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The Wire vs. The Sopranos

245

Comments

  • #52
    Buceph
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,059 ✭✭✭Buceph


    krudler wrote: »
    *cough* Band of Brothers *cough*

    Jaysus, that episode following the medic when they're in the forest with the snow was astounding. I'd pay money to watch it in a cinema.


  • #53
    RichieC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,333 ✭✭✭RichieC


    krudler wrote: »
    Insult to The Wire? how? The Sopranos started long before The Wire did

    Because the wire is another level of TV.


    Sopranos can be compared to Weeds and Desperate Housewives, and favourably, but does not belong anywhere close to the wire in terms of quality and drama... and realism.

    I reckon the only show anywhere close to the wire is Breaking Bad.


  • #54
    mikom
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,391 ✭✭✭✭mikom


    Six feet under.
    Goodnight Ireland.


  • #55
    jimpump
    Registered Users Posts: 830 ✭✭✭jimpump


    KnifeWRENCH wrote: »
    Have only seen the first season of The Wire so far and the first three seasons of The Sopranos. Need to watch more to give a fair comparison and decide which is better.

    Biggest difference for me is that The Sopranos grabbed me from the very first episode, whereas The Wire is more slow burning and takes a while to get into. Have the entire Sopranos collection and seasons 2-4 of The Wire at home, can't wait til I eventually have the time to get stuck into them. :)

    Imo though there are more TV shows out there, other than those two, that deserve to be considered contenders for "greatest show ever".

    please dont say them shows are 'Lost' or 'Prison Break'

    im interested to know what ya think are better shows


  • #56
    OPENROAD
    Registered Users Posts: 11,692 ✭✭✭✭OPENROAD


    Have never watched them.

    Spooks and Hustle is where it is at imo.


  • #57
    Degag
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,982 ✭✭✭Degag


    jimpump wrote: »
    dunno what the spoilers about but i think i get what ya mean
    im pretty sure he appeared a few series' later talkin to someone? when he was locked up
    I was using spoilers for the benifit of those who haven't seen The Wire, and may not want to know who survives and who doesn't.:o


  • #58
    krudler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,788 ✭✭✭✭krudler


    Buceph wrote: »
    Jaysus, that episode following the medic when they're in the forest with the snow was astounding. I'd pay money to watch it in a cinema.

    Yeah it is, the Bastogne episodes are fantastic, especially Breaking Point, which has the series greatest moment in
    Spiers legging it across a German infested village to get word to the separated unit then coming back again dodging gunfire as both the Germans and Easy Company look on in awe, Spiers fcuking rocks in that series.


  • #59
    Chuck Stone
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,030 ✭✭✭✭Chuck Stone


    ... you know what's so ****ing sublimely fantastic about The Wire... you see startling little snap shots and nothing ever comes of them..
    Like the police chief being spotted in a gay bar or 'the greek' forgetting something in the hotel room which might lead the cops to him..

    ... oh man it's all kinds of cool.


  • #60
    Chuck Stone
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,030 ✭✭✭✭Chuck Stone


    I need to see Band of Brothers like I need air. I'm almost ashamed I haven't.


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  • #61
    bradlente
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,911 ✭✭✭bradlente


    The wire but I haven't really watched The Sopranos in depth tbf.

    The winner of this thread can face the awesome that is Oz.


  • #62
    RichieC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,333 ✭✭✭RichieC


    Chuck Stone wrote: »
    ... you know what's so ****ing sublimely fantastic about The Wire... you see startling little snap shots and nothing ever comes of them..
    Like the police chief being spotted in a gay bar or 'the greek' forgetting something in the hotel room which might lead the cops to him..

    ... oh man it's all kinds of cool.

    yea,
    I think it's the season before you see the little kid that kills Omar pretending to be omar after he witnesses a shoot out by him...
    thats what I think is cool too... I will watch it again and notice new things. Sopranos is a one watch pony, if even... it trailed off at the end.


  • #63
    jimpump
    Registered Users Posts: 830 ✭✭✭jimpump


    The Pacific > Band of Brothers............by a country mile!


  • #64
    OPENROAD
    Registered Users Posts: 11,692 ✭✭✭✭OPENROAD


    Chuck Stone wrote: »
    I need to see Band of Brothers like I need air. I'm almost ashamed I haven't.

    Never watched that one neither


  • #65
    RichieC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,333 ✭✭✭RichieC


    jimpump wrote: »
    The Pacific > Band of Brothers............by a country mile!

    I got bored with that after two episodes.


  • #66
    KnifeWRENCH
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,148 ✭✭✭✭KnifeWRENCH


    krudler wrote: »
    *cough* Band of Brothers *cough*
    Never actually seen that. :o Will add to my "to watch" list.
    jimpump wrote: »
    please dont say them shows are 'Lost' or 'Prison Break'

    Eh no. I was thinking more along the lines of Six Feet Under, Arrested Development and The West Wing (although the latter did suffer a dip in quality towards the end.) Also possibly Mad Men, if it manages to continue strongly and avoids jumping the shark.

    (Personally, I'm also very tempted to suggest Twin Peaks, but that is too much of a love-it-or-hate-it show to be considered!:p)
    im interested to know what ya think are better shows
    I'm not saying any of those shows are better or worse than any of the others. They all have their strengths and weaknesses but are ultimately all brilliant, just in different ways.


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  • #67
    TeddyTedson
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,758 ✭✭✭✭TeddyTedson


    krudler wrote: »
    Just watch it for the love of god, you wont be disappointed, theres a reason its refered to as one of the greatest tv shows ever.
    stop shouting at me


  • #68
    RichieC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,333 ✭✭✭RichieC


    Arrested development is a half hour comedy show, the best ever made... it's not a valid comparison.


    feck it! home movies! frisky dingo!


  • #69
    krudler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,788 ✭✭✭✭krudler


    Chuck Stone wrote: »
    I need to see Band of Brothers like I need air. I'm almost ashamed I haven't.

    do watch it, you can pick it up on dvd for less than 20 quid these days, its one of the best tv shows ever, its 10 episodes and you genuinely feel an attachment to every character in it, sometimes its hard to keep track of whos getting killed and injured in the fighting the first time you watch it as theres so many character names to remember but man is it worth the watch. I've watched it 6 times through in total and would happily watch it again. The production is on another level compared to other tv shows.


  • #70
    Chuck Stone
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,030 ✭✭✭✭Chuck Stone


    RichieC wrote: »
    yea,
    I think it's the season before you see the little kid that kills Omar pretending to be omar after he witnesses a shoot out by him...
    thats what I think is cool too... I will watch it again and notice new things. Sopranos is a one watch pony, if even... it trailed off at the end.

    I'm gonna come back to The Wire in about 10 years and I know it will give me a whole new experience for sure.

    You know what? I wouldn't be surprised if it was being studied in schools a hundred years from now.

    So much want.


  • #71
    krudler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,788 ✭✭✭✭krudler


    jimpump wrote: »
    The Pacific > Band of Brothers............by a country mile!

    nah, The Pacific wasnt even close, not a bad show by any means, just a different kind of show to BoB, different war, different types of characters.


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  • #72
    RichieC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,333 ✭✭✭RichieC


    krudler wrote: »
    do watch it, you can pick it up on dvd for less than 20 quid these days, its one of the best tv shows ever, its 10 episodes and you genuinely feel an attachment to every character in it, sometimes its hard to keep track of whos getting killed and injured in the fighting the first time you watch it as theres so many character names to remember but man is it worth the watch. I've watched it 6 times through in total and would happily watch it again. The production is on another level compared to other tv shows.

    the fact that its pro america war propaganda is a turn off for me, but I enjoyed it a lot.


  • #73
    jimpump
    Registered Users Posts: 830 ✭✭✭jimpump


    KnifeWRENCH wrote: »
    Never actually seen that. :o Will add to my "to watch" list.



    Eh no. I was thinking more along the lines of Six Feet Under, Arrested Development and The West Wing (although the latter did suffer a dip in quality towards the end.) Also possibly Mad Men, if it manages to continue strongly and avoids jumping the shark.


    I'm not saying any of those shows are better or worse than any of the others. They all have their strengths and weaknesses but are ultimately all brilliant, just in different ways.

    i agree with ya about the west wing,mad men and AD but six feet under was a loada bollox imo


  • #74
    krudler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,788 ✭✭✭✭krudler


    so for reference, everyone who hasnt seen these shows:

    The Wire
    The Sopranos
    Arrested Development
    Band of Brothers
    The West Wing (I must finish it myself)
    Curb Your Enthusiasm
    Six Feet Under

    do so in a prompt manner, it'll restore your faith in tv, an hour spent watching some sh1te on RTE then saying theres no good tv shows could be spent basking the greatness that is any of the above, you can also add:

    Deadwood
    Mad Men
    Californication
    Boardwalk Empire

    to the mix, great, no scratch that, amazing tv shows are out there, so dont let the utter drizzling sh1t like reality nonsense and crappy homegrown shows put you off television.


  • #75
    jimpump
    Registered Users Posts: 830 ✭✭✭jimpump


    krudler wrote: »
    so for reference, everyone who hasnt seen these shows:

    The Wire
    The Sopranos
    Arrested Development
    Band of Brothers
    The West Wing (I must finish it myself)
    Curb Your Enthusiasm
    Six Feet Under

    do so in a prompt manner, it'll restore your faith in tv, an hour spent watching some sh1te on RTE then saying theres no good tv shows could be spent basking the greatness that is any of the above, you can also add:

    Deadwood
    Mad Men
    Californication
    Boardwalk Empire

    to the mix, great, no scratch that, amazing tv shows are out there, so dont let the utter drizzling sh1t like reality nonsense and crappy homegrown shows put you off television.

    dont forget Ros na Run.........hahahaha:D


  • #76
    Degag
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,982 ✭✭✭Degag


    Chuck Stone wrote: »
    I'm gonna come back to The Wire in about 10 years and I know it will give me a whole new experience for sure.

    You know what? I wouldn't be surprised if it was being studied in schools a hundred years from now.

    So much want.
    It's being studied in Harvard. I'm not even joking.


  • #77
    krudler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,788 ✭✭✭✭krudler


    RichieC wrote: »
    the fact that its pro america war propaganda is a turn off for me, but I enjoyed it a lot.

    as opposed to what? pro Nazi propaganda? its about a company of US soldiers, and its one of the rare times Germans arent all depicted as cliche Nazi types,especially in the scenes towards the end when
    the war is over and the germans are surrendering
    actually the Pacific pulls no punches showing some of the atrocities commited by US troops later on in the series, using still alive Japanese pows for target practice and one guy is casually flicking stones into a Japanese soldiers blown apart head, its not pro US stuff in the slightest.


  • #78
    KnifeWRENCH
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,148 ✭✭✭✭KnifeWRENCH


    RichieC wrote: »
    Arrested development is a half hour comedy show, the best ever made... it's not a valid comparison.

    Well that's the problem with things like this; trying to pick out one "greatest TV show ever" is pretty much impossible when you consider there are different types of TV shows you need to compare. Narrowing the focus to exclude comedies and only consider dramas may lead you to the greatest drama ever, but not necessarily the greatest TV show.

    Similarly, if you're trying to figure out the greatest album of all time is it fair to compare Revolver with Thriller, considering they're very different types of music? If you exclude one and only consider albums similar to the other then, again, you're narrowing your focus too much.

    And the quality of the writing in Arrested Development made it a hell of a lot more than just another "half hour comedy show".


  • #79
    Chuck Stone
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,030 ✭✭✭✭Chuck Stone


    Degag wrote: »
    It's being studied in Harvard. I'm not even joking.

    :eek:

    Talk about being way off with a prediction... (studied now>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 100 years)

    self-facepalm.jpeg


  • #80
    krudler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,788 ✭✭✭✭krudler


    KnifeWRENCH wrote: »
    Well that's the problem with things like this; trying to pick out one "greatest TV show ever" is pretty much impossible when you consider there are different types of TV shows you need to compare. Narrowing the focus to exclude comedies and only consider dramas may lead you to the greatest drama ever, but not necessarily the greatest TV show.

    Similarly, if you're trying to figure out the greatest album of all time is it fair to compare Revolver with Thriller, considering they're very different types of music? If you exclude one and only consider albums similar to the other then, again, you're narrowing your focus too much.

    And the quality of the writing in Arrested Development made it a hell of a lot more than just another "half hour comedy show".

    Arrested Development is amazing, subtle yet hilarious comedy and also downright ridiculous but still hilarious. gags that are set up an entire season in advance, stuff that happens in the first episode that referenced in the last one. Its an absolute crime that it was cancelled before its time yet Everybody Loves Raymond was on for a decade and Two and A Half Men is on for years as well.


  • #81
    jimpump
    Registered Users Posts: 830 ✭✭✭jimpump


    Degag wrote: »
    It's being studied in Harvard. I'm not even joking.

    studying how to sell dope and not get caught by the pigs??? LOL


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  • #82
    jimpump
    Registered Users Posts: 830 ✭✭✭jimpump


    krudler wrote: »
    as opposed to what? pro Nazi propaganda? its about a company of US soldiers, and its one of the rare times Germans arent all depicted as cliche Nazi types,especially in the scenes towards the end when
    the war is over and the germans are surrendering
    actually the Pacific pulls no punches showing some of the atrocities commited by US troops later on in the series, using still alive Japanese pows for target practice and one guy is casually flicking stones into a Japanese soldiers blown apart head, its not pro US stuff in the slightest.

    and that is exactly why i said The Pacific > BoB's
    more graphic and less of the american patriotism crap


  • #83
    Degag
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,982 ✭✭✭Degag


    jimpump wrote: »
    studying how to sell dope and not get caught by the pigs??? LOL
    No.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_wire#Academia


  • #84
    df1985
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,432 ✭✭✭df1985


    the wire is a show that can be watched from start to finish and be enjoyed just as much the next time.

    Bunk.....what a hero!


  • #85
    Jesus Wept
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,243 ✭✭✭✭Jesus Wept


    Sopranos.


  • #86
    Chuck Stone
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,030 ✭✭✭✭Chuck Stone


    Degag wrote: »
    No.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_wire#Academia

    I read somewhere that 'corner boys' were being schooled by watching The Wire but undergraduates being schooled by it!?

    I'm not sure if that endorses the show or shows university up for being out of touch when it comes to the what's happening in real life.

    I suspect the latter :)


  • #87
    Fromvert
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,081 ✭✭✭Fromvert


    krudler wrote: »
    so for reference, everyone who hasnt seen these shows:

    The Wire
    The Sopranos
    Arrested Development
    Band of Brothers
    The West Wing (I must finish it myself)
    Curb Your Enthusiasm
    Six Feet Under

    do so in a prompt manner, it'll restore your faith in tv, an hour spent watching some sh1te on RTE then saying theres no good tv shows could be spent basking the greatness that is any of the above, you can also add:

    Deadwood
    Mad Men
    Californication
    Boardwalk Empire

    to the mix, great, no scratch that, amazing tv shows are out there, so dont let the utter drizzling sh1t like reality nonsense and crappy homegrown shows put you off television.

    Throw in Breaking Bad as well.

    The Sopranos is better then The Wire.


  • #88
    jimpump
    Registered Users Posts: 830 ✭✭✭jimpump


    Fromvert wrote: »
    Throw in Breaking Bad as well.

    The Sopranos is better then The Wire.

    U mad bro


  • #89
    Gordon Gecko
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 650 ✭✭✭Gordon Gecko


    Fromvert wrote: »
    Throw in Breaking Bad as well.

    The Sopranos is better then The Wire.

    That's bullsh*t, quite patently. The Wire is, by a country mile, the greatest television show ever made


  • #90
    jimpump
    Registered Users Posts: 830 ✭✭✭jimpump


    Gordon Gecko wrote: »
    That's bullsh*t, quite patently. The Wire is, by a country mile, the greatest television show ever made

    Haha i beat ya to it......but at least we're on the same wave lenght!

    the sopranos is good but the the wire is fcukin great....

    The Wire is not a good show,...its a great show. - Eamon Dunphy


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  • #91
    FrostyJack
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,731 ✭✭✭FrostyJack


    Sopranos wins by a nose, the last season of the Wire (the newspaper stuff anyway) was complete garbage and a waste of time. Paulie Walnuts wasn't in the Wire hence it loses out.

    Just finished watching Breaking Bad, must say that is pretty good tv too.


  • #92
    jimpump
    Registered Users Posts: 830 ✭✭✭jimpump


    FrostyJack wrote: »
    Sopranos wins by a nose, the last season of the Wire (the newspaper stuff anyway) was complete garbage and a waste of time. Paulie Walnuts wasn't in the Wire hence it loses out.

    Just finished watching Breaking Bad, must say that is pretty good tv too.

    Paulie and chrissie made that show! tony was top notch aswell along with sil and pussy(r.i.p),HA

    but compared to the guys in the wire like avon,stringer,omar,d'angelo,brodie,marlo,chris,snoop and i aint mentioning the coppers in the show like mc nulty and the rest. and dont forget clay davis the corrupt politician....he is 1 gas mofo!

    there is way more better and interesting characters in the wire


  • #93
    thedaveman
    Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭thedaveman


    To hard to call, both classics IMO


  • #94
    FrostyJack
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,731 ✭✭✭FrostyJack


    jimpump wrote: »
    there is way more better and interesting characters in the wire

    Just because there is more characters in it doesn't make it better. Band of Brothers had thousands of them ;) None of the characters in the Wire went were developed as much as Tony (because there were so many of them) and most of them were unlikeable Herc, McNulty etc It's hard to pick flaws in the Wire but there are some. It is probably just down to person preference.


  • #95
    enfant terrible
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,592 ✭✭✭enfant terrible




  • #96
    jimpump
    Registered Users Posts: 830 ✭✭✭jimpump


    enfant terrible wrote: »

    this video basically sums it all up

    good find enfant t


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  • #97
    Victor_M
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,608 ✭✭✭Victor_M


    For me The Shield is the TV show I enjoyed most, Vic Mackey is the best lead character I've watched.
    Massively under rated show in Ireland due to TV3 showing it so late to make sure it didn't interfere with the 23 hrs of White thrash reality ****e they normally broadcast.

    Have the Wire on my todo list Sopranos was excellent is found 2 series a bit of a struggle though where as the shield I didn't see one bad episode.

    Arrested development was another underrated classic.


  • #98
    themandan6611
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,628 ✭✭✭themandan6611


    1. Sopranos

    2. The Wire

    3. The Shield

    4. Oz

    some amazing shows from the US


  • #99
    L31mr0d
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,067 ✭✭✭L31mr0d


    jimpump wrote: »
    this video basically sums it all up

    good find enfant t

    Yeah +1

    "Novelistic Density" is exactly how I'd describe the Wire. Like a truly great novel, after you've read it you remember it like you where there.

    The Wire is just that. I don't remember it like a TV show, I remember it like I was there, in Baltimore, walking through Hamsterdam or raising a pint at Cole's Wake in Kavanagh’s Irish Pub.

    The Sopranos does not ever come close to it. I could take or leave watching the Sopranos, but once I'd started watching The Wire I watched nothing else until I'd finished every episode of it.

    Also, if any wire fans haven't already, watch it with commentary on. The sheer amount of symbolism that goes into nearly every shot is staggering.


  • #100
    jimpump
    Registered Users Posts: 830 ✭✭✭jimpump


    themandan6611 wrote: »
    1. Sopranos

    2. The Wire

    3. The Shield

    4. Oz

    some amazing shows from the US

    totally forgot bout OZ....now that was a deadly show

    TG4 for the win...........lol


  • #101
    ringadingding
    Registered Users Posts: 1,010 ✭✭✭ringadingding


    I think the wire kicks sopranos around the room, I've watched both start to finish several times.
    Both are great, but the wire is just in a different league .

    You do have to endure a kinda slow first couple of episodes of the wire in series one, but it's got a pretty deep plot to lay.

    Series 2 is my favourite and Frank sobotka is one of my favourite characters, a guy doing all the wrong stuff for all the right reasons.
    Series 5 I didn't enjoy too much, found it a tad surreal and self indulgent on the journalist front.

    Clay davies for the win


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