The Wire

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.

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

The Wire absolutely, without a doubt, lives up to all the hype and love it gets. The storytelling is so ridiculously good and that's because that this is one of the best written shows in television history. It's one of those rare shows where every season is just as good as the others. It's ranked #6 All-Time with a 9.3 rating for a reason... because it's absolutely amazing! If you google any "best show ever" list you will find The Wire near the top of every single one. If you've never seen this incredible show then do yourself a favor and go watch it immediately and if you have seen it then go watch it again because it's just that good!

I have seen many brilliant shows, and The Wire is one of them. Even the word brilliant isn't enough to put into words how good this series is. The Wire is incredibly well made, with moody lighting, striking location work that also brings atmosphere and great photography, while the music is very haunting. The Wire with its thoughtful and tense dialogue also has some of the best writing of any show I've seen, the stories are ceaselessly compelling and the characters are rich and unforgettable. All the episodes are superbly directed, and very rarely do you feel cheated at the end of episodes. The acting is superb, Dominic West and Idris Elba are especially brilliant. In conclusion, phenomenal. 10/10 Bethany Cox

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.