So how did peeps feel about the way Omar went out? I thought it was just right and saw it coming when the little dudes were [expletive] with the cat(?).
I had a series of criticisms of The Wire that gelled in my mind the other day. Things that bugged me a little, but I couldn't quite figure out or put my finger on at the time. I might lay them out in more detail later but in general:
1. Women kind of get hosed. I was thinking it over and the most fleshed out female character is D'angelo Barksdale's mom. The rest of them are in standard supporting roles for the most part. Even the asst. DA doesn't get much to do besides show up for and be McNulty's or Daniels bed partner. The campaign manager and Wee-Bey's wife (Namond's mom) are bad caricatures.
2. Too lenient on individuals, and too harsh on systems. It seemed like the cops, lawyers, reporters, etc were almost always generally good decent people who were portrayed as victims of the system. That's not to say the system is great, and people are evil but I feel like it let individuals off the hook. The Shield was a lesser show, but I thought it did a better job of showing the police as flawed and at least somewhat responsible for their own problems. On the Wire, the worst the lead characters did was go harass a housing project. Even Clay Davis is somewhat sympathetic at the end, and again portrayed as a victim of circumstance. McNulty has to leave the force, but he's celebrated at the end. If a cop did the stuff from Season 5 in real life, people would be ticked and justifiably so. But his actions are set up as something he had to do. I guess it just felt like the characters threw up their hands too often. As if to say "Life sucks, what can you do?"
There was more than that, but that's all that springs to mind now. Not to beat up on it. It's a great show. Just some flaws that came to mind. Can't wait for the New Orleans show.
ghostrunner wrote:I had a series of criticisms of The Wire that gelled in my mind the other day. Things that bugged me a little, but I couldn't quite figure out or put my finger on at the time. I might lay them out in more detail later but in general:
1. Women kind of get hosed. I was thinking it over and the most fleshed out female character is D'angelo Barksdale's mom. The rest of them are in standard supporting roles for the most part. Even the asst. DA doesn't get much to do besides show up for and be McNulty's or Daniels bed partner. The campaign manager and Wee-Bey's wife (Namond's mom) are bad caricatures.
2. Too lenient on individuals, and too harsh on systems. It seemed like the cops, lawyers, reporters, etc were almost always generally good decent people who were portrayed as victims of the system. That's not to say the system is great, and people are evil but I feel like it let individuals off the hook. The Shield was a lesser show, but I thought it did a better job of showing the police as flawed and at least somewhat responsible for their own problems. On the Wire, the worst the lead characters did was go harass a housing project. Even Clay Davis is somewhat sympathetic at the end, and again portrayed as a victim of circumstance. McNulty has to leave the force, but he's celebrated at the end. If a cop did the stuff from Season 5 in real life, people would be ticked and justifiably so. But his actions are set up as something he had to do. I guess it just felt like the characters threw up their hands too often. As if to say "Life sucks, what can you do?"
There was more than that, but that's all that springs to mind now. Not to beat up on it. It's a great show. Just some flaws that came to mind. Can't wait for the New Orleans show.
You might be forgetting Kima. I think she gets about as much screen time as any other secondary charachter and she is probably portayed as the most competent "police" of them all.
As far as comparing it to "The Shield", there is no comparison. I made it through two seasons of that and I left it cold turkey when the whole "Money Train" came along.
I've been debating starting on The Shield, but it's so daunting at this point I don't want to start it if it ends up sucking halfway through the 7 season run or whatever.
Reading this thread has me going through The Wire withdrawals.
Sutter'sBeard wrote:
You might be forgetting Kima. I think she gets about as much screen time as any other secondary charachter and she is probably portayed as the most competent "police" of them all.
As far as comparing it to "The Shield", there is no comparison. I made it through two seasons of that and I left it cold turkey when the whole "Money Train" came along.
You're right, though I guess that just makes me think there should have been more of her too.
I like the Shield better than most network cop shows. I have my gripes and it went over the top a lot, but I still think it was a pretty unique and compelling show. I think what bugged me most was Vic ALWAYS quickly finding a way out of whatever jam he was in. They went to that well too many times.
I watched the first three or four episodes, and after everything I had heard and read I was expecting an ejaculation in my pants beyond my control, but it didn't happen. And I still haven't watched beyond those episodes.
Does it pick up later? Does it take a while to catch hold? Or am I not a The Wire guy?
MrSaigon wrote:I watched the first three or four episodes, and after everything I had heard and read I was expecting an ejaculation in my pants beyond my control, but it didn't happen. And I still haven't watched beyond those episodes.
Does it pick up later? Does it take a while to catch hold? Or am I not a The Wire guy?
I'd say it takes a while. It's not really a crime or a cop show though (though it has those things in it) so don't expect anything like that.
