I love The Wire, but I don't know how I feel about this season yet. The pacing and the Baltimore Sun storyline really feels reminiscent of Season 2 and the docks storyline. I enjoyed that season as well, but definitely least of all. The first episode of this season can afford to be slow (like it was), but in my opinion, the entire season cannot. Here's hoping things pick up, because after all, there should be alot of ground to cover...

Woke up this morning to The Wire being front page news on the Staten Island Advance. Apparently the actor Tristan Wilds who plays Micheal was born and raised in Staten Island (My home town, I am now proud to admit). And there's a photo of him wearing a NY Yankees cap, which Snoop would've most definitely capped him for last season.

Here's the article for anyone interested: http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf..._is_still.html

The pictures are unfortunately missing, but they're mostly of Tristan. One of him and his mom too.
_____

Can't wait for this to air tonight so we can get some more reactions.

Awesome to have this show back, but not to have this be the last season.

It does feel a bit like S2, which grew on me after a while. Just takes a while to build...

I didn't know Clark Johnson directed the show's pilot. Will enjoy seeing him as a regular this season.

I wish IMDB would have a Top 250 for TV shows. The Wire (which I've never seen an episode of, but this will change) has a rating of 9.7 with 6,000+ votes. Compare that to, say, Seinfeld that has a 9.4, The Prisoner with a 9.2, Sopranos with 9.5, or M*A*S*H with a 8.6. I'm thinking it might be #1, or damn right near it.

With a 9.7, I have to wonder which show would have higher a higher rating? I think Wire flies under the radar just enough that it doesn't have the "backlash" many popular shows do to bring down the score.

The Wire - "Unconfirmed Repots" - 01/13/08 (Now on HBO-ON-DEMAND)
 

"This ain't Aruba, bitch." - Bunk

http://tvmedia.ign.com/tv/image/arti...4022530781.jpg

Plot Synopsis:


Haven't watched it yet, but it popped up on On-Demand this morning. I'll be watching it in an hour or two.

Is there a reason that episodes of this show show up on On-Demand BEFORE the cable airing?

I just got Season 1 and am looking forward to diving in.

I don't really know the reasoning, but they did it last season too. They put them up on On-Demand 6 days before its set to air.

Argh...I was looking forward to watching this all day while at work and come home to find it nowhere in my HBO On Demand listings. Damn you Comcast!

I'm guessing the McNulty's move at the end of the episode is going to start a city-wide panic and some well-needed police funds, assuming he gets some help with it. He just can't pull that off himself.

McNulty's lost his mind, I think. This could ruin his career. Hell he could go to prison.

I'm really enjoying the office dynamics at the Baltimore Sun.

Bubbles, 15 months clean! Go Bubbles! It's a tough road, and he's still carrying a lot of weight on his shoulders. It's going to be a sad day in Baltimore if he starts using again.

What is Marlo doing with Avon? I am a little lost on that plot... Avon is teaming up with Marlo and Sergei to snuff out all the east side crews? Does that mean Prop Joe and the Co-Op?

Why wasn't the main ME there? You know the 6'5'' one that McNulty occasionally talks to? I would have liked it if it was him explaining that stuff to McNulty. Unless the new ME is going to play some kind of part later on.

Also McNulty is pulling a Vic Mackey. Interesting.

Just a heads up: Don't read Tom Shales article on The Wire in The Washington Post (From yesterday's paper). It contains a spoiler without warning. In fact I'm going to write a letter to that asshat now.

No, Marlo was trying to get in touch with Sergei so he can cut the rest of the Co-Op out. Once he can secure himself a good supply he's got the muscle to take most of Baltimore (or at least try). Avon is a big man in prison, so he's forcing Marlo to come through him if he wants to talk to Sergei.

At this point, Avon's motivations aren't clear, I don't believe him when he says that he'd be willing to help Marlo just to fuck over East Side. He hates Marlo.

Oh yeah, why did Prop Joe introduce Marlo to Vondas in the first place? In retrospect it seems sort of dumb, but I guess at the time he had good reasons (possibly showing trust, establishing cred)?

Last season, Omar ripped off the drug shipment when it was in route from the Greek to Prop Joe. Marlo wanted to be sure that it wasn't Prop Joe screwing over the entire co-op, so he threatened Prop Joe's nephew. Prop Joe caved and offered up a meeting with the supplier as Vondas had a man working the delivery. Marlo met with Vondas to make sure it was truly Omar that screwed over the co-op.

Slate has an article about David Simon writing an unexpected 4-page scene at the last minute, which the already exhausted cast and crew had to film. Here is a copy of that script: http://www.slate.com/id/2181339/entry/2181340/ (This is a parody, not a spoiler)

I liked the episode a lot, and loved seeing Avon and Sergei again. Because it's the final season, I think and hope we'll see some more old faces along the way. I'd love to see Donut roll up in a giant SUV once or twice before the season's out.

I didn't like that characters seemed to be acting out of character, though.

I don't see Avon buckling to Marlo that easily, even for $100k, unless he's playing him, and is telling Slim Charles about the whole set up. His actions are consistent with his actions in during the second season, though, when Stringer allowed the east side boys set up in the west side. Avon sent Brother Mouzone to clear out his territory, but I doubt that he'd be in cahoots with Marlo against some vague east sider threat. I only see it being a straight-up deal between Marlo and Avon if Avon thinks that he has no more stake in the game, and is trying to use his last little bit of influence to help his family.

I also don't see McNulty trying what he's trying. He's always been the smartest guy in the room and played the right angles, but they were always legitimate. Staging scenes isn't consistent with his character being good police.

I bet that McNulty gets away with it, though. If the creators are really trying to exhibit the power of the press, the legit case against Clay Davis will amount to nothing, and McNulty's fabricated case against Marlo, Snoop, and Chris will be a resounding success. It'd be a nice cynical way to end the series.

Favorite moments:

McNulty riding the bus.
"Fuckin' game is rigged."
Clay Davis and Commissioner Burrell.
Freamon's stakeout soundtrack.
The setup for Omar's return.
Bubbles sharing.

I thought that there was some lazy writing in the newspaper segments this episode, with the obvious story fabrication, and the "this is the Wire season four pitch meeting with HBO" argument between the metro editor and the editor-in-chief.

Next week looks good - with only eight episodes to go, the pedal should be to the metal for the rest of the series. Can't wait to see where it goes.

cheers,

-the Jesus

McNulty was pretty drunk though, which has always impaired his judgement. Lest we forget the car under the bridge incident:

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Classic McNulty moment. Drunk logic took over in that situation, so there's a certain amount of innocence to it - he was trying (successfully) to cover his ass for the next day.

Not a shred of innocence in what he's doing this season. He was sober when the county detectives showed him the neck injuries on the body in the morgue, and started formulating is plan then. I think he finally realizes, though, that the only way to win in the game is to try and get over on others. By repeating Bodie's line that the "game is rigged," the writers are showing that he learned from Bodie's mistakes, and knows that to play the game straight is to play the fool. It just isn't consistent with McNulty being "good police."

That said, I can't wait to see what happens.

cheers,

-the Jesus

I really enjoyed this episode too. I see Avon screwing over Marlo though. The smug look on Avon's face and the flashing of 'West Side' just doesn't sit right. I wonder if Avon is up for parole again soon and is looking for other people to help take down Marlo before he gets out...

Yea, Avon HAS to be playing Marlo.. No way he bows down that easy..

Another great episode! :up:

I agree with all of this. I'm digging the Sun stuff (heavy-handed though it may be) and Bubbles is - suprisingly - what I'm finding most interesting thus far. This show always leans toward the cynical side and often has circumstances and corruption undo any good done previously, but I'm really pulling for Bubs (which only means I will be that much more heartbroken when he caves).

As for McNutty - holy christ. He's finally lost it. He was doing so well last season. I knew signing back up would get him drinking again - I did NOT think in a million years that he would start staging ODs and Natural-Cause's to look like the work of a serial killer. In another show, this might bring in national attention and funds and direct the energy where it needs to go, nabbing the bad guys and having Vic Ma- ...another cop get away with it.

I doubt The Wire's realism and pessimism will allow this, though. Poor Jimmy done fucked up. Happy now, bitch?


-Doc

btw, if anyone is actually from the Baltimore / MD area, I think the Baltimore Sun stuff comes across as very believable. It's been barely credible as a newspaper for at least 5 years.

Can someone shed some light on why this happens to some people? My girlfriend has HBO-On-Demand and she is not getting them a week in advance.