Final season I heard. So much stuff i want to see "wrapped up" however what I like about the show if that nothing will really be wrapped up.

I've never seen the Shield but the Wire is an outstanding television show and for those that live in, near or know the Baltimore area it's just such a realistic show.

Yeah

David Simon said the only topic they could do a sixth season on is the growing Latino population in Baltimore, but he didn't feel the writers or himself knew enough about it to make a solid story.

The shield is the only show Ive ever watched that evoked a physical reaction to the Drama that was occuring on the screen...on a regular basis the situation of the main characters seemed so hopeless that I felt like I was going to be sick...and there are certain scenes you feel your stomach roiling just based on the incredible acting and dialog...one scene everone here knows made me so angry I was about to get violent in my own house

The Wire is the only show I ever watched that was successfull in changing my opinion about a subject that the show was focusing on...thousands of hours of pundits, polititians and actavists on talking head news shows, and a couple of epidodes of this show blew them all away in informing my decisions.

Take those two things as you will

My vote is for the Shield, I think they built up the characters of the strike team so well, you just want to know what badass thing or what mess they will get into next. I enjoy the wire, I didnt care for season 2 much but the other seasons are solid.

I've only seen bits of the Shield, and I thought it was great (I just haven't had time to catch up).

As a Baltimore native, The Wire felt so real tto me and really evoked completely different emotions from normal TV shows. They blend together street life and the police so well that by the end of it you really care for everyone, there's not necessarily bad guys and good guys, just people.

In Season 4 when

What was wrong with Co-Pilot? Thought it was a neat episode, myself.

The Shield,,, and as for how far-fetched it is, many of the incidents in the story were taken or adapted from L.A.P.D. Rampart scandel.

I love the Shield but The Wire is the best TV show I have ever seen.

I must say that I haven't seen The Wire, but I'm very excited to try to find the time to start it based on what I have heard in the past and what has been said here.

It sounds to me like this is essentially the LOST versus Heroes debate. The Shield is the popcorn show while The Wire is the more serious take.

The Wire is more true to life than The Shield is.

Well, I love the Shield, my favorite show because it's great AND consistent. No bad episodes. My other 2 faves are probably Lost and Battlestar but while those can be outstanding there have also been several stinkers. Not the case with the Shield. The Wire, well I only saw the first episode and wasn't drawn in, while the Shield smacks you upside the head in the first episode and you have to keep watching. I'm sure I'd probably love it but I had just rented the first disc on DVD and haven't got around to watching the rest.

Oooh, very tough question. I love both shows.

Get both.

I'll vote for the Wire, but you can't go wrong with either.

I think this is a product of the environment in which they are presented. The Shield, being on a more widely available cable channel FX, needs to make a big splash entrance on the first show or it will never gain viewership. The Wire, being on HBO, isn't under the same constraints. Regardless, the shows are not he same in terms of action level/type.

Jimmy James said it well, in my opinion, when he stated that The Shield is the popcorn show and The Wire is the more serious take.

One problem I have...calling the SHIELD a popcorn show really downplays its amazing acting and the nail biting drama that they deliver week in week out.

24 is a popcorn show...lets just say that that the Wire is based and PACED in reality, while the Shield is the worst day of any cops life OVER AND OVER for 6 years.

The Wire is more real, but the Shield is funner and better in my book. FYI Sheild would rank #1 or #2 for best shows ever on TV (hovering in the tie spot with Firefly). The Wire would not make my top 10.

I will grant you that The Shield is better than the regular network fair.

Still, there have been some eye-rolling moments over the course of the series.



Overall the acting is very good. Chiklis & CC Pounder are excellent. Some of the others tend to overact at times, in my opinion.



It's a very, very good show with a lot more highs than lows. I would highly recommend it as a series to watch. I guess I'm saying rent The Shield and buy The Wire.

I'm just curious if you have seen all 4 seasons of The Wire?

I've seen 1, 2, and half of 3. Honestly I had a lot going on at the time and intended to go back and finish it before 4 aired. The fact that I didn't just shows that it didn't impact me as much. I do intend on watching them. I'll rent them from Netflix.
Maybe Season 3 was simply weaker than the first two. I don't know. I remember loving the first 2. Then again I was going through a separation and maybe that distracted me a bit.

I was just curious because if I were to give the 4 seasons grades:

S1: A-
S2: B
S3: A
S4: A+

I thought Season 2 was the weakest so I was curious if that was where you left off.

Others have summed up most of the reasons why, but the Wire is far better. The Shield is very good, though.

The shows are hard to compare, though, because they only really have the police background in common. One show is more of an action/drama, while the other is almost a novel with social/cultural commentary in serial television form.

people who like the wire, is it because the show is not as much censored as the shield??? I seen few ep of the wire but I didnt really get into much, but the shield, I got hooked right after the pilot...

No. The Wire has better writing and better acting, and it is more interesting and authentic than The Shield.

BTW, this is how I would rank the seasons of The Wire:

S3
S1
S4
S2

That's probably my order as well although I love season 2 and it seems to be the least favorite across the board. It's really hard to rank 1 and 4 because they are just both so good and so different. 3 just blows the roof off of the whole show.

I've only seen the first 2 seasons of The Wire so far, but if Season 2 is considered the "worst"...wow, I really can't wait to see 3 and 4.