The Wire: The Complete Fifth Season
List Price:
Our Price: $19.01
You Save: $20.97 (52%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $14.98 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD Cover Information
Actor: Aidan Gillen, Clark Johnson, Clarke Peters, Dominic West, Wendell PierceBrand: HBO Home Video
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 630 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-08-12
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Hbo Home Video
Product features:
- In the projects. On the docks. In City Hall. In the schools. And now, in the media. The places and faces have changed, but the game remains the same.Times are tough for the detail. Mayor Carcetti has slashed the departments budget to the bone. Police are operating without overtime some without cars and radios. Angered, McNulty is off the rails again and headed down a dangerous path of deception an
Movie Reviews of The Wire: The Complete Fifth Season
Movie Review: For Better Or Worse "It's All Connected"
Summary: 5 Stars
***EDIT NOTE (August 7th, 2008)***
I have learned from IGN that by the end of this year - early 2009 at the latest - all 5 seasons of THE WIRE will be released in a box set. I will write a review once Amazon puts up an item for purchase.
If you want to go in fresh, then I suggest not reading any Season Five reviews. But if you've already started, then read on. I've done everything possible to avoid spoilers, yet critique from my own point of view.
***ORIGINAL REVIEW***
Typing reviews on TV seasons can be problematic. If you're a newcomer to the series who just wants to know whether THE WIRE held up through all 60 episodes, the short answer is a resounding "Yes!" This series took big chances with each season, and each episode was carefully constructed and executed. They don't call this show a "visual novel" for nothing. THE WIRE is easily the most realistic TV series ever produced, and mastered the art of slow build-up.
But for those who missed out on Season Five, I'll keep this as spoiler-free as possible. If you're looking for a debate, go to IMDB --- you'll find plenty to fight about.
Trying to discuss plot threads and outlines of this Season would take an entire website, so let's split this up into the key players:
THE POLICE
---Season Five lets the Major Case Squad return to its roots as they track Marlo Stanfield, but the twist is that the entire police force is underpaid with morale at an all-time low. Whatever happened to Baltimore's economy since last year has crippled the cops from doing good policework, let alone keep the stats at an acceptable level. The few individuals who're motivated to work the cases, however, choose a shockingly unethcial approach. This approach (which I don't want to give away) opens up the classic question: "Do the ends justify the means?" Some fans thought this scenario was unbelieveable, but I say there've been more elaborate methods of deceit in this country's history. The police department's ethics and morals are really put through the ringer, this time. You might have to take a grain of salt, but I think most viewers will grow to love the cops' creativity by the series' end. Also, we finally get some closure on the past between Daniels & Burell, but in true WIRE fashion, we don't learn everything. Overall, the threads involving Baltimore law enforcement worked very well, in my opinion.
THE POLITICS
---There is some sweet material here, even though it's basically two stories. The first is Clay Davis's fate. I couldn't have predicted any of the twists that followed, and still can't believe them after I think about it. I'm very impressed that a minor colorful character really evolved into one of the Season's most memorable figures --- just when you think you've witnessed the climax, Davis's tale comes back with another layer. Also in THE WIRE's political focus is Tommy Carcetti's ongoing struggle to balance his ambition and his civic duties. These scenes were well-acted, but I was disappointed that nothing really changed within the offices. I know that's the point of the story, but it only works for so many consecutive episodes. However, I still think that Season Five portrays a good examination of general politics, warts and all.
THE STREETS
---Both my favorite and least favorite aspect of Season Five. Marlo Stanfield and his crew lay low, and kinda toy with the cops a bit in the first episode. "The Game" of the drug trade no longer has room for the idealists from seasons' past; this generation's players are more eager to violence and swift resolutions. I'm glad THE WIRE never becomes a bloodbath, but I'm disappointed that such cold violence failed to grip me. My problems with this part of the story were mainly because I didn't care enough about the dealers. Marlo, Snoop, Partlow, Slim Charles, Cheese, and Prop Joe...the actors are all up to the task, but the story wasn't as brilliant as its predecesors. Even the arcs involving teens Michael and Duquan didn't move me a lot, which surprising because they're such tragic characters; it's scary to think the real world is even harder on America's lower-class youth. However, keep in my mind I'm disappointed by THE WIRE's standards --- these tough scenes surpass any other TV urban drama. Where Season Five is at its best is with our everyman Bubbles. Andre Royo's performance treads delicately between subtle and dramatic, and he's never been better in the role. Bubbles represents every person in the world: if you give your attention to even the smallest person, a compelling story is waiting to come out. Speaking of stories...
THE NEWSROOM
---Each season, THE WIRE reveals a new side of Baltimore. For Season Five, we meet the press from inside the Baltimore Sun. The editing room vibe is just as important as the characters who inhabit them. Everyone from the greedy management to disillusioned veterans, and from ambitious journalists to a stoic editor jump on a hot story --- the only catch is that some of Baltimore's finest may not be so fine after all. Clearly, David Simon (creator/writer) knows this field like the back of his hand. Even if you didn't know he used to be a Baltimore Sun reporter, you'd swear Simon lived within this arena. I think most of Season Five's detractors focused on this story arc. My only real gripe is that the Sun's management isn't given enough depth: we've seen these bosses a million times before (they'll do anything for the greatest profit, or coverage, regardless of quality). Like the Streets angle, the actors are pitch-perfect, but the story had a few more yards to go. Still, conflicted journalism is always an interesting subject, and THE WIRE did an excellent job with it.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
---THE WIRE is a show we'll never get again. The acting is flawless; what I mean is that no character dominates the show. From start to finish, everyone on THE WIRE shares an equal prescence. The writing is also superb, especially when watching on DVD. How did we ever survive the week-by-week schedule? THE WIRE is much stronger when you take it all in one sitting.
Sadly, Season Five is easily my least favorite for two reasons.
AND PLEASE STOP READING IF YOU WANT NOTHING SPOILED!
* Each episode features a brief cameo from previous seasons' cast. Cameos and guest appearances are fine, but very few of them contributed anything unique. For example: Cutty gets a few brief scenes with Duquan. Cutty basically tells the confused teen that he doesn't know what the world holds for us. It's nice to see them interact, but the ideas are a bit recycled. THE WIRE has always been able to give us little details without distracting from the big picture. In Season Five, these cameos took me out of the moment.
* But here is my biggest problem with Season Five:
First off, some fans didn't like how THE WIRE jumped from the streets to the docks, or how one year suddenly became about school children and not the police. However, no one can deny THE WIRE was always tried to expand its horizons. This is a fact.
Where Season Five slips up is that David Simon tries to resolve just about everything. I always thought this show was stronger when some issues remained ambiguous, and when not every question was answered. There was a sense of irony in each season's resolution. But in THE WIRE's final act, Simon apparently couldn't let some questions go. The Series Finale is superb, no doubt. But Simon's attempt to connect everything together makes the world of Baltimore feel much smaller.
Maybe THE WIRE is about an interconnected world after all.
However, don't let my little nitpicks prevent any of you from watching this outstanding series' conclusion.
If you're a fan, you're gonna pick up Season Five anyway.
If you're a skeptic, have faith and spend the money.
If you're a newcomer to the series, I envy you. Your first trip "Way Down In The Hole" is one you'll never forget.
Summary of The Wire: The Complete Fifth Season
Studio: Hbo Home Video Release Date: 08/12/2008 Run time: 630 minutesSimilar DVD Movies
Breaking Bad - The Complete First SeasonSony; Release date: 2009-02-24; DVD
Best price: $12.29
Price in other shops:
The Sopranos: The Complete Fifth SeasonSOPRANOS; Release date: 2005-06-07; PlayStation 3; DVD
Best price: $21.99
Price in other shops:
The Wire: Truth Be Toldby Rafael Alvarez
Grove Press; Published: 2010-05-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.60
Price in other shops:
The Sopranos: Season 6, Part 2HBO Home Video; Release date: 2007-10-23; DVD
Best price: $21.95
Price in other shops:
The CornerRelease date: 2011-05-31; DVD
Best price: $10.49
Price in other shops:
The Avon Barksdale Story: Legends of the UnwiredKoch International; Release date: 2010-03-09; DVD
Best price: $7.30
Price in other shops:
The Wire: The Complete Third SeasonHBO Home Video; Release date: 2006-08-08; DVD
Best price: $21.99
Price in other shops:
The Wire: The Complete Second SeasonHBO HOME VIDEO; Release date: 2005-01-25; Published: 2005-01-01; DVD
Best price: $21.99
Price in other shops:
The Wire: The Complete First SeasonWIRE; Release date: 2004-10-12; DVD
Best price: $19.99
Price in other shops:
The Wire: The Complete Fourth SeasonHBO; Release date: 2007-12-04; DVD
Best price: $21.99
Price in other shops: