The Wire - does it ever get going?
Discussion
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.
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.
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
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.
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.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
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'.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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