‘Black, white. What’s the difference, Nat? Until we get that canal dredged, we’re all niggers. Pardon my french.’
- Frank Sobotka, 7×12, The Wire
Season 1 blew my mind. And naturally, I was worried dead that season 2 would not live up to my incredibly high expectations. I hoped and I wished, and had I been iven remotely religious, I would have prayed.
It was almost with shaking hands that I inserted the newly bought Season 2 DVD, only a day after having finished season 1.
To my surprise season 2 lived up to every expectation, and more!
Allow me to elaborate.
Important Note: If you have not not finished season 1, then do NOT read further, as this review will contain spoilers of the previous season.
With Avon Barskdale incarcerated along with D’Angelo and Wee-Bey, the Barksdale Detail has accomplished its purpose and is effectively shut down.
McNulty is demoted to the marine unit, Greggs is working a desk job, Daniels has been re-assigned to evidence division, Lester is partnered up with Bunk in homicide division, and the rest have returned to their respective divisions.
The focus now shifts to the Baltimore docks, where union leader and treasurer Frank Sobotka has resorted to smuggling drugs and stolen goods through the port for a mysterious criminal organization known only as “The Greeks”, as a means to fund his political contributions and campaigning to maintain the prosperity of the docks.
However, a feud between Sobotka and the vindictive Major Valcheck results in the latter pressuring the newly made Acting Commissioner into assembling a detail dedicated to investigate Sobotka and the affairs on the Docks.
Despite the arrests and deaths of some of their best men, the Barksdale Organization is bruised, yet not broken. Avon continues to run the organization from prison through his second-in-command Stringer, while scheming for an early release. Stringer administrates the organization, and has to contend with the loss of their connections, dissention within the organization, as well as rival drug dealers eyeing their prized territory.
Bodie has been promoted to crew chief of the 221 Tower, while Poot has been given command over the Pit.
The second season of The Wire examines the struggles of the blue-collar working class, represented by the stevedores of the Baltimore port, and how easily the working class becomes victim to capitalism in modern America.
It portrays the betrayal of the working man, and how he must contend with a society that values maximum efficiancy at the expense of the working class.
With the addition of the Docks and the people working there, the ensemble of characters grows substantially, most notably among them, Frank Sobotka, as well as his reckless and and troubled son Ziggy, often paired with his more level-headed and intelligent cousin, Nick.
Also introduced are the mysterious “Greeks”, whose cunning are matched only by their ruthlessness.
The Barksdale Organization sees the addition of several new soldiers, but are not as notable, due to the Organization being featured less prominently this season.
Omar returns to Baltimore with his new boyfriend and picks up where he left.
Proposition Joe receives more screentime, and more plot involvement
Most of the original members of the Barksdale detail return in the second season, with many of them still suffering from their actions in the previous season. McNulty’s meddling yet again earns him the scorn of his superiors, but proves instrumental to the case.
Some of my favorite characters this season, were Frank, Nick and Ziggy Sobotka. I particularly liked how human they were protrayed, and how easy it was to sympathize with them. They are the perfect examples of ‘grey area’ characters.
Frank Sobotka, the struggling union leader resorting to desperate measures to preserve the jobs and futures of his fellow stevedores. Nick, whose frustration with the lack of working hours and a steady income, gets him involved in the smuggling business. The reckless and juvenile, Ziggy, offers both comic relief and tragedy the same time.
Omar is great as always, and delivers one of his most epic “Omar moments” this season.
Brother Mouzone was also pretty damn excellent.
Conclusion: Season 2 of The Wire is even better than the previous season. The pace is turned up, and characters that you get more emotionally invested in, as well as more character development.
Season 2 continues to to portray the city of Baltimore in a brutally honest way, depicting how an instituion’s failings affect the people living in the city, and how the port of Baltimore is connected to the the politicians and drug dealers of Baltimore.
Having recently done a re-watch of season 1, I really notice the difference in pace and characters, between season 1 and 2. Season 2 gets a lot more personal, and the pace is – as mentioned a few lines ago – faster.
So, if slow pace, and poor characterization were your main gripes with season 1, then I think you’ll find season 2 more to your liking.
I must admit that season 2 is by far my least favourite of the entire series. I couldn’t stand Ziggy – he had maybe one or two scenes in the entirety of season that didn’t make me want to see him dead just so that I wouldn’t have to watch any of his inane activities anymore – and that hurt the season a lot. And while I liked the idea of the blue collar-plot, it somehow just got off on the wrong foot. It had a lot of briliant moments, but as a whole, it’s my least favourite season plot of the show, and thus the season is my least favourite as well. And again, Ziggy, sigh.
Very likely due to this, the pace felt like it slowed down to me, but I have never done a rewatch, so you’re probably right and that must simply have been psychological.
Nice post, you really helped me remember what went on in the season with the extensive recaps! And nice to see you posting again at all, for that matter.
I can’t claim it’s my favorite season, but it ranks pretty high. Can’t be too certain until I do a re-watch of the series.
I think much of the reason why I liked Ziggy was because of how much he reminds me of one of my classmates back in Lower Secondary School. Don’t get me wrong, I have wished death upon Ziggy countless times, but there is something about the character that fascinates me. Probably the tragedy that lurks behind his juvenile anthics, or simply because of his striking similarities to my former classmate.
I probably won’t write a review of season 3 until I have done a re-watch of it. I spent much of my time holding my breath in anticipation while watching it the first time due to the intensity of the plot. Also, there was a lot happening that season, so I think I need to watch it in a more ‘neutral’ state in order to write a proper review.
“Nice post, you really helped me remember what went on in the season with the extensive recaps! And nice to see you posting again at all, for that matter.”
Thanks for the positive feedback! I know I’ve been slacking lately, but I hope to rectify this now. Have just finished season 2 of Veronica Mars, so there will probably be a review of that coming up soon.
I’m impressed at your ability to prioritise rewatching. I never seem to get around to it, myself, except for when I sit down to watch _with_ someone, as a social activity. If I’m on my own, I always end up figuring well, I’d rather check out something new than watch something I know to be awesome. It makes no sense, but there you are.
“Thanks for the positive feedback! I know I’ve been slacking lately, but I hope to rectify this now. Have just finished season 2 of Veronica Mars, so there will probably be a review of that coming up soon.”
Yays abound, then. ^^
To me it depends on the quality of the show. I have probably watched seasons 1-5 of The Sopranos about 3 times by now, and I intend to doe a re-watch of all my remaining top shows eventually.
Right now, I’m kind of in a The Wire phase, and getting a huge kick out of watching one of my favourite shows again. This might partially be due to there not being any new shows out there that I’d rather watch over a re-watch of The Wire – Waiting for Dexter and Heroes finish airing.
Recommendations are always welcome.
Why stop at 5? I found 6 to be nice too.
And I *love* rewatching my favourite shows. I just never get _around_ to it. It’s always something new that’s more tempting to check out than committing to months of watching, say, West Wing or Deadwood or Angel over again.
Recommendations? Seeing as you like political stuff, I think you should consider to check out season 1 of Boston Legal, which I just got up to date on. I’ve posted reviews of seasons 1 through 3 in my weblog, and 4 should be up during the weekend some time. (It’s currently in its fifth and likely last one) It’s relatively standalone-episode-based plotwise, being a procedural drama, but with character-arcs that go over long periods. Especially the ever-evolving friendship between the two main characters is a delight to watch. I’d probably describe it as an Ally McBeal light (about the same amounts of humour and silly blended with seriousness, but far less outright crazy) with a strong political focus. Shouldn’t take you many episodes to form an opinion on whether you’ll like it or not. And, of course, if you don’t like it, it’s no big loss if you’ve only seen three episodes or so before realising this.
Heroes is, as always, starting out its season rather meh. I hope it’ll get more in style as we go, but I have meager hopes. Mr. Bennet is the alpha and omega of that hsow for me, though, so as long as he lives on, I will keep watching faithfully. Dexter (and “How I Met Your Mother”) I’m saving up until Christmas, so I can watch it with Sarah during the evacation. So no spoilers, thankee. General remarks on the quality levels relative to previous seasons would be nice though, so I know approximately if I should brace myself or get excited.
(Addendum: “Character arcs” might have been the wrong term, more like character growth and development. “Arc” implies there are long-lasting plots about them, which is rarely the case, that was my point.)
I did the re-watches of The Sopranos before season 6 aired. But it will naturally be included in future re-watching.
I’m not the biggest fan of law-dramas, but always willing to give thrm a shot. And seeing as you have continued watching through 4 seasons, then there must be something special to it.
I did enjoy watching ‘The Practice’, another Law-drama taking place in Boston (Ehat’s with Boston and Lawyers?)
I actually watched Ally McBeal from beginning to end when it aired on TV2. Though during its twilight years years I watched more out of loyalty and habit. The ridicilous cases as well as the increasing ‘Murphey’s Law-drama’ really took a toll on my interest.
John Cage and Richard Fish was pretty epic though, and probably carried much of the show for me.
I’m looking forward as hell to Dexter, and though season 2 of Heroes wasn’t all that, I’ll definitely watch season 3 as well.
And naturally, I’ll keep it spoiler-free.
“I did enjoy watching ‘The Practice’, another Law-drama taking place in Boston (Ehat’s with Boston and Lawyers?)”
I’m watching it now, actually, just finished the first season – you see, Boston Legal is a spin-off created when they ended The Practice, following some new characters introduced in The Practice’s last season. (That’s why they’re both in Boston)
The Cage and Fish-relationship was the star of McBeal for me, too, and there is a similar friendship in BL, only there it’s at the centre stage instead of being one out of many background-plots.
Funny that both shows you mentioned are David E. Kelley-shows taking place in the same universe as Boston Legal, by the way (Ally McBeal apparently had a crossover with The Practice at some point)
“I’m watching it now, actually, just finished the first season – you see, Boston Legal is a spin-off created when they ended The Practice, following some new characters introduced in The Practice’s last season. (That’s why they’re both in Boston)”
Ah, that explains a lot. It also shatters my theory of a sinister, mass conspiracy of lawyers that are using Boston as their base of operations, scheming to control the inner workings of the country.
“The Cage and Fish-relationship was the star of McBeal for me, too, and there is a similar friendship in BL, only there it’s at the centre stage instead of being one out of many background-plots.”
Ooh, remember when Robert Downey Jr joined the ensemble? His presence on the show was nothing short of epic, and it really increased the quality of the show.
“Funny that both shows you mentioned are David E. Kelley-shows taking place in the same universe as Boston Legal, by the way (Ally McBeal apparently had a crossover with The Practice at some point”
Yes! I remember now. There was at least one episode where Dylan McDermott guest starred as Bobby Donnell. I think it was the episode where John represented a guy with a penchant for hitting people who were in love over the head wit an oar(?), or someting. Whacky.
I do indeed remember Mr. Downey Jr.’s time on the show fondly, and I am still convinced that the vacuum he left after leaving is why season 5 is generally considered to be the show’s weakest. (Or so I hear it is, it’s so many years since I saw it myself I couldn’t tell you)
As I mentioned in my review of BL season 1, BL falls between McBeal and The Practice in mood and style. It’s heavily political, and handles quite serious issues on a regular basis with much less soap than McBeal had, but it does all this in a framework of eccentric and odd lawyers and judges with quirks galore and plenty of comedic situations sprinkled over it.
You had me at “heavily political” and even more so at “less soapy”.
Boston Legal sounds more and more like a show after my own taste, and thus a show I will be checking out. Been reading through your reviews of them, and will probably write a comment sometime tomorrow.
On an entirely different note: I saw today that season 4, part 1 of Battlestar Galactica had hit the shelves of Outland, and despite having already watched it, I had to snatch with me a copy. It’s a compulsion, I say!
They included the Razor-movie, the bastards! If they’d told me that, I wouldn’t have bought it seperately six months ago!
And I look forward to that comment.