The Wire (tv drama)

Our Nail Loney · June 02, 2009, 08:27:05 AM

We should start a new thread on it with spoilers included. Proper warning in the title so people know not to come in.

Main Street · June 02, 2009, 01:32:46 PM

McNulty character, after a promising start lost it's way by the end of the first series, passed it's end date early in series 2 and overtaken by others. His script and storyline just got weaker, his family scenes rarely convincing with a poorly cast ex-wife.
The McNulty character got a raw deal.

thewobbler · June 02, 2009, 02:22:14 PM

With an ensemble cast though it wouldn't have helped the show one bit to focus primarily on one character for 70 episodes.

The things that made McNulty instantly likeable - his brashness, his free spirit - just wouldn't have made compelling TV for the long run.

On characters - Gus, in the 5th series, is a great one, and rarely remarked upon.

Main Street · June 02, 2009, 03:08:41 PM

My opinion has nothing to do with McNulty being shoved out to the sidelines.

I´ll be watching the last one in series 2 tonight. I missed the reason for the Greek giving up on Sobotka first time around.
I have a lot of time for the Sobotka character. I'll be grieving later on.

Our Nail Loney · June 04, 2009, 11:17:16 AM

Have to say I don't think there has ever been a more horrible character than Snoop, the wee girl with the blocked nose who works for Marlo. What the f**k is the craic with her? I hate her, horrible horrible nasty piece of work.

Yes, I know she is a fictional character

nifan · June 04, 2009, 01:16:31 PM

Snoop is played by a former dealer who did time for murder I think.

Read an article where it said she was still dealing when she started in the wire, but left when she made enough.

Schkite · June 04, 2009, 01:51:28 PM

Apparently when she was born both her parents were drug addicts in prison, not a great start! According to her Wiki she now runs a youth organisation, along with the actor that played Marlo, to help stop violence and keep kids off the streets.

Newbridge Exile · June 05, 2009, 12:01:08 PM

Just finished series 3 last night, it just goes from strength to strength,

Newbridge Exile · June 10, 2009, 12:05:29 AM

Halfway through series 4 and hand on heart I can honestly say I have never felt such compassion about a character in a tv series as I do towards dukie

Our Nail Loney · June 10, 2009, 08:21:00 AM

Quote from: Newbridge Exile on June 10, 2009, 12:05:29 AM
Halfway through series 4 and hand on heart I can honestly say I have never felt such compassion about a character in a tv series as I do towards dukie

I know what ya mean Newbridge...

I finished episode two of series five there last night, raging I am getting to the end now...

Series Four was great but a couple of things have happened already in series five that look like its shaping up to be a great series!

Our Nail Loney · June 12, 2009, 03:02:51 PM

Quote from: The GAA on April 17, 2009, 10:33:02 AM
Just finished the lot. absolutely loved it. so diappointed there are no more. plenty of scope for more but i suppose they can be proud ofwhat they produced.

some of the best charachter writing you are ever likely to come across. This show was all about the charachters.

McNulty, bunk, kima, lestor, rawls, daniels, avon, stringer, marlowe, butch, omar, body, michael, D, Slim Charles, Prop Joe, clay (sheeeeeeeit), Spiros, bubbles, weebay, Jay homicide sergeant), even valcek.

have to say i hated the guy who played carcetti. couldn't act for shit. didn't like Bunny either.

Out of all those, my favourites were bubbles, bunk, omar, stringer and body (this game is rigged).

I think he was in Queer As Folk!

edit to say: Yes I looked it up and he was!!

Anyway finished the last episode there, I have never got so into a show before, that was excellent, the sheer volume of characters and all the different stories going at once just keeps you on the edge of your seat...

Gonna get the Oz box set now and work my way through that, I remember watching brief bits of this show when it was on late night on channel four years ago but now I think I would enjoy it more, think a lot of the actors went from Oz to The Wire

PS Mods how about a spoiler option added?? Is it possible?

Main Street · June 12, 2009, 04:43:26 PM

You'd think that after so many years you wouldn't need to have a spoiler option with this show.
Spoil away up to end of series 2.

I remember reading some reviewer wondering why this show never caught on to any serious extent when it was first aired in the USA. That, despite the almost unanimous ecstatic praise from the reviewers, the viewing figures didn't top 1m in the US for series 5,whereas joe public could not get enough of the Soapranos. In the end some type of answer came from the daughter of one of the actors who didn't really like it, she could.'t multi task (net chat) and follow it at the same time, as well as it being too real.

Dinny Breen · June 12, 2009, 04:59:14 PM

Sad to believe but it's thought that The Wire poored fairly in the ratings because it had a predominantly African-Amreican cast!

I miss The Wire.

Schkite · June 12, 2009, 05:05:07 PM

Just finished the final season there myself during the week, unreal show. Amazing to think that this time last year I'd barely heard of it(pardon my ignorance!), and it already over at that point! It never really caught on over here on the telly, I know BBC are running through it now but it took long enough. I suppose a factor in that may be that it's a show best seen in a few bits at a time, like on DVD, and on a one episode per week basis it was hard to pick up for some. It's a real slow-burner(especially at the start) which often didn't end an episode on a cliff-hanger like so many others, so viewers may not have had the patience to commit to watching it every week, and became bored. Amazing show though once you get into it and get familiar with the vasy amount of characters, which can be overwhelming at first, especially as we're not spoonfed introductions to them all as you see in other shows. It took me a good while at the start to figure out who was who in the Barksdale gang for example.

Don't know what to watch now, some big shoes to fill after The Wire! Funny enough I was thinking of Oz myself as I ever watched it before and heard the boxset was going cheap, it's a similarly gritty, graphic show.

Our Nail Loney · June 12, 2009, 05:31:50 PM

Quote from: Schkite on June 12, 2009, 05:05:07 PM
Just finished the final season there myself during the week, unreal show. Amazing to think that this time last year I'd barely heard of it(pardon my ignorance!), and it already over at that point! It never really caught on over here on the telly, I know BBC are running through it now but it took long enough. I suppose a factor in that may be that it's a show best seen in a few bits at a time, like on DVD, and on a one episode per week basis it was hard to pick up for some. It's a real slow-burner(especially at the start) which often didn't end an episode on a cliff-hanger like so many others, so viewers may not have had the patience to commit to watching it every week, and became bored. Amazing show though once you get into it and get familiar with the vasy amount of characters, which can be overwhelming at first, especially as we're not spoonfed introductions to them all as you see in other shows. It took me a good while at the start to figure out who was who in the Barksdale gang for example.

Don't know what to watch now, some big shoes to fill after The Wire! Funny enough I was thinking of Oz myself as I ever watched it before and heard the boxset was going cheap, it's a similarly gritty, graphic show.

Think there are six series of Oz, amazon doing it cheap enough at the min, round sixty quid, think I will order it now...