Sunday, November 23, 2008

I was visiting mister anchovy's blog and noticed that he too had just finished The Wire so I thought I should write something about this great series.

db and I just finished watching The Wire. My whole family had been talking about it for several months and would get into discussions about episodes while I'd sit there having no idea what they were talking about. My mom bought the series and sent us home with four seasons after our vacation. Thanks mom!

We took our time with the series, making sure we had no distractions so we could commit fully to watching an episode. I loved every minute. It did take me a few episodes to get into the pacing of it, but by the third episode I was hooked. Each episode doesn't wrap up in a tidy way, but rather recognizes that the entire season and beyond with tell the whole story. It's untraditional in many ways and breaks with lots of t.v. series standards, creating it's own style and pacing. It's a fantastic series. The writing is brilliant and is very cinematic in its choice of shots or the way the camera moves in a space.

I'm sorry it's over only because television this brilliant doesn't happen that often.

5 comments:

Karen said...

Its funny but I never remember hearing about this and then over the past couple of months it seems everyone's been recommending it! I'm going to have to see if the library has it and start catching up to the rest of you.

mister anchovy said...

I found myself getting attached to some of the characters along the way, and sometimes these were very tough characters.

I really enjoyed Bubs throughout. He was a tragicomic figure with a good heart. He was full of insights although he seemed oblivious to his own knowledge. And, he had a happy ending in the series, or at least a second kick at the can.

Omar was another amazing character. I was fascinated by his understanding of 'the game'. The scene in court with Levi was amazing, when he compared his 'job' with Levi's...pointing out that both made a living off the profits of the drug dealers.

It is rare on television that characters could be developed in such depth. Season four was a tough one, as we got to know the kids.

In The Wire, our institutions fail us every time. How sad. There are some rays of hope, but the game goes on.

Excellent series in every way.

Red said...

I've only ever heard great things about The Wire. I don't know how I missed it when it was on TV here. I guess it was hidden away at some ungodly hour on some limited-appeal channel.

Anyway... we finally got our act together and put it on our queue, so hopefully, come Christmas I will be a Wire virgin no more!

sp said...

Karen & Red: Enjoy!

mister anchovy: I loved the character of Omar and that scene is particularly brilliant and sums up much of the series very well.
It's true even the hardest characters we can feel sympathy for. One of my favorite lines was Snoop's last when she asks "does my hair look okay?" It gave a glimpse at a side of Snoop we never saw, but wanted to know if it was there. There are so many small moments like these in the series that just make it so brilliant.

Anonymous said...

Ah, you are now finished!!! Wow, what a journey, eh??!
I miss it. Don't really watch that much t.v. and mourn the end of such fine series like The Wire.
I have so many great moments to relive, I think I will just go back and start all over, it's been a few months.
Glad you got into it! Now we can talk openly, and you can give us your thoughts on it, next time we see each other! L, sis.