The Wire

Definetly the most realistic show I have ever watch. You can feel for all of the characters, there is no certain good nor evil like the real life. Acting is also amazing, a piece of fine art. The Wire is a must watch show, trust me you won't regret it.

I don't even no where to begin to explain how much I love The Wire! It's a crime drama that takes place in Baltimore. It takes a gritty look into the lives of everyone from police officers to gang members to drug users to political figures, etc. The writing and acting for this amazing series is down right brilliant. All you have to do is read through the reviews to see how loved this show really is. The consistency of the greatness of this show throughout all five seasons is ridiculous. The gritty attention to detail makes this series feel so real. It's easily one of the best shows of all-time.

This Review is aimed at anyone who has never seen the wire, but may have heard about it from about 3000 people recommending you should watch it. I watched the wire about 3 years ago well after the series concluded, and watched it in the same binge watching way I watched The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and Game of thrones. I won't compare The Wire to these shows because they are not really comparable other than the fact they are some of the greatest shows ever, but are completely different. The wire isn't about drug dealing, the police, politics, or the education system, it is about the entire city of Baltimore. I'll admit The Wire isn't for everyone, it may be too violent or complex with the vast amount of characters and side stories for some, but I guarantee if you are a film and TV series lover and appreciate writing, acting, and an abundance of interesting characters, the wire is pretty much perfect in these regards. Each Season changes slightly in which facet of the city it will mainly cover, and becomes more complex as the series progresses. This show has without a doubt some of the most interesting characters, and best writing I have ever seen on a series. Even small side characters have intriguing stories that progress throughout the entire series, and I have never seen more attention to detail. This show isn't built up with such high expectations for people who haven't seen it for no reason, watch it , and there is about a 99.99% chance you will become one of those previously mentioned 3000 people recommending it to everyone you know who hasn't seen it.

This series not winning an Emmy, is why awards are nonsense. Andre Royo alone deserves one for every season this show was on.

I don't subscribe to HBO. A couple of weeks ago I heard an interview with a young actor from this series on NPR. It was described as a "gritty crime drama" with many Baltimore locals portraying variations on themselves. The interview made it sound interesting enough that I decided to check out the first season on DVD.

After the first few episodes I became seriously hooked and devoted 36 hours of the next ten days to the show.

Having now watched the first 3 seasons, I believe it to be the best television series I have seen.

I do not understand why this show hasn't generated the buzz or the awards of HBO's other series, such as the Sopranos or Deadwood. It is more gripping, faster paced, and more intelligent. The other shows can be a bit plodding, with plot lines that go nowhere, and a few characters I don't much care about. That wasn't the case here.

The show is a cross between the Sopranos and the old NBC show Homicide: Life on the Street. The crime/sopranos side and the law/Homicide side run in parallel. Individually, the parallel plot lines are compelling. In tandem, they are complimentary and brilliant.

There is no way to avoid having "the best show ever" tag sound like anything but silly hype--regardless, what makes this show substantially better than any other realistic and compelling crime or police drama is the fact it is... searching. It doesn't just delve into the individual psychologies motivating these people (ala the Sopranos) or the complex interactions amongst the members of a community (ala Deadwood) it asks "what the hell can be done for all of these people" and points out the problems with any and all of the answers.

It's truly brilliant. If you like intelligent television, I envy the enjoyment you will have watching this for the first time.