We get to meet a bunch of characters from both sides and the way they operate. It's cool, but sometimes feels like a bunch of information that we have to get from the first episode and it can be hard to follow.
21 Reviews
Slow, but good intro
schroederagustavo27 February 2019
Two different chains-of-command trying to control their own as they break the rules
huntleyrussell-565-3581929 October 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Most crime dramas draw a sharp line in the sand between law enforcement and criminals, cops vs. robbers, good guys vs. bad guys. While shows such as Law & Order, CSI and its many, many spin-offs may provide a glimpse of the law enforcement community in all its crime-solving glory, they fail to capture the human element in crime and the complex underlying motives and elements which underlie why someone would commit a crime. In HBO's series The Wire, we observe the interaction between police, judicial, and criminal sides battling, not just each other, but amongst themselves over authority & proper conduct in each of their respective realms.
The trial of D'Angelo Barksdale appears to be a slam dunk with two eyewitnesses giving testimony, but Detective Jim McNulty is not convinced. As he observes the second eyewitness contradict her previous statement, presumably influenced by a group of somewhat unsavory gentlemen sitting in the audience, the case begins to unravel and McNulty's suspicions are confirmed. The man responsible for the testimony is Avon Barksdale, a.k.a. Stringer Bell, sitting quietly in the courtroom wearing dignified legal glasses and holding a legal pad. After a not guilty verdict is reached, he casually saunters up to the losing District Attorney and says, "You have a nice day", as though he were saluting a neighbor. In an ironic twist, the supposed criminal mastermind in control of drug operations in Baltimore, the criminals appear surprisingly civil and in control, while the justice system gets tied up in bureaucratic chaos.
McNulty is asked by the presiding judge how this happened and what his specific interest is. The detective spills the beans on the man he suspects of being a drug kingpin. This sets off a chain reaction pitting the detective against his own dept. for involving the judge in an inner dept. matter, thus violating the chain-of-command. Meanwhile, the recently acquitted D'Angelo returns to the streets and is demoted by his boss and uncle Stringer for his own reckless actions. The parallel is interesting to watch, as we can observe the inner workings of drug crime and police prevention to discover, in some ways, they are governed by the same rules, only with different motives.
The show's weave of complex character relationships could not be sustained without a strong cast, and the actors provide the anchor for this sometimes muddied drama. Idris Elba (Stringer Bell) exudes a confidence and control which is quite endearing. Dominic West plays Det. McNulty with a devil-may-care attitude, appealing to the rebellious side of human nature. He conveys the inner struggle over his character's actions very naturally and he commands sympathy and respect through his calm power. Larry Gillard, Jr. particularly shines as the misfit murderer D'Angelo, struggling against his own group as they shun his actions as well as an inner struggle for personal authority.
The storyline occasionally gets bogged down in the complexities of the chain-of-command with law enforcement, partly due to the slang filled dialogue (both a blessing and a barrier), but mostly because of a few poorly coordinated scene changes with little to no connecting segue. However, the complexity is certainly welcome, as it endeavors to challenge our basic assumptions towards criminal activity and the effort to combat it. The Wire is an undercover look into the criminal world.
Highs: Intimate human focus on criminals & law enforcement; Charismatic acting ensemble; shuns the black & white emphasis of contemporary crime dramas.
Lows: Story bogged down by inner complexities; a few trite scenes.
The Verdict: B+, Thorough exploration of the inner workings of criminals, their motives, and the law enforcement who target them.
The trial of D'Angelo Barksdale appears to be a slam dunk with two eyewitnesses giving testimony, but Detective Jim McNulty is not convinced. As he observes the second eyewitness contradict her previous statement, presumably influenced by a group of somewhat unsavory gentlemen sitting in the audience, the case begins to unravel and McNulty's suspicions are confirmed. The man responsible for the testimony is Avon Barksdale, a.k.a. Stringer Bell, sitting quietly in the courtroom wearing dignified legal glasses and holding a legal pad. After a not guilty verdict is reached, he casually saunters up to the losing District Attorney and says, "You have a nice day", as though he were saluting a neighbor. In an ironic twist, the supposed criminal mastermind in control of drug operations in Baltimore, the criminals appear surprisingly civil and in control, while the justice system gets tied up in bureaucratic chaos.
McNulty is asked by the presiding judge how this happened and what his specific interest is. The detective spills the beans on the man he suspects of being a drug kingpin. This sets off a chain reaction pitting the detective against his own dept. for involving the judge in an inner dept. matter, thus violating the chain-of-command. Meanwhile, the recently acquitted D'Angelo returns to the streets and is demoted by his boss and uncle Stringer for his own reckless actions. The parallel is interesting to watch, as we can observe the inner workings of drug crime and police prevention to discover, in some ways, they are governed by the same rules, only with different motives.
The show's weave of complex character relationships could not be sustained without a strong cast, and the actors provide the anchor for this sometimes muddied drama. Idris Elba (Stringer Bell) exudes a confidence and control which is quite endearing. Dominic West plays Det. McNulty with a devil-may-care attitude, appealing to the rebellious side of human nature. He conveys the inner struggle over his character's actions very naturally and he commands sympathy and respect through his calm power. Larry Gillard, Jr. particularly shines as the misfit murderer D'Angelo, struggling against his own group as they shun his actions as well as an inner struggle for personal authority.
The storyline occasionally gets bogged down in the complexities of the chain-of-command with law enforcement, partly due to the slang filled dialogue (both a blessing and a barrier), but mostly because of a few poorly coordinated scene changes with little to no connecting segue. However, the complexity is certainly welcome, as it endeavors to challenge our basic assumptions towards criminal activity and the effort to combat it. The Wire is an undercover look into the criminal world.
Highs: Intimate human focus on criminals & law enforcement; Charismatic acting ensemble; shuns the black & white emphasis of contemporary crime dramas.
Lows: Story bogged down by inner complexities; a few trite scenes.
The Verdict: B+, Thorough exploration of the inner workings of criminals, their motives, and the law enforcement who target them.
Good Start
cuddlesatusc21 February 2021
"It's America, man."
MaxBorg8917 November 2008
Warning: Spoilers
The Wire has the most uncommon thing for an HBO show: a teaser (so far, In Treatment is the only other series of the cable network that has the same thing on a regular basis). And in that teaser, which has absolutely nothing to do with the events of the episode, the series' real intent is exposed: while talking to a kid about a murder victim who was nicknamed Snot Boogie, Homicide detective Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), the show's hero (asssuming there is one), finds out his guy had a tendency to steal money from certain people every time they had a late-night card game. He feels compelled to ask the kid: "Well, if Snot Boogie stole the money, why'd you let him play?". The answer is the most unpredictable one: "Got to. It's America, man.". As such, The Wire is no ordinary cop show: it's a vivid, bleak portrait of life in the USA.
The real story, which kicks in right after the opening credits ("Way Down In The Hole" is used to express the program's mood), with the trial of D'Angelo Barksdale (Larry Gilliard Jr.). He walks after a witness changes her story in court, and McNulty, who wasn't even involved in the case, tells Judge Phelan (Peter Gerety) that D'Angelo is more important than he appears, as he happens to be the nephew of Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris), the primary drug dealer of West Baltimore. Naturally, no one's ever heard of him, but since Avon is allegedly behind most of the drug-related murders in the city, Phelan calls McNulty's direct superiors, William Rawls (John Doman) and Erwin Burrell (Frankie Faison) and demand something be done about this mess. Rawls, who already hates McNulty, has him included in a special task force, which will be coordinated by Narcotics lieutenant Cedric Daniels (Lance Reddick). Meanwhile, McNulty's partner "Bunk" Moreland (Wendell Pierce) provides some pseudo-philosophical advice on the colleague's reckless attitude, and D'Angelo gets back on the street, only to find out that Avon and his associate, "Stringer" Bell (Idris Elba) have found it fitting to give him a new assignment.
The first thing that catches the eye about The Wire is its incredible attention to detail: many critics have pointed out how the show does in one season what even 24 would have gotten over with in one episode, and it's true - 57 minutes after the start of the first episode, the task force has barely been set up. The comparison with 24 is also necessary in regard to the ending: whereas each episode of Fox's real-time thriller ends on a cliffhanger, this show's inaugural hour doesn't really end at all. The narrative arc covers the entire season, not single episodes. Alongside the detail, series creator (and episode writer) David Simon, who previously worked on Homicide: Life on the Street deserves praise for his dialogue: more than any other street-based crime drama, The Wire feels and sounds like the real thing, with slang expressions, police jargon and the inevitable swearing being used as a natural part of the environment, not a gratuitous decoration.
The same goes for the cast: anyone with good enough knowledge of crime movies or shows might have recognized Faison from the Hannibal Lecter trilogy or Reddick from the fourth season of HBO's Oz, but the fact that most of the actors were complete unknowns by the time the series first aired is the most vital contribution to the show's realism. One gets the feeling that every thespian involved is completely immersed in the role he or she plays. They're not "characters", so to speak: they're fully formed American people, to the point that it still feels a bit odd to learn that West and Elba are actually 100% British.
The first episode of The Wire doesn't immediately strike as brilliant, must-see TV, like The Sopranos or Six Feet Under did. It's more complex, paced and attention-demanding than anything else on the small screen, and if one commits for the long run, it might even be more satisfying than most serials. And given we're talking about HBO, that's probably the best compliment they'll ever get.
The real story, which kicks in right after the opening credits ("Way Down In The Hole" is used to express the program's mood), with the trial of D'Angelo Barksdale (Larry Gilliard Jr.). He walks after a witness changes her story in court, and McNulty, who wasn't even involved in the case, tells Judge Phelan (Peter Gerety) that D'Angelo is more important than he appears, as he happens to be the nephew of Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris), the primary drug dealer of West Baltimore. Naturally, no one's ever heard of him, but since Avon is allegedly behind most of the drug-related murders in the city, Phelan calls McNulty's direct superiors, William Rawls (John Doman) and Erwin Burrell (Frankie Faison) and demand something be done about this mess. Rawls, who already hates McNulty, has him included in a special task force, which will be coordinated by Narcotics lieutenant Cedric Daniels (Lance Reddick). Meanwhile, McNulty's partner "Bunk" Moreland (Wendell Pierce) provides some pseudo-philosophical advice on the colleague's reckless attitude, and D'Angelo gets back on the street, only to find out that Avon and his associate, "Stringer" Bell (Idris Elba) have found it fitting to give him a new assignment.
The first thing that catches the eye about The Wire is its incredible attention to detail: many critics have pointed out how the show does in one season what even 24 would have gotten over with in one episode, and it's true - 57 minutes after the start of the first episode, the task force has barely been set up. The comparison with 24 is also necessary in regard to the ending: whereas each episode of Fox's real-time thriller ends on a cliffhanger, this show's inaugural hour doesn't really end at all. The narrative arc covers the entire season, not single episodes. Alongside the detail, series creator (and episode writer) David Simon, who previously worked on Homicide: Life on the Street deserves praise for his dialogue: more than any other street-based crime drama, The Wire feels and sounds like the real thing, with slang expressions, police jargon and the inevitable swearing being used as a natural part of the environment, not a gratuitous decoration.
The same goes for the cast: anyone with good enough knowledge of crime movies or shows might have recognized Faison from the Hannibal Lecter trilogy or Reddick from the fourth season of HBO's Oz, but the fact that most of the actors were complete unknowns by the time the series first aired is the most vital contribution to the show's realism. One gets the feeling that every thespian involved is completely immersed in the role he or she plays. They're not "characters", so to speak: they're fully formed American people, to the point that it still feels a bit odd to learn that West and Elba are actually 100% British.
The first episode of The Wire doesn't immediately strike as brilliant, must-see TV, like The Sopranos or Six Feet Under did. It's more complex, paced and attention-demanding than anything else on the small screen, and if one commits for the long run, it might even be more satisfying than most serials. And given we're talking about HBO, that's probably the best compliment they'll ever get.
I thought about leaving that little m*********** as a warning to the others
snoozejonc17 March 2022
Baltimore Police Department reacts to the rantings of a judge by setting up a special detail to tackle drug related crime.
This is an excellent start to a brilliant show that introduces the premise and characters nicely.
There is a lot going on in the plot as it introduces a multitude of characters and the two main organisations it uses to portray the broken systems within American society. The emphasis feels just as geared towards introductions as it does the main narrative, which is a challenge to take in, but it is rewarding if you have the mindset to concentrate on what is being said. Not being American, it helped me to put the subtitles on some scenes, as both accents and dialect are very strong.
The characters for me make an impact immediately and their exchanges are all compelling. McNulty and D'Angelo in particular are used fantastically to show the parallels between organisations.
I work in public organisation and I see the same type of political decisions as portrayed by this depiction of the police department command structure. This is what the show nails so perfectly throughout its 5 seasons and why I admire it so much.
It includes wonderfully written dialogue that mostly does not explain too much, but with it being the first episode there is some unavoidably blatant exposition about who's who.
All the cast are so incredibly good it's hard to pick standout performances. Not being from Baltimore I can't speak for Dominic West's accent, but his acting is awesome, particularly when he plays McNulty drunk. He and Wendell Pierce have the most wonderful screen chemistry.
Visually it is very good, with some great cinematography, particularly the opening shot and scene. The feel of it is that you are almost watching something real.
For me it's a 9.5/10 but I round upwards.
This is an excellent start to a brilliant show that introduces the premise and characters nicely.
There is a lot going on in the plot as it introduces a multitude of characters and the two main organisations it uses to portray the broken systems within American society. The emphasis feels just as geared towards introductions as it does the main narrative, which is a challenge to take in, but it is rewarding if you have the mindset to concentrate on what is being said. Not being American, it helped me to put the subtitles on some scenes, as both accents and dialect are very strong.
The characters for me make an impact immediately and their exchanges are all compelling. McNulty and D'Angelo in particular are used fantastically to show the parallels between organisations.
I work in public organisation and I see the same type of political decisions as portrayed by this depiction of the police department command structure. This is what the show nails so perfectly throughout its 5 seasons and why I admire it so much.
It includes wonderfully written dialogue that mostly does not explain too much, but with it being the first episode there is some unavoidably blatant exposition about who's who.
All the cast are so incredibly good it's hard to pick standout performances. Not being from Baltimore I can't speak for Dominic West's accent, but his acting is awesome, particularly when he plays McNulty drunk. He and Wendell Pierce have the most wonderful screen chemistry.
Visually it is very good, with some great cinematography, particularly the opening shot and scene. The feel of it is that you are almost watching something real.
For me it's a 9.5/10 but I round upwards.
the business, violence, corruption, and paperwork in the cops and drug dealers world
Quinoa198426 November 2015
The Wire is excellent for a number of reasons, but right from the start it makes its mark in this aspect: it's real, and so real that it gets down to the nitty gritty of all of the aspects of what it takes for cops to go after drug dealers and for drug dealers to try and evade the same cops and do what they do. This is also site specific in a major way - David Simon worked the Baltimore Sun beat as a reporter for years and knows this world - but I'd say that this could be a scenario set in any number of urban cities like this: Newark, Paterson, Detroit, parts of Chicago and LA, the list goes on. "This is America," is said by a character talking to detective McNulty in one of the first words we hear on the show. This is both small world AND universal; this is just what happens in America where drugs are illegal and people can profit off of them - and kill and commit horrible acts and intimidate and so on to do it.
But what is even better is that it has a cool style without being overly flashy. This is profane stuff but it feels natural; like a Michael Mann story this has the flow of cops who have been working the streets for years, and some are a-holes and some really want to do good work and others just want to punch in and go home. Likewise the drug dealers here do talk big and 'gangsta' and all that, but they're not over-the-top caricatures. And the cinematography and approach to the characters reflects this realistic approach that balances a strong perspective while the direction is no-frills: this is how it's done, how people in court may (or may not) do time, how cops get assigned or try to get in another path to stop the criminals. It shows the dirty work and that's what obviously impressed so many about the show over the years.
This goes all the way down to just showing paperwork and what has to be done with that, and that's here in the first episode of The Wire. We've seen so many cop shows, but this one doesn't shy away from what comes down to bureaucratic problems and resistance and the process of that - cleverly, Simon has this not just with the cops but with the drug dealers; we see McNulty get brought in to his Major's office to get a talking to just as we see a young Barksdale get talked down to by Idris Elba and his upper-echelon crew (including his uncle, who heads the whole drug connection in West Baltimore). In other words, this is great storytelling in the simple, straight-forward parallel sense, showing the two worlds and how each side is their own business that goes through the motions. It helps to strip away too the veneer that cop work is glamorous or that drug dealers are all one-dimensional thugs in some amorphous, Scarface-like existence.
If the first episode doesn't hook you in, I don't know what to do for ya. It's thrilling drama and character-driven in equal measure.
But what is even better is that it has a cool style without being overly flashy. This is profane stuff but it feels natural; like a Michael Mann story this has the flow of cops who have been working the streets for years, and some are a-holes and some really want to do good work and others just want to punch in and go home. Likewise the drug dealers here do talk big and 'gangsta' and all that, but they're not over-the-top caricatures. And the cinematography and approach to the characters reflects this realistic approach that balances a strong perspective while the direction is no-frills: this is how it's done, how people in court may (or may not) do time, how cops get assigned or try to get in another path to stop the criminals. It shows the dirty work and that's what obviously impressed so many about the show over the years.
This goes all the way down to just showing paperwork and what has to be done with that, and that's here in the first episode of The Wire. We've seen so many cop shows, but this one doesn't shy away from what comes down to bureaucratic problems and resistance and the process of that - cleverly, Simon has this not just with the cops but with the drug dealers; we see McNulty get brought in to his Major's office to get a talking to just as we see a young Barksdale get talked down to by Idris Elba and his upper-echelon crew (including his uncle, who heads the whole drug connection in West Baltimore). In other words, this is great storytelling in the simple, straight-forward parallel sense, showing the two worlds and how each side is their own business that goes through the motions. It helps to strip away too the veneer that cop work is glamorous or that drug dealers are all one-dimensional thugs in some amorphous, Scarface-like existence.
If the first episode doesn't hook you in, I don't know what to do for ya. It's thrilling drama and character-driven in equal measure.
Intriuing start...
Red_Identity12 June 2011
For anyone who loves film and television, it was only a matter of time that I was going to give The Wire a go, seeing as how it is considered one of the finest series of TV.
I saw the first four episodes tonight, and I can say that the show has slowly weaved me in. I do not expect to see ground-breaking stuff on a TV show this early, and I do not like to just anticipate how good a critically-acclaimed TV show will be. I can say that I am very much into the plotting and characterization of the first four episodes. There are a lot of characters, and surely has been kinda hard to keep track of all of them. But I don't think it matters because there is pretty much always something going on.
I will not say that any of the first four episodes were incredible, but this is definitely something that I will continue to devote some time to. I don't want to rush it though.
I saw the first four episodes tonight, and I can say that the show has slowly weaved me in. I do not expect to see ground-breaking stuff on a TV show this early, and I do not like to just anticipate how good a critically-acclaimed TV show will be. I can say that I am very much into the plotting and characterization of the first four episodes. There are a lot of characters, and surely has been kinda hard to keep track of all of them. But I don't think it matters because there is pretty much always something going on.
I will not say that any of the first four episodes were incredible, but this is definitely something that I will continue to devote some time to. I don't want to rush it though.
Snot boogie
bevo-1367814 June 2020
"You can't call this a war. Wars end."
Hey_Sweden23 December 2021
This is a solid and engaging debut episode for the well-regarded TV series detailing the whole drug trade, and the people involved, on both sides of the law. Set and filmed in Baltimore, it has excellent atmosphere, and a first-rate ensemble. The dialogue given to these actors and actresses just flows off their tongues with the greatest of ease. And series creator David Simon, who scripted 'The Target', truly understands the whole milieu which these characters inhabit.
The main story threads here: Detective McNulty (Dominic West) finds himself in hot water by answering the questions of an inquisitive judge (Peter Gerety) when McNulty attends a trial that doesn't seem to be any of his business. And D'Angelo Barksdale (Lawrence Gilliard, Jr.), a dealer, similarly gets in trouble after he kills an associate and is demoted by his superiors. This, despite the fact that he's able to walk free after the case against him is ruined by a witness who's recanted her testimony.
This series has been recommended to this viewer for a while now, so I thought that it was about time to check it out. I can safely say that it definitely held my attention, thanks to top actors like Idris Elba, Wendell Pierce, Frankie R. Faison, John Doman, Sonja Sohn, and Lance Reddick, and efficient storytelling from director Clark Johnson, who veteran TV watchers will remember from his acting role on 'Homicide: Life on the Street'. The chemistry between the cast is undeniable, and ensures a strong interest in seeing how their characters are developed.
Eight out of 10.
The main story threads here: Detective McNulty (Dominic West) finds himself in hot water by answering the questions of an inquisitive judge (Peter Gerety) when McNulty attends a trial that doesn't seem to be any of his business. And D'Angelo Barksdale (Lawrence Gilliard, Jr.), a dealer, similarly gets in trouble after he kills an associate and is demoted by his superiors. This, despite the fact that he's able to walk free after the case against him is ruined by a witness who's recanted her testimony.
This series has been recommended to this viewer for a while now, so I thought that it was about time to check it out. I can safely say that it definitely held my attention, thanks to top actors like Idris Elba, Wendell Pierce, Frankie R. Faison, John Doman, Sonja Sohn, and Lance Reddick, and efficient storytelling from director Clark Johnson, who veteran TV watchers will remember from his acting role on 'Homicide: Life on the Street'. The chemistry between the cast is undeniable, and ensures a strong interest in seeing how their characters are developed.
Eight out of 10.
Seeking Justice
claudio_carvalho1 September 2021
In Baltimore, when the drug dealer D'Angelo Barksdale (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.) is considered not guilty by the jury in a murder case, Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty (Dominic West) is summoned by Judge Daniel Phelan (Peter Gerety) to his office to discuss how the case was lost by the prosecutor. McNulty explains that the criminal is the nephew of the drug kingpin Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris) and the witnesses have been coerced by Avon and his right-hand Russell 'Stringer' Bell (Idris Elba). Further, McNulty discloses that there are seven other murder cases committed by Avon's crew that have not been investigated by the Police Department. Judge Phelan contacts the Powers That Be from the Police Department that are forced to assign a team under the command of Lt. Cedric Daniels (Lance Reddick), including McNulty, to investigate the cases. But soon Lt. Daniels see that the task will not be easy with the available manpower.
"The Target" is a crime police story TV series produced by HBO with a promising beginning. The plot is not the traditional, conventional, and full of clichés of the genre usual for this type of series. Indeed, it is realistic, with good and bad detectives. The cast is very real, at least in this first episode, and shows the other of the American society with losers in both sides of the law. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "The Target"
"The Target" is a crime police story TV series produced by HBO with a promising beginning. The plot is not the traditional, conventional, and full of clichés of the genre usual for this type of series. Indeed, it is realistic, with good and bad detectives. The cast is very real, at least in this first episode, and shows the other of the American society with losers in both sides of the law. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "The Target"
Didn't quite hook me
Jarl8630 July 2023
I struggle to grasp the purpose of the pilot.. Realism is all good, but this is so bleak it's borderline depressing. I can't manage to root for any one character. The law "enforcement" are a mix of nonchalance and exasperation, everyone moaning "why me?" when told to do their job. It paints a really sad picture of the men and women supposedly protecting the streets of America.
The one sensible line comes from an FBI agent letting the MC know that drug surveillance takes the furthest backseat possible as attention shifts to anti terror following 9/11. Definitely dates the show, along with some white police captain just casually throwing the hard r n-word into a conversation.
On the crime side dealers do be dealing, but it's all run of the mill, seen 100 times over. Frankly the most sympathetic character there is a guy who we're told killed somebody for lack of a better option. The appearance of a fresh faced Michael B Jordan was a welcome surprise.
Took me until the last 3 minutes of the episode to see the spark of an actual storyline as an addict makes a decision based on the reason his friend ended up in a hospital bed. It came a little abrupt which was prob the intention, but up until that point I was yawning my way through every scene.
Only thing keeping me watching the next episode is the familiar faces on the cast and the shows reputation..
The one sensible line comes from an FBI agent letting the MC know that drug surveillance takes the furthest backseat possible as attention shifts to anti terror following 9/11. Definitely dates the show, along with some white police captain just casually throwing the hard r n-word into a conversation.
On the crime side dealers do be dealing, but it's all run of the mill, seen 100 times over. Frankly the most sympathetic character there is a guy who we're told killed somebody for lack of a better option. The appearance of a fresh faced Michael B Jordan was a welcome surprise.
Took me until the last 3 minutes of the episode to see the spark of an actual storyline as an addict makes a decision based on the reason his friend ended up in a hospital bed. It came a little abrupt which was prob the intention, but up until that point I was yawning my way through every scene.
Only thing keeping me watching the next episode is the familiar faces on the cast and the shows reputation..
Just watch
enismingsar29 July 2021
4th Binge assessment
brooksrob130 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
When you've watched this series a few times; you get to sit back and just enjoy the acting chops of all the great actors in the show.. As a philly native; I have first hand experience with many of the types of characters portrayed in the series. McNulty is my favorite, with Bunk a close second...Omar hasn't been introduced yet but; "Omar comin' Oh, indeed"
"No mikes, no wires. We do this fast and clean and simple"
RainDogJr21 April 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Two weeks ago I purchased Season 1 of "The Wire" on DVD (5-disc set with 13 episodes); I never saw an episode before purchasing the DVD set but the reviews on this site (and the words of Alan Moore: "The absolute pinnacle of anything I've seen recently has got to be The Wire. It's the most stunning piece of television that has ever come out of America, possibly the most stunning piece of television full-stop. That is grown-up television! It's novelistic. You get to find out about all these tiny different aspects of Baltimore, to build up a huge picture of the city with all of its intricacies — from the wharf side, to the kids in the projects, to the power structure with the boardrooms and police department and governor's office. And it's got some great writers: It's got George Pelecanos and David Simon. And so many wonderful characters, Bubbles, Omar. So yeah, everything else looks pretty lame next to The Wire".) made me want to check this show just as the words of the creators of "South Park" Trey Parker and Matt Stone made me want to check "24" (in the DVD commentary for the "South Park" episode "The Snuke", that is their "24" episode, they say enough good things about "24" to make you want to check it).
My father is on the contrary of me totally into TV shows like "Lost", "Smallville", "House MD", "The Tudors", "Prison Break" and other hyped shows (but well he also loves what are unlike the ones I mentioned truly great shows like "The Simpsons", "Malcolm in the Middle", Futurama") but he wasn't into "24" until I say to him "I heard it is amazing" since the next thing I knew is that he got a couple of Seasons on DVD. Right now he and my mother are enjoying a whole lot "24", almost finishing watching all the Seasons that are available on DVD while I still have not seen a single "24" episode. So I really wanted to check "24" and "The Wire", now when my father lent me the DVDs of "24" he will can recommend that show a lot and I expect that I will say to him when I lent him the DVDs of "The Wire" something like "in my book is just as great as you can hear everywhere".
My title is a line of Lance Reddick's character Cedric Daniels and is said near the near of the first hour of "The Wire". Daniels works in the Narcotics Division and by the end of this hour our main character Homicide Detective Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) will have to report with Daniels, now both and, certainly, some others will work together in case, a case that Daniels wants to finish doing things "fast and clean and simple" but McNulty well McNulty is our man, good detective, the criminals we will follow recognize him, McNulty knows that simple buy busts can't f*** Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris) and company.
The acting is just about superb; Dominic West is really great as McNulty, Wendell Pierce plays McNulty's partner Bunk. There are some terrific humorous moments with both McNulty and Bunk (the rat stuff is quite funny), well with McNulty, Bunk and their sergeant Jay Landsman (Delaney Williams) and even with the Homicide Division Major (John Doman). That particular scene isn't really funny for both McNulty and Major Rawls but for us hell is fun seeing how the Major is really p*ssed off with Jimmy, giving him fingers and stuff. You may wonder, why the major was really p*ssed off with our detective? Well, first "The Wire" practically begins with McNulty going to the court, to witness the trial of D'Angelo Barksdale (Larry Gilliard Jr.), not really with a reason McNulty will later say to the judge of the trial, Judge Phelan (Peter Gerety), since D'Angelo's case wasn't his case. The talk between McNulty and the judge delivers a good scene, is a key part, after that talk the Deputy Burrell (Frankie Faison) and in consequence the majors if the Homicide and Narcotics divisions have a judge asking about Avon Barksdale. Certainly McNulty's saying stuff to the judge p*ssed off the major of Homicide, a judge is asking for a case, "if he asks for something, I want to give it to him" says Deputy Burrell.
In "The Wire" we follow, I think you already know, the criminals, we follow D'Angelo after being declared not guilty for murder, we get to see D'Angelo talking about how he killed the guy, wee see D'Angelo laughing about what happened during the trial, about what we and McNulty saw, the obvious thing. What we have with D'Angelo is conventional stuff in the way of having a guy that was pretty much in the top, that killed a guy, that screwed things, that is family though, nephew of THE target Avon, there's no problem but he can't be in the top any more. One of the two characters that Alan Moore mentioned does appears in this first episode, Bubbles is his name and is played by Andre Royo. Bubbles and his pal are drug addicts and they want to f***the f****r by using fake bills. We expected what happened to Bubbles' pal once one of D'Angelo's pals saw that he was the guy with the fake bills, the message was clear, is clear what those bastards will do for few dollars. Is also clear that D'Angelo, on the other hand, is seeing things differently but well terrific first episode. Plus we have a great version of the musical theme by The Blind Boys of Alabama.
My father is on the contrary of me totally into TV shows like "Lost", "Smallville", "House MD", "The Tudors", "Prison Break" and other hyped shows (but well he also loves what are unlike the ones I mentioned truly great shows like "The Simpsons", "Malcolm in the Middle", Futurama") but he wasn't into "24" until I say to him "I heard it is amazing" since the next thing I knew is that he got a couple of Seasons on DVD. Right now he and my mother are enjoying a whole lot "24", almost finishing watching all the Seasons that are available on DVD while I still have not seen a single "24" episode. So I really wanted to check "24" and "The Wire", now when my father lent me the DVDs of "24" he will can recommend that show a lot and I expect that I will say to him when I lent him the DVDs of "The Wire" something like "in my book is just as great as you can hear everywhere".
My title is a line of Lance Reddick's character Cedric Daniels and is said near the near of the first hour of "The Wire". Daniels works in the Narcotics Division and by the end of this hour our main character Homicide Detective Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) will have to report with Daniels, now both and, certainly, some others will work together in case, a case that Daniels wants to finish doing things "fast and clean and simple" but McNulty well McNulty is our man, good detective, the criminals we will follow recognize him, McNulty knows that simple buy busts can't f*** Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris) and company.
The acting is just about superb; Dominic West is really great as McNulty, Wendell Pierce plays McNulty's partner Bunk. There are some terrific humorous moments with both McNulty and Bunk (the rat stuff is quite funny), well with McNulty, Bunk and their sergeant Jay Landsman (Delaney Williams) and even with the Homicide Division Major (John Doman). That particular scene isn't really funny for both McNulty and Major Rawls but for us hell is fun seeing how the Major is really p*ssed off with Jimmy, giving him fingers and stuff. You may wonder, why the major was really p*ssed off with our detective? Well, first "The Wire" practically begins with McNulty going to the court, to witness the trial of D'Angelo Barksdale (Larry Gilliard Jr.), not really with a reason McNulty will later say to the judge of the trial, Judge Phelan (Peter Gerety), since D'Angelo's case wasn't his case. The talk between McNulty and the judge delivers a good scene, is a key part, after that talk the Deputy Burrell (Frankie Faison) and in consequence the majors if the Homicide and Narcotics divisions have a judge asking about Avon Barksdale. Certainly McNulty's saying stuff to the judge p*ssed off the major of Homicide, a judge is asking for a case, "if he asks for something, I want to give it to him" says Deputy Burrell.
In "The Wire" we follow, I think you already know, the criminals, we follow D'Angelo after being declared not guilty for murder, we get to see D'Angelo talking about how he killed the guy, wee see D'Angelo laughing about what happened during the trial, about what we and McNulty saw, the obvious thing. What we have with D'Angelo is conventional stuff in the way of having a guy that was pretty much in the top, that killed a guy, that screwed things, that is family though, nephew of THE target Avon, there's no problem but he can't be in the top any more. One of the two characters that Alan Moore mentioned does appears in this first episode, Bubbles is his name and is played by Andre Royo. Bubbles and his pal are drug addicts and they want to f***the f****r by using fake bills. We expected what happened to Bubbles' pal once one of D'Angelo's pals saw that he was the guy with the fake bills, the message was clear, is clear what those bastards will do for few dollars. Is also clear that D'Angelo, on the other hand, is seeing things differently but well terrific first episode. Plus we have a great version of the musical theme by The Blind Boys of Alabama.
1x01
formotog3 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Actually a really good pilot. The dialogue is already really amazing and there are already a handful of really intriguing, distinct characters. It almost didn't really feel like a pilot at times because it just felt that natural. There was a lot to digest but the episode managed to end on a clear goal, and seems to have established the main antagonists and protagonists very effectively. This has made me very eager to continue watching
Mid 8
Mid 8
1
00Yasser1 May 2021
A good pilot with a good casting, usual story about organized drug crimes; a judge who cares and a detective whos actually want to work right in the same time the others wants to still stable but at the same time he should respect the chain of command; the great rule for the gangs "whoever makes a mistake he should be a message to the others"
Great opening episode
silverton-379596 March 2024
This series has a great cast, with a few exceptions. The most notable exception is Sonja Sohn; she is a very poor actress. Most of the time, she sounds as if she's reading her lines from cue cards. I've seen her in other TV work and in a few films, and she hasn't improved in the years I've been seeing her.
The story line is good and the fact that so much of the outside shots are done on location in Baltimore gives the series an authentic look. While a few of the actors don't sound like they are from Baltimore, enough of them do to make this convincing.
IMO, this is the best TV that existed at the time The Wire was running. To me, it's more engaging than anything that has been on HBO, much better than The Corner, in my view.
The story line is good and the fact that so much of the outside shots are done on location in Baltimore gives the series an authentic look. While a few of the actors don't sound like they are from Baltimore, enough of them do to make this convincing.
IMO, this is the best TV that existed at the time The Wire was running. To me, it's more engaging than anything that has been on HBO, much better than The Corner, in my view.
Review of The Target
dreamgirlsession30 January 2022
Horrible Pilot for this show. The show picks up around episode 4-6. That is how I always felt about this Pilot. I suggested it to my friend, he also said, this Pilot is too confusing, they put too many characters into the start.
This is also the reason why my friend was lacking interest in this show, if you lack a great first episode, they stop watching.
This is also the reason why my friend was lacking interest in this show, if you lack a great first episode, they stop watching.
Once upon a time on a stoop in Baltimore, there was a cop named McNulty...
edantheman27 June 2011
Warning: Spoilers
'The Wire' is not one of those shows that jumps up and bites you on the bum with all it's bitey brilliance in the first five minutes. You'd be forgiven for not thinking it's the greatest work of television of all time one episode in (although you're going to Hell if you don't think so by the end of Season Two). It's more like it was made for deeply analytical repeat viewings. I'm a massive fan (actually just over ten stone) of the show and I'll even admit to being slightly disappointed by what then seemed like the most boring supposedly-better-than-the-Sopranos show I'd ever seen. However, I have since walked with Jesus and he has saved my soul. 'The Wire' is God's wiretap on humanity.
Every episode opens with a five-minute prologue (or teaser), with the main theme of every season being demonstrated in each season opener. This being the pilot episode for the entire series, it encapsulates the wider theme of the show on a stoop outside one of Baltimore's historic rowhouses: that whether you're a project yo rolling some dice on a corner looking to do some pot-snatchin or a narcissistic young Homicide detective looking for your ticker-tape parade for putting some big bad gangsters away in jail, the odds are stacked against your dreams. But you gotta play cos this America, man.
As I said in my opener, this is a show that doesn't pull all of it's punches in it's pilot in order to hook the audience. It doesn't pander to audience expectation but rather teaches them how to watch it -and by that I mean patiently. The opening episode isn't called The Wire and isn't told in flashback and doesn't have an extra half-an-hour running time. But listen closely to the wire, as a throwaway line or gesture or passing train on an old railbed will become a storyline in season two or be echoed by someone else later in the series or will have symbolic closure later on. David Simon admits to having all of the major character's story arcs plotted out in advance and foresaw the roles all the other Baltimore institutions would play in the show over it's five-season length before he penned the first teleplay with co-writer Ed Burns. It's this kind of jigsaw structure that elevates this above all other television.
In the pilot, a parallel story structure unfolds between cops n robbers, or Jimmy McNulty and D'Angelo Barksdale to be more specific. Both are youngish men who've managed to survive the institutional insanity of their lives, through their wits and maybe a little nepotism in the latter's case. D's just been acquitted of a murder charge after a witness unexpectedly changed their testimony in court and McNulty's just been spanked by his Major, the Great White Rawls, for breaking the chain of command to try and get a detail on Avon Barksdale, D's Uncle and the alleged drug kingpin of West Baltimore. But only one has a kindly Uncle looking over him and Jimmy is often warned to stop "giving a f*ck when it's not his turn to give a f*ck" or he'll be "riding the boat come next Winter (a little bit of the aforementioned foreshadowing the writers are so fond of)", which is McNulty's idea of police hell as the diesel fumes make him nauseous. Meanwhile, D has already been demoted by his Uncle Avon to the pit (low-rise tenement housing) which is the equivalent to the boat for any real player, who "had a tower since summer". In a way, Simon is saying that the gangsters will always be one step ahead of their pursuers, be it in the effectiveness and haste in handing down punishments to their underlings or in terms of public opinion (no one talks to the 5-O in Bmore but everyone knows and fears their local dope dealer).
This was also very much a show of it's time, as McNulty remarks to his FBI friend and fellow Irish-American Terry Fitzhugh of the lack of federal assistance in fighting the War on Drugs : "Not since those towers fell." tells Fitz. "What? We don't have enough love in our hearts for two wars? Jokes on us." is McNulty's typically anti-establishmentarian reply. They exchange these lines while watching live surveillance footage of raw kilos being cut for some 'Dominicans in New York', and in that throwaway remark lies a plot-point at the beginning of Season Two -remember Stringer Bell dealing with the Dominican drug connect Roberta's lawyer up in New York? Now applaud the writers, for to paraphrase a more recent character, "in The Wire God still resides in the details".
Every episode opens with a five-minute prologue (or teaser), with the main theme of every season being demonstrated in each season opener. This being the pilot episode for the entire series, it encapsulates the wider theme of the show on a stoop outside one of Baltimore's historic rowhouses: that whether you're a project yo rolling some dice on a corner looking to do some pot-snatchin or a narcissistic young Homicide detective looking for your ticker-tape parade for putting some big bad gangsters away in jail, the odds are stacked against your dreams. But you gotta play cos this America, man.
As I said in my opener, this is a show that doesn't pull all of it's punches in it's pilot in order to hook the audience. It doesn't pander to audience expectation but rather teaches them how to watch it -and by that I mean patiently. The opening episode isn't called The Wire and isn't told in flashback and doesn't have an extra half-an-hour running time. But listen closely to the wire, as a throwaway line or gesture or passing train on an old railbed will become a storyline in season two or be echoed by someone else later in the series or will have symbolic closure later on. David Simon admits to having all of the major character's story arcs plotted out in advance and foresaw the roles all the other Baltimore institutions would play in the show over it's five-season length before he penned the first teleplay with co-writer Ed Burns. It's this kind of jigsaw structure that elevates this above all other television.
In the pilot, a parallel story structure unfolds between cops n robbers, or Jimmy McNulty and D'Angelo Barksdale to be more specific. Both are youngish men who've managed to survive the institutional insanity of their lives, through their wits and maybe a little nepotism in the latter's case. D's just been acquitted of a murder charge after a witness unexpectedly changed their testimony in court and McNulty's just been spanked by his Major, the Great White Rawls, for breaking the chain of command to try and get a detail on Avon Barksdale, D's Uncle and the alleged drug kingpin of West Baltimore. But only one has a kindly Uncle looking over him and Jimmy is often warned to stop "giving a f*ck when it's not his turn to give a f*ck" or he'll be "riding the boat come next Winter (a little bit of the aforementioned foreshadowing the writers are so fond of)", which is McNulty's idea of police hell as the diesel fumes make him nauseous. Meanwhile, D has already been demoted by his Uncle Avon to the pit (low-rise tenement housing) which is the equivalent to the boat for any real player, who "had a tower since summer". In a way, Simon is saying that the gangsters will always be one step ahead of their pursuers, be it in the effectiveness and haste in handing down punishments to their underlings or in terms of public opinion (no one talks to the 5-O in Bmore but everyone knows and fears their local dope dealer).
This was also very much a show of it's time, as McNulty remarks to his FBI friend and fellow Irish-American Terry Fitzhugh of the lack of federal assistance in fighting the War on Drugs : "Not since those towers fell." tells Fitz. "What? We don't have enough love in our hearts for two wars? Jokes on us." is McNulty's typically anti-establishmentarian reply. They exchange these lines while watching live surveillance footage of raw kilos being cut for some 'Dominicans in New York', and in that throwaway remark lies a plot-point at the beginning of Season Two -remember Stringer Bell dealing with the Dominican drug connect Roberta's lawyer up in New York? Now applaud the writers, for to paraphrase a more recent character, "in The Wire God still resides in the details".
Started watching the wire
thorodinson-5013018 September 2021
I started watching the from yesterday.
I heard lots of things about it is the level of the Sopranos and breaking bad. My 2nd sem exam was completed so i am free somehow my collage is running but i will watch 1 or 2 episode per day and i think i will complete it in 2 or 3 month.
I heard lots of things about it is the level of the Sopranos and breaking bad. My 2nd sem exam was completed so i am free somehow my collage is running but i will watch 1 or 2 episode per day and i think i will complete it in 2 or 3 month.
Feels nostalgic
gedikreverdi19 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Jimmy spoke to the judge about the mob murders and he messed it up. They formed a team to bust the man behind this. He scared the witnesses and even killed one of them who dared to testify against his man who murdered. He protected his man Dee but assigned him to low rise buildings area. It feels outdated and old at times and there are countless names which makes it difficult to follow but I will keep watching.
See also
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