The Wire - Season 5
Sunday, December 16th, 2007 - 5:37am
The Wire. The best show on television. Period.
We've been patient and soon bliss will be delivered to us on January 6th. Two days later a double dose of awesome comes to us in disc form.
Amen brother.
Got the season 4 DVD and it's just great. This show gets better every season, so I have high hopes for season 5. Only 10 episodes for season 5 though, whereas other seasons had 12-13.
Here's a link to some on-line only prequels, featuring a young Omar and Prop Joe:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/post/PLNK10RNO6QI3FFKU
Awesome. Can't wait. I'm rewatching season 4 now, and I love how many things I missed the first time around...
In episode 3 or 4, Namond and Clay Davis, at opposite ends of the Baltimore social structure (theoretically) both have the same line, "I'll take anyone's money if they givin it away!" I love those little touches...
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Hell Yes.
Well, I don't like to toot my own horn, but I'm a pretty good amateur rectal photographer. Would you like to see my portfolio?
Song of the Week: ...on Facebook...
Can't wait for the season to start. Also dreading that day, because it means countdown to the series finale will have started as well.
LiquidMantis wrote:
Bout time, I was just having cravings for some new episodes of The Wire.
Elysium wrote:
XBL: elliottxW
Couldn't agree more with both points, though I saw the spoiler coming for a while.
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So the first episode has come and gone (though its been available on HBO on demand for about a week now, and the first few episodes are available as torrents).
I like how everything has basically gone to sh*t (again). If anyone thinks that all is going to be wrapped up in a nice neat package, they're going to be disappointed. Also at first I was disappointed there is only ten episodes this season, but that was apparently a choice of David Simon, not HBO, so I have faith the man knows what he's doing.
My one main gripe is that the opening scene (with the lie detector shtick) is a direct ripoff of a scene from that crappy Craig T. Nelson cop show from a few years back. I remember watching that scene back then and saying to myself "what a load of crap, no one will fall for that". Didn't buy it then and don't buy it now. Otherwise a great episode and definitely looking forward to how it's all going to play out.
I squealed like a little girl when Avon Barksdale showed up in the preview of next week's episode. The only thing that could have topped that, was if they raised Stringer Bell from the grave.
I really hope they show how the other kids, from last season, are doing. After the season finale, I felt like Michael and Namond were the only ones that had any real closure to their storylines (for the season anyway). Since we now know Dookie is living and working with Michael, the only one we haven't seen is Randy. And considering how his final scene played out I'm real curious to find out what has transpired since then.
No matter what though, I am so happy this show is back. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go get me one of those roller-coaster safety harness for my couch. It's gonna be one hell of a ride this season.
LiquidMantis wrote:
God damn, the last 10 minutes of episode 3. Everything's going pear-shaped.
"YOU SPOIL, YOU GET SPOILED! AAAAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Actually I read somewhere recently (unfortunately I can't remember where) that David Simon often cites that incident with the Xerox machine as something that actually happened during his time working with the police.
Xbox Live: hubbinsd
Yes, Simon recounted that same incident in the book "Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets". In fact a lot of the material for The Wire came from Simon's year embedded in the homicide department of the Baltimore PD. It is an absolutely amazing book, and if you like The Wire then you must read it ASAP.
Don't forget, this Sunday is the 90 minute series finale for The Wire.
This season got off to a bit of a shaky start but really turned the corner in the last few episodes. (In a previous post I stated that the low number of episodes this season was David Simon's choice, but I was mistaken, it was forced on him by HBO due to budget constraints, which is probably why it seemed a little rushed at the start).
This show has so many memorable moments and characters, it's a real shame it all has to come to an end.
I agree. Other than the tedious newspaper subplot, this has turned out to be a fine season, filled with great moments. It's especially nice that the show didn't forget characters from earlier seasons, especially the kids from season 4. Heck, even a few of the dockworkers got a moment.
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It has definitely been the weakest season, but it is still an order of magnitude better than almost any other show out there. The past few episodes have really been a return to form. I'm sad to see it go, but I'm drooling for that full-series DVD box
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Great show I caught up to the 5th season by cramming in the first 4 and although 5 is weaker then some of the previous still much better then the other crap on the mainstream networks.
The next episode being the last kinda makes sense as to where they are in the story arch I was really wondering what they would do if they had more episodes. Kinda interested in the add they ran for the subplots mini-series. Hopefully the young Omar mini series makes up for this season. He deserved better IMO even though I think they were trying to make point with his character.
Just want to second hubbinsd and jowner, with extra emphasis on this part:
LiquidMantis wrote:
So the series finale has come and went. Did anybody else think that the ending was extremely bitter? It seems that the final statement is that crime does pay and that holding to your ideals gets you shafted in the end. What really upset me was the ending for the journalist, but coming from a writing background I suppose it really hits me on a personal level. I guess I'll sleep on it and see what I think about it in the morning.
"The light at the end of the tunnel is just the light of an oncoming train." - Robert Lowell
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As I said earlier, the newspaper plot never really interested me. It lacked the verisimilitude of the rest of the show. Did love the Templeton-McNulty scene.
I get the show is supposed to be about the failure of institutions, but, as pointed out here, unlike with the police and schools and the rest, they didn't really nail the source of the failings of the press - it's not in the press's interest to shield and support serial fabricators. And it's frustrating because there are plenty of serious problems with newspapers and journalism today that they barely skimmed.
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I think they were saying that the press is an institution just like any other - subject to the same weaknesses of personal ambition, self-preservation, and a willingness to exploit anything to maintain the status quo.
The ending seemed only half bitter to me...I was surprised that the McNulty/Freemond plotline ended up as tidy as it did. And sheeeeit, I would've loved one more Clay Davis scene.
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Being in a major where I'm point blank with future reporters, I really have to say that this last season resonated with me way more than what it seems to have with everyone else. And I just really liked Gil as a character that I was willing to follow him on his journey trying to toe the line between keeping his job and retaining his integrity when the two were in direct conflict of one another.
That that particular storyline brought one of the two truly good reporters to Bubs alone was more than worth it, because you had to have the bad to really see just how right they did by him. And to have something good finally happen to Bubs really was the one item that I could look back on from time to time, and feel the whole journey's worth it.
The best season had to have been Season 4 for me, but I'd really put this last one up there.
My only regret is that we never got to see Omar's quest for revenge come to fruition. There are very few characters on any kind of screen that I would list over him.
"Time traveling terrorists are no laughing matter, Malor." - *Legion* quote #30201
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It was the correct ending to the series. If the good guys won, it would've been unbelievable, seeing as how they're trying to show the real Baltimore.
Random thoughts:
I would've loved one more scene of Clay Davis saying sheeeit. I hated him in Season 3/4, but loved him in 5. I'm not a fan of repeating a line/catchphrase but man I love saying sheeeit.
Seeing Dookie shoot up in the ending montage was a gut punch to me. Very depressing.
I really wanted to see Marlo get hurt, I mean tortured kind of hurt. I had no problem with anybody else, but a man who survives by having no honor is disgusting to me. The proper ending would've had the Greek's men come and kill him as Marlo knew too much and was cutting deals with the police. They dropped the ball on that logic.
I would've liked just a little more information about the kid who ended up in the orphanage, just a glimpse in the ending montage would've been enough.
Elysium wrote:
XBL: elliottxW
I know I'm way late to the party on this (as with Galactica) but I just had a marathon post-finals TV fest with The Wire, and watched all 5 seasons in like 2 weeks.
Loved it. I think seasons 1, 3 and 5 were the best. Seasons 2 (the docks/avon in jail) and 4 (Marlo introduction/Prez as a teacher,) seemed like interstitial bits on the way to something more meaningful.
Some of the events of season 5 were a total suckerpunch. The way Omar was killed, the way Bodie was killed, the ending for Marlo, etc. were just stunning, in both the positive and negative senses.
I thought Marlo's ending pretty much implied that he was headed back to jail, that he would never be able to live the straight life, and would inevitably be crucified, as his lawyer warned him. He leaves the high society schmooze-fest to go get in a pointless throwdown over a nothing corner, which seems to speak to his future.
I wasn't super thrilled about the fake serial killer plotline, but it was an interesting take on Freeman's character, that he would take part in it.
In all, I'm fine with it being called one of the best shows of all time. As a collective body of work, it's really pretty stunning. Moments like the death of Stringer, Omar, Bodie and Snoop were some of the most powerful TV moments I've seen (though I've admittedly never seen the Sopranos.)
"PEACE ON EARTH. GOOD WILL TO MEN. PUBLIC SHELTER. ADMISSION 50¢"
The Sopranos isn't really in the same league. (Disclaimer: I stopped watching after maybe series three? However, I didn't get the impression it got better after that).