The Wire - Season 5

[StrykerFSU]

I know there are only a few devotees on here but for those who watched the first episode of the final season of the greatest show on television last night, instead of American Gladiators God help us, what were your thoughts?

I enjoyed seeing all the characters again, though Omar was disappointingly absent, but thought that it was one long episode of playing catch up. Maybe that is necessary to set up the season. I'm excited that Avon is back on the scene even if it is just being a thorn in Marlo's side through the plexiglass of a prison visitation room. And you have to love "McNutty", what a train wreck...and he's not even the most tragic character on the show! That honor has to go to Bubbles...or any of the four kids from Season 4...see, that's why this show is so outstanding!

Would love to have some discussion each week with the one or two other people out there that love this show. If you haven't seen it yet, go rent the DVDs and find out what you have been missing.

"A man got to have a code"

[laxfan25]

I was at Costco yesterday, looking for the other years of the series (didn't have any). I didn't have HBO until this spring, so I rarely saw the show. The Sopranos was the only thing I'd wait for to be released on video.
Been hearing such great things about the show, and was looking forward to last night and forgot it was on. I'm sure it'll be replayed sometime this week - do you know when?
Looks like I'll be in Blockbuster mode.
I remember the first time I happened across The Shield. I was transfixed! Never saw any cop show like THAT on TV. Vic Mackey was riveting.
The wasteland of television just makes you appreciate the good stuff that much more.

[Danny Hogan]

i love the shield and the sopranos, but the wire is hands down the best show ever.

the scene before the opening credits was classic. bunk is the man. an attackman too.

i like how they actually use the baltimore sun instead of a phony newspaper.

[Ravaging Beast]

I DVRed Sunday's episode. I haven't caught up to it yet. Only a few more episodes from season 4. I wonder how it will be if I can't watch more than one episode in a row. Did anyone watch the 30 minute segment preceding the first episode? I'm trying to get some friends into it, and was wondering if that was able to get people caught up on what has taken place in the previous 4 seasons.

[Danny Hogan]

and FYI the premier was released early on HBO on demand, i watched it friday, not sure if they will do that for the rest of the episodes.

[Danny Hogan]

I DVRed Sunday's episode. I haven't caught up to it yet. Only a few more episodes from season 4. I wonder how it will be if I can't watch more than one episode in a row. Did anyone watch the 30 minute segment preceding the first episode? I'm trying to get some friends into it, and was wondering if that was able to get people caught up on what has taken place in the previous 4 seasons.

get them to rent the dvds, if they are like most people i know they will burn through at least 4 episodes each time they turn it on.

[StrykerFSU]

The special before the premier was nice for veterans of the show but I don't think it would be helpful at all for someone new. The show is just too complex to try to compress it.

I seem to remember that Comcast on demand used to have season synopsis episodes but that stuff is not available all the time.

Also, check out David Simon's books "Homicide" and "The Corner" (also an HBO miniseries. "The Corner" was amazing and based entirely on the experiences of one family living the nightmare.

[Ravaging Beast]

i like how they actually use the baltimore sun instead of a phony newspaper.

Danny,
I skimmed through and article from the New Yorker (it was too long to read the whole thing). The Sun gave the show permission to use their name. It also mentioned that many of the minor roles and the extras are played by Baltimore locals. The show is written by a former writer from the Sun, so several of the characters are also played by former employees of the Sun. I guess there are also a lot of inside jokes that only Baltimore locals get including a cameo appearance from a former Baltimore mayor. If only I could pick up on that stuff, it would make the show that much better.

[Danny Hogan]

agree that the 30 min recaps don't do the characters justice as far as 'layering' is concerned.

the baltimorons in the show all have an easily discernable baltimore accent. snoop is a legit former baltimore gangbanger (i think* i picked that up off one of the specials).

[StrykerFSU]

snoop is a legit former baltimore gangbanger (i think* i picked that up off one of the specials).

That is true and she recently published a book about her life called "Grace After Midnight"

[Zeuslax]

Laxfan, you're in for a real treat once you track them all down. I've bought all of mine off of Overstock. The "O" has had the best pricing.

As a fellow Baltimoron I got into the show off the bat just for that fact. There's nothing like it, an absolutely amazing mix of tragedy and hope. It's a true Greek tragedy in modern day form. Nothing is as real!

Snoop is a former street kid and banger. Most of the kids from last season were Julliart trained, but there are tons of real people in the show, but mostly in small roles. I've watched all of the specials and 5 min clips on Demand.

Baltimore locals get including a cameo appearance from a former Baltimore mayor. If only I could pick up on that stuff, it would make the show that much better.

Definitely. Depending on how old you are you may remember when Kurt Smoke (former Baltimore mayor) just mentioned that we should talk about legalizing drugs in this country. Big, big national story........he was the health official. The table that D'Andre and his girlfriend were sitting at in season two was my section for over 2 years at a restuarant called the Prime Rib.

and FYI the premier was released early on HBO on demand, i watched it friday, not sure if they will do that for the rest of the episodes.

I watched it on Friday as well. I've been licking my chops and just couldn't wait until Sunday. The second episode is on demand right now as well. They are releasing them the Monday prior. aka the new episode comes out the day after the episode airs in it's scheduled slot. It's was really tough not to watch it tonight, but I'm going to hold off.

[JW]

I did not watch, as I don't have HBO, but am very distraught that the Greatest Show on TV will be finished after this season. I just watched Season 4 over the Christmas season and it was awesome.

If there were ever an 8th grader that I were afraid of it would be that dude Michael - Chris's protege.

[Zeuslax]

I did not watch, as I don't have HBO, but am very distraught that the Greatest Show on TV will be finished after this season. I just watched Season 4 over the Christmas season and it was awesome.

If there were ever an 8th grader that I were afraid of it would be that dude Michael - Chris's protege.

Do yourself a favor and rent the other seasons!

Micheal is a bigger dog now, he's running a few corners. I never felt more sorry for a kid then Dukie. He's just absolutely trapped and could be so much more!

[StrykerFSU]

Dukie sure didn't seem pleased about his role as a nanny. I'm afraid he's going to try to prove himself to Michael and end up dead.

There's a lot of chatter on the Internet that the choice of profiling the role of the media in urban decline is a mistake. I'm more hopeful. I thought that Season 2 at the docks was a mistake when that season started but it turned into a revealing expose on the utter hopelessness of the working class trapped in a dying industry. I now think of those characters when I hear someone rambling on about "retraining" the work force in response to job loss from globalization. I hope that Season 5 will do the same by exposing the complicity of the local media in the collapse of our cities. Why do we all know exactly how many soldiers have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and chose to join the military, but no one seems to care enough to make a point of how many young people are lost every day in our own cities? And why isn't the fourth estate using its role as political watchdog to address the incredible fiscal mismanagement that leads to many of the problems? Maybe the 11 of us that watch The Wire will find out by the end of the season.

[Zeuslax]

The docks were a great season. The story line was loosely associated with a story I was very close to at the time. Let's just say that it included a stolen tractor trailer container of restaurant size canned tuna fish and an elementary school canned food drive.

I think this season is going to be great. The Sun is pissed off at Simon and they think that he is portraying them unfairly. There's a big surprise, huh. Why would he get this wrong? The show has delved into topics that no one else could do and they've done them with an ability that has never been seen before. Is he blinded by his experiences? I don't believe so.

The truth hurts! The Sun is still a great paper, but not what it use to be. This is indicative of the national local media decline.....if that makes any sense.