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I'm one disc away from finishing Season 3. So let's summarize. I know GK is a fan.

If you don't know this show, and you have time to get into three 13 (give or take) episode story arcs, you should really check out Seasons 1 to 3 on DVD. I heard great things about Season 3 , but so far 1 is my favorite, and 2 seems underrated. It's a little slow to get started each season but it's riveting by the 4th or 5th episode.

I should elaborate - if you like John Sayles' movies, this show reminds me of those, only better. Apparently a lot of people consider it to have a novel-like approach. I don't know about that, but what it does manage to do is juggle about two dozen characters and fully develop them while not confusing you. You could never do this in movies, and it's a good example of why I've come to believe TV is superior in exploring characters and themes in recent years.

So far every season has explored a facet of Baltimore. Season 1 is about the drug trade and the gang related homicides, Season 2 is about the decline of the docks, Season 3 is a return to the "bad guys" from Season 1, but more emphasis is placed on local politics. Season 4 is about the school system. Season 5 starts next year and is suspposed to deal with the media.


Top ten characters:

Lester (my avatar, smooth dude, and his girlfriend is hawwwwt!)
Bubbles the informant
Omar Little
McNulty (or "mcnutty")
Kima
Bunk
D'Angelo (i miss the dude)
Prop Joe
Rawls
Brother Mouzzone


Worst characters:

Ziggy Sobotka
Kima's girlfriend (i call her grimace)
State Senator Davis

I'm watching season 3, disc 2 right now. I miss D'Angelo too. McNulty's hot. I liked the attorney he was hooking up with (I forget her name - it's actually hard to keep up with a lot of names on the show). Who's the hefty cigar smoking detective friend of McNulty? I like him. Omar's character is rock solid, as is the smooth brains behind the operations, Stringer Bell.

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Bunk is the cigar smoker. He's great. I wish they'd get more into his personal life and his drinking, but I guess they figure they have that covered with McNulty. The scene from season 2 where he's hungover and wretching in Daniels' office is funny yet hard to watch. I'm a little surprised at how they just toss off the whole drinking thing. Nobody really calls Bunk or McNulty out for it, and it's played for laughs a bit more than I care for.

Omar is apparently the fan favorite, from what I've read. "The cheese stands alone."

Pretty much every character on that show is awesome. I didn't enjoy season 2 near as much as season one but it was still very good. Ziggy made me want to punch my TV though. I'm still waiting on a list to get season 3 from blockbuster online.

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This is great. I was thinking of starting a Wire Appreciation thread myself yesterday.

I am back at season 2 with my girlfriend. It's fun having a show we both love.

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My favorite moment of season 3 so far is the two second shot of Rawls sitting in that bar, when Mouzzone is looking for Omar.

think any viewers missed that?

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I'm sure. You'd just have to leave the room for a second.

Ok, I'm trying not to read TOO much of this thread because I'm only in season one and don't want any spoilers. I'm 6 episodes into season one. And I don't really know what to do with this show.

On the one hand, it's clearly a very good show. I could get hooked really easily, and already am hooked (sort of). I definitely understand why people praise it.

On the other hand, I sort of resent that there's like every cop drama cliché in it already. And it's not normally my kind of show.

Anyone wanna convince me that I should gobble up the next 33 episodes?

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There's a lot to be said for making people laugh. Did you know that that's all some people have? It isn't much, but it's better than nothing in this cockeyed caravan.
-John L. Sullivan, Sullivan's Travels (1941)

Well, first - finish the season out.

But what cliches? I mean, there have to be some. It's about cops and criminals. But overall, I like that the cops aren't just righteous blowhards, and the criminals aren't all evil scumbags. I like how it shows the difficulty and mundane nature of police work without itself being dull. McNulty for instance, comes off as your typical rebellious anti-hero cop at the beginning of the first season, but you see how flawed and self-destructive he is as the seasons progress. By season 3, you lose a lot of admiration for him.

Personally , I like it better than the Sopranos, which I love but is also full of gangster cliches.