..And this is where the show goes from solid, to great.
It ties up a lot of storylines from previous seasons in a great way, while also introducing a whole new universe (the politics stuff) and some new characters and plotlines for the following seasons. The Stringer Bell/Avon Barksdale plot is really great but I also loved all the arcs for the cops. One of the best things? McNulty arrived in season 1 looking like (and thinking he was) the great white saviour but in the end he's the most messed up of all of them.
There's something missing in this series. The best thing about it is definitely the character portraits. All the characters are really well done. But for the past two seasons, the plot hasn't been engaging at all. They've been trying to juggle 2-3 plots simultaneously for two seasons now. For instance, in this season, the time spent on Stringer and the Barksdale case is almost equal to the time given to Littlefinger's presidential plot. And these side plots are really boring. The whole dockworkers' union stuff from the previous season was also extremely dull. I don't even bother following these plots anymore.
I also feel another lack in this series. I'm not sure exactly what to call it. Direction? Artistic choice? I'm not sure, but there's a general lack of excitement in the show. The primary goal of a series should be to make you eager for the next episode, and in this, the show fails, in my opinion. For instance, the lack of music. There's almost no music in the series. There's no atmospheric music to create tension in the background of intense scenes. This is clearly a choice, but I think it reduces the excitement. As I said, the characters are great, the dialogues are great, but I don't get the feeling of complete satisfaction I expected from this series. I expected more from a show that is hailed as HBO's best.
The reason I'm talking as if the show has ended is that the season finale felt like a series finale. STRINGER DIED, MAN, WHAT THE HELL. The last thing I expected was Stringer dying so early. I think he's another character that was wasted. We watched for three seasons how Stringer stood out with his intelligence among these drug-addled black men, trying to take things to the next level, and his vision, but suddenly, Stringer became stupid, screwed up his investments, made illogical decisions, couldn't get Avon to listen, snitched on Avon to the police, and died. It was sad to see Stringer wasted like that. What are they going to talk about in the next seasons? Stringer is dead, Avon and almost his entire crew are in jail, McNulty realized his toxic nature and reined himself in to become a proper cop, Daniels became a captain, Colvin retired (and Colvin was one of the best additions this season. It was enjoyable to watch the creation and ethical dilemma of Hamsterdam). So what are they going to tell us for two more seasons, Marlo? I don't care about Marlo. Anyway, I hope the last two seasons get better; otherwise, despite the respect and enjoyment I have for the show, it doesn't seem like it will make it to my top favorites.
7.5/10
When someone says "The Wire" is Not the greatest TV show of all time. ...Sheeeeeeeeeeit
Feels the most like a typical season of a TV show so far. Folding in the politics stuff adds layers to what Season 1 was going for, but it feels like setup for the next season. The drug story, likewise, has a handful of strong beats & the Stringer stuff is great, but the feels less focused than the previous seasons & more like it's building up the next season than paying things off in season 3. Overall tho, it's still The Wire & I'm looking forward to revisiting the later seasons where they get more into the Politics & Newspaper stuff.
Shout by Zaheer KhanVIP 6BlockedParent2022-04-13T04:30:41Z
Shit really goes down in this season. This show is so well written. The writers treat the viewers with respect. The facts are not shoved into our faces, but hints and clues are dropped all throughout the show. Stringer Bell's lies are the most obvious example of this. As far as slow burns go, the payoff is well worth the wait in The Wire.