OMG I just finished watching all 5 seasons of The Wire and it was...okay

[Toddzilla]

Well, better than okay, but given the ridiculous amount of praise the series has received, I was - probably mistakenly - expecting to be blown away by most of it. I wasn't.

Don't get me wrong, it was very good, but it just doesn't stack up against the likes of Homeland or Breaking Bad.

The only truly emotional moment of the series for me was when Bubs finally got to go upstairs for dinner. There were plenty of "holy shit" moments, "I never saw that coming" moments, and a few "that's so depressingly sad" moments, but nothing really took hold of me and shook me.

Great drama series? I'll give you that.

Greatest drama series? I don't see it.

[QuikSand]

Helping folks out here:

Front Office Football Central

[path12]

Your opinion is wrong and you should feel bad.

[Jas_lov]

The Wire is definitely above Homeland which is only through 2 seasons. It's right up there with Breaking Bad and Mad Men so you're crazy. There are plenty of emotional scenes throughout the series. You simply don't know what you're talking about.

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

Helping folks out here:

Front Office Football Central

"". . Greatest show ever.

[Logan]

If you've seen Homeland season 2 and still feel that way, you should be committed.

I love Breaking Bad (watched all 4.5 seasons in about 6 weeks) but where it falls short IMO is in the plausibility sense and in not going into as much depth with the non-regulars in the cast. From a pure entertainment perspective, yeah I can see people preferring BB to The Wire.

Originally Posted by QuikSand

Helping folks out here:

Front Office Football Central

[Logan]

And I know David Simon got a lot of shit for his comments around this, but The Wire isn't a show that should be binge-watched like so many others. Give it time and appreciate it without just jumping to the next one.

[sovereignstar v2]

shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit

[Critch]

I've only ever seen ads for Homeland, but even I know you are totally wrong.

[Pyser]

hype + passage of time = "it was okay"


4 years ago it was amazing. if i watched it today, i would completely agree that its "good". but not "best show ever".

[Bigsmooth]

Originally Posted by sovereignstar v2

shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit

'Nuff said.

[spleen1015]

I started watching season 5 On Saturday. I haven't watched it since it originally aired.

2 of the best scenes in the series happened in back to back episodes.

First you have Chris and Snoop torturing Butchie to get info on Marlow and then the scene where Marlow shows up to kill Prop Joe. Top shelf tv drama right there.

[panerd]

I think the Wire gets more love because it was never an awards nominee and HBO was always debating whether to give it another season. I watch and enjoy all the shows described (Homeland, Breaking Bad...) but these all won awards and weren't on the brink of cancellation. Most fans of the Wire (at least when it was still in the air) couldn't believe the disrespect it seemed to get from both audiences and the Emmys. (End of its run ER and 24 were repeatatly nominated for best drama during its run and Sex and the City and Six Feet Under we're huge ratings earners ) I think the huge amount of praise you describe is the exact opposite of what was happening during its actual run.

[Toddzilla]

Originally Posted by Logan

And I know David Simon got a lot of shit for his comments around this, but The Wire isn't a show that should be binge-watched like so many others. Give it time and appreciate it without just jumping to the next one.

I think you're right. All day long yesterday and last night I found myself thinking of the characters and how they had evolved from the beginning. I may be turning around; ask me again in a week or two.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Toddzilla

I think you're right. All day long yesterday and last night I found myself thinking of the characters and how they had evolved from the beginning. I may be turning around; ask me again in a week or two.

I have to ask you? You started this thread man!

[stevew]

I remember being so excited about Treme. I don't think I could even finish the pilot.

[LloydLungs]

Originally Posted by stevew

I remember being so excited about Treme. I don't think I could even finish the pilot.

I love Treme, but you have to either live in New Orleans or be DEEPLY interested in New Orleans to enjoy it. The Wire has much more general appeal (though it's also just a better show).

[path12]

Originally Posted by LloydLungs

I love Treme, but you have to either live in New Orleans or be DEEPLY interested in New Orleans to enjoy it. The Wire has much more general appeal (though it's also just a better show).

I love Treme as well but you could be right as to why because New Orleans is one of my very favorite cities.

What I really enjoy about Treme is that it takes it's time telling small stories and you don't get that a lot these days.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by LloydLungs

I love Treme, but you have to either live in New Orleans or be DEEPLY interested in New Orleans to enjoy it. The Wire has much more general appeal (though it's also just a better show).

I love New Orleans and lived there for a period, but I think the show missed capturing what was special about the city to me - the humor, the people, cooking, etc.. Maybe it was the actors. I don't know.

[Logan]

I pained my way through season 1, then gave up...and finally got through season 2 a while later back when I had nothing else to watch and plenty of free time. It was just too much of a chore.

[dawgfan]

[JPhillips]

HBO's The Wire is rightly lauded for its vivid & realistic depiction of urban decay. But you might not notice that under the surface it is also a subtle exposition on Mohist & Legalist challenges to Confucian orthodoxy as witnessed during China's turbulent Warring States era: pic.twitter.com/N3du4ULsfY

— John F Sullivan (@JohnF_Sullivan) February 15, 2024

[Mota]

For those who have watched it, has it aged well?

Right now I'm watching Yellowstone/1883, The Bear, Fargo, and these are all very good shows. TV has really improved in the last 10 years!

I have The Wire on my list and have been interested in watching West Wing as well.

[CrimsonFox]

Still have no interest in watching it

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Mota

For those who have watched it, has it aged well?

Right now I'm watching Yellowstone/1883, The Bear, Fargo, and these are all very good shows. TV has really improved in the last 10 years!

I have The Wire on my list and have been interested in watching West Wing as well.

It does, but you have to watch it as a period piece now. Much of the technology that was the basis for the show is very outdated now. Still, the show is excellent. Well written and acted.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Mota

For those who have watched it, has it aged well?

Right now I'm watching Yellowstone/1883, The Bear, Fargo, and these are all very good shows. TV has really improved in the last 10 years!

I have The Wire on my list and have been interested in watching West Wing as well.

It holds up pretty well. What GrandDawg says is true about recognizing it as a period piece. The final season feels so outdated now that most local newspapers are just completely gutted and not doing much investigative work.

[RainMaker]

Also, while it's still very good, it's not at the level we once viewed it. I think that's just because so much good TV has come along over the years.

[cartman]

It is in my head canon that Wallace survived the shooting, waited for Bodie and Poot to leave, crawled out, got help, then took up boxing after he recovered and became Adonis Creed.