The Wire - The Complete First Season
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Movie Reviews of The Wire - The Complete First Season
Movie Review: For the doubters out there
Summary: 5 Stars
Since there are tons of reviews here singing the praises of 'The Wire', I wanted to aim my review at the people out there who are on the fence about whether to check out this criminally under-rated show.
I watched the first episode of 'The Wire' when it first aired, and decided that I didn't like it. To me, it looked like an unfortunate combination of "Lost", "Sopranos" and "Oz". "Lost", because as the viewer, you know the characters are never going to succeed, either in getting off the island or getting Baltimore off drugs. I figured there would be a pattern of episodes where the police gain some traction in the drug war, and then the drug dealers would rally, and then the police would come back, et cetera, ad nauseum. "Sopranos", because I assumed there would be many bacchanalian scenes where the evildoers revel in their unlimited access to wealth, power, and women. "Oz", because it looked relentlessly bleak and violent. I'm not knocking any of those shows, it just seemed to me like 'The Wire' was taking the worst parts of all three.
I reluctantly tried the series again because my friends kept raving about it. And here I am, five years later, to say the hype is true. 'The Wire' may well be the best television ever.
'The Wire' is first and foremost, a superbly crafted story. As others have said, the season is really one long narrative with thirteen separate chapters. This frees up the television medium considerably. Episodes are not themed, do not uniformly end with shocking twists, and don't adhere to any formula of "primary plotline interspersed with two minor plotlines." The acting is brilliant, the dialog is razor-sharp, and view of corruption and poverty is unflinching.
Before seeing this show, I have always said that "Homicide (Life on the Street)" was the best television series ever made. 'The Wire' includes many of the same elements, but the format - long story arcs and no censorship - take it much further than Homicide ever went.
HBO has also shown an admirable restraint in the depiction of violence. 'The Wire' is a violent show, but most of it takes place off-screen, and some of the most memorable scenes are almost finished before you notice them. In one scene, a dealer stops at a shady-looking convenience store for a late night snack, and literally everything in the store, including the owner, is protected by a bullet-proof sheet of glass. In another scene, children from the projects leave for school with a small bag of chips for lunch. The lucky ones also get a juice box.
I don't know if this show is qualitatively better than the Sopranos, but personally, I enjoy the Wire more. I would say the Wire is less ambitious in scope, but what it does, it does better. Unlike 'Sopranos' 'The Wire' is plot-driven, which means the characters must serve the story. However, character-driven or not, I got tired of being inside Tony Soprano's head after a few years. Tony is after all a banal, violent man. This may be a realistic depiction of a mafioso, but it does begin to wear. 'The Wire' performs that miraculous trick of depicting boredom, pettiness and venality with actually being boring, petty or venal. People and places are ever so slightly larger than life. It's gritty enough to keep it real, while fantastical enough to keep you enthralled.
Finally, the series had the guts to do what almost no other show does: end. The final episode in the season actually brings everything to an incredibly satisfying (though not necessarily neat) conclusion.
I hope I've brought at least one more viewer on board to this truly excellent series. A few last notes:
- Buy or rent the DVDs. You are going to be lost without subtitles.
- Be aware that the dialogue includes an incredible amount of profanity. If that offends you, you will hate this series, all the pros notwithstanding.
- As others have warned, the DVD menus contain spoilers. Be careful not to read the plot summaries at the start of every episode. You can't skip them, so just close your eyes and keep pressing "play." Also be aware that some of the commentary contains spoilers for following seasons.
- A lot of people have said that the good guys aren't so good and the bad guys aren't so bad. This is true. However, don't be fooled into thinking that the show is simple moral relativism. A corrupt cop may beat up a suspect; a high level drug dealer might commit a murder. The show is about many things, primarily about individuals versus the institutions they serve. It also makes a lot of interesting statements about the nature of information - what the cops can glean from the criminals, what the criminals figure out about the cops, what the cops hide from each other. To paraphrase the series tag line, everyone is listening carefully.
- On top of everything else, this show is funny!
Movie Review: Ruined Me for Law & Order
Summary: 5 Stars
I used to watch Law & Order as I dozed off some nights, I always liked that show. However, after watching season one of The Wire, I can't watch L&O anymore, because in comparison it's just a pile of cool puke.
I started watching this after Sopranos ended, and it's no sopranos. But what is? This is great, better than most police movies you've seen, much less TV.
An especially gratifying thing about this season is the epilogue. It actually ends, not depending on any contrived cliffhangers to try to get me to watch the next season, something even Sopranos did. So of course I will watch the next season, as the producers have earned my trust. I can't wait!
Movie Review: Missed it on HBO... great alternative to post-writer's strike summer TV wasteland
Summary: 5 Stars
Best television ever made? Possibly. When there's nothing on, catching up on seasons of The Wire, Rescue Me, and Mad Men is keeping me sane.Movie Review: episode 3 incomplete
Summary: 2 Stars
The Wire is a great show. The copy I ordered was defective (one episode cut short). Then the next copy was shipped and part of the case was broke.Movie Review: Absolutely Near Perfect ...
Summary: 5 Stars
To anyone who hasn't seen 'The Wire' I cant express in strong enough terms how good this series is. Every ingredient required to make an unforgettable crime/drama series is found in this show. From the writing and dialogue to the acting and pace of the events that take place 'The Wire' is among the best, if not the best, that has ever been seen. I have seen all 5 seasons and they are all excellent. If you expect television programs, as I do, to depict life in an urban area to remain true to reality and be as authentic as possible then you will love this show. I've recently tried to watch popular crime dramas such as 'Law & Order' and others and I honesty laugh out loud at how contrived the stories are and how untrue to life the dialogue is. If you don't know what I'm saying then start with season 1 of 'The Wire' and you'll see what I'm talking about.