The Wire Season Finale (Spoilers)

Wow. Just... wow.

The season finales up to now have been mostly bittersweet positive.

This one, though... insane. Everything danced on the edge of a knife, and aside from Namond's storyline, Murphy's Law just hit. All the kids taking the brunt of it.

And I'd had a horrible feeling about Bodie after last week.

I don't think I've really been as emotionally invested in a show as I am in this one. Dexter or Sleeper Cell might if they stick around. But still... I'm in awe.

The actor playing Bodie really nailed it. That scene where he was talking about being tired, he somehow managed to pull it off, this 20-something looking kid talking about how he was getting old. And when he got shot, I knew it was coming, but I just wanted it to end any other way.

I'm glad it looks like Jimmy is getting back in the game, I've missed his character.

It's going to be an interesting final season.

Based on the date of this post, and the context, this appears to be discussing the end of season 4.

I'm WAY late to the party, but just finished season 4. (no season 5 spoilers, please). This was without a doubt the single best individual TV season I've ever seen.

For years I'd read The Wire this, and The Wire that, and saw comments about it being one of the best TV shows ever produced. For some reason, it never appealed to me enough to make me want to get started in it, but man I was so, so wrong.

This show has completely opened my eyes to the perils and hardships of inner-city life, and elevating people - even gangsters, to the level of humanity, something more than just 'thugs', is perhaps this show's greatest achievement.

This show is a masterpiece.

I deeply love every moment of The Wire, but season 4 hit particularly hard, as I was working with at-risk youth at the time. Also, Bodie was one of my favorites.

Enjoy the final ride, Jeff.

Up to Season 2 myself, it's all very nautical at the moment.

In a tragic example of life imitating art, Baltimore has had 35 shootings since last Friday.

My brother and his son are in town and want to tour the city. I may just have his kid wear my class 3 vest.

The show is definitely not doing the city any favor. If I think about Baltimore, I think about how I'll never have to go there.

Got to keep the devil way down in the hole.

Thirteenth wrote:

The show is definitely not doing the city any favor. If I think about Baltimore, I think about how I'll never have to go there.

That's true of many cities, though I'm sure there's a big difference between inner city and suburbs and other aspects of the city. Several scenes in The Wire showed some beautiful aspects of Baltimore, IMO.

@Paleocon, that sucks man. That seems to be happening elsewhere too -- Chicago, Detroit, etc. I mean, at a higher rate than normal.

SpacePPoliceman wrote:

Also, Bodie was one of my favorites.

He was an interesting character, but remember

Spoiler:

he shot an innocent kid in the face, a cold blooded murder, in season one I think it was

My favorite characters in the show are:

IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/P6q6Q6I.jpg)

and one of the greatest supporting characters ever:

IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/ZusSs35.jpg)

Jeff-66 wrote:
SpacePPoliceman wrote:

Also, Bodie was one of my favorites.

He was an interesting character, but remember

Spoiler:

he shot an innocent kid in the face, a cold blooded murder, in season one I think it was

Spoiler:

Actually, it was Poot who shot that kid.

IMAGE(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb52/The_Playlist/movies/Poot_wire.jpg)

Bodie was stalling, and appeared unable to shoot him, so Poot did.

Bubbles, Omar and Kima for me..

IMAGE(http://www.gabrielglewis.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/The_Wire_Greggs.jpg)

Oh, and Petyr Baelish:
IMAGE(http://i.lv3.hbo.com/assets/images/series/the-wire/episodes/3/34/slapstick-01-1024.jpg)

Redwing wrote:

Up to Season 2 myself, it's all very nautical at the moment.

Season 2 is quite different from the others, thematically, but still relevant. It's focus seems to be on developing McNulty's character.

What are you guys' thoughts on Bubble's relationship to the 2 young men he traveled around with? I don't get the slightest hint of it being sexual attraction, but to me it rather seems like he's a father figure to them. He seems to care deeply for them, like a father would for his son.

I swear I could write a book on this show, and all it's depths. It's just freakin' brilliant.

VicD714 wrote:
Spoiler:

Bodie was stalling, and appeared unable to shoot him, so Poot did.

Really?

Spoiler:

I do remember Poot taking a shot, but I thought the boy fell, still alive, and it was Bodie that put the final shot into the kid. I could just be misrembering. If I'm wrong, then it makes Bodie's death pretty tragic.

edit:

Jeff-66 wrote:
VicD714 wrote:
Spoiler:

Bodie was stalling, and appeared unable to shoot him, so Poot did.

Really?

Spoiler:

I do remember Poot taking a shot, but I thought the boy fell, still alive, and it was Bodie that put the final shot into the kid. I could just be misrembering. If I'm wrong, then it makes Bodie's death pretty tragic.

Spoiler:

Bodie was, indeed, stalling until Poot shouts at him to, basically, do it or not, at which point Bodie does. It's a bad gut shot, so Poot takes the gun and finishes Wallace. Bodie and Poot mention it in season 4 while discussing Marlo's murder-happy regime--Bodie says it was something they had no choice in doing, which is denying responsibility, but at the same time...not entirely untrue.

I do recall what Bodie did, but everyone on the show is tainted a bit.

Jeff-66 wrote:

What are you guys' thoughts on Bubble's relationship to the 2 young men he traveled around with? I don't get the slightest hint of it being sexual attraction, but to me it rather seems like he's a father figure to them. He seems to care deeply for them, like a father would for his son.

I think Johnny was just his getting high buddy, or henchman, but Bubs does seem gifted in attracting lost souls. With Sharrod, I think, yeah, it was a father-son sort of thing. He was young and dumb enough that Bubs wanted to protect and guide him, but, natch, it didn't end well either.

Long have I said my favorite character on The Wire is the one I'm talking about at the time, but I reserve special places for Bubs, Lester, Bunk, Avon, Omar, Cutty, Wee-Bey, Chris, and Slim Charles.

IMAGE(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l4nq-K82Kqo/Tz5OLnwW8hI/AAAAAAAAAyg/vVZ3SaAyIJc/s1600/wee-bey-gif.gif)

Jeff-66 wrote:

I don't get the slightest hint of it being sexual attraction, but to me it rather seems like he's a father figure to them. He seems to care deeply for them, like a father would for his son.

That's how I saw it as well. It was really excellent acting for him to both show that he cared for Johnny at the same time as he helped enable him to keep circling the drain.

SpacePPoliceman wrote:
Spoiler:

Bodie was, indeed, stalling until Poot shouts at him to, basically, do it or not, at which point Bodie does. It's a bad gut shot, so Poot takes the gun and finishes Wallace. Bodie and Poot mention it in season 4 while discussing Marlo's murder-happy regime--Bodie says it was something they had no choice in doing, which is denying responsibility, but at the same time...not entirely untrue.

Yeah, I linked the vid clip of that scene above (for others). The point was made that Bodie was a favorite, but I held disdain for him, due to what we're discussing. Still, you make a good point, that they themselves (Poot & Bodie) are pinned, due to the nature of "the game". It's kind of do or die.

SpacePPoliceman wrote:

Long have I said my favorite character on The Wire is the one I'm talking about at the time, but I reserve special places for Bubs, Lester, Bunk, Avon, Omar, Cutty, Wee-Bey, and Slim Charles.

That's part of what amazes me about this show, so many great characters, and nearly all of them have depth to them and aren't just cookie cutter 'good guys' and 'bad guys'.

I'd like to point out one more (keeping in mind, I have yet to watch Season 5). Marlo's muscle man, Chris. In terms of how The Wire shows you little things, often subtle glimpses into who they are.

re: Chris

Spoiler:

remember when Michael asks Marlo for the favor regarding the boyfriend who had moved in with he and his mother and brother. There is strong indication that the man was a pedophile, and thus Michael's strong desire to protect his brother. So Michael apparently tells Marlo this, in justifying why he wants the bf 'gone'.

As usual, Chris & Snoop do the work, but Chris this time loses his careful ways, and goes completely ballistic on the guy (hell of a gruesome scene, btw), and beats the man to death right out in the alley. He is obviously enraged. Even Snoop is stunned, and says "damn motherf*cka, you d'in even get him up in da house!"

This was a glimpse, I thought, at displaying Chris' background, suggesting he was a victim of sexual abuse himself.

And btw, speaking of Snoop. I freakin' loved that character. She's cold blooded as hell, but I found her endlessly entertaining

IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/ATDWTxh.jpg)

Jeff-66 wrote:

I stand corrected.

Guess that's my cue to go watch the entire series again. Thanks for giving me reason, Jeff.

EDIT: No one mentions Stringer Bell as a fave? I, is disappoint!

2nd EDIT: Speaking of Snoop. The opening scene of season 4(?), when she is talking to a hardware salesman about nail guns, is one of my all time favorite scenes of any show.

VicD714 wrote:

2nd EDIT: Speaking of Snoop. The opening scene of season 4(?), when she is talking to a hardware salesman about nail guns, is one of my all time favorite scenes of any show.

Couldn't agree more. It was also very tense. It reminded me of the 'on the edge' feeling that The Sopranos was so good at inducing.

edit: great call, bombsfall! another amazing character.

Jeff-66 wrote:

Still, you make a good point, that they themselves (Poot & Bodie) are pinned, due to the nature of "the game". It's kind of do or die.

Back in season 1, when Bodie and Poot are discussing it, Bodie lays it out as "We either step up or step off." And sad as it is to say, if they stepped off, then what would they do?

There are a lot of people who hated those two at the end of season 1 who were upset by the end of season 4. Contrapment!

Jeff-66 wrote:
Spoiler:

This was a glimpse, I thought, at displaying Chris' background, suggesting he was a victim of sexual abuse himself.

Yes indeed, and:

Spoiler:

I made the case elsewhere that every character has a human piece, good or ill, that the Game can't touch. For Chris, its the terrifying rage at his abuse, that makes him act in that unprofessional manner. Everyone has that little something, except for perhaps the Greek.

Werd on Brother Mouzone. He's often criticized as being a bit cartoony and over the top, but I still love him.

Damn am I giddy to be talking about this stuff again!

SpacePPoliceman wrote:

Damn am I giddy to be talking about this stuff again!

Yeah. The Bodie / Poot stuff takes me back to episode 1 when D Barksdale was explaining chess and the role of pawns. If this show was new on TV now it would be my favorite show all over again.

Interesting fact for the Snoop fans (I'm one). She was plucked out of obscurity in Baltimore. She was in jail at one time herself.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felicia_Pearson

When the show ended I wrote that the show was poetry. I still stand by that statement.

DSGamer wrote:

Yeah. The Bodie / Poot stuff takes me back to episode 1 when D Barksdale was explaining chess and the role of pawns. If this show was new on TV now it would be my favorite show all over again.

Holy sh*t, I'd forgotten that. And that was brought full circle when Bodie & McNulty have their conversation on the park bench.

paraphrasing but ...

Bodie: "This game is rigged. We're like those little muthaf*ckas in chess"

McNulty: "pawns".

bombsfall wrote:

His cartoonyness was good. Having one or two characters like that in a really naturalistic kind of show works well. Only one or two, and use them sparingly.

Omar being the other. Omar is larger than life, and despite the nature of the game, it feels like his character is untouchable by the writers. Like he is the one guy in the game who was going to come out on top. One of the best characters ever in TV, IMO.

Just learned (via Wikipedia) that one of my other favorite characters, Prop Joe, passed away this year, at the age of 52

IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/OUwOvqE.jpg)

RIP, big guy.

Jeff-66 wrote:

Just learned (via Wikipedia) that one of my other favorite characters, Prop Joe, passed away this year, at the age of 52

Yeah, it hasn't been the best year for late-middle age actors of a certain girth with iconic HBO roles.

Joe, of course, gave the final word in sartorial advice:

Just about finishing up season 5 with my parents now (my second viewing, parents 1st)

I think anybody going into Season 5 deserves the following warning, there is one storyline in it that is bloody stupid and thus makes it the weakest season.

That said The Wire is, at the moment (I still have to finish watching The West Wing) the second greatest tv show I have ever seen, just after Band of Brothers.

Oh and as for my fav scene (spoiler warning I guess, just not a major one)

You f*ckers are making me want to watch the series again.

IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/FCj4uqK.jpg)

The Wire was a slow burn for me. I stalled on season 2 because it was a show that you really need to pay a lot of attention to and te new subject matter turned me off a bit. Then I decided to stick with it and it quickly become one of my favorite seasons. From there I just binge watched it all.

As someone who's wife's job is a middle school teacher, season 4 hit home the most and I generally found the whole subject matter really interesting.

TempestBlayze wrote:

The Wire was a slow burn for me. I stalled on season 2 because it was a show that you really need to pay a lot of attention to and te new subject matter turned me off a bit. Then I decided to stick with it and it quickly become one of my favorite seasons. From there I just binge watched it all.

As someone who's wife's job is a middle school teacher, season 4 hit home the most and I generally found the whole subject matter really interesting.

Pryzbelewski's transition was extremely cool. If you remember, in season 1 he pistol whips a kid, and is subsequently sent to desk work. He came across as a spoiled asshole who got the job because of his father in law was up the chain of command. But he begins to change, and discovers he has a talent for research. His unfortunate event later and he becomes a teacher, where he does a full 180, and develops a deep care and concern for his students. His compassion and kindness towards Dookie was very moving. His whole evolution was just really great.

If you guys ever want to read a very deep, very insightful episode by episode synopsis of The Wire, I highly recommend What's Alan Watching