TV Retrospective: The Wire

Six years on from the finale of The Wire, there is little that can be added to the conversation. There isn't any new fan theories to alter your perception nor is there any reason to. The show's dark, honest depiction of Baltimore, Maryland has long been considered one of the greatest TV series in history. Despite mediocre ratings upon airing, it has become the gold standard and is itself held up almost as a bible. The David Simon-created series deserves every ounce of praise it gets because it is spectacularly inimitable. The Wire remains one of the greatest series in history not only because of its execution, but also of its relevance on American corruption. To avoid it is to do yourself a great disservice. Until this past week, I was among them and I come to you a changed man.

If one was to sum up what makes The Wire essential and important, what would it be? Would you turn to the infinite memorable characters, the thematic seasons, or even the authenticity? They are all important, but there is no simple way to put it. Much like the series, it is complicated, layered, and asks a lot from the viewer. The narrative isn't episodic but seasonal. There isn't a "best" episode of The Wire because each hour is a series of events building simultaneously to conclusions. Mixed in political themes involving classes and judicial systems, each season was a study in growth or decay. Every piece mattered and with unique excerpts ending each opening credits sequence, it painted a picture a wasteland of drugs and greed.

The evidence that there isn't a "best" episode comes with the very first episode. The initial reaction is to back off in confusion. There isn't so much a starting point as it is the audience arriving late to Det. McNulty's (Dominic West) story about a fallen thug named Snot Boogie. From there, it is an introduction to way too many characters that feel insignificant at that moment. Do we care about the drug dealers all that much? Not really. It only gets more ingrained from there, as the show continually introduces new faces and expects the audience to empathize with the developments. It is impossible to receive simply by putting on a random episode.

This alone may make The Wire seem like a daunting experience. However, it is nonetheless a very rewarding one. As the seasons roll on, we get a stronger sense of character motivations. In some cases, they are irredeemable and end up with bullets to the head. The death count on the series is exhausting in its heights, especially for central characters that have been built as heroes. It is the bleak world view of Simon that makes The Wire so compelling. It doesn't give anyone an easy out and instead chooses to focus on the criminal actions that plague the city. 

Probably the most striking aspect of the series is its ability to transition between subject matter in exciting ways. Where season one was introductory, season two was the jarring alteration that focused on the docks and omitted a lot of familiar faces. It was an audacious show that also tackled drugs (season three), schools (season four), and journalism (season five). All the while, it became more excessive in its ideals. Where analogies initially started by comparing politics to chess, things soon took on deeper constructions. Each season's cold opening became more profound in its metaphors. Knowing the characters' backgrounds, stakes were perpetually raised simultaneously.

It would be criminal to go the entire entry without talking about the cast. Made up of then unknown actors, the show was populated with a fully realized universe. Thanks to Simon's history in the Baltimore crime scene, many moments were recoiled from experience. He was able to recreate small tics in character interactions that are missing in other places. Characters like Bubbles (Andre Royo) and Omar (Michael K. Williams) controlled the screen with reputations that preceded them. The fact that there is very little agreement over the Top 10 best shows evidence of how relative the show is to each individual viewer. Depending on your attachment and social conditions, you may be willing to favor the more violent or tragic characters. 

Jermaine Crawford

As it stands, Dukie (Jermaine Crawford) may be the show's most symbolic character. Sure, Omar had the best lines, Bubbles had the happiest ending, and Bunk (Wendell Pierce) was the funniest, but The Wire couldn't be as great as it was without sacrifice. Established in season four as an innocent student, Dukie's projection is tragic given his wasted potential. Our goodbye to him in the series finale is one of utter heartbreak and the striking note of the series. Some people, even children in their formative years, were going to be ignored due to circumstance. Dukie was one of them. He reflected the heartbreak that surrounded countless moments within the series. To watch the show and not have his final moments haunt you is to have not paid attention. Along with several other booming revelations, the final episodes expected you to follow all along. If you didn't, you'd be as lost as you were in the first episode.

The Wire is a powerful drama not only because of its subject matter. True, it made a crime story so complex and vocal, but so does other shows. It was in the approach that had around 20 plots going simultaneously that were clearly told and easy to follow. With very few characters being pure, it was the writer's decision to determine who the audience liked. At some points, it was the murderous fiends. The world is desperate and this show's depiction of Baltimore summed it up perfectly. As McNulty drives away after one last look at the city in the finale, we have a new understanding of the city. One that is ugly and depressing, but fills the dreamers of change with hope. It may be at times too cyclical, but that is the show's honesty coming through.

The only real trouble with the series is its accessibility. Where many can harp on Breaking Bad's phenomenal nature, The Wire is an investment of time. It plays like a William Faulkner novel: multiple protagonists describing one story. It is just as complex and demands to be dissected to be fully appreciated. Few shows are about a city and therefore the approach has to be more broad. In doing so, we get some great and terrible aspects. The show's a pill to swallow at first and the camera work rarely gets engaging, but that allows the performances to shine. Up until this past month, even the idea of watching the series was challenging as it had to be bought at high prices to be seen. Luckily HBO made a deal with Amazon Prime that fixes that situation. 

It is the best drama because it remain inimitable. Yes, we're in a golden age where Breaking Bad can increase its viewers with each season. However, it rarely feels as honest as The Wire. That series was subjective and as its closing shot pulled away revealed the truth: it was about one man. Everyone else just happened to be there. It is pop art to The Wire's Rembrandt. Both have their merits, but if judging on dramatic impact, The Wire had more at stake. Nobody would miss one man, but the absence of a city is something else. It also helps that The Wire remains as relevant as ever (sadly) and no show has intertwined stories so complexly simply because it's too hard and cancellation is a more aggressive threat. The show deserves more recognition for paving the way (as I don't see the average TV fan quoting it incessantly), even if it already the greatest show ever.


Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5