Keep watching or not.

mossy464 · 22-01-2013 4:24pm #1

Hi,

I've finally got around to watching the wire since iv heard so much hype about it.

Im 4 episodes into the first season and I must say its a bit of a struggle for me.

Some of my favourite tv shows are 24, The Mentalist, Dexter, House, The Shield along with many others but so far the wire isnt really living up to the hype for me.

Should I continue watching?

Penn · 22-01-2013 4:33pm

Yes. At least finish the first season. It's a very common problem, and one that I had myself the first time I watched it. I gave up after 4 or 5 episodes. Thought it was alright, but nothing special. But a week later, I said I may as well finish the first season. Finished the whole 5-season boxset in about 2 weeks after that.

The beginning of the first season is very slow, and it doesn't necessarily explain a lot of what's going on (in fact, most of the seasons can be like that), but it pays off by the end of each season. And in hindsight, a lot more was actually happening in the first few episodes than I'd realised.

Stick it out and finish the first season at least. If it still hasn't grabbed you by then, fair enough.

Also, try not to judge it by how other people may have hyped it up. Just take it as is.

Tombo2001 · 22-01-2013 4:45pm

Best TV I've ever seen.

One thing, the dialogue can be quite hard to understand sometimes especially in series 1.

I watched the first few episodes of series 1 there recently, thought it was even more awesome than the first time I saw it.

But you know what, if its not for you its not for you.

Series 1 of Breaking Bad left me a bit bored and I havent watched the rest of it. The world and its mother seems to disagree with me on that show.

.red. · 22-01-2013 4:54pm

keep watching. there's episodes in every series that seem like nothing at all has happened and your wondering what was the point in that.
i gave up after series 3 thinking that each series was the same but started series 4 again a few months ago and had 5 finished 3 weeks later. it gets better and better and series 5 is one of the best ive seen from any tv show. things happen that are just so unbelievable you think it couldnt be written and has to be a true story. its very funny in parts too.
the last 2 episodes of each series are very well written and bring it all together like a jig saw.
keep going, finish series 1 anyway and see what you think then. you'll only be wondering otherwise.

mossy464 · 22-01-2013 8:41pm

True. I will stick with it for the rest of the first season anyway and see from there.

Thanks for the replies

yabadabado · 22-01-2013 8:42pm

definitely keep watching .

gimmick · 23-01-2013 1:59pm

If it helps, watch it with subtitles as sometimes the dialogue can be very fast/indecipherable.

Defo keep going anyway. Though if you are 5 episodes in and haven't started enjoying it yet, you may not at all.

kryogen · 24-01-2013 2:48am

I have found while introducing The Wire o new people that the biggest issues they have is season 1, keeping track of the characters and actually understanding the dialogue but when they stuck with it I havent had anybody ever tell me they did not like the show

Custardpi · 24-01-2013 3:08am

There's a huge amount of structure laying in Season 1, basically putting down the foundations of how the characters & the institutions they work for (Police, Barksdale organisation) operate & interact with each other. The universe they eventually create is an incredibly detailed & compelling one but it can be hard to get into at first. It took me about 5 episodes to properly get into it but it became an addiction after that as I became engrossed in the personal stories of each character (so many different threads going on in each episode & series), whether that be McNulty, Omar, Bubbles or whoever & wanted to see where they went & did next.

If you do persevere & find that you're able to get through the 5 seasons go back to the start of Season 1 & watch the first few episodes that you struggled with. That's what I did & with a prior understanding of the dramatis personae & their world I was struck by how incredibly rich the dialogue was & how well the characters were drawn, something you might not properly appreciate the first time around as you struggle to take in the complexity of the story being created before your eyes.

mossy464 · 24-01-2013 10:10am

Well, I've watched another 2 episodes so now I'm up to 6 in the first season.

Now its definitely grabbed me and I want to continue watching.

Sinfonia · 24-01-2013 8:47pm

Looking ahead, the start of Season 2 can be a stumbling block too, because in some ways it's a daring departure from the first season (although not too much).

Took me a couple of episodes into Season 2 to get fully back into it again, and after that I was hooked. I've now watched the whole thing 10 times.

Funglegunk · 25-01-2013 10:09am

mossy464 wrote: »

Well, I've watched another 2 episodes so now I'm up to 6 in the first season.

Now its definitely grabbed me and I want to continue watching.

Awesome.

That's pretty much when it grabbed me too!

DeepBlue · 25-01-2013 4:39pm

I think it was the end of episode 10 of series 1 when I got hooked. Definitely at least finish the first season.

trashcan · 27-01-2013 7:43pm

mossy464 wrote: »

Well, I've watched another 2 episodes so now I'm up to 6 in the first season.

Now its definitely grabbed me and I want to continue watching.

Wait till you get to the end of the first season then !! Have to agree with most of the comments above. I found it ok at first. Got more into it as season 1 progressed. By the end of the first season and with how it was wrapped up I realised that I was watching something pretty special. If you keep watching till season 3 or 4 I pretty much guarantee you'll become as much of a bore about it as the rest of us on here are

RodgersLFC · 27-01-2013 10:19pm

For me, it was at the end of season 1, when things were wrapping up, and you got a good idea of the overall story. It was hard to get into at first, the dialogue can be hard to understand and its always an effort getting to know new characters.

Its now my favourite television show of all time. It really rewards the patient viewer. Fantastic show.

Mick Murdock · 12-03-2013 5:18pm

I thought I was the only one who found it really hard to follow and understand the early episodes.. I don't have a great attention span and found I really had to concentrate hard and rewatch scenes numerous times to get whats going on.. There is so many scenes/characters.

This thread has inspired me to go back to it..

kryogen · 13-03-2013 3:26am

Do, once you get immersed in the universe created by The Wire it is fantastic!

SimonPRepublic · 13-03-2013 3:39am

Giving up after the first few episodes would be like giving up a book after the initial chapters. The producers are just setting the scene at the very bottom of the drug distribution ladder. This series has more layers than an onion.

Tip: lots of people watch the first series with the subtitles on

Morzadec · 06-05-2013 9:11am

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Series 1 of Breaking Bad left me a bit bored and I havent watched the rest of it. The world and its mother seems to disagree with me on that show.

Go back to Breaking Bad imo - there was a stage where I briefly gave up (in season 2 I think). I thought it was getting a little stale and while I was enjoying it I wasn't sure it was worth the time investment. But it gets really really good and without a doubt worth sticking with.

Mick Murdock · 25-05-2013 11:19am

kryogen wrote: »

Do, once you get immersed in the universe created by The Wire it is fantastic!

I have done so and like you said I have been converted.. Still on the first series but it is indeed excellent! Brilliantly written. I was surprised to read that ratings were fairly so-so in the US when it aired on HBO. Became a classic afterwards..

PropJoe10 · 26-05-2013 1:38pm

Just finished season 2 for the third time, absolutely superb. There is nothing to equal The Wire in terms of realism, brilliant writing and unforgettable characters.

James McNulty · 28-05-2013 8:52am

mossy464 wrote: »

Hi,

I've finally got around to watching the wire since iv heard so much hype about it.

Im 4 episodes into the first season and I must say its a bit of a struggle for me.

Some of my favourite tv shows are 24, The Mentalist, Dexter, House, The Shield along with many others but so far the wire isnt really living up to the hype for me.

Should I continue watching?

YES. The importance of this show is up there with finding a cure for cancer, ending world hunger etc

mossy464 · 28-06-2013 3:36pm

Well I'm glad I stuck with it as now I'm hooked.

On season 3 now. Brilliant show.

29-06-2013 1:30am

Just came on to ask the same question and see this thread up, on ep. 8 found it hard at the start to follow every character was getting lost in the story.
I liked the first 4 or 5 but didn't get really into like I did breaking bad its starting to pick up now judging from the replys in here I'm going stick with it and finish out the season

Mick Murdock · 09-07-2013 1:34pm

mightyreds wrote: »

Just came on to ask the same question and see this thread up, on ep. 8 found it hard at the start to follow every character was getting lost in the story.
I liked the first 4 or 5 but didn't get really into like I did breaking bad its starting to pick up now judging from the replys in here I'm going stick with it and finish out the season

I wasn't gripped until episode 10 or so of the first season.. It's a slow burner, but it does come to a climax in the last few eps of the first season.

Keep going.

09-07-2013 2:06pm

Finished off the first season last week very good last few episodes and satisfying final episode really made the season as a whole great, cant wait to start the second season now.

wendell borton · 14-07-2013 12:15pm

Season two is definitely my favourite, keep at it.

trashcan · 14-07-2013 1:27pm

mightyreds wrote: »

Just came on to ask the same question and see this thread up, on ep. 8 found it hard at the start to follow every character was getting lost in the story.
I liked the first 4 or 5 but didn't get really into like I did breaking bad its starting to pick up now judging from the replys in here I'm going stick with it and finish out the season

For this very reason it's a show that bears repeated viewing. I was surprised when I watched season 1 for the second time how much I'd missed/forgotten. It's definitely worth persisting with.

fred funk }{ · 03-08-2013 4:52am

It's back on Sky Atlantic every Friday night. I watched the second episode series one tonight.

Alfred Borden · 16-11-2013 10:09pm

having the same problem right now, only a couple of episodes in but find it hard to stick to it and follow, hard to know whether to keep on watching even though everyone has such good words for it.

PropJoe10 · 17-11-2013 12:36am

Raf32 wrote: »

having the same problem right now, only a couple of episodes in but find it hard to stick to it and follow, hard to know whether to keep on watching even though everyone has such good words for it.

You cant truly judge any TV show after a couple of episodes but especially not the Wire. There's so much to digest, it can be tough going at the start, but once you get to know who is who, you wont look back. I'd advise you to watch at least the first 8 episodes - if you're still not feeling it by then, fair enough. But its a show that really needs to be watched for the full season. Its like a book, it builds to a season conclusion. Its well worth the effort.

Keep watching or not.

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