The Wire

[ledzepp8]

I probably agree with that. I did find season 2 to be as compelling as anything I have ever seen on TV. Not bad for my least favorite season... I think Ziggy annoyed a lot of people towards the beginning. I liked Frank Sobotka as a character a lot.

I didn't really like Ziggy at first but you could really feel for him as you watched him break down at the end. Yeah, Frank was great...he did some bad things but you could tell he really thought he was helping his union.

Now Nick, I really didn't like him.

[Spoonless]

I liked Frank Sobotka as a character a lot.

When Frank was going to meet the Greek for the last time, I think I said "oh, ****" about 10 times during the drive over, when they were showing all the information being entered, and the guy in the FBI getting it, phone call, etc.

[Gurgi]

I liked Frank.

I wanted to do nasty things to the female port cop. I dont know why but I liked the way she looked. Not like she is smokin but still......

[Tony-OH]

I know a lot of folks here don't like Bill Simmons, but here's his take on the Wire...

" Readers kept telling me to watch this show. They implored me. They kept e-mailing me. They badgered me. I didn't listen. As I've described multiple times in this space, I hate being told that I should watch a show; I like discovering them at my own speed. And if it made me three or four years late for the party with classics like "The Sopranos" and "24," so be it. It's just that I can't willingly jump onto a show; it needs to happen organically.

For instance, here's what happened with "The Wire:" On a Tuesday night in mid-August, the Sports Gal and I were home with nothing to watch and ending up stumbling onto "The Wire Re-Up" button on HBO On Demand. I'd been avoiding this show for four years because the Baltimore drug scene didn't appeal to me unless Raffie Palmeiro and Miggy Tejada were involved. But the Sports Gal was the one who said, "Let's watch the first show of 'The Wire' and see if we like it."

Within 10 minutes, we were hooked. We ended up banging out three episodes the first night and another three the second night. Then our cable system switched to a new provider ... and all the Season 1 episodes disappeared into thin air. Now we were scrambling. None of the video stores around us had Season 1 in stock. I ended up ordering Season 1 online (two-day delivery courtesy of Amazon Prime), but we were so hooked on the show that when someone returned Season 1 to our video store, we rented the last three discs that same night. We banged out the last seven episodes in two nights before the DVD was even delivered. That's how hooked we were.

I'll go this far: I'd put Season 1 of "The Wire" against anything. The first three seasons of "The Sopranos." Seasons 1 or 2 of "24." The first seasons of "NYPD Blue," "ER" or "Miami Vice." You name it. I have never seen a show like it. Season 2 wasn't as good (if Season 1 was an A-plus-plus-plus, then Season 2 was a B-plus), and we're just about to dive into Season 3, so I don't have an opinion on that yet. Everyone seems to agree that they outdid themselves with Season 4 and that it's a legitimate masterpiece. Just know that you can absolutely start watching Season 4 without having seen the other three seasons. It's not an ideal way to break into the show, but you can do it.

Without giving too much away, four more things you need to know:

A. Before I started watching "The Wire," my four favorite TV/movie detectives of all-time were Sonny Crockett ("Miami Vice"); Jack Cates ("48 Hrs."); Johnny Kelly ("NYPD Blue"); and Nick Curran (Michael Douglas' character in "Basic Instinct"), who couldn't break away from Sharon Stone even though he knew that every time she climbed on top during sex, there was a 50 percent chance she might ram an ice pick into his chest. But Jimmy McNulty in "The Wire" (played by Dominic West) ... he might end up beating them all before everything's said and done. He might have even moved to No. 1 during the scene in Season 2 when they raid a brothel and he ends up in a threesome before the rest of the cops arrive. Not even Sonny Crockett would have done that.

B. I love any show with a slew of mostly no-name actors that bang their roles out of the park, although it was weird to see one of the leads from "Remember the Titans" playing drug lord Avon Barksdale. With that said, Alonzo Mourning gives an inspired performance as Stringer Bell (Avon's manipulative consigliere). Maybe the best athlete/Hollywood crossover since Kareem in "Airplane."

(Wait, that's not Alonzo Mourning? Are we positive?)

C. In an attempt to be gritty, they didn't cast any of those Angie Harmon/Jill Hennessey types who always seem unrealistically cute for a drug/crime show set in a place like Baltimore. And since the actresses on the show are average-looking down the line, guess what happens? It's like the Lambeau parking lot, any press box or any NESCAC keg party ... the females who do appear on this show end up seeming disproportionately hot by about the fifth episode. Absolutely bizarre. I love when this happens.

D. Omar might be my favorite HBO villain since Adebici. And that's saying something.

Anyway, I can't believe I didn't watch this show sooner. It enrages me. I'm not doing the "YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS SHOW OR YOUR WHOLE LIFE WILL BE INCOMPLETE!" routine, because that might scare you away. Just know that it's one of the five greatest shows I've ever seen. And I hope you stumble across it some day.

Organically, of course."

My personal take is that season four of the wire may have been the best TV ever created. I've never waited for episodes like I did with this past season. The only dissapointment if you call it dissapointment was the deballing of McNaulty for that season and the insidgnificance of his character for the most part. I do remain convinced however it was to set up his character for season five.

Can't wait for season five...

[beaner]

I know a lot of folks here don't like Bill Simmons, but here's his take on the Wire...

" Readers kept telling me to watch this show. They implored me. They kept e-mailing me. They badgered me. I didn't listen. As I've described multiple times in this space, I hate being told that I should watch a show; I like discovering them at my own speed. And if it made me three or four years late for the party with classics like "The Sopranos" and "24," so be it. It's just that I can't willingly jump onto a show; it needs to happen organically.

For instance, here's what happened with "The Wire:" On a Tuesday night in mid-August, the Sports Gal and I were home with nothing to watch and ending up stumbling onto "The Wire Re-Up" button on HBO On Demand. I'd been avoiding this show for four years because the Baltimore drug scene didn't appeal to me unless Raffie Palmeiro and Miggy Tejada were involved. But the Sports Gal was the one who said, "Let's watch the first show of 'The Wire' and see if we like it."

Within 10 minutes, we were hooked. We ended up banging out three episodes the first night and another three the second night. Then our cable system switched to a new provider ... and all the Season 1 episodes disappeared into thin air. Now we were scrambling. None of the video stores around us had Season 1 in stock. I ended up ordering Season 1 online (two-day delivery courtesy of Amazon Prime), but we were so hooked on the show that when someone returned Season 1 to our video store, we rented the last three discs that same night. We banged out the last seven episodes in two nights before the DVD was even delivered. That's how hooked we were.

I'll go this far: I'd put Season 1 of "The Wire" against anything. The first three seasons of "The Sopranos." Seasons 1 or 2 of "24." The first seasons of "NYPD Blue," "ER" or "Miami Vice." You name it. I have never seen a show like it. Season 2 wasn't as good (if Season 1 was an A-plus-plus-plus, then Season 2 was a B-plus), and we're just about to dive into Season 3, so I don't have an opinion on that yet. Everyone seems to agree that they outdid themselves with Season 4 and that it's a legitimate masterpiece. Just know that you can absolutely start watching Season 4 without having seen the other three seasons. It's not an ideal way to break into the show, but you can do it.

Without giving too much away, four more things you need to know:

A. Before I started watching "The Wire," my four favorite TV/movie detectives of all-time were Sonny Crockett ("Miami Vice"); Jack Cates ("48 Hrs."); Johnny Kelly ("NYPD Blue"); and Nick Curran (Michael Douglas' character in "Basic Instinct"), who couldn't break away from Sharon Stone even though he knew that every time she climbed on top during sex, there was a 50 percent chance she might ram an ice pick into his chest. But Jimmy McNulty in "The Wire" (played by Dominic West) ... he might end up beating them all before everything's said and done. He might have even moved to No. 1 during the scene in Season 2 when they raid a brothel and he ends up in a threesome before the rest of the cops arrive. Not even Sonny Crockett would have done that.

B. I love any show with a slew of mostly no-name actors that bang their roles out of the park, although it was weird to see one of the leads from "Remember the Titans" playing drug lord Avon Barksdale. With that said, Alonzo Mourning gives an inspired performance as Stringer Bell (Avon's manipulative consigliere). Maybe the best athlete/Hollywood crossover since Kareem in "Airplane."

(Wait, that's not Alonzo Mourning? Are we positive?)

C. In an attempt to be gritty, they didn't cast any of those Angie Harmon/Jill Hennessey types who always seem unrealistically cute for a drug/crime show set in a place like Baltimore. And since the actresses on the show are average-looking down the line, guess what happens? It's like the Lambeau parking lot, any press box or any NESCAC keg party ... the females who do appear on this show end up seeming disproportionately hot by about the fifth episode. Absolutely bizarre. I love when this happens.

D. Omar might be my favorite HBO villain since Adebici. And that's saying something.

Anyway, I can't believe I didn't watch this show sooner. It enrages me. I'm not doing the "YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS SHOW OR YOUR WHOLE LIFE WILL BE INCOMPLETE!" routine, because that might scare you away. Just know that it's one of the five greatest shows I've ever seen. And I hope you stumble across it some day.

Organically, of course."

My personal take is that season four of the wire may have been the best TV ever created. I've never waited for episodes like I did with this past season. The only dissapointment if you call it dissapointment was the deballing of McNaulty for that season and the insidgnificance of his character for the most part. I do remain convinced however it was to set up his character for season five.

Can't wait for season five...

Totally agree with this statement. I've never cared so much about any characters in any show I've watched than I did about those kids last season. Each kid's story was completely riveting all season long. Also, the development or re development of "Prez" in the teacher role was very well done.

[rolliefingers]

I liked Frank.

I wanted to do nasty things to the female port cop. I dont know why but I liked the way she looked. Not like she is smokin but still......

I still want to do nasty things to Carcetti's campaign manager.

[frankpembleton]

I still want to do nasty things to Carcetti's campaign manager.

So I never actually got the full story...how did you manage to get an extra role in "the Wire"? That has got to be the coolest thing ever and something I wish I could have done. Did you find out anything about the next season and were you sworn to secrecy about it?

I absolutely cannot wait for season 5 to come out.

[rolliefingers]

So I never actually got the full story...how did you manage to get an extra role in "the Wire"? That has got to be the coolest thing ever and something I wish I could have done. Did you find out anything about the next season and were you sworn to secrecy about it?

I absolutely cannot wait for season 5 to come out.

Man, I wish it were as cool as everyone thinks it was!

A friend of mine from high school worked in casting extras for the show. I randomly saw her at a bar, we caught up, and immediately after she told me what she did for a living, I blurted out something to the effect of "OH MY GOD THE WIRE IS MY FAVORITE SHOW EVER COULD YOU GET ME ON IT PRETTY PLEASE!!!!"

And so, she did. And then they called me back for two other shoots.

I doubt I'm giving away any plot deets here - they didn't sign us to any kind of secrecy promise - but two of my scenes took place under the North side of the Hanover St. bridge (where they set up a sort of Hooverville where we all "lived"), and the other was under I-83, just North of Monument St. I was a homeless guy all three times. The first time, I was walking while pushing a white bike, and I give McNulty a dirty look. The second time (under I-83), I don't think I got on camera. The first and third times (both at Hanover St.), I am 99 percent sure that I did get on camera, unless those scenes get cut.

I was far enough away from actual dialogue that I couldn't really tell what was happening. All I know is it involves homeless people, detectives, and in the Hanover scenes, a dog barking at said cops.

Oh, and McNulty speaks with a British accent when he's not acting, Freamon doesn't talk much, and Bubs likes to shoot the ***** with the extras. He rules.

[BustaJ2632]

Oh, and McNulty speaks with a British accent when he's not acting, Freamon doesn't talk much, and Bubs likes to shoot the ***** with the extras. He rules.

Wait....so not only is he the best drunk actor I've ever seen, he's also the best British-actor-playing-an-American-guy-who-does-a-horrible-fake-British-accent actor???

Just finished Season Two...watched the last four or five episodes last night. As usual, it really got captivating there at the end. Now to order Season Three. Seeing how things ended up in Season Two (with Stringer and Prop Joe, as well as Omar vs. Stringer), I cannot wait to see how this plays out.

Sounds like I'm as far along as Simmons, and for once in my lifetime I more or less agree with him. Season One was fantastic, Season Two was definitely very good, but probably a step below. I'd give it an A- to Season one's A+++. Seriously though, it appears that they're going back to the West Baltimore drug scene for Season Three and I am psyched.

[Gurgi]

Busta the best is yet to come.

[rolliefingers]

Busta the best is yet to come.

Absolutely. Season 3 is ridiculously good.

Season 2 does feel like an aberration, for obvious reasons, but hopefully Season 5 (focusing on the media) will make it seem less anachronistic.

More directly: Season 2 has the only lead white characters who are not cops. I think Season 5 will have more, although they'll be solidly white-collar whites instead of blue-collar.

[frankpembleton]

Man, I wish it were as cool as everyone thinks it was!

A friend of mine from high school worked in casting extras for the show. I randomly saw her at a bar, we caught up, and immediately after she told me what she did for a living, I blurted out something to the effect of "OH MY GOD THE WIRE IS MY FAVORITE SHOW EVER COULD YOU GET ME ON IT PRETTY PLEASE!!!!"

And so, she did. And then they called me back for two other shoots.

I doubt I'm giving away any plot deets here - they didn't sign us to any kind of secrecy promise - but two of my scenes took place under the North side of the Hanover St. bridge (where they set up a sort of Hooverville where we all "lived"), and the other was under I-83, just North of Monument St. I was a homeless guy all three times. The first time, I was walking while pushing a white bike, and I give McNulty a dirty look. The second time (under I-83), I don't think I got on camera. The first and third times (both at Hanover St.), I am 99 percent sure that I did get on camera, unless those scenes get cut.

I was far enough away from actual dialogue that I couldn't really tell what was happening. All I know is it involves homeless people, detectives, and in the Hanover scenes, a dog barking at said cops.

Oh, and McNulty speaks with a British accent when he's not acting, Freamon doesn't talk much, and Bubs likes to shoot the ***** with the extras. He rules.

That's awesome. I would give anything to have anything do with that show.

I met Andre Royo (Bubs) at the 'Night at the Wire' event along with a ton of other cast members. Most of them were incredibly down to earth and really great to talk to. Freamon seemed like a really good guy and McNulty was exactly as I thought he would be (except that he hates Jameson). Clay Davis was awesome to talk to as were Rawls and Rhonda Pearlman (who was so much better looking in real life than she is on the show).

Oh and Snoop was as cool as you would expect her to be....check the pic in my profile - I'm in the middle.

[Spoonless]

Just finished Season 3, and started downloading Season 4. I can't wait.

Season 3 was better than Season 2, but I really don't see why everyone seems to be so down on 2. I really liked it from beginning to end. I don't think it was a letdown from Season 1 at all.

[BustaJ2632]

Just finished Season 3, and started downloading Season 4. I can't wait.

Season 3 was better than Season 2, but I really don't see why everyone seems to be so down on 2. I really liked it from beginning to end. I don't think it was a letdown from Season 1 at all.

I mentioned this to rollie when I started Season Two, but I think one of the best things about The Wire is how you can sympathize with every side. You know that McNulty and Daniels et al are the "good guys," but you can see their flaws. And you know that Avon's crew are the "bad guys" in Season One, but they are strangely appealing and you see their humanity. Omar...well, he's just awesome, whether he's a "good guy" or a "bad guy."

The Sobatkas and the whole port story just struck me as different. Yes, I can sympathize with the dying culture which they are trying to prop up and the union battles that Frank had to fight. Yes, I ended up feeling bad for Ziggy as he went off the deep end. But the people they were working for - the Greeks - were just plain bad guys. Upon first viewing, anyway, I never had an instance where I felt that they were terribly sympathetic figures.

So to me, the second season felt a little more cut and dry. Nothing wrong with going after a bad guy and it was definitely great TV. But what made the first season so great was that even though you knew Avon and his crew were the bad guys, you liked them at times and you may even have been rooting for some of them at times. While the Sobatkas had their sympathetic moments, the Greeks didn't, and they became so heavily involved that I think that played into it.

[Lucky Jim]

I mentioned this to rollie when I started Season Two, but I think one of the best things about The Wire is how you can sympathize with every side. You know that McNulty and Daniels et al are the "good guys," but you can see their flaws. And you know that Avon's crew are the "bad guys" in Season One, but they are strangely appealing and you see their humanity. Omar...well, he's just awesome, whether he's a "good guy" or a "bad guy."

The Sobatkas and the whole port story just struck me as different. Yes, I can sympathize with the dying culture which they are trying to prop up and the union battles that Frank had to fight. Yes, I ended up feeling bad for Ziggy as he went off the deep end. But the people they were working for - the Greeks - were just plain bad guys. Upon first viewing, anyway, I never had an instance where I felt that they were terribly sympathetic figures.

So to me, the second season felt a little more cut and dry. Nothing wrong with going after a bad guy and it was definitely great TV. But what made the first season so great was that even though you knew Avon and his crew were the bad guys, you liked them at times and you may even have been rooting for some of them at times. While the Sobatkas had their sympathetic moments, the Greeks didn't, and they became so heavily involved that I think that played into it.

I couldn't disagree more. I thought Frank (and the other Sobotkas) were realistic - very human, very flawed, but ultimately fascinating and sympathetic. I love Season 2.