"The Wire" Appreciation Thread

[GatewaySnayke]

Like TW, you have to start TS from the very beginning, or you're not going to know everything going on in their side of the universe. The characters are very repulsive, use tactics that would make Guantanamo Bay guards blush and are involved in some very bad doings, all in the name of "keeping the peace."

[ghostrunner]

The Wire owns The Shield.

I like the Shield a lot, and it's better than most network cop shows, but it's a little too over the top. It's a little more blunt and crude and gaudy, sometimes unbelievably so. Great show, just not as good as The Wire.

[GatewaySnayke]

Well, it is a drama on TV, so of course it's going to be over the top at times. TV shows that do this get ratings. TV shows that don't do this don't get ratings. Hello, Wire.

Have you ever heard of C.R.A.S.H.? Or of the Rampart Scandal?

On February 26, 1998, two CRASH officers from Rampart were stripped of their jobs when allegations arose of a cover-up of the beating and asphyxiation of an 18th Street gang member. Officer Brian Hewitt was accused of choking the gang member in an interview room when the suspect refused to provide evidence of gang activities. Hewitt, along with officers Ethan Cohan and Daniel Lujan, did not report this incident. When the gang member reported his beating at a hospital, evidence, including blood in the interview room, implicated the three officers. Before a Board of Rights council, only Lujan was acquitted of his role.

In August 1998, the same month that Chief Bernard Parks claimed that the Christopher Commission reforms were "essentially complete", officer Rafael Pérez, a nine-year veteran of the department, was arrested on charges of stealing six pounds (≈three kilograms) of cocaine from LAPD's Property Division. Perez was initially tried on one count of possession of cocaine for sale, grand theft and forgery each. After a mistrial on December 7 of that year, more reports of cocaine theft by Perez arose. In September 1999, in exchange for partial immunity from prosecution, he testified about a pattern of abuse and misconduct that threatened to overturn thousands of criminal convictions, accusing about seventy fellow CRASH officers.

As part of his plea bargain, Rafael Pérez implicated scores of officers from the Rampart Division's anti-gang unit, describing routinely beating gang members, planting evidence on suspects, falsifying reports and covering up unprovoked shootings.

As of May, 2001, the Rampart investigation had brought 58 officers before an internal administrative board. Of these, 12 were suspended, seven resigned, and five were terminated.

These events are sometimes referred to as the Rampart Scandal. The State Librarian, Kevin Starr, in discussing this sordid episode, wrote that "CRASH ... became, in effect, the most badass gang in the city."

Hmm...cover-ups, murders of bangers, stealing coke, planting evidence. I wonder if Shawn Ryan wrote that up for CRASH four years before the show even started.

[ghostrunner]

Well, it is a drama on TV, so of course it's going to be over the top at times. TV shows that do this get ratings. TV shows that don't do this don't get ratings. Hello, Wire.

Speaking of over the top.

Since when do ratings translate to quality? Sometimes popularity and quality overlap. Sometimes they don't. Like, say, Two and a Half Men or American Idol.

Anyway, I'm not saying the subject matter is over the top so much as the presentation. But again, I like it. No reason to argue about it.

[lukethedrifter]

The Wire is the Great American Novel.

I don't understand the cliche comments. TW is the least cliched show I've ever seen.

As far as the alcoholism goes, drinking excessively and on duty has been a very longstanding problem within the job. Same with firefighters.

[ghostrunner]

Couple of good stories about the cast members I thought might be of interest to fans. To me they emphasize what kind of show this is:

This is a link to a story about Benjamin Busch who plays a minor policeman role ( the one with the bad haircut and goatee) in Seasons 3 and 4.

http://www.collegenews.org/x6078.xml

Here's a blurb about him from another site:

Benjamin Busch is an artist, TV actor, and Marine Reserve officer who served in the Iraq War. From April to July 2003, he commanded Delta Company, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, in eastern Iraq. During his time there, Busch shot hundreds of photos, some of which are on display here. When not in active service, he plays detective Anthony Colicchio in the HBO series, The Wire. His credits also include the TV series The West Wing and Homicide, Life On The Street. Busch has a wife and newborn daughter. On January 4, 2005, he was mobilized to redeploy to Iraq with a Civil Affairs Unit.

Melvin Williams plays a church deacon in Season 3. This is a story related by the show's creator of how he got cast:

FrontAndFollow asked:
Mr. Simon
Excellent show! Wouldn't miss an episode.
Question: How did you and Melvin Williams become friends.

David Simon:
This is amazing. True story:

In December 1984, Melvin Williams - a lgendary player in the Baltimore drug trade -- was arrested by Det. Edward Burns as a result of an investigation of more than a year that included cloned pagers, wiretaps, undercover reverse buys of drugs, etc. Because of Little Melvin's long history, I was assigned to write a longer piece on his life, a profile so to speak. Over two years, I gathered string on Melvin -- meeting and getting to know Detective Burns in the process -- and ultimately, I wrote a long, five-part series about Melvin that ran in January 1987. During the reporting for that series, I was able to talk at length with Melvin at Lewisburg Penitentiary.

Less than a year ago, after winning his release from federal custody on a parole, Melvin Williams, Ed Burns, myself and Norris Davis (who plays Vinson on the show and has a lot of street history of his own, I must say) met for lunch in Little Italy, enjoying each others company, reflecting on things past and possible futures. It was a remarkable lunch, one of the strangest and improbable gatherings to which I have ever been a party.

At one point, Melvin handed me a business card with his cell number and Ed, dry as dirt, looked up from his salad just long enough to say, "What I wouldn't have given for that twenty years ago." Melvin smiled at that, and later, he gave Ed -- the man who had run the wiretap that finally caught him talking furtively at city payphones, who had brought about his last conviction and longest incarceration -- a little tease back. Professing that he was now retired from the game, Melvin declared that he was grateful that he was now free, that he had some good years left and that he still had a little money to spend.
"We didn't find much of the money, did we?" said Ed.
"No," said Melvin, smiling slightly. "You didn't."
I genuinely admired the way these two guys handled that lunch. Like professionals. Nothing personal, just two men with a lot of shared history accepting each other on present terms.

Melvin is now very active in Bethel A.M.E. church and outspoken against the drug culture. It seemed perversely appropriate to cast him therefore as the Deacon. He seems real and credible to me in the role. Having paid his debt and served his sentence, I wish him well and look forward to getting an expensive lesson in billiards from him.

[lukethedrifter]

... this show's so good it could literally fart in my face and I'd love it.

[ghostrunner]

Idris Elba is British? Holy Sh%$!

These guys are slowly taking over American tv, playing Americans. I was thinking the other day about this. All these recent or new shows have a British lead actor playing an American.

House
Bionic Woman
The Wire
Journeyman
Battlestar Galactica (Apollo)
Life (new show with the redheaded guy from Band of Brothers, playing an American there as well)
Deadwood
Sarah Connor Chronicles
Moonlight
Pushing Daisies
Viva Laughlin
New Amsterdam
Chuck


Deadwood is cancelled of course, and I expect a few more of these will be soon, but it's interesting.

[lukethedrifter]

I guess you knew that Dominic West (McNulty) is a Brit as well, but how bout Carcetti?

[ghostrunner]

I guess you knew that Dominic West (McNulty) is a Brit as well, but how bout Carcetti?

yep, knew that one