Watching the Wire for the Second Time

Gradstudent78 · Jan 28, 2010

Originally Posted by LawrenceMD

since the whole series of Lost is up on Hulu (i actually do follow that show with my wife) I rewatched the episode "the Constant" again. damn that has to be the best single tv show episode ever.

ABC has been doing a rather good job of making the series available to watch for free. I wish more shows would do this.

Biggskip · Jan 28, 2010

Originally Posted by Gradstudent78

ABC has been doing a rather good job of making the series available to watch for free. I wish more shows would do this.
I'm surprised to find that Lost is on Hulu. In the past, ABC had always tried to push their content onto their own media portal. And, wow, is that a terrible portal. I commend ABC for realizing their failure and joining the hulu fold.

Gradstudent78 · Jan 28, 2010

Originally Posted by Biggskip

I'm surprised to find that Lost is on Hulu. In the past, ABC had always tried to push their content onto their own media portal. And, wow, is that a terrible portal. I commend ABC for realizing their failure and joining the hulu fold.

Really? I always found the ABC hosting to be far superior to those of the other networks on their own sites, particularly fox. I feel fairly indifferent to it being on hulu.

jesask · Jan 28, 2010

Originally Posted by Biggskip

New Question

Which season had the best version of Tom Waits's Way Down in the Hole?

I was at a Steve Earle concert last night and he plays it as part of his set. His version is pretty good.

videogeek · Jan 28, 2010

Originally Posted by Biggskip

Which season had the best version of Tom Waits's Way Down in the Hole?

I have to agree it's season 4. Steve Earle's version grates on my nerves, I skipped the opening every time on season 5.

Biggskip · Jan 28, 2010

Originally Posted by edinatlanta

4.

Originally Posted by videogeek

I have to agree it's season 4. Steve Earle's version grates on my nerves, I skipped the opening every time on season 5.
I'll be starting my rewatch of Season 4 this weekend. To be honest it's been a while and I forget what it sounds like. I just finished Season 3 tonight. Watching Bunny get eviscerated by Rawls just breaks my heart. Effin' Rawls! Actually I just watched the Season 4 and 5 versions on YouTube. They are both my least favorite (I know I'll be in the minority). Therefore the correct answer to the question I posed earlier is Season 2. The rest in descending order are 3, 1, 4, and then 5. Of the first three seasons I have to say that I like the original the best. I used to not like the Neville Bros version, but really gained appreciation for it during my recent rewatch. Now put down the credit card, step away from the computer, and go watch some more Wire!

the_state · Jan 29, 2010

My fiance got me The Wire box set and I've been re-watching it all from Season 1 on. Without any doubts, Season 2 has to be the best they've ever done. The show got a bit far fetched afterward (Hamsterdam, bodies in row houses, McNulty's serial killer), and Season 2 had some of the best characters, writing, acting, scenery, and everything else that goes into the show.

In order of greatness:

Season 2
Season 4
Season 1
Season 3
Season 5

Discuss

Piobaire · Jan 29, 2010

Originally Posted by MetroStyles

In terms of insanity / sociopathy =

1. Marlo
2. Stringer
3. Avon
4. Prop Joe

You left a very important character off the list, one that might vie for the #1 spot: McNulty.

FLMountainMan · Jan 29, 2010

Originally Posted by Piobaire

You left a very important character off the list, one that might vie for the #1 spot: McNulty.

I think McNulty was a great character. Honestly, I related a lot to him. A highly functional alcoholic struggling to fit in, and fight against, a stifling bureaucracy without self-destructing. I think for a lot of guys, that McNulty gene is always there. He was really interesting.

I also liked Landsman a lot. Thought Omar was unrealistic, but was sad to him go.

Piobaire · Jan 29, 2010

Originally Posted by FLMountainMan

I think McNulty was a great character. Honestly, I related a lot to him. A highly functional alcoholic struggling to fit in, and fight against, a stifling bureaucracy without self-destructing. I think for a lot of guys, that McNulty gene is always there. He was really interesting.

I also liked Landsman a lot. Thought Omar was unrealistic, but was sad to him go.

I thought he was a great character too and can relate to the adult rebel also. It's just that he also pretty clearly exhibited some sociopathic symptoms, as evidenced by how often he merely used people to attain his goals. It's not that I didn't like him...I liked Prop Joe too. As the head shrinkers always tell us, many sociopaths are pretty good at being likable.

Omar was a special character. He combined so many themes, issues, and motifs into one badassed mo-fo. I think many viewers found him to be quite sympathetic as he had such a strict code of conduct and was obviously a very loyal person, to those he found worthy of his loyalty.

Biggskip · Jan 29, 2010

Originally Posted by the_state

My fiance got me The Wire box set and I've been re-watching it all from Season 1 on. Without any doubts, Season 2 has to be the best they've ever done. The show got a bit far fetched afterward (Hamsterdam, bodies in row houses, McNulty's serial killer), and Season 2 had some of the best characters, writing, acting, scenery, and everything else that goes into the show.

In order of greatness:

Season 2
Season 4
Season 1
Season 3
Season 5

Discuss

I will hold off on a final decision between Seasons 2 & 4 as to which I like better, but I would probably move Season 3 above Season 1. Bunny Colvin is one of the best characters in the show and overall Season 3 is much bolder in terms of message than Season 1 is.

Originally Posted by Piobaire

You left a very important character off the list, one that might vie for the #1 spot: McNulty.

Biggskip · Jan 29, 2010

Originally Posted by Piobaire

You left a very important character off the list, one that might vie for the #1 spot: McNulty.

I would say that McNulty isn't a sociopath, but is more of an addict. He does use people to get what he wants, but he's driven by a sense that if he can just break open a case that he'll be happy with himself. During Season 3 he runs into Santagelo, the former homicide detective now working patrol in The Western, and their conversation forces McNulty realize that his whole outlook is wrong. He'll never be happy doing what he's doing that the should go back to a place where he was happy, walking a beat in The Western. Unfortunately, he has a relapse at the end of Season 4 and winds up back in homicide for Season 5, which leads to his ultimate downfall.

Originally Posted by FLMountainMan

I think McNulty was a great character. Honestly, I related a lot to him. A highly functional alcoholic struggling to fit in, and fight against, a stifling bureaucracy without self-destructing. I think for a lot of guys, that McNulty gene is always there. He was really interesting.

I also liked Landsman a lot. Thought Omar was unrealistic, but was sad to him go.

Omar is a real dude. The real Omar is one of Butchie's guys who protects Omar in jail.

the_state · Jan 29, 2010

Originally Posted by Biggskip

I will hold off on a final decision between Seasons 2 & 4 as to which I like better, but I would probably move Season 3 above Season 1. Bunny Colvin is one of the best characters in the show and overall Season 3 is much bolder in terms of message than Season 1 is.

Bunny Colvin is incredible but so was D'Angelo. The "open and shut" feel of Season 1 along with the slow burn that the detail went through to really able to make solid ground on the Barksdale case made it extremely compelling. Wallace getting shot felt more realistic and less inflated than Stringer getting got, and Hamsterdam was borderline Sci-Fi. Season 3 was still great but it's among the series' weak points.

the_state · Jan 29, 2010

It's incredible when you think back on small moments of the show and how they end up being tremendous catalysts. For instance, the towers coming down in scene 1 of Season 3 were Mayor Royce's way of reforming the city, to make a bad thing into a good thing. This obviously caused the exact opposite effect since Barksdale's crew was forced to roam out into the city of Baltimore and eventually beef w/ Marlo's crew. Great stuff.

limping_decorum · Jan 30, 2010

i think this is my favorite scene from all five seasons
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Watching the Wire for the Second Time

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