I watched the wire for the first time in it’s entirety about a year ago and trying to talk to co workers and friends about a show that’s nearly 20 years old is almost impossible. I must have told 30 people “you have to watch the wire, it’s amazing!”
I know that feeling! Here in the UK it hasn't even been shown in full, there was a couple of seasons on BBCs second channel and was shown at 2am so got hardly any views and got cancelled. I've passed my box set around to all my friends just to have people I can talk to about this great show
When it first came out I watched and when the box set came out I got that an when HBO max came I watched it again it's easy for me to watch to watch because I lived it in real life not saying I was a kingpin but I've seen my share of them an been around them most of my life in my neighborhood it's like talking about my life in a different state of America
@@sonofalegend great shows and movies that are based on real life events are easy to watch over and over because they are so realistic and dramatic. That sucks you had to live thru that but I guarantee you are wiser than most
@@danemassie3750 Tbh I don't see it as sumthin that sucked I love where I come from and everything I went through that made me who I am today but thanx Dane I bet you would be Kool enough to come to the hood lol
The most realistic, well directed,well written, well acted show ever. It’s a smorgasbord of talent. I still watch it at least once or twice a year. I always wanted them to do a motion picture for years.
I Have heard Wendell Peirce had a script for a prequel movie of Avon and Stringers rise with Samuel L Jackson as the lead antagonist. Furthest it got was a table read and David Simon scratched the idea. Hindsight probably for the best, a work of art so perfect the most sound decision is to leave it alone. FWIW - been living in South Baltimore (shoutout Ziggy) for the last 3 years and David Simon lives 2 streets over from me. Always out walking his dog. Never approached him bc I think he’d roast me more than he did CineRanter on Twitter 😂😂😂
I worked on a lot of prime HBO shows during well over a decade at HBO. Sopranos, Sex & the City, Deadwood, Carnivale, Westworld- but I'm probably most proud of the work I did on the Wire - and the realization took a number of years to come about - watching the entire series back-to-back, years after filming was over, finally made me understand how truly great the Wire was.
Simon said season six would have focused on the growing Hispanic community, but because he didn't know Spanish he didn't think they could do it justice, so he didn't push HBO not to cancel.
Michael is one of the most interesting characters in the show. He's actually the street son of both Omar, Chris & Snoop. He has the code of Omar mixed with the intentional methodology of Chris & Snoop.
What I love about your reviews is that you seem to be so much more passionate about the characters and story as you got more into the wire its exactly the same journey we all had. Trust me the second watch is the best.
I also appreciated that! I told my father he needs to watch the show. It's my absolute favorite, have watched it many times through. I am very excited to follow his experience.
Just completed the 6th watch through.... Every time I watch it my favorite season changes. Only thing that stays the same is season 5 being my least favorite because of the unrealistic serial killer storyline. My absolute favorite show ever. I just know that at some point they will re-boot it and all of the subtlety that they trusted us to catch in this version will be explained and then re-explained by a narrator.
Dookie was so sad to watch. It scared me what that may have done to him being a child playing that part. Silver lining, seeing him doing well and looking good in we own this city made me happy
I loved the 4th and 5th season of the wire. The Wire,The Sopranos and Breaking Bad are my top 3 shows of all time. I also really enjoyed Boardwalk Empire (the last season was weak in my opinion) and I'm enjoying the Ozark right now.
It’s not often I find a RUclips comment I totally agree with. The wire and sopranos are interchangeable at 1 and 2 for me and BB is number 3. The last season of boardwalk was atrocious in my opinion. But nothing touches breaking bad on time changes in fast motion the cinematography of that show is next to none in my opinion.
They made damn every Ozark character, a bit dumber in season 4. Getting a cautious cartel underboss to brag about a crime on a wire? Yeah cause Javi wouldn't see it coming.
That was my top 3 too in that order until I watched The Shield and it overtook breaking bad for me. Also watched BoardWalk Empire. I thought the final season was well executed despite how rushed it was, but yeah it s definitely disappointing when it could’ve gone for like 2 more seasons and it was setting so much up. Gonna start Ozark too. Like the commentor above me said we can talk for hours lmao.
@@LadyLikeLanelass what’s your top ten? Mine is 1. The wire 2. Game of thrones 3. Mr robot 4. Dark 5. The boys 6. Breaking bad 7. Succession 8. Stranger things 9. Sopranos 10. Mad men/better call Saul
@@raymondsims7042 oh man, you got a couple on here that I haven’t seen…like Dark. My top 10. Let’s see. Hmm… 1. The Wire 2. The Sopranos 3. Oz (although I think it traumatized me all those years ago lol, but I’ve never been to prison) 4. Better Call Saul 5. Succession 6. Power Universe- especially Raising Kanan 7. Scandal 8. Succession 9. Snowfall (don’t judge me) 10. Blacklist
@@LadyLikeLane very very respectable list🤝the missus and I loved power as well. We haven’t seen snowfall though what’s great about it in your opinion? I’ve debated if I should watch it or not? You obviously think it’s great, so what are some pros of that show?
If you haven’t seen it you’d love Boardwalk Empire. Just curious, how’d you like season two? A lot of people hate on it, don’t get it because it’s my favorite season by far. Season Four was definitely the best. You would also like the Netflix series Bloodline.
Boardwalk Empire is amazing. Wire season 2 is actually my favorite. The last 2 episodes are phenomenal. I live in nearby York PA and season 2 was my prime as a working class white guy with a heroin problem. I totally related to this series in so many ways. I love it so much.
@@jpmnkywhat’s your top ten shows? Mine would be 1. The wire 2. Game of thrones 3. Mr robot 4. Dark 5. Then boys 6 Brendan bad 7. Succession 8. Stranger things 9. Sopranos 10. Mad men/better call Saul
I would love to see an “OZ” breakdown from you. I’ve recently rewatched the series after 20 years. It’s great for a time, gets a bit absurd towards the end but is always entertaining.
Explained the gist of the story to my mom and she said it sounded like a great show and she would check it out. Seeing videos like this is what got me back into the Wire having forgot how good this show was. Shows like this and the Sopranos paved the way for shows like game of thrones and doesn’t seem to get the praises it deserves.
Season 4 of The Wire is the best season of any TV series ever. The Sopranos, Mad Men, Deadwood all have their great ones, but The Wire is just on another level.
Season 4 should be viewed, studied, and discussed at every university that offers education as a field of study. Regardless of where, what or whom someone ends up teaching. Bunny Colvin (a fuckin fictional character) actually educated kids better than some of my real life teachers. Love your vids man, keep ‘em coming.
The wire and the sopranos are still my favorite shows they both had brilliant writing ,complex multilayered characters and incredible acting the first season of the wire was my favorite then the third , fourth, fifth ,then 2nd
Great video and agree with almost all of it. I totally thought they should’ve done a prison season too! It’s truly a show that only gets better the more you think about it. After finishing it I was sure it was one of the best, but after more time it’s solidified itself as my #1 for sure, followed by The Sopranos and then The Shield (my favorite enjoyment wise but still a masterpiece).
I love this breakdown and glad I found your videos, they’re very well made. That being said I have a minor gripe about your observation about the kids being proxies for the older characters in that you say Micheal could be the next Omar or Chris. Micheal is undeniably the next Omar in that he had his own personal code and did not fit in with the other soldiers who were fine with following orders without question. And he’s even shown at the end ripping off other players as an independent in the same way Omar used to. In the words of Snoop, “You was never one of us, and you never could be…” She wasn’t speaking to save her life, she was a hardened player in the game and knew it was over for her so she was just speaking the truth she’d been thinking about Mike all along. Not that she was ever shy about her feelings about the kid
Chris was a cold blooded professional, Snoop was a textbook sociopath doing things like collecting souvenirs like the security cops badge. And as said Michael wasn't either one of them.
I recall hearing that the Scott Templeman storyline was an open swipe at the Baltimore Sun. When Simon worked at The Sun there was a similar situation where he had a colleague who was doing the same stuff that Templeman was doing - embellishing and lying about his news stories and the colleague was protected by higher ups.
Great retrospective piece. I've watched the entire seasons of the Wire twice, and its one of the best series out there. Hopefully, you'll get to tackle The Shield.
What’s great is you mention Deedee and I know exactly who you mean. 3 scenes across 5 seasons and fans can easily pull that character out of the hat. Speaks volumes on the depth of the characters storylines in this show.
It is in my top 5. NYPD Blue gets no love from youtube reviewers. If it (the first 5 seasons anyway) was on cable, it would've been up there w/the Sopranos. McNulty was off season 4 filming 300.
Thanks for doing The Wire. It convinced me to become a subscriber. It's also a show you can watch again. The second time around you can't believe all you missed. Definitely the best show ever made. The depth of it is just incredible to be able to do that. The Sopranos was a lot slower than The Wire and isn't really close; and it's ending really sucked. You know they wiped out the entire family and we deserved to see it! I really liked Deadwood and Boardwalk Empire as well. Justified is another really good show. I found that researching the actors on Deadwood. If you're in to Si Fi, The Expanse is also another great show. That got me into the books, which I've never done before over a TV series. But gotta give the Kindle something to do in the bathroom. LOL. Even Rome is very good. HBO was on some kind of roll before Game of Thrones. Now they're bankrupt for all practical purposes. Never found the fire again. But, it would be tough to do a "Woke" series, of anything. They'd ban everything they'd ever done. Sie La Vie. (that's life)
brother, you are forgiven your indulgences. this show is so raw and visceral to experience for the first time one might write 50 to 100 things about what makes it so good and still have so much more to say. it's great to see the wire is still getting well done literary analysis. very horrifying scenes permeate these latter seasons ... almost a ghost-town, making it almost painful to think of as entertainment (Bubs in Hamsterdam is so fucking brutal to experience for a first time). love your enthusiasm for American culture
Yo might want to check out an earlier series frim the creators of The Wire- 'The corner' which tells the true story of various members of the McCullough /Boyd family in West Baltimore and how their lives are impacted by drugs and the drug trade -several actors from the Wirelike Clarke Peters (Freemon) and Lance Reddick (Daniels) also appear in this series
Love all your Sopranos and The Wire videos, would be amazing to see what you thought of The Deuce (contains a lot of Wire cast, as well as Michael Respoli). It was written by David Simon, George Pelacanos, and Carlo Capotorto (Little Paulie), among others. Its really worth a watch.
Wire was really really good... Second season was a little turn off... but really really good.... all-time greatest Shows to me are deadwood People really forgot how great It was, the writing was amazing... of course the sopranos, boardwalk empire And this will blow your mind I really dug Spartacus
What’s your top ten tv shows? Mine is 1. The wire 2. Game of thrones 3. Mr robot 4. Dark 5. The boys 6. Breaking bad 7. Succession 8. Stranger things 9. Sopranos 10. Mad men/better call Saul
Funny how the reason I watched The Wire was for this main scene between Marlow and Avon. Skyzoo sampled that exact scene in ending of song “Get him to the Greek” and after expecting this in season 2, where I’d expect it, it finally happen lol All that to say this show was unlike I expected. After watching Sopranos and Board walk empire each twice it was kind of a trip down memory lane with The Wire. I was in late elementary /early middle school during during this shows filming so watching as an adult from the style of clothes and music that played in each episode definitely hit that nostalgia.
I attended Maryland schools during the time the Wire wad being filmed (I was in either 3rd or 4th grade at the time season 4 aired, not in Baltimore, but another county tha's briefly mentioned, Montgomery County, one of the 2 that borders DC). I took the same standardized test that they mention in the show, the MSA. That test was a waste of time for everyone, and I remember hearing my mom being pissed that they wasted so much of our time on it.
I see season five as a deliberately tongue-in-cheek affair, it was like after the high point of season four ending, they just had nothing left to prove, and could basically do whatever they wanted in season 5, so they chose the batshit crazy fake serial killer thing and rolled with it, whilst also keeping the street gangster stuff fairly grounded and logical. It’s like the black comedy season of The wire, and it holds up well for me. Season 3 is probably my favourite, although season 4 is the heavyweight and probably will go down in tv legends as the pound for pound greatest season of tv drama.
For a True Detective/The Wire version of the prison oriented season, watch The Night Of on HBO. Amazing series. Omar (Michael K. Williams, may he rest in peace) stars as Freddy, a drug kingpin, and Riz Ahmed gives an amazing performance as Nazir Khan, in Riker's Island for murder.
Bodi wasn’t smart. Him knowing he was alone on them corners if he was thinking with his brain and not his emotions he would have teamed up with Prop Joe and slim Charles.
@@ja640 It was on the HBO Wire webpage years ago. They have the same last name I think its Wagstaff. I don’t think Cheese knew about Randy. I also remember someone in the show saying he didn’t know his dad and he was likely a lower level drug dealer. It also had snippets of some of the main characters backgrounds as kids.
@@kanarip8798 yes i did. And in the show there are only hints to this theory (same last name, randy not knowing his parents ect.). I've just found out in these comments that it was confirmed by the creator in a later interview. Unless you saw something in the show i didnt, genius?
Yeah season 2 is my favourite. I guess the whole decaying dock front has a Blade Runner aesthetic, if you'll excuse my ridiculous comparison. Frank is one of my favourite Wire characters and the whole arc with the Greeks is just amazing. It wasn't until my 2nd watch, where I was at the bit where Efige Efige plays over the FBI montage, that it truly dropped that I was watching something incredibly special. Also, I second The Deuce. It's another favourite show of mine, with plenty of Wire faces, and of course with David Simon at the helm.
Season 6 was going to focused on Immigration (Central American in particular). The great thing about The Wire is they could just drop a fresh season with mostly new characters and it wouldn't miss a beat. Bunk has to be the new Landsman, of course.
I'm surprised I never see people mention how Bunny Colvin's "experiment" in the school is the exact same thing he did with Hamsterdam... He takes all the problem students and separates them from the rest of the students. Because of that, all the students prosper. Maybe it kind of went without saying but I've never seen anyone specifically mention it.
If it would’ve aired in this day and age with streaming it would’ve prevailed much longer. Back then only people who had HBO could watch it though. Thats why it didn’t flourish like it does now. A lot of those who could afford HBO didn’t want to watch “Ghetto” stuff even though it’s clearly much more than that, from the surface most can’t see that.
Look forward to hearing me, from you, on this show. But hard to believe it took you this long to getting round to seeing it 🙂 but season 05 does not hold up well on rewatches
Season 5 was shot around the same time as the mini series by the same writers, Generation Kill, a searing look at the 2003 Iraq war through the eyes on a US Marine recon unit, with many of the dysfunctional elements of the politics of policing this time within the military. Based on an account of a journalist embedded with them. Some say it had a negative effect on the The Wire series 5, myself I still liked Season 5
Season 4 is a hard watch after the 1st time. Knowing that all the kids except Naymond are doomed to a shit life makes it hard to enjoy the little fun moments they have together
in S4 ep4 when Bunk winds up Greggs with the Tater killed me note, is it foreshadowing the scene where Greggs finds the shell in the Braddock case, where the killer is using potatoes as a silencer.
One more thing I was upset at first that Omar are killed by the little boy but the same time it kind of was poetic a little bit because he was fighting these drug dealers a surviving and he would have and he wouldn't even see that coming a little boy it's really a shame but that actor OD'd I did episode on him a while back some of these shows really great actors and he deserve to be in the spotlight
YOU HAVEN'T SEEN OZ????? Dude, that is my second favorite show to The Wire, which I've seen The Wire obsessively 13 times all the way through and read books about it and have seen pretty much everything on RUclips about it. Not just my favorite show, but one of, if not the absolute, greatest pieces of art in general, albeit tv shows, motion pictures, literature, musical compositions, paintings, etc. The Holy Grail! And second on my list would be a tie as I absolutely cannot decide which show I like better even with constant analysis of the two ...are Better Call Saul and OZ. Now, OZ's brilliance didn't hit me as fast as The Wire or Better Call Saul, but with time and a rewatch, I see it as the masterpiece that it is. Not only that but it's also probably the saddest tv finale ever (by finale, I mean the final few episodes). If you don't cry, you're not human. I told my mom to watch the show and watched the final 6 episodes with her and one moment caused her to look pathetically sorrowful and drowning in tears, with a mountain of snotty, tear filled tissues surrounding her. We looked at each other and all she could say was "....it's so sad.." No spoilers of course, as I hate spoilers even more than cancer lol. I highly recommend that you watch OZ. It's brutal, in your face, hilarious, bold, dramatic, on the edge of your seat, well acted, expertly directed, artistically made and shot, the writing is top tier masterful excellency and most importantly ...thought provoking. You will love it. I've seen a lot of your stuff and really think it's something you will enjoy greatly. Hell, you seem like someone I would be friends with lol. We have a lot of similarities from what I've seen. Really thought about reaching out, as I'm about to start a youtube channel as well, though it may be a bit before I get to that with my music and college and whatnot. If I can find your email I'll send you some of my stuff, or you could just type my name in on Spotify or something lol... Keep the good content coming, check out OZ and I look forward to your next video!
Mate I can’t give Oz that much credit😂you’re insanely overrating it. I wouldn’t call Oz a good show let alone an all time great one. It’s just so so ridiculously stupid. What would be your top ten shows though? Mine is 1. The wire 2. Game of thrones 3. Mr robot 4. Dark 5. The boys 6. Breaking bad 7. Succession 8. Stranger things 9. Sopranos 10. Mad men/better call Saul
@@raymondsims7042 you do know that OZ is David Simon's favorite show, right? And no it's not perfect but it's a damn good show. There is a layer of nostalgia for me as I watched it with my best friend who is no longer with us. And I have seen the show 5 times all the way through. I have actually been rewatching all of my top 15 favorite shows as many of them I hadn't seen in years. So my opinion has changed. And I have finished a great many since posting this comment. Even rewatched OZ and basically everything on my list. After rewatching them all, I will grant that #2 is a bit too high, though it still is one of my favorites. I can go into the many many reasons why I disagree with you if you're interested. But yeah as of right now this is my top 10 televised dramas 1. The Wire 2. Better Call Saul 3. Treme 4. Oz 5. The Sopranos 6. The Deuce 7. Breaking Bad 8. Mad Men 9. Ozark 10. LOST (I know it's got its flaws but I grew up watching every single season on air and it really is a hell of an experience to grow up to. Got a special place in my heart for it, as it was the first show that had me taking television seriously as an artwork.
@@raymondsims7042 and I would never tell anyone that they are over-rating a show or film. Yes on a technical level it is obvious that some shows are better than others but all art is entirely subjective. Just as I think Gane of Thrones is way too over-rated to be number 2 when you have shows like The Sopranos out there. But that's just my opinion so I can appreciate when someone does find themselves more attracted to a show that I am for whatever reason unattracted to. But this is all just my own subjective opinion. I'm sure many will disagree. And that's the beauty of it!
@@natewylz8289 alright man I understand your reasoning for putting Oz along with lost so high. I get it they were very important to you at one point and still are. If I was going off the shows I grew up watching and have the most attachment to all my shows in the top ten would be most Disney, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network shows😂but I understand those shows aren’t exactly top ten great shows. I did like Oz for a while, and then it just got absolutely ridiculous. Like really really bad on almost every single level. I pretty much feel the same way about lost. Both lost and Oz had potential and good starts, but we’re ultimately average/bad in my opinion. Overall you’ve got a solid list, and we have a lot of the same shows on our top ten. We both know number 1 is obviously the wire!!
Yeah, and if nostalgia were THE ONLY factor in determining what shows have value enough to be in my top ten, I would definitely have all Cartoon Network shows and Nickelodeon shows in my top 10, and OZ would not be in the list because it's nostalgia simply wouldn't crack my top 10.. I agree that it isn't perfect, but having seen the show as many times as I have (8 times), I would have to say that nostalgia isn't even the main quality, but it does still hold that quality better than any other show on my list. It was also very poetic and artistically made. Most of my favorite shows aren't my favorite because of the plot. In fact, I don't really care for being on the edge of my seat if I don't give a crap about characters. So to me, the most important quality of a show is character development. This is why I prefer Better Call Saul over Breaking Bad. When a show, also like The Wire, takes the time to develop the characters, it often leads to genuine care for thosde characters, given they have a personality that is likable. I am currently in the middle of writing my own television script and I spend most of the first and second season on character development, with minor but important plot points and mysteries to keep the audience hooked. And so my last 2 seasons, or 3 if I end up needing another season to finish the show in the most natural way possible, the audience already cares about the characters, so when things get intense, they are much more so because the audience genuinely cares. And I have to say that even though the character's are morally bankrupt and have a twisted sense of right and wrong, I still found myself really caring for a few. The O'Reilly brothers, Tobias Beecher, Kareem Said, Augustus Hill, Adebisi (kidding), and I just love the idea of what Tim McManus was trying to accomplish and I do believe prisons should learn from this, though it would need to be done right. Education programs, graduation, jobs, allowing musician prisoners to play instruments, singers to sing, sporting events, and whatnot is all very rare in most American prisons, unless you're a well-known celebrity that wants to release something from prison, and even then you mostly have to do this in secret sometimes. So, I just genuinely enjoy the premise of the show. I enjoy the characters, the poetic nature of it all, the episodic-themed nature of it all, the wit and humor, and the intense drama. I mean, just like LOST ..it had its bad moments and didn't have what people would call a "good" ending, but when it was firing on all cylinders, it was some of the best television out there. Particularly the first three seasons. It was a breath of fresh air and really pushed the limits of what was expected of the average tv show. The days of the sitcom ruling television was over. The Sopranos made sure this fact was indeed a ...well ..fact. The sitcom never died, but it shared the spotlight and is often overshadowed by the television drama, and with HBO's dedication to giving the writer cart blache in regards to censorship and the vision of the atist, and OZ using this to push the limits of television at the time, it really does speak volumes. I do agree that nearly every show in your list would occupy my top 25, if not all of them, but we just have to agree to disagree on this one. It was nice going back and forth with you though. Cheers! @@raymondsims7042
It's hilarious that you missed an entire episode and didn't realize it. That has happened to be a few times. Apparently, Netflix is the only streaming service that is capable of actually keeping track of where you left off in whatever you are watching.
@@Mimi2Y2BYAZPHIL ahh mate the missus are I going to check out six feet under next! What are some great aspects about the show in your opinion? I know Michael c hall is on there and he’s plays my favorite character ever as Dexter Morgan. Is he good on six feet under as well?
@@Mimi2Y2BYAZPHIL alright nice thanks will be checking it out 🤝also my apologies for calling you “mate” lass I didn’t read your name says “mimi” stay gold🙏
What really upset me about the show is I didn't see all the young actors going to be great and other movies only one was Michael b Jordan that bothered me a little bit and not saying he didn't deserve it because a lot of other young actors that was better than him
Right with you mate nothing is close!! What’s your top ten though? Mine is 1. The wire 2. Game of thrones 3. Mr robot 4. Dark 5. The boys 6. Breaking bad 7. Succession 8. Stranger things 9. Sopranos 10. Mad men/better call saul
IMO 4>3>1>2>5. All the seasons except 5 are 10/10, which is a 9/10. The only reason it felt a little disappointing was because it followed four of the greatest seasons of television ever made. I'd put seasons 3 and 4 down as the two best seasons of television ever made. If season 5 didn't have to follow those up, it would've gone down as great.
As a show about the urban experience, the institutions that shape it & the consequences for the people that live there (where most of the human population now resides) The Wires relevance will only grow for the next 25, 50 even 100 years.
I loved the Wire but had a problem believing Prez could get a job as a teacher after assaulting a youngster and leaving him blind in one eye in season 1. That in fact is the only thing that doesn't work for me.
Simon said a sixth season would’ve focused on immigration - we see a hint of it with some scenes and some characters like Rinaldo. That would’ve no doubt been as brilliant as the rest. IMO it didn’t have the ratings and awards due largely to what makes the show great- its refusal to spoon feed and hand hold the viewer, but in a way that rewards persistent viewers phenomenally. Also unconscious racism of the industry. The cast demographics reflect the Baltimore demographics, and there are too many multidimensional Black characters to count. Perhaps if the internet and social media been more prominent this show would have gotten closer to the recognition it deserves. But it’s precisely due to its quality that I roll my eyes whenever people talk about other series as the best, and also when it’s left out of “the best” lists.
I started watching at s4 when it was actually on every Sunday and was so hooked.... This was before streaming and on demand video through the cable provider was pretty limited. I torrented the first 3 seasons and found myself even deeper in the obsession. Season 5 was pretty mid in comparison to the others but still good TV.
I dont think the serial killer angle was the primary focus of this season. For me, it was all the circus created by the politics to remain in power. If you pay atention, the cause for all problems comes from the politics. The clearest example of this is when Dukie tries to find a regular job and is refused because of his age. Who created this rule? Politics. And what rule did the politics create? Under certain age, you are FORCED to attend those useless schools. What choice did Dukie have if not going into the crime world? And why? Again, because of the rules created by the politics.
I watched the wire for the first time in it’s entirety about a year ago and trying to talk to co workers and friends about a show that’s nearly 20 years old is almost impossible. I must have told 30 people “you have to watch the wire, it’s amazing!”
I know that feeling! Here in the UK it hasn't even been shown in full, there was a couple of seasons on BBCs second channel and was shown at 2am so got hardly any views and got cancelled. I've passed my box set around to all my friends just to have people I can talk to about this great show
Yeah, it's not a show that is simple to chat about.
When it first came out I watched and when the box set came out I got that an when HBO max came I watched it again it's easy for me to watch to watch because I lived it in real life not saying I was a kingpin but I've seen my share of them an been around them most of my life in my neighborhood it's like talking about my life in a different state of America
@@sonofalegend great shows and movies that are based on real life events are easy to watch over and over because they are so realistic and dramatic. That sucks you had to live thru that but I guarantee you are wiser than most
@@danemassie3750 Tbh I don't see it as sumthin that sucked I love where I come from and everything I went through that made me who I am today but thanx Dane I bet you would be Kool enough to come to the hood lol
The most realistic, well directed,well written, well acted show ever. It’s a smorgasbord of talent. I still watch it at least once or twice a year. I always wanted them to do a motion picture for years.
I watch it 2-3 times a year too
I Have heard Wendell Peirce had a script for a prequel movie of Avon and Stringers rise with Samuel L Jackson as the lead antagonist. Furthest it got was a table read and David Simon scratched the idea. Hindsight probably for the best, a work of art so perfect the most sound decision is to leave it alone.
FWIW - been living in South Baltimore (shoutout Ziggy) for the last 3 years and David Simon lives 2 streets over from me. Always out walking his dog.
Never approached him bc I think he’d roast me more than he did CineRanter on Twitter 😂😂😂
@@Theonlycraig I had heard the same story about a prequel. I would like to see a prequel, as long as it’s done correctly.
I worked on a lot of prime HBO shows during well over a decade at HBO. Sopranos, Sex & the City, Deadwood, Carnivale, Westworld- but I'm probably most proud of the work I did on the Wire - and the realization took a number of years to come about - watching the entire series back-to-back, years after filming was over, finally made me understand how truly great the Wire was.
the Bubbles and Prez interaction lol, "I see ur here undercover. dont worry I keep it tight"
Still kills me how Omar gets got, probably the first gay gangster ever portrayed in film and definitely one of the best
he saw kenard come inside, he looked at him. He never viewed him or kids as a threat.
Simon said season six would have focused on the growing Hispanic community, but because he didn't know Spanish he didn't think they could do it justice, so he didn't push HBO not to cancel.
The US Government asked him to do another season and he said he would if they completely reform their drug laws and neither happened.
A shame because he could've hired people to oversea the dialogue but HBO never wanted to spend money on their best series ever.
@@RoDiggity3743 the saddest part is seeing that absolute TRASH hbo spews put now.
didn't stop Vince Gilligan.... unfortunately
@@The_10th_Man that's not completely fair, Succession is incredible.
Michael is one of the most interesting characters in the show. He's actually the street son of both Omar, Chris & Snoop. He has the code of Omar mixed with the intentional methodology of Chris & Snoop.
My favorite character on the show🤝love mike
Omar had methodology remember his first robbery on the show he waited outside for 24 hrs
What I love about your reviews is that you seem to be so much more passionate about the characters and story as you got more into the wire its exactly the same journey we all had. Trust me the second watch is the best.
I also appreciated that! I told my father he needs to watch the show. It's my absolute favorite, have watched it many times through. I am very excited to follow his experience.
Just completed the 6th watch through.... Every time I watch it my favorite season changes. Only thing that stays the same is season 5 being my least favorite because of the unrealistic serial killer storyline. My absolute favorite show ever. I just know that at some point they will re-boot it and all of the subtlety that they trusted us to catch in this version will be explained and then re-explained by a narrator.
You’re right. That second watch is great. That 367th watch of the entire series is equally great 😂🤦🏾♀️
Dookie was so sad to watch. It scared me what that may have done to him being a child playing that part. Silver lining, seeing him doing well and looking good in we own this city made me happy
Don't worry about Dookie. Him and Marlo will be investigating a case together on We Own the City. So he is fine. Marlo ain't dead either :)
Jermaine Crawford has said before that Dukie stuck with him for a few years after the show ended.
I loved the 4th and 5th season of the wire. The Wire,The Sopranos and Breaking Bad are my top 3 shows of all time. I also really enjoyed Boardwalk Empire (the last season was weak in my opinion) and I'm enjoying the Ozark right now.
It’s not often I find a RUclips comment I totally agree with. The wire and sopranos are interchangeable at 1 and 2 for me and BB is number 3. The last season of boardwalk was atrocious in my opinion. But nothing touches breaking bad on time changes in fast motion the cinematography of that show is next to none in my opinion.
They made damn every Ozark character, a bit dumber in season 4. Getting a cautious cartel underboss to brag about a crime on a wire? Yeah cause Javi wouldn't see it coming.
That was my top 3 too in that order until I watched The Shield and it overtook breaking bad for me. Also watched BoardWalk Empire. I thought the final season was well executed despite how rushed it was, but yeah it s definitely disappointing when it could’ve gone for like 2 more seasons and it was setting so much up. Gonna start Ozark too. Like the commentor above me said we can talk for hours lmao.
Same. Top 3 easily
The Wire, The Sopranos, Breaking Bad = holly trinity.
You should also try Gomorrah. Italian series about Camorra.
The Wire is one the most realistic shows ever. If you grew up in areas like that you experienced 90-95% of everything in the show. Top 3 all time
My part of Chicago was overrun by affordable coke and cheap crack in the 80s when I was a teen. The Wire nailed it.
I agree.
1. The Wire
2. The Sopranos
3. ???
@@LadyLikeLanelass what’s your top ten? Mine is
1. The wire
2. Game of thrones
3. Mr robot
4. Dark
5. The boys
6. Breaking bad
7. Succession
8. Stranger things
9. Sopranos
10. Mad men/better call Saul
@@raymondsims7042 oh man, you got a couple on here that I haven’t seen…like Dark. My top 10. Let’s see. Hmm…
1. The Wire
2. The Sopranos
3. Oz (although I think it traumatized me all those years ago lol, but I’ve never been to prison)
4. Better Call Saul
5. Succession
6. Power Universe- especially Raising Kanan
7. Scandal
8. Succession
9. Snowfall (don’t judge me)
10. Blacklist
@@LadyLikeLane very very respectable list🤝the missus and I loved power as well. We haven’t seen snowfall though what’s great about it in your opinion? I’ve debated if I should watch it or not? You obviously think it’s great, so what are some pros of that show?
I just finished The Wire. One of the best series ever...Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Oz and Ozark (and Deadwood) are all high on my list.
If you haven’t seen it you’d love Boardwalk Empire. Just curious, how’d you like season two? A lot of people hate on it, don’t get it because it’s my favorite season by far. Season Four was definitely the best. You would also like the Netflix series Bloodline.
Boardwalk Empire is amazing. Wire season 2 is actually my favorite. The last 2 episodes are phenomenal. I live in nearby York PA and season 2 was my prime as a working class white guy with a heroin problem. I totally related to this series in so many ways. I love it so much.
@@jpmnky Season 4 of The Wire and season 4 of Boardwalk Empire and season 4 of Breaking Bad are all the best seasons of each show.
@@jpmnkywhat’s your top ten shows? Mine would be
1. The wire
2. Game of thrones
3. Mr robot
4. Dark
5. Then boys
6 Brendan bad
7. Succession
8. Stranger things
9. Sopranos
10. Mad men/better call Saul
The clips on youtube is such a rabbit hole for this show and the Sopranos
I would love to see an “OZ” breakdown from you. I’ve recently rewatched the series after 20 years. It’s great for a time, gets a bit absurd towards the end but is always entertaining.
Oz was TRULY brilliant
Abusrd how so ?
@@Adamortega_ Completely unrealistic. I have been in corrections for 20 years.
You just remember Avon wants his corners
Explained the gist of the story to my mom and she said it sounded like a great show and she would check it out. Seeing videos like this is what got me back into the Wire having forgot how good this show was. Shows like this and the Sopranos paved the way for shows like game of thrones and doesn’t seem to get the praises it deserves.
Season 4 of The Wire is the best season of any TV series ever. The Sopranos, Mad Men, Deadwood all have their great ones, but The Wire is just on another level.
Season 4 should be viewed, studied, and discussed at every university that offers education as a field of study. Regardless of where, what or whom someone ends up teaching. Bunny Colvin (a fuckin fictional character) actually educated kids better than some of my real life teachers. Love your vids man, keep ‘em coming.
The wire and the sopranos are still my favorite shows they both had brilliant writing ,complex multilayered characters and incredible acting the first season of the wire was my favorite then the third , fourth, fifth ,then 2nd
Great video and agree with almost all of it. I totally thought they should’ve done a prison season too! It’s truly a show that only gets better the more you think about it. After finishing it I was sure it was one of the best, but after more time it’s solidified itself as my #1 for sure, followed by The Sopranos and then The Shield (my favorite enjoyment wise but still a masterpiece).
I appreciate your honesty with your experience watching these 2 seasons
4 is my favorite season. 5 goes off the rails...but i don't think one bad season tarnishes the series as a whole.
5 is a weak season by The Wire standards. It is still leaps and bounds better than most television seasons
Hbo Max
5 sucks 4 is amazing
@@manaulhoque6507 whats weak about it? it was pretty realistic and showed the cycle of the kids becoming the next Omar, Marlo, Bubbles, etc.
@@kanarip8798 the last two episodes were 10/10, I'm talking about the season as a whole
I love this breakdown and glad I found your videos, they’re very well made. That being said I have a minor gripe about your observation about the kids being proxies for the older characters in that you say Micheal could be the next Omar or Chris.
Micheal is undeniably the next Omar in that he had his own personal code and did not fit in with the other soldiers who were fine with following orders without question. And he’s even shown at the end ripping off other players as an independent in the same way Omar used to.
In the words of Snoop,
“You was never one of us, and you never could be…”
She wasn’t speaking to save her life, she was a hardened player in the game and knew it was over for her so she was just speaking the truth she’d been thinking about Mike all along. Not that she was ever shy about her feelings about the kid
Chris was a cold blooded professional, Snoop was a textbook sociopath doing things like collecting souvenirs like the security cops badge. And as said Michael wasn't either one of them.
Breaking Bad is great but it aint shit compared to The Wire. Cheese Wagstaff approved this message.
"You know who loved The Corners? Bodie, may he rest in peace"
"Yeah, sad when they go young like that...."
When they go!!
4 was the best because of the children. 5 was the worst because of the fake serial killer.
I recall hearing that the Scott Templeman storyline was an open swipe at the Baltimore Sun. When Simon worked at The Sun there was a similar situation where he had a colleague who was doing the same stuff that Templeman was doing - embellishing and lying about his news stories and the colleague was protected by higher ups.
Great retrospective piece. I've watched the entire seasons of the Wire twice, and its one of the best series out there. Hopefully, you'll get to tackle The Shield.
What’s great is you mention Deedee and I know exactly who you mean. 3 scenes across 5 seasons and fans can easily pull that character out of the hat. Speaks volumes on the depth of the characters storylines in this show.
The kids know Chris as the zombie master that’s the best part for me
*There isnt even any background music or sound build ups, that's what stamps it as the greatest for me, just way too real*
It is in my top 5.
NYPD Blue gets no love from youtube reviewers.
If it (the first 5 seasons anyway) was on cable, it would've been up there w/the Sopranos.
McNulty was off season 4 filming 300.
I was a teacher in a inner city school as well! It’s a fun as shit perspective to have when watching season 4
Thanks for doing The Wire. It convinced me to become a subscriber. It's also a show you can watch again. The second time around you can't believe all you missed. Definitely the best show ever made. The depth of it is just incredible to be able to do that. The Sopranos was a lot slower than The Wire and isn't really close; and it's ending really sucked. You know they wiped out the entire family and we deserved to see it! I really liked Deadwood and Boardwalk Empire as well. Justified is another really good show. I found that researching the actors on Deadwood. If you're in to Si Fi, The Expanse is also another great show. That got me into the books, which I've never done before over a TV series. But gotta give the Kindle something to do in the bathroom. LOL. Even Rome is very good. HBO was on some kind of roll before Game of Thrones. Now they're bankrupt for all practical purposes. Never found the fire again. But, it would be tough to do a "Woke" series, of anything. They'd ban everything they'd ever done. Sie La Vie. (that's life)
The answer is yes, seasons 3-5 of the Wire is the best television ever made in human history
Without question all of the wire is the best show ever
The creators wanted to do a spinoff with Mayor Carcetti focusing on the politics of Baltimore
brother, you are forgiven your indulgences. this show is so raw and visceral to experience for the first time one might write 50 to 100 things about what makes it so good and still have so much more to say. it's great to see the wire is still getting well done literary analysis. very horrifying scenes permeate these latter seasons ... almost a ghost-town, making it almost painful to think of as entertainment (Bubs in Hamsterdam is so fucking brutal to experience for a first time). love your enthusiasm for American culture
Yo might want to check out an earlier series frim the creators of The Wire- 'The corner' which tells the true story of various members of the McCullough /Boyd family in West Baltimore and how their lives are impacted by drugs and the drug trade -several actors from the Wirelike Clarke Peters (Freemon) and Lance Reddick (Daniels) also appear in this series
Yeah, it's awesome. Seeing Lester Freeman as a dope fiend with a gigantic, swollen hand from doing way too much heroin is a trip
It is one of the grittier, truthful series in the history of TV. Extremely underrated. It's one of my all-time favorites!✌🏾
Underrated? The Wire has been considered to be a top 2 TV show of all time for over a decade by both critics and viewers...
@@ole86well lad it should be consensus number 1 😂🤷♂️
Love all your Sopranos and The Wire videos, would be amazing to see what you thought of The Deuce (contains a lot of Wire cast, as well as Michael Respoli). It was written by David Simon, George Pelacanos, and Carlo Capotorto (Little Paulie), among others. Its really worth a watch.
Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiit man it felt good seeing Senator Clay Davis walk out that court room a winner.
Wire was really really good... Second season was a little turn off... but really really good.... all-time greatest Shows to me are deadwood People really forgot how great It was, the writing was amazing... of course the sopranos, boardwalk empire And this will blow your mind I really dug Spartacus
What’s your top ten tv shows? Mine is
1. The wire
2. Game of thrones
3. Mr robot
4. Dark
5. The boys
6. Breaking bad
7. Succession
8. Stranger things
9. Sopranos
10. Mad men/better call Saul
Funny how the reason I watched The Wire was for this main scene between Marlow and Avon. Skyzoo sampled that exact scene in ending of song “Get him to the Greek” and after expecting this in season 2, where I’d expect it, it finally happen lol
All that to say this show was unlike I expected. After watching Sopranos and Board walk empire each twice it was kind of a trip down memory lane with The Wire. I was in late elementary /early middle school during during this shows filming so watching as an adult from the style of clothes and music that played in each episode definitely hit that nostalgia.
I absolutely LOVE this take on the show! Brilliant and insightful.
I attended Maryland schools during the time the Wire wad being filmed (I was in either 3rd or 4th grade at the time season 4 aired, not in Baltimore, but another county tha's briefly mentioned, Montgomery County, one of the 2 that borders DC). I took the same standardized test that they mention in the show, the MSA. That test was a waste of time for everyone, and I remember hearing my mom being pissed that they wasted so much of our time on it.
I see season five as a deliberately tongue-in-cheek affair, it was like after the high point of season four ending, they just had nothing left to prove, and could basically do whatever they wanted in season 5, so they chose the batshit crazy fake serial killer thing and rolled with it, whilst also keeping the street gangster stuff fairly grounded and logical. It’s like the black comedy season of The wire, and it holds up well for me. Season 3 is probably my favourite, although season 4 is the heavyweight and probably will go down in tv legends as the pound for pound greatest season of tv drama.
For a True Detective/The Wire version of the prison oriented season, watch The Night Of on HBO. Amazing series. Omar (Michael K. Williams, may he rest in peace) stars as Freddy, a drug kingpin, and Riz Ahmed gives an amazing performance as Nazir Khan, in Riker's Island for murder.
Deadwood is the only other series that can even come close to the quality found in The Wire
I know what you mean about the voices. The sound is quietly brilliant
I loved the way the show played out The ending seemed kind of rushed, but I liked the ending.In general
I loved how Omar was based on a real person and he is casted on the show
Donnie Andrews. Fran Boyd's husband
Put Bosch on your watchlist
Season 4 was the best in my opinion. One of the best TV seasons of all time.
I loved Bodie, too! I hated when he got killed. And he wasn't even a rat, either.
Bodi wasn’t smart. Him knowing he was alone on them corners if he was thinking with his brain and not his emotions he would have teamed up with Prop Joe and slim Charles.
I happened to watch season 4 at the time I was taking a class on juvenile delinquency and it’s spot on to what I learned from that class
Randy is the son of Cheese / Method Man. Finding that out blew my mind but kind of made sense.
That's just a theory as far as I'm aware. I don't know about it, but I've also heard a theory that Kenard is the son of Bird, i like that a lot more
@@ja640 It was on the HBO Wire webpage years ago. They have the same last name I think its Wagstaff. I don’t think Cheese knew about Randy. I also remember someone in the show saying he didn’t know his dad and he was likely a lower level drug dealer. It also had snippets of some of the main characters backgrounds as kids.
@@ja640 Simon said Randy is indeed cheese his son, there's a video on youtube where he confirms the theory
@@ja640 its not a theory did you watch the show?
@@kanarip8798 yes i did. And in the show there are only hints to this theory (same last name, randy not knowing his parents ect.). I've just found out in these comments that it was confirmed by the creator in a later interview. Unless you saw something in the show i didnt, genius?
I heard the 6th season was supposed to be about the influx of Hispanics into Baltimore
Dude, I missed an episode once on a rewatch and was so happy to go back and watch it.
I’m one of the weirdos that thought Season 2 was the best...
Why's that? I'm just curious
Same it grew on me so much wish we saw more of Frank
@@kanarip8798 I liked the mystique behind the Greek and Vondas…the dock storyline was just REALLY different…
@@Adamortega_ watch the Deuce...
Yeah season 2 is my favourite. I guess the whole decaying dock front has a Blade Runner aesthetic, if you'll excuse my ridiculous comparison. Frank is one of my favourite Wire characters and the whole arc with the Greeks is just amazing. It wasn't until my 2nd watch, where I was at the bit where Efige Efige plays over the FBI montage, that it truly dropped that I was watching something incredibly special.
Also, I second The Deuce. It's another favourite show of mine, with plenty of Wire faces, and of course with David Simon at the helm.
I don't really even mean to be so harsh I actually really like your videos just pump the volume up more!
Seasons 4 and 5 feel like they should be one very long season, it's a good idea to see them together
Season 6 was going to focused on Immigration (Central American in particular). The great thing about The Wire is they could just drop a fresh season with mostly new characters and it wouldn't miss a beat. Bunk has to be the new Landsman, of course.
I'm surprised I never see people mention how Bunny Colvin's "experiment" in the school is the exact same thing he did with Hamsterdam... He takes all the problem students and separates them from the rest of the students. Because of that, all the students prosper.
Maybe it kind of went without saying but I've never seen anyone specifically mention it.
Spotlight, which won Oscar Best Picture was directed by Scott Templeton's character.
If it would’ve aired in this day and age with streaming it would’ve prevailed much longer. Back then only people who had HBO could watch it though. Thats why it didn’t flourish like it does now. A lot of those who could afford HBO didn’t want to watch “Ghetto” stuff even though it’s clearly much more than that, from the surface most can’t see that.
There's been some absolutely amazing seasons in some absolutely amazing shows...Then there's season 4 of 'The Wire'. An absolute masterpiece.
Look forward to hearing me, from you, on this show. But hard to believe it took you this long to getting round to seeing it 🙂 but season 05 does not hold up well on rewatches
Season 5 was shot around the same time as the mini series by the same writers, Generation Kill, a searing look at the 2003 Iraq war through the eyes on a US Marine recon unit, with many of the dysfunctional elements of the politics of policing this time within the military.
Based on an account of a journalist embedded with them.
Some say it had a negative effect on the The Wire series 5, myself I still liked Season 5
Looking forward to your in depth look at this show
I didn't really enjoy season 5 very much. It was rushed and just didn't have the same feel as the other 4 seasons. And Omar got done dirty IMO.
Season 4 is a hard watch after the 1st time. Knowing that all the kids except Naymond are doomed to a shit life makes it hard to enjoy the little fun moments they have together
in S4 ep4 when Bunk winds up Greggs with the Tater killed me note, is it foreshadowing the scene where Greggs finds the shell in the Braddock case, where the killer is using potatoes as a silencer.
Yelp trades went from local high schools to prison industries every prison have specialized trade
One more thing I was upset at first that Omar are killed by the little boy but the same time it kind of was poetic a little bit because he was fighting these drug dealers a surviving and he would have and he wouldn't even see that coming a little boy it's really a shame but that actor OD'd I did episode on him a while back some of these shows really great actors and he deserve to be in the spotlight
I thought season 4 wouldn't be as good with no Barksdale crew and not much McNulty, but I was very wrong. S4 was the best of the series.
YOU HAVEN'T SEEN OZ????? Dude, that is my second favorite show to The Wire, which I've seen The Wire obsessively 13 times all the way through and read books about it and have seen pretty much everything on RUclips about it. Not just my favorite show, but one of, if not the absolute, greatest pieces of art in general, albeit tv shows, motion pictures, literature, musical compositions, paintings, etc. The Holy Grail! And second on my list would be a tie as I absolutely cannot decide which show I like better even with constant analysis of the two ...are Better Call Saul and OZ. Now, OZ's brilliance didn't hit me as fast as The Wire or Better Call Saul, but with time and a rewatch, I see it as the masterpiece that it is. Not only that but it's also probably the saddest tv finale ever (by finale, I mean the final few episodes). If you don't cry, you're not human. I told my mom to watch the show and watched the final 6 episodes with her and one moment caused her to look pathetically sorrowful and drowning in tears, with a mountain of snotty, tear filled tissues surrounding her. We looked at each other and all she could say was "....it's so sad.." No spoilers of course, as I hate spoilers even more than cancer lol. I highly recommend that you watch OZ. It's brutal, in your face, hilarious, bold, dramatic, on the edge of your seat, well acted, expertly directed, artistically made and shot, the writing is top tier masterful excellency and most importantly ...thought provoking. You will love it. I've seen a lot of your stuff and really think it's something you will enjoy greatly. Hell, you seem like someone I would be friends with lol. We have a lot of similarities from what I've seen. Really thought about reaching out, as I'm about to start a youtube channel as well, though it may be a bit before I get to that with my music and college and whatnot. If I can find your email I'll send you some of my stuff, or you could just type my name in on Spotify or something lol... Keep the good content coming, check out OZ and I look forward to your next video!
Mate I can’t give Oz that much credit😂you’re insanely overrating it. I wouldn’t call Oz a good show let alone an all time great one. It’s just so so ridiculously stupid. What would be your top ten shows though? Mine is
1. The wire
2. Game of thrones
3. Mr robot
4. Dark
5. The boys
6. Breaking bad
7. Succession
8. Stranger things
9. Sopranos
10. Mad men/better call Saul
@@raymondsims7042 you do know that OZ is David Simon's favorite show, right? And no it's not perfect but it's a damn good show. There is a layer of nostalgia for me as I watched it with my best friend who is no longer with us. And I have seen the show 5 times all the way through. I have actually been rewatching all of my top 15 favorite shows as many of them I hadn't seen in years. So my opinion has changed. And I have finished a great many since posting this comment. Even rewatched OZ and basically everything on my list. After rewatching them all, I will grant that #2 is a bit too high, though it still is one of my favorites. I can go into the many many reasons why I disagree with you if you're interested. But yeah as of right now this is my top 10 televised dramas
1. The Wire
2. Better Call Saul
3. Treme
4. Oz
5. The Sopranos
6. The Deuce
7. Breaking Bad
8. Mad Men
9. Ozark
10. LOST (I know it's got its flaws but I grew up watching every single season on air and it really is a hell of an experience to grow up to. Got a special place in my heart for it, as it was the first show that had me taking television seriously as an artwork.
@@raymondsims7042 and I would never tell anyone that they are over-rating a show or film. Yes on a technical level it is obvious that some shows are better than others but all art is entirely subjective. Just as I think Gane of Thrones is way too over-rated to be number 2 when you have shows like The Sopranos out there. But that's just my opinion so I can appreciate when someone does find themselves more attracted to a show that I am for whatever reason unattracted to. But this is all just my own subjective opinion. I'm sure many will disagree. And that's the beauty of it!
@@natewylz8289 alright man I understand your reasoning for putting Oz along with lost so high. I get it they were very important to you at one point and still are. If I was going off the shows I grew up watching and have the most attachment to all my shows in the top ten would be most Disney, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network shows😂but I understand those shows aren’t exactly top ten great shows. I did like Oz for a while, and then it just got absolutely ridiculous. Like really really bad on almost every single level. I pretty much feel the same way about lost. Both lost and Oz had potential and good starts, but we’re ultimately average/bad in my opinion.
Overall you’ve got a solid list, and we have a lot of the same shows on our top ten. We both know number 1 is obviously the wire!!
Yeah, and if nostalgia were THE ONLY factor in determining what shows have value enough to be in my top ten, I would definitely have all Cartoon Network shows and Nickelodeon shows in my top 10, and OZ would not be in the list because it's nostalgia simply wouldn't crack my top 10.. I agree that it isn't perfect, but having seen the show as many times as I have (8 times), I would have to say that nostalgia isn't even the main quality, but it does still hold that quality better than any other show on my list. It was also very poetic and artistically made. Most of my favorite shows aren't my favorite because of the plot. In fact, I don't really care for being on the edge of my seat if I don't give a crap about characters. So to me, the most important quality of a show is character development. This is why I prefer Better Call Saul over Breaking Bad. When a show, also like The Wire, takes the time to develop the characters, it often leads to genuine care for thosde characters, given they have a personality that is likable. I am currently in the middle of writing my own television script and I spend most of the first and second season on character development, with minor but important plot points and mysteries to keep the audience hooked. And so my last 2 seasons, or 3 if I end up needing another season to finish the show in the most natural way possible, the audience already cares about the characters, so when things get intense, they are much more so because the audience genuinely cares. And I have to say that even though the character's are morally bankrupt and have a twisted sense of right and wrong, I still found myself really caring for a few. The O'Reilly brothers, Tobias Beecher, Kareem Said, Augustus Hill, Adebisi (kidding), and I just love the idea of what Tim McManus was trying to accomplish and I do believe prisons should learn from this, though it would need to be done right. Education programs, graduation, jobs, allowing musician prisoners to play instruments, singers to sing, sporting events, and whatnot is all very rare in most American prisons, unless you're a well-known celebrity that wants to release something from prison, and even then you mostly have to do this in secret sometimes. So, I just genuinely enjoy the premise of the show. I enjoy the characters, the poetic nature of it all, the episodic-themed nature of it all, the wit and humor, and the intense drama. I mean, just like LOST ..it had its bad moments and didn't have what people would call a "good" ending, but when it was firing on all cylinders, it was some of the best television out there. Particularly the first three seasons. It was a breath of fresh air and really pushed the limits of what was expected of the average tv show. The days of the sitcom ruling television was over. The Sopranos made sure this fact was indeed a ...well ..fact. The sitcom never died, but it shared the spotlight and is often overshadowed by the television drama, and with HBO's dedication to giving the writer cart blache in regards to censorship and the vision of the atist, and OZ using this to push the limits of television at the time, it really does speak volumes. I do agree that nearly every show in your list would occupy my top 25, if not all of them, but we just have to agree to disagree on this one. It was nice going back and forth with you though. Cheers!
@@raymondsims7042
Wait til CineRanter discovers the Michael Chiklis "The Shield Series". It's on par with "The Wire" IMO
leyenda61 the shield in no way is on par with the wire no way
SEASON 1, & 4....All Good But Those Are The Truely Best !!!!
It's hilarious that you missed an entire episode and didn't realize it. That has happened to be a few times. Apparently, Netflix is the only streaming service that is capable of actually keeping track of where you left off in whatever you are watching.
If you liked The Wire you should really watch OZ it’s also a compelling story with great characters that can be rewatched with enjoyment!!!
The Wire is the closest live action media has ever come to a novel.
Please make more wire content!
I was thinking about it last night. Season 4 of the wire is the best season of tv ever
The Greatest is NOT hyperbole! It REALLY was!
No question about it
@raymondsims7042 During this LOOOOOONNNG Writers strike I am rewatching
The Wire; and Treme' over again,I also LOVED Six Feet Under!💯💫
@@Mimi2Y2BYAZPHIL ahh mate the missus are I going to check out six feet under next! What are some great aspects about the show in your opinion? I know Michael c hall is on there and he’s plays my favorite character ever as Dexter Morgan. Is he good on six feet under as well?
@raymondsims7042 Yes, my friend he is EXCELLENT, You will be impressed at facts about his character.We are kindred spirits, I LOVED Dexter Too!💯💫
@@Mimi2Y2BYAZPHIL alright nice thanks will be checking it out 🤝also my apologies for calling you “mate” lass I didn’t read your name says “mimi” stay gold🙏
What really upset me about the show is I didn't see all the young actors going to be great and other movies only one was Michael b Jordan that bothered me a little bit and not saying he didn't deserve it because a lot of other young actors that was better than him
the wire is by far the greatest tv show and series ever to be on tv. I havent seen anything close yet.
Right with you mate nothing is close!! What’s your top ten though? Mine is
1. The wire
2. Game of thrones
3. Mr robot
4. Dark
5. The boys
6. Breaking bad
7. Succession
8. Stranger things
9. Sopranos
10. Mad men/better call saul
IMO
4>3>1>2>5.
All the seasons except 5 are 10/10, which is a 9/10.
The only reason it felt a little disappointing was because it followed four of the greatest seasons of television ever made. I'd put seasons 3 and 4 down as the two best seasons of television ever made. If season 5 didn't have to follow those up, it would've gone down as great.
U should do narcos to if u haven't half of it is in Spanish tho very good
Free Bei....if you can't get enough watch We Own This City, basically a spiritual successor with much of the forerunners of the wire also doing WOTC.
As a show about the urban experience, the institutions that shape it & the consequences for the people that live there (where most of the human population now resides) The Wires relevance will only grow for the next 25, 50 even 100 years.
I loved the Wire but had a problem believing Prez could get a job as a teacher after assaulting a youngster and leaving him blind in one eye in season 1. That in fact is the only thing that doesn't work for me.
Simon said a sixth season would’ve focused on immigration - we see a hint of it with some scenes and some characters like Rinaldo. That would’ve no doubt been as brilliant as the rest.
IMO it didn’t have the ratings and awards due largely to what makes the show great- its refusal to spoon feed and hand hold the viewer, but in a way that rewards persistent viewers phenomenally. Also unconscious racism of the industry. The cast demographics reflect the Baltimore demographics, and there are too many multidimensional Black characters to count.
Perhaps if the internet and social media been more prominent this show would have gotten closer to the recognition it deserves. But it’s precisely due to its quality that I roll my eyes whenever people talk about other series as the best, and also when it’s left out of “the best” lists.
what i noticed at the finale montage is lester dating deangelos girlfriend from season 1
The wire is all about circles, it’s right in the intro of every season, look for the circles.
Check out the corner bro basically the wire without the cop side of it same city same actors same writer
same story...
@Rando Yaguchi both pretty much tell the decay the moral decay of society
@Rando Yaguchi thanks for the heads up on book you happen to she We Own This City it picks right up where The Wire left off...
animals in the class is a side story at a stretch
I started watching at s4 when it was actually on every Sunday and was so hooked.... This was before streaming and on demand video through the cable provider was pretty limited. I torrented the first 3 seasons and found myself even deeper in the obsession. Season 5 was pretty mid in comparison to the others but still good TV.
I dont think the serial killer angle was the primary focus of this season. For me, it was all the circus created by the politics to remain in power. If you pay atention, the cause for all problems comes from the politics.
The clearest example of this is when Dukie tries to find a regular job and is refused because of his age. Who created this rule? Politics. And what rule did the politics create? Under certain age, you are FORCED to attend those useless schools. What choice did Dukie have if not going into the crime world? And why? Again, because of the rules created by the politics.
Seems the show mayor of Kingstown is the prison sequel you brought up