# Okay, it's time. I'm going to start/watch The Wire. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 11, 2017, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084 "2017-09-11T21:04:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084/21 "2017-09-12T14:34:17Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Personally, I just thought that it was downhill from Homicide. The one was based on David Simon’s writings from when he was fresh off the force. The latter was written decades later after his memories had become a bit more murky and influenced by his personal politics. > > Granted, the writing in Homicide got worse each season, but I’d put seasons 1-3 way above The Wire. Maybe if that series doesn’t do anything for you, try and find the episode of Homicide called “Black and Blue” to trial. I also liked Homicide a lot, and I go back and forth on which I like better. I binge-watched The Wire, but I haven’t gone back to Homicide since I saw it on TV in the 90s. I’ve been wanting to watch it through again. I may skip the episode with Robin Williams, though, because it was too hard to watch the first time. I don’t want to go through that again. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084/22 "2017-09-12T15:00:20Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > And lastly, …I didn’t so much LIKE but was a little fascinated with the D’Angelo character. He seems to be the most complex out of all of them so far. Not bad. I don’t like him as a character…but he’s interesting to me…because on one hand, he’s a bad guy, obviously (deals drugs, killed a guy, etc)…, but on the other, he’s clearly troubled by a lot of things that happen in the first episode (Bubble’s friend getting beat up, the earlier witness against him being killed). He’s bothered by that stuff and it shows, so he’s obviously not a 100 percent bad, evil, cruel guy. I like when a character has depth like that. It makes them more interesting. If this is something that grabbed you out of the first episode, then I think you will really enjoy this show. One of its strengths is painting the characters gray. There are some characters that are drugs dealers (AKA bad guys) that are morally better people than the cops (AKA good guys) even though what they do in life is illegal, which I found very interesting and refreshing. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084/23 "2017-09-12T15:19:45Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > You can get it on DVD from Netflix, if that’s an option for you. That’s how my wife and I watched it, usually one disc a weekend. It’s also on Amazon Prime. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084/24 "2017-09-12T15:24:02Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > You can get it on DVD from Netflix, if that’s an option for you. That’s how my wife and I watched it, usually one disc a weekend. Thanks, **Shoeless** , for the suggestion. That’s actually how I attempted to watch it the first time. Has Netflix improved the quality of their discs? That’s what put me off them previously. You’d get to a good part and the disc would freeze, and you’d have to wait to get an (equally shitty) exchange to see the rest of the program. I’m sure willing to try again, though! > [@Slash1972](#): > > It’s also on Amazon Prime. Doesn’t Amazon Prime use up bandwidth? If yes, then you missed that in my OP. I have very limited bandwidth on a satellite connection and no other options except DVD. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084/25 "2017-09-12T15:37:52Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > Doesn’t Amazon Prime use up bandwidth? If yes, then you missed that in my OP. I have very limited bandwidth on a satellite connection and no other options except DVD. Yeah, I guess I missed that, sorry. Complete series on DVD on sale at Best Buy for $60. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084/26 "2017-09-12T16:07:09Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Yeah, I guess I missed that, sorry. Complete series on DVD on sale at Best Buy for $60. Thank you! Might be worth it. I was a big fan of Homicide: Life on the Street, so I imagine I’m going to appreciate the rest of The Wire now that I’ve gotten into it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084/27 "2017-09-12T16:55:22Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > Thank you! Might be worth it. I was a big fan of Homicide: Life on the Street, so I imagine I’m going to appreciate the rest of The Wire now that I’ve gotten into it. 🙂 Definitely. I’m sure you will. Homicide: Life on the Street is my all time favorite series. The Wire is number two. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084/28 "2017-09-12T17:11:23Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > Okay, watched the first episode. > > Crossposted from my FB (where I tend to do reviews of shows episodes as I watch them for the first time)… > > And right off the bat, I’m going to say that this episode was fairly unimpressive. > I mean, it wasn’t bad…it just wasn’t overly good either, though. > > But it’s all good, because I get that it’s the first episode…so obviously things are gonna be slower and a bit more boring in the first few episodes, because a new show has to introduce characters and set up storylines. They have to take the time to let the viewer know who everyone is, what their jobs are, that kind of thing…so it makes sense that it wouldn’t be gripping right away. > > I can’t really fault it too much for what it was. It wasn’t boring. It wasn’t horrible. It just…it wasn’t overly interesting yet either. Of course, I’m not really huge on shows like this anyway. I’m not a big fan of shows that are heavy on law or cop or detective things. Crime is fine…but this seems more like “NYPD Blue” or “The Shield” or “Homicide: Life on the Street” is…and I HATED all of those shows. Too cop-heavy. Most episodes were all about the current investigation,…and it changed every few episodes. > > This show, though, this one seems like it’s intent to actually STAY with the same main case…so that’s a little bit better and easier to follow, so I’m not going to immediately write it off. > > The episode itself wasn’t bad, like I said, it just…it wasn’t overly exciting. I don’t really care for any of the characters yet,…but again, that makes sense since I don’t even know most of them yet. They were all just introduced to me in this episode…so it stands to reason it would take a few episodes to start to see the depth and layers these characters have. > That being said, I did like some characters almost automatically…or, for sure, by the end of the episode. Three in particular. > > I like Bunk, first of all. He seems really down to earth and like a nice guy overall. He already strikes me as a good heart and kind soul and a man who would always try to do the right thing. > > I like Bubbles…but I’m guessing that everyone likes Bubbles. Bubbles struck me almost IMMEDIATELY as the type of character that is EVERYONE’S favorite. This is just a guess, mind you. I haven’t ever seen much people ever discussing the show, so I don’t know…but people seem to like for the “downtrodden, beaten down, down on his luck, underdog who secretly is a good person and cares for his friends” type,…and Bubbles seems like that all over. > > And lastly, …I didn’t so much LIKE but was a little fascinated with the D’Angelo character. He seems to be the most complex out of all of them so far. Not bad. I don’t like him as a character…but he’s interesting to me…because on one hand, he’s a bad guy, obviously (deals drugs, killed a guy, etc)…, but on the other, he’s clearly troubled by a lot of things that happen in the first episode (Bubble’s friend getting beat up, the earlier witness against him being killed). He’s bothered by that stuff and it shows, so he’s obviously not a 100 percent bad, evil, cruel guy. I like when a character has depth like that. It makes them more interesting. > > I don’t really feel that strongly for any other character just yet. I don’t overly like anyone and I don’t overly hate anyone. I think good characters, however, can be hated just as well as they can be liked. If you really hate a character, then the show is still doing something right, because it’s caused you to feel such strong emotion for someone you don’t even know…this fictional, made up person…so I’m always aware of characters I despise just as much as those I really like… > > …but none have really singled themselves out yet other than the three I mentioned above. > Anyway, i’ll stick with it and watch another episode. > > I usually end these reviews with ranking all of the episodes I’ve seen so far, but since that’s just one…then by DEFAULT, the list looks like this: > > _**The Wire Episodes (from best to worst IMO):**_ > _The Target (pilot)_ > > Yeah…pretty uneventful with only one entry on the list, eh? But as the list gets longer, with more episodes, it will become more interesting as you see what episodes I consider to be the greater and greatest ones, over time. Well it’s a procedural. The action is sporadic. If you are only looking for action and not great writing you might be bored. The writing and acting are top notch. But yeah it shows in great detail the procedures of police work. It also does the same for drug dealing. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084/29 "2017-09-12T17:17:11Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > Definitely. I’m sure you will. Homicide: Life on the Street is my all time favorite series. The Wire is number two. Homicide went from being one of the best ever to being just ok with moments of brilliance. In the beginning they tried to be unconventional. Some cases were solved in ten minutes, some were never solved. With mediocre ratings came the change to solving the case in 48 minutes. The show suffered. ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084/30 "2017-09-12T17:32:29Z")
As a career (mostly) narc, I can tell you that this show nailed it. From procedures to politics _The Wire_ is the closest thing to reality that I’ve seen on TV. Oh, and Omar was great. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084/31 "2017-09-12T17:39:24Z")
I watched the first season, and although I didn’t continue with later seasons, I did think it was extremely high quality TV. Some of the dialect is a bit thick, and it helped at times to have closed captioning activated. Not all of us are acquainted with Baltimore Drug Culture slang. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084/32 "2017-09-12T17:46:54Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > I enjoyed it a lot. Well, maybe “enjoy” isn’t the right word. It’s a brilliant show, just a skosh gloomy. I think I read an interview with one of the creators, who said something like “this is a show about the failure of institutions”. And, boy, do they fail. > > My favorite season was the second. I thought Frank Sobotka was one of the most compelling characters, a schlub who was really trying to help his guys but ended up just getting in farther and farther over his head. Sort of off-topic, but do you remember the Toyota ad campaign a year or so ago with the bank robbers escaping in a Prius and being chased by police? The actors we’re the same ones who played the Sobotkas. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084/33 "2017-09-12T17:52:48Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Sort of off-topic, but do you remember the Toyota ad campaign a year or so ago with the bank robbers escaping in a Prius and being chased by police? The actors we’re the same ones who played the Sobotkas. 😃 No way! I did see that ad, in a movie theatre IIRC, but I didn’t recognize them. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084/34 "2017-09-12T17:55:28Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Sort of off-topic, but do you remember the Toyota ad campaign a year or so ago with the bank robbers escaping in a Prius and being chased by police? The actors we’re the same ones who played the Sobotkas. 😃 I certainly noticed. The one son played Mad Sweeney the leprechaun in American Gods. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084/35 "2017-09-12T17:56:24Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I watched the first season, and although I didn’t continue with later seasons, I did think it was extremely high quality TV. Some of the dialect is a bit thick, and it helped at times to have closed captioning activated. Not all of us are acquainted with Baltimore Drug Culture slang. One interesting thing was each season was very different. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084/36 "2017-09-12T18:46:49Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > I would disagree with **Loach** —certainly it’s a good show from the get-go, but its greatness takes a few episodes to really unfold. So if you watch the first one and think, “THIS is the greatest show of all time?”, stick with it. It’s well worth it. I agree with this. It takes several episodes to just learn who is who so I would say watch at least three or four episodes before making any judgement. Also, the show is around 20 years old and was based on a book even older. The technology was somewhat dated even when it first aired (a lot about pagers wen pagers were already on their way out). Some people can’t get passed that kind of thing. Something else: while the show is ostensibly about cops and robbers, it’s really about the death of the American City through the rotting of its institutions (specifically The Police, Labor, City hall, Education and the Media). To me, that more than anything is what makes it special. ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084/37 "2017-09-12T18:58:47Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Sort of off-topic, but do you remember the Toyota ad campaign a year or so ago with the bank robbers escaping in a Prius and being chased by police? The actors we’re the same ones who played the Sobotkas. 😃 And [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H-mnq2Buqo) is the ad ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084/38 "2017-09-12T19:12:10Z")
> [@edwards\_beard](#): > > And [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H-mnq2Buqo) is the ad Thanks! That was a funny ad. One of the little bits I liked in _The Wire_’s second season is (and I’m probably mangling it in my memory): Nick, living in his parent’s house, has his girlfriend sleep over. In the morning, when Nick tells her she has to leave before they see her, she’s pissed. They’re adults, after all. Why can’t his parents know she’s there? Nick says something like, “They’re good people.” ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084/39 "2017-09-12T19:39:18Z")
I hope you’ll keep watching, Idle Thoughts. Things start picking up around episode 3, and keep going from there. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084/40 "2017-09-12T22:43:50Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Personally, I just thought that it was downhill from Homicide. The one was based on David Simon’s writings from when he was fresh off the force… David Simon wasn’t po-lice, real or otherwise. He was a reporter who covered the cops. > [@edwards\_beard](#): > > And [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H-mnq2Buqo) is the ad That’s great. Ziggy isn’t a skinny kid any more. It also sounded like the cop on the radio who said “how hard is it to catch a Prius” was Kima Greggs, but maybe I’m imagining things. Stick with it, **Idle** , it’s worth it. Season one is terrific, although you don’t know it yet. Season four is perhaps the best, outside of the first. Great show, top to bottom, and if you stick with it it pays off. Some of the characters, like Bubbles, have a fascinating arc. Some get what they deserve, some don’t. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-its-time-im-going-to-start-watch-the-wire/796084.md?page=3)