Admittedly, I was very late to hop on The Wire train. I had always heard such great things about the show, however a combination of not having HBO and lacking the internet skills I possess today, I never had the chance to actually watch it. Fortunately, one of my girlfriend's coworkers had the box set. So, four and a half years after the show aired its final episode, here's my review. Better late than never.
I'm not entirely sure if the show was over-hyped by passionate friends or if I had just built it up in my head over the years, but to be completely honest, I was underwhelmed the first time I saw it. As I made my way through the first season, I was certainly entertained and enjoyed the show, but could not see why people were so obsessed with it. Over time, my vision became more clear. The cast is great. Not every actor blows you away with their acting chops, although certain performances definitely stand out as elite. The true magic of the cast, however, is that they all seem so real. Certain people get on your nerves, while others are undeniably lovable, but such is life. Another interesting aspect of the show is how willing the writers are to completely change the cast. Fan favorites are often killed off along with the characters you hate. This creates two positive outcomes. On one hand, it creates the mindset within the audience that no character is safe.Take, for example, the show Dexter. I love Dexter but you know the main character can never die unless it's in the series finale, because the title is named after him. The second positive is that The Wire has managed to add new, strong characters at an impressive rate. In fact, I can't recall a show with as rapidly changing a cast of characters as The Wire. Each season adds a large number of new faces while keeping the story lines strong within the core cast. This is a very impressive feat.
The final aspect of The Wire that keeps me coming back is the authenticity of it all. I have never been to West Baltimore to pick up a vile of heroine. I also have never worked in the homicide unit of the BPD. Whether this is an accurate statement or not, it sure does seem like I would be able to fit in to either environment seamlessly. The show allows the audience to experience the every day horrors of a Baltimore ghetto, one of the most brutal and violent places in the country. The complex "Godfather"-esque politics that take place within both the crime families and the police department provide pride and frustration alike for the people trapped within. Those emotions are shared by the viewer as forming a personal connection with each character is inevitable. The more I watched the show, the more difficult I found it to not move on to the next episode as soon as the credits began rolling. The Wire is flat out addicting. I strongly encourage you give it a shot if you haven't already. Granted, the show is a bit outdated. I specifically recall a scene in season 2 where the characters were first learning what 'texting' was. But if you can get into an early 2000s state of mind, you should be all set. Definitely check it out!
