The Wire is an American police procedural television series set and produced in the mid-Atlantic American city of Baltimore, Maryland. Created by writer/producer and former police reporter David Simon, the series is broadcast by the HBO cable network in the United States.
| The Wire | |
|---|---|
| File:Season02 posterart.jpg The Wire promotional art. | |
| Created by | David Simon |
| Starring | Dominic West John Doman Frankie Faison Aidan Gillen Seth Gilliam Wood Harris Domenick Lombardozzi Deidre Lovejoy Clarke Peters Wendell Pierce Lance Reddick Andre Royo Sonja Sohn Jim True-Frost JD Williams Michael K. Williams Robert Wisdom |
| Opening theme | "Way Down In The Hole" The Blind Boys of Alabama (Season 1) Tom Waits (Season 2) The Neville Brothers (Season 3) |
| Ending theme | "The Fall" by Blake Leyh |
| Country of origin | USA |
| No. of episodes | 37 (Season 4 premieres in Sept. 2006) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Robert F. Colesberry David Simon |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | approx. 0:60 (commercial-free) |
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | June 2, 2002 – Present |
The plot is developed through scenes showing both the police officers and the criminals they are investigating. It depicts the ongoing struggle of a unit of police officers against drug gangs in the housing projects of the city's west side. The cast is large and consists mainly of character actors with few other well known roles. It has received critical acclaim for its realistic portrayal of social concerns but has failed to get ratings commensurate with its press. The show premiered on June 2, 2002 and has aired 37 episodes as of early 2006.
Origins
Simon has stated that he originally set out to create a police drama loosely based on the experiences of his writing partner and ex-homicide detective Ed Burns in working on protracted investigations of violent drug dealers using surveillance technology. Burns often faced frustration with the bureaucracy of the police department, which Simon equated with his own frustration with working as a police reporter for The Baltimore Sun which "became a bureaucracy." Writing against the background of current events, including institutionalized corporate crime at Enron and institutional dysfunction in the Catholic Church, the show became "more of a treatise about institutions and individuals than a straight cop show."
Simon chose to set the show in Baltimore because of his familiarity with the city. He approached the mayor to get approval to portray it bleakly and was welcomed to work there again. Simon chose to take the show to HBO because of their existing working relationship from the 2000 miniseries The Corner. Anticipating a repeat of the arguments that writing such a pessimistic show generated with executives during Homicide's run, he avoided other networks. Though HBO were initially dubious about including a cop drama in their lineup owing to their reputation for exploring new areas, they eventually agreed to produce the pilot.[1]
Discussing his aims for the show, Simon is realistic about its lack of potential to change the situations it portrays, but says that he hopes it can change the opinions of some of its viewers.[1][2]
Simon has admitted that most of the characters are composites of real-life Baltimore figures. As examples, he cited Omar Little being based on Shorty Boyd, Donnie Anders, Ferdinand Harvin and Anthony Hollie, all Baltimore stickup men from the 1980s and 1990s. The story of the first season itself mirrors real-life investigations of Baltimore drug traffickers like "Little Melvin" Williams, Chin Farmer, Cookie Savage, Warren Boardley and Linwood Williams, each of which Burns played a part in.[3] The writers also drew from their experience of Baltimore in naming the characters. The Liberty Heights Barksdale family of five brothers is the source for the Barksdale family on the show and Preston "Bodie" Brodus is named after Nathan "Bodie" Barksdale. Stringer Bell's name is a composite of Stringer Reed and Roland Bell.[4]
Themes
Simon draws a sharp line between his program and its influential, but thematically very different, forebears, such as Dragnet, Hill Street Blues, and Homicide: Life on the Street: "The best crime shows [...] were essentially about good and evil. Justice, revenge, betrayal, redemption. The Wire, by contrast, has ambitions elsewhere. [...] Specifically: We are bored with good and evil. We renounce the theme."[1]
Realism
The writers strive to create a realistic vision of an American city based on their own experiences. Central to this aim is the creation of truthful characters.
In distinguishing the police characters from other television detectives, Simon makes the point that the police of The Wire are motivated not by a desire to protect and serve, but by the intellectual vanity of believing they are smarter than the criminal they are chasing. The criminals are not always motivated by profit or a desire to harm others; many are trapped in their existence and all have human qualities. Even so, The Wire does not minimize or gloss over the horrific effects of their actions.[5]
The show is also scrupulously realistic in depicting the processes of both police work and criminal activity. Many of the plot points were based on the experiences of Simon and Burns. There have been reports of real-life criminals watching the show to learn how to counter police investigation techniques.[6][7]
Institutional dysfunction
Simon has identified the organizations featured in the show (the Baltimore Police Department, City Hall, the Barksdale drug trafficking operation, and the stevedores' union) as comparable institutions. All of them are dysfunctional in some way, and the characters are typically betrayed by the institutions that they accept in their lives.[5]
Surveillance
Central to the structure and plot of the show is the use of electronic surveillance and wiretap technologies by the police—hence the title "The Wire." The title has been described as a metaphor for the viewer's experience - the wiretaps provide the police access to a secret world, just as the show does for the viewer.[8] Simon has discussed the use of camera shots of surveillance equipment, or shots that appear to be taken from the equipment itself, to emphasize the volume of surveillance in modern life and the characters' need to sift through this information.[5]
Visual novel
The cast is large, and after the relatively straightforward first season, the plot and style became increasingly complex and sophisticated, requiring a good deal of attention and work from the viewer. Many important events occur off-camera and there is no artificial exposition. Thus, the viewer needs to follow every conversation closely in order to figure out what's going on and who's who. The show has been described as novelistic in structure with a greater depth of writing and plotting than other crime shows.[8] Each season of The Wire is twelve or thirteen full-hour episodes in length, which form a single narrative. Individual episodes might make confusing and unsatisfying viewing if seen in isolation. Simon chose this structure with an eye towards long story arcs that draw a viewer in and then result in a more satisfying payoff. He uses the metaphor of a visual novel in several interviews, describing each episode as a chapter, and has also commented that this allows a fuller exploration of the show's themes in time not spent on plot development.[5]
Social commentary
The show has been dubbed "TV for the hopeless",[9] relentless in its truthful depiction of urban decline and the War on Drugs and lacking false "life-affirming" moments often found in network crime shows (even Simon's own Homicide).[9]
Simon has described the show as a examination of the way Americans live in modern cities and an attempt to examine what he sees as competing American myths — that if you do better than the next man, you will succeed; and that if you are unable to do better if you work hard every day, there is a place for you nonetheless and you will not be betrayed. He believes that the show illustrates that this second myth is now a lie in cities like Baltimore.[1]
He described the second season as "a meditation on the death of work and the betrayal of the American working class, it is a deliberate argument that unencumbered capitalism is not a substitute for social policy that on its own, without a social compact, raw capitalism is destined to serve the few at the expense of the many."[3] He added that season three "reflects on the nature of reform and reformers, and whether there is any possibility that political processes, long calcified, can mitigate against the forces currently arrayed against individuals." The third season is also an allegory that draws explicit parallels between the War in Iraq and the national drug prohibition.[3]
Cast and characters
The Wire employs a broad ensemble cast supplemented by many recurring guest stars to populate the institutions featured in the show. Many of the characters defy expectations and stereotypes, and some undergo changes in their worldview as the series progresses.
The show's creators are also willing to kill off major characters, so that viewers cannot assume that a given character will survive simply because of a starring role or popularity among fans. In response to a question on why a popular character had to die, David Simon said, "[W]e are not selling hope, or audience gratification, or cheap victories with this show. The Wire is making an argument about what institutions—bureaucracies, criminal enterprises, the cultures of addiction, raw capitalism even—do to individuals. It is not designed purely as an entertainment. It is, I'm afraid, a somewhat angry show."[3]
Principal cast
Template:Spoiler Major characters for the first series were divided between those on the side of the law and those involved in drug-related crime. The investigating detail was led by Lt. Cedric Daniels who faced challenges balancing his career aspirations with his desire to produce a good case. The detail was started by the actions of Detective Jimmy McNulty, whose insubordinate tendencies and personal problems often overshadowed his capabilities. Shakima Greggs was a capable lead detective who faced jealousy from colleagues and worry from her partner about the dangerous nature of her job. Her investigative work was greatly helped by her confidential informant, a drug addict known as "Bubbles". Bunk Moreland, a gifted, dry-witted detective and McNulty's ally in the homicide unit. These investigators were overseen by two commanding officers more concerned with politics and their own careers than the case Maj. William Rawls and Deputy Commissioner Ervin Burrell. Rhonda Pearlman acted as the liaison between the detail and the courthouse and also had a casual relationship with one of the officers.
On the other side of the investigation was Avon Barksdale's drug empire. The driven, ruthless Barksdale was aided by business minded Stringer Bell. Avon's nephew D'Angelo ran some of his territory for him but also had a guilty conscience and a warm heart.
The second season introduced a new group of characters living in the Baltimore port area. Paul Ben-Victor (Spiros "Vondas" Vondopolous), Clarke Peters (Lester Freamon), Amy Ryan (Beatrice "Beadie" Russell) and Chris Bauer (Frank Sobotka) were added to the series' starring cast. Vondas was the underworld spokesperson of a global smuggling operation, Sobotka was a union leader who turned to criminal activities to raise funds to save his union, Russell was an inexperienced Port Authority officer and single mother thrown in at the deep end of a multiple homicide investigation, and Freamon was a quietly capable investigator with a talent for long cases and had appeared as a recurring character previously.
As the second series ended the focus shifted away from the ports leaving the new characters behind. Actors leaving the cast were Larry Gilliard Jr., Paul Ben-Victor, Amy Ryan, and Chris Bauer.
The third series saw several actors who had appeared as guest stars joining the main cast including Domenick Lombardozzi (Herc), Seth Gilliam (Ellis Carver), Corey Parker Robinson (Leander Sydnor), Jim True-Frost (Prez), JD Williams (Bodie), Michael K. Williams (Omar Little) and Robert Wisdom. Wisdom's character, Maj. Howard "Bunny" Colvin, was the commander of the Western district where the Barksdale organization operated and nearing retirement he came up with a radical new method of dealing with the drug problem. Detectives Herc and Carver had previously provided comic relief while doing the grunt work of investigations and now worked for Colvin. Prez initially appeared useless but proved to have hidden qualities and developed into an essential part of the new Major Case Unit. Sydnor was a rising young star in the department in season one and returned to the cast as part of the major case unit in season three. Bodie had been seen to rise in the Barksdale organization over the previous seasons; he was born to their trade and showed a fierce aptitude for it. Omar was a legendary Baltimore stick-up man who robs drug dealers for a living.
The only new addition to the cast was Thomas "Tommy" Carcetti, an ambitious city councilman played by Aiden Gillen.
Season four will see the four young actors join the cast: Jermaine Crawford as Duquan “Dukie” Weems; Maestro Harrell as Randy Wagstaff; Julito McCullum as Namond Brice; and Tristan Wilds as Michael Lee. The four characters will be friends from a West Baltimore middle school.
Notable recurring characters
The first series also featured several recurring characters who played a major role. Peter Gerety played Judge Phelan, the official who started the case moving. Delaney Williams played Sgt. Jay Landsman, a jovial squad commander in the homicide unit. Notable recurring characters on the side of the dealers include Poot and Wallace, both young drug dealers working for D'Angelo. Wallace was an intelligent but naive innocent trapped in the world and Poot a lustful young man who is happy to follow. Higher up in the organization is Wee-Bey, a good natured fish lover who is responsible for multiple homicides carried out on Avon's orders.
Notable new guest stars in the second season included Pablo Schreiber as Nick Sobotka, Frank's prodigal nephew; James Ransone as Ziggy Sobotka, Frank's troubled son; Method Man as Cheese, an East Side rival to the Barksdales; and Bill Raymond as "The Greek", the man behind smuggling in Baltimore.
Notable guest stars in the third season included Glynn Turman as Mayor Clarence Royce, Carcetti's potential opponent. Robert F. Chew returned with a larger role as East side drug kingpin Proposition Joe. Jamie Hector played Avon Barksdale's new rival Marlo Stanfield. Chad Coleman played Dennis "Cutty" Wise, a newly released convict uncertain of his future.
Current cast
Formerly starring
| Actor/Actress | Character | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Idris Elba | Stringer Bell | Drug kingpin |
| Larry Gillard Jr. | D'Angelo Barksdale | Crew chief |
| Chris Bauer | Frank Sobotka | Union treasurer-secretary |
| Paul Ben Victor | Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos | Mob kingpin |
| Amy Ryan | Beatrice "Beadie" Russell | Officer (now recurring) |
Casting
The casting of the show has been praised for avoiding big-name stars and providing actors who appear natural in their roles.[10] The looks of the cast as a whole have been described as defying TV expectations by presenting a true range of humanity on screen.[11]
The initial cast was put together through a process of auditions and readings. Lance Reddick received the role of Cedric Daniels after auditioning for several other parts.[12] Michael K. Williams got the part of Omar Little after only a single audition, although the character was originally slated to appear in just seven episodes before dying.[13]
Several prominent real-life Baltimore figures, including Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., Rev, Frank M. Reid III, and former police chief Ed Norris, have appeared in minor roles despite not being professional
actors.[14] "Little Melvin" Williams, a Baltimore drug lord arrested in the 1980s by an investigation that Ed Burns had been part of, has a recurring role as a deacon in the third season. Jay Landsman, a longtime police officer who inspired a character of the same name, has played Lt. Dennis Mello in several episodes.
Crew
Besides creator David Simon, much of the creative team behind The Wire are alumni of Homicide as well as other related shows such as HBO's prison drama Oz and Emmy-winning mini-series The Corner.
Stories for the show are often co-written by Ed Burns, a former Baltimore homicide detective and public school teacher who has worked with David Simon on other projects including The Corner. Another The Corner veteran, Robert F. Colesberry, was executive producer for the first two seasons and directed the season two finale. He is credited by the rest of the creative team as having a large creative role for a producer, and Simon credits him for achieving the show's realistic visual feel. He also had a small recurring role as Detective Ray Cole.[1][5]
Writers for The Wire include three acclaimed crime fiction writers from outside of Baltimore: George P. Pelecanos from Washington, Richard Price from New Jersey and Dennis Lehane from Boston.[8] Reviewers drew comparisons between Richard Price's works (particularly Clockers) and The Wire even before he joined.[15] In addition to writing, Pelecanos served as a producer for seasons two and three.
Rafael Alvarez served as a staff writer, wrote screenplays for several episodes, and wrote the series guidebook The Wire: Truth Be Told. Alvarez is a colleague of Simon's from The Sun and a Baltimore native with working experience in the port area. Another city native and independant filmmaker, Joy Lusco Kecken, has also written for the show in each of its three seasons.[1]
Directors include Homicide alumnus Clark Johnson[16], who directed several acclaimed episodes of The Shield.[17] The directing has been praised for its uncomplicated and subtle style.[10]
Plot synopsis and episode list
Season one
The first season, which began airing in 2002, introduced two major groups of characters - the Baltimore police department and a drug dealing organization run by the Barksdale family. The season followed the investigation of the Barksdale family over its 13 episodes.
The investigation is triggered when detective Jimmy McNulty meets privately with judge Daniel Phelan following the acquittal of D'Angelo Barksdale for murder after a key witness changes her story. McNulty tells Phelan that she had probably been intimidated by members of a drug trafficking empire run by D'Angelo's uncle, Avon Barksdale, having recognized several faces at the trial, including Avon's second, Russell "Stringer" Bell. He also tells Phelan that nobody is investigating Barksdale's criminal activity, and that he is likely responsible for a significant portion of the city's drug trade and several unsolved homicides.
Phelan takes issue with this and complains to senior Police Department figures, embarrassing them into creating a detail dedicated to investigating Barksdale. However, owing to the department's dysfunctionality, the investigation is intended as a facade to appease the judge. An interdepartmental struggle between the more motivated officers on the detail and their superiors spans the whole season, with their interference often threatening to destroy the investigation. The detail's commander, Cedric Daniels, acts as mediator between the two opposing groups of police.
Meanwhile, the organized and cautious Barksdale gang is explored through characters at various levels within it. The organization is antagonized by a stick-up crew led by Omar Little, and the feud leads to several deaths, bringing further police attention. Throughout, D'Angelo struggles with his conscience over his life of crime and the people it affects.
The police have little success with street-level arrests or with securing informants beyond Wallace, a young low-level dealer and friend of D'Angelo. Eventually the investigation takes the direction of electronic surveillance, with wiretaps and pager clones to infiltrate the security measures taken by the Barksdale organization. This leads the investigation to areas the commanding officers had hoped to avoid, including political contributions. However, when an associate of Barksdale's is arrested by another team and offers to cooperate, the commanding officers order a sting operation. One detective is seriously hurt in the operation, triggering an overzealous response from the rest of the department.
Wallace is killed by his childhood friends, on orders from Stringer Bell, after leaving his "secure" placement with relatives and returning to Baltimore. D'Angelo Barksdale is eventually arrested with a large quantity of drugs, and learning of Wallace's murder, is ready to turn in his uncle and Stringer. However, D'Angelo's mother convinces him to rescind the deal and take the charges for his family. The detail manages to arrest Avon on a minor charge and gets one of his soldiers to confess to many murders. Stringer escapes prosecution and is left running the Barksdale empire. For the officers, the consequences of antagonizing their superiors are severe, and Daniels and McNulty are both assigned to nightmare jobs as punishment.
Season two
The second season of the show, along with its ongoing examination of the drug problem and its effect on the urban poor, examined the plight of the blue-collar urban working class as exemplified by stevedores (longshoremen) in the city port, as some of them get caught up in smuggling drugs and other contraband inside the containers that their port ships. In a season-long subplot, the Barksdale organization continues its drag trafficking despite Avon's imprisonment, with Stringer Bell assuming greater power.
McNulty harbors a vendetta against his former commanders for reassigning him to the marine unit. When fourteen unidentified dead girls are found in the port area he makes a point of proving that they were murdered in his commanders' jurisdiction. Meanwhile, police Major Stan Valchek gets into a feud with a Stevedore's union leader named Frank Sobotka over competing donations to their old neighborhood church. He uses his influence to demand a detail to investigate Sobotka. Daniels, having impressed the Major with his work on the Barksdale case, is assigned to lead the detail.
As with the previous season, the targets of the investigations are explored and fully realized as characters. Life for the working class men of the port is increasingly hard and work is scarce. As union leader, Sobotka had taken it on himself to reinvigorate the port by convincing politicians to fund much needed initiatives. Lacking the funds needed for this kind of influence, Sobotka had become involved with a smuggling ring. Around him, his son and nephew also turn to crime as there are few other opportunities for them.
It becomes clear to the Sobotka detail that the dead girls are related to their investigation, as they were in a container that was supposed to be smuggled through the port. They again use wiretaps to infiltrate the crime ring and slowly work their way up the chain towards "The Greek", the mysterious man in charge. However, Valchek is upset that their focus has moved beyond Sobotka and gets the FBI involved. The Greek has contacts inside the FBI and starts severing his ties to Baltimore when he learns about the investigation.
After a dispute over stolen goods turns violent, Sobotka's son is charged with the murder of one of the Greek's underlings. Sobtoka himself is arrested for smuggling. He agrees to work with the detail to help his son, finally seeing his actions as a mistake. However, the Greek learns about this through the FBI and has Sobotka killed, scuppering the case against him. The investigation ends with the fourteen homicides solved but the perpetrator already dead. Several drug dealers and mid-level smuggling figures tied to the Greek are arrested, but he and his second-in-command escape uncharged and unidentified. The Major is pleased that Sobotka was arrested; the case is seen as a success by the commanding officers, but is viewed as a failure by the detail.
Across town, the Barksdale organization continues its business under Stringer while Avon and D'Angelo Barksdale serve prison time. D'Angelo decides to cut ties to his family after his uncle organizes the deaths of several inmates and blames it on a corrupt guard to shave time from his sentence. Fearing D'Angelo working with the police, Stringer covertly orders him killed, faking it as a suicide. Avon is unaware of Stringer's duplicity and mourns the loss of his nephew.
Stringer also struggles with the loss of his drug suppliers and bad quality product. He again goes behind Avon's back, giving up Avon's most prized territory to a rival named Proposition Joe in exchange for a share of his supply. Avon responds to Joe's dealers moving into his territory by contracting a feared hitman named Brother Mouzone. Stringer deals with this by tricking his old adversary Omar into believing that Mouzone was responsible for the vicious killing of his partner in their feud in season one. Seeking revenge, Omar shoots Mouzone, but realizes Stringer had lied and calls 9-1-1. Mouzone recovers and leaves Baltimore, and Stringer is free to continue his business with Proposition Joe.
Season three
In the third season, the action focused back on the street and the Barksdale organization but expanded the scope to include the political scene. In addition, a new subplot was introduced to examine the potential positive effects of legalizing the drug trade within the limited boundaries of three uninhabited city blocks - referred to by the malapropism "Hamsterdam." These were continuations of storylines hinted at in season one.
The demolition of the towers that served as the Barksdale organization's prime territory pushes them back out onto the streets of Baltimore. Avon Barksdale is released from prison early, as promised for his role in unveiling the cause of the inmate deaths. Stringer Bell plans to continue his reform of the organization by cooperating with other drug lords and supplying them high-quality product in exchange for a cut of their profits. But Stringer's offer is met with a curt refusal from Marlo Stanfield, leader of a new, growing crew. Against Stringer's advice, Avon decides to take Marlo's territory by force and the two gangs become embroiled in a bitter turf war with multiple deaths.
Omar continues to rob the Barksdale organization wherever possible. Working with his new boyfriend and two women, he is once more a serious problem for the organization. In a heist gone wrong, one of Omar's crew is accidentally shot and a Barksdale enforcer is killed. The violence related to the drug trade makes it an obvious choice of investigation for Cedric Daniels' now-permanent Major Case Unit.
Councilman Thomas "Tommy" Carcetti begins to prepare himself for a mayoral race. He manipulates a colleague and friend into running against the mayor to split the vote, secures a capable campaign manager, and starts making headlines for himself.
Coming to the end of his career, Major Howard "Bunny" Colvin decides to achieve some real change in the neighborhoods he has long been responsible for. Seeing the spread of drug dealing into previously unaffected areas with the destruction of the towers, he takes on the task of containing the problem. Without the knowledge of central command, he sets up areas where drug trade would go unpunished and cracks down on any trade outside of these areas. His scheme achieves his aims and reduces crime in his district, but is eventually exposed to his superiors and city politicians, including Carcetti, who uses the scandal to make a grandstanding speech. With top brass outraged, Colvin is forced to cease his actions, accept a demotion and retire from the department on a lower-grade pension.
Dennis "Cutty" Wise, once a drug dealer's enforcer, is released from prison alongside Avon. His struggles to adapt to life as a free man show an attempt at personal reform. Cutty flirts with the world of hard labor and then with returning to his former life, going to work for Avon. Finding he no longer has the heart for murder, he eventually sets up a boxing gym for neighborhood youths, with funding from Avon.
The detail learns that Stringer has been buying real estate and developing it in order to fulfill his dream of being a successful legitimate businessman. However, his lack of experience in the field leads to failure, so he reluctantly refocuses on the drug trade. Believing that the bloody turf war with Marlo is poised to destroy everything the Barksdale crew had worked for, Stringer gives Major Colvin information on Avon's weapons stash. But Stringer is himself being betrayed by Avon: Brother Mouzone had returned to Baltimore and tracked down Omar to join forces. Mouzone tells Avon that his shooting must be avenged. Avon, still furious over D'Angelo's murder (Stringer having finally confessed the truth), and fearing Mouzone's wrath, arranges to have Bell visit his construction site. There, Mouzone and Omar corner him and shoot him to death.
Colvin tells McNulty about Avon's hideout, and armed with the information gleaned from selling the Barksdale crew pre-wiretapped disposable cellphones, the detail stages a raid, arresting Avon and most of his underlings. Barksdale's criminal empire lies in ruins, and Marlo's young crew simply moves into their territory. Thus the drug trade in West Baltimore continues with little change.
Season four
Template:Future tvshow The Wire will return for a fourth season on September 10, 2006, in which Simon hopes to tackle Baltimore's education system.[18][19] The season will also continue the examination of politics from season three, including a mayoral race. It has been speculated as well that Councilman Carcetti's rise to mayor could parallel Baltimore mayor Martin O'Malley's.[14] The Baltimore Sun confirmed that Roland "Prez" Pryzbyleski would make an unexpected return by starting a new career as a public school teacher. New stars will include four young actors: Maestro Harrell, Tristan Wilds, Julito McCullum and Jermaine Crawford. Describing the new season, the Baltimore Sun reported storylines including these four new characters each getting a different sort of education. One would be "betrayed by the police and social services systems," another would "[learn] how to be a successful enforcer for a drug kingpin," a third "through the concern and care of a teacher." The last child would "[find] his way thanks to a mentor who steps up after the school system [let] the young man down. Each of the actors [will make] one care deeply about the character he plays." Finally, a fifth young actor, Rashad Orange, will play Sherrod, a teenage homeless boy who Bubbles takes under his wing.[14]
In an interview, Lance Reddick described the direction his character would take in the fourth season. He stated that his promotion would give him the added responsibility of a district to command, less dealings with the day to day running of the Major Case Unit, friction with the unit's replacement lieutenant, and the difficulties of being more open about his relationship with Assistant State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman.[12] Template:Endspoiler
Critical response
Season one
The first season received rave reviews from critics[20][21], some stating that it is better than HBO's other, better-known "flagship" drama series such as The Sopranos and Six Feet Under.[22][23] One reviewer felt that the show was partially a retread of themes from HBO and David Simon's earlier works but still valuable viewing and described the series as particularly resonant because it parallels the war on terror through the chronicling the war on drugs.[24] A more measured review postulated that the series might suffer because of its reliance on profanity and slowly drawn-out plot, but was largely positive about the show's characters and intrigue.[16]
Despite the critical acclaim, The Wire has received poor Nielsen Ratings, which Simon attributes to the complexity of the plot, a poor time slot, and heavy use of esoteric slang, particularly among the gangster characters.[25] Critics felt the show was testing the attention span of its audience and felt that it was mistimed in the wake of the launch of the successful crime drama The Shield on FX.[24] Anticipation for a release of the first season on DVD was high at Entertainment Weekly, following the show's impressive critical reception but poor viewership.[26]
Season two
The second season has been described as even more powerful than the first and praised for deconstructing the show's central foundations with a willingness to explore new areas.[17] The characterization of the second series was criticized by one reviewer who felt that the subculture of the docks failed to come to life as well as that of the housing projects. However, the review continued to praise the writers for creating a realistic world and the array of interesting characters presented in it.[27]
Season three
At the close of the third season, The Wire still struggled to maintain its ratings and it was feared that the show might be cancelled.[28] Creator David Simon blamed the show's low ratings in part on its competition against Desperate Housewives and worried that expectations for HBO dramas had changed following the success of The Sopranos.[18] The critical response to the third season remained positive. Entertainment Weekly named The Wire the best show of 2004, describing it as "the smartest, deepest and most resonant drama on TV." They credited the complexity of the show for its poor ratings.[29] Reviewers feared that the third season, ending with more of a plot resolution than the previous two, was a sign that the show was facing its end.[19]
The Baltimore City Paper was so concerned that the show might be cancelled that they published a list of 10 reasons to keep it on the air, including strong characterization, avoidance of stereotypes, Omar Little, verisimilitudinous portrayal of city politics, willingness to put the story ahead of the characters, identifiable depiction of the daily grind of working life, realistic portrayal of police work, inclusion of a moral compass, unabashedly honest representation of real world problems, and finally it's unique status as "broadcast literature." Alongside these ten reasons, they also worried that the loss of the show would have a serious impact on Baltimore's economy.[30]
Awards
| Status | Year | Award | For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 2003 | Peabody award[31] | N/A |
| Nomination | 2003 | Television Critics Association | Program of the Year |
| Nomination | 2003 | Television Critics Association | Outstanding New Program |
| Nomination | 2003 | Television Critics Association | Outstanding Achievement in Drama |
| Nomination | 2004 | Television Critics Association | Outstanding Achievement in Drama |
| Nominated | 2005 | Emmy | Best writing for a television episode |
Production Notes
Episode structure
Each episode begins with by a cold open which seldom contains a dramatic juncture. The screen then fades to black while the intro music fades in. The show's intro sequence then plays, a series of shots concerning the show's subject matter that changes from season to season, separated by fast jump cuts (a technique rarely used in the show itself). The opening credits are superimposed on the sequence. At the end of the sequence, a quote that will be spoken by a character during the episode is shown on-screen. Progressive story arcs often unfold in different locations at the same time. Episodes rarely end with a cliffhanger, and normally close with a fade to black and the closing music fading in. During season finales, a song is played before the closing scene during a montage of the season's major characters.
When broadcast on HBO and on some international networks the episodes are preceded by a recap of events that have a bearing upon the upcoming narrative, using clips from previous episodes.
Music
Audio samples of The Wire (media help) Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen item
Template:Sample box end The Wire is unique in utilizing almost only ambient music. All music must emanate from a source within the scene;[1] for example, police bars play Irish music, while the street gangs play gangsta rap in their cars. This rule is occasionally breached, notably for the season-ending montages.
The opening theme is "Way Down In The Hole," a gospel-and-blues-inspired song originally written by Tom Waits for his 1987 album Franks Wild Years. Each season uses a different recording of it against a different opening sequence, with the theme being performed, in order, by The Blind Boys of Alabama, Tom Waits, and The Neville Brothers. The closing theme is "The Fall," composed by Blake Leyh.
Filming locations
In the 32nd episode, the "Madison Hotel" in Washington D.C. is actually the Colonnade, a hotel which is across from the Johns Hopkins Homewood campus in Northern Baltimore along University Parkway.
Orlando's, the gentleman's club, is actually filmed at the Ritz in Fells Point.
In May 2006, the Baltimore City Paper went on a tour of shooting locations with art director and ___location scout Vince Peranio.[32]
Broadcasters
In the United Kingdom, the show has been broadcast on FX Networks. It also airs in France, under the title Sur écoute (roughly "Wiretapped") on the pay channel Jimmy. The Polish channel TVN also airs the series under the name Prawo ulicy.
For the HBO broadcast history see the episode list. HBO will begin airing the fourth season on September 10, 2006. However, viewers with the HBO on Demand service will be able to see each episode of the season six days earlier.[33]
DVD release
| Season | Release Date | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | October 12, 2004 | The DVD boxset included all thirteen episodes of the first season along with audio commentaries on three episodes by David Simon, George P. Pelecanos and Clark Johnson.[15] |
| Season 2 | January 25, 2005 | The boxset contained all twelve episodes of the second season along with two audio commentaries. One commentary featured actors Dominic West and Michael K. Williams while the other, focused on the contribution of the late producer Robert F. Colesberry, featured executive producer Karen Thorson and editor Thom Zimny.[34] |
| Season 3 | August 8 2006 | Extras are expected to include episode promotional spots and further audio commentaries.[35] |
The first two seasons have also been released on DVD outside the U.S., including in the United Kingdom, Ireland, mainland Europe, Canada and Australia.
The packaging of the first season DVD boxset featured Jimmy McNulty prominently with D'Angelo Barksdale, Stringer Bell and Kima Greggs surrounding him. In his commentary, David Simon said that the show is "really about the American city, and about how we live together. It's about how institutions have an effect on individuals, and how, regardless of what you are committed to, whether you're a cop, a longshoreman, a drug dealer, a politician, a judge, a lawyer, you are ultimately compromised and must contend with whatever institution you've committed to." This statement was recognized as an attempt to distinguish the show from other police dramas.[8] The boxset also received good reviews from critics. Slant magazine praised almost all aspects of the show, calling it "the best crime show out there" and limited their criticism to the paucity of extras in the package.[10] Amazon called the first season "a bona-fide American masterpiece."[15]
The second DVD boxset garnered similar positive reviews to the first. Amazon said it was even better than the first season and this time called it "the best show on HBO" and an "American crime epic easily on par with the Godfather saga."[34] National Public Radio described the show as raising police procedurals to the level of art and compared it positively to BBC serials and The Sopranos. However, they were critical of the presentation's lack of special features as other critics were of the first season.[11]
The third season is due to be released on DVD on August 8, 2006. Extras are expected to include episode promotional spots and further audio commentaries.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Alvarez, Rafael (2004). The Wire: Truth Be Told. New York: Pocket Books.
- ^ Ian Rothkirch (2002). ""What drugs have not destroyed, the war on them has"". Salon.com. Retrieved 2006-07-22.
- ^ a b c d Richard Vine (2005). "Totally Wired". The Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 2006-07-19.
- ^ Jesse Walker (2006). "Localist Television". Reactionary Radicals. Retrieved 2006-07-22.
- ^ a b c d e David Simon (2005). "The Target" commentary track (DVD). HBO.
- ^ Jen Chung (2005). "When Criminals Watch a Lot of HBO". Gothamist. Retrieved 2006-07-29.
- ^ William K. Rashbaum (2005-01-15). "Police Say a Queens Drug Ring Watched Too Much Television". The New York Times.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d Dan Kois (2004). "Everything you were afraid to ask about The Wire". Salon.com. Retrieved 2006-07-12.
- ^ a b K. Klingensmith (2006). "TV for the Hopeless". Print Culture. Retrieved 2006-07-21.
- ^ a b c Chris Barsanti (2004). "Totally Wired". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2006-07-20.
- ^ a b Bill Wyman. "The Wire The Complete Second Season". NPR. Retrieved 2006-07-21.
- ^ a b Joel Murphy (2005). "One on one with... Lance Reddick". Hobo Trashcan. Retrieved 2006-07-21.
- ^ Joel Murphy (2005). "One on one with... Michael K. Williams". Hobo Trashcan. Retrieved 2006-07-21.
- ^ a b c David Zurawik (2006). "Local figures, riveting drama put The Wire in a class by itself". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2006-07-20.
- ^ a b c Jeff Shannon. "The Wire Complete First Season on DVD". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2006-07-19.
- ^ a b Todd Weiser (2002). "New HBO series The Wire taps into summer programming". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 2006-07-19. Cite error: The named reference "TMD" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ a b Jim Shelley (2005). "Call The Cops". The Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 2006-07-20. Cite error: The named reference "TG2" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ a b Marisa Guthrie (2004). "The Wire fears HBO may snip it". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2006-07-19. Cite error: The named reference "NYD" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ a b "HBO Set to Re-"Wire" in '06". Zap2it. 2005. Retrieved 2006-07-20.
{{cite web}}: Text ",00.html" ignored (help); Text "1" ignored (help); Text "94184" ignored (help) Cite error: The named reference "Z2I" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ "Television Critics Association Introduces 2003 Award Nominees". Television Critics Association. Retrieved 2006-07-21.
- ^ "The Wire: The Complete First Season". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2006-07-21.
- ^ James Norton (2005). "The Wire vs. The Sopranos". Flak Magazine. Retrieved 2006-07-12.
- ^ Leslie Ryan (July 2003). "Tapping The Wire; HBO Police Drama Tops TelevisionWeek's Semiannual Critics Poll List". Television Week. Retrieved 2006-07-19.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ a b Robert David Sullivan (2002). "Slow Hand". Boston Phoenix. Retrieved 2006-07-19.
- ^ David Simon (2004). "Ask The Wire: David Simon". HBO. Retrieved 2006-07-21.
- ^ "DVD Request of the Week". Entertainment Weekly. 2003. Retrieved 2006-07-21.
- ^ Jon Garelick (2004). ""A man must have a code" - listening in on The Wire". Boston Phoenix. Retrieved 2006-07-12.
- ^ Dana Stevens (2004). "Moyers Says "Ciao" to Now, but HBO had better not retire The Wire.". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2006-07-25.
- ^ Gillian Flynn (2004). "The Best of 2004". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2006-07-19.
- ^ Brent McCabe, Van Smith (2005). "Down To The Wire: Top 10 Reasons Not To Cancel The Wire.". Baltimore City Paper. Retrieved 2006-07-21.
- ^ "George Foster Peabody Award Winners" (PDF). University of Georgia. Retrieved 2006-07-21.
- ^ Gadi Dechter (2006). "Wish You Weren't Here". Baltimore City Paper. Retrieved 2006-07-19.
- ^ "The Wire, Def Comedy Jam Set For On-Demand Premieres". World Screen News. 2006. Retrieved 2006-07-22.
- ^ a b Jeff Shannon. "The Wire Complete Second Season on DVD". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2006-07-21. Cite error: The named reference "AM2" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ "The Wire Complete Third Season on DVD". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2006-07-22.
External links
- Official HBO site
- Gang and Drug-Related Homicide: Baltimore's Successful Enforcement Strategy: Ed Burns discusses some of the investigations and individuals which inspired The Wire.
- "Ten Thousand Bullets": an interview with George P. Pelecanos
- "George Pelecanos on 'The Wire' and D.C. pulp fiction"