Yay! Now you can join all of us Wire-graduates in commenting knowingly on US domestic policy and inner city problems. In truth the show does still inform the way I look at a lot of politics (and tv, there've been a few episodes of say Elementary where I've thought, the police aren't going to thank the genius detective for uncovering more murders - that's going to mess up their stats
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but unfortunately I think David Simon was too close to the material and had a few too many axes to grind.
Yes, that's what it felt like. I'm trying to lay my finger on the depiction of the other institutions and where the difference is, and perhaps it's this: even if Bill Rawls were a kinder man and would think more of finding the truth than about his department's clearance rate and the stats, the BPD would still be screwed up. On the other hand, if what's his name the überboss had just listened to Gus and stuck to good journalistic standards instead of letting Scott get away with the fakery in order to chase a publisher, The Baltimore Sun would be fine. Well, still under general economic pressures, but a fine institution. And that makes it look like a personal axe to grind rather than a social critique.
there've been a few episodes of say Elementary where I've thought, the police aren't going to thank the genius detective for uncovering more murders - that's going to mess up their stats!).LOL.
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Yes, it felt like Simon didn't bring the usual complexity to the depiction of the paper. I mean there's a reason the bosses were chasing prizes - with falling sales it was a way to justify the news dept. and save it from further cuts. Also with someone like Rawls there was no doubt that he was smart and understood how the system worked but had chosen to play along, I didn't get the sense that the newspaper bosses had that kind of awareness.
Well, given that Snoop was about to kill Michael, you can't exactly hold it against him he preferred surviving and put the assassin training she and Chris had given him to good use, you know. She also sounded definitely approving of the fact he learned his lessons so well! I do think he has a code (he didn't shoot the children coming out of that house, and he always, as opposed to to Chris and Snoop, wanted to know why X and Y should die, he clearly still thinks death shouldn't be random but should have reasons). It still doesn't change the fact that, like Omar, he's probably destined for an early grave, and that, like Omar, he'll be part of the Game until then.
(BTW, it occurs to me that on Highlander, the Immortals ALSO called their killing each other "the Game"!)
But so very painful and I think that's why its ratings weren't great. The US doesn't want to see a mirror shined on itself so accurately.I've just listened to the audio commentary the four actors for the boys and their acting coach, who played Proposition Joe on the
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Wow! Your Highlander comparison is surprisingly and pleasantly apt! There can be only one owner of the corner, right? The king stay the king.
I love that we have so many of my beloved shows in common! I still have to read that Alias crossover. :-)
Now you've got me missing Duncan and Eddie and all of them! The Watcher before there was Buffy! I used to stay up nights to watch Highlander because for some reason it aired at midnight on Saturday nights in my area. That's love, though.
I have no words for the US and its determined blindness to its issues. Or maybe it's shame. Either way, I have so little patience for it sometimes.
Now, should I watch the last CtM tonight or not? Decisions! But your posts make me want to watch good TV so much and these shows were so wonderful.
In my journal after my rewatch, I did a few follow-up posts on the real-life people who inspired characters on The Wire. If you are interested, they are under my 'the wire' tag. I just posted one on Snoop yesterday after finishing her memoir. The one about the real-life Bubbles was fascinating as well. They had hard lives and I feel the show portrayed them well and true. Maybe didn't impact a large audience but surely did impact us. That's something, isn't it?
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but unfortunately I think David Simon was too close to the material and had a few too many axes to grind.
Yes, that's what it felt like. I'm trying to lay my finger on the depiction of the other institutions and where the difference is, and perhaps it's this: even if Bill Rawls were a kinder man and would think more of finding the truth than about his department's clearance rate and the stats, the BPD would still be screwed up. On the other hand, if what's his name the überboss had just listened to Gus and stuck to good journalistic standards instead of letting Scott get away with the fakery in order to chase a publisher, The Baltimore Sun would be fine. Well, still under general economic pressures, but a fine institution. And that makes it look like a personal axe to grind rather than a social critique.
there've been a few episodes of say Elementary where I've thought, the police aren't going to thank the genius detective for uncovering more murders - that's going to mess up their stats!).LOL. ( ... )
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(BTW, it occurs to me that on Highlander, the Immortals ALSO called their killing each other "the Game"!)
But so very painful and I think that's why its ratings weren't great. The US doesn't want to see a mirror shined on itself so accurately.I've just listened to the audio commentary the four actors for the boys and their acting coach, who played Proposition Joe on the ( ... )
Reply
I love that we have so many of my beloved shows in common! I still have to read that Alias crossover. :-)
Now you've got me missing Duncan and Eddie and all of them! The Watcher before there was Buffy! I used to stay up nights to watch Highlander because for some reason it aired at midnight on Saturday nights in my area. That's love, though.
I have no words for the US and its determined blindness to its issues. Or maybe it's shame. Either way, I have so little patience for it sometimes.
Now, should I watch the last CtM tonight or not? Decisions! But your posts make me want to watch good TV so much and these shows were so wonderful.
Reply
In my journal after my rewatch, I did a few follow-up posts on the real-life people who inspired characters on The Wire. If you are interested, they are under my 'the wire' tag. I just posted one on Snoop yesterday after finishing her memoir. The one about the real-life Bubbles was fascinating as well. They had hard lives and I feel the show portrayed them well and true. Maybe didn't impact a large audience but surely did impact us. That's something, isn't it?
Reply
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