But wait Marlo had to head back to those corners to be himselfthe individual. Over the past five seasons it has consistently presented detailed We certainly expected more attention from the media. The port was referenced a couple of times but would have liked to have a bit more substance so it felt like it all fit. If you didnt dig it, then you didnt dig it. Focused on a fake serial killer, they missed rampant corruption in the city government, missed obvious lying and stat juking in the police department, missed the penetration of thelaw courts by shady lawyers etc. The game is rigged and Im not sure if I wanna play. Caught the wire over a year ago & Ive watched it 3 times through since then. However in the case of season 5, as you pointed out, even the remaining good journalists such as Gus, are, to a degree, complicit in missing every major story. Its like the artist was told by everyone hes a genius, so he gets an inflated ego and starts throwing out abstract garbage and lording over it with the ultimate smugness. Dr. Hill comes up with detail after detail about the perpetrator, without any more explanation of how he did it than Sylvia Browne, psychic, ever gives. or something, but instead he was just another man shot, and his name fittingly echoed into the folklore of the streets, Im a latecomer to The Wire and I think its the best thing Ive ever seen on television. Great. I was watching for the Barksdale arc and didnt know how important season two was in the overall visual novel. Just depressing the way it wallows in the depravity of the serial killers and hits you over the head with it. Like another commenter, I only noticed the Prop Joe story being missed/overshadowed by the Sun. I was already a cynic before 9/11, then The Wire came. i do not like hyped up shows, because of an innate sense of superiority which makes me believe than anything that other people like cannot be good. By that, I mean the sense from many of white politicians in the city holding this belief that the city was corrupted because blacks were the ones that made up the majority of the police department, and had a black mayor in Royce. The plot simply provided context and structure for socio-political criticism. Having grown up on the southeast side of PG County inside the Beltway, I can tell you that The Wire was a hit right between the eyes. I couldnt believe the level of writing and literary presence of this show. Anyway, remember that Colvins 14% were clean numbers (he didnt juke the stats) so 14% is a large increase if you look at it that way. Adding to this, the fact that her mother still celebrates the missing daughters birthday bothers her. The next thing journalists should be writing about is the impending fall of the U.S. empire, because its coming and were gonna see it in our lifetimes. Im literally addicted to this show, and watch it through at least 3-4 times a year. WebSeason 6. Thinking back on Season 5, theres an interesting dynamic I think I picked up and just would like to know if it was intentional or if Im just reading too much into things. There is a certain formula each episode follows. Favorite scene is Avon visiting The Pit. But the fifth-season story arc began with a wonderful bit of adversarial reporting on deadline good, clean newspapering it was. BTW please make enough money to buy The Baltimore Sun and give it the love it so desperately needs. Purse your lips any tighter or hold your nose any higher? We don't recommend this series. 7.2 (359) Rate. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. She sends him to chase down Keith and kill him. I would not recommend this show for anyone under the age of 16. Is McNulty still clean etc. Almost everything in the show from the dialogue to the outcomes felt refreshingly believable. You dont need to justify anything, its a masterpiece. I must comment on the general disappointment around season 5 though: I too was bored by the whole Baltimore Sun room and cast. This show is so brilliant, so uniquely American, such a mind-altering and contemplative rumination on the powerful pull of the system FUCK, I LOVE THE WIRE!!!!!!!!!!! Cocaine Bear is based on a true story but the events especially the ending are very different. Yes, that IS the truth for kids all over the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) but I really wish, David, you could have shown him some compassion as the most innocent among them really deserved some kind of redemption. I had no memory of this series, he forgot the name, I researched it and found it. I started watching this show in series 1. Im out. Comparatively, many of the black characters who could have made gains by playing the same game, either didnt or chose not to. Great job started watching a lil when I was in like 4th or 5th grade before I really understood all of it but re watched it recently and its my favorite series. Almost perfectly sums up my feelings about the series. And yes, in real life, there wasnt much written about such in my city. The character development is quite entertaining. Pelecanos, Lehane, Price, Alvarez, Zorzi, the directors, cast, the whole lot. Beautiful. I am writing my thesis on THE WIRE This argument strucked me when Omar died and no one noticed it in The Sun No institutional memory, no quality journalism. Otherwise this character seemed to constantly walk between the raindrops rarely suffering real consequences for his selfishness. "Wire in the Blood" is the story of Dr.Tony Hill (Robson Green), a slightly eccentric clinical psychologist who works part time with the police force of Bradford, England. Americans are stupid ppl by and larger, they pretty much believe whatever we tell them Thats why Im here. Thank you. He seems so confident that each person is the perpetrator then half way through the interview says 'no it's not him' very annoying. I worked at a newspaper with a POS liar who made up quotes, and the editor was obsessed with him and looked the other way (on the fake quotes and also, grossly, sexual harassment). Criminal Psychologist Tony Hill assists The Police with all manner of complex and disturbing crimes. By the way, Ive been through journo school in NZ, although I didnt pass (I dropped out), my tutor told me that NZ doesnt have the same problems as the USA regarding the demise of newspapers, because, according to him, NZ newspapers already run on a hard core skeleton staffing level with no subcutaneous fatwhich I always thought was bullshit. WebA psychologist gets inside of the minds of both killers and victims to aid the police in solving gruesome serial killings in Northern England. I loved how the series showed its one big circle & for everyone person saved bubbles theres a dookie, Marlo trying to become stringer but him being more like avon, Michael becoming the new Omar & many more. The world is still debating the relative merits and detractions of the final episode of Vince Gilligans meth-world saga Breaking Bad, with some quarters feeling The cutbacks, management of local papers by big out of town conglomerates and lack of attention on complex issues is something we see in the UK too. The apartment complex we lived in was actually the subject of a widely publicized reformation project (in 96) after having the highest rates of violent crime in the district for 12 years. Whatever you say, arthouse. I sure noticed the theme of unreported stories in season five. I just love it so so so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I binged watch all 5 seasons, The Wire is the best tv series in tv history. I hated Marlo for his ruthlessness but I respect that you gave him a realistic ending-they could not realistically build a case against him bc of police corruption. External Reviews Robson Green is incredibly impressive (and maybe a little bit scary) as eccentric psychological profiler Dr. Tony Hill, and Hermione Morris does a great job as tough DI Carol Jordan, a woman in what is still very much a man's world. It would be better if he was slick like the Will Grayham character in red dragon. but I believe even his murder would have been more satisfying for viewers who were waiting for his comeuppance. Lowry got it, and tellingly, he used to work for theL.A. Timesbut is now a step or two removed from a metropolitan daily, writing forVariety. In this format youre not going to have stark revelations, a happy and blissful montage followed by a cut to black. If your a fan of the genre and have not yet discovered Dr.Tony Hill I recommend that you do. Key investigations and prosecutions are undercut or abandoned by the political machinations of police officials, prosecutors and political figures. I learned more from two weeks of practical work, than an entire year of overpaid theory, and eventually switched to English, because I couldnt stand a style that, to me, was tantamount to lying. A few funny lines, too. While she tries her best to support her parents, Puleng also hates how theyre not willing to give up on the past. (Think "Cracker" meets "Inspector Morse" meets "CSI").There is a bookish, academic quality to Doctor Hill, without him being tweedy and standoffish (he's more human, and less lofty than Morse). Its disappointing to read the entire comment thread and see that no one picked up on those journalistic themes either, but I saw every single one of them- which is why I watched season 5 in total frustration as every cut back to the Baltimore Sun went straight into the same mire of bullshit all journalists everywhere in America now live in. I wondered what you thought of new local titles which seek subscriptions from the community as well as community involvement in their storytelling. Perhaps one on the books it is based on might warm me up to it. Damn I needed that lad to have a happy ending! For a mystery/suspense,thriller this show easily surpasses virtually all shows in the genre. Take it light but take it. Righteous journalism that makes a good reporter get up in the morning. The writing is exceptional, especially for the episode, "Torment". Unlike most shows, which run at 45 minutes per episode, Wire in the Blood runs at 90 minutes per episode. Given the immense detail used in the stories, the show simply wouldn't work with shorter episodes. The series was cancelled in 2009 due to ITV's financial troubles. In fact, when I was delivering newspapers as a kid back in the 90s I became incredibly skeptical of the news I was delivering. I can dream sometimes, right? The criminals are deeply psychologically twisted, far more so than any person you have ever encountered, even in the newspapers. (And yes, I got the theme. To wonder whether anyone would be disciplined for cursing in a newsroom, or why they made the top editor wear those suspenders, or whether it was a clich to have a fabricator driving the overt plot? I guess I understood it was there in some sense but initially the theme I was focused on were the institutional problems in the newsroom that are so similar to the problems in other institutions featured in the series. No one went near the theme; everyone stayed dead-center and literal, oblivious to the big-ass elephant in our mythical newsroom. The suits in Chicago are running scared. The systemic problems of the DMV are way too deep and the people in charge are way too invested in their petty self-interests to ever have it another way. It is time-consuming, expensive, deliberate and demanding. Not because I missed the point about your critique of the journalist world, I got that, but because you sacrificed some of your best characters to get your point across. I feel better about missing the plot about The Baltimore Sun newspaper missing important stories, now I know that the pros missed it too. All Rights Reserved. Painfully honest? It had been on my entertainment backlog since 2002 Id got hold of the first season before it had been shown in the UK at all being a quality TV (and I apologize for using this sensitive word considering the context of various storylines) junkie, but for various reasonsI was deferring gratification if you will. 2) As for the WORST McNultys supercop character finally jumped the shark. And to studiously avoid any sustained discussion about whether the depicted newspaper is, in all respects, capturing the meaningful narrative of the depicted city? The biggest pisser-offers for me in the series were the assclowns in the police department who clearly dont give a shit about what actually happens to actual people. Production took a huge risk deciding to change setting and characters after only 1 season. Africa was not at all logical to their 'can't do without you' relationship). And unsubtle. And Kima, would she really be snitching on them? ), [] own slashed staffs and cutbacks, leaving a major metropolitan newspaper that wound up as Simon acerbically noted at the time missing the whole []. Once I learned that wrestling was faked I began to wonder what else on TV, or in print, was fabricated or enhanced. Then the Lewinsky story broke and dominated, and I lost even more faith. I just marathoned the entire series in less than 2 weeks (okay, so Im unemployed & have the time on my hands) and now I see why The Wire got so much acclaim in its day. After watching the awful Sorkin show The Newsroom that was so dumb and naive it was nice to see some smart and realistic drama about a newsroom. Good series wish could of been another series though! Wire in the Blood vol 2 Sharp Compassion. Other than Breaking Bad. Im actually rigorous about letting criticism of the show stand without arguing back. We do what we do and people are free to react as they will. Ive just completed my third viewing of the entire series. And Omar, well I can understand his death, tragic, but it was more realistic than a final bloodfest. It would have been nice but it was time to put an end to Dr. Tony Hill's sideline work so it would have benefitted from them giving us one. Wire in the Blood, is first of all a showcase for the excellent acting skills of the charismatic Robson Green. I dunno. You wanna say so on the producers blog, no worries. Awards There's also a lot of blurry camera work that is meant to show the violent murders but does tend to make one rather seasick! Thanks for a great series and compelling stories and characters, in what was often a pretty bleak scene. And yes, as many reviewers commented, the transition from Norris to Lahbib could have, and should have been handled with much greater care (CJ abruptly abandoning him without an explanation to addicted viewers, and heading off to So. I wish I attended that panel, and heard the insight Im sure you provided. When I say Im an addict to this show I honestly feel like the fiends depicted in the show that dont creep out of their addiction like Bubs happened to do. Everything that happens on this show is explained, the more times that you watch it through. I have been seeing quite a lot of this show on TV lately and i find it surprisingly entertaining. Hes just being painfully honest. Web2. If you like your murder mysteries uncensored this is the best one. Its not painful to me. I see commentary all the time where the seasons are ranked and there seems to be a common thread. He's quirky, he's a little odd, but he helps to provide a different, and intellectual insight into the killer's mind. Echoes and Layers: Tony Lazlo Looks Back at The Wire CC2K, Why The Wire Should Be Must-See TV for Baltimore Pundits | Variety, All the pieces matter: analysis, essays, and anything else on The Wire | ReadJack.com. Tony Hill finds himself in unfamiliar surroundings when he travels to Texas to assist the local district attorney in the case of Darius Grady who is accused of murdering his wife and two children. The hit NBC sitcom, The Office, is perhaps one of Peacock's most profitable titles. WebPart of the Wire in the Blood series As this hit British detective drama concludes, clinical psychologist Dr. Tony Hill (Robson Green, Grantchester) and DI Alex Fielding I guess Cedric Daniels, Stringer Bell and Bunny Colvin tried with horrible results. Then when people point out the garbage it becomes oh-so esoteric. WebRobson Green (Grantchester, Touching Evil) plays a clinical psychologist called in by the police to help investigate serial killers in this acclaimed mystery series based on the books by Val McDermid. Also the deal they made with Marlo at the end where he would be free was just nonsensical, unless you want to believe that the DAs office is incredibly pure and moral and would never want to go to court and bust a guy they know is a major killer just because there is a little dirt in their investigation. I had only heard of it but didnt know it was the drug I needed in my life to actively engage in social discussions the way you do so well in this series. And it is clear that between Marlo, Snoop, and Chris, their real game was killing. Prayer of the Bone. This series is generally well-scripted and acted. Im nitpicking though I loved seeing the little references to old characters even sourvino being in the final series Top series. Wow, I cant believe that went over my head too David. Its not likely to change our reasons for telling the stories we do, but neither is the criticism necessarily invalid or unwarranted. Its tremendously unfortunate a potentially amazing show was turned into a cute little art project. No need to worry about any season of this amazing show. Im sad I missed all the hoopla, the reviews, analysis, any interviews and behind the scenes footage that was released with and right after the show ended. . Note: this show is designated TV-MA, because of some intense or violent scenes. Web"Wire in the Blood" is the story of Dr.Tony Hill (Robson Green), a slightly eccentric clinical psychologist who works part time with the police force of Bradford, England. Damn, I think I might just sit down and watch the whole thing again to see what else Ive missed. You seem angry. Well now, its been a week sinceThe Wires final episode and a certain calm has descended, leaving a little less agita and a little more reflection. A moment for one last question: What a way for a series to go out. For me, its all of a piece. I felt it was entirely too unrealistic and borderline offensive to the shows entire structure. Liz (Michelle Randolph) suffered a miscarriage in the finale, and it now seems she may be unable to have children again. Nothing like unrelenting brutal, realism. I have no idea how you were able to pick one quote out of the whole episode, to show at the beginning because almost every line is of substance. He hated closing those foreign bureaus and cutting back further in the newsroom. The people changed but the game remained exactly the same. Cocaine Bear, the new action-comedy now in theaters, is based on a true story, but only barely. Any criticism you get is unwarranted. Ps. Its a great show! In particular, I admired how each character was so fully realized within their part of the story arc. The writing, the directing, the acting, the story arcs: are all amazing. Anyway, Ive gone on for far too long here. Daniels is probably the best example of this, but to a lesser extent so is Freamon, whose corrupted (by definition of the law) actions lead to retirement from the police force. It was all very realistic and extremely tough to watch. Write a television story arc about the betrayal of the working class, the fraud of the drug war or the lie of No Child Left Behind and you cant get off the entertainment pages. The school system is closest to my heart because I grew up in that sad, irreparable school system and the stories of those kids were the ones I really hoped would resolve better so you knew that in the end, at least SOMEONE in that hood got a real chance. Even recently I remember watching CNN and they were covering the Treyvon Martin case seemingly 24/7 and in the news ticker at the bottom of the screen there was the briefest mention of some protest in Egypt. Thanks for the response, even if it got the best of me! Maybe you were too close? The acting is excellent, but I find this show way too unsubtle, lurid, and melodramatic. Liz (Michelle Randolph) suffered a miscarriage in the finale, and it now seems she may be unable to have children again. You wanna say who cares, the story sucked? I really gave this a chance, watching the first two series almost to the end, but it got the better of me: I had the sense of having been there and seen it already. The serial killer story was just too silly. Tell me you didnt laugh at the burnt-doll harem in the photogs trunk. Cocaine Bear is based on a true story but the events especially the ending are very different. This is but the latest example of As it is, I argued, any good journalist will if he or she loves the business follow this story and wince at the stories systematically missed, the undiscovered and unreported tales of the city known to viewers for four seasons. Drug wars, territorial disputes, and the assassination of the citys largest drug importer manage to produce a brief inside the metro section that refers only to the slaying of a second-hand appliance store owner. I love game of thrones (but its too quick imo), but The Wire is the best. The first was Joshua Ferris novel Then We Came to the End, Seemed pretty angry to me. Id always had reservations about the believability of character who existed in a contained bureaucratic work environment surrounded by lifers, repeatedly stabbing his peers and superiors in the back for wholly self-serving reasons with so few repercussions. Given the corruption in the Baltimore you portrayed, it isnt hard to imagine an offender being released for even more serious charges. Dont even know where to start, and I dont think I can critique anything about this show because it critiques itself. Marlo gets away clean and he keeps his money, Avon lives happily ever after in prison, McNulty gets screwed, the lying reporter wins a damn Pulitzer, and oh yeah, OMAR GETS KILLED BY A LITTLE KID?! No expose published. Reformthat word evokes so many thoughts for me now after watching The Wire. Thats it. I even tried going back and watching homicide life on the street but without Bunk and McNulty just couldnt get into it. I still rewatch twice a year and its my all-time favourite series. Flagg on his last day being the only one who could tap in to the police department to get the low down on Burrells removal. Im sure that to many of these guys, getting Carcetti elected would do as much to inject fresh blood into the citys political processes as it would clear up the problem of those blacks corrupting the process, nevermind how ridiculous those sorts of notions hold up. Gruesome scenes, Very dark and depressing at times. but what the hell happened with the last season? Think season 5 could of been way better but liked how Omar died didnt expected it from the little kid. The show and books are dark and twisted. So thank you for such an absolute terrific ride. Although its one of my favorites, the only things in common with "Wire" are forensic psychologists profiling murderous sickos, and helping the police catch 'em. First off, really fantastic article. But suggest that high-end American newspapers have been gutted by out-of-town ownership, besieged by the internet and preoccupied by a prize culture that validates small-trick and self-limiting impact, rather than seriously evaluating problems? Thats exactly would happen to people in the real world. Done very tastefully. It still is. The Lester wed come to know was indeed a maverick, but not a moron. My friend letting me borrow season one was the tester, and I kept going back for the yellow tops or that WMD (the rest of the seasons). Couldnt resist, sorry. Also what I find tedious is that in every episode it try's to make you believe that a number of people are guilty but aren't. They are gradually won over. Its admittedly easy enough, if you are writing a fictional television show, to sit in a diner booth or on a bar stool with a police lieutenant or an assistant principal, an assistant states attorney or a political functionary and have them tell you the good dirt, knowing as they do that fiction is a safe abstraction. Its the best series ever I just finished the final episode of The Wire. Well, okay. Its especially shameful that the media did not pick up on this. I was focused solely on the fact that the the newspaper was in a battle over the homelessness killings issue in a sense that their biggest problem right now was sensationalism and lies versus honest reporting. Not so much as an offhand reference, and that goes not just for the journalists displeased enough with our newspaper tale, but for the larger number of commentators and critics who thought we did swell. Now, the fifth season was a bit of a problem. For instance the homeless serial killer story and the idea that this would be more politically important than closing a case where 22 murdered bodies were hidden away in vacants all over the city. These I would use to show my students when teaching a crime profiling class. Drugs were just an excuse to pursue their passion, because it is clear that wacking people is what they loved. Nothing against Robson himself but his character annoys me. There's something to be said for being able to binge an entire show from episode one to final episode when cancelled. Thats when Pulengs world completely changes. The school system has been teaching test questions to improve No Child Left Behind scores, and to protect the mayor politically and to validate a system that is failing to properly educate city children. I feel as if I understand it better and see more with each viewing. Criminal Psychologist Tony Hill assists The Police with all manner of complex and disturbing crimes. Youre fuckin awesome. The plan immediately backfires as Adam is zapped through the chains and he awakens. User Ratings I was wondering, What does it take to become an officer of Comparisons with "Cracker" seem off the mark to me. In this case, our lead character is Dr. Tony Hill. Sometimes the jumps in logic can seem a bit far fetched, but that is what makes it interesting and fun, without having to be a series of mindless chase scenes and explosions. Or the way alma glossed over Omars deathI had a feeling like if she woulda mentioned his name, gus wouldve immediately recognized it and said no-heart anthonys brother? The Drug Game, The Cops, The Port, City Hall, The Schools and The Newspaper. I found the season 2 a bit less interesting the first time, but I really dont know why, maybe because I was focused on characters like Avon etc, and the guys on the docks were less cool at first sight. The political corruption, the cronyism, the back-asswards views on racism which prevent all minorities from getting a real say in anything lest they be deemed racist- and most agonizingly, the completely screwball insanity that is the PG County school system is exactly like the way you depicted life in Baltimore. August 19, 2002. Season 2 was the bravest thing ever seen on TV. Why would he care about the homeless? the Los Angeles Police Department? Maybe I prefer more violent things. It wasnt until maybe the 3rd time that I understood these theme about the newsroom. Particularly the fat guy in homicide (who pissed me off so much I blocked out the characters name from memory) who would rather jerk off behind his desk to titty mags and suck off the government nipple while the whole city goes up in flames. David Simon I dont think you have given up yet or maybe you would go off and retire like Marlo. The setting and actors are British. Episode 8 of Mayfair Witches season 1 starts with Keith running in the woods trying to escape. I have an unanswered question about the ending and it appears as though there is (or should be) a sequel to this? The great irony (relative to the final season) is that the criticism being leveled against NCLB and the war on drugs was lost on the real-life media in the very same way that The Wires Baltimore Sun missed those very same things in the show. And no, I think season five achieved its goals as the other season, with me being no closer to the world of journalism than others on our writing staff were to the other worlds depicted. And now, with the economic vise that is the internet tight around her, TheSun like so many once-worthy regional newspapers is fighting for relevance and readers. Starring: Robson Green, Simone Lahbib. If season five didnt work for you, then it didnt work for you.
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