EPTI really miss it to be honest, so many awesome characters - am tempted just to rewatch it with the directors commentary. Has anyone done this? Is it worth it?
[TV] The Wire - Page 16
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Haggis
Scotland104 Posts
I really miss it to be honest, so many awesome characters - am tempted just to rewatch it with the directors commentary. Has anyone done this? Is it worth it? | ||
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Belano
Sweden657 Posts
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Vandroy
Sweden155 Posts
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Trang
Australia324 Posts
On August 25 2011 05:01 Haggis wrote: I got the boxset an age ago and found it hard to get into after so much hype from my mates. But midway through the first season I got completely hooked and watched every season in a couple of weeks when I was a student. I really miss it to be honest, so many awesome characters - am tempted just to rewatch it with the directors commentary. Has anyone done this? Is it worth it? I've only seen the first episode with commentary by David Simon, and it was worth it. The thing that pains me the most about The Wire is that it may be hard to get into for a lot of people because they are used to the formulaic episodic structure of 99% of TV Dramas. David Simon explained an idea that I could not previously put into words for friends I wanted to get into it, which is that the show is essentially written and structured like a novel rather than a TV --- each season being a volume, and each episode a chapter. When you read a novel, the first few chapters can be quite dull and uneventful, but you know that it's part of a grand scheme and it will pay off later as the story unfolds. That's what The Wire does, but the general TV audience is not used to it, so unfortunately many people cannot get into this brilliant show. | ||
Jibba
United States22883 Posts
On September 27 2011 00:09 Trang wrote: The thing that pains me the most about The Wire is that it may be hard to get into for a lot of people because they are used to the formulaic episodic structure of 99% of TV Dramas. I agree and it saddens me, but it's pervasive throughout all of society. People don't want nuance, they want blunt ideas smashed over their heads, usually with terrible overacting. The Wire should go down as one of the best and most important shows in television history. It's really on another level from other shows from the era, including greats like The Sopranos or Friday Night Lights, and it's incomparable to the trash crime shows NBC and CBS have. It's not just a show about crime, it's about institutional madness that occurs within political spheres and bureaucracies from the local level to the federal. And the overarching lessons from the show are unfortunately still in place in areas like inner city Detroit, New Orleans and Baltimore. Of course, our undergraduate students will read rigorous academic studies of the urban job market, education and the drug war. But the HBO series does what these texts can't. More than simply telling a gripping story, "The Wire" shows how the deep inequality in inner-city America results from the web of lost jobs, bad schools, drugs, imprisonment, and how the situation feeds on itself. -From the people teaching the Harvard course using the show.Those kinds of connections are very difficult to illustrate in academic works. Though scholars know that deindustrialization, crime and prison, and the education system are deeply intertwined, they must often give focused attention to just one subject in relative isolation, at the expense of others. With the freedom of artistic expression, "The Wire" can be more creative. It can weave together the range of forces that shape the lives of the urban poor. ... "The Wire" is fiction, but it forces us to confront social realities more effectively than any other media production in the era of so-called reality TV. It does not tie things up neatly; as in real life, the problems remain unsolved, and the cycle repeats itself as disadvantages become more deeply entrenched. Outside the world of television drama, sociologists aim to explain what causes certain social conditions and then assess the merits of competing theories. The solutions, however, are usually less clear. "The Wire" gets that part right, too. | ||
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Custard
United States37 Posts
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Thrill
2599 Posts
 . Would love to see a bluray release or similar spruced up digital release for The Wire. | ||
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skyrunner
371 Posts
Reading up on the series after watching i've discovered there is so much cinematic effects and themes that you miss just watching the show. Apprantly they built the story arcs on the greek myths and stuff like that. David Simon is a genius. Probably has been mentioned, but uou people should watch Generation Kill as well. It's a great series by him about the war in Iraq. Also Treme is done by him as well, but i haven't checked that out yet im sure it's great though. | ||
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Surth
Germany456 Posts
For people new to the series for people who haven't seen the whole series yet. For 'veterans', where everything that plays out throughout the seasons gets factored in. If this had been already posted, apologies. Anyhow, one of the best series I have ever seen. | ||
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kusto
Russian Federation823 Posts
I would not say that it is on another level from The Sopranos, which is a very intelligent series (aside from that one terrible terrible season), just with another focus. And with a perfect ending. | ||
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Trang
Australia324 Posts
On September 27 2011 00:54 Surth wrote: I did a quick forum search and didn't find it in this thread: Alan Sepinwalls excellent recaps of The Wire. For people new to the series for people who haven't seen the whole series yet. For 'veterans', where everything that plays out throughout the seasons gets factored in. If this had been already posted, apologies. Anyhow, one of the best series I have ever seen. Oh great, thanks for this! I was just starting to rewatch The Wire again, and was planning on reading stuff of this kind at the end of each episode to appreciate the show even more. | ||
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NutCase
United Kingdom51 Posts
On September 27 2011 00:44 skyrunner wrote: Also Treme is done by him as well, but i haven't checked that out yet im sure it's great though. Treme has been awesome so far. Renewed for season 3 should be starting up again in April '12. Completely different vibe to The Wire but does that same thing by making the city as much of a character as the cast, and drives home a lot of points about society, politics, etc. With the way it's going I could see it getting 4-6 seasons. | ||
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skatbone
United States1005 Posts
Did you all catch the news about Snoop being arrested? This is a sad story--I didn't realize that the actress who played Snoop (also nicknamed Snoop in real life) had been convicted of second-degree murder at the age of 14! Her character in the show is absolutely chilling. Quiet and cold-blooded. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/local-breaking-news/the-wire-actress-arrested-in-d.html | ||
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gameguard
Korea (South)2132 Posts
Spoilers if you didnt see this series still. You better get to it cus the hype isnt bullshit. + Show Spoiler + Just finished season 4 thinking it was the last season but damn... the last episode got me all depressed and shit lol. Bodie man... that kid was a true ass nigga. He was one of the most fleshed out characters with so much growth throughout the series and they just do him like that. Man.... Just doesnt seem right. You first see him as some hard headed kid with the right heart for the game and all, but he never crossed no body and he showed loyalty throughout. He finally gets the sympathy and respect of the police and the viewers and he goes like taht ... damn... He went down fighting though. Fuck. Anyways damn this show is good. All believeable characters. No episodic bullshit. I cant complain about anything exept omar's character. You cant hold it down on your own damn self against organized groups like he did when every damn person in the area know you by face and name. | ||
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WArped
United Kingdom4845 Posts
On April 11 2012 01:29 gameguard wrote: fucking damn. Finally got around to watching this and i dont question for one second why this is the #1 series of all time. Spoilers if you didnt see this series still. You better get to it cus the hype isnt bullshit. + Show Spoiler + Just finished season 4 thinking it was the last season but damn... the last episode got me all depressed and shit lol. Bodie man... that kid was a true ass nigga. He was one of the most fleshed out characters with so much growth throughout the series and they just do him like that. Man.... Just doesnt seem right. You first see him as some hard headed kid with the right heart for the game and all, but he never crossed no body and he showed loyalty throughout. He finally gets the sympathy and respect of the police and the viewers and he goes like taht ... damn... He went down fighting though. Fuck. Anyways damn this show is good. All believeable characters. No episodic bullshit. I cant complain about anything exept omar's character. You cant hold it down on your own damn self against organized groups like he did when every damn person in the area know you by face and name. Omar is the best character in the series, no question. Take that back. :3 | ||
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n3gative
Canada369 Posts
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phrenzy
United Kingdom478 Posts
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scDeluX
Canada1341 Posts
I gotta say season 2 was a bit under the others but yeah it's a great show. Characters development is really something else when you compare it to todays shows. | ||
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Zorkmid
4410 Posts
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Adebisi
Canada1637 Posts
On April 11 2012 02:42 scDeluX wrote: I'm also watching this for the first time, season 5 right now. I gotta say season 2 was a bit under the others but yeah it's a great show. Characters development is really something else when you compare it to todays shows. Rewatch season 2 after watching the whole show and you will appreciate how it is unique and really additive to the series as a whole. I've watched the show... a stupid amount of times through and season 2 is my favourite. | ||
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