The Wire -- How long until I'm hooked?

[blankslate]

I like the Wire and also Homicide (which was on NBC in the 90's) David Simon created the Wire and wrote the book that the latter series was based on.

Both series were imo excellent but admittedly have a rather niche appeal instead of a wide reaching appeal that would bring in large audiences. I'll be a little elitist and say that it speaks more about general television audiences rather than the shows.


....

 

[mrjminer]

You misunderstood me. They didn't win an emmy, imho, because the show had a cult following but not a general one. A good percentage of the cast was black and it was a show about the inner city and about today's problems, a complete non-starter for America. It was not a fantasy and there were no super good guys or underdog or cool bad guys. Just people. Therefore, it stayed niche. But it was great. If you stuck to it it rewarded you. The show had a huge following in the AA community and is regarded as a classic today. Scarface is also regarded as a classic today but it never reached critical acclaim when it originally came out either (for different reasons, obviously).

Also, the drug war is real and so is the insular politics of the inner cities. These topics don't serve as an escape like the typical television show. There is nothing sexy about The Wire.

Look, if you don't like The Wire, that's fine. But don't denigrate it because of some prejudices that you had before watching it.

Ah, yes, I'm prejudiced against black people because The Wire sucks. I'm going to go ride the front of the bus to the white folks fountain now to get a drink to wash down my hatred of blacks. The line will probably be long though because, you know, us white folks hate The Wire with a passion because we're white and all.

I guess at this point you'll make up anything to support this terrible show after my wholly truthful and unflattering, unbiased review. Could the problem possibly be that you are the prejudiced one and give it far more credibility than it deserves? You've seriously gone from claiming that the show should have gotten an Emmy because it has to do with, paraphrased, "black people problems" and has a "black cast" to claiming that you'd have to be prejudiced against black people to dislike it. Sorry, dickhead, but The Wire is no Roots; it's just another poorly written show with a convoluted message.

 

[Dari]

Ah, yes, I'm prejudiced against black people because The Wire sucks. I'm going to go ride the front of the bus to the white folks fountain now to get a drink to wash down my hatred of blacks. The line will probably be long though because, you know, us white folks hate The Wire with a passion because we're white and all.

I guess at this point you'll make up anything to support this terrible show after my wholly truthful and unflattering, unbiased review. Could the problem possibly be that you are the prejudiced one and give it far more credibility than it deserves? You've seriously gone from claiming that the show should have gotten an Emmy because it has to do with, paraphrased, "black people problems" and has a "black cast" to claiming that you'd have to be prejudiced against black people to dislike it. Sorry, dickhead, but The Wire is no Roots; it's just another poorly written show with a convoluted message.

Now, you're just being stupid. I said you were prejudiced, not racist. You had some expectations going into the show and said you were disappointed that it wasn't a cop show. That is why I responded to you about the CREATOR of the show having his own agenda. I think you've said enough in this thread, as have I.

 

[mrjminer]

Now, you're just being stupid. I said you were prejudiced, not racist. You had some expectations going into the show and said you were disappointed that it wasn't a cop show. That is why I responded to you about the CREATOR of the show having his own agenda. I think you've said enough in this thread, as have I.

Yea, prejudiced against black people because I don't like a TV show. I think I'll have nothing more to do with your dumb racist ass in the future. You're right, though, we've both said enough in this thread. I'll add in that I think we've said enough to each other indefinitely, so I'm just going to ignore you since I don't need to even worry about your plague white hate trying to crucify me the next time I don't see things your way.

 

[chimaxi83]

Yea, prejudiced against black people because I don't like a TV show. I think I'll have nothing more to do with your dumb racist ass in the future. You're right, though, we've both said enough in this thread. I'll add in that I think we've said enough to each other indefinitely, so I'm just going to ignore you since I don't need to even worry about your plague white hate trying to crucify me the next time I don't see things your way.

If you want to get rid of Dari, all you have to do is tickle him. Eventually, he'll curl up into the fetal position and beg for a reprieve from the giggle hold you have over him. Don't let up! When he is weeping and babbling incoherently about Aunt Mabel and the "tickle chamber", you'll know you've won.

 

[Dari]

Yea, prejudiced against black people because I don't like a TV show. I think I'll have nothing more to do with your dumb racist ass in the future. You're right, though, we've both said enough in this thread. I'll add in that I think we've said enough to each other indefinitely, so I'm just going to ignore you since I don't need to even worry about your plague white hate trying to crucify me the next time I don't see things your way.

You are just being a retard. Your vocabulary is obviously limited if you don't know what prejudice means. You pre-judged the show, moron. That is what prejudice means. Like I said before, you should stick with Jerry Springer. Or even the reality show Cops. Those are easier to follow and each episode is self-contained.

 

[momeNt]

Yea, prejudiced against black people because I don't like a TV show. I think I'll have nothing more to do with your dumb racist ass in the future. You're right, though, we've both said enough in this thread. I'll add in that I think we've said enough to each other indefinitely, so I'm just going to ignore you since I don't need to even worry about your plague white hate trying to crucify me the next time I don't see things your way.

Wow, you couldn't be more wrong about how you are reading what he said, or how you are going about responding.

You were prejudiced against the show because you had the expectation of a typical cop drama. Which it was not. It was a look into a city from the street level, the organized crime level, the police level, and the city hall level. It was done incredibly well, with great character acting, and with a great story.

It doesn't rely on outlandish plot conventions like breaking bad does, and it's not a typical cop show because they don't ever go deep like the Wire does.

It's a different type of show, you couldn't get into it because you have a narrow expectation of what a TV show should be like. It doesn't have to be edge of your seat drama, will Walter get caught! Who will Dexter's next victim be! Will HE be on the table! It can also be something that is equally compelling in how well a story based in a reality we can see every day around us can be told.

 

[mrjminer]

Wow, you couldn't be more wrong about how you are reading what he said, or how you are going about responding.

You were prejudiced against the show because you had the expectation of a typical cop drama. Which it was not. It was a look into a city from the street level, the organized crime level, the police level, and the city hall level. It was done incredibly well, with great character acting, and with a great story.

It doesn't rely on outlandish plot conventions like breaking bad does, and it's not a typical cop show because they don't ever go deep like the Wire does.

It's a different type of show, you couldn't get into it because you have a narrow expectation of what a TV show should be like. It doesn't have to be edge of your seat drama, will Walter get caught! Who will Dexter's next victim be! Will HE be on the table! It can also be something that is equally compelling in how well a story based in a reality we can see every day around us can be told.

I don't think you're in the position to comment on what I believe his obvious feelings with his comments conveyed. I don't need to waste my time with some joker on the internet subtly telling me that I'm either racist, or that everyone in the country is racist because he highly overrates a TV show.

Regardless, the show becomes convoluted, as I've already explained. I think it was a lot like every other cop show in that it was a show focused on cops and criminals -- until S4, when it switched to being almost purely a social documentary. If it wasn't a show about cops and criminals, then why were the first three seasons almost entirely about cops and criminals? Why is the show called "The Wire" and not "The Social Frontier?" Why is 90% of the content of the first three seasons about cops and criminals, whereas 75% of the fourth season about an inner city school and a mayoral election, with the rest largely being throwaway subplots that contribute almost nothing and are largely written away poorly?

Sorry, but I watched three seasons of an, on average, OK show about cops and criminals, and one season of nothing resembling the first three seasons. The show obviously took a huge turn in S4 from what it was doing in previous seasons. You can, of course, think it's the best thing since sliced bread if that's your opinion, but it definitely isn't mine. Anyways, I think I've spent enough time giving an accurate representation of where the show starts to decline so the guy asking for people's thoughts doesn't base going into the series on only the opinion of those unwilling to accept that the show has some obvious deviations from its beginnings.

 

[RossMAN]

The Wire > Breaking Bad > Dexter > The Shield

/thread

 

[GregGreen]

I watched the whole first season of The Wire and didn't find it particularly compelling. I do hear the second season is where it picks up, but I've been lazy in starting to watch it because of how boring season 1 was...

 

[Noo]

I started it yesterday. Only watched 1 episode, but I'm not loving it.

It took me 3 or 4 episodes of Breaking bad to get hooked, and 1 episode of The Shield to get hooked.

Is there something wrong with me?

Meh, watched the whole show a long time ago and think that "The shield" "breaking bad" "game of thrones" and "24" are much better.

 

[silverpig]

The Lithgow season was 4, and yes, it was the end of quality on that show. Unfortunately they made 4 more seasons . . .

I think I saw the first 4-5 episodes of season 5 and then quit. I heard the ending was a POS.

 

[Kev]

Of course it was obvious social commentary, but they did it primarily through the police work and criminal activity and maintained some sort of continuity that wasn't forced.

The real issue I have is that everything it attempts to do is done universally poorly. I mean, shit, Oz had better insight into society than this show, and did a much better job of covering their social commentary. The lines aren't blurred between good and bad, it's just primarily the same stereotypical shit from every cop show or "social commentary" show, but done worse. Corrupt politicians? Check. Police leaders just worrying about stats? Check. Schools teaching to the test? Check. People in the ghetto deal drugs? Check. Kids deal drugs to support their druggie mom? Check. Politicians play political games? Check.

This show just comes across as not knowing what it's trying to do, and whatever direction it does end up randomly going ends up subpar. It tries to cover way more shit than it possibly can effectively, which is extremely obvious in S4. Now, I'm about to watch the final episode of the season, and by this point they've pretty much just abandoned the focus on all the characters / stories they've been focusing on throughout this season, or they've just been pushed to have meaningless roles while they hastily try to wrap things up. Simply put, they have way too many random plots going on for how much time they dedicate to their social agenda aspects.

Before I start it, my guess is that the Mayor / ADA stories will end up in a sort of "to be continued" format since there's obviously not enough to do anything else with them and they've been filler for this entire season -- while simultaneously being done poorly and accounting for approximately 30% of the season's run time. The inner city school angle is pretty much over, so there goes the other 35% of what they focused on throughout the previous 12 hours of their season.

It's hilarious how they completely abandon pretty much everything in the other 35% of the show constantly by treating it as filler, then just shift back to their poorly-done social commentary. Now, as I near the end of the season, their meaningless social commentary undoubtedly has been mostly wrapped up, so they're going to press on through everything else they've largely ignored as though they were the primary focus of the season. At least the first few seasons continually maintained focus, but I think it's obvious they've abandoned that starting with this season to try to subvert the show to make it a half-assed documentary for their social agenda under the guise of a police / crime drama.

From my near completion of Season 4, it doesn't surprise me that the show only lasted 5 seasons with the direction it has obviously taken.

So edgy

 

[ultimatebob]

I watched the first DVD, and gave up at that point. It really wasn't sucking me in, and the show already felt somewhat dated.

 

[momeNt]

I don't think you're in the position to comment on what I believe his obvious feelings with his comments conveyed. I don't need to waste my time with some joker on the internet subtly telling me that I'm either racist, or that everyone in the country is racist because he highly overrates a TV show.

Regardless, the show becomes convoluted, as I've already explained. I think it was a lot like every other cop show in that it was a show focused on cops and criminals -- until S4, when it switched to being almost purely a social documentary. If it wasn't a show about cops and criminals, then why were the first three seasons almost entirely about cops and criminals? Why is the show called "The Wire" and not "The Social Frontier?" Why is 90% of the content of the first three seasons about cops and criminals, whereas 75% of the fourth season about an inner city school and a mayoral election, with the rest largely being throwaway subplots that contribute almost nothing and are largely written away poorly?

Sorry, but I watched three seasons of an, on average, OK show about cops and criminals, and one season of nothing resembling the first three seasons. The show obviously took a huge turn in S4 from what it was doing in previous seasons. You can, of course, think it's the best thing since sliced bread if that's your opinion, but it definitely isn't mine. Anyways, I think I've spent enough time giving an accurate representation of where the show starts to decline so the guy asking for people's thoughts doesn't base going into the series on only the opinion of those unwilling to accept that the show has some obvious deviations from its beginnings.

NOBODY SAID RACIST!

Holy shit man. Get a fucking dictionary.

 

[momeNt]

http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20300978_20529095_21055119,00.html

Emmys: 10 Biggest Mistakes

Never giving The Wire an Emmy.
Let's see: Arguably the greatest TV series in the history of the medium. The show with one of the largest, finest ensemble of actors ever assembled (just look at Fringe, Friday Night Lights, The Good Wife, and tons of other shows who've hired The Wire actors since it left the air). And it aired on HBO, that perennial Emmy magnet. And this great crime saga still didn't win a best-drama Emmy. That's a crime unto itself!

 

[sze5003]

Yea prejudice does not mean racist. Two different definitions.

 

[biostud]

I've just watched it a couple ago months ago. I tried to watch it a couple of years ago but couldn't get into it. I would say midway season 1 to season 3 is the best, then it got a bit muddled and more social/drama oriented than actual police investigation. I can see why it has gotten good reviews, but it's starting to show some age. I would give it 4/5 stars overall.

 

[mrjminer]

Yea prejudice does not mean racist. Two different definitions.

NOBODY SAID RACIST!

Holy shit man. Get a fucking dictionary.

No shit, but I'm not referring to just the word "prejudice" as a stand-alone word. I'm referring to the content of the post and the obvious veiled racism within it. That's really enough of the issue; this guy doesn't need you two excusing what he already knows about himself.

 

[ThinClient]

I'm finishing season 3. Holy shit!

 

[Childs]

I'm finishing season 3. Holy shit!

Yeah, that was epic, but I think its downhill from there.

Spoiler

RIP Stringer Bell.

 

[MongGrel]

The Wire > Breaking Bad > Dexter > The Shield

/thread

True Detective>The Wire > Breaking Bad > Dexter > The Shield


IMHO.

 

[Dari]

No shit, but I'm not referring to just the word "prejudice" as a stand-alone word. I'm referring to the content of the post and the obvious veiled racism within it. That's really enough of the issue; this guy doesn't need you two excusing what he already knows about himself.

Just because middle America doesn't give a fuck about the decline of blue-collar jobs and education in the inner cities doesn't make them racists. They just don't care because it's a world away. It's something contemporary and something they see on the news or read in newspapers. There was no veiled racism. Just like your prejudging the show before watching it, you're seeing your own bias in what I wrote.

 

[RossMAN]

True Detective>The Wire > Breaking Bad > Dexter > The Shield


IMHO.

I'll have to wait for seasons 2 & 3 before making a decision.

 

[MongGrel]

I never could get into it. I forced myself to watch through the whole thing waiting for this masterpiece show that everyone talks about. It never showed.

But then again, that's because I like The Shield.

Try True Detective out if you haven't.

:biggrin: