Observations from a second viewing of The Wire
One of the perks of being unemployed is that I am able to plunge tens of hours a day into Netflix. I took this opportunity to watch the entire series of The Wire again. Here are a few observations:
- The most memorable moments of the series for me are still the killings of Wallace, D’Angelo, Bodie & Omar.
- Omar is still my favorite character, but I have a new love for Marlo that I didn’t have after the first time through the series. His massive pride and extreme bravado and ambition that allow him do anything to keep that pride really stood out. My NAME IS MY NAME!!!
- I can’t stand that lying, annoying prick reporter and those assholes in charge of the newspaper and Carcetti’s chief of staff and Cheese. Unfortunately, I’ve come across more people like them in my life than people like the bold, intelligent, thoughtful & loyal characters that make up the rest of the show.
- I see more of Carcetti in real politicians now that I did before.
- Sometimes the tension radiating from the TV screen is so strong I want to hide in another room. The scene where Brother Mouzone confronts Omar in the alley!?!? Or when McNulty and Daniels are riding in the same elevator, alone, both knowing the other knows about McNulty’s bullshit, but neither can talk about it!?!?
- More TV shows need to have a definitive end. When a TV network finds a successful show they milk it for years and years to the detriment of the story. The X-Files is the worst example of this. In order to keep it on air for as long as they did, the show’s central story of aliens and government conspiracies was contorted into a running list of false starts and gaping plot holes. The story subsequently lost all potency. TV shows in the UK rarely last more than a few seasons, even when they are extremely popular.
- I think one of David Simon’s underlying points of the series is that, no matter what happens or who comes and goes, the world keeps moving. Any person or event that seems significant along the way isn’t. Someone else will always come along to take your place. The world is always ready to adapt. Very few people or events make a lasting impression. This makes me feel very much like an insignificant blip in the vast universe. It’s especially maddening to any idealistic sucker who has ever thought he could bring about change in the world. I wouldn’t say I am completely jaded, but it does remind me how hard you have to work if you really want to change something.
- It’s jarring to see people from The Wire in other shows. Every time I see Wallace on Friday Night Lights it feels like I am staring at a ghost. I just found out Omar is going to be on the next season of Community. I don’t know how much more of this I can take. At least Snoop has kept true to her character, recently getting arrested in a drug bust in Baltimore!
- I still have a hard time describing the show to people who have never seen it. If I am going to be walking around proclaiming that The Wire is the best show ever made, I most certainly should be able to explain why in less than 5 minutes. For whatever reason, I can’t find a way to describe the show that does justice to the gripping story and mesmerizing characters. By the time I get done talking about it, even I question why I’ve spent hours upon hours of my life watching this dry, dense TV show. Then I remember the time Omar went on the stand against Bird and the brief moment of doubt is lost. Anyone have any suggestions how to successfully describe The Wire?
