LET'S TALK ABOUT THE WIRE

THE WIRE

2002-2008 - 55 minutes - Crime/Drama/Thriller
Creator: David Simon
Country: United States
IMDB: 9.4
Metacritic average: 92
RT average: 96%

CinemaChagrin's Rating: A

EpicEnthusiast's Rating: A

(No spoilers below)

CC: Hello everyone, CC here. Well, I think both EE and I can admit we have become somewhat negligent of this blog over the past year or so. I mean, we did our last combo review back in October 2013! Let's just say life has gotten in the way at times. 

EE: To be fair, CC, I just graduated college and have had some moderately important things going on. Also, my last review of the 'Murican classic American Sniper was a bit draining. It was way too much 'Murica for one review — I needed a break. But now that we're back in action, I'm glad it's time for another joint review. Not only that, but I'm glad we're reviewing perhaps the best television series I've ever seen. With that, let's talk about The Wire. 

CC: Indeed. HBO's The Wire is a show that attracted a small but dedicated fanbase in addition to universal critical acclaim during its initial run. However, ask the average person if they've seen the show and you are likely to receive a blank stare. It's been recommended to me several times, though I just got around to watching it. I'm sure glad I did.

EE: The Wire has always been on my radar, but it wasn't until my English professor opted to teach it in my final year of college that I actually sat down to watch it. It also wasn't until Amazon coughed up the money to obtain HBO content for Prime members that I even had access to it. My class only discussed the first season, but I couldn't stop there. Fast forward a couple months and I finished the entire series. 

The setting of The Wire - Baltimore, Maryland

THE PLOT

CC: On its surface, The Wire begins as a crime drama. It focuses on the criminal drug trade in Baltimore. However, by the end of the final season, the show feels more like an epic literary saga chronicling the decline of a great American city. Each season highlights a specific aspect of Baltimore — the drug trade, the ports/labor unions, the political system, the public school system, and the media, respectively. In theory, this concept sounds like each season would be independent of each other; however, common characters, plot lines, and events intertwine to form one continuous story. 

EE: This structure is one of many aspects of The Wire that make it especially unique. It's not often that you get to watch so many different characters develop over five seasons of a show, and if you do, it's almost certainly not in the way creator David Simon and his crew opted to do it.We watch police officers climb the chain of command — or in some cases get exiled to the muddy waters of the Baltimore harbors. We watch drug dealers put in the dirty work and conquer the corners. We watch politicians scheme and backstab their way into office. We watch teachers struggle with educating the kids of West Baltimore. We watch journalists at a major newspaper fabricate and get rewarded for it. All of these could be shows in of themselves, but Simon and company manage to successfully and concisely combine them into five riveting seasons. 

Baltimore Police Commanders Daniels (Lance Reddick) and Rawls (John Doman)

CC: By the end of the show, I felt like I knew Baltimore intimately, despite never setting foot there. It's truly impressive how expansive the show feels, despite it all taking place in one city. The entire show was shot on-location in and around Baltimore, and this authenticity really shows. 

THE WRITING

EE: Like most great films and TV shows, success starts on paper. Simon and producer Ed Burns had extensive experience in Baltimore, working as a Baltimore Sun crime reporter and a homicide detective respectively, and there couldn't have been two better writers for the job. Simon didn't get to infuse his newsroom atmosphere until season five, but the Baltimore Police Department was lively and authentic from the beginning. It certainly helped that there were real cops on the set and on camera, but when a British actor like Dominic West can come off as a cocky and stingy BPD cop, some credit has to be given to the writing. I always say that any good actor can work with an average script, but to reach total greatness, the writing has to be great — it doesn't matter if the actor is or not. We'll touch on the acting below, but it wouldn't be possible without their reading material. The writing on The Wire is what ultimately makes the show.

Detective Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West)

CC: Agreed. Interestingly enough, the writing might be too authentic for its own good! One common complaint about The Wire is that the dialogue can be difficult to understand due to the "Balmer" accents and street talk prevalent throughout the series. For me, though, these added another layer of authenticity to the show. The actors looked and felt natural while speaking their lines. In fact, I hesitate to even use that phrase. The dialogue felt less like actors reading lines and more like natural conversation and improvisation.

EE: You hit in on the head, CC. It felt like someone just set up a camera on the drug corners of west Baltimore and let it roll. For me, the verbiage and accents of the crime landscape was enticing and enjoyable. A lot of characters in the show grew up in Baltimore (or other crime ridden areas) and that's the kind of actor you want for the job. To them, the script that Simon and Burns put together was just colloquial talk, so there was little learning involved. 

Felicia Pearson as hitwoman Snoop

THE ACTING


CC: Although outstanding writing serves as the foundation of The Wire, the show also features masterful acting across the board. The sheer scale and diversity of the ensemble is incredible to behold, and there really isn't a poor performance in the bunch. The show features a swath of lesser known character actors as well as non-actors plucked straight from the streets of Baltimore. Whereas in most TV shows or movies, one or two performances will stand out, in The Wire, there isn't really a single performance that overshadows the rest. Yes, a few are brought up frequently (such as Michael K. Williams' portrayal of drug dealer-robbing Omar Little), but it's just staggering to me how nuanced and convincing the performances were from pretty much the entire cast.

Omar (Michael K. Williams) and Detective Bunk Moreland (Wendell Pierce)

EE: Some of it surely has to do with the resources of HBO, but The Wire is the first show I've seen where every single actor is immensely talented. Everyone from the bottom up had a firm grip on their respective roles and it kept up from the pilot to the series finale. My favorite actor of the series was Idris Elba, another British actor who dove into the world of urban Baltimore and played a dominant drug boss. It's hard to imagine an American actor from Baltimore doing the job that Elba did as Stringer Bell, let alone someone from and utterly different culture in the UK. CC, you were right in saying that no performance on the show really overshadowed another, but I think Elba's was symbolic of just how dedicated and thorough the acting was. Couple this with the writing, and you have one dynamite show. 

Idris Elba as crimelord Stringer Bell

FINAL THOUGHTS

EE: If you're interested in the Baltimore drug landscape, watch The Wire. If you want nothing to do with the Baltimore drug landscape, watch The Wire. Frankly, it's pure entertainment. Granted, the appeal of a Baltimore crime saga might not be widespread, but anyone that appreciates quality film-making or TV production can appreciate the show. Maybe you're an aspiring journalist like me who will really connect with season five, or maybe you're a future politician that can learn from the fiery mayoral race within the city. Maybe you're fascinated by police work or maybe you want an inside look of an inner-city school system. Whatever your interest, there's really something for almost everyone on The Wire. If nothing else, you can have a standard for every other TV show you watch in the future. From now on, I'll be subconsciously comparing everything I watch to the brilliance that is The Wire.

CC: While I wholeheartedly agree that The Wire is one of the best (perhaps the best) TV shows I've ever seen, I don't think it will appeal to everyone. It is frequently gritty, violent, and depressing. Happy-ending style resolutions are practically non-existent. In many ways, the Baltimore we see at the closing of season five didn't change a bit from the Baltimore we see at the opening of season one. Each season also starts off pretty slowly, gradually building steam as the story progresses. For viewers looking for an exciting show that they can jump into and enjoy right away, they may not love The Wire at first. I didn't really start getting into it until about mid-way through season one. But for people willing to stick around in the beginning, The Wire pays off in a spectacular fashion. So EE, do you have a favorite season? They are all impressive in different ways.

Sergeants Herc (Domenick Lombardozzi) and Carver (Seth Gilliam)

EE: Tough question. The first season is a classic. The second brings a totally new dynamic. Four is eye-opening and five scopes in on many different prevalent issues. As a recent journalism grad, it's hard not to pick five, but I think it's a close second behind season three for me. Without giving much away, a prominent drug lord, Avon Barksdale, is back on the streets, but his partner in crime, Stringer Bell, didn't skip a beat and has grown the empire while Barksdale was away in prison. The power struggle and desire to leave a troubled city and childhood behind for Elba's Bell was just totally compelling. The Wire didn't by any means peak during this season, but for me, season three was the most thought provoking and ultimately my favorite. How about you, CC?

CC: This is a tough decision. From a narrative standpoint, season one is probably the most self-contained, and is paced perfectly. It also featured perhaps my single favorite scene in the whole show. Seasons three, four and five are all outstanding in different ways, but overall my favorite is season two. This is when the show really started to branch out and take some risks in introducing a whole new story arc and set of characters. Also, from an emotional standpoint, the ending of season two hit me the hardest. But picking a favorite season of The Wire is like picking a favorite child. It's a nigh-impossible task.

To sum up my thoughts: The Wire is a masterful work of art that transcends pure television. It is truly one of the greatest stories ever told in any medium. It definitely set a high bar in terms of writing, acting, and overall execution.

EE: Agreed. The Wire stands alone as far as crime series go, and should be in any conversation regarding the best TV shows of all time. It's authenticity, quality, and boldness will be tough to match in the future. From my view, it's just about as perfect as a show can be.

-CC & EE