OT - Who's watching The Wire?

[panerd]

Originally Posted by IMetTrentGreen

i saw where davis simon was talking about the focus of season 4, he called it a preamble to the rest of the series. he also mentioned that the barksdale case was "closed out," so i assume this means that we won't be seeing much of avon and crew anymore.

interestingly he talked a bout having two ideas left to explore, and he wasn't really clear, but i took it to mean he wants a season 5.

also, having rewatched the episode where bell gets shot, i noticed that both bell and major colvin say the exact same thing before getting killed/fired. there is so much about this show like that to love, not just the realism and compelling storylines, but actual great writing. my favorite was mcnulty saying 'what the fuck did i do' after rejoining the major case squad in season 2.

I probably posted this same thought earlier in the thread but my favorite scene ever was when McNulty and Bunk investigate a murder by only saying 'fuck' the whole segment.

[IMetTrentGreen]

or the chicken mcnugget discussion in season 1

[Barkeep49]

I haven't been able to listen to it, but I heard a teaser of a story NPR did on The Wire on All Things Considered and thought it might be of interest.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=5782928

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by IMetTrentGreen

or the chicken mcnugget discussion in season 1

It really is a brilliant scene. Something along the lines of "Yo, Mr. McNugget, you the bomb!" in there that cracks me up every time.

[IMetTrentGreen]

for me it's D saying that ronald mcdonald doesn't "walk his clowny ass" down to the basement to sign a check to mr. mcnugget. it even fits in the the main theme of the first season, too, which i didn't appreciate until later.

even though most all my favorite characters are gone, im still looking forward to season 4. as long as omar is there.

[Logan]

In case anyone's interested, the Season 4 premiere is currently available On Demand. I don't know why, but someone posted in another forum that the upcoming episode will be available early every week.

Haven't watched it.

[cthomer5000]

I have watched it, and i was sucked right into the new characters/stories.

[Barkeep49]

Originally Posted by Logan

In case anyone's interested, the Season 4 premiere is currently available On Demand. I don't know why, but someone posted in another forum that the upcoming episode will be available early every week.

Haven't watched it.

This was true of Rome as well, so it's not surprising to hear they're doing it for the Wire as well. Too bad I'm not an On Demand household.

[spleen1015]

I watched it and loved like everything before it. I am disappointed that Avon won't be back if that is true.

I had no idea that the episode was out early. I thought I just missed the premiere.

[Bad-example]

Bleh. The 2nd episode of the new season was supposed to be available On Demand starting two days ago.

[QuikSand]

First episode of season four, a few thoughts --

-Using Prez as the vehicle to get us into the schools is great, I'm really gald to see his character staying on the show

-I thought they established a connection with the group of kids awfully quickly -- but that has been a strong suit of this show since the outset... but I still remember Wallace from the first season and how richly they developed his character in a pretty limited amount of time

-The play between Daniels and McNulty was priceless, but it has the potential to be a big tease for the show -- overall, I think McNulty "just" walking a beat is fine, as long as he is still involved in the main plotlines somehow

-I can't help but wonder whether Bunk's new partner at Homicide (white bald guy named "Norris") is going to develop into a real character -- he's played by the recent real-life Baltimore Police Commissioner Ed Norris, and to date his screen highlight has been a puking scene... stay tuned there

[Logan]

http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-th...news-headlines

HBO Stays Up on 'The Wire'
Acclaimed series gets a fifth and final season
September 13 2006


Following mountains of critical praise that have called it perhaps the best work ever produced for television, HBO has renewed "The Wire" for a fifth season.

The novelistic drama about cops, drug dealers and the people caught in between in Baltimore began its fourth season on Sunday. Only about 1.5 million people watched the episode, down some from the 1.8 million who saw the third-season premiere in 2004. Still, HBO, which is less beholden to ratings than ad-driven networks, opted for quality over quantity.

The audience numbers for the show also don't include people who watched the premiere on demand. HBO is making each episode this season available on demand six days before its scheduled Sunday airing on the network.

"We are delighted -- though not surprised -- at the initial critical response to the new season of 'The Wire,'" says Carolyn Strauss, president of HBO Entertainment. "[Series creator] David Simon and his remarkable team have created a riveting and thought-provoking series that's unlike anything else on TV."

The current season of "The Wire" examines the education system, focusing on four West Baltimore boys (new cast members Julito McCullum, Maestro Harrell, Tristan Wilds and Jermaine Crawford) who may have a chance to escape the drug culture that surrounds them, though the odds are not in their favor.

Season five -- which will be the show's last -- will deal with the role of the media within the city.

"The last question we want to ask is this: For four seasons, we have depicted that part of urban America that has been left behind by the economy and by the greater society, and chronicled entrenched problems that have gone without solution for generations now," Simon says. "Why? What is it that we see and sense about these problems? To what are we giving attention, and what is it that we consistently ignore? How do we actually see ourselves?"

[Bad-example]

Fantastic news!

This show is the most amazing mix of top notch casting, acting, writing and production in television history, IMO.

[ausonny]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

I think McNulty "just" walking a beat is fine, as long as he is still involved in the main plotlines somehow

Apparently Dominic West wasn't available as much as they wanted for season 4, but has said he will be available for season 5 because he feels the show deserves to end the way that Simon wants it to.

I don't know what that means exactly, hopefully he still is a major player this season

[IMetTrentGreen]

i mentioned it before, but i saw in an interview where david simon said they had two more seasons (not verbatim, it's what i culled from it) left to do, 4 and 5. so i assume simon know what he wants to do with it already.

personally, i'd end it at three and call it the best show ever, but im not complaining.

[Peregrine]

Originally Posted by ausonny

Apparently Dominic West wasn't available as much as they wanted for season 4, but has said he will be available for season 5 because he feels the show deserves to end the way that Simon wants it to.

I don't know what that means exactly, hopefully he still is a major player this season

The way I heard it, he had hoped to make a jump to a movie career, possibly as the new James Bond, and told them he wouldn't be available as much because of that.

Also, great news about season 5!

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Bad-example

Bleh. The 2nd episode of the new season was supposed to be available On Demand starting two days ago.

It's on-demand for me (i watched it Monday) but a friend probably 15 miles away (and with the same cable company) is having your issue as well. My guess is a foul-up on some cable companies parts.

Great to hear the show will be coming back for a 5th season. That rocks.

[Logan]

Watched the 2nd episode. Thought it was great, and I really have a good feeling about where this season is headed. I guess it's just different for me this season, since I'm watching them one at a time, which makes me think about where the show is headed. As opposed to prior seasons, where I would just play the next one as soon as it finished.

One problem with having these episodes on demand before the "official" airing: It really hurts the ability to talk about the show on message boards. Kind of a bummer.

[Bad-example]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

It's on-demand for me (i watched it Monday) but a friend probably 15 miles away (and with the same cable company) is having your issue as well. My guess is a foul-up on some cable companies parts.

Grrrr. It still hasn't show up in my menu. Comcast says it is HBO's fault.

As for the first episode, I think one of the most interesting developments is the evolution of Carver's character. I have liked the actor ever since his part in one of the better story lines in OZ. Pretty cool that he took Bunny Colvin's talk to heart and is becoming a better police.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Bad-example

Comcast says it is HBO's fault.

That's funny, they're telling my friend it's an on-demand wide issue and that NOTHING is updating.

As usual, i'm sure they just make it up on the spot. They have the worst customer support i've ever dealt with in any industry ever, including the DMV.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

That's funny, they're telling my friend it's an on-demand wide issue and that NOTHING is updating.

As usual, i'm sure they just make it up on the spot. They have the worst customer support i've ever dealt with in any industry ever, including the DMV.

I've read on other boards that On Demand updating is completely up to the cable provider.

[spleen1015]

My On Demand had it available Monday because I watched it.

[QuikSand]

Well, we watched Episode 4.2 last night... and I am already sucked into the new storylines. This show just does a great job sliding in little things along the way, it's just great. The sidelight with the neighborhood moms coming over to bring Dennis some homemade food is hilarious (and good for him, by the way), and the two closing scenes with the televised debate being summarily turned off by the people who arguably have the most at stake was a great commentary that took maybe ten seconds of screen time, but a really nice bit of imagination.

There are a lot of shows that do pretty well with main plotlines, fewer that can handle multiple plots over along time, and fewer still that can continue to find a wide variety of small things like this to keep seeding in even as they maintain a variety of interesting stories and characters.

[nole4sho]

Great Show.

[Bad-example]

I think it is interesting the similarities between the good guys and the criminal types. Prop Joe playing Omar and Marlo is pretty similar to the way Rawls is playing the mayor and Carcetti. A couple thoughts:

1 - It has looked for a long time like Carcetti is going to win the election, but does anyone think that the dark horse Tony Grey will end up winning?

2 - With Rawls set up to be police commissioner if Carcetti or the incumbent wins, will it end up relevant that he is gay? The scene in season two that showed Rawls in the gay bar was fleeting and they never followed that up.

[thesloppy]

FUCK PREZBO

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Bad-example

2 - With Rawls set up to be police commissioner if Carcetti or the incumbent wins, will it end up relevant that he is gay? The scene in season two that showed Rawls in the gay bar was fleeting and they never followed that up.

I was debating this topic with a friend the other day. He thinks it will be a major issue, I don't think we'll ever hear about it again.Tough to say though.

[QuikSand]

I thought the incidental inclusion of Rawls at the gay bar was a great little trifle, but I, too, am inclined to think it won't come up again. Rawls is a perfect character for right where he is -- as the badass vice principal who does the dirty work. A more likely outcome would be to have a politically flashy outsider step in as the new commissioner (a la Ed Norris, who ironically is now a bit player on the show).

[nole4sho]

Anyone notice that they are going out of their way to make Marlo a villian? I mean he killed the guy from the store for no reason other then doing his job.

[Logan]

Que?

[ausonny]

Originally Posted by nole4sho

Anyone notice that they are going out of their way to make Marlo a villian? I mean he killed the guy from the store for no reason other then doing his job.

So everyone else he's had killed didn't make him a villain in your eyes?

[cthomer5000]

Marlo has been a clear-cut villain from day one to me. As an aside, it's funny that i see Bodie as a "good guy" at this point, despite him being in on the Wallace murder back in season 1 (a painful TV moment for me, i felt genuinely sad).

I think they're kind of establishing that he's gotten a bit power-crazed and full of himself. That last murder was totally ridiculous to me as well... i mean, they did it just to do it.

[QuikSand]

Dat boy Mahlo be hard, yo.

[Qwikshot]

I was able to catch up thanks to Comcast demand, I've been sucked in.

[Cork]

I just finished watching episode 2 last night (sister is taping it for me) and it was odd to see an episode without McNulty. I am also curious to see what happens to the bald headed white guy (I can't remember his characters name) who caught the mayor getting serviced.

-Cork

[Barkeep49]

Ok I didn't get the end of Sunday's episode. Why did the kid get out of the boxer's car?

[ausonny]

I'm assuming the kid has major trust issues. He gets nervous every time Cutty acts in any way as a father figure.

[spleen1015]

HBO will syndicate The Wire to BET.

[Peregrine]

Well I'm certainly enjoying the show this season, and I understand the removal of McNulty as one of the key figures on the show will leave a vacuum, but does anyone else get the feeling that they've sort of bitten off more than they can chew in terms of the number of characters? There's so many characters and plotlines that you're only catching up with some of them every three episodes, and some not even that. I guess it just goes with the territory though.

[QuikSand]

I think that is the nature of the beats (edit -- it was a typo, not an intended pun, but since it is a cop show, I'm leaving it in as a pun), really... as they have decided to have a new focus every season (more or less) they have to decide whether to completely leave characters behind, or to make token ways to keep them involved. I'm glad they are choosing ways to do the latter, by and large -- but I am probably more immersed even than the average Wire fan. To me, it's the minor plotlines like Bubbles (a guy who really isn't directly related to the main cops-and-robbers plots) that give the show so much extra depth -- to me, keeping him as a guy we follow is a great way to provide some different perspectives on the issues from the street.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

Well I'm certainly enjoying the show this season, and I understand the removal of McNulty as one of the key figures on the show will leave a vacuum, but does anyone else get the feeling that they've sort of bitten off more than they can chew in terms of the number of characters? There's so many characters and plotlines that you're only catching up with some of them every three episodes, and some not even that. I guess it just goes with the territory though.

I've never felt that way. The new characters that have been introduced time after time are immensely interesting. The show is so well written that i never have those groan moments when a character comes on screen (unlike say... Michael in 'LOST' on ABC).

In one of the season preveiw specials there was some great line by the creator about the show serving story rather than character. I thought it was a very simple but profouned statement about what makes the show so good. They don't feel the urge to make it the Jimmy McNulty show, they don't feel afraid to introduce an entirely new cast of chracters without dumbing it down, and at no point does any of it feel forced to me. I'm as hooked as ever with the new season, whether it's the corner kids, Carcetti's run for office, catching up with Bodie, etc. It's simply a perfect show.

[QuikSand]

On one of the pre-seaosn hype shows, there was a quote that I thought really resonated. Something to the effect of "it's no coincidence that this show doesn't have any hollywood producers involved."

Hand this show over to a typical TV exec, and it would get dumber, simpler, more 2-dimensional, much easier to follow... and I suspect they would address all the issues that are variously raised by the "too black" and "too confusing" crowds. I'm really, really glad that isn't how it's being run.

[John Galt]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

On one of the pre-seaosn hype shows, there was a quote that I thought really resonated. Something to the effect of "it's no coincidence that this show doesn't have any hollywood producers involved."

Hand this show over to a typical TV exec, and it would get dumber, simpler, more 2-dimensional, much easier to follow... and I suspect they would address all the issues that are variously raised by the "too black" and "too confusing" crowds. I'm really, really glad that isn't how it's being run.

"

And one more point. The show demonstrates how much incredible acting talent there is if you leave looks out of the equation. Most of the cast is local from Baltimore (hardly known for its depth of acting talent beyond Waters' films), but many play character roles better than high-paid talent in Hollywood.

[Bad-example]

Since those of us with On Demand are getting episodes a full week ahead of broadcast, is it a fair assumption that discussing the most recent On Demand episode should wait until it plays on HBO?

[John Galt]

Originally Posted by Bad-example

Since those of us with On Demand are getting episodes a full week ahead of broadcast, is it a fair assumption that discussing the most recent On Demand episode should wait until it plays on HBO?

I think that's fair, although I admit I have trouble keeping track of whether the episode has aired because I watch all the episodes through On-demand when my schedule permits. That means I'm sometimes ahead and sometimes behind.

[spleen1015]

I think we should keep track of which episode is the most recently aired episode and only allow discussion up until that point. Last night's episode was #42, I believe.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Bad-example

Since those of us with On Demand are getting episodes a full week ahead of broadcast, is it a fair assumption that discussing the most recent On Demand episode should wait until it plays on HBO?

I, for one, would appreciate that... have no idea who is in the majority here, but certainly a fair number of us watch on Sunday evenings.

[Barkeep49]

I too would appreciate if we limit our discussion to the episode which has aired on HBO, as I have no access to On Demand.

[panerd]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

Well I'm certainly enjoying the show this season, and I understand the removal of McNulty as one of the key figures on the show will leave a vacuum, but does anyone else get the feeling that they've sort of bitten off more than they can chew in terms of the number of characters? There's so many characters and plotlines that you're only catching up with some of them every three episodes, and some not even that. I guess it just goes with the territory though.

I love every storyline on this show. Some of my other HBO favorites like Deadwood (with the theater company storyline) and Entourage (with any "E" storyline) let me down a little but this show is solid throughout. The only person who is getting a little unrealistic is Omar. His trip to the store two epiosodes ago was a little too much for even a badass drug dealer. That still isn't going to sour me for the eventual showdown with Marlo though.

[panerd]

Originally Posted by Bad-example

Since those of us with On Demand are getting episodes a full week ahead of broadcast, is it a fair assumption that discussing the most recent On Demand episode should wait until it plays on HBO?

I have directv so I would certainly appreciate that. I like coming in here and getting different perspectives and making the occasional post, but if we start talking about ondemand I will have to leave the thread alone. (Kind of like what Jbmagic did to me with the Lost thread)