The best thing about the Wire is after watching it again. You can re watch and understand how everybody all fits in together. I know they do those org. charts every once in a while but damn you truly appreciate what it takes just to take out a criminal organization.
The Wire!
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Or following the story even though the FBI is no longer at "war on drugs" the war mentality still exist. The occupying "beast from the east" or the western district DEU way" doesn't allow the cops to actually police. They just generate meaningless stats for COMSTAT as the city schools generated meaningless test scores and attendance records. Of the drug organizations we saw on the show three were completely destroyed and other local gang leaders "got, got" yet the survivors just joined up with the new power. Then in the last hour of the show we see characters at the first stage of being the next Omar, the next Bubbles and friend. And we see "hoppers" on the corner who had no ideal that the recently retired most dangerous psycho druglord in Baltimore was walking towards them.
What has surprised me is that it is some of the best acted show out there. D'Angelo yelling at Stringer Bell, "Where's Wallace String? Where's Wallace?" I love the "look" of the show. These aren't pretty Hollywood people and they feel like they could be somebody you bump into the streets.
I'm starting S2 right now and just the cheapness in how life is treated disgusts me. I think we all need some McNaulty's in this world, even though they don't have the best intentions.
I'm starting S2 right now and just the cheapness in how life is treated disgusts me. I think we all need some McNaulty's in this world, even though they don't have the best intentions.
I disagree - McNulty generally only has the best of intentions. They're just coloured by his ego and his singlemindedness.
He has multiple personal faults (especially his "whoring"), yet he always works for the best of the case. He just doesn't care if it screws over the brass. Or if he lies, cheats and steals to get the best possible result against "the corner"
He's a prick. But a brilliant one. And Natural Poh-Leese
Hugo - ...the fuck did I do?
He has multiple personal faults (especially his "whoring"), yet he always works for the best of the case. He just doesn't care if it screws over the brass. Or if he lies, cheats and steals to get the best possible result against "the corner"
He's a prick. But a brilliant one. And Natural Poh-Leese
Hugo - ...the fuck did I do?
I disagree - McNulty generally only has the best of intentions. They're just coloured by his ego and his singlemindedness.
He has multiple personal faults (especially his "whoring"
He's a prick. But a brilliant one. And Natural Poh-Leese
Hugo - ...the fuck did I do?
Give him a break, he has only seen the first season.
I think that's in part because so many of the actors on The Wire are black people. That might sound racist, but actually it's just realistic, and it's tv in general that's very slanted towards employing disproportionally many white actors.
But you are right too, for example someone like Snoop - on what other tv show could a woman like her get a (somewhat) prominent role? Also, the writing obviously is brilliant on The Wire, that makes it easier for good actors to stand out also.
Snoop was a fantastically terrifying character that I loved at the same time.
That first scene in season 4 were she bought a nailgun was aboutas terrifying as anything in the series.
Great scene. Even scarier, I thought, was when she shot Butchie.
At the same time, though, I always felt she was more honorable than Marlo.
While Snoop enjoyed her work, but it was work.Marlo was in a class by himself. Remember when Avon confronted the referee at the basketball game he only wanted him to stand up for himself and the authority the position he held. When the security guard confronted Marlo in a similar situation Chris and Snoop had another assignment. And remember how he personnally handled the Barksdale honey trap spy? Marlo was just as crazy as Ziggy .
With the Avon, Brother Mouzone, Omar, the Greek, Sergei etc. there was a code. Avon's soldiers like Wee-Bey were not shown on screen as the cold ask no questions give no quarter types that Chris and Snoop were.
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i have not seen this show. but krad loves it and he used to talk about it in his LJ all the time plus it was covered in npr when it ended and i am interested in it because my best freiend will, whos opinion i trust more tha n just about anything on this rock he love s it.
Ha,
So did you did not see the part where Kima got shot and McNaulty spilled his guts out to Rawls. This wasn't him trying to put down some massive criminal organization. It was him trying to show how he was smarter and better than everybody in the department. That without him people like Bell and Barksdale would've been let to roam free. This mentatlity that you have of cops is probably been clouded of years of good cops in cop shows. If you have seen S5, when they were doing a FBI profile that sums up McNaulty in a nut shell.
Even David Simon makes a comment that when Bunk sees Wallace, he says Fuck. Not because of the waste of life but the fact that he lost a lead in his case. In any other TV show the sense of disappointment would've been because of the lost of life. Hell even a show as "edgy" as the Shield would've played up that angle.
To be honest Snoop of Felicia I feel is a bit too typecast. She came from the streets so she probably has a lot of history to play off of. Somebody like Idris Elba, Wood Harris, JD Williams. I feel have the chops to break away from the street hood characters. I could see these guys doing Shakespeare, Snoop not as much.
Ha,
So did you did not see the part where Kima got shot and McNaulty spilled his guts out to Rawls. This wasn't him trying to put down some massive criminal organization. It was him trying to show how he was smarter and better than everybody in the department. That without him people like Bell and Barksdale would've been let to roam free. This mentatlity that you have of cops is probably been clouded of years of good cops in cop shows. If you have seen S5, when they were doing a FBI profile that sums up McNaulty in a nut shell.
Even David Simon makes a comment that when Bunk sees Wallace, he says Fuck. Not because of the waste of life but the fact that he lost a lead in his case. In any other TV show the sense of disappointment would've been because of the lost of life. Hell even a show as "edgy" as the Shield would've played up that angle.
To be honest Snoop of Felicia I feel is a bit too typecast. She came from the streets so she probably has a lot of history to play off of. Somebody like Idris Elba, Wood Harris, JD Williams. I feel have the chops to break away from the street hood characters. I could see these guys doing Shakespeare, Snoop not as much.
Well looking at McNulty with only the first season in mind you ask what he did, what the fuck diid he do so special. His pesonnal life was little different then Bunk's, he got caught. The brass were after him because he was candid with a judge who was probably an ex-prosecuter that's all he did. The second season he attempted payback by dropping 14 bodies onto Rawl's stats. It is season 5 before you can say McNulty really crossed the line and Lester Freeman and Sydnor went with him.
What a bizarre thing to have said.
Firstly, you really don't know anything about what kind of cop shows I watch and which kind of cops I enjoy watching. Just an odd, off the cuff statement to make.
Secondly, I am a police officer and rather understand the narowmindedness, the ego, the drive and the ability to not give a shit about what people think of you to get a job done. THAT is what makes the show so real to me. Every cop on that show is someone I have met in my short career as an officer. They all have their dramas, they all have their bullshit issues, but on the whole they all want to do their best. Thing is, Jimmy just doesn't have any boundaries. In many cases it makes him a terrible subordinate, and at times a horrible friend. But his is "Natural Police". He understands how to play the politics. He understands how to subvert the politics. He just wants to get the job done. He's a prick - I said it before. But I admire his tenacity and the sheer will to get the job done regardless of personal outcome.
He's also an egotistical, sociopathic, superior minded, anti-establishement and cyincal asshole. But, you know, that actually describes 50% of the people I work with day to day. Seriously. The rest are wonderful, honorable people, yet a good proportion will fuck you over to actually "stick" a case (which is so, so hard it's soul-crushing at times).
And they ALL want to do the best job they can , and do so day to day. Now, I'm not saying they (or I) would ever even consider perverting the course of justice to the point that McNulty went to in S5 to get his desired result, but he did it because the bureaucracy was stifling the ability to actually police (something I deal with every second of a working shift) - he did it to solve some murders. He did it to bring down a ganglord. And he used it to assist other cops in actual policing.
He knew what he was doing, and he knew it would get him fired. But, cos he's an arrogant prick and thought he was better than everyone else he thought "fuck it. Let's actually win for once".
I'm not saying i agree with what he did, but I can understand where he came from.
It's what makes the show so brilliant. I sit there laughing "go you bastard!"... and then shaking my head in shame a what he's actually doing.
And (as I am sure you will), you'll see McNulty's growth in Seasons 2-4. In fact season 5 was his relapse to his Season 1 days
Bunk is the most honorable cop on the show (along with Bunny, who you'll meet in late season 2), but Jimmy... Jimmy's just natural police and in the end, yes I do think he actually does all of his work from his heart, for the betterment of the people. He just likes to win too much, makes it a vendetta and will strip through whatever is holding him back - be that policy or be that the brass.
Like I said - he's a prick, but gods I love him.
Never want to be him, but see the honour at times in some of his darker deeds.
Apologies for the long post.
Hugo - still a very, very straight copper
What a bizarre thing to have said.
Firstly, you really don't know anything about what kind of cop shows I watch and which kind of cops I enjoy watching. Just an odd, off the cuff statement to make.
Secondly, I am a police officer and rather understand the narowmindedness, the ego, the drive and the ability to not give a shit about what people think of you to get a job done. THAT is what makes the show so real to me. Every cop on that show is someone I have met in my short career as an officer. They all have their dramas, they all have their bullshit issues, but on the whole they all want to do their best. Thing is, Jimmy just doesn't have any boundaries. In many cases it makes him a terrible subordinate, and at times a horrible friend. But his is "Natural Police". He understands how to play the politics. He understands how to subvert the politics. He just wants to get the job done. He's a prick - I said it before. But I admire his tenacity and the sheer will to get the job done regardless of personal outcome.
He's also an egotistical, sociopathic, superior minded, anti-establishement and cyincal asshole. But, you know, that actually describes 50% of the people I work with day to day. Seriously. The rest are wonderful, honorable people, yet a good proportion will fuck you over to actually "stick" a case (which is so, so hard it's soul-crushing at times).
And they ALL want to do the best job they can , and do so day to day. Now, I'm not saying they (or I) would ever even consider perverting the course of justice to the point that McNulty went to in S5 to get his desired result, but he did it because the bureaucracy was stifling the ability to actually police (something I deal with every second of a working shift) - he did it to solve some murders. He did it to bring down a ganglord. And he used it to assist other cops in actual policing.
He knew what he was doing, and he knew it would get him fired. But, cos he's an arrogant prick and thought he was better than everyone else he thought "fuck it. Let's actually win for once".
I'm not saying i agree with what he did, but I can understand where he came from.
It's what makes the show so brilliant. I sit there laughing "go you bastard!"... and then shaking my head in shame a what he's actually doing.
And (as I am sure you will), you'll see McNulty's growth in Seasons 2-4. In fact season 5 was his relapse to his Season 1 days
Bunk is the most honorable cop on the show (along with Bunny, who you'll meet in late season 2), but Jimmy... Jimmy's just natural police and in the end, yes I do think he actually does all of his work from his heart, for the betterment of the people. He just likes to win too much, makes it a vendetta and will strip through whatever is holding him back - be that policy or be that the brass.
Like I said - he's a prick, but gods I love him.
Never want to be him, but see the honour at times in some of his darker deeds.
Apologies for the long post.
Hugo - still a very, very straight copper
I can't remember if it season 2 or 3 were Sgt Carver is running either the Eastern or Western district DEU standing on top of the car yelling at an escapped hopper that he did not get to win. Yet there was Major Colvin shaking his head at his entire watch and an airship being used to chase a 13 year old runner and one re-up for one corner. Sort of gave the message even if Sgt Carver won the battle he had already lost the war.
Well what he did was stir a whole pot of shit which needed to be stirred. People who were afraid to challenge the status quo. Which Bunk didn't do, Daniels had to be prodded just to even step up. We all have experiences which we can draw upon where we did not stand up for what was right simply because we were too scared. McNaulty on the other hand sees the bullshit and instead of doing it because of what is right. He did it because to show how fucking brilliant he is. Do the actions and the thought needs to line up? My point was it doesn't. All organizations need a McNaulty to stir that shit up and stop Sgt's becoming Lts. or Managers becoming directors.. etc..
In regards Hugo I'm assuming you watched other cop shows since you did not get what Ed and David where trying to show with the Wire and more importantly with McNaulty. He sums up the guys which are willing to buck the trends that are egotistically and wants to show people how much better he is then everybody else. He doesn't give two shits about job. He cares about himself. Hell from the deaths of the 14 prositutes to Marlo he just wanted to win. S5, "Marlo doesn't get to win.. We get to win." Is another quote which sums up his character in a nut shell.
He shows the police department not as some shining organization trying to stamp out crime and make the neighbourhood a better place but just like a regular organizations, with humps, decent people and everybody and anybody in the middle. The good guys don't always win.
My comment about McNaulty and cop shows does not reflect all cops. But after listening to the commentaries from the EP I found that David and Ed wanted to drive how is that not all cops are made as noble as they are in NYPD Blue or even the Shield. Some cops just see a dead body as a stat and they just want to clear it. Hell with the 14 dead women bodies in any show you would have all the organizations running around trying to help solve the crime. In the Wire, it is a case which isn't going to go anywhere these lives are bounced around like a hot potato.
And let's not forget, Star it isn't a war because war ends.
Honorable? I don't know, I mean, he is a cheating, crime-stats obsessed drunkard who routinely tortures suspects...
And what about Kima, Carver, Daniels?
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Bunk tortures suspects? A case can be made for Kima and the other street cops on that point as they knock heads the Western District way but besides Bubbles to get information and to administer street justice when Bird lipped off the Homicide unit didn't torture. They tricked like saying the copy machine was a lie detector or claiming that an acomplaince confessed when he didn't.
The growth of Carver after Hamsterdam and being couseled by Bunny was one of the small points of hope in the series.
He routinely beat up suspects in that interrogation room if they talked back to him or whatever, without even thinking twice about it. I'd call that torture. He was an efficient cop, but I did not percieve Bunk as a likable guy.
I think the problem with people who haven't yet fully embraced the wire. Is we look for "villains" and "heroes". Where the traditional good guy could be bad and the bad guy could be good. I hated Bodie, hated him with a passion and then in S4. He redeems himself. This is a man who killed a boy without any remorse and yet I feel sorry for him.
Or even Wee-Bay. What he did to Brandon and all those killings. Just when he let go of his son, I wanted to see him out of jail.
The greatest thing about the Wire is that it doesn't pretend anything, it shows us real people. Just like myself I have done some great things in my life, I also have fucked up royally along the way. There are no knights in shining armour just real people doing real things. These characters, you name one whether they are crooks, cops, politicians, kids, for every noble thing you name I could name something assholish thing they did.
Or even Wee-Bay. What he did to Brandon and all those killings. Just when he let go of his son, I wanted to see him out of jail.
The greatest thing about the Wire is that it doesn't pretend anything, it shows us real people. Just like myself I have done some great things in my life, I also have fucked up royally along the way. There are no knights in shining armour just real people doing real things. These characters, you name one whether they are crooks, cops, politicians, kids, for every noble thing you name I could name something assholish thing they did.
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