The Wire

WARNING: MAD SPOILERS

As you know, I don't often write about tv shows, but it's the end of an era, so I have to do it. Wipe your eyes, for The Wire must now bid us adieu.

For 5 seasons we've watched cops, various kingpins and minor players, and a host of politicians take us away to another world, one that is foreign yet familar. Foreign because most of us will never live a life as dangerous or volatile as the characters on The Wire, but familar because Baltimore could be Anycity, USA. Creator David Simon has left a masterpiece that will be remembered as one of the best and most underrated series of the 21st century. What I've always found most intriguing about The Wire is that it consistently challenged our notions of good and evil. The portrayal of that complexity of human nature is what made it such a compelling series. People are not black and white, the world is not black and white. The Wire lived in that gray area between those two shades. Whether it was the depiction of Omar as some twisted, ghetto Robin Hood, or McNulty as a good cop with nasty habits -- The Wire always left me with something to think about, and quite often left me reeling.

The series finale last night was a befitting end to a great series. While not perfect, it was a good resolution to the conflicts we've seen arise in this final season. I will assume all of those reading this review are familiar with the series, so the background info I provide will be sparse, if any.

McNulty and Freamon: They manage to avoid any real trouble for the homeless killer clusterfuck. They get booted from the department, which sucks b/c these two are literally Baltimore's finest. It's a small price to pay though, when you think about them avoiding jail time, which was a real possibility. Wasn't it a little convenient that a copycat killer struck at the right time, allowing Carcetti and co. to wrap up the situation nicely? What would they have done if that hadn't happened, was the homeless killer going to just disappear, never to be heard from again? I guess it doesn't matter. I'll cut David Simon some slack on that one. I think it's plausible that the two of them got away with it, because Carcetti's ass was in a sling, so the whole thing had to be quieted, fast.

Scott Templeton and The Baltimore Sun: What a fucking worm. I wanted him to get exposed for the sniveling fraud that he was. Why didn't Gus give all the evidence he had on Scott to the other editors? Maybe he thought it would fall on deaf ears, but why get his buddy to compile it in the first place? Perhaps he wanted it as an insurance policy of some sort. I thought The Sun angle was a great one, showing how the important news is neglected, or misinterpreted if it's reported at all.

Carcetti & Co.: Well, I thought Carcetti was alright at first. I thought he was idealistic and well-intentioned, but I should have remembered back to when he was nailing his campaign manager that he was a sleaze. Believe it or not, I think less of him for "juking" the crime stats than I do for covering up the homeless killer fiasco. I can understand making an unethical choice when your back's up against the wall, but why'd he have to fudge the numbers too? He's just like everyone else, which brings me to another theme running through The Wire: INEVITABILITY. Was it inevitable that Carcetti would get dirty? In a way, yes. More on inevitablility later.

Kima: I'm done with ole girl. Nothing anyone can tell me can justify her snitching, and I've heard a few explanations. No, I'm not buying it. McNulty and Freamon could have gone to JAIL. And I'm not buying that she's such a straight arrow (no pun intended) that she just couldn't sleep at night while good cops were investigating a phony killer. So fucking what, big deal. There have been plenty of shady goings on within the department to which she turned a blind eye ("Hamsterdam," anyone?), but now she has to blow the whistle?? No, she violated, plain and simple. Freamon and McNulty were very kind to forgive her betrayal.

Marlo: I hate him. He has no respect. No respect for Prop Joe, no respect for anything. He's unrefined and unlikable. He is no Stringer either, did you see him at that swanky affair with his lawyer? He looked like a fish out of water. Couldn't someone have popped him in the head like Cheese or Omar? He's one lucky MF. Oh, and I don't believe that the Greeks would be so willing to start doing business with Slim Charles and the rest of the co-op. They needed a lot of nudging to do business with Marlo, so I'm not buying that they would hop right in with some new players. I know money talks and bullshit walks, but I don't think it's about the money with them. Remember how they insisted that Marlo bring them "clean" money? I doubt some individuals who are that particular would be amenable to a new situation. Oh well, small point.

Michael: Omar 2.0. The biggest parallel I see between the two is that they both lived by a unique code of ethics, both willing to murder - but only if the unlucky victim is "deserving." I would even venture that Michael admired Omar's principles. Omar never gave it to somebody who didn't have it coming, and I think Michael is the same way. He always questioned his orders, always asked why. Again I ask, was it inevitable that Michael ended up this way? I say yes, it was written. Another victim of circumstance.

Dookie: This is maybe the saddest part of the finale. The inevitability of Dookie's descent, his transformation into Bubbles 2.0. Again, The Wire makes you uncomfortable with its harsh realism. Dookie was a good kid. He was looking for work. He wasn't cut out to be a corner boy. He came from a shitty home and had no one. INEVITABLE.

Bubbles: I have to end on a good note. There has to be balance between tragedy and triumph, and it was good to see Bubbs come out on top. He was always a good-hearted person. He wasn't just a fiend looking for a fix, he was a layered individual, as were almost all of The Wire characters. I'll tell you, it is a testament to the quality of a show when ALL of the characters are so incredibly nuanced. Simply brilliant.

Damn I love this show, and it will be missed. It never received the critical acclaim it deserved, and I can't figure out why. It gave you everything you wanted: the joy and pain, highs and lows, and it endeared you to the so-called villain because it always portrayed the human element. I had the pleasure of discussing the series on a radio show, and I think it is ripe for dissection. The Wire not only entertained - it educated and it inspired. The end of an era.