@@shaneodwyer6132 The tension when you follow Frank on one end meeting the Greeks, and the piece of paper getting processed knowing the implications. That's one of the hardest scenes to watch in the show. And then, we get a tragic opening in the next episode. Cheers from France! 🍻
@@DarthWinterMadness It was brilliant, Season 2 is very under appreciated in my opinion. The son ending up in prison for murder is so tragic also. Allez Le Wire 😁
You know its a masterpiece when its becoming your favorite season with each passing rewatch. The Greek is my favorite villain. No ego, strictly business. Always business.
Don’t even know if he is inherently a villain. In an alternate universe with drug legalization, the Greek is no different than a legitimate businessman
@@mitchellturner470The Greek had Sergi cut off people's hands and faces. If that's not a villain I don't know what is. I'm sure some business men have done worse in legitimate businesses too though
I’m on my 5th or 6th rewatch and I love this season more and more. The characters are so rich and well acted. I love the entire series for these reasons but this season told a story that any other series wouldn’t have.
Season one: Cops and Robbers Season two: death of the working class Season three: government Season four: education Season five: the media All layers of the best show ever produced for American television, second goes to The Sopranos.
I rank The Wire and The Sopranos both tied for first. Both incredibly well made and pretty much perfect shows for their own reasons. Both masterpieces in their own right. The Wire- sociology The Sopranos- psychology and philosophy.
Perfect layout of the show…I’m gonna pitch that to influence others I know to watch…you gotta see it from all angles, the brilliance of the show and why the best with the Sopranos…not the many saints…that movie should be buried and burnt to hell, so sorry side rant
The entire storyline overall wouldn't have been possible without Season 2. They had to introduce the Greeks somehow and how the drugs were getting into Baltimore. I can see how watching it week by week as if was coming out may have been confusing, but in the grand picture it was essential for the overall message.
It’s the same thing as them showing the political side of the drugs. It’s all important parts of the machinery that help things run smoothly, and are very important. Most people who aren’t mechanically inclined don’t realize how important things like the transmission, water or fuel pumps, control arms, CV axles etc. are to the proper function of a car, but without any of those things, it won’t work at all.
i didnt care for it all that much as it aired but that was because i thought the wire was one thing then it turned out to be something different that was a whole lot better
@@Easymoney9864 i didnt appreciate it watching it as it aired either. I didnt realize what the wire was trying to be yet and didnt fit in the whole scope of the show until the show had matured more
"Each season focuses on a different aspect of Balti ore, season 2 was just the first to do so, [hence it gets a bad rap]"- That is literally the BEST take on s2's place in the storyline I've heard so far. This will ring more and more true as the show goes along, with the last season definitely being the icing on the cake when you look at it this way.
The way to think about The Wire, which we didn't know in real time in it's first two seasons is that it's about the city of Baltimore and the decay of Baltimore, not the characters in the drug trade or police department. The characters in The Wire are a symptom of the problems of Baltimore's institutions and once you know that then everything makes more sense.
Ironically, the jarring plot turn from Season 1 to Season 2, made the audience accustomed to sudden theme shifts for future seasons, and was crucial for smoothing out the intro to the city bureaucracy, education and media themes of the future seasons. So, the least favorite part of the Wire for many fans was actually one of the most important aspects for making the rest of the show work.
i rewatch it every year and always discover new things, its amazing. Like the most recent time i rewatched, when Bunk leaves a note on a body saying it was Tater that did it, only for Keema to work out that it was a guy taking pot shots using a potato as a silencer, pure genius
Yeah ive watched the series 3 times I think, the third being just this summer and it was only on this most recent rewatch that I caught the brief glimpse of Rawls in the gay bar which totally changed my perception of his character.
I had binged watched The Sopranos three times straight through. At this time, I was into immersive, dark, and deep subjects. Then, I heard some critic say that The Wire was so raw and real, it was as dark as it comes. I watched, and it was. I distinctly remember taking my kid to see Black Panther. When I realized that Wallace was supposed to be a bad guy, I couldn't get into the movie. I just kept thinking, poor Wallace, poor, poor Wallace. The saddest part of The Wire, was Wallace. The system killed Wallace. Poor Wallace.
Brother Mouzone is definitely an accurate portrayal. Idk Baltimore but in Philly, New York, & New Jersey, Mouzones abound. They spring from the Fruit of Islam
Brother Mouzone, is not a contrivance but based on members of the Nation of Islam. They would walk and dress much in the same manner that he does. Many of these men were considered dangerous hitters. They add a bit of color to his character like with Avon but he is not an unrealistic description
What season 2 highlights that the show is about the systems. It establishes this isn’t gonna just be Stringer/Avon vs Freeman/McNulty . In that respect it’s critical to the overall success of the show. You appreciate it more in hindsight than at first watch
Season 2 is one of the best seasons in The Wire. I can't think of another show that went into a completely different direction in it's second season. Stringer and Marlo were great enough characters that could have had their own show, but David Simon had the balls to push them to the back burner for the benefit of his show and his vision.
Season 2 was one of my favorites. I didn't like it during my first viewing, but it gets better every time I watch it. Easily one of the best seasons in the series.
Just finished rewatching season 2 and I couldn't agree more. It was more of a wash when I first watched the wire but now I appreciate the characters more.
Wow, I was with you on everything except for your analysis of Brother Mouzone. To me and others that I know that have been fans of the show for all these years, he is one of the most intriguing characters. Maybe in your spare time you can look up Philly Black Mafia. It might help you and others understand a little more about the Brother Mouzone character and how there have indeed been real life characters like him.
In my personal opinion, I always thought Brother Mouzone was def an intriguing character but not a very believable one... Mainly because the show didn't really do a whole lot to back up his reputation and how other characters spoke of him like he was some kind of untouchable, unrelenting Boogeyman. It would have been more effective to: 1: not see him as much (esp out in the open) and only have him appear to kill people in places that the victims would feel safe. This would show that he really can't be stopped and will always get his mark. Make it so SEEING Brother Mouzone is BAD news and that average, low-level gang members wouldn't even know his face 2: only have him speak in those situations. Like, we get it, Mouzone and Omar are very intelligent. I don't need him to sound like a professor to establish that 3: he REALLY should have been a BIGGER guy. Keep the suit, the glasses, and how articulate he is but make him a physically imposing figure. Not HUGE but def not that small... Just so we can believe that, without a pistol, someone as big as Stringer wouldn't just fold him into a pretzel! I've watched the series at least 20 times lol so I do tend to over-analyse things... But besides what other characters SAY about Brother Mouzone, we're never SHOWN that he's truly a man to fear. And that kind of "telling not showing" is definitely not typical of The Wire, which is probably why it never sat well with me
@@phatnana2379 The father of The Wire writer and director David Simon was among those hostages taken in the 1977 Hanifi Siege. This was an incident that came about from a faction between warring muslim groups as a result from 1973 incident that was perpetrated by the Philly Black Muslim Mafia. Based on this experience and possible research, I can see how David Simon might have came up with the character of Brother Mozoune, as many of the other various and memorable characters along with their actions were not all fiction but included dramatization of real life people and incidents. The previous which made The Wire so real. I don't know if their stories will ever by completely told outside of a few documentaries but I imagine a character like Brother Mouzone being based out of this --> en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mafia
@@phatnana2379 One last thought with regards to Bro. Mouzone's physical size and stature, history has taught us that sometimes it is indeed the least imposing and unsuspecting figure that can catch a person off guard and do some serious damage. Yet again, this is another man's opinion. Thanks for this dialogue. This along with Season 5 of the Wire is something I've wanted to see more discussion on, especially how those Homeless Killings and how it stopped can be compared to those Atlanta Child Murders from 79-81 and those murders miraculously stopped after a person was arrested for just a couple of murders and never charged with the others. The Mayor at that time and law enforcement never really brought the topic up in the years afterwards. It just all seemed so strange like there was indeed more to the story that they never wanted the public to know. That story could have been influenced by Ed Burns who was the other writer and producer for The Wire as well as a former police officer, then teacher.
I remember when I watched The Wire in real time as it was on and I loved the characters of Avon, Stringer and especially Wee-Bey so much that when the new storyline was introduced and I realized that The Barksdale Organization wasnt gonna be the central focus of season 2 and that we had a whole new slew of characters to get familiar with, I was kinda upset about that initially and because of it, I think I was jaded towards season 2 all throughout the season. Then after it was over, I realized when season 3 hit that they were bringing in new subplots and characters and a different element of Baltimore's city each year and I enjoyed season 3 and 4 and 5 very much. Whenever I'd rewatch the series over again later on for years to come, I'd skip over season 2 on the rewatch. And then when I showed the series to my wife for the first time (after like 100 rewatches myself, skipping over season 2 each time) I obviously rewatched season 2 with her this time and realized how great it actually is and came to love it and cant believe I ever thought less about it. I still love season 3 the best, season 1 the second best and season 4 the third best. But I really like season 2. More than season 5. But they're all great. It's by far the best TV series of all time. By far.
Watched the wire 10 years ago and didn't talk to anybody about it until I finished it to avoid spoilers. I felt Season 2 was the 2nd best behind Season 1 and I was shocked when everyone I knew who watched it felt Season 2 was the worst. Because it was back in the media a bit for the 20 year anniversary recently I rewatched it and I'm convinced it's the best season. Granted it breaks away from the main story arc more than any other season but that's part of it's strength, it's a mini masterpiece. In fact the least convincing parts are all the efforts to keep the main arc going (D'Angelo hanging himself from a door knob and no one thinking it's fishy, Omar trusting Stringer and shooting some complete unknown to him on the basis of Stringers word). And the casting is perfect as usual with the wire, the dock boys, Ziggy, the greek mob and Valchek (I know he's in Season 1 but he's a Season 2 character, like Bunny is a Season 3/4 character but appears in 2).And then there's Chris Bauer as Frank Sobotka, F'k me what a performance, him and Wood Harris are the most convincing characters in the whole show. I'll be actively bringing up the wire with people for the next while just so as I can start physical fights with anyone who badmouths Season 2.
There's a nice detail that sets up the rift between avon and string for season 3. In the beginning of the season avon and string say "us" and fist bump as a sign of their closeness and brotherhood. At the end of the season string says it again, but avon hesitates, then says "us" but immediately hangs up and turns his back without ever looking at him.
Agree Brother Mouzone was not a completely successful character, but you clearly do not understand that he is a member of the Black Muslim sect - which actually does have an engaging mixture of rigid lifestyle rules (the Brother's dress and manners are imposed by the sect), political action and crime-for-hire. He is a more credible character if you understand that.
I had to re-re-rewatch The Wire to appreciate S2 and it might be my second favorite after S4. S2 shows the regular, normal people of Baltimore and how they too must navigate the world of crime. Frank was doing business with shady characters in order to save hard blue-collar jobs of his men. He wasn't in The Game and didn't want to be flashy; he simply had no other alternatives than to bribe and work with unsavory types. The background of the docks also helps keep things in perspective when the rest of the series is talking about building waterfront condos in order to increase a tax base and gentrify the area. With S2 being mostly about White working folk, it shows that the gears of The System end of grinding everything into dust. It isn't a matter of Black or White, but Green.
I’m in the minority here, but season two is my favorite. By far. Season four is the best of the show. I think most people would agree. But the second season really hammers home that people will do literally anything to try and get themselves out of poverty. It’s not just a “people of color” thing. Those white boys down at the docks were in the hustle just as deep as the blacks in the housing projects.
The Barksdale Organization may not get as much screentime in S2, but their storyline sticks with the theme of season 2, which is the effects of a bad economy leading to problems. While the dockworkers are facing less available jobs, the Barksdales are dealing with the loss of their drug connect. It is their equivalent of losing jobs.
thieving dockworkers in a UNION alongside the gripping struggle of 2 corrupt taskmasters seeing who can donate more to their church the entire season is a waste of viewing except for Dominic West's fake British accent; season 2 is a crime against season 1
I loved how Rawls was seen in a gay bar but never mentioned again in the series. “Like a burned perogi sitting on the grill. No one wants it so you pretend it ain’t t there.”
There is a small reference later on in the series when I believe it was Landsman who reads "Rawls sucks cock" written on the wall in the restroom of the police building and laughs at it.
An explanation on Brother Mouzone. He is mostly out of place but is interesting. He represents a very specific branch of the Nation of Islam, the Fruit of Islam, who are like an enforcement branch. I have never met one of them as far as I know but in certain inner city communities with a mostly black population it isn't unusual to see these bow tie cats. Usually they are at squares selling item to raise money for their mosques. A bit of trivia is for some reason bean pies are one of the items they like to sell. On a related note I like your content. Keep up the good work.
Yes, I was familiar enough to know that, but since they didn't explain it, those without prior knowledge would find him odd as, it seems by the reviewer. I grew up in Baltimore in the 90's (not inner city), so there was a bit of unexplained Baltimore stuff as well, and knowing the geography even. This show definitely benefited viewers with more cultural knowledge of the times and place.
What about Frank Sobotka? I'm not hearing his name in here anywhere? Season 2 is has some real dark humour behind it. The whole premise is just one person trying to get one over on another person. Valchek trying to get one over on Frank Sobotka over a church window, and Jimmy trying to get one over on Rawls over the girls in the can.
alot of people ,myself included , were mad when season 2 started. I will say that after seeing season 2 it was so necessary to have it. each season shows a bigger part of the system and to truly understand the drug game, cops versus robbers of season 1, season 2 tells you how drugs gets there and how its all connected....season 2 is a gem!!
Season one is the set up. Each season builds on the last. Season two to my mind showed a few important aspects to the illegal trade. The dead women in the container were less interesting to FBI than destroying the union power on the docks. The feds react differently to each season wire tap. The destruction of the union workers is a running theme in season five we catch up with a homeless former union longshoremen now living under a bridge. Brother Marzone made an important impact in season three. The takeaway from season two is the feds priority is not to stop the drug trade, only parts of the drug trade.
Second season is amazing and by far the most underrated. Honestly, it's my favourite... other seasons, they're great and all but... i'm not hearing a lot about Frank Sobotka.
IMO season 2 def gets a bad rap. It’s an amazing season of television even if it is the weakest in the show it’s still fantastic and agreed the final montage gave me chills the first time I watched it as well as the montage in the penultimate episode of the season where you know who is going to meet with the Greeks under the bridge and you see the information passing hands as the tension racks up.
I just remember watching it at the time and it was pretty disorienting. You couldn’t really tell off the bat how important or unimportant these characters were going to be.
At first, season two was frustrating to me, but now I think the direction was blod. The wire concept was a sociologic picture of Baltimore, exploring a completly new area with other rules, codes and struggles was spot on on that core idea. Even if the next seasons are amazing, a part of me feel like the creator was coming back to "safer" ground and stuck to the drug hood because that's what the wire had become with his success. Still an amazing show but it could have been something else entirely.
Pretty sure Season 2 blindsided everyone the first time around. I personally did not like it and would often skip it when rewatching the Wire. Trust me, it gets much better upon multiple viewings and is now my favorite season.
My biggest hang up with season 2 is just how extremely lucky the Greek got when the fbi agent Fitz just happened to call the one guy out of thousands working for the feds that's connected to, and on the payroll of the Greek Like how isn't it suspicious that a guy working in California just so happens to come across a huge drug seizure in Baltimore just a few days/weeks after talking to Fitz about the situation. The second worst part, or most unrealistic part is when Avon and Stringer just casually talk about thier business over the prison phones, why wouldn't the cops be recording those calls? The cops don't need warrants to listen to calls and conversations that take place in a prison and calls and conversations between high level criminals are routinely listened to and recorded.
I love that you haven't seen the show before, and you're discovering it season by season like I did when I first saw it. Brother Mouzone was based on the description of Notorious BIG's shooter, crossed with a Nation of Islam type. He is an unrealistic character, but so is a Clint Eastwood type like Omar living more than a couple months in Baltimore without getting shot. Love your series and will keep an eye out for it.
Of course the subtle little looks and asides are intended. They reward re-watching and those with a keen eye and a sharp mind. I think you're wrong about wanting them to linger on some of the subtleties longer. They get it so perfectly right, it does not need altering in any way. An example is police jargon used in the show. A new term will pop up used in context between two characters early in an episode, before later they use the term in front of people who didn't understand the term and it is then explained. It's not explained in an obvious manner, it's just placed there for the view to do with as they wish. This is why it is so highly rated.
I know this is a very late response but IMO Season 2 is a brilliant season, just like all seasons of ‘The Wire’ were/are. It was a breath of fresh air to the stagnation of U.S based TV series,that were becoming more & more formulaic & simple minded,that the producers of The Wire disregarded all of that trash TV & they clearly had faith in the masses & treated them like they actually had a brain, who can easily understand why the port season is important,when it came to the overall subject of black market produce,such as modern day sex slaves,weapons & mainly drugs.Season 2 shows exactly how important crooked port authorities & higher ups were, when it came to the part they played by their huge part in the importing of drugs,humans,weapons & so on. I’ve never understood the hate for season 2. I personally loved every single episode of the Wire so it would be impossible for me to rank seasons from worst to best because they were all equally vital in showing the overview of the individuals involved in the Baltimore drug scene, side by side with the police, who were portrayed as just the other side of the same very dirty & bent out of shape coin. Not to mention how the politicians,judges & lawyers all play their parts in the GAME! The Wire is a true masterpiece of TV. The best above all other TV series imo.
It's interesting to see protagonists fade into side characters and then back again. Having said that, I still mentally consider McNulty the main character just because of season 1, even though he really isn't.
With all due respect, for the most part, the brothers in the streets don't "desire" to do what they do. I get that season two is classified as the "death of the working class" because it's dealing with white people and only white people are considered working class for some reason, but the reason why a lot of the brothers do what they do is due to a lack of real economic opportunity.
Weirdly season 2 was the first season of The Wire that I got to watch cause it was the only one we had on dvd all those years back. I think because of that it's always been one of my favourites. I absolutely love the dock workers, so many colourful characters and the Greek and co are super enigmatic. Every season has its strengths though.
Here’s how you know season 2 was bad, if the docks was the main focus the first season the whole show might not have been renewed. The Barksdale org characters were more interesting, mainly because they’re plot was easier to follow for most.
Nice review, but I don't see what's "contrived" about the crew from Season 1 being brought back to the detail. Daniels is the one in charge of both details, so of course he's going to bring back the people he's familiar with, especially people like McNulty, Kima, and Freamon who were the backbone of the Barksdale case. As far as just bringing them back together from the start, it's about showing that the events of the first season had real consequences. Kima was nearly killed and took a desk job to keep peace with her partner. McNulty and Daniels were punished for bucking the chain of command. Freamon replaced McNulty in Homicide. Carver was promoted to Sargeant after snitching for Burrell. And most importantly, a detail only gets created when a specific case warrants it, after which everyone goes back to their day jobs. Having them all back on one team immediately after the way Season 1 ended would have been lazy and inconsistent writing.
First time I watched The Wire I skipped a lot of Season 2 because it seemed so different. Then on my rewatch I was like wtf did I do? It became my favorite and shown how vital it was.
I still need to watch a few more viewings to get to that empathetic point😅…I find myself fast-forwarding him maybe a little less but he is so pathetically annoying haven’t got there yet with true empathy for him…feel much more empathy for those having to deal with him.
I couldnt wait to finish Season 2 when I first saw it, it was quite a whiplash to go from the Baltimore slums to a story about the decline of the blue collar workers of the port. 3 watches later, Season 2 might be my favorite, followed by Season 3.
Everyone seems to have the same Initial opinion about season 2. Than they watch it again after seeing the whole series play out and they immediately appreciate it so much more.
Going back and watching Season 2, you really start appreciating how out of their depth McNulty and the team were in trying to take down the Greeks. Beating the cops essentially at every point with their government connections and experience, the biggest players in the show get away without issue, only to show back up later on and still avoid capture.
On my rewatch it flowed just fine, but I agree the first time can be somewhat jarring. I guess knowing the latter parts and context helps but it was enjoyable the second time
I agree, changing up the focus to the docks and only having the Barksdale characters as an undercurrent was a good choice, makes it feel like there’s an interconnected, overarching story going on
Season 2 is one of my favorite seasons. so much was revealed from the greeks, the docks, and seeing Stringer Bell put in motion his eventual demise by crossing Omar & Bro. Mouzzone.
After watching the wire my favorite seasons are 2 and 4. It took me to watch season 2 multiple times and actually do a little union work to get the greatness of this season. The Sabotka’s are some of the best characters in The Wire.
after rewatching this one is far more compelling considering how zigg turned out, the Greek reach in Balt and valchek’s petty rivalry. Different at glance Barksdale and sobatka families are way more alike than they appear showing how this city really forces everyone into illicit activities. Truly missed its greatness first time viewing. The cat and mouse of law enforcement learning the container system to dumping clean cans to throw them off was amazing too 🔥
I very much enjoy your video essays. They are intelligent and interesting. I was hugely impressed by season 2 of the Wire as it demonstrated that The Wire was gong to be much more than a series about drugs - sellers, users, police units. As you said, it became easier to understand just how broad and impressive the writers' scope was as the series progressed. It was to cover so many aspects of the state of US cities. Season 2 covering..well I've seen it written as the death of jobs, but it is really more the death of traditional industries, which could be relied upon to underpin a stable life - a steady, reasonable income, upon which a person can raise a family and have a home, have healthcare, have a pension. The Dock workers could have been: steel workers, auto industry workers, mining, shipbuilding, etc..All the same industries that are dead in the UK as well. The subsequent seasons see foregrounded other elements of The Way We Live Now in US cities: politics, education, the press/media. While I say in US cities, it is not hugely different in the UK - I lived in London for most of my adult life. A key reason for my leaving was the mayhem that is the education system there. Parents who know how to work the system or have money or clout, may just be able to get their children into good schools, but just being able to send your child to the local, walking distance school is virtually untenable if you want your child to receive a good education in an emotionally and psychologically healthy institution. (Where I lived in London, the place that the wealthier families sent their kids, to get them out of the sad failed local schools was to the private school in Highgate - which, it turns out, had a years long, schoolwide culture of sexual abuse and rape of young teenage girls. Known about by the school, but covered up and left to grown. THAT was THE GOOD education establishment in the area, which people paid tens of thousands of pounds to send their children to. Rather like taking all the worst aspects of the US college system and inflicting it on even younger people.) I did want to make an alteration to one thing you said:. It is worth saying that Frank Sobotka is NOT involved in skimming from the cargo that goes through the port. Indeed he confronts his nephew about this, saying how it is damaging everything he is trying to achieve - the bringing back of the Baltimore docks as places where people can work and have full lives. Sobotka wants his docks to have a pristine, cargo theft free reputation so that people will prefer to use these docks rather than other places. The illegal activity he allows is the bringing through of containers which then disappear. But his nephew, Nicky, does not have any of these ideals of feelings that Frank does, he is happy so "skim" ie steal, the way Ziggy does. He's just better at it.
I own all The Wire series and the more I've watched season 2 the more I've grown to really enjoy it.... It's a great season if you understand in underlying story
Having watched the wire all the way through at least half a dozen times I never noticed the look on Rhonda's face. As a matter of fact I think that is the moment that her and Jimmy were officially done as any sort of thing.
I made the mistake like many did when season 2 first aired and stopped watching it. It wasn’t until 8 years ago after hearing many people tell me I missed out that I binged the whole show and realized how great season 2 was.
If not for Season 2, it would have never tied in how the Greeks was the suppliers of the “good dope” to Prop Joe which led to the formation of the Co-op. It also showed how the dockworkers, while the ports were dying, were willing to work with the Greeks to earn, while being involved in large scale organized crime (Drugs, Prostitution, Stolen Cars and other goods)
Also, the actor who played Brother Mouzones assistant was the subject of The Corner which is another David Simon production. He was a corner kid in real life that Simon befriended for his book.
2nd season only feels off because it follows season one and viewers are not used to the concept of focussing on a certain part of city politics yet. If season 2 and season 4 would switch positions, season 2 would rightfully be a fan's favorite imho.
I think season 2 is indicative of the approach the writers seem to have for the show. It plays like a pointed essay reads. Most shows I think would find a way to sew and weave in season 2 plots into the rest of the series, and maybe that would be interesting. But the writers had a theme for the season and stuck with it, and for bonus points they showed the drug trade from a broader perspective then we got in season 1. Without season 2 we don’t understand the stranglehold the Greek actually has who’s so ruthless he watches a man bleed out in front of him (a far cry from the innocuous old man at the counter).
The second season was, indeed, a tragedy, if anything because of its very form: whatever Frank Sobotka does, his destiny is sealed. If he doesn't become corrupt, his family is finished, but also if he does get involved with crimen. Every possible choice brings doom. Same thing goes for the central theme of the season, which is how blood relations (sanginei in ancient greek) determine the destiny of the hero, who walks to his death on purpose to be sacrificed for the sins of his community and to redeem its corruption and decadence, ultimately failing. The change of structure of the second season is the main reason why most of the fans don't like It as much as the first season, which follows a more conventional and commercial structure. Tragedies don't offer answers or explanations the same way detective stories do. I think this is the first time i've seen a take that considers this possibility 🎉🎉 Nice video
Season 2 of “The Wire” is SUPER underrated. That season is CLASSIC! The “Frank Sobotka” character is criminally underrated. Anyone who thinks season 2 is bad couldn’t have watched it…
It's interesting how much did your off about and how much your on point with. Alot of it showcases, for me, just how much people assume others just automatically know about their culture. For example, your take on Brother Mouzone is way off but, how could you know if you didn't grow up around that and you even admit as much in your later videos. Love the channel.
Season 2 is the best season. Didn’t think so on my first watch but subsequent watches I found it to be the best. Shows the grand scheme of everything that happens in the microcosm of Baltimore drug game
![GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- Season Pass 4 Playable Character #1 [Queen Dizzy] Trailer](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nXDsAgYXXv4/mqdefault.jpg)
*Season 1 Review:*
ruclips.net/video/bvqGNEXSMHw/видео.html
Love ur channel bro. You are really good at what you do.
Just mind the pronunciation Baltimore.
ruclips.net/video/1Mv_ptDUkj8/видео.html
CINERANTER PLEASE DONT SAY THE N WORD. ITS VERY OFFENSIVE. EVEN IF YOUR QUOTING SOME ONE ELSE. SAY N WORD! THANKS IN ADVANCE
Season 2 is the best season of the whole series ye fool
@@tomford6226 yes, please avoid that!
Also, look up "Nation of Islam" if you want to understand the context of the Brother Mouzone character.
How? Please explain. I'm interested in your view.
Frank Sobotka is quite possibly the best tragic hero ever portrayed on the small screen. That actor killed it
The scene where he walks to meet the Greeks unaware that they know he spoke to the F.B.I. is so tragic and typically bleak - The Wire at it's best.
@@shaneodwyer6132 The tension when you follow Frank on one end meeting the Greeks, and the piece of paper getting processed knowing the implications.
That's one of the hardest scenes to watch in the show.
And then, we get a tragic opening in the next episode.
Cheers from France! 🍻
@@DarthWinterMadness It was brilliant, Season 2 is very under appreciated in my opinion. The son ending up in prison for murder is so tragic also. Allez Le Wire 😁
That actor was great in "8mm" and "61" about Mantle and Maris chasing Ruth's record. He's always great in anything he's in
nacho varga tho??
Frank Sobotka is the most underrated character in the entire series.
True. In fact The whole season is underrated
This is my favorite season
Couldn't agree more
Facts
100%. Tragic character.
Season 2 is one of my favorites. McNulty's quest to give rawls as many murders as possible is genius.
it`s the only one i watch. Whereas Homicide : life on the street was a watch every episode level show.
You know its a masterpiece when its becoming your favorite season with each passing rewatch.
The Greek is my favorite villain. No ego, strictly business. Always business.
Don’t even know if he is inherently a villain. In an alternate universe with drug legalization, the Greek is no different than a legitimate businessman
@@mitchellturner470The Greek had Sergi cut off people's hands and faces. If that's not a villain I don't know what is.
I'm sure some business men have done worse in legitimate businesses too though
I’m on my 5th or 6th rewatch and I love this season more and more. The characters are so rich and well acted. I love the entire series for these reasons but this season told a story that any other series wouldn’t have.
@@admiralsfleet "Did he have hands? Did he have a face? Then it wasn't us" lol.
Season one: Cops and Robbers
Season two: death of the working class
Season three: government
Season four: education
Season five: the media
All layers of the best show ever produced for American television, second goes to The Sopranos.
I rank The Wire and The Sopranos both tied for first. Both incredibly well made and pretty much perfect shows for their own reasons. Both masterpieces in their own right.
The Wire- sociology
The Sopranos- psychology and philosophy.
Perfect layout of the show…I’m gonna pitch that to influence others I know to watch…you gotta see it from all angles, the brilliance of the show and why the best with the Sopranos…not the many saints…that movie should be buried and burnt to hell, so sorry side rant
@@ryanduray1 yes perfectly explained
Nothing is the greatest, just all great
I think the shield is up there
The entire storyline overall wouldn't have been possible without Season 2. They had to introduce the Greeks somehow and how the drugs were getting into Baltimore. I can see how watching it week by week as if was coming out may have been confusing, but in the grand picture it was essential for the overall message.
Facts
Season 2 May have not been the best season but it was definitely the most important season
It’s the same thing as them showing the political side of the drugs. It’s all important parts of the machinery that help things run smoothly, and are very important. Most people who aren’t mechanically inclined don’t realize how important things like the transmission, water or fuel pumps, control arms, CV axles etc. are to the proper function of a car, but without any of those things, it won’t work at all.
i didnt care for it all that much as it aired but that was because i thought the wire was one thing then it turned out to be something different that was a whole lot better
Lies. Season was trash
Ziggy was fantastic. His sorrow when admitting shooting the kid was the show at it's most human.
The actor did a great job at being emotional and really fucking annoying.
Hated him so much so annoying
Couldn’t stand the character. Didn’t have a single intelligent thought or action. Didn’t grow at all.
@@NostraSamus agreed ziggy sucks but they did their job, he was meant to be disliked
I feel like he was done being the butt of the joke and regretted his actions
Season 2 is my favorite, after getting over the shock of the change in tone and narrative it’s amazing, especially w subsequent watches.
Agreed!
You know a real wire fan when they love season 2.
Facts I didn’t care for it my first time watching it. But it’s a close second behind season 1 to me
@@Easymoney9864 i didnt appreciate it watching it as it aired either. I didnt realize what the wire was trying to be yet and didnt fit in the whole scope of the show until the show had matured more
Agreed
Could care less what people say about season 2. It’s incredible. The more you watch it, the better it is.
Totally , I've seen the series multiple times and the 2nd season is definitely the best. It's so human
Just watched it for the first time best season of tv I’ve seen in a while I don’t get why people hate on it
Agreed it’s great
2 is clearly the best season
So many little details that you pick up on a rewatch. Great stuff.
All I could say the whole season two is “This all started over a window” 😂😂
It always starts with something insignificant, like the butterfly effect.
Like how we (The universe) started, just a bit of nothing at all
That window really tied the room together.
@@matt.willoughby Just like how the Season 1 investigation started because a judge was annoyed over a verdict.
@@matt.willoughbyexactly, it’s so good because the link between Prez and Valchek ultimately sets the whole storyline
ha, right?
"Each season focuses on a different aspect of Balti ore, season 2 was just the first to do so, [hence it gets a bad rap]"- That is literally the BEST take on s2's place in the storyline I've heard so far. This will ring more and more true as the show goes along, with the last season definitely being the icing on the cake when you look at it this way.
Agreed. My friend had to hold my hand and explain how it all connects so stop expecting and just appreciate it for what it is.
The way to think about The Wire, which we didn't know in real time in it's first two seasons is that it's about the city of Baltimore and the decay of Baltimore, not the characters in the drug trade or police department. The characters in The Wire are a symptom of the problems of Baltimore's institutions and once you know that then everything makes more sense.
Well said.
Season 1: "Man these criminal degenerates, they should just get a real job"
Season 2: The real job
Season 2 is highly underrated. And of you wonder what it has to do with the big picture remember all the pieces matter
Nothing in season 2 mattered.
Ironically, the jarring plot turn from Season 1 to Season 2, made the audience accustomed to sudden theme shifts for future seasons, and was crucial for smoothing out the intro to the city bureaucracy, education and media themes of the future seasons.
So, the least favorite part of the Wire for many fans was actually one of the most important aspects for making the rest of the show work.
Rest in peace Michael K Williams. Great actor. Loved you as Omar in the "The Wire" and Chalk White in "Broadwalk Empire".
His mom lives here in Harrisburg and they had his funeral right downtown here in Harrisburg on Front Street.
AIDS is a savage disease.
Dang ima have to watch Board Walk Empire now
@@GoldenJoe9176 same here
@Women should cook And clean unprompted what? They aren’t the same at all
I’ve seen the show front to back seven times and I still see something new every time. Amazing show.
There’s a few podcast worth checking out. They breakdown every episode. I’ve found a few new things I missed after a ton of rewatches.
i rewatch it every year and always discover new things, its amazing. Like the most recent time i rewatched, when Bunk leaves a note on a body saying it was Tater that did it, only for Keema to work out that it was a guy taking pot shots using a potato as a silencer, pure genius
Yeah ive watched the series 3 times I think, the third being just this summer and it was only on this most recent rewatch that I caught the brief glimpse of Rawls in the gay bar which totally changed my perception of his character.
I had binged watched The Sopranos three times straight through. At this time, I was into immersive, dark, and deep subjects. Then, I heard some critic say that The Wire was so raw and real, it was as dark as it comes. I watched, and it was. I distinctly remember taking my kid to see Black Panther. When I realized that Wallace was supposed to be a bad guy, I couldn't get into the movie. I just kept thinking, poor Wallace, poor, poor Wallace. The saddest part of The Wire, was Wallace.
The system killed Wallace.
Poor Wallace.
Wallace was in the game. He chose that life. To me the saddest death was the little boy who caught a seeing eye stray
@@flightofthebumblebee9529 wallace was a lil kid. His choices are barely his own
@@malcolmhodnett8874 Still made choices though
Wallace was fiend......
@@crazychase98 he was a kid, kids don’t make good choices.
The second season is essential for the rest of the series you just don’t know it when you first watch it.
Brother Mouzone is definitely an accurate portrayal. Idk Baltimore but in Philly, New York, & New Jersey, Mouzones abound. They spring from the Fruit of Islam
Brother Mouzone, is not a contrivance but based on members of the Nation of Islam. They would walk and dress much in the same manner that he does. Many of these men were considered dangerous hitters. They add a bit of color to his character like with Avon but he is not an unrealistic description
What season 2 highlights that the show is about the systems. It establishes this isn’t gonna just be Stringer/Avon vs Freeman/McNulty . In that respect it’s critical to the overall success of the show. You appreciate it more in hindsight than at first watch
Season 2 is one of the best seasons in The Wire. I can't think of another show that went into a completely different direction in it's second season. Stringer and Marlo were great enough characters that could have had their own show, but David Simon had the balls to push them to the back burner for the benefit of his show and his vision.
Season 2 was one of my favorites. I didn't like it during my first viewing, but it gets better every time I watch it. Easily one of the best seasons in the series.
Just finished rewatching season 2 and I couldn't agree more. It was more of a wash when I first watched the wire but now I appreciate the characters more.
Wow, I was with you on everything except for your analysis of Brother Mouzone. To me and others that I know that have been fans of the show for all these years, he is one of the most intriguing characters. Maybe in your spare time you can look up Philly Black Mafia. It might help you and others understand a little more about the Brother Mouzone character and how there have indeed been real life characters like him.
In my personal opinion, I always thought Brother Mouzone was def an intriguing character but not a very believable one... Mainly because the show didn't really do a whole lot to back up his reputation and how other characters spoke of him like he was some kind of untouchable, unrelenting Boogeyman.
It would have been more effective to:
1: not see him as much (esp out in the open) and only have him appear to kill people in places that the victims would feel safe. This would show that he really can't be stopped and will always get his mark. Make it so SEEING Brother Mouzone is BAD news and that average, low-level gang members wouldn't even know his face
2: only have him speak in those situations. Like, we get it, Mouzone and Omar are very intelligent. I don't need him to sound like a professor to establish that
3: he REALLY should have been a BIGGER guy. Keep the suit, the glasses, and how articulate he is but make him a physically imposing figure. Not HUGE but def not that small... Just so we can believe that, without a pistol, someone as big as Stringer wouldn't just fold him into a pretzel!
I've watched the series at least 20 times lol so I do tend to over-analyse things... But besides what other characters SAY about Brother Mouzone, we're never SHOWN that he's truly a man to fear. And that kind of "telling not showing" is definitely not typical of The Wire, which is probably why it never sat well with me
@@phatnana2379 The father of The Wire writer and director David Simon was among those hostages taken in the 1977 Hanifi Siege. This was an incident that came about from a faction between warring muslim groups as a result from 1973 incident that was perpetrated by the Philly Black Muslim Mafia. Based on this experience and possible research, I can see how David Simon might have came up with the character of Brother Mozoune, as many of the other various and memorable characters along with their actions were not all fiction but included dramatization of real life people and incidents. The previous which made The Wire so real. I don't know if their stories will ever by completely told outside of a few documentaries but I imagine a character like Brother Mouzone being based out of this --> en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mafia
@@phatnana2379 One last thought with regards to Bro. Mouzone's physical size and stature, history has taught us that sometimes it is indeed the least imposing and unsuspecting figure that can catch a person off guard and do some serious damage. Yet again, this is another man's opinion. Thanks for this dialogue. This along with Season 5 of the Wire is something I've wanted to see more discussion on, especially how those Homeless Killings and how it stopped can be compared to those Atlanta Child Murders from 79-81 and those murders miraculously stopped after a person was arrested for just a couple of murders and never charged with the others. The Mayor at that time and law enforcement never really brought the topic up in the years afterwards. It just all seemed so strange like there was indeed more to the story that they never wanted the public to know. That story could have been influenced by Ed Burns who was the other writer and producer for The Wire as well as a former police officer, then teacher.
I thought Brother Mouzone was Fruit of Islam??
Brother Mouzone is an amazing character.
I remember when I watched The Wire in real time as it was on and I loved the characters of Avon, Stringer and especially Wee-Bey so much that when the new storyline was introduced and I realized that The Barksdale Organization wasnt gonna be the central focus of season 2 and that we had a whole new slew of characters to get familiar with, I was kinda upset about that initially and because of it, I think I was jaded towards season 2 all throughout the season. Then after it was over, I realized when season 3 hit that they were bringing in new subplots and characters and a different element of Baltimore's city each year and I enjoyed season 3 and 4 and 5 very much. Whenever I'd rewatch the series over again later on for years to come, I'd skip over season 2 on the rewatch. And then when I showed the series to my wife for the first time (after like 100 rewatches myself, skipping over season 2 each time) I obviously rewatched season 2 with her this time and realized how great it actually is and came to love it and cant believe I ever thought less about it. I still love season 3 the best, season 1 the second best and season 4 the third best. But I really like season 2. More than season 5. But they're all great. It's by far the best TV series of all time. By far.
Season 3 def the best
Season 2, 3, and 4 are absolutely amazing.
you watched the wire w ur gf nice🤞🏽
Watched the wire 10 years ago and didn't talk to anybody about it until I finished it to avoid spoilers. I felt Season 2 was the 2nd best behind Season 1 and I was shocked when everyone I knew who watched it felt Season 2 was the worst. Because it was back in the media a bit for the 20 year anniversary recently I rewatched it and I'm convinced it's the best season. Granted it breaks away from the main story arc more than any other season but that's part of it's strength, it's a mini masterpiece. In fact the least convincing parts are all the efforts to keep the main arc going (D'Angelo hanging himself from a door knob and no one thinking it's fishy, Omar trusting Stringer and shooting some complete unknown to him on the basis of Stringers word). And the casting is perfect as usual with the wire, the dock boys, Ziggy, the greek mob and Valchek (I know he's in Season 1 but he's a Season 2 character, like Bunny is a Season 3/4 character but appears in 2).And then there's Chris Bauer as Frank Sobotka, F'k me what a performance, him and Wood Harris are the most convincing characters in the whole show. I'll be actively bringing up the wire with people for the next while just so as I can start physical fights with anyone who badmouths Season 2.
There's a nice detail that sets up the rift between avon and string for season 3. In the beginning of the season avon and string say "us" and fist bump as a sign of their closeness and brotherhood. At the end of the season string says it again, but avon hesitates, then says "us" but immediately hangs up and turns his back without ever looking at him.
Such a perfectly awkward tense scene.
Agree Brother Mouzone was not a completely successful character, but you clearly do not understand that he is a member of the Black Muslim sect - which actually does have an engaging mixture of rigid lifestyle rules (the Brother's dress and manners are imposed by the sect), political action and crime-for-hire. He is a more credible character if you understand that.
Season two was great and it actually tied in the entire 5 seasons, watch the rest of them and you'll see.
Johnny Sack had a legitimate beef with ralph, if ralph wasnt a top earner he'd be clipped no problem
If Ralph wanted to commit suicide, PILLS ARE A LOT EASIER
What, he catch some shrapnel?
“That guy”? Show some Respect WOOD HARRIS. Greatest tv/movie actor of all time
Word up! Wood Harris is a All Star. Highly Underrated
I had to re-re-rewatch The Wire to appreciate S2 and it might be my second favorite after S4. S2 shows the regular, normal people of Baltimore and how they too must navigate the world of crime. Frank was doing business with shady characters in order to save hard blue-collar jobs of his men. He wasn't in The Game and didn't want to be flashy; he simply had no other alternatives than to bribe and work with unsavory types. The background of the docks also helps keep things in perspective when the rest of the series is talking about building waterfront condos in order to increase a tax base and gentrify the area. With S2 being mostly about White working folk, it shows that the gears of The System end of grinding everything into dust. It isn't a matter of Black or White, but Green.
Well-said
I’m in the minority here, but season two is my favorite. By far. Season four is the best of the show. I think most people would agree. But the second season really hammers home that people will do literally anything to try and get themselves out of poverty. It’s not just a “people of color” thing. Those white boys down at the docks were in the hustle just as deep as the blacks in the housing projects.
Season three is better than four and neither is as good as one
2 and 4 are the best IMHO.
Best seasons of The Wire, in my opinion:
1- S4
2- S2
3- S1
4- S3
5- S5
Seasons 1, 3 & 5 are unmatched
@@BrutusJrThe3rdit's 3 and unmatched
The Barksdale Organization may not get as much screentime in S2, but their storyline sticks with the theme of season 2, which is the effects of a bad economy leading to problems. While the dockworkers are facing less available jobs, the Barksdales are dealing with the loss of their drug connect. It is their equivalent of losing jobs.
Great point. Never thought about that
thieving dockworkers in a UNION
alongside the gripping struggle of 2 corrupt taskmasters seeing who can donate more to their church
the entire season is a waste of viewing
except for Dominic West's fake British accent;
season 2 is a crime against season 1
I loved how Rawls was seen in a gay bar but never mentioned again in the series. “Like a burned perogi sitting on the grill. No one wants it so you pretend it ain’t t there.”
There is a small reference later on in the series when I believe it was Landsman who reads "Rawls sucks cock" written on the wall in the restroom of the police building and laughs at it.
@@johnbakker4828 that’s funny. You’re right. Never even considered it might have been someone who meant it literally.
An explanation on Brother Mouzone. He is mostly out of place but is interesting. He represents a very specific branch of the Nation of Islam, the Fruit of Islam, who are like an enforcement branch. I have never met one of them as far as I know but in certain inner city communities with a mostly black population it isn't unusual to see these bow tie cats. Usually they are at squares selling item to raise money for their mosques. A bit of trivia is for some reason bean pies are one of the items they like to sell.
On a related note I like your content. Keep up the good work.
I just watched a scene of "the shield" where the Nation of Islam made an apearence. Bow Ties everywhere👍
Yes, I was familiar enough to know that, but since they didn't explain it, those without prior knowledge would find him odd as, it seems by the reviewer.
I grew up in Baltimore in the 90's (not inner city), so there was a bit of unexplained Baltimore stuff as well, and knowing the geography even. This show definitely benefited viewers with more cultural knowledge of the times and place.
What about Frank Sobotka? I'm not hearing his name in here anywhere?
Season 2 is has some real dark humour behind it. The whole premise is just one person trying to get one over on another person. Valchek trying to get one over on Frank Sobotka over a church window, and Jimmy trying to get one over on Rawls over the girls in the can.
Valchek looking at the last photo of the van was such a great resolution to that rivalry
@@followingtheroe1952 Frank winning from beyond the grave was great, he'll still be living rent free in Valcheck's head
Season 2 was better than season 5
alot of people ,myself included , were mad when season 2 started. I will say that after seeing season 2 it was so necessary to have it. each season shows a bigger part of the system and to truly understand the drug game, cops versus robbers of season 1, season 2 tells you how drugs gets there and how its all connected....season 2 is a gem!!
Season one is the set up. Each season builds on the last. Season two to my mind showed a few important aspects to the illegal trade. The dead women in the container were less interesting to FBI than destroying the union power on the docks. The feds react differently to each season wire tap. The destruction of the union workers is a running theme in season five we catch up with a homeless former union longshoremen now living under a bridge. Brother Marzone made an important impact in season three.
The takeaway from season two is the feds priority is not to stop the drug trade, only parts of the drug trade.
Second season is amazing and by far the most underrated. Honestly, it's my favourite... other seasons, they're great and all but... i'm not hearing a lot about Frank Sobotka.
Such an underrated season the dock workers had some of the best actors and upon rewatch you realize it’s importance in the overall story.
IMO season 2 def gets a bad rap. It’s an amazing season of television even if it is the weakest in the show it’s still fantastic and agreed the final montage gave me chills the first time I watched it as well as the montage in the penultimate episode of the season where you know who is going to meet with the Greeks under the bridge and you see the information passing hands as the tension racks up.
Season 5 is easily the weakest…. The writing isn’t as strong u can tell, that stupid ass newspaper storyline for example
I just remember watching it at the time and it was pretty disorienting. You couldn’t really tell off the bat how important or unimportant these characters were going to be.
Season 5 is by far the weakest
I see season 2 as one of the best seasons.
@@parkerb1970 yep
It was a beautifully real depiction of the working class and the shambles which it has existed in for decades, particularly in the 21at century.
At first, season two was frustrating to me, but now I think the direction was blod. The wire concept was a sociologic picture of Baltimore, exploring a completly new area with other rules, codes and struggles was spot on on that core idea. Even if the next seasons are amazing, a part of me feel like the creator was coming back to "safer" ground and stuck to the drug hood because that's what the wire had become with his success. Still an amazing show but it could have been something else entirely.
Anyone who is critical of the second season needs their head looking at.
Pretty sure Season 2 blindsided everyone the first time around. I personally did not like it and would often skip it when rewatching the Wire. Trust me, it gets much better upon multiple viewings and is now my favorite season.
Season 2 was bizarre for me also but in commentary David Simon said he wanted people to know the struggles and decline of the Baltimore dock workers.
Has McNulty figured out why the Greek was involved in the Key bridge collapse yet?
Honestly I’m glad they portrayed what life is like for working class urban whites
How do people not like season 2? It’s my favourite season! Every season after it just made me long for the good old days of the Barksdale crew!
My biggest hang up with season 2 is just how extremely lucky the Greek got when the fbi agent Fitz just happened to call the one guy out of thousands working for the feds that's connected to, and on the payroll of the Greek
Like how isn't it suspicious that a guy working in California just so happens to come across a huge drug seizure in Baltimore just a few days/weeks after talking to Fitz about the situation.
The second worst part, or most unrealistic part is when Avon and Stringer just casually talk about thier business over the prison phones, why wouldn't the cops be recording those calls? The cops don't need warrants to listen to calls and conversations that take place in a prison and calls and conversations between high level criminals are routinely listened to and recorded.
I love that you haven't seen the show before, and you're discovering it season by season like I did when I first saw it. Brother Mouzone was based on the description of Notorious BIG's shooter, crossed with a Nation of Islam type. He is an unrealistic character, but so is a Clint Eastwood type like Omar living more than a couple months in Baltimore without getting shot. Love your series and will keep an eye out for it.
"My name...is not my name..."
classic.
Of course the subtle little looks and asides are intended. They reward re-watching and those with a keen eye and a sharp mind. I think you're wrong about wanting them to linger on some of the subtleties longer. They get it so perfectly right, it does not need altering in any way. An example is police jargon used in the show. A new term will pop up used in context between two characters early in an episode, before later they use the term in front of people who didn't understand the term and it is then explained. It's not explained in an obvious manner, it's just placed there for the view to do with as they wish. This is why it is so highly rated.
When McNulty got reassigned I was like htf this gon work burk but gd season 2 was one of my favorites and it had to grow on me
I know this is a very late response but IMO Season 2 is a brilliant season, just like all seasons of ‘The Wire’ were/are. It was a breath of fresh air to the stagnation of U.S based TV series,that were becoming more & more formulaic & simple minded,that the producers of The Wire disregarded all of that trash TV & they clearly had faith in the masses & treated them like they actually had a brain, who can easily understand why the port season is important,when it came to the overall subject of black market produce,such as modern day sex slaves,weapons & mainly drugs.Season 2 shows exactly how important crooked port authorities & higher ups were, when it came to the part they played by their huge part in the importing of drugs,humans,weapons & so on. I’ve never understood the hate for season 2. I personally loved every single episode of the Wire so it would be impossible for me to rank seasons from worst to best because they were all equally vital in showing the overview of the individuals involved in the Baltimore drug scene, side by side with the police, who were portrayed as just the other side of the same very dirty & bent out of shape coin. Not to mention how the politicians,judges & lawyers all play their parts in the GAME!
The Wire is a true masterpiece of TV. The best above all other TV series imo.
It's interesting to see protagonists fade into side characters and then back again.
Having said that, I still mentally consider McNulty the main character just because of season 1, even though he really isn't.
It's to show you what's going on all over Baltimore all the season ties into each other. Everything it all comes full surface keep watching trust me
I love season 2. It was a very tragic season,. You basically see an entire family Fall apart.
"You gunna waste that crab gut?"
With all due respect, for the most part, the brothers in the streets don't "desire" to do what they do. I get that season two is classified as the "death of the working class" because it's dealing with white people and only white people are considered working class for some reason, but the reason why a lot of the brothers do what they do is due to a lack of real economic opportunity.
Weirdly season 2 was the first season of The Wire that I got to watch cause it was the only one we had on dvd all those years back. I think because of that it's always been one of my favourites. I absolutely love the dock workers, so many colourful characters and the Greek and co are super enigmatic. Every season has its strengths though.
A what w a library card???
Here’s how you know season 2 was bad, if the docks was the main focus the first season the whole show might not have been renewed. The Barksdale org characters were more interesting, mainly because they’re plot was easier to follow for most.
And this is why they had to go back. They know what they were trying to pull haha.
Nice review, but I don't see what's "contrived" about the crew from Season 1 being brought back to the detail. Daniels is the one in charge of both details, so of course he's going to bring back the people he's familiar with, especially people like McNulty, Kima, and Freamon who were the backbone of the Barksdale case.
As far as just bringing them back together from the start, it's about showing that the events of the first season had real consequences. Kima was nearly killed and took a desk job to keep peace with her partner. McNulty and Daniels were punished for bucking the chain of command. Freamon replaced McNulty in Homicide. Carver was promoted to Sargeant after snitching for Burrell. And most importantly, a detail only gets created when a specific case warrants it, after which everyone goes back to their day jobs. Having them all back on one team immediately after the way Season 1 ended would have been lazy and inconsistent writing.
Rankings are simple
1) 2
2) 4
3) 3
4) 1
5) 5
Seasons 1,3 and 4 are based on opinion, 2 and 5 are fact
First time I watched The Wire I skipped a lot of Season 2 because it seemed so different. Then on my rewatch I was like wtf did I do? It became my favorite and shown how vital it was.
Hated Ziggy my first watch thru of The Wire, but grew to understand and have some compassion for him on subsequent viewings.
I still need to watch a few more viewings to get to that empathetic point😅…I find myself fast-forwarding him maybe a little less but he is so pathetically annoying haven’t got there yet with true empathy for him…feel much more empathy for those having to deal with him.
I couldnt wait to finish Season 2 when I first saw it, it was quite a whiplash to go from the Baltimore slums to a story about the decline of the blue collar workers of the port. 3 watches later, Season 2 might be my favorite, followed by Season 3.
What you on? Season 2 was one of the best seasons. On par with any of the others. Way better than season 1. No plot holes.
Everyone seems to have the same
Initial opinion about season 2. Than they watch it again after seeing the whole series play out and they immediately appreciate it so much more.
Going back and watching Season 2, you really start appreciating how out of their depth McNulty and the team were in trying to take down the Greeks. Beating the cops essentially at every point with their government connections and experience, the biggest players in the show get away without issue, only to show back up later on and still avoid capture.
On my rewatch it flowed just fine, but I agree the first time can be somewhat jarring. I guess knowing the latter parts and context helps but it was enjoyable the second time
Season 2 was solid. You learn where the product in the towers is imported from. I loved the Greek organised crime angle
I agree completely. Brother Mouzone is the least believable character in the series.
I agree, changing up the focus to the docks and only having the Barksdale characters as an undercurrent was a good choice, makes it feel like there’s an interconnected, overarching story going on
Season 2 is one of my favorite seasons. so much was revealed from the greeks, the docks, and seeing Stringer Bell put in motion his eventual demise by crossing Omar & Bro. Mouzzone.
Y’all know he jus said Nigga
After watching the wire my favorite seasons are 2 and 4. It took me to watch season 2 multiple times and actually do a little union work to get the greatness of this season. The Sabotka’s are some of the best characters in The Wire.
after rewatching this one is far more compelling considering how zigg turned out, the Greek reach in Balt and valchek’s petty rivalry. Different at glance Barksdale and sobatka families are way more alike than they appear showing how this city really forces everyone into illicit activities. Truly missed its greatness first time viewing. The cat and mouse of law enforcement learning the container system to dumping clean cans to throw them off was amazing too 🔥
I very much enjoy your video essays. They are intelligent and interesting.
I was hugely impressed by season 2 of the Wire as it demonstrated that The Wire was gong to be much more than a series about drugs - sellers, users, police units. As you said, it became easier to understand just how broad and impressive the writers' scope was as the series progressed. It was to cover so many aspects of the state of US cities. Season 2 covering..well I've seen it written as the death of jobs, but it is really more the death of traditional industries, which could be relied upon to underpin a stable life - a steady, reasonable income, upon which a person can raise a family and have a home, have healthcare, have a pension. The Dock workers could have been: steel workers, auto industry workers, mining, shipbuilding, etc..All the same industries that are dead in the UK as well.
The subsequent seasons see foregrounded other elements of The Way We Live Now in US cities: politics, education, the press/media.
While I say in US cities, it is not hugely different in the UK - I lived in London for most of my adult life. A key reason for my leaving was the mayhem that is the education system there. Parents who know how to work the system or have money or clout, may just be able to get their children into good schools, but just being able to send your child to the local, walking distance school is virtually untenable if you want your child to receive a good education in an emotionally and psychologically healthy institution.
(Where I lived in London, the place that the wealthier families sent their kids, to get them out of the sad failed local schools was to the private school in Highgate - which, it turns out, had a years long, schoolwide culture of sexual abuse and rape of young teenage girls. Known about by the school, but covered up and left to grown. THAT was THE GOOD education establishment in the area, which people paid tens of thousands of pounds to send their children to. Rather like taking all the worst aspects of the US college system and inflicting it on even younger people.)
I did want to make an alteration to one thing you said:.
It is worth saying that Frank Sobotka is NOT involved in skimming from the cargo that goes through the port. Indeed he confronts his nephew about this, saying how it is damaging everything he is trying to achieve - the bringing back of the Baltimore docks as places where people can work and have full lives. Sobotka wants his docks to have a pristine, cargo theft free reputation so that people will prefer to use these docks rather than other places.
The illegal activity he allows is the bringing through of containers which then disappear.
But his nephew, Nicky, does not have any of these ideals of feelings that Frank does, he is happy so "skim" ie steal, the way Ziggy does. He's just better at it.
Anyone who didn't like season 2 didn't listen to Lester in S1
"We're building something here. All the pieces matter"
Season 2 is great, it's a shame there was so little of Omar though. The best seasons are definitely 3 and 4 though, which are absolutely impeccable.
I own all The Wire series and the more I've watched season 2 the more I've grown to really enjoy it.... It's a great season if you understand in underlying story
Having watched the wire all the way through at least half a dozen times I never noticed the look on Rhonda's face. As a matter of fact I think that is the moment that her and Jimmy were officially done as any sort of thing.
Bro did you just say the n-word? Crazy
I made the mistake like many did when season 2 first aired and stopped watching it. It wasn’t until 8 years ago after hearing many people tell me I missed out that I binged the whole show and realized how great season 2 was.
If not for Season 2, it would have never tied in how the Greeks was the suppliers of the “good dope” to Prop Joe which led to the formation of the Co-op. It also showed how the dockworkers, while the ports were dying, were willing to work with the Greeks to earn, while being involved in large scale organized crime (Drugs, Prostitution, Stolen Cars and other goods)
Also, the actor who played Brother Mouzones assistant was the subject of The Corner which is another David Simon production. He was a corner kid in real life that Simon befriended for his book.
2nd season only feels off because it follows season one and viewers are not used to the concept of focussing on a certain part of city politics yet. If season 2 and season 4 would switch positions, season 2 would rightfully be a fan's favorite imho.
I think season 2 is indicative of the approach the writers seem to have for the show. It plays like a pointed essay reads. Most shows I think would find a way to sew and weave in season 2 plots into the rest of the series, and maybe that would be interesting. But the writers had a theme for the season and stuck with it, and for bonus points they showed the drug trade from a broader perspective then we got in season 1. Without season 2 we don’t understand the stranglehold the Greek actually has who’s so ruthless he watches a man bleed out in front of him (a far cry from the innocuous old man at the counter).
The second season was, indeed, a tragedy, if anything because of its very form: whatever Frank Sobotka does, his destiny is sealed. If he doesn't become corrupt, his family is finished, but also if he does get involved with crimen. Every possible choice brings doom.
Same thing goes for the central theme of the season, which is how blood relations (sanginei in ancient greek) determine the destiny of the hero, who walks to his death on purpose to be sacrificed for the sins of his community and to redeem its corruption and decadence, ultimately failing.
The change of structure of the second season is the main reason why most of the fans don't like It as much as the first season, which follows a more conventional and commercial structure. Tragedies don't offer answers or explanations the same way detective stories do.
I think this is the first time i've seen a take that considers this possibility 🎉🎉
Nice video
Season 2 of “The Wire” is SUPER underrated. That season is CLASSIC! The “Frank Sobotka” character is criminally underrated. Anyone who thinks season 2 is bad couldn’t have watched it…
Season two was a definite classic very underrated
You only realize it at the end....
It's interesting how much did your off about and how much your on point with. Alot of it showcases, for me, just how much people assume others just automatically know about their culture. For example, your take on Brother Mouzone is way off but, how could you know if you didn't grow up around that and you even admit as much in your later videos. Love the channel.
Season 2 is the best season. Didn’t think so on my first watch but subsequent watches I found it to be the best. Shows the grand scheme of everything that happens in the microcosm of Baltimore drug game