This is a fantastic video essay. The analysis is spot on, the comparisons and contrasts apt, and it’s beautifully constructed. It’s so funny that The Wire is my favorite show, Disco Elysium is my favorite game, but I hadn’t yet actively put thought into how they’re so similar in theming. The game is The Game.
Delightful! And my first time hearing your voice! Didn’t realize you were British but once I got over that, I realize you spoke really well. Good pacing, volume, and enunciation. And I will watch The Wire! You’ve sold me! (And I am joking about the British thing)
I always thought that the inspiration for Revachol were costal cities in England like Blackpool or Liverpool, because of the time the developers spent in England. From what I remember a lot of coastal cities were still struggling to recover from austerity, but so were a lot of other costal cities around the world.
This was a very interesting comparison :O I've heard so much about the wire, I should really give it a proper watch Very interesting video overall, it'd be great if you could make some more of these when you find the time and the right topics 👀
Thank you! Appreciate the kind words! I do plan on doing some more of this kind of thing, I at least plan to do one on True Detective in the future and we’ll see what comes after :)
Great video man, interesting to see these stories being compared. I got some issues with your take on Jimmy, though. "Each character wrestles with their own psychological issues, addictions and strained relationships with authority which complicates their ability to serve and protect. McNulty is a talented but extremely volatile detective who frequently clashes with his superiors undermining his own goal by refusing to follow the rules. His flaws, particularly his drinking and disregard for orders, both hinder and define his approach to solving cases. He's a representative of an officer who's more committed to his own ego and reputation than to his community, highlighting how personal ambitions and flaws can distort the purpose of policing." If you mean "reputation" as in his social validation, I agree that that's something he's committed to. But if you mean it as in his professional reputation, I hard disagree. He'll often, as you say, test his superiors and bend rules so as to press on with a given case, or even just to screw with people (take his giddy grudge against Rawls at beginning of season 2, for instance). Like Lester and Colvin, Jimmy is "natural pOHlice". A steadfast dedication to gathering and following evidence regardless of where it leads or who it implicates, unconstrained by quotas. So I'd say that his "disregard for orders" is more of a bi-product of his "natural police" core. It's not a defining feature of his character, it's more like "if orders need to be disregarded, so be it". I wouldn't necessarily call that a flaw either given the corrupt systems he's working under. I wouldn't call disregarding Valchek's orders to prioritise charging Frank Sobotka over gathering and following up evidence to solve Rawls' murders and uncover The Greek's operations a flaw. It's more of a hit he'd be willing to take to his career, let's say. I also think that Jimmy is committed to his community. Again, given that bro comes from the school of Bunny goddamn Colvin, it'd be unsurprising if his stats were weighed in favour of Motorics. That Savoir Faire would be spammed. Jimmy just knows how the streets work on a level deeper than most cops in Baltimore. Cutter will kick ass and not even bother to take names (of course it's Colvin who puts the kibosh on that). Jimmy, though, has repor with the Bodies and the Poots. He knows their names and their predicaments. He'll often get through to these younger soldiers by showing his understanding of their situations. He's not like the other cops. While I'd say that he is definitely fuelled by a desire for validation and an underlying high for being proven correct (he NEEDS Stringer to know he was caught on the wiretap), I wouldn't say that distorts the purpose of policing functionally. Yes, it's more about Jimmy than the community, but it's super important to highlight that he's still heavily invested in that community. That's part of why he's good police to begin with. Honestly I think you could do a whole ass video comparing Jimmy and Harry. Both elect to carry the world on their shoulders, both treat their bodies as tools for their work, falling into self-destructive spirals and working to the bone. But yeah super cool comparison here. I never thought to make it but it makes total sense!
Honestly I have some regrets about some of the things I said, and your feedback touches on a couple of them actually. I really want to do a video on Harry and other detectives to explore the similarities so perhaps I will do Jimmy the service he deserves 🫡
I noped right out of _The Wire_ after one episode, yet I'm _deep_ into the _Disco Elysium_ hole. Being interactive makes a _huge_ difference: it can present the reality without imposing a narrative or canonicalising a single outcome.
You can’t judge something as deep as the wire in one episode, I didn’t really fully understand until I watched it a second time! The wire really doesn’t impose one narrative or have a single outcome either, it makes Game Of Thrones look like CSI: Miami in terms of the writing.
So if every time you played this cop would run up and throw your boule, why did you keep playing there?
Got to man, this is Revachol
I was kinda hoping that this would be a buncha Wire clips with a Disco Elysium twist, but media analysis is good, too.
this is both a crossover i wasn’t expecting and was expecting at the same time
The Wire is so good. I wish Baltimore was real.
Just finished The Wire yesterday, Disco is my favorite game ever. Can't make up that this video just came out.
This is a fantastic video essay. The analysis is spot on, the comparisons and contrasts apt, and it’s beautifully constructed. It’s so funny that The Wire is my favorite show, Disco Elysium is my favorite game, but I hadn’t yet actively put thought into how they’re so similar in theming. The game is The Game.
Thank you so much! Can’t tell you how much I appreciate the kind words!
Yes, the same with me! McNulty is a definite parallel to Harry, a coastal city falling into ruin, corruption, the dockworkers... It's so obvious now 😅
Delightful! And my first time hearing your voice! Didn’t realize you were British but once I got over that, I realize you spoke really well. Good pacing, volume, and enunciation.
And I will watch The Wire! You’ve sold me! (And I am joking about the British thing)
Hehe thank you! So glad you enjoyed the video, definitely watch the wire! I still think even to this day it’s the greatest TV show of all time.
I always thought that the inspiration for Revachol were costal cities in England like Blackpool or Liverpool, because of the time the developers spent in England. From what I remember a lot of coastal cities were still struggling to recover from austerity, but so were a lot of other costal cities around the world.
Probably does! Me making a comparison to Baltimore doesn’t mean it was the inspiration :)
Transition into video essays? DE's a deep well for it. Basically untouched!
Respect the avoid a real job struggle.
Haha if only that was the case, my job is way too real.
@@The41stPrecinctUn jour, tu t'échapperas!
un jour nous le ferons tous
Really fantastic video essay! I'm a huge disco elysium fan and I really really love your channel.
Thank you! Really appreciate it :)
Dude first wolf Alice and now the wire. I swear we’re the same guy.
😎
Harry getting shot in The Mercenary Tribunal scene: You come at the King, you better not miss
The video I didn't know I needed
This was a very interesting comparison :O
I've heard so much about the wire, I should really give it a proper watch
Very interesting video overall, it'd be great if you could make some more of these when you find the time and the right topics 👀
Thank you! Appreciate the kind words! I do plan on doing some more of this kind of thing, I at least plan to do one on True Detective in the future and we’ll see what comes after :)
The Wire AND Disco Elysium? Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeet.
Great video man, interesting to see these stories being compared.
I got some issues with your take on Jimmy, though. "Each character wrestles with their own psychological issues, addictions and strained relationships with authority which complicates their ability to serve and protect. McNulty is a talented but extremely volatile detective who frequently clashes with his superiors undermining his own goal by refusing to follow the rules. His flaws, particularly his drinking and disregard for orders, both hinder and define his approach to solving cases. He's a representative of an officer who's more committed to his own ego and reputation than to his community, highlighting how personal ambitions and flaws can distort the purpose of policing."
If you mean "reputation" as in his social validation, I agree that that's something he's committed to. But if you mean it as in his professional reputation, I hard disagree. He'll often, as you say, test his superiors and bend rules so as to press on with a given case, or even just to screw with people (take his giddy grudge against Rawls at beginning of season 2, for instance). Like Lester and Colvin, Jimmy is "natural pOHlice". A steadfast dedication to gathering and following evidence regardless of where it leads or who it implicates, unconstrained by quotas. So I'd say that his "disregard for orders" is more of a bi-product of his "natural police" core. It's not a defining feature of his character, it's more like "if orders need to be disregarded, so be it". I wouldn't necessarily call that a flaw either given the corrupt systems he's working under. I wouldn't call disregarding Valchek's orders to prioritise charging Frank Sobotka over gathering and following up evidence to solve Rawls' murders and uncover The Greek's operations a flaw. It's more of a hit he'd be willing to take to his career, let's say.
I also think that Jimmy is committed to his community. Again, given that bro comes from the school of Bunny goddamn Colvin, it'd be unsurprising if his stats were weighed in favour of Motorics. That Savoir Faire would be spammed. Jimmy just knows how the streets work on a level deeper than most cops in Baltimore. Cutter will kick ass and not even bother to take names (of course it's Colvin who puts the kibosh on that). Jimmy, though, has repor with the Bodies and the Poots. He knows their names and their predicaments. He'll often get through to these younger soldiers by showing his understanding of their situations. He's not like the other cops. While I'd say that he is definitely fuelled by a desire for validation and an underlying high for being proven correct (he NEEDS Stringer to know he was caught on the wiretap), I wouldn't say that distorts the purpose of policing functionally. Yes, it's more about Jimmy than the community, but it's super important to highlight that he's still heavily invested in that community. That's part of why he's good police to begin with.
Honestly I think you could do a whole ass video comparing Jimmy and Harry. Both elect to carry the world on their shoulders, both treat their bodies as tools for their work, falling into self-destructive spirals and working to the bone.
But yeah super cool comparison here. I never thought to make it but it makes total sense!
Honestly I have some regrets about some of the things I said, and your feedback touches on a couple of them actually.
I really want to do a video on Harry and other detectives to explore the similarities so perhaps I will do Jimmy the service he deserves 🫡
I noped right out of _The Wire_ after one episode, yet I'm _deep_ into the _Disco Elysium_ hole. Being interactive makes a _huge_ difference: it can present the reality without imposing a narrative or canonicalising a single outcome.
You can’t judge something as deep as the wire in one episode, I didn’t really fully understand until I watched it a second time!
The wire really doesn’t impose one narrative or have a single outcome either, it makes Game Of Thrones look like CSI: Miami in terms of the writing.
Over 9000 real! You could buy Wild Pines Corporation with that much money! I think...
Baltimore would make a fine crater.
How my hair look, Kim?