This sentimental motherfucker just cost us money!
My reaction to the Wire finale was generally kinda meh, except for two parts where I shouted out loud:
When Slim Charles shot dumb-ass Cheese: "YAAAAAAAY!" (That exclamation was accompanied by joyful fist-pump. I've never been so happy to see someone get brutally shot in the head in my life. That may also have something to do with the fact that I adore Slim, wish he'd had more to do on the show, and was glad he got his moment to shine.)
When they showed Dukie shooting up: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" (Dammit, Prez, why couldn't you pull a Bunny Colvin and TAKE HIM HOME WITH YOU. If you're worried about appearances, you could have just hidden him in your beard. Your freakishly huge Hemingway beard.)
I was disappointed that they didn't manage to work in one last shot of Daniels with his shirt off. They have shirtless lawyers in Baltimore, don't they? I also had my fingers crossed for a last-minute Ziggy cameo somehow -- sad that didn't work out. Couldn't it have been Wee-bey and Chris hanging out in the prison yard and then Ziggy comes bounding up to them like a dumb puppy, rambling about his drunk duck and his Camero? That would have made my life. I guess the Nick Sobotka and Johnny Fifty cameos were all they could pull out from the second season. Oh well.
I liked everything coming full-circle, but it might have been just a little bit too hit-you-over-the-head full-circle. I liked Michael as the new Omar, but a lot of people apparently found that unbelievable and/or over the top. I had to rewind and pause at the Bunk/Kima murder scene, because I was horrified that it was Dukie dead on the street -- it looked like the same shirt he'd been wearing earlier in the episode. Not that junkie-in-the-stable is really that much better an outcome, but if Bubbles can overcome...it's always possible. I was convinced before the season when I heard about "homeless killings" that Bubbles was going to die, and since I knew there was obviously going to be a copycat killing at some point I was nervous throughout the whole season. But, yay happy ending for Reginald! I think Andre Royo's NA scene in the second to last episode was amazing. I would be thrilled if he got an Emmy nomination.
The one thing that was a constant through the whole series was that Herc was a stupid asshole who would never learn his lesson or face any concequences. Glad that held up. Grr. Hate Herc. But at least he didn't actively ruin the lives of any defenseless adolescents this season. I would personally enjoy a sixth season that consisted entirely of 13 episodes of Carver punching Herc in the face for 55 minutes. I guess it's vaguely admirable that Carver is still loyal to his best friend even though his best friend is a complete fuckup jagoff. But still. Brisket with Maury Levy and then drinks with Carver? NO HAPPY ENDING FOR HERC, PLZ. Meh.
The newspaper storyline just didn't mesh with the rest of the show as much as David Simon obviously would have liked. I thought Clark Johnson was really fantastic, but that doesn't make up for how obvious it all was. Oh, that's actually another scene where I had a verbal reaction...when they showed Templeton getting a Pulitzer. I groaned, partly because, ew, Templeton sucks, but partly because, OK DUH WE GET IT YOU HATE MARIMOW AND CARROLL DAVID SIMON DEAL WITH IT AND MOVE ON. I think David Milch and David Simon should hang out and David Simon can just shout "The Baltimore Sun was mean to me!" and David Milch can shout "I was a junkie! Junkie junkie motherfucker cocksucker Henry James!" and it will be a meeting of the brilliant petulant TV Davids.
Way down in the hoooooooollllle...
When Slim Charles shot dumb-ass Cheese: "YAAAAAAAY!" (That exclamation was accompanied by joyful fist-pump. I've never been so happy to see someone get brutally shot in the head in my life. That may also have something to do with the fact that I adore Slim, wish he'd had more to do on the show, and was glad he got his moment to shine.)
When they showed Dukie shooting up: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" (Dammit, Prez, why couldn't you pull a Bunny Colvin and TAKE HIM HOME WITH YOU. If you're worried about appearances, you could have just hidden him in your beard. Your freakishly huge Hemingway beard.)
I was disappointed that they didn't manage to work in one last shot of Daniels with his shirt off. They have shirtless lawyers in Baltimore, don't they? I also had my fingers crossed for a last-minute Ziggy cameo somehow -- sad that didn't work out. Couldn't it have been Wee-bey and Chris hanging out in the prison yard and then Ziggy comes bounding up to them like a dumb puppy, rambling about his drunk duck and his Camero? That would have made my life. I guess the Nick Sobotka and Johnny Fifty cameos were all they could pull out from the second season. Oh well.
I liked everything coming full-circle, but it might have been just a little bit too hit-you-over-the-head full-circle. I liked Michael as the new Omar, but a lot of people apparently found that unbelievable and/or over the top. I had to rewind and pause at the Bunk/Kima murder scene, because I was horrified that it was Dukie dead on the street -- it looked like the same shirt he'd been wearing earlier in the episode. Not that junkie-in-the-stable is really that much better an outcome, but if Bubbles can overcome...it's always possible. I was convinced before the season when I heard about "homeless killings" that Bubbles was going to die, and since I knew there was obviously going to be a copycat killing at some point I was nervous throughout the whole season. But, yay happy ending for Reginald! I think Andre Royo's NA scene in the second to last episode was amazing. I would be thrilled if he got an Emmy nomination.
The one thing that was a constant through the whole series was that Herc was a stupid asshole who would never learn his lesson or face any concequences. Glad that held up. Grr. Hate Herc. But at least he didn't actively ruin the lives of any defenseless adolescents this season. I would personally enjoy a sixth season that consisted entirely of 13 episodes of Carver punching Herc in the face for 55 minutes. I guess it's vaguely admirable that Carver is still loyal to his best friend even though his best friend is a complete fuckup jagoff. But still. Brisket with Maury Levy and then drinks with Carver? NO HAPPY ENDING FOR HERC, PLZ. Meh.
The newspaper storyline just didn't mesh with the rest of the show as much as David Simon obviously would have liked. I thought Clark Johnson was really fantastic, but that doesn't make up for how obvious it all was. Oh, that's actually another scene where I had a verbal reaction...when they showed Templeton getting a Pulitzer. I groaned, partly because, ew, Templeton sucks, but partly because, OK DUH WE GET IT YOU HATE MARIMOW AND CARROLL DAVID SIMON DEAL WITH IT AND MOVE ON. I think David Milch and David Simon should hang out and David Simon can just shout "The Baltimore Sun was mean to me!" and David Milch can shout "I was a junkie! Junkie junkie motherfucker cocksucker Henry James!" and it will be a meeting of the brilliant petulant TV Davids.
Way down in the hoooooooollllle...