This has been one of the best shows this year, could have done with more than six episodes but showed how corrupt the police in the USA are.
Another amazing series from David Simon, one that came at a moment where we do need to discuss police brutality and corruption. It's no easy series to watch but perfectly examines the mentality of the individuals who abuse their power. Like any other Simon series, we're left with an image of hopelessness that makes us wonder whether change can occur if we continue on the path we are now. Some amazing performances from Jon Bernthal, Wunmi Mosaku and Jamie Hector. We got numerous non-fiction TV shows this year but none came close to capturing the journalistic integrity and narrative pull of this series. Amazing!
I just want to say that Jon Bernthal is fantastic.
This would've been worthy of watching if the editing was better. There was no need to go back and forth in time, telling the story chronologically would've have a stronger impact. Imagine if Breaking Bad was made with a chopped up timeline - it just steals away from character development, continuity and exploring the world little by little.
A slow start but it picks up and becomes interesting. It is scary the amount of corruption in Baltimore.
I felt like I'm watching a minor version of the shield in terms of events ,and The wire in terms of taste. Nothing new, very entertaining though.
Spiritual child of The Wire.
Extremely well written and riveting from start to finish, I loved every minute of it.
Cherry on the cake, the opening credit sequence is so cool ! (Editing + music)
We Own This City is like if a sixth season of The Wire came from the multiverse, with returning actors in different roles and a complete change in style. The Wire was very emotional and personal but told through a docufiction visual style, We Own This City is a very dry and journalistic story told through the cinematic, messy, vital, temporally broke, ioncredibly effective vision of Reinaldo Marcus Green. And then there's a spectacular Jon Bernthal, who roams around the episodes like he's the shark from Jaws, swimming here and there, always ready to bite and chew everything when it matters. It needs a couple of episodes to really get there, but it's a great show, full of interesting ideas and with an amazing final episode.
[HBO Max] George Pelecanos and David Simon offer mastery in dialogue and character building, connecting with "The Wire" in the dissection, not of a corrupt police force, but of a political and social system that feeds corruption. This amplified look at the hard-won mistrust of the security forces is a vision of a rotten society, reminiscent of the documentary "The Force" (2017) in the pessimistic conclusion that the corrupt will be replaced by the corrupt.
It was ok a bit slow definitely not up to the wire's calibre.
This show has the feel of The Wire but the story is not as good. I'm probably going to stop watching after the next episode.
Walmart version of the wire, but still very entertaining so far.
Holding out a lot of hope for this one,even if its half as good as the last cop show about the Baltimore police department then i will continue to watch.
This show was made for one reason: to regurgitate old news (face it, Baltimore has always been bent) in order to make clear that HBO is super woke and Trump was evil. Every other episode makes sure the characters express just how terrible the world would be if Trump gets elected and then how terrible the world is because he did. I don't give a crap about your politics one way or the other, but how about leaving it out of my entertainment?
Two things that should be kept to yourself at all times: your politics and your sexuality. Nobody cares about either until you try to shove it down their throat.
Oh, and just because the creators of The Wire made this show, it's NOT The Wire in any capacity whatsoever - the only common thread is a few of the same actors and the same city, the similarities end there. The over-the-top performance of Bernthal is beyond cringe-worthy (like pretty much all his acting gigs).
For black people, this is more of a docu-drama, which is probably the intention. A lousy policy by those who unthinkingly embrace the rhetoric of tough on crime. The real consequences are amply illustrated with the police turning into predators on the public dime. Still it's always amusing to know that the USA has locked up more of its citizens than China or Russia. And still there is a thirst to lock up even more. The police unions are the best protected mafia in the country and it's show clearly here, but I'm sure many will watch and still avoid thinking of all the issues these series raises.
they crafted this show with a ton of flashbacks to the degree that you don't even know which character is what character. nudity that was unnecessary. hopefully somebody can tell this story in a logical and straightforward format without nudity
It's good, sometimes hard to follow time due to flashbacks. The actual story is a movie called I Got A Monster which we watched after we had seen this show.
This was so overlooked. I can see this being a 5-star show for tons of people. It goes super thematic, subtly tells a story of the police and the policed.
And Jon Bernthal is amazing as usual.
The episodes, 2-4 are good just for the recalled events involving officer Jenkins, but other than that the show lacks any real charm. It’s not a particularly interesting show nor does it go anywhere, par for the course I suppose for something as political as police in America.
Dman they want to take guns away from black America but today they want to make it easy for white america to get guns. Crazy world!
Review by SuitBlockedParent2022-06-10T15:26:24Z— updated 2022-06-22T00:24:54Z
“We Own This City!” - Wayne Jenkins
If not for some of the political overtones, this show could have been truly remarkable. Perhaps they might have been better interwoven into the plot without being hammered over the head with them. A relentless barrage of political propaganda and agenda-driven writing, make the story difficult to enjoy; nevertheless, while not as compelling as The Wire, We Own This City is a testament that Simon and co have perfected this genre.
It's entertaining and intriguing. The show does suffer from its adherence to reality and fragmented continuity that favours brilliance above comprehension. Simon's signature is still present; he examines institutional stagnation and failure while remaining grounded at the street level. Also, as is Simon's practice, he explores all sides of an issue rather than focusing exclusively on one perspective.
It is likely that We Own This City would have benefited from a longer runtime since it lacks the same depth of character development as The Wire, which uses well-developed characters to show how society shapes individuals. As a result of Jon Bernthal's character being written with the greatest care, his performance is the most riveting among the cast. Even simply for Jon Bernthal's performance, this show is worth seeing.
Rating: 7.2/10