I'm lucky enough to have just discovered the Wire I caught the 1st series on FX in the UK and immediately had to buy all the box sets. This is without doubt the finest Police drama ever shown on TV and quite possibly the finest TV show ever. Rarely does a series come along without a single weak episode in its entire run, not a single weak performance. Even when considering great shows such as CSI, The Simpsons, X-Files, Frasier etc all had weak episodes or characters that weren't up to the standard of the rest of the show.
The shows subject matter is downbeat and dark, the drugs and corruption in the city of Baltimore, but the show also has some dark humour to it and is not without it's laugh out loud moments. All the characters are well aware of their absurd situation on both sides of the law. The show has moments of touching compassion as well as brutal violence, comradeship and betrayal in such a mix that it draw you in and makes you care about each and every character not just the main ones. Its a tribute to the show that it involves you so much you begin to worry about what will happen to the characters. As such it's impossible to wait a week for another episode and a box set is the only way to go.
I think the strongest feature of this show is how it makes you see the situation from all points of view. For example the character Bubbs is a drug addict and a petty thief but after being shown his world its impossible not to feel some compassion for him and his situation. His good side and his bad is there for all to see as are the police characters who are not all sweetness and light. While some characters such as Omar could be seen as an anti-hero to be lauded but then other points of view will be shown and you have to choose how you see the character - a predator feeding off the bigger criminals in a way sticking it to the man or nothing but another criminal the show makes no judgements but gives us enough to make our own.
Congratulations should go to everyone involved in this show its challenging, intelligent, entertaining, shocking and informing all in equal measure. My only problem with it is I wish they could have gone on a few more seasons but then again maybe the show would have weakened as it is like all the greats they've left us wanting more. 10/10.
The shows subject matter is downbeat and dark, the drugs and corruption in the city of Baltimore, but the show also has some dark humour to it and is not without it's laugh out loud moments. All the characters are well aware of their absurd situation on both sides of the law. The show has moments of touching compassion as well as brutal violence, comradeship and betrayal in such a mix that it draw you in and makes you care about each and every character not just the main ones. Its a tribute to the show that it involves you so much you begin to worry about what will happen to the characters. As such it's impossible to wait a week for another episode and a box set is the only way to go.
I think the strongest feature of this show is how it makes you see the situation from all points of view. For example the character Bubbs is a drug addict and a petty thief but after being shown his world its impossible not to feel some compassion for him and his situation. His good side and his bad is there for all to see as are the police characters who are not all sweetness and light. While some characters such as Omar could be seen as an anti-hero to be lauded but then other points of view will be shown and you have to choose how you see the character - a predator feeding off the bigger criminals in a way sticking it to the man or nothing but another criminal the show makes no judgements but gives us enough to make our own.
Congratulations should go to everyone involved in this show its challenging, intelligent, entertaining, shocking and informing all in equal measure. My only problem with it is I wish they could have gone on a few more seasons but then again maybe the show would have weakened as it is like all the greats they've left us wanting more. 10/10.