The Wire

[mostlikely2]

I have this theory about television, specifically popular television drama. Shows that are wildly popular -- not cult programs, but seriously nationwide popular -- have a thing that they give us. You go back to the same restaurant twice a month because you expect a certain dish or a certain flavor, right, so what keeps people coming back? What is

Comments

[spectralbovine]

I am just about to start the fifth season of The Wire, Jacob! A post will be forthcoming.

For my money, the theme of the show is "America is broken." I haven't seen The West Wing, so I don't know how it scores on the Hope Meter, but I don't think it's overtly hopeful, per se, although there are glimmers here and there. But it's definitely not emotionless; in fact, it's one of the more emotionally engaging shows I've watched because they are people, not robots. Very very much people. So much people. These are human beings, through and through.

[mostlikely2]

"America is broken" is also one of my favorite things in the world. This show is sounding awesomer and awesomer.

[spectralbovine]

I think you'll really dig it! It's extremely dense. It's all about unpacking the information in scenes and putting together the story that happens between them. It's about parallel thematics you don't even recognize at first. It's about the changing world and the way that individual ideas have trouble flourishing in an institutionalized society.

And there's an infamous scene in which two characters spend almost five minutes saying nothing but variations of "Fuck."

[faithellen]

My husband and I just recalled that scene today (as we expressed ourselves about Expensive Plumbing News)!

Jacob, The Wire pulls no punches about how things function, without being high-handed and didactic about the morals. The people are awesome.

And as relatively recent transplant from MD, the Baltimore accents make me smile.

[writingortyping]

That's actually the only scene I've ever seen from the show - when we were visiting friends, they sat us down and said, "We've been saving this on the TiVo to show you."

It was brilliant. I just have a lot of MI-5 ahead of it in my queue...