2 min to read
Toma's Review Of: The Wire (2002–2008)
Creator: David Simon
Writer(s): David Simon
Stars: Dominic West, Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn
Short Summary Of My Review
The Wire is an amazing show unlike any other, with the biggest sprawling plot in any television media ever, just for that to not be the main point of the show. 9.5/10.
Full Review
The wire is amazing on every level, it’s plot is great, it’s writing is great, and it’s view of the city of Baltimore from 5 sides is great. I still miss Wallace. The show is the hardest to parse show I’ve ever seen because there’s so much happening at much, but for how much is happening at once it moves actually quite fast. Jimmy McNulty is a good main character, and even the smallest side characters have character developments. But anyone who knows anything about TV knows how cool The Wire is, so instead I’m going to talk about the (very small amount of) things I don’t like. Even that wording feels too strong for such a perfect show, but here it goes: I don’t think that the actor that plays Carcetti is as charismatic as they’re written to be, Randy and Nick Sobotka’s storylines semi-wrapped themselves up but not to the same level of perfection like every other story line in the show, and (my biggest gripe) is the actor that plays Burrell. Carcetti is written as a narcissist on the inside and a charming, well-spoken leader on the outside. I think he plays the narcissist part well, but the way he delivers his speeches makes his words feel hollow and makes me not believe anyone would vote for him. But, maybe that’s how David Chase imagined it. Randy and Nick don’t have the same level of perfect wrap-up / their future is clearly paved. Randy becomes “hard” in the group home, but there’s no follow up. Maybe it doesn’t feel satisfying just because it’s too sad. He was clearly smart and Prop Joe-like but he had to give that up to be safe in his group home. Nick Sobotka on the other hand just gets more or less completely dropped. The only hint you get is Nick yells at the politicians about passing some bill (if I remember correctly) at the end of season 5, alluding to him following Frank Sobotka’s footsteps. Nicks pi tattoo is never explained, and how he left / got kicked out out of witness protection is never explained. I pin both of these issues on the show being cut 3 episodes short, so frick you HBO. For the final and biggest issue of the wire, Ervin Burrell. You don’t need to be yelling all the time. The Wire isn’t a Shakespearean play. Take it down a notch. You are in a room of amazing actors, and you are stealing the spotlight by sticking out, not by being good, black-hole style. All in all, amazing show, probably the most real depiction of modern Baltimore in any media, Frankie Faison you are usually good but you sucked here, 9.5/10.
