Probably not. But seeing as I just finished watching Season 5, I’m going to write one anyway, if only to get all this angst out of my system. And I’ll start by saying I really didn’t like The Wire. I liked some of the characters in The Wire. Wallace and Duquan were my favourites, and maybe how things ended for them is why I didn’t like the show. I also liked Nick Sobotka. And Bubbles. And Michael. By Season 5, I even had soft spots for Bodie and Omar.
A lot of people that don’t like The Wire say they find it dull, boring, and slow. I’m actually okay with the pacing. It took me almost a year to get through all five seasons, but it’s not because it was slow. It’s more because it was so … intense. I’d watch a few episodes and need a break. Then I’d finish a season and need a longer break. The Wire is way too heavy to finish in one sitting.
What I don’t like about the show is that it’s so … depressing. It seems like the point of the show is, ‘don’t try to make things better because the world is totally fucked and you can’t beat the system, period.’ McNulty tries to beat alcoholism and womanising. He can’t. Ziggy tries to make a life outside the docks. He can’t. Dukie tries to escape the drug culture his parents kept him in. He can’t. Michael tries to avoid being a thug and stay in school. He can’t. Randy tries to get out of the foster system. He can’t. Daniels tries to rise honestly as a cop. He can’t. Rhonda tries to break the Baltimore Drug League with wire taps. She can’t.
In fact, the only person that succeeds is Bubbles, and he only does that after losing one best friend and accidentally killing another. Meanwhile, all the characters that lie, cheat, and corrupt the system succeed. Clay Davies. Herc. Tommy Carcetti. The Greek. Templeton. Valcheck. It’s like the point of this show is that evil wins, so there’s no point trying to be good.
I suppose that’s why people say it’s realistic. There are no happy endings and everyone gets fucked. I don’t want to think the world really is that bleak, and that’s why I don’t like the show. I think life sucks as is, and that’s why I escape into selected fiction, a world unicorns, rainbows, and smart jokes.
My problem with The Wire isn’t its construction or storytelling. I think those are actually quite good. I think the characters are deeply intense and complex – except for Marlo, who seemed a little flat to me. I think the slow pace allowed me to absorb each moment, and I love the dialogue. I didn’t understand some of it, and every once in a while, I rewound a scene and replayed it with subtitles.
One of my favourite lines came from Colvin, when he chuckles and says the school system thinks they’re educating the kids for exams, but they’re just preparing them for life on the streets. And both he and Prez are proven right because once they take class lessons and put them in street context, the kids surprise them by showing how smart they are.
So my problem isn’t with the construction or the style of The Wire. It’s with its message. For me, The Wire felt like five seasons of torturous EMO. And while I generally enjoy the occasional gothic ballad, I didn’t want its subtext dissected quite so acutely. I hated how the characters were trapped on their life paths with no way out, no matter how hard they tried. Frankly, after watching Nick stare at the empty docks, Michael hold up the rim shop, and Dukie put the needle in his arm, I wanted to go jump off a bridge. And as a depressive, wanting and doing are two dangerously close things.
Ironically, this is the point where someone will remind me it’s only a TV show, and that it would be stupid to kill yourself over a TV show. Ironic because what people love most about this show is how realistic it is. David Simon – who created The Wire – made a comment that pissed people off. Later, he explained what he meant by the comment.
So I suppose that for him, the message was the most important part of the show, far more important than which characters we did or didn’t like, or which of them was a ‘badder gangsta.’ He wants us to think about, and discuss the underlying causes of these problems. And yet … after five seasons … I came away thinking that discussing, strategising, or even resolving these crisis makes no difference because it simply can’t be done. Just ask the Prez, or Colvin, or Gus, or the major crimes unit.
The powers that be simply won’t let anything change, so there’s no point. And even the ones that want to change things, once they get into power, they don’t want things to change anymore. Basically, power trumps decent life. As someone that can’t stand soaps because of their torturous defeatism, seeing the same aspect play out in five seasons of intensely beautiful storytelling was why too much for me. It seems to dwell on the futility of life, which is pretty depressing, because futile or not, we still have to live. And THAT is why I didn’t like The Wire.
♫ Until it’s gone ♫ Linkin Park ♫
I got what you mean , thankyou for posting .Woh I am delighted to find this website through google. “Food is the most primitive form of comfort.” by Sheila Graham.
whoah this blog is magnificent i love reading your posts. Keep up the good work! You know, lots of people are searching around for this information, you could help them greatly.
I consider something genuinely special in this internet site.
http://online-television.net/go.php?url=http://adultcontentresource.com
The very crux of your writing while appearing agreeable in the beginning, did not settle properly with me after some time. Someplace within the sentences you were able to make me a believer unfortunately just for a very short while. I nevertheless have got a problem with your leaps in logic and you would do well to fill in those breaks. If you can accomplish that, I will undoubtedly end up being fascinated.
My spouse and i got relieved Michael managed to carry out his investigation via the precious recommendations he had in your web pages. It is now and again perplexing to simply possibly be giving away facts which often some others might have been making money from. And we take into account we now have the writer to give thanks to for that. All of the illustrations you have made, the easy web site navigation, the friendships you give support to promote – it is all unbelievable, and it’s really letting our son in addition to us reckon that the subject matter is cool, and that’s pretty vital. Thanks for the whole thing!
Great weblog here! Also your web site loads up fast! What host are you the usage of? Can I am getting your associate hyperlink in your host? I wish my site loaded up as fast as yours lol
I simply could not depart your web site prior to suggesting that I extremely loved the standard information an individual supply on your guests? Is going to be again often in order to inspect new posts
I have been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this blog. Thanks, I’ll try and check back more often. How frequently you update your site?
I have observed that expenses for online degree pros tend to be a fantastic value. For instance a full 4-year college Degree in Communication in the University of Phoenix Online consists of 60 credits from $515/credit or $30,900. Also American Intercontinental University Online makes available Bachelors of Business Administration with a total study course feature of 180 units and a tuition fee of $30,560. Online learning has made getting the college degree so much easier because you could earn your degree from the comfort of your house and when you finish working. Thanks for all tips I have really learned through your site.
Hey! Would you mind if I share your blog with my twitter group? There’s a lot of people that I think would really enjoy your content. Please let me know. Cheers
magnificent issues altogether, you simply received a brand new reader. What would you recommend about your post that you just made a few days ago? Any certain?
Good day! I just would like to give an enormous thumbs up for the great information you’ve got right here on this post. I shall be coming back to your blog for extra soon.
I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest but your blogs really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your site to come back down the road. All the best
Excellent blog here! Also your website loads up very fast! What web host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host? I wish my site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
One other issue is when you are in a circumstances where you don’t have a cosigner then you may actually want to try to exhaust all of your money for college options. You can find many grants and other grants that will offer you finances to support with education expenses. Thanks for the post.
Thanks for another informative website. The place else may just I am getting that type of info written in such a perfect approach? I’ve a mission that I’m simply now running on, and I’ve been on the glance out for such information.
What i do not understood is in fact how you are no longer really much more smartly-appreciated than you might be right now. You are so intelligent. You realize therefore significantly with regards to this subject, produced me personally imagine it from so many varied angles. Its like men and women don’t seem to be involved except it¡¦s one thing to accomplish with Lady gaga! Your individual stuffs great. At all times deal with it up!
Hi, Neat post. There is a problem along with your site in web explorer, might check this¡K IE still is the marketplace leader and a huge component of other folks will leave out your excellent writing because of this problem.
My brother recommended I might like this blog. He was entirely right. This post actually made my day. You can not imagine simply how much time I had spent for this info! Thanks!