FTA-TV The Wire

[Visions]

So after hearing rumours and opinions on how good this show was, decided to give it a go watching through Foxtel.

Six weeks and 5 seasons later have to say all that fanfare was correct. This show is awesome! And fcuk me if Bunk Moreland isnt my all time favourite character ever now. Absolutely brilliant.

My two favourite scenes. First the murder in the kitchen where Bunk and McNulty solve what happened. Must have rewound that 10 times on viewing. Unbelievable how only uttering one word (repeated many times mind you) can be such gripping television. Secondly the photocopier lie detector in season 5. Had me in stitches.

Found it quite clever how they went the full circle of life with Michael becoming the new Omar, Dukie the new Bubbles and Sydnor the new McNulty. Shows that nothing really changes in the game but the players themselves.

Reading this thread, a lot people dont like season 2. I actually enjoyed it, especially the way it ties in the docks with the drug supply for the Baltimore housing projects.

Also a lot of people feel that season 5 was unbelievable story telling with the murders being set up by McNulty. While l think it was the weakest season of the lot (despite some great moments), I feel it would have been easier to do what McNulty did and get away with it moreso than the Hamsterdam precinct set up by Bunny. Cant see how that wouldn’t have gone belly up within a few days with the hierarchy with so many people in the know about it.

Anyhow The Wire is up near the top of the tree, haven’t seen Sopranos so cant compare there (saw a few episodes a decade ago but didn’t get into it).

Next on the list will be others recommended in this thread, Homicide LOTS, The Corner and l recall watching Oz back in the day but cant remember if l watched it all so will give that a go.

 

[Billy ray]

Ive started listening to “the wire stripped” podcast. Each episode reviews each wire episode.
There are a few others on my list to listen to also which do the same

 

[rocker_oz33]

So after hearing rumours and opinions on how good this show was, decided to give it a go watching through Foxtel.

Six weeks and 5 seasons later have to say all that fanfare was correct. This show is awesome! And fcuk me if Bunk Moreland isnt my all time favourite character ever now. Absolutely brilliant.

My two favourite scenes. First the murder in the kitchen where Bunk and McNulty solve what happened. Must have rewound that 10 times on viewing. Unbelievable how only uttering one word (repeated many times mind you) can be such gripping television. Secondly the photocopier lie detector in season 5. Had me in stitches.

Found it quite clever how they went the full circle of life with Michael becoming the new Omar, Dukie the new Bubbles and Sydnor the new McNulty. Shows that nothing really changes in the game but the players themselves.

Reading this thread, a lot people dont like season 2. I actually enjoyed it, especially the way it ties in the docks with the drug supply for the Baltimore housing projects.

Also a lot of people feel that season 5 was unbelievable story telling with the murders being set up by McNulty. While l think it was the weakest season of the lot (despite some great moments), I feel it would have been easier to do what McNulty did and get away with it moreso than the Hamsterdam precinct set up by Bunny. Cant see how that wouldn’t have gone belly up within a few days with the hierarchy with so many people in the know about it.

Anyhow The Wire is up near the top of the tree, haven’t seen Sopranos so cant compare there (saw a few episodes a decade ago but didn’t get into it).

Next on the list will be others recommended in this thread, Homicide LOTS, The Corner and l recall watching Oz back in the day but cant remember if l watched it all so will give that a go.

Irish show Love/Hate..

 

[estibador]

Reading this thread, a lot people dont like season 2. I actually enjoyed it, especially the way it ties in the docks with the drug supply for the Baltimore housing projects.

S2 ended up being one of my favourites. At first I was disappointed that they'd moved away from the dealers in the projects but it grew and grew on me. The death of the head dockworker at the end of the season was one of the most poignant of the show for me.

 

[MC Bad Genius]

So after hearing rumours and opinions on how good this show was, decided to give it a go watching through Foxtel.

Six weeks and 5 seasons later have to say all that fanfare was correct. This show is awesome! And fcuk me if Bunk Moreland isnt my all time favourite character ever now. Absolutely brilliant.

My two favourite scenes. First the murder in the kitchen where Bunk and McNulty solve what happened. Must have rewound that 10 times on viewing. Unbelievable how only uttering one word (repeated many times mind you) can be such gripping television. Secondly the photocopier lie detector in season 5. Had me in stitches.

Found it quite clever how they went the full circle of life with Michael becoming the new Omar, Dukie the new Bubbles and Sydnor the new McNulty. Shows that nothing really changes in the game but the players themselves.

Reading this thread, a lot people dont like season 2. I actually enjoyed it, especially the way it ties in the docks with the drug supply for the Baltimore housing projects.

Also a lot of people feel that season 5 was unbelievable story telling with the murders being set up by McNulty. While l think it was the weakest season of the lot (despite some great moments), I feel it would have been easier to do what McNulty did and get away with it moreso than the Hamsterdam precinct set up by Bunny. Cant see how that wouldn’t have gone belly up within a few days with the hierarchy with so many people in the know about it.

Anyhow The Wire is up near the top of the tree, haven’t seen Sopranos so cant compare there (saw a few episodes a decade ago but didn’t get into it).

Next on the list will be others recommended in this thread, Homicide LOTS, The Corner and l recall watching Oz back in the day but cant remember if l watched it all so will give that a go.

Six weeks for the whole series is a pretty mammoth effort, but totally understandable. It's so compelling it's almost addictive. Full of amazing characters, great plots and an incredibly fleshed out context for everything that goes on in Baltimore. I agree that Season 2 was fantastic as well (for that world-building context), but can see how the change of pace might've turned people off a bit at the time. But it weaves in with all the later seasons so brilliantly.

 

[swingdog]

Six weeks for the whole series is a pretty mammoth effort, but totally understandable. It's so compelling it's almost addictive. Full of amazing characters, great plots and an incredibly fleshed out context for everything that goes on in Baltimore. I agree that Season 2 was fantastic as well (for that world-building context), but can see how the change of pace might've turned people off a bit at the time. But it weaves in with all the later seasons so brilliantly.

Season 4 - the schools - for me.

Got to remember that Season 5 was truncated because of the writers' strike that year. That's why it feels rushed.

 

[Visions]

Season 4 - the schools - for me.

Got to remember that Season 5 was truncated because of the writers' strike that year. That's why it feels rushed.

Also had less episodes than the others so that added to it feeling rushed trying to tie up all of it.

They could have explored Randy’s connection to Cheese in more detail and even Cutty’s character seemed to have been cut off abruptly. They didnt even show him at the end with the montage of all the other main characters from memory nor Avon Barksdale who we should have at least got one final shot of in jail.

 

[DaveyBoy123]

So after hearing rumours and opinions on how good this show was, decided to give it a go watching through Foxtel.

Six weeks and 5 seasons later have to say all that fanfare was correct. This show is awesome! And fcuk me if Bunk Moreland isnt my all time favourite character ever now. Absolutely brilliant.

Similar situation to myself... Although, I watched one season per month.

The one thing that stands out to me now that it has been completed is that I miss all these characters. There are so many shades of grey to these characters, whether you think they're good, bad or even indifferent. Look at someone like Clay Davis, who is hard to like. And yet, sheeeeiiiiiitttttt, I'll miss the ba$****.

I'm also about to finish the excellent French series called 'The Bureau' and I will definitely have the same feeling with that show. The only difference there is that there are a lot less characters in that series than there are in 'The Wire'. No matter where you rank 'The Wire' in the greatest series of all time; as an ensemble, I don't think 'The Wire' will ever be topped.

 

[Visions]

I'm also about to finish the excellent French series called 'The Bureau' and I will definitely have the same feeling with that show. The only difference there is that there are a lot less characters in that series than there are in 'The Wire'. No matter where you rank 'The Wire' in the greatest series of all time; as an ensemble, I don't think 'The Wire' will ever be topped.

Just read up on the synopsis of The Bureau.

Sounds promising, will have to add it to my list.

 

[Hamingja]

S2 ended up being one of my favourites. At first I was disappointed that they'd moved away from the dealers in the projects but it grew and grew on me. The death of the head dockworker at the end of the season was one of the most poignant of the show for me.

S2 gets better every time you re-watch it, S5 goes in the opposite direction. McNulty S5 just way too far.

 

[rocker_oz33]

I didn't really get into S2 .esp early on.

Unlike most shows the wire starts each season from the start , new story.


Loved S3 & S4.


S5 was strange.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

The post-death bruising in S5 was a bridge too far. The red ribbons would have been enough

 

[MC Bad Genius]

The post-death bruising in S5 was a bridge too far. The red ribbons would have been enough

I watched Season 5 again earlier this year and found that I enjoyed it a lot more than I did before (not that I ever disliked it). Without wanting to delve into "fake news" conspiracy theories, the desperation of the reporter to keep the lie going (which itself was just based on laziness) rings even more true in 2021 than it did when the show was first released. And of course the bruising was too far, but it's a TV show and plenty of other storylines went a bit too far for dramatic effect, so I was OK with it in this instance too. Bloody McNulty.

 

[thejester]

S2 gets better every time you re-watch it, S5 goes in the opposite direction. McNulty S5 just way too far.

S2 was my favourite, although I haven't watched 5. I think it really solidifies the shows ideas about power and institutions: the dynamics you see in S1 aren't just a product of drug gangs and dysfunctional police departments, they're everywhere.

 

[swingdog]

If nothing else, Season 5 gave us this gem:

 

[Caesar]

S2 was my favourite, although I haven't watched 5. I think it really solidifies the shows ideas about power and institutions: the dynamics you see in S1 aren't just a product of drug gangs and dysfunctional police departments, they're everywhere.

S2 got a lot of crap at the time because it subverted a lot of expectations that S1 had created

Plus Ziggy was annoying as all *

 

[Strange Cat]

S2 got a lot of crap at the time because it subverted a lot of expectations that S1 had created

Plus Ziggy was annoying as all fu**

Couldn’t stand Ziggy and didn’t feel sorry for him when he was in prison

 

[rocker_oz33]

Anyone watch Treme?
From makers of the wire.
Prob won't get the action .

I will give it a go.

I downloaded S1 from Foxtel.

 

[Caesar]

I think Roobs321 is a big fan of Treme

 

[Billy ray]

ill check it out - 4 seasons from looks of it

 

[rocker_oz33]

Its on Foxtel just download from there.
30 odd eps.

 

[Ocha905]

Anyone watch Treme?
From makers of the wire.
Prob won't get the action .

I will give it a go.

I downloaded S1 from Foxtel.

I definitely enjoyed it and it introduced me to Jazz.
It’s a clear step below the Wire. Whilst it’s also about a city (New Orleans instead of Baltimore) it has far less social commentary and is more a celebration of “Nawlins” culture.
Be about an 8/10 from memory.

 

[MC Bad Genius]

Anyone watch Treme?
From makers of the wire.
Prob won't get the action .

I will give it a go.

I downloaded S1 from Foxtel.

I bloody loved it, but I loved New Orleans music before I started watching anyways. Lots of recurring actors from The Wire - I've often heard one of the characters referred to as Bunk with a 'Bone. It has a similar scope to The Wire in that it looks at lots of different layers of the city, but focuses more on the creative arts rather than the crime side of things.

I still remember the feeling I had after I watched the first episode. Even though I wanted to binge-watch the rest of the episode that were available, i wanted more to just watch that first episode over again. Or better yet, fly straight to the Big Easy and experience that episode for myself.

 

[BEaston]

Treme was ok, but I never finished it.

If you want something that's more in line with the vibe of The Wire (and closer in quality than Treme IMO), then watch The Deuce. 3 seasons, good story, great acting... similar gritty feel to The Wire.

 

[swingdog]

Anyone watch Treme?
From makers of the wire.
Prob won't get the action .

I will give it a go.

I downloaded S1 from Foxtel.

Loved Treme but it's got a different rhythm (slower) than The Wire. Again, it's about a city from a lot of different angles. The music is fantastic.