Yeah, I've read people have gone through the whole series not knowing who Sydnor is, or even thinking he's the same dude as Carver, which really makes me question what the fuck people were doing while watching.

Have you considered getting a Wire fluffer?

I just finished the series in about 2 weeks. It was fantastic. I kind of cheated by watching a bunch of clips on youtube so when I started watching I knew who alot of the characters were. It was a fitting ending but kind of abrupt. This is right up there with the best in TV. Bodie and Omar for the win.

Really? They are completely different, hang out with other people and look nothing alike. And only 1 is on Walking Dead. Weird.

Don't expect it to be like any other TV show. Treat it like a book. Each episode is a chapter, which means you shouldn't expect much more than bread crumbs in the beginning. Episodes won't end in cliffhangers or all have huge revelations.
It will come together nicely, but you gotta have the build up and get to really know the characters.

I remember episode 10 really hitting me hard.