The Wire (HBO) Review
The Wire is set in Baltimore, Maryland and mainly focuses on the drug war in the city, analysing the inner workings of both the drug dealers, the drug addicts and the Baltimore police force, specifically a small investigation unit, but throughout the five seasons many more aspects of the city are explored, from the public school system, the mayor’s office, the Baltimore port, to the newspaper reporting company, the judicial system and the prisons. The Wire is basically an in-depth look at how a city works from the top to the bottom, and how ‘shit rolls downhill’ as they say, decisions are made at the top which severely affect those at the bottom. This is not just a great show, it’s an important show, there’s a reason why it’s often considered the best television show of all time, here’s why.
Poot, Bodie, D'Angelo and Wallace
First of all, the writing is fantastic; everything feels authentic which makes sense because David Simon, creator of The Wire, was a journalist who worked in Baltimore for 12 years, and Ed Burns who worked closely with David Simon on the show, was a police detective for the Homicide and Narcotics division and also a public school teacher. The cinematography is beautiful, this is an ugly world to depict, it’s gritty and dirty and the direction is artistically perfect in portraying this, every shot is masterfully placed. The acting, again, it’s perfect, there’s a great mix of professional actors and first time Baltimore natives used here to give the realism that cutting edge feel. Everyone involved did a fantastic job; I don’t have one bad word to say, this is television at its peak.
Andre Royo as Bubbles
I've watched The Wire about four times now, and it just gets better and better with each viewing, there’s so much going on in every single episode that you’ll probably need to watch it at least two or three times to take everything in. This is a complex study of an entire city, The Wire doesn't waste time pandering to its audience, they trust you to keep up, and if you’re paying attention, you will. The Wire at its heart is a comment on capitalism, as David Simon himself describes it, it’s an angry show, and with this subject matter it needs to be, you can’t dance around these ideas, and The Wire never does, it shows you why the system is flawed, and how it affects everyone, like I mentioned above, ‘the shit rolls downhill' is the main theme here.
Dominic West as Jimmy McNulty
Every character is beautifully written and portrayed, this isn't just angry anti capitalism, it’s also an interesting, engaging and exciting story, or stories rather, you’ll love every single character even the ones you hate you have to love because they’re written so well, everyone feels like they represent something bigger than just being the bad guy or the good guy, The Wire rarely makes those distinctions, and so everything feels so real, there’s character development here, we watch these people struggle and grow and affect and be affected by the environment around them, it’s amazingly intricate and everyone is important, every character has a reason to be in this show, and you’ll find yourself emotionally
invested in many of their stories.
Snoop Pearson, Marlo Stanfield and Chris Partlow
Following HBO tradition, The Wire is a gritty show, filled with violence, nudity and expletives, you’ll be entertained every step of the way, gripping the edge of your seat and having your heart broken multiple times. If you've read any of my other reviews, you may notice I'm a little free with spoilers but I made sure to avoid them when I wrote this, The Wire is good enough to make the effort, and if you haven’t seen it yet, it’s best to go in completely clean. I also haven’t yet mentioned any specific characters or the actors that played them but it’s simply because there are just too many to name, everyone did such a great job I’d have to mention everyone! Also, specific themes and stories and character arcs, there’s just so many things happening here, I wouldn't know where to start, it’s all brilliantly done, you’ll be glued to the screen, I promise.
Michael K. Williams as Omar Little
I did just say I wouldn't mention anything specific, but there’s one character that brings a completely different dynamic to the show, Omar Little, the guy who robs drug dealers with a big shotgun then hides in the shadows like a ghost. While every other character in the show is bound to their environment, the drug dealers, the cops, the teachers etc., everyone is trapped in the system, except for Omar, he lives outside these boundaries, he doesn't fit into any box, he’s a romantic almost Robin Hood-esque type figure, and I think in this depressingly realistic show, he’s the breath of fresh air it needed, the perfect final touch, the fucking cherry on top! I don’t care who you are, everyone loves Omar, he transcends the system no one else can escape and gives us that cinematically indulgent anti-hero we all love to love, Michael K. Williams did a fantastic job with the role, this guy was in The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire and The Wire, what a boss!
Prez, Cedric, Lester, McNulty, Rhonda and Kima Greggs
The Wire is one of my favourite television shows of all, and like I mentioned above, it’s not only entertainment at its peak, it’s an important show, if you haven’t already seen it, put it at the top of your list! You’ll be informed, educated and entertained all at once, everyone should watch The Wire, and it’s as simple as that.
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