The Wire

[dan-likes-trees]

Carcetti makes me want to buy this shirt

 

 

Carcetti makes me want to watch a program on ITV, and that's quite something.

 

Anyway, I should really buy s5 but I'm too poor and student loans company hate me. And I don't want it to end.

[Zell]

I've just finished season 4. Absolutely. In. Credible. At the same time, so so sad. There's too much to talk about, so I'll just say it's probably my favourite season tied with season 3, and I fucking loved season 3.

 

I'm saving season 5 for the christmas holidays, I can't believe there's only ten more episodes to go!

[Oxigen_Waste]

Season 4>Season 3>Season 1> Season 5>Every other good show on TV like Mad Men and such > Season 2.

 

And season 2 is still fantastic. But yeah, it just doesn't get better than the 4th Wire season. Best thing ever on TV, by a large margin.

[ReZourceman]

A largin, if you will.

[The Bard]

Season 4>Season 3>Season 1> Season 5>Every other good show on TV like Mad Men and such > Season 2.

 

And season 2 is still fantastic. But yeah, it just doesn't get better than the 4th Wire season. Best thing ever on TV, by a large margin.

 

That's really funny, because I thought season 5 was the best. All of the shows myriad aspects were drawn together so completely that it served as a fucking narrative orgasm. Season 4 was my second fave, followed by 1 and then 3.

Drew it full circle, with the Baltimore beurocracy barely dented, and new faces filling the same old positions in the society (Michael becomes a mini Omar, Dukie fills in for Bubs, Marlow walks free and Slim Charles takes his place... etc.) Perfect.

 

 

Season 2, is oddly enough one of my best friend's favourite seasons, and the same with a bunch of other people I know, but its also my least favourite season... mostly cause it was the white trash season =p. I got really attached to Nick and Frank though:

which is why the last episode of the season was such an emotional bummer.

Of course..season 2 had by far the best opening song .

 

Still, my favourite show of all time.

 

Also, I really want this Cafe Press tee:

 

Edited December 8, 2010 by The Bard
Automerged Doublepost

[Oxigen_Waste]

That's really funny, because I thought season 5 was the best. All of the shows myriad aspects were drawn together so completely that it served as a fucking narrative orgasm. Season 4 was my second fave, followed by 1 and then 3. Drew it full circle, with the Baltimore beurocracy barely dented, and new faces filling the same old positions in the society (Michael becomes a mini Omar, Dukie fills in for Bubs, Marlow walks free and Slim Charles takes his place... etc.) Perfect.

 

To be honest, 1=3, the 4th is only a tiny bit better, and the only reason I didn't like season 5 as much is because of the whole

serial killer

stuff, which seemed a bit too farfetched, to me. But the rest of the aspects of the season (which are 95% of it) were still as brilliant as ever, especially that "full circle" feel you mentioned. Also, you should use spoiler tags, he just finished season 4.

[The Bard]

Oh aye. Sorry, thought the statute of limitations was up on The Wire

[jayseven]

TBH it should NEVER be up :P People erronerously think that a show's twists and climaxes should be free to talk about just because it was aired years ago. The correct manners is to assess who amongst the discussees hasn't seen it but wishes to watch it.

 

I really wish I had seen Soylent Green without having heard the spoiler already.

[Zell]

I really liked season 2, I got really attached to some of the characters. Plus it has probably my favourite scene so far in the series:

 

 

I got the shotgun. You got the briefcase. S'all in the game though right?

 

[Oxigen_Waste]

Yep, that scene is amazing.

 

Season 2 is still awesome, it just isn't as awesome as everything else.

[Dan_Dare]

God I love Omar.

[dwarf]

I finished season 3 t'other day. I thought it was great, but I might actually be inclined to say Season 2 was better. This may have been because I've forgotten what happens in the first half of season 3, as there was a massive time gap between my viewings of both parts.

 

Omar is definitely the best character, although Jimmy always has his fair share of awesomes. By the end of S3 I felt like it was dragging ever so slightly though, needs a bit of freshening up, which is my I maintain that Season 1 is still the best.

 

My perception of Carcetti has vastly improved, I can see him being awesome. Also, his advisor is pretty hawt in a milfish way.

[ReZourceman]

Carcetti is the man. Season 4 is a reasonably drastic shift in main storylines, so it will serve to freshen you up.

[The fish]

Damn, if I hadn't just started a The West Wing marathon, that scene Zell posted would make me start watching the entity of The Wire again right now.

[The Bard]

D&D applied to The Wire:

 

 

Awesome

[ReZourceman]

Good lord, that is.....god. Everything about it.

[dan-likes-trees]

Just fucking finished it.

 

What a brilliant brilliant piece of television. I've got a slightly depressed feeling now it's finished... Doesn't help that it's a pretty depressing show anyway, quite a hopelessness in the full circle aspect of it.

 

Anyway, solid ending. I struggle to see why 5 is said to be a miss-step. The main thing in the centre was a bit far fetched but I don't think they pushed it too far from plausibility. Almost. But with the newspapers added, in some ways it was almost better than the 4th.

 

For me?

 

4 > 5 > 3 > 2 > 1

 

I might have to rewatch the first. Totally didn't get into it, but then it was years ago and I didn't really know what good TV was. In hindsight the focus probably seemed a but too narrow, especially comparison to the last couple seasons.

 

Love how constantly hilarious it is aswell, without being too much so. The bit with

 

The psychoanalysis profile thing of the non-existant serial killer, basically describing McNulty had me cracking up.

 

 

 

 

That's really funny, because I thought season 5 was the best. All of the shows myriad aspects were drawn together so completely that it served as a fucking narrative orgasm. Season 4 was my second fave, followed by 1 and then 3.

Drew it full circle, with the Baltimore beurocracy barely dented, and new faces filling the same old positions in the society (Michael becomes a mini Omar, Dukie fills in for Bubs, Marlow walks free and Slim Charles takes his place... etc.) Perfect.

 

 

Season 2, is oddly enough one of my best friend's favourite seasons, and the same with a bunch of other people I know, but its also my least favourite season... mostly cause it was the white trash season =p. I got really attached to Nick and Frank though:

which is why the last episode of the season was such an emotional bummer.

 

Agree with all of this.

 

Yeah Season 2's my Dad's favourite too. I can see why, worked really well as a self contained story. Though almost too much so - The Docks barely made a reappreance after. Had some really good characters too.

 

Also: That D&D thing is awesome. And looking at it reminds me how incredibly fleshed and interesting out each of those characters are. Though it is seriously lacking in this man.

 

 

Onwards to Treme.

Of course..season 2 had by far the best opening song .

 

Still, my favourite show of all time.

[jayseven]

Treme is quite different, just to warn you.

 

5, to me, felt more like a 'building block' season rather than a finale. Critics can go on and on about how the wire exceeds, nay, destroys archetypical story structures... but frankly I'm the motherfuckin' audience here, and if I say it seems weird then it's weird.

 

I really enjoyed the newspaper stuff and the politics stuff but because the newspaper stuff was basically never mentioned up 'til that season it bugged me. It's why a lot of people don't rate season 2 -- generally speaking those characters and what goes on there are largely irrelevant to the corner (not completely, of course) - and season 5 did pretty much the same thing except at a higher level, from a different perspective.

 

I think the show lends well to repeated viewings [sic] so that you can ignore this bias that I mention and instead just see each season as a separate jigsaw piece. For me, they aren't all equally jigsaw pieces. Some seasons contain more pieces than others. All are good! In a sense, 2 and 5 left me demanding more, which is, in a way, why I was actually left a bit dissatisfied by the ultimate series finalé.

 

Tbf it's been nearly 2 years since I watched the show, but these are my memories. I should go back and watch it again.

[dan-likes-trees]

Treme is quite different, just to warn you.

 

5, to me, felt more like a 'building block' season rather than a finale. Critics can go on and on about how the wire exceeds, nay, destroys archetypical story structures... but frankly I'm the motherfuckin' audience here, and if I say it seems weird then it's weird.

 

I really enjoyed the newspaper stuff and the politics stuff but because the newspaper stuff was basically never mentioned up 'til that season it bugged me. It's why a lot of people don't rate season 2 -- generally speaking those characters and what goes on there are largely irrelevant to the corner (not completely, of course) - and season 5 did pretty much the same thing except at a higher level, from a different perspective.

 

I think the show lends well to repeated viewings [sic] so that you can ignore this bias that I mention and instead just see each season as a separate jigsaw piece. For me, they aren't all equally jigsaw pieces. Some seasons contain more pieces than others. All are good! In a sense, 2 and 5 left me demanding more, which is, in a way, why I was actually left a bit dissatisfied by the ultimate series finalé.

 

Tbf it's been nearly 2 years since I watched the show, but these are my memories. I should go back and watch it again.

 

Yeah, I see what you mean, definitely agree.. the different 'themes' of each season gave a bit of a perhaps not conventional but certainly slightly unnatural feeling. Although I think the shift into series 2 was alot more obvious / jarring, the whole narrative shifting whereas in s5 the newspaper stuff only took up maybe a quarter of the screentime, so it didn't feel quite as unnatural / didn't bother me so much. It's a shame though, as you say, that the newspapers weren't foreshadowed at all in the earlier seasons. The press were often present but nearly always ignored.

 

Anyway, yeah from what I've read Treme's a very different beast. I'm surprised how little I've heard about it though.. started airing last year right? Considering The Wire seems to be universally credited by the critics as 'best tv evar' it's strange to see a series of Treme on air with almost nothing in the papers / online /whatever. Although The Wire only seemed to take off through the DVDs. Can't see Treme s1 DVD anywhere yet. Did you watch via.. other means?

[jayseven]

Yeah, 'other means' :P Truth be told I've only seen the first 6 episodes. I was into the whole drug culture thing, and a post-katrina scenario simply doesn't interest me as much -- but I'll still watch the show.

 

Boardwalk Empire is supposed to offer a kindling experience, but I'm waiting on that one, too. The Wire survived becaused essentially it was either going to be one season long or five from the start. I've recently bought The Corner[/b - one of two books (I think) written by the writers who brought us [b]The Wire, and I'm finding my fix there.

 

I would seriously recommend Breaking Bad as a follow-up to The Wire. Similar in theme only because both deal with drugs, but BB is pretty much the most overlooked show that is still airing (next season starts in sept I think?). Treme is great if you're into your music, and offers Treméndous relationship construction... But it's not as gritty or as grabbing as The Wire.

[Dog-amoto]

I've never seen it. One of those things I've always meant to, but never got round to it.

[dan-likes-trees]

Yeah, 'other means' :P Truth be told I've only seen the first 6 episodes. I was into the whole drug culture thing, and a post-katrina scenario simply doesn't interest me as much -- but I'll still watch the show.

 

Boardwalk Empire is supposed to offer a kindling experience, but I'm waiting on that one, too. The Wire survived becaused essentially it was either going to be one season long or five from the start. I've recently bought The Corner[/b - one of two books (I think) written by the writers who brought us [b]The Wire, and I'm finding my fix there.

 

I would seriously recommend Breaking Bad as a follow-up to The Wire. Similar in theme only because both deal with drugs, but BB is pretty much the most overlooked show that is still airing (next season starts in sept I think?). Treme is great if you're into your music, and offers Treméndous relationship construction... But it's not as gritty or as grabbing as The Wire.

 

Yeah, definitely gonna get myself The Corner. From what I hear it's incredibly depressing, none of the Wire's humour to alleviate things.

 

Bought myself the first season of Breaking Bad recently actually... I've only watched the first couple episodes, hasn't really grabbed me yet.. I'll keep it up though, as everyone seems to praise it so.

 

I enjoy the Treme pun also.

[dwarf]

The first Season of Breaking Bad is only 6 eps long, I was a bit gutted as it doesn't finish anywhere particularly...fitting. It's a good episode but not much of an epilogue (wrong word).

I look forward to seeing more.

 

Currently 3 eps into the 4th season of The Wire. Carcetti & Prez are very awesomez at the momento.

[Magnus]

The first season of Breaking Bad was a victim of the writers' strike, hence why it ends very suddenly halfway through the season.

 

It does get better as it goes on. After the first season, the episodes pretty much stop being 'Hank uses science to save the day' and they're not as stand-alone anymore.

[ReZourceman]

Breaking Bad is absolutely the most overlooked show. My favourite tv show, and I personally loved the first season. Sure it was short, but I think its a fantastic introduction to the core characters, and it has THAT SCENE in the drug lord apartment.

 

Two and three just utterly excel with the character development side of things, as well as bringing in some different plots and really good stories, so its a great progression of the show. Definitely underwatched. Glad/hope you're enjoying it Dwarfybun.

 

And yes. Wire. Win. I definitely disagree with the people that say 5 was a misstep. All the seasons are completely unique, and I think going back to souly/solely drugs would have detracted from the great definition between each season. I think I'd say 4>3>1>2>5. But 5 being last is still miles ahead of anything, really its so close anyway, its just in a different league. (Side league to Breaking Bad in that they are different beasts entirely)