The Wire

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I had already seen half of the entire series of The Wire but I recently got on a kick of re-watching and wanting to finish the last two seasons.  I am still convinced it is just outstanding in almost every way.  In a total of 5 seasons, there was only one character who annoyed me (Marlo), and when dealing with feds, police, politicians, kids, druggies, dealers, etc. that is saying a lot.  I am amazed this show did not get major awards in its time.  I am amazed that watching it now feels just as relevant, if not more so, than when it originally aired.  I am amazed that the actor who portrayed Bubbles was an Ivy League grad.  I am amazed that they hit home the hypocrisy to "do more with less" so damn well.  

I loved Season 1.  I thought it introduced great characters who I got attached to, so I was wary when they moved outside of Barksdale's organization, but the scope of the show was great.  The meaning behind the few words in some scenes had me hooked.  If a show can teach a life lesson and an overview of its entire season while one drug dealer explains chess and can also have an entire conversation and exploration of a crime scene using only the word "fuck," it is deep in more ways than one.  This show can be violent.  It can be suddenly and graphically violent.  It is one of the very few shows I can think of though that didn't turn me off because of it.  It's really not gratuitous.  I wouldn't let my kids watch, of course, but it also doesn't glamorize violence in any way.  

I recommend Season 4 to anyone teaching and feeling frustrated... truly.  It just works on every level.  I felt for every kid and teacher, wanted the best for the them and knew there was no way for most of them to achieve it.  And for Bubbles, I was pretty sure things would not work out, but his storyline really worked for me.  The show is frustrating... the good guys do stupid things, they don't always prevail, and sometimes the lesser of two evils is the one that gets put away.  But I thought about every episode.  Maybe I'll write about each season separately... It certainly deserves it.  But while it was fresh in my mind, I am taking the time to remind everyone just how well crafted and well acted this show was.  If you haven't seen it and you're an adult... watch it.  Watch at least 3 episodes.  Then we can discuss, debate, agree, whatever... but I absolutely encourage more people to learn about this exceptional television series.  

And I leave you with characters I loved... good and bad: Bunk, Omar, Bubbles, Duquan, Lester, Daniels, Prez (Seasons 4/5), Sydnor, Avon, Bodie, D'Angelo, Stringer Bell, Gus, Greggs, Bug, Carver, and Carcetti's aide who laughed at all the madness in the final episodes... Thank you to all of those actors for leaving an impression and giving me something to think about.  Thanks to them, I still love seeing them whenever I notice a connection.  I have seen Lance Reddick (Lost, Fringe), Andre Royo (saw him in Fringe), Michael K. Williams, Deirdre Lovejoy (had an awesome and odd few episodes on Bones), Wendell Pierce (FBI psychiatrist in Numbers), Wood Harris (who I loved from Remember the Titans before I saw The Wire and I still bought him as Avon Barksdale), Idris Elba (Pacific Rim, Thor, Luther), Pablo Schreiber (Orange is the New Black), Michael B. Jordan, and I know I've seen others.  They all deserve a standing ovation for The Wire.