Teevieo » The Wire

The Wire Bids Adieu

Josh — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:36:44 +0000

It was a fitting end. The Wire’s five glorious seasons have featured numerous downers. The characters are perpetually stuck in, well, reality (if you can say that about a fictional show). The series ended as it always lived, with things in Baltimore going on as usual. I think that that was probably the message that creator David Simon wanted to leave us with: things aren’t changing and we shouldn’t expect them to.

Spoiler warning: If you’re waiting for the DVD or if you were indisposed last night don’t click “more”.

(more…)

The Mind Behind The Wire

Josh — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 09:00:31 +0000

Author Mark Bowden, of Black Hawk Down fame, recently wrote an article in The Atlantic Monthly about fellow Baltimorean David Simon, creator of The Wire. Bowden’s take on Simon is as interesting as it is critical. It gave me a heck of a lot of insight into the man behind my favorite show (and the best show on television according to people other than me).

I’ll have to admit, Bowden doesn’t portray Simon as a saint. His personality is as sharp edged and flawed as the characters in his show. The article’s title, The Angriest Man in Television, sets the tone pretty well.

That is not to say that the titular “anger” is unjustified. Much like the maverick cops Freamon and McNulty, Simon feels that his superiors stunted his career as a reporter at the Baltimore Sun because they felt threatened by anything that did not maintain the status quo.

Indeed, Bowden explains, The Wire probably wouldn’t have happened had Simon stayed on at The Sun. However, when reality didn’t match his ideals he changed reality,

So he has done something that many reporters only dream about. He has created his own Baltimore.

For Bowden, Simon is a short-fused genius whose irrational self-consciousness hurts him but also helps him.

I knew a little of Simon’s temper before reading Bowden’s piece, but was a bit taken aback by the portrayal. I guess it’s kind of like a kid meeting Michael Jordan and realizing that he’s a self-centered overachiever with a gambling problem. (Or, in other words, that he has failings just like every other human being). In Simon’s case, the path from The Baltimore Sun to The Wire was not a pretty one. But, I for one, am glad Simon didn’t find his newsman’s heaven as a reporter. The Wire, in many ways, is more relevant than reality.
Read Bowden’s entire article here.

Omar Speaks: The Wire’s Michael K. Williams Interview Broadcast on NPR

Josh — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 23:17:06 +0000

Arguably the most interesting character on HBO’s The Wire is stick-up artist Omar Little. The actor who portrays him, Michael K. Williams, recently sat down with Terry Gross, host of NPR’s Fresh Air. The interview, originally broadcast this past Wednesday, is available in its entirety here.Below are some of the highlights:-Williams was originally supposed to die in the seventh episode of the first season. However, the death never came. “I’m still waiting for the bullet,” he joked.-Williams said he immediately understood Omar’s mindset. He drew on his experiences as an outsider growing up in Brooklyn’s ghetto to bring a dark side to his character.-Williams actually discovered Felecia Pearson, who plays the hitman (or, in her case, hitwoman)Snoop in Season’s 3-5 of The Wire. He met and befriended her in a Baltimore bar and introduced her to Wire producers whoimmediately wrote a part for her.-Omar’s famous scar? It’s real, not make-up. Williams got the scar after he and his friends were involved in a confrontation with another group in Brooklyn. The wound was caused by a razor blade. He eventually embraced the scar, citing Seal’s marred face as an inspiration. His scar became his signature and earned him photo shoots with noted photographers like David Lachapelle.-He began his career as a background dancer for hip-hop and pop acts. He was inspired by Janet Jackson’s rhythm nation, but was homeless for a year before he got his first gig.-Williams talks about how he has come to love his character, and will have a hard time letting go of Omar when the show comes to an end.-His personality seems like the polar opposite of his character’s. During the interview he laughed often, was self-deprecating, and talked like a stereotypical “free-spirit.” He came across as very down to earth.

The Wire’s 5th Season Begins

Josh — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 20:02:53 +0000

Finally. The 5th and final season of The Wire is underway. I’ve come across a lot of rumors about where the show is going to end up, but expect to see most or all of them disproved by the end of the 10th and final episode of season 5.

I am going to discuss some of this season’s first episode below, so if you don’t want to know, stop reading here.

All is not well in West Baltimore. First and worst, McNulty is back to his drinking and womanizing ways. He is off the beat and back working for major crimes unit, but can’t seem to handle both the new job and a sober lifestyle.

Carcetti is realizing how hard it will be to run the city and keep all of the promises he made during his campaign. There is simply not enough money to go around, so it seems that he’ll have to choose between fixing schools or reducing the crime rate.

The “Co-op” is looking to expand while Marlo still seems to have designs on wresting everything away from Proposition Joe and the rest of them. However, McNulty and crew are watching Marlo’s operation much like they did the Barksdales in seasons 1 and 3.

Detective Freamon is setting his sights on corrupt politician Clay Davis who accepted a bribe from Stringer Bell in season 3.

The new angle this season is the media. A city Newspaper is breaking a big story about a corruption investigation, but, like everyone else in the city, is beset by budget troubles. I’m sure we can expect more about how the media affects crime, police work, and politics in the coming episodes. Stay tuned.

The Best Cop Show You’ve Never Seen

Josh — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:33:52 +0000

The Wire is probably my favorite cop show (dare I say it?) of all time. Created by David Simon (Homicide and The Corner), the show covers the lives of cops and gangsters trying to make it through their days and nights on the rough streets of West Baltimore. Unfortunately for most, the series is on HBO, meaning those who don’t subscribe to the premium cable channels will have to wait for the DVDs.

There is no flash in the show. No cool camera angles or superstar, ultra-smart cops. The first season, broadcast in 2002, was basically about a police task force trying (and mostly failing) to take down a high profile drug operation using wire taps (thus the show’s name). This is not a show that rushes to get to the conclusion. It is more concerned with showing us the lives of both cops and gangsters. Even in each season’s final episode, very little is tied up neatly. What makes the show so good is that you don’t care that few resolutions have been reached. Your simply glad you were allowed along for the ride.

The Wire boasts a talented ensemble cast. One of the central figures is a character played by British actor Dominic West. He plays a talented cop who dulls the pain of a stalled career and failed marriage with alcohol. Like many of the other characters in the show, West’s is almost perfect in his imperfections. It is these flawed, true-to-life characters that give The Wire its juice. You root for the characters to solve their problems as much as you root for them to solve their crimes.

If the show is new to you, you’ll have to start with season one DVDs and move chronologically. Season four will be released on December 4th. The 5th and final season of the show is slated to begin airing on HBO on January 6th, 2008.