The Wire-Is it any good?

Nigel Fairservice

The Wire is definitely worth your time. Excellent stuff. It had some very memorable characters. Omar springs to mind straight away, Michael K. Williams performance is outstanding.

I'm watching The Shield at the moment. I'm completely absorbed in it, don't know how I missed it at the time. It does look a bit old now though but it doesn't feel as old as it looks. Maybe that's just me getting older :pac: I'm going to try and give Oz a go after. David Simon's The Deuce is also an excellent watch.

I always loved this scene in The Wire, bunk using the photocopier as a lie detector

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN7pkFNEg5c

jack presley

meeeeh wrote: »

For ne it was exactly the opposite. You feel huge empathy for some characters plus there are some seriously funny moments. Using printer to fake lie detector was classic and it is actually taken from real life (David Simon spent a year with Baltimore murder detectives and wrote Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets). My favourite though is Omar in court as a witness.

The TV Series 'Homicide: Life on the Streets' that was based on that book is excellent and worth watching too.

theteal

kala85 wrote: »

Is it hard to get into at the start.

Just started watching the first two episodes

It's a slow start but there's quite a bit of groundwork going on, the relationships are being built. A re-watch highlights all the little bits I missed first time around. I remember the moment I knew I was hooked, the end of episode 5 or 6 iirc, as the episode closes there's a helicopter hovering around (if you've got surround sound, switch it on) I just sat there stunned - I can't say I've ever had an emotional reaction to a telly program like that.

Doctors room ghost

When ye have the wire finished watch treme.
“Play for the money boys.play for the mother fcukin money”

tritriagain

I tried to watch it and couldn't get into it. Someone told me to watch the first few episodes with subtitles. After 2 episodes I was hooked and was speaking the lingo at home. Muthaf###er this and shiiiiiite that. Excellent series .a toss up between this and the sopranos as best ever.

Seve OB

kala85 wrote: »

Is it hard to get into at the start.

Just started watching the first two episodes

You have to watch it with subtitles on:D

Clegg

Watch out for season 2. It's radically different from the first season and there is a sizeable amount of fans who didn't enjoy it. But on rewatch I actually think it's the best season. Took you out of your comfort zone and greatly expanded the breadth of the show to encompass white working class poverty.

pgj2015

first 3 seasons are good. wouldnt bother with 4 and 5.



season 2 was my favorite.

Seve OB

One of my favourite scenes ever. How to have a meaningful conversation just using one word.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdfwFDZGnUk

smelly sock

Best thing on tv ever produced.

jack presley

pgj2015 wrote: »

season 2 was my favorite.

The montage at the end of that series was excellent

Seve OB

pgj2015 wrote: »

first 3 seasons are good. wouldnt bother with 4 and 5.



season 2 was my favorite.

It’s years since I’ve watched the wire. Must give it another go. Up there with sopranos and breaking bad as my top 3 of all time.

Was season 5 the one with the homeless guys? I thought that was an ingenious plot.

Doctors room ghost

Have any of ye watched treme

theteal

Clegg wrote: »

Watch out for season 2. It's radically different from the first season and there is a sizeable amount of fans who didn't enjoy it. But on rewatch I actually think it's the best season. Took you out if your comfort zone and greatly expanded the breadth of the show to encompass white working class poverty.

I've said the same. Not sure I even liked season 2 the first time I watched it. Now it's possibly my favourite.

rob316

Its the tale of a modern american city, corrupt at every level. Really really essential viewing.

Joe_ Public

Trouble with the last series was whole newspaper angle slightly bored me. Characters a bit wooden - chinstroking editor, corrupt reporter, ruthless proprietors etc. Lacked the shade of the best characters. McNultys and Lesters stunt was ok to a point but felt a bit too far fetched to be credible though someone probably tell me its based on true event!!

Clegg

theteal wrote: »

I've said the same. Not sure I even liked season 2 the first time I watched it. Now it's possibly my favourite.

I enjoyed it the first time I watched, but I definitely remember being annoyed at the reduced focus on the Barksdale gang. Looking back though, it was a brilliant deviation and tied into the subsequent seasons so well.

Muahahaha

I watched up to the end of season two a few years back and then stopped as I was moving house and life got in the way. Was thinking of going back to it but Im not sure whether to start it all over again or just go into S3. Ive forgotten much of what happened in 1-2 but I do remember it as being a bit slow.

meeeeh

jack presley wrote: »

The TV Series 'Homicide: Life on the Streets' that was based on that book is excellent and worth watching too.

That one must be 30 years old or close to that anyway. I remember watching it and I liked it. It was the show that premiered the white board.

Last season of Wire wasn't great but there is so much great stuff and so many great characters in previous 4 seasons it's easy to forgive them 5th season.

trashcan

kala85 wrote: »

Is it hard to get into at the start.

Just started watching the first two episodes

It definitely takes patience. Watching the first 4/5 episodes I didn't really appreciate how good it was. It just had enough to keep me coming back. By the end of season one I just thought it was wrapped up perfectly, and was a great story. Like finishing a really great book. So, yes, it does require an investment of your time and attention, but boy does it pay off. The subsequent seasons are easier to get into, because you know it's going to be good.

Austria!

pgj2015 wrote: »

first 3 seasons are good. wouldnt bother with 4 and 5.

pgj2015 wrote: »

wouldnt bother with 4 and 5.

pgj2015 wrote: »

wouldnt bother with 4

pgj2015 wrote: »

wouldnt bother with 4

Leave this thread.

Blazer

I rate the wire as one of the finest shows up there. I think the fact that I had the boxset so was able to watch it in one go was a big help as it helped break down some of the episodes that might be classed as boring.
Immediately after watching it...I wished I could erased my memory of it and rewatched it again asap.

trashcan

pgj2015 wrote: »

first 3 seasons are good. wouldnt bother with 4 and 5.



season 2 was my favorite.

You have to be kidding ? Granted, 5 is the weakest season, but that's only by its own incredible standards. Season 4 on the other hand is my favourite, sensational stuff.

trashcan

meeeeh wrote: »

For ne it was exactly the opposite. You feel huge empathy for some characters plus there are some seriously funny moments. .

Definitely. One of my favourite little cameos was the squad trying to get the desk in/out of the office.

pgj2015

trashcan wrote: »

You have to be kidding ? Granted, 5 is the weakest season, but that's only by its own incredible standards. Season 4 on the other hand is my favourite, sensational stuff.

I was bored all the way through 4 and 5. i thought Hamsterdam was in season 4 but it was 3, that was very unbelievable.

Darth Melkor

Best TV show of all time is the Sopranos. I think the Wire comes in second. Sometimes it can take a while to get into the accents. My wife stopped watching during season 2. But it really is good....WMD!

rob316

Darth Melkor wrote: »

Best TV show of all time is the Sopranos. I think the Wire comes in second. Sometimes it can take a while to get into the accents. My wife stopped watching during season 2. But it really is good....WMD!

I got the pandemic!

Ya im the same The Sopranos for me is still the greatest drama series. Till I go to the grave Tony Soprano will be my favourite TV character, it can't be put into words how iconic that role was.

The wire is right up there, oz is another and Game of thrones up to the last season.

smelly sock

Imo the Sopranos doesn't have a patch on the Wire.

In saying that i loved the sopranos also.

Again id say breaking bad wasnt as good as either.

rob316

smelly sock wrote: »

Imo the Sopranos doesn't have a patch on the Wire.

In saying that i loved the sopranos also.

Again id say breaking bad wasnt as good as either.

Breaking bad while good has nothing on the sopranos and the wire.

ziedth

Personally, I think Breaking bad is a better show but it's my number 2. What I will give it and often compliment throughout essentially its entire run there is no character asking questions or clunky dialogue for exposition and explaining the story.

The police Procedures or street slang..... you can either follow it and keep up or you get lost..... not nearly enough shows do this in my opinion

fryup

why was it pulled?

smelly sock

fryup wrote: »

why was it pulled?

It was just time.

Ive been hoping in vein for a season 6 but that wont happen. Probably for the best.

Falthyron

smelly sock wrote: »

It was just time.

Ive been hoping in vein for a season 6 but that wont happen. Probably for the best.

I'm pretty sure David Simon said he would only do a 6th season if drugs were decriminalized, otherwise there is nowhere else for the story to go.

As Carver says in the very first episode, it makes no sense calling the War on Drugs a war because wars end.

El_Duderino 09

Seve OB wrote: »

You have to watch it with subtitles on:D

I've heard a few people say they couldn't understand what they're saying. It takes a bit to tune your ear to the lingo. But the dialogue is really great.

El_Duderino 09

smelly sock wrote: »

It was just time.

Ive been hoping in vein for a season 6 but that wont happen. Probably for the best.

No! Never! Leave it alone. It's great the way it is. And he way it ends and the whole story is almost irrelevant to the grand scheme of things. Life just carries on. Perfect way to end it.

Collie D

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

I've heard a few people say they couldn't understand what they're saying. It takes a bit to tune your ear to the lingo. But the dialogue is really great.

Even when a whole scene is pretty much one word being repeated over and over again as per the clip a few posts back

El_Duderino 09

Collie D wrote: »

Even when a whole scene is pretty much one word being repeated over and over again as per the clip a few posts back

Great scene

MadYaker

One of the best

Collie D

MadYaker wrote: »

One of the best

A great character that you really wanted to see conquer his demons and make it.

Joe_ Public

Collie D wrote: »

A great character that you really wanted to see conquer his demons and make it.

Bubbles made it 1000%. With Steve Earle as his mentor, how could he not ☺

noodler

Much preferred it to Sopranos as well tbh.

Bowlardo

Liam McPoyle wrote: »

Personally thought it was massively over rated.

Season 4 is the best one and could be watched as a stand alone.

Ah **** off

Slippin Jimmy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIQbd3SF17k

Bubbles was an excellent character as was Omar. The show was well written, produced and the cast was top notch. I've watched this show numerous times and I would never rewatch a TV series.

geecee

it took me 4-5 goes to get past the first scene, but after that I binged the whole thing over a 2 weeks. As others wrote above it takes a while to get into the lingo, but once you have that mastered its a hell of a ride!

punchdrunk

greatest series I've ever watched.

Bowlardo

It’s 17th on the IMDB!!!!’
There is no question it is in the top five series off all time.
If anything it is underrated.
Breaking bad, sopranos, the wire and games of thrones are all In the top 5 .
The only question after that is people’s own preference of it

This really was a golden age for tv .
Some great series out these days but nothing has reached the height of these
Big little lies and true detective first seasons were great the follow ups not so much

.red.

The only character I ever struggled to understand was Snoop.

Lavinia

I watched it many years ago, took a while to get used to characters but once you do it consumes you in.
Id give it 8 out of 10.

joe40

geecee wrote: »

it took me 4-5 goes to get past the first scene, but after that I binged the whole thing over a 2 weeks. As others wrote above it takes a while to get into the lingo, but once you have that mastered its a hell of a ride!

Fantastic show, I watched it years ago. I would recommend watching with subtitles though.

Slippin Jimmy

.red. wrote: »

The only character I ever struggled to understand was Snoop.

The only character that I truly disliked.