I can answer all those questions with a simple yes or no, in order to minimize spoilerage: Spoiler: The Wire In the order you asked the questions, No, Yes and Yes.
Aside from Avon being shocked that Omar could be both hard and gay neither same sex or interracial relationships were commented on. They were just shown as part of the backdrop of the city
David Chase was asked this on one of the DVD extras and he denied it, he said that if anyone had tried to do that in the US it would have been front page news. It seems he just liked the idea and fleshed it out as evenly as he could; show that the district as a whole was better off, but that Hamsterdam itself was a nightmare. There was going to be a spin-off show where Rawls and Omar meet and fall in love, so they run away to California to get married. Sadly, Prop 8 passed and they had to re-tool the show and set it in Vermont, but HBO dropped it because they have a standing rule that none of their shows can be based in Vermont. Small spoiler about McNulty in season 4: Spoiler: What I said up there I was very disappointed with McNulty in season 4, he was hardly even in it. I know that it was a brave thing to leave out the leading man and focus on the kids, but doing that in this season felt like a cop out, it was like the writers were admitting that they couldn't write McNulty as a functioning, happy person so they decided not to bother too much. Actual spoilers for season 5: Spoiler: Up there again And when they brought him back to the fore in season 5 they made him more self-destructive than ever. I understand the point they were trying to make about his character, but I would have preferred it had they not cut him out of the show so much when he actually was happy. Those kids were some of the best child actors in the history of TV. I'm not as huge a fan of season 4 as others seem to be, but I've got to give credit where it's due, and those kids were great. Donnie, a guy that helps Omar out a few times in seasons 4 and 5, was played by Larry "Donnie" Andrews, one of the primary sources for Omar's character. He later reformed, got married, and he now helps troubled kids. Small spoiler about season 4's focus: Spoiler: Why bother reading these? Unlike the earlier seasons, the detective plot in season 4 continues into season 5. The primary story of season 4 remains on the kids, and Carcetti to a lesser extent.
Oh, yeah. Frankly, I think David Simon should change his name to Peter, or something, so that I stop confusing the two.
"They oughta have a different set of laws for white people - give em a chance." - Herc Fair enough .... Vermont - ew. I was just watching 300 over someone's shoulder recently, and there's Jimmy McNulty betraying Sparta. WTF? Where do you guys learn this stuff? Up to 4.7 now... Loved Bodie's "parent-teacher" conference with Mrs. Wee-Bay. "He's what do you call it... inconsistent?" "Now I got some insight into why you are what you are." Omar in jail - the actor does a great job with the bravado over the fear. Herc chasing Marlo for his camera... it's played for comic relief (and with Prop Joe doing his voices on the phone!), but there's a foreboding there. It's funny that it doesn't feel like a retread of the tennis ball thing. A tip of the hat to the writers - earlier I said, that they had laid out all the dots - dead body to kids to Prez to police - and we just saw it all fall into place ... only to be missed completely by some bad police work - completely believably after a favour from Carver, a screw-up from Herc.
^Where did you get that quote? I tried Google for a while, and i've even googled your quote and can't find it. >
^Thanks. One more episode left in season 4... I don't know. The pattern so far has been, the second last episode is the climax and the last episode is epilogue/set-up for next season. But I don't feel I've seen this season pay off yet. The Omar plot has been kind of tangled and felt forced. It's not clear to me why Prop Joe is so scared of Omar, and giving him real info. I don't see how PJ could rise to where he is, and still be vulnerable to this kind of thing. The bodies in boarded up houses hasn't really gone anywhere... which feels like Itchy and Scratchy driving to the fireworks factory... then Poochie shows up. If the episode had a climax, it was Michael beating a small child... which may be why I'm not feeling this season. It was more of a low point than a high point. It's not like Stringer getting what he deserved. If Randy had been a more solid actor, "Carver? You got my back? You gonna look out for me?" could have been another "Where the fuck is Wallace?" He did fine, but a little more emotion would have worked. Somehow, this season has felt more like watching some politics, and watching four kids get the crap kicked out of them. Hard to enjoy. I do get the sense I will remember it for a long time... maybe that's a better way to measure how good it is? But I think I'd rather rewatch season 1 or 3 before I'd rewatch 4. Maybe the finale leaves me feeling different.
Honestly, my thoughts about the season are similar to yours. I didn't want to be too spoilery, but I was basically just going to say "Don't think of this season as a cop show". There are cops in it, but they, like McNaulty, seem to take a back stage compared to the dominance of the schools and the politics. It's why, in the end, the show is about Baltimore first and foremost.
The finale helped. Watching Bubbles swing from the ceiling was one of most powerful moments of the show. Good lord. That whole thing felt a little drawn out last episode - the ending was (deliberately?) telegraphed, but it was heart-wrenching this episode. Bodie has all of his finest moments right close together. I honestly thought they were setting him up for a big part in season 5. Sorry to see him go. "Just don't ask me to live on my knees." Omar cashing out of the life? Interesting that the Barksdale crew were almost as good (and bad) as the cops, but Marlo... has no redeeming qualities at all (and barely any human ones). Earlier, the war on drugs was just people trying to get by on both sides, but now it's really good vs. evil. Wonder if that's an artistic choice, or an attempt to be realistic? Somebody upthread said that Carver became one of their favourite characters. I'm beginning to see why. The season had us wondering who was going to get Herc - Marlo or IID. We didn't hear what IID did with him, but I was surprised how much I wanted to see him get his comeuppance. Pretty sure season 5 will end all the "brand new day" optimism we've had in season 4. Don't want to see it end for McNulty, but I'm pretty sure it will. Gotta have some victories for Carver, gotta see Marlo put down. I love the odd character pairings this season, McNulty and Bodie, Bunk and Omar, Bunny and academic dude, Daniels and Carcetti.
Now that Yassim has gotten here. Season 4 is missing the perp walk of the mass arrest the close the season. So in that way you feel the difference.
I'm not a huge fan of season 4, I didn't like the way McNulty was sidelined and Omar's plot felt a tacked on, it's barely connected to the other plots at all. Then again, most of the plots in season 4 are like that, by removing the police investigation angle of the previous 3 seasons they lost plot cohesion. I still enjoyed some of the plots, I particularly loved the Carcetti storyline, and I admired the show for showing kids turning toward the dark side of Baltimore life. Before watching season 5, remember to watch The Wire Prequels. They're not in any way important to the story, but they're kinda fun and were put up on HBO's website before season 5 aired.
It's true - the closest they came was showing Namond in Colvin's house. Didn't bother me to see McNulty sidelined. It wasn't his story. I like a show that has the courage to have something happen to someone else once in a while (Why does Kirk/Jack Bauer/Murder she Wrote always save the day? give someone else a turn!) I was going to ask - Websites call them 5.1 and 5.2, but the DVD's call them 5.10 and 5.11. Are they worthwhile? Does it really matter when you watch them? and I just finished 5.1 proper, and all I've got is - McNulty. You fucking jackass.
Also listen to Bunk's commentary on episode 5-1. if not the first time through before you return the DVD if rented.
Steve Earle/Walon. its my favorite version. I was most disappointed in the Neville Brothers season 3 version.