^^^ There's also Jazz in Treme.

So I'm through Season 1 and just watched the first episode of Season 2. Season 1 blew my mind. The development of the characters is probably the finest I've ever seen in a show and I've seen lots. Right on par if not better than Breaking Bad. Very gritty and real. I mean you really get immersed in the Barksdale crew and the cops pursuing them. I mean these cops are all dead weight for their former depts and they seriously form a justice league like team. It was sad to see that get broken up.

SPOILERS (don't read if you haven't watched it):

I felt so bad for D'Angelo. He seemed like he really wanted out of the life, was going to get his shit together, but caught a bad rap in the end because Avon didn't know about the tracer on the car. Can't believe his Mom talked him into not taking the deal, that threw me when I found out she was part of the crew. I LOVE Omar! He's a great character, so unpredictable. Stringer is great too...

Season 2 seems like too much is going on. No one gets much screen time because of all the new characters mixed in with everyone from last season.

^^
Season 1 and 4 are my favorites. Season 2, shows a different side of corruption. But for some reason season 4 hammers the police/criminal culture and cyclical institution home. 5 is good but after 4 I felt complete.

Sort of like Breaking Bad. If it never returned I would have been completely content with how last season ended.

Season 2 is like a series unto itself, but I guess you could say that about each season. It's just that it comes as a real surprise after the first season, because the natural expectation is that the focus will stay in the same zone. Hang in there Lixx ... the show demands concentration to keep all the characters and plot lines straight but the payoff is incredible. I love how the producers mixed professional actors with non-professionals, including some whose real names were also their character names. It gets even stranger on that score in the subsequent couple of seasons. Plus if you know what happened with some people "in real life," well ... I won't spoil anything.

Definitely been on a binge watching 'The Wire'. It's helps I have a few days off from work and have a raging cold that has me bed ridden. So I finished 2 and Season 3 just now. All I have to say is wow! This show pulls no punches. Season 2 reminded me a lot of 'French Connection', not as good as 1 but stands on it's own. Season 3 really really kicked up a notch. I got a little sick of McNulty's drinking and Hamsterdamn got a little out of hand, but really got into the politics of how shit totally rolls downhill.

SPOILER (don't read if you haven't watched):

I was sad to see what happened between Stringer & Avon. As much as Stringer was portrayed a villain, he meant well, he was trying to legitimize the organization. He just ended up getting played by the politicians. Avon only knew the street and his gut. It was so intense when those two had a row, when Avon called Stringer soft, and Stringer revealed he had D'Angelo killed. I knew it was all over eventually for Stringer then. Ashame because I love Idris Elba as an actor, wanted to see more of him. I almost felt as bad as McNulty did at the end, because you wanted to see a final conflict between those two. Also felt bad for Colvin taking the fall for the whole Hamsterdamn escapade. I really hope Burrell & Rawls get what's coming to them! Did I see Rawls in one of the gay bar scenes? Wonder how that will play out?

Ya that was Rawls!

I think I re-watch all 5 seasons once a year.

Don't u just love the season finale montages?

I finished the series. Just about 5 seasons in 6 days. My brain is fried.

Good work Chris. Now move onto Spiral Seasons 1-3 (French) and The Killing Seasons 1-2 (Dannish) for your next crime fix. They are both essential viewing.

Ha! Still absorbing this. All I have to say is poor Dookie. Kid didn't have much a chance...I rate the seasons 1,4,3,5,2.

I agree, 1 and 4 are the best although I love this series so much that I consider that season 2 is still a lot better than most of the TV out there.

I think 2 has the most to benefit from a rewatch - knowing what happens makes it feel like a lot less of a curveball.

I'd rank it 4,3,2,1,5. Four forever at top for looking at schools, five forever at bottom for BS serial killer. Three has been benefiting lately from watching through episodes and some great acting from barksdale/bell.

Fans ought to enjoy this. It's all part of the [16-bit] game.

The Wire RPG

that video had me laughing so hard.

great moments revisited in 16bits, thanks!

Why do I keep clicking this is a thread about the magazine every single time?

I'm allllllmost done with Season 5 LOL. It's taken me YEARS to get through this series, and I still feel like it's so complex that I've missed a lot. Definitely one of the few that's worth getting on DVD/BD to view more than once. Unlike a lot of folks, I like Season 5 just fine. Weird to see McNulty going rogue but that's the sort of thing that keeps this series so fascinating.

I agree, definitely worth watching a few times if you can. I know there are a lot of detracters of season 2, but once you see everything, it begins to grow on you I think. Probably it was just a bit of a step down becuase the first season was so strong.

My only problem with season 2 was the same as everyone else - it was so different in tone and approach, and there were so many new people to meet that it took me a while to get over my expectations and presumptions about what I was going to see. Once I settled in I was quite happy I did. Oh, and that Beadie was easy on the eyes!

I'm with you, Dean - I loved the character turns that went on in season 5. I'll be interested to hear what you make of the finale.

That Wire RPG video was hysterical! Clay Davis: Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Clay Davis: eeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!

CRIME SPREE MODE UNLOCKED!

Haha! If only that game was real
Don't know if everyone has seen this video that's been floating around or not, but The Wire: The Musical

What are you doing this weekend?
http://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/the ... reminisce/

A goofy trailer:


The festivities begin in just under an hour.

o

Sidebar: 45 pages of comments on The Walking Dead but only 3 for The Wire? Depressing.

45 pages of mostly complaints. You can't really touch the excellence that is The Wire, therefore no real need to comment or hate watch. Just watch in awe.

I find it funny that WD hires actors from The Wire to perhaps gain some integrity but completely writes them like a 7th grader still thus nullifying any gains.

^^ hell yeah, must see . . . especially the first season.

Also, 'The Bridge'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bridge ... _series%29
^^ Season one of this is really good! I have'nt watched S02 yet.

Interesting. Not a whole lot of new information there, and I don't think Maron did such a great job on the 'interview' side of things (and I admittedly don't listen to a lot of WTF so this could just be the norm but isn't my thing), but anyhow, cool to see something actually coming out from Simon, he doesn't do too many speaking-type digs like that. The new show he mentioned could be worth checking out; I am definitely past due for some real quality television drama at this point.