The Wire
what dreams
Posts: 1,761
I've started watching this show on Amazon Prime, and I'm just beginning season 3. I can't believe I missed this when it was running on HBO a decade ago. Completely amazing in every regard . . . The writing, the acting, the directing are all stellar.
I've been thinking a lot about the recent Oscars controversy while watching, and I finally get it. Doing some background research, I learned that this show never won a single Emmy, and if I remember correctly, there were only two nominations over five seasons.
Fast forward a few years after The Wire is canceled, and two other cable series about (completely unbelievable) suburban white drug dealers sweep the awards year after year. There is no way either Weeds or Breaking Bad came close to this caliber of work, and yes, those shows were great, but this show is for real on a whole other level. I can only think it was ignored at the awards because the cast is primarily black, and it's a story about black crime in Baltimore. Ten years ago, nobody gave a shit about black people in Baltimore. I wonder if the show came out now, what would people do? I don't even think it could be made now.
It really bothers me that the talent on this program was not recognized in its day. And I'm now way more sympathetic to Halle Berry and the boycotting of the Oscars. I see the problem as plain as day here. I honestly didn't even know any of these actors existed until I started watching the Wire, and now I just want to watch everything they're in. There definitely needs to be more opportunities for these outstanding actors.
I'm curious to hear from people who are/were fans of the show. What do you think of it now in light of current events?
.... And I didn't revive any of the older threads because of the spoilers in there ... No spoilers!!
I've been thinking a lot about the recent Oscars controversy while watching, and I finally get it. Doing some background research, I learned that this show never won a single Emmy, and if I remember correctly, there were only two nominations over five seasons.
Fast forward a few years after The Wire is canceled, and two other cable series about (completely unbelievable) suburban white drug dealers sweep the awards year after year. There is no way either Weeds or Breaking Bad came close to this caliber of work, and yes, those shows were great, but this show is for real on a whole other level. I can only think it was ignored at the awards because the cast is primarily black, and it's a story about black crime in Baltimore. Ten years ago, nobody gave a shit about black people in Baltimore. I wonder if the show came out now, what would people do? I don't even think it could be made now.
It really bothers me that the talent on this program was not recognized in its day. And I'm now way more sympathetic to Halle Berry and the boycotting of the Oscars. I see the problem as plain as day here. I honestly didn't even know any of these actors existed until I started watching the Wire, and now I just want to watch everything they're in. There definitely needs to be more opportunities for these outstanding actors.
I'm curious to hear from people who are/were fans of the show. What do you think of it now in light of current events?
.... And I didn't revive any of the older threads because of the spoilers in there ... No spoilers!!
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Baltimore mentioned, and I thought of Homicide: Life on the Street. Based there. Awards given to Braugher (though honestly, I don't place much stock in those as a whole; strikes me as such odd pomp and circumstance and overall a weird circle jerk - for me, it's more about what hits me, as did that series).
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Bodie and Omar are my two favorite characters in anything, period.
Breaking bad is all kinds of awesome but it can't touch the wire
That being said, I can see what you are talking about now that I think about it. It was overshadowed by The Sopranos. I liked both, but The Wire might be my favorite show ever created. The nuanced acting and scenes that were carried with unspoken communication between characters was, in my opinion, unmatched. I don't know if, or to what extent race played in the hype of one vs the other. I will leave that to people with a better understanding of such things, but I think you might be on to something.
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
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I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
Great show
Yes, Prime has all 5 seasons. I had to search for 2-5 once I got through 1, but they're all in my watch list now.
I understand that some people don't place much stock in award shows in determining what we should like. I feel, though, that unlike the music award programs, that the film and television industry do still take the task seriously and do attempt to discern real talent. I didn't consider that the Sopranos was the competition, but I think it even further illustrates my point. White crime boss . . . Tons of nominations and wins. Black crime boss ... uh, who are you? I mean, Idris Elba . . . How can he not be recognized at the same level as what's his name who is now dead? Look at Elba in Luther (a BBC series in Netflix) or as Nelson Mandela. He's a phenomenal actor.
To me, it's not just about the win. There can only be one winner, and that's tough. That's where it comes down to me just liking what I like. The fact that there were practically NO NOMINATIONS just blows my head open.
Diversity: We watched Homicide religiously when it aired on NBC; it was so much better than the much more highly publicized NYPD Blue. The camerawork, the music, the writing, the acting, all were stellar. Andre Braugher gave a blistering performance every week, and for years he was ignored by the Emmys. At that time, there were some complaints about the utter absence of programming featuring diverse casts or interesting characters who were people of color. I thought to myself, have none of these people seen Homicide? The show featured a diverse cast, included the first openly bisexual character I can remember, and did not shy away from confronting racism (or homophobia). But, somehow, that all got overlooked.
I did not watch The Wire when it first aired on HBO. The show demands so much of its audience, and I was overwhelmed with parenting-induced exhaustion. But my husband was a fan, and I ended up buying him the box set -- and then I watched the whole thing myself, four times, on the treadmill during harsh northeastern weather.
I've seen The Wire described as "Shakespearean," and I have to admit that it has much in common with great literature. There is symbolism, there is allegory, there are seemingly insignificant but important details, there is much showing and little telling. The attentive viewer is rewarded. Watching it, you get the feeling that all five seasons were mapped out to the last detail before any filming began.
One of my favorite novels is The Brothers Karamazov. In addition to, as I say, tearing my brain wide open, the novel creates an entire universe that is so real that it exists beyond the confines of the pages of the book. The storytelling ends, but as the reader, you are left with a certainty that the characters in the book have continued on with their lives after you turn the last page and set the book aside. For me, The Wire creates that same kind of world. It was so real that whenever Michael B Jordan pops up in the news, I am both surprised and relieved to see that he is alive and well.
Anyway -- did anyone besides me watch The Deuce? I thought the first episode was great -- no explosions, no car chases, plenty of attention to detail, laying the groundwork for future episodes.
the wire is the best. Had a season one marathon the other week. best season of tv ever
The Deuce...watched the first episode last night.
Some parts were really tough to watch. Interested to see where it takes us as viewers but if it is not somewhere significant I think I will pass on watching the subject matter on display in this show.
The Wire? Back to binge watching -- on the 3rd season now and will continue until done.
Omar really is the fucking best. The unapologetic look at being who he is? Fascinating.
It was not nearly so well written, directed, and acted as it's reputation on here proclaims.
I can easily imagine it getting better, but it was all cliché and little substance in the first few episodes.