The Wire (WARNING: SPOILERS)

[reminisco]

no doubt, if you haven't seen it, you wouldn't know it's awesomeness.

it's not just a perfect depiction of the reality of Baltimore, it also fits Philadelphia. and it's so REAL, too.

[casper]

Bump for the best TV show ever which just had its series finale last night. RIP. A great way to close out five amazing seasons. What did people think? Are there any Wire fans on CC?

And yes reminisco, it's about as "real" as a fictional show can get. And it's ten times better than The Sopranos.

[Minister Masket]

Wasn't that an alien from Doctor Who?

[reminisco]

Are there any Wire fans on CC?

And yes reminisco, it's about as "real" as a fictional show can get. And it's ten times better than The Sopranos.

yeah, i'm a huge fan. have been since the show debuted. and i've been a Wire apologist since the Sopranos was the biggest HBO show.

of course, i'm also a huge David Simon / Ed Burns fan. i read Homocide: A Year on the Killing Streets and The Corner years ago. Read The Corner before the miniseries.

the show is fiction only to protect the innocent and the writers. often, one can tell more real truth with the verisimilitude of fiction, since with "truth" the processes needed to verify and prove are often unable to be obtained.

fiction can dwell within the recollections of individuals, or the experiences of people that cannot be documented or proven any other way than through their telling.

plus, i've lived in neighborhoods just like those found in the Wire. i know how real it is.

[Guiscard]

Been urged to check it our by a number of people. May well try and borrow a box set or something.

[casper]

yeah, i'm a huge fan. have been since the show debuted. and i've been a Wire apologist since the Sopranos was the biggest HBO show.

of course, i'm also a huge David Simon / Ed Burns fan. i read Homocide: A Year on the Killing Streets and The Corner years ago. Read The Corner before the miniseries.

the show is fiction only to protect the innocent and the writers. often, one can tell more real truth with the verisimilitude of fiction, since with "truth" the processes needed to verify and prove are often unable to be obtained.

fiction can dwell within the recollections of individuals, or the experiences of people that cannot be documented or proven any other way than through their telling.

plus, i've lived in neighborhoods just like those found in the Wire. i know how real it is.

There's definite "truth" in the show regarding the decline of the American city through drugs, crime, unemployment, corruption, etc. As an urban planning and policy graduate student, I am drawn towards these issues. And I read most of the characters are based on real life people in Baltimore. I am no expert on David Simon or Ed Burns though. I'll have to check out Homicide and The Corner sometime. What did you think of the finale? It was awesome when Cheese (aka Method Man for you non watchers) got capped.

Anyways, it's nice to see at least one person on CC has good taste in television! Like my avatar? Marlo what!

[reminisco]

dude... spoilers!

meh, i guess it doesn't matter. to anyone reading this thread, THAR BE SPOILERS IN IT! don't read anymore if you don't care about finding stuff out.

(i'll continue in another post)

and yeah, i thought that was Marlo -- but i don't remember when he pulled out two guns on the show. is it possible that's from another role played by Jamie Hector?

maybe i've just forgotten... i have the first four seasons on DVD... and something i've been meaning to do, and want to do, is go through it all again and watch with the commentaries on. total guilty pleasure.

[reminisco]

and yeah, it was wild how Cheese went down, but satisfying, and well within Slim's character.

i love how Michael is set up to be the new Omar.

sad that Dukie is set up to be the next Bubbles.

Namond looks to be on track to take after Bunny.

and i think they were trying to imply that Randy would grow up to be the next Avon Barksdale, or Stringer Bell, or Marlo Stanfield. so sad what happened to him, but he was the one with the best business sense of any of the boys from season 4.

[casper]

I thought about putting a spoiler alert... good call. Didn't think it was that big of a spoiler though.....

Not sure what episode the image of Marlo is from. I don't own any of the dvd's unfortunately. I got it off The Wire screensaver that's on the HBO site. Looks like target practice shooting bottles in the woods.

http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/1721/wire9oj4.jpg

But yeah Michael....He'll do alright hopefully. Always liked his character. Poor Dukie. Saw that coming though.... I'm not sure about Randy since he was only briefly shown this season. You're probably right though.

So which book would you recommend to read first? Homicide or The Corner? Cheers.

[reminisco]

I thought about putting a spoiler alert... good call. Didn't think it was that big of a spoiler though.....

Not sure what episode the image of Marlo is from. I don't own any of the dvd's unfortunately. I got it off The Wire screensaver that's on the HBO site. Looks like target practice shooting bottles in the woods.

http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/1721/wire9oj4.jpg

But yeah Michael....He'll do alright hopefully. Always liked his character. Poor Dukie. Saw that coming though.... I'm not sure about Randy since he was only briefly shown this season. You're probably right though.

So which book would you recommend to read first? Homicide or The Corner? Cheers.

yeah, i don't think it was that big of a spoiler either, but you know how hypersensitive people can be about those things... i'm actually of the type to not be bothered at all by spoilers... knowing how it ends doesn't affect my enjoyment of it one bit, in fact, in some ways, it adds to my enjoyment.

i think you're right about the scene shooting bottles. that fits. and you reminding me of it makes it feel right in my mind -- i think that was the only time you ever see Marlo shooting a gun in the series...

read both books. The Corner got a lot more attention, and perhaps deservedly so. it chronicles a year in the life of a drug corner. Homocide is a good book too, and will give you an idea of how the Police operate.

so in a way, it doesn't matter which one you read first, but i think you'll really enjoy both.


one other comment, and then i'll stop with this novel of a post -- i actually cheered when Bodie got whacked at the end of season 4. most people were upset, but unlike most people, i remembered that it was Bodie who killed Wallace.

so the only thing that gnawed at me about the end of the series, was that Poot got away clean (in a sense). i wish he had been brought to justice for his part in killing Wallace. (plus, i don't think Bodie could have pulled the trigger had Poot not been there goading him on to do so).

[casper]

Yeah. Good point re: Poot and Bodie. I will admit I felt sad for Bodie when he got his. Will check those books out as soon as I get a chance. Thanks.

[casper]

David Simon, Unspooling 'The Wire' (March 6)
40 minute interview on NPR
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... d=87940925

[reminisco]

David Simon, Unspooling 'The Wire' (March 6)
40 minute interview on NPR
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... d=87940925

yeah, i heard that live, actually.

i listen to Marketplace religiously, and then Fresh Air after it... sometimes i don't care who Terry Gross is interviewing, but when someone like Simon is on, i listen carefully.

you should look on the site for the Michael K. Williams interview too (the guy who plays Omar Little) -- he was on just as the series was launching it's final season.