The Wire Rewatch

And here we are. The end of the first season, and I get to talk about the finale and just the finale, all in its own blog post. Ready? I remember the first time watching the show how disappointed I was with this ending. I didn’t really believe this was it. That the Barksdale crew was getting off so easily. There had to be more to it than this, and so I immediately started the second season. Imagine my surprise, then, when the second season seemed to have nothing whatsoever to do with the first season. There were new characters. […]

Getting right down to the end of the season. After looking at the calendar, I decided I have enough time in the academic year to just handle the end of the season by itself next week, so there’ll just be one episode I’m discussing next Wednesday. Still two today, however. Onward! Episode 1:11 I love that this show lets characters break out from the mold we initially place them. Look at Wee-Bey, who turns out to be a cold blooded killer, but also a guy who loves his pet fish. A lot. Or (an even better example) look at Rawls.

Man. Now we’re really getting into the thick of things on the show, at least as far as the first season is concerned. Lots to discuss this week, so let’s dive right in. Episode 1:9 Bubbs is an awesome character. He’s someone we like. Someone real. He’s one of the most likable characters on the show. Maybe *the* most. He has a good heart. He cares about other people. He just happens to be a junkie. So when we have Walon talking about “hitting bottom” and how that’s usually something that doesn’t happen until druggies get older, it’s easy to

We’re smack dab in the middle of the season at this point, and that’s always a difficult spot to get through. You’ve got everything setup, and now you have to transition to the climax. Neither of these episodes are jaw droppers. but they’re consistently good television. On to the discussion: Episode 1:7 One of the things that stands out to me from this episode is the whole idea of a “code” and the “game.” Omar brings this into focus (as is often the case), talking about what he will and won’t do. In one way, he means this quite literally:

I’ve been busy enough that I’ve really had to make time to watch this week’s episodes. Good thing is such an incredible series. This is also where I feel like the show begins to really dig in. It’s through introducing new characters (for now) and conflicts, and it turns its attention to advancing the story and putting these characters through the grinder. On to the episode reviews! Episode 1:5 The Wire isn’t a show you can just sit back and consume. It demands attention from its viewers. That’s something that was clear right at the beginning, and it’s still on