The Wire - The Complete Fifth Season
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Movie Reviews of The Wire - The Complete Fifth Season
Movie Review: Not the best season of The Wire, but still outshines the rest of TV.
Summary: 4 Stars
The Wire is one of the greatest shows ever to have been on television, if not the best ever. The fifth season was not the best of the Wire, but there are reasons for that. HBO ordered only 8 episodes, and the show's creators had to fight to get 10 (the other seasons were 13 episodes). As a result, it feels rushed, and we don't get the sense of characters that we got from earlier seasons. Still, it is a great show, giving us a unique look into the "behind-the-scenes" at the Baltimore Sun while continuing to follow the characters we have grown to love. Do yourself the service of finishing the series up, especially if you've followed the others.
I'm going to miss this show.
Movie Review: Best Series Ever
Summary: 5 Stars
The entire series of The Wire from season 1 to season 5 is one of the best tv series I have ever watched. It's a shame this is the last one. If you have a little extra time, watch this tv show!!!!Movie Review: The Wire: The Final (and best) Season
Summary: 5 Stars
Although it didn't have the publicity of "The Sopranos" or "Sex & The City", it does have a big fan base and it's very popular. Kudos to the production team for keeping the show fresh by having different storylines for every season. And the last season was probably the best yet by focusing on the press while at the same time focusing on the main characters. There will never be another show like The Wire. A superb cast, superb writing, but little respect from the critics.Movie Review: A Come Down from Season 4, but it Was Still Fantastic. 4.5 Stars
Summary: 4 Stars
After the dizzying heights of season 4, in my mind the greatest single television season ever created, was their anyway that the fifth season of The Wire couldn't disappoint at least a little bit?
A lot about the final season seemed hurried. Be it McNulty's descent back in to self destruction, the surprisingly surface level characterizations of the news reporters, the thoroughly half backed and unrealistic plot that all of the action hinged on, really took a lot of the punch out of The Wire. Still, a lot was good about season five as well. The street drama was very strong, with Marlo's growing ruthlessness, Cheese's characterization, Michael and Dukie's touching relationship, Omar's legendary status taking a very surprising hit, and one absolutely chilling scene that I won't spoil. The political aspect was just as cynical as ever, with Carcetti going from idealistic reformer to political opportunist in the span of three seasons. It's quite a fall from grace.
The main problem was that David Simon didn't have enough time to tell his story. There was way more plot than ten episodes could hold, and as a result some things got rushed. 3 more hours would have given Simon and company enough time to explore some of the themes and characters, particularly the newsroom stuff. Everyone felt like such broad characters in the newsroom. Gus, the idealistic city editor, Scott Templeton, swarmy and scarily ambitious young reporter who does whatever it takes to get ahead, and Alma, the na?ve young reporter who's struggling to maintain her integrity in this environment. And I can't forget about the editor James Whiting, who wants everything to be Dickensian, a nod to what critics frequently call The Wire. I never really felt that the term fit, because The Wire's social critiques actually had bite, where Dickens' work never felt like it was all that harsh or critical. This season though, it felt like typical ineffective and toothless Dickens.
Another problem was McNulty. I actually hoped he wouldn't come back. I felt that The Wire had moved past McNulty, to a more emotionally resonant place. They achieved something miraculous last season, and part of it was phasing out the main character, a high functioning alcoholic who can't help but self destruct and break the rules. I was done with McNulty, and to see him back and worse than ever just felt like a rehash. The Wire never really looks back, it always looks forward, but this felt like McNulty from season 2. Plus his fall again seemed very quick, although we're suppose to keep in mind that the season is taking place a year after season 4. Though we don't see McNulty getting worse over time, it just seems to happen.
I won't even get in to the whole main plotline that grabs every aspect of the story. All I will say is that my jaw dropped when I saw it first, and then it just kept getting more and more ridiculous, building in to some huge edifice that never seemed real. You could argue that The Wire isn't suppose to be realistic, but this is the first time I've felt they've gone to the level of parody to make their critiques about Baltimore institutions. Plus the Clay Davis plotline went by way to quick and ended in a rather goofy way.
Still, the street aspect was uniformly good throughout. Marlo is a genuinely scary character. He's so much more ruthless and efficient than Avon and Stringer. He's never caught up in the trappings of wealth; it's all about the crown for him. Michael came in to his own this year, as a character struggling against the pull of the violent drug life while still maintaining some of his humanity. Dukie's story was very touching as well. The Omar plot felt a bit odd to me, but it also felt realistic. Cheese, played well by Method Man, came in to his own this season. He makes you hate him by the end of the season. Chris and Snoop continue to scare me as well. There is no one as cold blooded as these two on television. And I can't forget about Kenard, who has one of the most memorable moments of the season.
The politics were pretty strong as well. Carcetti is just painful to watch. He's gone from the idealistic reformer to the political opportunist in about three seasons. Simon doesn't have a lot of nice things to say about politics, and this is a pretty bleak view. Narese Campbell comes in to her own here as well. Perhaps the biggest surprise is Michael Steintorf, played by Neil Huff. He turned in to a political hit man here, and I almost started to sweat every time he's on screen. Watch his conversation with Bill Rawls in the last episode to see what I mean.
And I can't forget about Bubbles, who put in a genuinely touching performance this season. I wish he had more to do, but what we got was amazing.
Despite the problems with this season, it is still very good, and it was still better than most of what was on television, and I still tuned in to watch religiously every Sunday. For a first time viewer, there is a ton of continuity and it would be best to watch the first four seasons before purchasing season 5. All the pieces matter, so it's important to absorb every episode. If you're a fan already, you're probably going to pick this up anyway. There is more good than bad here, but it's more of a victory lap than a tour de force like the rest of the series is. The show lives on in my mind. The names change, but the game remains the same.
Movie Review: all the pieces matter, and they all fit, Basically
Summary: 5 Stars
This was a good season. For all the seasoned vets of the wire we know from season to seasom from docks to schools all of it fit, for those who hated the whole Marlo character realize this Marlo was always there cjust cause he asn't talked about he was always there. No need to speak on him when he came to the view he was the man. season 5 was the finish there was some things I didn't agree with in this season but i understood after they cut the series down to 10 episodes something was gonna suffer. Omar was killed in a crappy fashion we all must say. They had moments that touched your heart with michael and lil bug. they had it all. But if you a seasoned vet you are disappointed and beggin for a season 6 that will not come and if you are a newcomer do as I did go back and see if from the jump and see everything matters