This great series was released in 2002 and it ended in 2008. Yes, it's that long. The fact that I'm reviewing and will be recommending it now shows how great it is. I was reluctant to watch it at first, but after several procrastination, I decided to see the first season. It's a movie about drugs and policing. We've seen several movies about that, right? I must confess, this one is unique. It's more like a true story - what street drug dealers and police experience. HBO really did a great job here; they didn't play with the viewer's mind or protect favorite characters, they just told the story as it was. I'm just glad it wasn't hyped like GOT and had to be tampered with. They started the series with greatness and ended it with greatness.
My favorite character was/is Snoop. I'm not sure if I should use a present or past tense because she died in the TV show and it didn't change the fact that she's my favorite. I loved her character and I wasn't disappointed or pissed at her passing away. Many would love McNulty and Lester, the intelligent detectives. After everything they did to make the police department proud, they didn't get a promotion nor a pat on the back, instead they got sacked. This shows what happens in the real world. For the first time in a long while, I felt like I watched something real after finishing the season finale yesterday.
The drug dealers were local but smart; most were in fact, very smart. The police couldn't get them with their patrols and confrontations. They tried it several times but the dealers ended up clean, so they had to try a smarter approach, a wiretap. Although the drug dealers spoke in codes on the phone, the police were still able to put two and two together enabling them to put them behind bars. Not everyone, though; at least those they chased. That's where the title of the series sprung from.
Lester and McNulty
Police arresting and chasing drug dealers wasn't the only focus in the movie, the politics in the police department, the way of living in the street, the beef and little politics between the dealers were detailed. When one problem gets solved another one opens up. Omar was a threat to drug dealers; he stole from them and terrorized their territory but his life was cut short by a very young boy. Just when we thought there won't be anyone with boldness to do that, Michael took over. Marlo, Avon, Stringer Bell, Proposition Joe and several other powerful drug dealers were brought down, still it didn't stop the sale of drugs in the streets. Slim and others took over. Royce and Carcetti made promises to be elected as the Mayor of Baltimore; they couldn't keep their promises when they got to the seat, all they wanted was to ensure they have a good stat (forged most times) so as to aspire for greater post, and after both of them left the seat, the next mayor was no difference. This series shows that problem gets solved, but doesn't stop another problem of the same kind to rise.
Enough of the good talks. I should have things I don't see right, right? I actually don't mind the little mistakes. I just see it as a way the character thinks. I might have done something better, but what they did still stand. Okay, let me be straight. Snoop's death was poorly written; I'm not saying this because she was my favorite character, I just expected more there. These people kill anywhere at any time, so far there isn't a police officer watching. The night Snoop was killed, she was going to kill Michael, so she took him in her car. They were actually going to where Michael will be killed. She should have shot him right after he entered the car, but she didn't. I don't see why she had to take him to a place. Maybe she wanted to question him first, but she made it clear he would be killed. Well, Michael saw it coming and he took the first shot.
The police department should have placed cameras in all the corners the drug sellers stays, but they didn't. That should have been the perfect way to chase them out of the corners. When those living in the neighborhood complained about the boys in the corner, all the police could do was chase them and they kept coming back claiming they just hang out in the corners. A camera would have seen them selling drugs and killing people if there was one in every corner. I'm sure they wouldn't do their evil deeds if a technology could reveal them. That would have solved their corner problems. To answer your question, there were cameras in Baltimore and none of them were placed in these corners.
Every other thing about this series was perfect. I've never felt so pleased at the end of a series in a very long time, but I'm glad it ended fine without a character being protected. This is a good series and it's topping my list for now.
Do you have any TV show you think is better than this? Let's discuss it below, and you can also drop your reviews on The wire in the comment section.
You should download this if you haven't seen it.
