My favorite funny scene were when Dookie, Namond, Michael, et al. went to the Chinese carryout and Dookie tried to order a side of turkey grease. And Namond remarked that he must be one of those at-risk children.
Also, in season 5, Dookie was looking for jobs in the classifieds while standing on the corner with Michael. He’s underqualified for all the jobs except for a stripper position that he comes across. He reads it to Michael and then does his rendition of a stripper dance. “Make it rain” Mike sings. So funny to me. That scene just underscored how crappy Dookie’s situation was, and yet he still had humor and his friends to help him cope. So tragic at the end when he loses all of that, and resorts to drugs instead.
A lot of my favorite scenes were of the kids. Season 4 put heart into the entire series because of them.
That scene really does exemplify the funny mixed with poignant. The reason he orders the turkey grease is because he’s seen his mom do it. And she does it to induce vomiting so that she can keep drinking.
I just watched this scene from season one where Herc and Carver are trying to figure out a pager number or something. Anyways, so they page D’Angelo and give their cell phone number. When he calls it Carver pretends to be an Asian taking a food order. D’Angelo hangs up in annoyance and Herc asks Carver what he was just doing:
“That’s my Korean take-out voice”
“Sounded more like Chinese to me” long stare from Carver to Herc
“Like you even know the difference”
He basically said exactly what I was thinking.
Nzinga, I would be really interested if you could explain the difference between the Wire’s portrayal of the hood and reality to me (I promise I’m not asking this in an aggressive way; I’m just really curious). Is it just the fact that the tv characters are generally more witty and interesting than real people, or is there something more?
Daquan is so innocent, and that’s another thing that comes through. He’s smart but he’s not street savvy like the other boys are. It should be odd that he’s accepted in this pack, but really, it not that odd when you understand their group dynamics.
Although Namond’s comment cracked me up, Daquan’s puzzled expression immediately afterwards kind of makes you want to cry. His picture would in the dictionary entry for “poor, sweet kid”.
This, exactly. Someone earlier mentioned the scene where D’Angelo thinks he’s gonna get killed, but it’s just a fish tank as hilarious, and it is. It’s also deeply sad to think about someone living in that kind of fear. D’Angelo is another one who could – should – have had a different life.
I have never commented on a single Wire thread in the history of the SDMB. That’s because, when I opined on it at work, one co-worker in particular was so passionate in her disagreement with me, that I don’t think the woman even likes me anymore. So I am qualifying this with the most sincere ever: This is only my opinion based on my experiences.
It’s not the witicism or the interest. I swear on a stack of turtle backs, ghetto thugs are some of the wittiest, interesting people I know. They can not do a damn bit of school work until the day they drop out too soon, and still sit down and bust a freestyle rhyme verse that is staggering in its wordplay and metaphores. So, I acknowledge the fact that the characters are correct about the wit and humor.
It’s just the mood. It gets it closer than any other portrayal on tv or film than I have ever seen…but it doesn’t nail it. It’s feels…off.
Like if you had a movie about a message board like the SDMB… they may do a good job of duplicating the in jokes and the rivalries and the ‘jargon’…but if you are a member of the SDMB, you would be able to sit there and notice all the things that they don’t get quite right.
The co-worker took exception with this because IMO, she felt that how dare I tell her that what she thought was her window into the real ghetto and game wasn’t official! Nzinga doesn’t own the hood! Nzinga, are you a drug dealer from Baltimore? No? Then STFU, you don’t know what you are talking about…blah blah blah.
I am not some keeper of the gate of the hood. And the show’s portrayal is close enough for government work, I guess. But there is something about the atmosphere of the show that is just a bit queer. It isn’t anything in particular. I guess. Well…some of the characters…let’s take Brother Malzoune. The Nation of Islam gangsta. If you know any NOI members, you realize that the only thing that pings true about Malzoune is the bow tie. I can’t put my finger on it, but every single fucking NOI brother has the same style of talking and acting and being. That character just doesn’t work at all.
But that’s doesn’t bother me at all. It’s not the particular details that they get wrong that bothers me (Ladonda Brice is another character from the streets that I think doesn’t work…close but no cigar), but it is the overall mood in general that they miss. Nevertheless, I find the show so much closer than any portayal that I ever saw that I give it a pass. And I think it isn’t even worth bringing up any more. I mean, damn, I’ve already cost myself work ‘friends’ over it.
Started re-watching the series from season 1 due to this thread. I had all but forgotten about drunk Bunk and his setting his suit on fire in one of his squeezes bathroom because “can’t leave trace evidence of pussy, know what I’m sayin ?”
I do agree with you that it gets pretty close. Remember when a student cuts another student with a razor in class, and the teacher just stands there looking shocked? Reminds me of the good times I had in junior high.
More to the point, I liked how they showed a teacher who knew he was in way over his head. I never saw that in a TV show or movie before.
I’ve mentioned this before on the board, but First ever scene of The Wire, Season 1 really sets the tone for the show’s humor in unconventional situations. The Snot Boogie conversation.
What a great piece of writing to help explain where street names come from, and how no one in the hood really gave much thought to the right or wrong of the name… it just was the way it was.
Finally, I loved the on-going gag that the Stevadore’s were pulling on Frank Wychek’s special police van by sending it all over the world, taking pictures of it from every port and sending it to him.
Omar too is a caricature but the show really couldnt afford to have two of those. The scenes were Omar and Mouzoune partner kind of jumped the shark for me. It felt like a direct-to-DVD black action movie with two over the top main characters.
Season 2 was my favorite. I didnt watch the seasons in order, and after already three seasons in projects crime (season 1, 3, 4) it was a very interesting change of pace.
