Skip to main content

The Wire: Realism at its Peak


 HBO the television giant is known for recent shows such as world wide phenomenon Game of Thrones and more recently Euphoria. But, before the inception of those shows, HBO already had a host of really great shows and the one I will be discussing  today is the cult classic "The Wire" which I had the honor of seeing during the course of my stay at home during this COVID pandemic.


  The Wire can be technically described as a crime show but in my opinion it's way deeper than that. The HBO show has no true protagonist or antagonist and instead decides to focus on the different elements that operate within the United States city of Baltimore. The premise of the first season that follows through the entirety of the series is the investigation of criminal organizations through the use of government approved wire taps and as basic as that may sound on paper, the show goes ahead to introduce us to the city and it's very interesting citizens who are good, bad, and straight up just hustling.

 During the course of these past few months I've been really bored and found solace in watching one piece, listening to music and watching TV shows. I finished the first season of the wire in months not because it was boring but slow but I got back into it and easily binged everything including its ten episode fifth season. I love the show for so many reasons but I'll try to talk about the major reasons below.

STORY

 The Wire's story had no obligation to be so good. It's honestly perfect in my opinion because, it tells the story of Baltimore's system; Cops trying to do their jobs and catch "criminals", the criminals trying to hustle and survive no matter what and everything else in between. The setting in the city of Baltimore as well as the way different story arcs intertwine is something masterful and excellent to watch. It's a crime show with so much layers of depth and richness and the way it flows keeps you glued to the screen wondering what would happen next. I remember watching the second season which was a drastic change in terms of focus compared to the first and wondering what exactly was going on and why I wasn't seeing characters I was familiar with. But then, I started liking the new characters and shortly after, saw where the show runners were going in terms of connectivity to the already established lore. The way they did it made it feel like a crossover but like within the same show and they also made sure there was little to no fan service and made sure it was very grounded. 

REALISM

 I think what truly sets the wire apart from other shows with similar premise is it's dedication to authenticity of realism. They are details on the show that if you  notice will honestly blow your mind because you'd feel as though they didn't need to go that far while still appreciating the show runners level of care and dedication to the critically acclaimed series. When I say realism, I'm talking things happening in the background of a scene, no character being safe, no cliché tropes, no overusing of fan favorite characters and picking subtlety instead of more extravagant approach to story telling. 

CHARACTERS

 After seeing all five seasons of the wire, I took a while to really think about the show and I found it crazy how some of the most beloved characters on the show have very limited screen time compared to fan favorite characters from other shows. I think this is because of the way they're written on the show. The characters of the wire are all interesting and most of them grow quite significantly through out the course of the series. I remember feeling extremely gutted by the death of a certain character during one of its latter seasons. It was crazy because this was a character that honestly pissed me off so much initially but then, there I was feeling incredibly sad for their passing. If you watch this show, you'll have a host of favorite characters and I won't be shocked if yours are completely different from mine that's because I think they all are written extremely well and can connect to audiences differently. There are a host of great characters in the forefront of the series as well as the background characters as well. 


All in all, the wire is one of the greatest shows I have watched and arguably one of the greatest of all time. It's extremely well written, smart, and focused on showing you the full unedited picture that is the city of Baltimore. I highly recommend you watch it if you're a fan of well written, mature shows and I hope you enjoy it like I did if you do. 

                                    

If you liked this post, leave a comment, share and if you have more stuff you'd like me to talk about, be free to let me know in the comment section. 

Written By

Comments

Post a Comment

The Popular Posts

AQUAMAN: A TITANIC WAVE!

Written By
    So I just saw Aquaman and I've got a couple of things to say. Before I start, if you were worried about it being bad, you're safe; it's not.  So let's start from the most essential part of the film; 1. THE STORY Arthur and his Father     Before I started, I was a bit scared that the film would act as a justice league sequel of sorts rather than an aquaman stand alone film and I was glad to see that they only referenced the film once and it was for about four seconds.  Aquaman isn't trying to set up a million future films or anything, it's focused on the story and the story is really simple. Arthur and Mera journeying together    There's a cliché fate of the world stake but this time, the stakes revolve around Arthur himself.  This fight is not for the justice league, it's a personal journey of Arthur Curry, the half breed known as the Aquaman.  Loosely based on the new52 storyline; Throne of Atlantis, Aquaman...
Post a Comment
Read more

First Listen: Hamond - Pirate Radio

Written By
  since i heard  windows , i have been sloppy on Hamond.  Pirate Radio  is almost everything i imagine indie pop to be. it's glittery, experimental, vocal, and hard work. half the time, i don't even understand his poetry but it sounds so  damn good . the other half explores experiences of failed/failing relationships, problematic partners, and misplaced gaiety. storytelling like this always gets me into a frenzy, especially with fitting production.  the unconventional mix and production sets this art piece aside from the rest within its genre. especially the drums. nothing cliché with his lyrics or style of music. just pure, honest music that makes me bust some ass to his misfortune. 😀 mehn, it is definitely one of the better listens from 2022. give it a spin?
Post a Comment
Read more

First Listen: SZA - SOS

Written By
much like Kendrick Lamar with Mr Morale & The Big Steppers , SOS is several things. underwhelming being one. the twenty three song album is not what you expect of an artiste that's been away from the solo scene for five years. note: is it a bad album? no. so does it possess the dawg? sadly, no. SOS is that album with a poorly mixed intro, forgettable songs, i-will-need-more-listens, and (of course) a few songs that are actually GREAT ! we all know the theme of the album but one of the reason it fails might be because too much is happening. one minute it's rnb/soul, next minute it's (t)rap. i mean... F2F is rock ffs. there's also lyricsm that reminds us of kdot. coincidence? it's definitely not an album i'll be spinning often but hopefully a couple listens changes my opinion . & just so we're clear, CTRL is the better album and Phoebe Bridgers is amazing!
1 comment
Read more

Severance: An Unforgettable Thriller

Written By
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you didn't remember the stress of your workplace when you get home? From the mind of Dan Erickson, directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle, Severance offers an answer to the aforementioned question and pushes the limit by asking " when your consciousness is spilt into two, which one is the real you? " The series follows a severed employee at Lumon, Mark who has recently been promoted to the Head of Microdata and Refinement Department after the sudden resignation of his boss and the recruitment of a new employee, Helly Riggs. Plot Severance has a unique plot, while the execution of a series without a definite blueprint can prove difficult, it does not fall into this hole. The series answers (almost)all the questions it poses in the first few episodes but ends on a note that will leave you spiraling and brimming with inquisitiveness.  Characters For every character, we follow two distinct ...
1 comment
Read more