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"We're building something here, Detective. We're building it from scratch. All the pieces matter."

Why was this series about the overwhelming corruption of powerful institutions called The Wire, particularly when wiretaps were not all that important in every season? I think it has a lot to do with how the wiretaps are used. While everyone else wants to get out and bust heads, Lester Freamon tells them that this is going to be a prolonged case that will only be effective at taking down the people at the top by waiting and examining everything. Similarly, the show is a wire for American institutions, and Freamon was warning us that we were going to be entering a long case of intense scrutiny of these systems. The reason we get side stories with Bubbles and Johnny or Frog or Bernard and Squeak is because all the pieces matter. Like the scene where Lester tells Prez that just because a call doesn't scream about drugs doesn't mean it's not pertinent. There's a code, and at the very least reference to conspiracy. Writ large, it may not seem like Bunk tricking a criminal with a copier has much to do with urban decay or institutional corruption, but it's a code for what's really going on. He's perpetrating a fake prosecution that convinces his audience in order to achieve true justice. Which McNulty and Freamon will do for the rest of the season in a manner that pursues those themes of corruption and urban decay. The way The Wire starts out each season with a metaphorical scene that slides into the story perfectly convinces me that naming the show after such a seemingly minor part of it is a deliberate hint. And as a sidenote, I love how the episode titles from a season aim to fit into a motif, whether it be casework, the docks, or schools, and I've reflected the use of epitaphs in The Wire with all the quotes on this page. And since it doesn't fit anywhere else, the Hamsterdam wreckage always reminds me of driftwood, detritus, but then that would have been a Season 2 reference. Like Marlo Stanfield, this is a series with a lot of meaning behind its names.

Moments ago, I concluded the first season of The Wire, and my immediate response is sadness that there are only four more seasons of this. It's probably not fair to judge the series based on one season, or The Sopranos based on two, or Deadwood based on three of what was supposed to be five, but I definitely love The Wire more than The Sopranos and probably more than Deadwood. I'd always heard about the greatness of the show's black actors--I didn't realize almost the entire cast were black. The other thing I knew coming in was that the cast is probably the largest of any major show. Again, Deadwood prepared me for that, but The Wire has even more people to keep track of, which of course allows for more excellent performances and more awesome characters. The finale brought a lot of it full circle, which adds to the completion of phase one, but more than that, it emphasizes the pointlessness of the Barksdale case. Carver jokes to Herc about why they can't win anyway, and he's absolutely right. Simon and Burns practically admitted as much in their insightful recent Time op-ed.

I want to add BTAs for 2002-2003, mainly so I can add some Firefly/The Wire love, but even that would not be sufficient to cover the great performances. So here I go: Obviously Dominic West is great as Jimmy McNulty, and while I immediately loved Kima Greggs and Bunk Moreland as well, I was fascinated by how I came to appreciate everyone on their task force. Lieutenant Daniels, in particular, seemed one-note and completely unhelpful only to be influenced by McNulty and Greggs and Freamon into fighting for the case no matter who he pissed off. Speaking of, Lester Freamon rules, and I loved the idea of McNulty, Daniels, and him taking the case federal, as long as Greggs showed up every once in a while, but it's better that they didn't. Herc and Carver showed admirable traits too, but Prez is the one who grew on me most, surprising given his introduction involves getting drunk and hitting a kid in the eye with a gun. I also love that these guys seem to be the only good cops in the whole BPD. Relatedly, Judge Phelan gave an incredibly realistic performance (is that guy a judge in real life?) and proved his intrinsic goodness, as did ASA Rhonda Pearlman. The only significant other I like is Kima's; the former Mrs. McNulty and the evil Mrs. Daniels can go die somewhere.

As for the street-level players, Stringer Bell ruled from minute one. I love how in the finale, he got to repeat that look back at McNulty in the court room. Not surprisingly, Avon is also great, and Omar Little is even better. I liked D'Angelo, but I felt he was overshadowed acting-wise by a lot of the others, even Pit players like the phenomenal Wallace. Bubbles is the Best Supporting Actor of that year, as much as I liked Judge Phelan, Wallace, Bunk, Daniels, Freamon, Prez, Stringer Bell, Omar, and Avon. Have you seen a picture of the actor? I have been wary of looking up anything on IMDb about the show, but I googled and wikipediaed to find out who played Bubbles (a clean-cut man with all his teeth!) and who played Stringer Bell (a semi-well-respected Brit!). And I haven't even mentioned the greatness of Shardene, Levy, or Jay (or others I'm sure I'm forgetting).

The Wire keeps my brain going--not just to distinguish characters and storylines but to think of how it all applies in the real world--and keeps me entertained--with plots that are complex and interesting enough without losing the requisite emotional heights--better, so far, than The Sopranos, and about the level of Deadwood, though it's easier for me to follow The Wire. I keep coming back to these shows for a few reasons: They were all acclaimed HBO dramas about criminals (and America) that are considered the best television dramas (what else would be in the running? I can't think of anything). I'm confident that the show will keep it up based on the critical raves, and for now, I'm wary and excited to see Season 2. I don't want McNulty, Greggs, Daniels, Freamon, and Prez all split up, but I am very curious to see where the show goes from here. And who really killed Deirdre Cresson? Speaking of which, that practically silent scene of McNulty and Bunk solving her murder was one of the best. Anyway, I'm going to take my time with the show, and there's no way I'm deleting the episodes off my computer, but I'm still sad there's not too much more of it, and sadder still that it has no shot at the Emmys.

I just wanted to give my immediate reaction to the Season 2 premiere of The Wire since I missed this entire show during its actual run. Now that we're in the docks, and Philly, and everywhere in the BPD but Narcotics, I am as lost and confused as the characters. I am overwhelmed by the maritime lingo and the new faces and roles, but in a good way, in a way that has me really excited to keep watching. It's so sad to see everyone from the task force all off in different areas now, McNulty and Daniels being forcibly reassigned to areas they hate, Kima opting to stay in for her girlfriend's sake, and Prez at least trying to get back to a department where he's useful. And like I said all the new characters interest me, but I couldn't help wanting to know more about the whereabouts of my favorites, so as the episode wore on, I'd gasp loudly every few minutes, for Bunk, for Daniels, for Kima and Herc, for Stringer Bell. McNulty's been downright cheerful the whole episode, perhaps because he's not actually facing any significant crime (yet), but it's a welcome change, and he once again sets a season in motion by indirectly making the BPD do the right thing, this time by forcing them to take a murder. I guess the Polish dock union workers are stealing stuff? And covering up crime including sex slavery? I don't know, but they're doing something shady, and soon enough McNulty'll be on them like last time. And the Church stuff! I love the bidding war for the prime stained glass window spot between Prez's father-in-law and the Poles. And finally, toward the end, it's great to have a feel for how Stringer Bell is managing the Barksdale empire, dealing with the guy in New York and visiting Avon. Now, I know that we only had an hour and had to focus on stuff relevant to this season, but I miss Lester, Omar, and Bubbles, dammit! And Bodie was my least favorite of the Pit guys...why couldn't Poot get promoted instead? And I'm excited to see the follow-up on the D'Angelo case. Anyway, I loved the episode, though I feel a bit overwhelmed, and I'm excited to see where it goes from here.

Well let's start with a Season 3 round-up. I know this was the politics season, but I demand even more of Carcetti and the rest in the future. Sure we got a good taste, but it wasn't nearly as heavily featured as the streets in Season 1 or the docks in Season 2. That said, it felt much more like a build-up to me, like we were merely establishing the political arena to be dealt with more heavily in Season 4's campaigning (and presumably Season 5 as well), and of course it was more focused on building the bridge between the BPD and City Hall via the Commissioners, what with the Comstat hearings and the under-the-table deals between Burrell and Royce. I also felt like Season 3 offered up some interesting possible solutions, or at least the beginnings of solutions. At first, I loved the idea of a paper bag for drugs, but I thought Hamsterdam reeked of ghetto, which was not a good sign. But as they dealt with the problems of unemployed runners and whatnot, it seemed like maybe Hamsterdam would have worked out after all. Of course, that's putting aside the problem of heroin legalization. Whether you're in favor or not, it doesn't seem like there's really any way to combat it; about the best we can do is offer help to those who are going to use it anyway. And then there's Cutty, someone who grew up like these hoodlums and reformed himself, now opening a gym to help get them off the streets in a way that jibes with their lifestyle where macho is king. To me, that's one of the best ways to keep kids from falling into these violent crimes, but I think it's also a necessary condition that their mentor be someone of similar circumstances, if you catch my meaning. Meanwhile, Tommy Carcetti attends a couple town meetings that yield fruitful propositions. Cops working in the field, getting to know the people in the area they're protecting would actually be a great first step. And of course, turning a blind eye to speeders, pot smokers, gamblers and the like. Legalize these things or not, but only punish crimes that violate the harm principle.

Of course, none of this can happen with the rampant police and city corruption, as Carcetti made clear in Season 4, asserting that under Mayor Royce, the BPD has been more concerned with job security than doing their jobs. I say, Fitzhugh's been touting the FBI mandate for terrorism and political corruption for three years now--let's get the old Major Case Unit and him working to take down the political corruption we know exists. I mean, when Rawls is openly speaking to Daniels about having replaced the Major Case Unit's lieutenant with someone who is going to intentionally derail their efforts--when Rawls is that audacious about his corruption, it's time to take them all down a peg. That said, I love having the entire Major Case Unit split up across the town. And Prez is adorable as an overwhelmed teacher, and his students are incredible actors. I will say though, I just saw some kid slice another in the face, and it was traumatic. Can you imagine being in Prez's position? I'm not much bigger than those kids, either. And Carcetti is vastly different from the Carcetti we watched last year, which is another reason I feel like Season 3 was merely an establishing year for the politics. Carcetti, who I presumed to be a bit of a manipulative sleaze like the rest of them, turned out to be a charming idealist, an ambitious one, no doubt, but a guy who at least felt bad that he was using a friend for power. That friend, by the way, lost my love when he told Carcetti to fuck himself upon the latter's offer of reconciliation. And now, Carcetti is perfectly disillusioned--I mean, it's beautifully played by my new love Aidan Gillen. At least, he was, until his debate where he got to pull out the murdered witness card and own Mayor Royce. And speaking of corrupt political officials, I absolutely loved seeing Sydnor serve Clay Davis a subpoena, especially since Sydnor wasn't so keen on doing it in the first place. He pulled through like a trooper though. To me, this season is off to the best start yet, and I'm surprised because I absolutely loved the Barksdale crew and I despise Marlo Stanfield, Chris, Snoop and the rest. I hope Bodie takes them out himself, or what I'd really like to see is for Prop Joe to put his money where his mouth was in Season 1, intimidating with words, but never yet offering proof of his ferocity. Like I said, I'm loving this season so far and I really hope it maintains this level, because they've been on a roll since midway through Season 3.

I never wrote about my reaction to Season 4, which is probably my favorite season, because at the time I finished it, I was eager to start Season 5, yes, but more than that, I was wrecked. I needed a breather after that. I take issue with anyone saying The Wire is cynical--it's not so much cynical as realistic, and the producers have shown that there are some good people in the world willing to go way beyond the call of duty to save even one person, like Bunny Colvin--but Season 4 doles out fewer "happy" endings than any other, and worse still, its main characters are children. I was astounded to feel something I rarely feel toward a television character: disappointment. These people are so real that I felt let down by their poor decisions in a way that I don't think I've ever experienced. Even Freamon perpetrating a fake serial killer case doesn't disappoint me as much as Carver walking away from Randy in the boys' home, or Prez not going further to save Dukie, or worse still, Michael shooting someone. But these things happen all the time, and it's only in extreme cases where someone like Namond can be saved from the cycle of poverty. I don't want to dwell, but Michael passing the point of no return devastates me more than anything on the show. The characters like to say that it's about the kids, not the schools, and I'd say the same is true for the season. It's about the kids and their families--the schools were just another bureaucratic parallel, another symptom of urban decay. I appreciate how we got to see how their biological parents (Michael's mom, Bug's dad, Dukie's junkie family, De'Londa Brice) let their kids down, and then how their surrogate parents (Carver, Cutty, Bodie, and Prez) followed suit. Randy's foster mom and Bunny Colvin are the two good parents (I'll get to Wee-Bey and Prez in a second), but only Bunny Colvin really knew how far he needed to go to save one of the kids--Randy's mom, while protective, wasn't proactive enough, and she became collateral damage as a result. I applaud the efforts of both Wee-Bey and Prez, but again, it wasn't quite enough, and without Bunny, Wee-Bey wouldn't have been able to save his son. It just emphasizes further how even doing the right thing isn't necessarily enough in the face of such entrenched corruption.

This weekend, I realized I completely skipped over something I wanted to talk about regarding Season 4. Luckily, catching the first few episodes via my DVDs and the final few on their BET airing (which I heartily recommend. Unlike A&E's Sopranos episodes, BET airs The Wire in full and only bleeps "fuck." Meanwhile, A&E cuts The Sopranos for time and content, and bleeps almost everything), and they jogged my memory. Anyway, I did mention that Season 4 is about parents and children, and I went on to discuss our main four children and their biological and surrogate parents. But I completely skipped over some of the most poignant subplots involving other parent-child relationships. First and foremost, Bubbles and Sherrod. Just thinking about how far Bubbles goes to give Sherrod a better life, enrolling him in school and giving him shelter and money, only to have him fall back into his old ways (which actually leads Bubbles to give himself a better life) was yet another devastating story from Season 4. And I talked about Cutty teaching all four of the main kids, but I forgot about Spider at the time. Spider is Cutty's Sherrod, the one that Cutty was so close to saving. But Cutty gave it all up just to sleep with Spider's mother. And Kima's behind on her child support for Cheryl's kid all season. Isn't it strange when Wee-Bey is the best parent? I did mention Bunny Colvin raising Namond, but let's not forget about him taking Namond's classmates, Zenobia and Darnell. And we know at least Zenobia made progress by the end of the season. Further, McNulty and Bunk sort of took the older kids under their wings. Actually, Carver, too, with he and McNulty both forging significant relationships with Bodie this year. Carver's explanation is that when things get bad, he's going to need someone he's on good terms with, which is such a parental idea. I particularly like the prevalent use of the terms "knuckleheads" and "little hoppers" this season too, as if Carver were a parent lightly admonishing his kids. And Bunk tries to teach not only Omar but Snoop and Chris as well, but unsurprisingly, they don't take to the Bunk quite as well as Omar. In fact, Bunk actually succeeds there, forcing Omar to maintain his promise all the way to the end of the season, when presumably Omar will leave crime forever. Of course, we know that doesn't go down quite so well as "Final Grades" hints, but such is life. Omar's eventual assassin, Kenard, is another kid of Season 4, but he lacks parental support of any kind. Namond is his higher-up, and Kenard walks all over him without repercussion. De'Londa jumps all over Namond about Kenard, but she never directly confronts her son's hopper, and Michael just beats the kid to the ground. It's completely understandable that Kenard would be the one to end up killing Omar in a convenience store. And lastly, there's little Donut, the carjacker. His game of cat-and-mouse with Carver and Colicchio is pretty fun, and you have to admit, Donut could be a lot worse off in the realm of criminal activities. Even moving beyond these main kids, it seems like everything is about parents and their children, from the mother who refuses to cooperate with Bunk and Freamon even though her kid is probably dead (in a vacant) to Carcetti shifting from playing games with his daughter to giving it all up for a shot at the Capitol. I can't believe I just forgot about everyone beyond the core four, but I'm sure it had to do with how emotionally exhausted I was after my first viewing.

Moving on, Season 4 had a lot going on, one of my favorite subplots being Carcetti's mayoral campaign and early days in office. Again, Aidan Gillen is not only attractive but a fantastic actor--I loved his scenes of disillusionment early on in the race. McNulty took a backseat because Dominic West was worn out. That's not really surprising considering Wood Harris and Idris Elba felt the same way after three seasons of intense spotlight, but I really could not believe it when there were whole episodes without McNulty. Of course, it was nice that he got at least a season of happiness, especially given what everyone else was doing. The season opened with my favorite season-opening scene: Snoop buying the nail gun. It's a beautiful scene that foreshadows the season's gradually building dread, just as the salesman slowly comes to realize that his nail gun is going to be used for crime. And Snoop herself is simply fascinating; I cannot get enough of Felicia Pearson's dialogue. I wonder things about her like what she does in her spare time, where she lives, and if she's a lesbian. Meanwhile, the pairing of Bunk and Lester is perfect, but I hated how so many other characters knew about the vacants, had an opportunity to tell them, and didn't. I love Prez so much, especially in this season, but he could have at least told them that. As a former police, I don't see how that wasn't the first thing he thought of--there'd be no way to track that info back to Randy. Speaking of whom, Herc ruined Randy's childhood due to negligence and incompetence, and it's a crime I can't forgive him for. I always enjoyed Herc, particularly for the comedy, but I really wanted him to get fired after this. Fortunately, Marlo gave his camera the Valchek surveillance van treatment. Carver on the other hand showed impressive growth this season, first impressing me by letting Namond sleep on the bench instead of going off to baby booking, and later by trying admirably to protect Randy. I loved getting a slice of the Barksdale wives' lives, particularly the De'Londa scenes with Breanna. Breanna can lay the hammer down, can't she? It's cool that she seems to be the authority of the former Barksdale organization now that everyone else is gone, and it was great hearing from Bodie and others about what a pain De'Londa is. Along with Wee-Bey, Bodie is the Barksdale member from Season 1 that I originally hated but grew to admire, and as much as it pains me that he acquiesced to Marlo's muscle, when it came down to it, he stood his ground. All in all, I cannot believe how strongly Season 4 affected me, particularly since it didn't feature McNulty, Avon, Stringer, or Kima very heavily, if at all, and having seen the entire show, it is currently my favorite season.

Season 5 was such an effective conclusion for the series, augmenting the parallelism by revisiting absent characters and reenacting earlier scenes, while operating independently with a focus on the media. The fake serial killer is used like juking the stats or teaching to the test. After all, the mission statement for The Wire is the players change, but the game's the same. Thus, it makes perfect sense that Twigg would say one day he wants to know what it's like to work for a real newspaper, just as McNulty has said about a real police department. And Bunk tells Kima she's giving a fuck when it ain't her turn. And Sydnor becomes McNulty, and Carver becomes Daniels, and Dukie Bubbles, and Michael Omar, and the list goes on. All the pieces matter. The finale itself is the perfect way to end the series, logically wrapping up the fake serial killer scandal by (what else?) covering it up to protect reputations, and then, after a montage of Baltimore suns (get it?), going on to say goodbye to some of the major players. I can sort of understand why people would be upset at how nothing major seemed to happen, but all the time we spent with Levy and Rhonda and Carcetti seemed so appropriate. The end of each case brings us to the courthouse--of course we're going to get more Rhonda in the finale than the rest of the season--and I, for one, love those characters. Meanwhile, Slim Charles killing Cheese effectively adds another parallel, with the second co-op forming. And the closing montage is my favorite, despite the overwhelming despair of seeing Dukie shoot up. Everyone else, from their own point of view, ends successfully. In addition to Sydnor and the new co-op, Bunk and Kima do real policework, Freamon retires to a happy home with Shardene, Michael, while a gangster, is independent, Carcetti, Rawls, Nerese, Valchek, Rhonda, and Mike Fletcher get promoted, Templeton wins a Pulitzer (gag me), Daniels becomes a lawyer in a healthy relationship, and best of all, Bubbles gets to eat with his sister. Oh, and Chris Partlow and Wee-Bey bond in prison, which I think is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. I will say, particularly given how much time we lingered on Gus or Freamon, I wish they made room in the montage for others, like Prez or Kima, but I also think that our final scenes of these characters (also Randy, Namond, Bunny, Cutty, Michael, and Marlo) are all the hints we need as to where they're headed. And, if the world were perfect, my two biggest wishes for the montage are for Dukie to move in with Prez instead of what happened and for Omar to still be alive and in the Antilles with Reynaldo. Lord knows Reynaldo put up with enough. Actually, it would have been a great nod if they just showed Reynaldo chilling in the Antilles during the montage.

As for the rest of the season, I found it unexpected and great as usual. Lester Freamon of all people perpetrating such a conspiracy is surprising, but at the same time, I loved it. As David Simon argued, why is it any more irrational of Freamon and McNulty to funnel money from a fake case to fund real policework than for them to operate within a corrupt system? The answer is it's not, and it's one of the many oddball possible solutions The Wire has offered over the years (Hamsterdam, independent classes, etc.). Of course, as with all institutions, the corruption of the newsroom now has deep roots, and I just wish we had these characters all along. And despite the Hamsterdam scandal being an obvious metaphor for the Iraq War, Season 5 featured the most real-world references. One reporter even calls Cheney a psycho, albeit jokingly. But while the focus is in print media, the scene of Nancy Grace or the ridicule of Greta Van Susteren's Natalee Holloway crusade expand the target. "There's always a salmonella outbreak somewhere. I don't see why we have to cover this one?" Why is Natalee Holloway more important than all the black guys who died this season? Why is Iraq's possible WMD more pressing than Iran's or elsewhere's? Further, notice the War on Terror parallels again with the governing systems of the police versus that of the drug dealers. With all our cops still spread out, and Herc at the courthouse no less, it's even more obvious that they are cooperating like never before. While I was dying waiting for Prez to tell Freamon about the vacants in Season 4, here, as soon as Herc knew Marlo Stanfield's cell number, he told Carver, and Carver told Lester. Meanwhile, Bunk, while disdainful of McNulty and Freamon, cooperates and eventually uses them for funding. Kima's cooperating unwittingly until she finds out what's really going on, but for the most part, the good guys are enacting a good, solid democracy. On the other hand, Marlo gives orders and the muscle carries them out. It's even more clear when you realize that Marlo has singlehandedly taken over the co-op, which, as Omar reminds us, is short for cooperation. The bad guys are dealing in a dictatorship. Check out how snitches are treated among the good (the cops), the bad (the gangs), and the ugly (the paper). McNulty and Freamon praised Kima for her decision to blow the whistle, while Gus and Alma were demoted, and Marlo ordered Michael's murder on mere suspicion of snitching. Now look at which organization more closely resembles the Bush administration. When Michael tries to ask why they blindly follow, he's told he's asking too many questions. Like dissenters in America. I love the metaphor of the ballpark where Scott first starts making stuff up. Gus says they always start with a small change, so the story is about right, almost true. It's in the ballpark, so to speak. And of course the dissenters (Michael, Gus, Alma) are punished by their institutions, just as good police have been for the past four years on the show.

Top 10 Murders (in overt disregard for The Wire's anti-sensationalism)
	10. Cheese Wagstaff: Let's just say, the douche had it coming. Many characters let their loved ones down on The Wire, as in real life, but few completely betray their kin. Yet Cheese, after abandoning his kid Randy for the foster care system (although I will say that probably turned out better than Randy being raised by Cheese), turned on his mentor and uncle Proposition Joe, betraying him to his death. And then, when a new co-op is in its birth pangs, he pulls a gun on Fat-Face Rick and ridicules his nostalgia. Fortunately for us, Slim Charles caps his ass midsentence. I think David Simon and company excelled at showing the difference between the more respectable, loyal and thoughtful old gangsters like the Barksdales and Fat-Face Rick and the up-and-coming punk kids like Marlo and Cheese who have no respect or real understanding of the game.
	9. Proposition Joe Stewart: I loved Prop Joe from his first appearance in Season 1, but I will say I'm disappointed we never got to see his muscle. Nevertheless, during the scene of his betrayal, as Marlo walks in, then Chris Partlow, I was pissed. I loved the scene--don't get me wrong--but once again, and without just cause, the punk with no respect for anyone takes out one of the old players. It just isn't right. And of course, that's why it's great.
	8. Preston "Bodie" Broadus: I never cared much for Bodie during his time at the Pit, but as the seasons wore on, he really seemed to grow. He operated his corner, making respectable corner boys out of neighborhood kids, but he had that Barksdale ethic. He stood up for his people, and he was fair. He's a much better father to these kids than most of their actual fathers. And in the end, he's one of the few that went out fighting. I was actually astounded by how few people who are faced with their killers on this show fight back. Or at least run away. Most accept their fate--it's not like they expected to live out their days in the Antilles anyway. But not Bodie. He stood up for his corner finally, and even though he was outnumbered, he showed no fear.
	7. Stinkum: This was our first all-out street gang fight. Omar nonchalantly walks up to Avon, Wee-Bey and Stinkum and opens fire, immediately killing Stinkum and wounding Wee-Bey, economically establishing his reputation for us. This is not so much about Stinkum as it is about Omar, but I'll always fondly remember the first real gunfight on The Wire.
	6. Snoop aka Felicia Pearson: Jesus, that girl needs speech therapy. But damn if I didn't absolutely love everything Snoop did. She's a hothead, and not all that careful, but she's a great markswoman. And there was no one outside of Marlo or Chris she wouldn't kill if told to. Her death scene is one that's made better because of who killed her. She was going to take out Michael, but he learned well--Prez would be proud--and instead, he takes out Snoop. I found it endearing that she asked about her hair, and even more so how Michael responded. And then, when he shoots her, I kind of couldn't believe it. Poor Michael. And poor Snoop.
	5. Bug's dad: God-damn that was tough. I should stop watching things on my laptop inches from my face, because Chris beat Bug's dad to a pulp. This has to be the most violent murder we see on The Wire--Omar's boyfriend Brandon's murder is pretty gruesome but we don't see it happen--and I was cowering the whole time. And it's even more powerful to see it as Chris working out his aggression about his own molestation.
	4. Omar Little: Yet another of Marlo's victims. No, Marlo didn't cap Omar, nor did Marlo's muscle, but rather young Kenard. But Omar would have stayed in the Antilles living fat off his millions with Reynaldo if Marlo hadn't killed Butchie. Of course, this is The Wire, and everything happens as it must. Marlo didn't kill Butchie for the fun of it. Omar struck Marlo first. But damn! I still can't believe he's gone, although it wouldn't have been appropriate any other way. And the way it happened, with Omar on the hunt for Marlo, and then getting capped by some tiny kid makes it even more shocking.
	3. Michael's first kill: Michael's character arc destroys me. But it's that final moment, where he participates in his first direct murder that moves me most. He saunters up to a guy in a hood, reveals his face in the light, and very suddenly pulls a gun and shoots him. He's past the point of no return, destined to live a life of violence, even after it forces him to neglect his personal relationships. There are a couple moments in Season 5 that had me hopeful for Michael getting out the way Wallace couldn't: Dukie and Bug accompanying him to Six Flags, Michael questioning the logic of killing someone on mere suspicion (sidenote: compare Avon and Marlo's treatment of possible snitches--Avon has to be sure, whereas Marlo doesn't care). But alas, Michael was destined from the first time he shot someone, and it was one of the most powerful moments.
	2. Stringer Bell: Without a doubt, the biggest death of the series, and for once, someone of that stature gets taken down by worthy foes. Omar and Brother Mouzone are intimidating, to say the least, and just when Stringer was about to leave crime forever, his time is up. He even tries to bargain with them, but he knows there's nothing he can offer them that will save his life. So instead, he collects himself, faces his opponents, and says the immortal, "Get on with it, motherfu--" before getting blasted multiple times and falling limp in a B&B property. It's an incredibly moving sendoff for one of the most significant characters of The Wire.
	1. Wallace: And yet, the most affecting for me will always be Wallace's death. Wallace foreshadows not only Stringer's death (being so close to getting out but getting hit first), but that of Snoop (since she only died because she was supposed to kill a supposed snitch) and Randy's punishing life (as someone let down by the negligence of the BPD). And what's more, they have Bodie and Poot kill poor Wallace. The entire scene is incredible, with Wallace thinking it's all a game at first--and why shouldn't he? He's a kid still--and eventually being forced to tears while Bodie tells him to die like a man. It's tough on Poot too, having to actually kill someone, much less a friend of his. And that one little scene where we see Wallace's life as he gets his siblings ready for school earlier in the season compounds the tragedy.

The Wire has significantly impacted my view of how a television show should be, specifically in its aversions to sensationalism and exposition, both of which reflect real life. Now, I realize it's more often "better" television to let the story do the work in place of grand surprises. But you also have to take into account that not every show is aiming for the strict, urban realism of The Wire--genre matters--and I do love a good cliffhanger or twist ending. The thing is, you can't let the gimmicks be the focus of the show--the story does have to do most of the heavy lifting. But like I said, on The Wire, they show you the story and let it do the talking. There's no real mystery or surprise reveals--except in a few cases. Season 2 is my least favorite season probably, and when I say that, know that there's no significant wavering in quality, due to its greater use of these populist television devices. There's way more graphic sex, and while I applaud that in general, it felt a little less relevant on The Wire. But the thing that sort of took me out of the world most was the surprise reveal of The Greek, which again is such a minor complaint. But in any other scene, they would have filmed the scene with The Greek walking in full view with his lackey and talking, subtly hitting you with that info. But instead, they decide to show feet walking, and then a hand holding rosary beads behind a banister, until finally, surprise! The Greek is the old man from the diner! It felt very unlike this show to have been so slick with the surprise, and the only reason I'm still talking about it is because it's the one time The Wire went populist, as if they felt they were entertaining enough. Just compare the power of that dramatic moment with the power of seeing Bubbles eating with his sister or Kima getting shot. It's clear that they don't need to stoop to sensationalism to really impact the audience, as they showed with the rationally executed fake serial killer scandal, an idea that could have been the most sensational thing they've done. Far more importantly, I've grown bored with exposition on lesser television shows. I don't mean just the obvious announcements clarifying what we're seeing, I mean all exposition that wouldn't naturally occur anyway. It's not like I exposit my relationship to Leahanne every time we have a conversation. I've been trying to catch up with all the old Deep Space Nine I've missed lately, parallel to my viewing of The Wire, and every time an episode started, I'd get impatient with how often they announce things that I've been trained by The Wire to pick up on anyway. I get it, there's a place for that kind of pandering--some people just want to relax after a long day of work. But I do hope more shows follow The Wire's lead and leave a certain amount of ambiguity. I've read three reviews of the season 4 premiere of Battlestar Galactica, and each had a different explanation for the scene where Tigh puts a gun in a locker. It's to Ronald D. Moore's credit that he left it open to interpretation--not everything needs to be, or would be realistically, exposited. The reason people can start watching a show midseason is because we're smart enough to extrapolate information, and David Simon and company are incredible at leaving only the bare essentials.

First, let me quickly and myopically compare the three HBO dramas. First of all, I have only seen all of Deadwood and The Wire, and I have seen only two seasons of The Sopranos. Deadwood, of course, was supposed to continue, and what I've seen of The Sopranos is also not all of the intended series. So my comparison has no bearing on anything other than me wanting to voice my opinions too, dammit! Well, The Wire is my favorite so far, and if The Sopranos bests it, I will be very happy. Currently, Deadwood is second and The Sopranos third. More importantly, it strikes me that they each reflect different genres: The Wire is realist, Deadwood romantic, and The Sopranos modernist. Hopefully I'll be able to expound upon further rewatches (and in the case of The Sopranos, first-time viewings). Six Feet Under is gothic, by the way, and Sex and the City is modern chick lit.

More importantly, where does The Wire reside in my list of favorite shows ever? Well, glancing back over my original list (Arrested Development, Firefly, Seinfeld, TNG, Scrubs, Veronica Mars, BSG, The Office, Twilight Zone, DS9), I see some changes need to happen already. Twilight Zone will probably go up, Deep Space Nine down, and Scrubs and BSG are kind of riding on their final seasons. I know, Scrubs has had a lot of early greatness, but if it has three mediocre final seasons, I can't ignore that. That said, my top few remain solid (except Seinfeld's precarious, given it's been forever since I've seen any of it.....get on that, Hulu), and The Wire is now either my second or third favorite show of all time. I can't hide it--I freaking loved this show from the beginning, and every episode made me both more excited to see the rest and sadder that I had less ahead of me. And the characters--so much to love, and I can count the mediocre to bad performances on one hand. Prez, Freamon, McNulty, Bunk, Kima, Bubbles, Daniels, Rhonda, Levy, Judge Phelan, Rawls, my one true love Tommy Carcetti, Norman, Gus, Bunny, Namond, Randy, Dukie, Michael, Omar, Tosha, Avon, Stringer, Wee-Bey, Wallace, Bodie, Prop Joe, and even that infamous trio who I loved but hated from the beginning, Marlo, Chris, and Snoop. The Wire has given me way too little time with way too many great characters, but all in the service of a searing drama. So, yeah, The Wire is one of my favorites. I do know it's going to have to be content to be second to Arrested Development forevermore, but I think I might actually love The Wire more than Firefly. Time will tell, but that's my current feeling.

Contents
	Why is it called The Wire?
	Season 1 Reaction (from White Noise)
	Season 2 Premiere Reaction (from White Noise)
	Season 3 Reaction (from White Noise)
	Season 4 Reaction
	Season 5 Reaction
	Top 10 Murders
	The Wire and Philosophy of Television
	Ranking The Wire