The Wire-Is it any good?

I thought it was overrated. Definitely not the earth shattering TV that people make it out to be. First two seasons are great. Then it feels like it recycles the same story.

Well done on taking the first step Billyhead. This is the greatest series i have ever watched. Im absolutely hooked on it and for me absolutely nothing will top it.

The Wire for me is more than a Cops v Gangsters drama. More than anything it highlights institutional failure which in turn leads to unemployment, crime, substance addiction and thus the break down of society. And its as relatable in the Ireland of 2017 as it was in the Baltimore of 2002. It demonstrates a complete disconnect between the institutions and the people due to reasons ranging from vested interests to just sheer incompetence.

I can understand how people can find it a slow investment, but to call it overrated is puzzling. If anything it is hugely underrated. TV today is full of instant gratification, bad acting, junk, and cheap laughs, but David Simon done something marvellously different with the Wire. Instead of being storyline focused he built characters and dialogue and the interaction between these characters flowed so naturally as a result. There was no sides taken like other cop shows which i admired. The characters were built with layers upon layers of facets. Good cop, bad husband. Brown Noser but empathetic, Drug Dealer but honours a code.... Simply marvellous and will be usurped by none.

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Brilliant, brilliant series. Up there with Mad Men for me as the greatest ever produced, deserved every accolade it has received and more. That said, I'd have some reservations about the last couple of series which I felt started to get a bit preachy and the characters less nuanced, too much light and shade. I refer in particular to the Baltimore Sun storyline which had too many cliched characters - the bent reporter, the unscrupulous award-hungry bosses, the quiet-spoken honest editor etc - I know Simon had worked at the Sun himself but this just didn't ring true for me and I felt the writers were beginning to lose it a little at that point. In the overall scheme of things, though, that's fairly minor criticism. Rewatched Series 1-3 last year and amazed at how well they stand up over a decade on.

Season 4 for me is without doubt the best because it highlights the failure of the most important institution. The kids preparing for Street life are being taught by a system designed for every single kid in the world irregardless of background, level or personal circumstances.

To be fair also, season 5 covered many topics relevant today such as the whole area of fake news