daniels and goes through much growth , especially in the first season. Clarke Peters is charismatic as Lester Freamon. Even seemingly smaller roles like J.D. Williams' Bodie go on to be central in Baltimore's story. Amazing are also the child actors who drive the fourth season, every single one of them. While I wouldn't quite call it my favourite for reasons stated above, I found it to be the most gut-wrenching and that is no small part due to their work.
Much can be said about "The Wire" as it continues to make me think on the questions it set forth. It makes no light of the heavy themes it deals with, while at the same time maintaining its charm throughout. The comedy can be quite underrated, as it packs quite a punch in a world so grim. It doesn't spend too much time moping around either, just as much as it needs. Things are grim, very few born on the lower steps of society get a happy ending, and many born near the top won't bother with those below. It's not about hope, it's not about hopelessness - it's just how things are. Simply showing that can be more telling than any predefined message. "The game is the game".