• Light/Dark

Reminder: The Wire is the best TV show of all time

Deleted member 41520

Banned
Mar 29, 2018
7,078
It's one of the most admirable and extraordinary works of fiction I've ever seen.

But nah. Not even a top 5 show for me. Just too dense, poorly paced and often impenetrable.

Krejlooc said:
Er, no? Read all my posts ITT. Good is very clearly being defined by how important and well told the message is. The Wire isn't meant to entertain. It's much more important than that. When people try to compare The Wire to The Shield, it feels like the entire purpose of the show missed them. THE WIRE ISN'T A COP SHOW.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
"Best TV show of all time" != "most important TV show of all time".

Importance is one argument/metric for this. If you said "most important show of all time", then sure, I could get behind it.

But "best"? That's a subjective blend of multiple criteria including cultural relevance/importance.
 
alstrike

alstrike

Banned
Aug 27, 2018
2,151
tenor.gif


Didn't do it for me and probably it's not the show's fault but how other people oversold me on it.
 
Deer

Deer

Member
Oct 29, 2017
1,578
Sweden
I'm watching season 3 (first time) right now and it's good but this guy going after Omar right now? What the hell? Fucking cartoon character right there 😂

edit: Jesus the whole beginning of ep 11 was bizarre. I mean the show can be cute, dumb and silly at times but this was another kind of dumb
 
Last edited:
Eros

Eros

Member
Oct 27, 2017
9,781
Doing my first watch through, currently in the middle of season 3. It's good but I'm definitely not seeing what makes people say this with such confidence.
 
John Dunbar

John Dunbar

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
6,229
one thing i don't get is how many people say the fake serial killer stuff went too far to be believable or jumped the shark, but apparently hamsterdam was totally fine?
 
colorblindmode

colorblindmode

Chicken Chaser
Member
Nov 26, 2019
2,565
South Carolina
The Wire is absolutely incredible. It's definitely the most relevant television show ever made.

I feel like Succession is starting to take its throne, though. Succession is some of the most gripping television I've ever watched. If it continues on for another two or so seasons at the quality and feeling of the first two seasons, it's easily going to be in consideration.
 
criesofthepast

criesofthepast

Crash Test Dummy
Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,092
alstrike said:
tenor.gif


Didn't do it for me and probably it's not the show's fault but how other people oversold me on it.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
The Wire fans are very vocal in that it is the greatest show ever. You don't see nearly as much of that same hype from Sopranos fans for example, and the two shows are usually mentioned in the same breath in terms of quality.
 

Deleted member 4321

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
895
Chemo said:
People always say this, and those people never watched The Shield.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
How many episodes does it take for The Shield to "click"?

I've tried to watch it a couple of times, but I've never forced myself to watch more than a couple of episodes. I know I should watch it because plenty of people whose opinions I respect rank it with or above The Wire and Sopranos, and I have heard the ending is spectacular. But something about the first few episodes bores me and makes me think it's a generic cop show.
 
criesofthepast

criesofthepast

Crash Test Dummy
Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,092
SushiX said:
How many episodes does it take for The Shield to "click"?

I've tried to watch it a couple of times, but I've never forced myself to watch more than a couple of episodes. I know I should watch it because plenty of people whose opinions I respect rank it with or above The Wire and Sopranos, and I have heard the ending is spectacular. But something about the first few episodes bores me and makes me think it's a generic cop show.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I mean to each their own but it clicked with the amazing pilot episode for me personally.
 
DrFunk

DrFunk

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,227
Just started this a week ago...at season 2, episode 3. My lady friend finds season 2 boring but I think the wider focus on other "Baltimorians" is kinda dope
 
MrFrankFontaine

MrFrankFontaine

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,038
Best show ever. My brother lives in Baltimore. He started the show, but couldn't bring himself to keep on because it hit too close to home (literally).

I got off the highway one day on a business trip some years ago on my way to BWI. Thought I'd get some gas prior to retuning the rental. Ended up in a neighborhood just like from an episode from the Wire. Shit is real. Let's just say I got the fuel plan after that and never did that again.
 
Fat4all

Fat4all

Woke up, got a money tag, swears a lot
Member
Oct 25, 2017
96,282
here
DrFunk said:
Just started this a week ago...at season 2, episode 3. My lady friend finds season 2 boring but I think the wider focus on other "Baltimorians" is kinda dope
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
season 2 is my favorite (besides season 4), it give you a whole new cast with their own issues, while showing the bounce back from the events of season 1's characters at the same time

it's a slower build than season 1, but it ends even harder and has some amazing moments
 

Deleted member 30544

User Requested Account Closure
Banned
Nov 3, 2017
5,215
After rewatching the complete seasons of The Shield i will put it above the Wire.

But....I haven't watched S4 & 5. So that maybe will change.
 
Powdered Egg

Powdered Egg

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
17,070
Michaelandavinci said:
Wrong. I can name a few Korean drama from the top of my head which are better.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Ain't no other kings in this rap thing.
John Dunbar said:
one thing i don't get is how many people say the fake serial killer stuff went too far to be believable or jumped the shark, but apparently hamsterdam was totally fine?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
What's so unbelievable about Hamsterdam? The concept in general or that it was attempted in Baltimore? It would not surprise me if Hamsterdam had been attempted somewhere in the US.

Serial Killer McNulty gets more flack because both writing and execution fell off. It felt silly, maybe they should have had McNulty snorting lines between episodes beforehand.
 
John Dunbar

John Dunbar

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
6,229
Powdered Egg said:
What's so unbelievable about Hamsterdam? The concept in general or that it was attempted in Baltimore? It would not surprise me if Hamsterdam had been attempted somewhere in the US.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

i would be very surprised if anything like hamsterdam has been tried anywhere in the usa and it was kept a secret for more than a day.

it's total fantasy.
 
Powdered Egg

Powdered Egg

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
17,070
John Dunbar said:
i would be very surprised if anything like hamsterdam has been tried anywhere in the usa and it was kept a secret for more than a day.

it's total fantasy.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I've never see any behind the scenes stuff so I'm wondering now what gave the writers the idea to include Hamsterdam and if a chief has ever dared tried pulling that off here. Objectively, a cop staging serial killer murders for funding is far more believable. I guess there's a bias since S5 is weaker than 3, then the flaws stick out more?
 
Night Hunter

Night Hunter

Member
Dec 5, 2017
2,821
Reminder: Thread title is straight F.A.C.T.S!

And I haven't even thought about S5 the way it was discussed on page 1, but you're completely right!
 
Timbuktu

Timbuktu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,309
Powdered Egg said:
I've never see any behind the scenes stuff so I'm wondering now what gave the writers the idea to include Hamsterdam and if a chief has ever dared tried pulling that off here. Objectively, a cop staging serial killer murders for funding is far more believable. I guess there's a bias since S5 is weaker than 3, then the flaws stick out more?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

S5 was probably too optimistic about people actually caring about the homeless being murdered, made up or not. The fake news aspect can is probably even more relevant today and can be done better. I think the criticism of S5 plot is more that it's not realistic in terms of how characters we've grown to know behaved. Hamsterdam wasn't realistic, but the character motivations and struggles behind it and how it affected them were.

The news and media story could have tied better into the vacant houses bodies really, as well as hamsterdam and the mayoral campaign, wish those characters were introduced earlier.
 
Brewm0nt

Brewm0nt

Member
Dec 22, 2017
984
Orlando, FL
I've tried starting it a few times, but couldn't get into the style of it.

For me the GOAT is Breaking Bad, closely followed by Better Call Saul.

Just the combination of the drama, cinematography, music, moments, action, and dark humor is a show firing on all cylinders.
 
Youngfossil

Youngfossil

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,698
Brewm0nt said:
I've tried starting it a few times, but couldn't get into the style of it.

For me the GOAT is Breaking Bad, closely followed by Better Call Saul.

Just the combination of the drama, cinematography, music, moments, action, and dark humor is a show firing on all cylinders.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
The style changes of the seasons, and The Wire has all those thing listed in droves
 
You must log in or register to reply here.