The Wire takes place in Baltimore, Maryland, one of the most dangerous cities in the US, and is nicknamed ‘Bodymore, Murdaland’.
A city plagued by poverty, crime and corruption. The drug trade is flourishing, and everyone wants a piece of the action, whether they be gangsters, politicians, stevedores, businessmen, or even the police.
It’s harsh, gritty and almost painfully honest in its depiction of a city where, murder, violence, drugs and corruption is part of a normal day.
And all of this is part of what can only be described as one of the absolute best TV-Series on Earth.
Now sit back, relax, and allow me to educate you.
Despite being almost virtually unknown to the police, Avon Barksdale reigns as the undisputed kingpin of the West Baltimore drug scene. But when his nephew D’Angelo is found not guilty of murder as a result of obvious corruption, Avon’s name is brought to the attention of Judge Phelan, who as a result pressures the Baltimore police into assembling a detail devoted to bringing down the Barksdale Organisation.
This is the premise of the first seaon of The Wire. It focuses on both the criminals and the police as they build a case against Barksdale.
Sounds simple? It’s really not. Because this is case is something of a Pandora’s Box, that if solved, could create a maelstrom that would not only mean the end of the Barksdale, but could drag lawyers, politicians and even police officers and brass down with its fury. And thus, the Barksdale Detail begins its work, with little to go on, and with the brass watching their every move.
The Barksdale detail is lead by the ambitious LT. Daniels, and consists of Jimmy McNulty, disillusioned and hated by the bosses for leaking the inforation about Barksdale to Judge Phelan, the level-headed Kima Greggs, torn between her devotion to police work and her worrying girlfriend, the smooth and quiet Lester Freamon, unafraid of disobeying his superiors, the hot headed duo, Herc and Carver, the clutz of a policemen Prez, and the more talented Sydnor. Jimmy’s old homicide partner Bunk Moreland also assists the detail, while the career-minded Deputy Commissioner Burrel keeps a watchful eye on them, and Rawls, leader of the homicide divison and a asshole of the first class seeks to hamper Jimmy’s every move.
The Barksdale Organization is lead by the soldier Avon Barksdale, with his best friend Stringer as his second i command, and the rock of a soldier Wee-Bey as his most loyal lieutenant who along with Stinkum ran the high-rise towers . Avon’s nephew D’Angelo, torn between his family’s expectations of him and his own conscience, runs the “Pit”, with the young’uns Poot, Bodie and Wallace working for him.
Also on the streets are legendary stickup man, Omar Little, a constant thorn to the drug dealers of west Baltimore, and Bubbles, a drug fiend and personal informant of Kima Greggs, usually paired with his protege Johnny Weeks.
Written mostly by Baltimore journalist, David Simon and ex-cop-turned-school-teacher, Ed Burns the Wire possesses a depth that is unlike almost anything I have ever seen, all while maintaining a stunning realism and captivating plot. Many of the minor characters are actually played by reformed Baltimore gangsters, and some of the policemen are played by actual Baltimore cops.
The characters definitely come alive, possessing an uncanny complexity. No 2D characters in The Wire, the characters are portrayed in a very human way, where everyone, whether they are policemen or criminals, are capable of good and bad deeds.
My favorite characters of season 1 are Omar Little, I just love the ‘coolness’ of this characters, and his sexuality and his strict adherence to his code makes him one of the most interesting characters I have seen on TV. I also very much liked D’Angelo, because of his diversity and the emotional conflict he brought. Stringer is also great, and I loved the way he and Avon ruled the Organization, much the same way I imagine Marc Antony and Octavian would rule Rome, had they been able to cooperate.
Conclusion: ll in all, The Wire is not really a cop and robber show, but a show about the city of Baltimore. It’s about what happens when an institution fails, and its repercussions for the rest of the city. Because everything is connected, if one institution fails, its repercussions can cause another to fail as well. Season 1 focuses especially to the vicious cycle of police, criminals and politicians, and how it affects society.
The Wire is not for everyone, of course. I can imagine that some people have a problem with its slow pace, and the fact that it requires your full attention, much like Deadwood. The Wire also possesses a ruthless, unyielding honesty that can be off-putting to some.
In style it can be compared to The Sopranos and Oz.
Anyway, I absolutely love everything about this show, and I consider it to be among the finest television ever made, along with Deadwood, The Sopranos and Battlestar Galactica. I recommend this to anyone who can handle a little grittiness, and enjoy shows with a certain edge. If you liked The Sopranos, Deadwood or Oz, then I’m confident you’ll like The Wire as well.
10/10
“Marc Antony and Octavian would rule Rome, had they been able to cooperate.”
Oh, but they were. Don’t feel bad, though – Brutus and Cassius didn’t see that coming, either.
I must say I never cared for D’Angelo, I just never warmed to the actor, and the character felt very much like a Chris-rehash having just recently seen The Sopranos when I saw this.
“A little grittiness” might be a tad weak, man. I have seen darker shows, yes – many and by far, too, sometimes – but grittier? I can’t think of any. Maybe BSG. I doubt it, though, it’s got too many relatively clean-cut heroes to compete with The Wire. And Deadwood or even The Sopranos are just not as gloomy, either.
Other than that, I’m very much in agreement with almost every syllable. I could possibly question the sense in presenting every single character of importance this thoroughly in a review for such a large ensamble show – runs the risk of confusing the reader before he even checks it out – but your presentation of them is neat, well-ordered and easy to read, so, I shan’t do so. A very good post to read for me who’s watched the show, anyway, and it especially refreshed for me who and what were going on in season 1, as it has all blended a little together since then.
Thanks for sharing. ^^
Very nice post. I won’t say nuthin’ more right now, ’cause I’m not totally done with this season yet, but I’ll be back. I’ll be back like Arnold f*cking Schwarzenegger in Terminator!
Arnold fucked Schwarzenegger in Terminator? Huh. I thought they were the same man.
“Oh, but they were. Don’t feel bad, though – Brutus and Cassius didn’t see that coming, either.”
The aftermath didn’t turn out too good though.
I drew similar parallels, regarding D’Angelo/Chris. They do, however, to be a entirely opposite in certain situations, such as D’Angelo’s reluctance towards violent reactions versus Chris’s penchant for it.
I realize now that “a little grittiness” is an underestimation of monumental proportions.;)
In hindsight I can see that the character information might be a wee bit confusing, and I initially had some misgivings about it while writing. I just enjoy including information/structure about characters when writing reviews. ‘Tis a weakness of mine.
Thanks for the feedback.
“Very nice post. I won’t say nuthin’ more right now, ’cause I’m not totally done with this season yet, but I’ll be back. I’ll be back like Arnold f*cking Schwarzenegger in Terminator!”
Thanks. I’ll be looking forward to reading your thoughts on it. And the show just gets better and better.
“Arnold fucked Schwarzenegger in Terminator? Huh. I thought they were the same man.”
If I were Schwarzenegger I’d count myself twice too. And possibly engage in a dysfunctional and ego-boosting relationship with myself.
If I were Schwarzenegger, I’d be a wreck in a ditch somewhere, and not a world-famous movie-star with bags of money, a beautiful wife and a governorship of an American state. That man has run his life much, much better than I’d ever be able to.
Oh, and good point about Chris/D’Angelo’s views of violence.
Well, at least you’d be a wreck lying in a ditch with a machine-gun under each arm. When a random guy lies in a ditch, it looks sad. When Schwarzenegger does it, it looks rad.
Hm, “If I were Schwarzenegger..” sounds like an interesting concept for a book.
“If I were Schwarzenegger, I’d fight my way through a thousand obstacles to find the guy who made me into Schwarzenegger, and then use my insane Schwarzenegger-skills of Succeeding By Brute Force Of Personality and force him to make me into Bill Gates instead.”
Have any of you watched “Total Recall”? Now there’s a fun Schwarzenegger movie ^^
“If I were Schwarzenegger, I’d put out the forest fires of California with my breath and stop the earthquakes with my foot, before shedding my skin and morphing into Chuck Norris. With the roundhouse kick of Chuck combined with the epic dialogue of Arnold; no power in the ‘verse could stop me”
“Have any of you watched “Total Recall”? Now there’s a fun Schwarzenegger movie”
Is that the sci-fi flick? I’ve never seen it, but I’ve heard it’s pretty epic.
Yep. It’s made by the same guy that made Starship Troopers and based on PKD short story. It’s pretty artsy for a sci-fi flick, though by no means comparable to Blade Runner in terms of general quality. That being said, it’s actually a Schwarzenegger film that makes you think (and not only about how poor an actor he is!), plus it contains “man with a small man on his stomach”, which is just awesome
Sounds like a film I’ll be checking out, hopefully this weekend. Starship Troopers was pretty cool, so this sounds promising.
Oh, and the “man with a small man on his stomach” sounds like a reason enough to watch it.