The Wire - does it ever get going?

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Discussion

Halb

53,012 posts

182 months

Friday 13th January 2017
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They started the Wire again last week.

I had actually forgotten that Daniels wanted street rips and McNulty corrected him...damn that McNulty. hehe

gregs656

10,818 posts

180 months

Friday 13th January 2017
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It took me a few goes at The Wire to really get to grips with it, but I watched it quite quickly once I got there. It is quite brilliant once you get your head around it.

andymc

7,334 posts

206 months

Friday 13th January 2017
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is anywhere running this at the moment?

Hainey

4,381 posts

199 months

Friday 13th January 2017
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It's incredible television and I think it's aged far better than the sopranos of the same era.

Dominic West and Idris Elba are just phenomenal.

gregs656

10,818 posts

180 months

Friday 13th January 2017
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Hainey said:
It's incredible television and I think it's aged far better than the sopranos of the same era.
Not sure about that. The Sopranos started it's run 3 1/2 years earlier. The Wire feels like it started in the 90s to me, but it was actually mid 2002.

The Wire gets dumped en masse onto NowTV periodically (as does The Sopranos) that's a good way to catch it, but neither are on there at the moment.

Halb

53,012 posts

182 months

Friday 13th January 2017
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andymc said:
is anywhere running this at the moment?
Halb said:
They started the Wire again last week.

I had actually forgotten that Daniels wanted street rips and McNulty corrected him...damn that McNulty. hehe
Sky ATlantic.

Hainey

4,381 posts

199 months

Friday 13th January 2017
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[redacted]

Halb

53,012 posts

182 months

Monday 27th February 2017
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Currently rewatching thanks to SA.

Just like the SOpranos, it had gems to be released on repeated viewings, both these shows are so layered and intricate. It's nice to see the lil pebbles that become large waves, like the reasons the war between Marlo and Omar started.
A few things I noticed, Herc had more fk-ips/pebbles than I recall.
I felt quite bad for Stringer, there was real turmoil in Avon and Bell's last deal, if the brother hadn't bene pressing so hard, Avon wouldn't have given up his boy. Avon had such a solid crew thanks to his lieutenants, with st lieutenants one cannot do anything, and the slide for Avon begins when Omar sorts out Stinkum, Bird and Weebay, then Avon is left with st, and has no chance against Marlo later on.
Marlo has solid lieutenants; Monk, Chris, Snoop, who are all truly smart.

And ole Prop Jie, he sows the seeds of his own downfall.

Edited by Halb on Monday 27th February 10:21

P-Jay

10,551 posts

190 months

Monday 27th February 2017
quotequote all
Halb said:
Currently rewatching thanks to SA.

Just like the SOpranos, it had gems to be released on repeated viewings, both these shows are so layered and intricate. It's nice to see the lil pebbles that become large waves, like the reasons the war between Marlo and Omar started.
A few things I noticed, Herc had more fk-ips/pebbles than I recall.
I felt quite bad for Stringer, there was real turmoil in Avon and Bell's last deal, if the brother hadn't bene pressing so hard, Avon wouldn't have given up his boy. Avon had such a solid crew thanks to his lieutenants, with st lieutenants one cannot do anything, and the slide for Avon begins when Omar sorts out Stinkum, Bird and Weebay, then Avon is left with st, and has no chance against Marlo later on.
Marlo has solid lieutenants; Monk, Chris, Snoop, who are all truly smart.

And ole Prop Jie, he sows the seeds of his own downfall.

Edited by Halb on Monday 27th February 10:21
We did our 3rd (or possibly 4th) lap of it last year, I'll leave it for a few years now, there's still hope they'll make another series, that could be great.

Every time I watch it, I notice more. First time I was in my early 20's, renting DVD's of it by post. Really I wanted a TV version of Menace 2 Society, a visual version of a Gangster Rap song and got frustrated during the 'Soap' parts, but as I've got older I've enjoyed it more.

I know it always gets tied in with The Sopranos (which I'm watching again at the moment) as one of those things you can watch over and over again, as for being dated - yeah they're both dated, if they weren’t they wouldn't be as good - I consider them more modern period dramas they're both of their time. If someone were to make a drama set in the late 90's or early 2000's in their respective locations, they have done a brilliant job to make them look like The Wire and The Sopranos, despite that you can still have them both in HD so it doesn't look 'old'.

Halb

53,012 posts

182 months

Monday 27th February 2017
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Well they're both (arguably) the best things that HBO have done.
I myself don't feel any dating in the SOpranos. I feel the Wire is dated only slightly, due to the nature of the tech, the beepers in the first series, but really, after that, there is nothing else to date it, as the wire is on mobiles from S2 onwards. Currently on S4E5...the rise of Marlo. SOmething I noticed about him, he really is a step apart, he doesn't respect loyalty, he only acknowledges what a person does for him on the day, he's a sociopath. The turmoil Avon goes through over String, really made that stand out. Just watched a scene where he leaves Joe and Slim Charles, and the acting on their faces, they don't say a thing as he walks out, but it's all there on their faces. biggrin

BrabusMog

20,083 posts

185 months

Monday 27th February 2017
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I'm going to have to rewatch it now!

Halb

53,012 posts

182 months

Monday 27th February 2017
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I feel one's deductive powers are enhanced each time. The dialogue becomes easier to understand...I now know why McNulty was called Bushytail I reckon. He is referred to as Bushytop by one black person, I think, Avon's sister or D's missus.

chilistrucker

4,541 posts

150 months

Monday 27th February 2017
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BrabusMog said:
I'm going to have to rewatch it now!
+1, still my favorite.

Halb

53,012 posts

182 months

Monday 13th March 2017
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Really felt for Prop Joe this time, he was only about the business, buy for one dollar, sell for two, didn't want to extortionate or a rep. I tink showing where he lived as well, showed further insight into what sort of man he was.

Mothersruin

8,573 posts

98 months

Monday 27th March 2017
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We've been slowly working through the The Wire for the second time - watching an episode a day on average and now coming to the close of season 3.

It is so good. Really, really good.

The writing and pacing is just the best I've ever watched.

Not been much on for years that comes close.

zygalski

7,759 posts

144 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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I seem to remember at least 2 things happened in season 1. Maybe 3.

Halb

53,012 posts

182 months

Halb

53,012 posts

182 months

Wednesday 22nd November 2017
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Currently rewatching thanks to Sky's late night showings. Always something new to see. I noticed/realised some new a few weeks ago...which I've now forgotten, but after watching last night's ep, S5E4TRansitions, I spot a checker from S2 as a homeless bum...this series just keeps giving.

entropy

5,403 posts

202 months

Friday 24th November 2017
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Halb said:
Can't remember if I've seen that documentary before so I watched in full again and prompted me to re-watch it again during the summer. It was like revisiting old friends again.

The gripe I have is that I remember liking Sydner but re-watching I feel like he's a cypher for good police work and follows the rule but by the end is schooled by Freamon. I find his character disappointingly underwritten especially since I liked him in The Corner.

Now I'm re-watching Homicide - Life On The Streets which heavily features The Wire alumnus throughout the series.

Halb

53,012 posts

182 months

Friday 24th November 2017
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Funny you mention Sydnor, he's classed as good police at the start, and is specifically chosen, as opposed to the team of meathead and meathead of Herc and Carver.
Sydnor and Carver are diametrically opposite characters and their arcs are symmetrically opposed.
Sydnor ends up as a useful tool for Freamon, Carver actually becomes good police not only in ability but in character.
It's nice to see how Carver grows in the series, he perhaps has the best arc of anyone but Bubbles.