This season of HBO's ground breaking series“The Wire” was good but slower than usual. Don’t get me wrong though I’m still a fan of the show, but they took too long building the story up this year.
For instance, the Major Crimes Unit, which is the crew of cops that bug the drug dealers and all that other stuff, was just re-instated, and this is the second to last episode of the season! That’s too long, that’s what…15 episodes to sit through before the shit hits the fan. I love the show, but I can see why people with short attention spans don’t.
But pushing my gripes aside, it is one of the best written shows out there. The things that happen to these kids are truly sad. I’m not sure whose story is sadder, but the one that stands out with me is the kid Namon, whose father Wee Bey was in the first season of ‘The Wire”, as one of Avon Barksdale’s soldiers. Bey was a cold-hearted killer – loyal to the end, but was a stone cold soldier. This season his wife is trying to push their 14 year old son to follow in his fathers footsteps, but there’s one problem: The kid ain’t cut out for the game like that. He doesn’t have that kind of heart, which would be a good thing in a different environment. In a better setting he’d have access to more positive role models so that a kid like that could possibly blossom.
After being busted for drug possession his mother tells him, “Motherfucker you mean to tell me, you ain’t got the heart for Baby Lock up? Nigga, I’ve kept your ass in NIKE since you was a baby. You gonna get out there and push that package…”
That is a shocking thing to see and hear on television. But not in the Baltimore of “The Wire”.
It’s a place where kids who snitch pay the price, drug addicted parents sell their groceries for a hit, drug addicted families steal each others clothes – and sell them, school systems warehouse kids who can’t read and do math, crooked cops steal, lie and harass citizens, city hall is over wrought with corrupt politicians who are more interested in protecting their own interests versus those of their constituents, teachers are forced to teach the path test versus real meaningful lessons and drug dealers employ neighbor kids who feel they have no other options.
That’s the world of “The Wire” the real world.
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People with short attentiona spans can have the NFL. I'll take the wire novelistic approach anytime. The pay-off is that much greater when we have to wait. I was practically jumping up and down and hollaring at my tv screen (similar to what one might do at a sporting event) as Lester slowly came to realization that the vacants were tombs.
I kinda understand your feelings; I thought they'd start finding the bodies in the vacants about four or five episodes into the season. Once that didn't happen, I realized that this season is really a setup for next season, which I have only recently learned will be the last.
That being said, look at everything that has happened this season. The evolution of the boys (Dookie, Mike, Randy, & Namond), the election, Omar's adventures, Herc's screwups, etc. I mean a lot of stuff has happened, and now I don't know what I'm gonna do for the next nine months waiting for the start of season 5!!!
hey anonymous at 8:35 pm, Lester is my favorite character on the show. He is like a scientist almost kind of reminds me of Columbo in the way he doesn't let a case go. I can't wait for McNulty to rejoin the squad as well.
I think Herc will be busted down to crossing guard or meter maid...
yo anonymous at 11:08 i agree this season is a set up for next season...what do you predict will happen? here's mine:
Omar gets cut down in a hail of lead after the Co-op put a contract out on him.
Daniels is going to have a serious fire and fury all out knuckle war with is old commanders on one side trying to screw him like he was Omar!
Avon Barksdale's old crew: Bodie, Slim Charles and a few others unite to form a new crew because Marlo and his folks (the main ones Chris and Snoop) will be in the penitentiary with Avon!
That kid Michael is gonna be the new kingpin in town
And the Russians return - they have to...
...and one more thing...Lester is following the money next season the shit hits the fan with the Clay (shhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeiiiiiiitt) Davis crowd on one side and the Mayor on other and the Major Crime Unit stuck in the middle.
I read an interview with David Simon somewhere that implied that we'll see more of McNulty in season 5. For McNulty, apparently, this season was all about getting himself cleaned up which is essential for the role he'll play in season 5.
In the same interview he also mentioned that it might be possible that we'll see some of the characters (I presume some of the port characters) from season two return.
we'll see, that'll be cool.
etukhakfFor me what makes the show is Lester's methodical approach to cases and McNulty's obsession for chasing bad guys; these things are just two elements from the cop perspective that I really dig.
I hope they bring the Russians back that story angle was left dangling out there. Remember the guy said "And I am not a Greek..." That's why I call them Russians - if they ain't Greeks they're Russians.
Eye can see where you're coming from on the pacing of this season, but I'm not mad at that. I think that, unlike the previous seasons, they backed off the rah-rah to tell the story of how the shortys and the local gub-ment orbit around the drug game...which they did very well. It's kinda of a slow-burn set-up for next season, which is shaping up to be a little more intense.
The thing that the Wire has been able to do well consistently, is give you insight into the connectedness of it all....and each season they've managed to expand their universe, yet tie it all back to the corner.
Very well thought out...in fact, too real to be pure fiction...Eye know they have an ex-police behind the writing and if I'm not mistaken, the preacher character is a real-life ex-drug dealer.
Real World, indeed.
On another note, how come Eye never hear Snoop get no love....it's Omar this, Namon that...but c'mon, yo!....this season she took the ball that Kima laid down and ran roughshod over the show!!! If the writers have any sense, there will be a meeting between those two!!!
Keep holding it down, Skillz!!!
Yo Eye what's the deal kid? Yo, the reason Kima gets love and Snoop doesn't...is cause, let's keep this funky, if you had to pick a lesbo for a three some for your girl, that goddamn, funny-talkin' broad would be the last one you'd pick. You'd - at least I'd be like, aiiight Kima let's make this happen!
Next season the Russians will be back in e-f-f-e-c-t and the major crimes unit will be chasing them as well as the Prop Joe/Marlo Co-op, it's gonna be hot to death.
I'm heart broken that they killed Bodie man, I was rootin' for that kid. Him and Randy, I hold out hope for that young man.
Eye feel you fam...LOL...but damn, she's soooooo thugged out! That's character we haven't see before on TV...or at least not to the extreme of Snoop's. Not quite as impressive as Omar's homo-thug, but she's been one of the most intriguing addtions to the cast.
And I'm with you regarding Bodie. But you saw it coming....he was out their on a limb all season...you can only hold it down dolo but so long, and he was never really rolling with Marlo like that....he wanted to go out like a soldier and he knew it was his time.
The other cat Eye feel for was Randy...he did snitch to a certain degree, but he got jerked by Herc's stupid ass...that was foul.
On that other thing with the mp3's, go here:
http://www.profiletweaks.com/mp3player.php
Real simple...they give a link to a spot called FileDen where you can up the mp3's for free and then link the URL to the player. Only issue for me was that it didn't fit in my sidebar...still working through it.
And thanx for coming thru my spot...been toying with the idea for a couple of years but just now getting my ish together...
One.
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