The Wire, Season 5 -- Read Between the Lines

I just finished the final episode tonight and while Season Five was definately a drop-off compared to the amazingness that was Season Four, the end montage where everything kind of cycles back up really drove home the point that this show was one of the best in recent television history.

I mean, seeing Sydnor (I think that was his name, he's the one character I have trouble placings) basically step into the role of McNaulty to go around the proper channels and get in touch with a judge was great. But to see the evolution of Carver into the next Daniels, Duke becoming the next Bubbles, Michael the next Omar and Marlo show the stubborness of Avon to getting out of the game really slammed home the idea that this wasn't your typical show. They were no good guys, no bad guys, just everyday normal people.

If this was any other show, McNaulty and Lester would have wrangled their way out of trouble, Duke would have pulled himself out of the drug culture and Prez would have saved all the kids he taught. Hard to imagine Namond was the one rescued kid of the group, especially seeing how far he was in S4.

Overall, I'd give the season a 4/5, rank it as fourth out of the five ( it goes 4/2/1/5/3 for me) and say that I really regret not watching it on HBO and giving it a chance to live on.

 

Season 3 at the bottom? I thought it was the best of all 5. For my money 3/4/1/2/5.

For those talkin bout Snoop, the scene at the start of Season 4 was amazing. I loved when her and Chris are talking about how to figure if a dude is from New York. She just walks up to that dude and asks "Who is your favorite on The Big Phat Morning Show" and was ready to shoot the wrong guy. Chris had to pull her off and his quote "Maybe I'll ask the questions from now on" was priceless.

 

I watched them the other day. They were cool.

 

I rank season three at the bottom not to insult it but to show how great The Wire really was. Even it's worst season (IMO) was better than most of the stuff on TV.

To me aside from Bell getting lit up, the whole season just seemed to me to be an uneven attempt at duplicating the magic from season one.

Season four, for me, was the absolute best because the whole series was about people trying to change the system, trying to make improvements and in the end it got them either nowhere or in a worse position than before. (See Carcetti's platform/Bunny's program/ Prez's classroom/Bub's job).

 

Season 4 was great. Watching some of the kids on the show was great, Tristan Wilds was amazing as Michael. He is going to be a serious force in the acting world, kid has chops.

 

Everyone seemed to advance at the end of the fifth season except for every street kid sans Namon.

The street kids just got chewed up.

 

It sucked what happened to Randy, he seemed like a good kid. As far as the depiction of the group home, I have heard that they are a place you would not wish on your worst enemy.

 

I know this is a bit random but I just finished my first re-watch of the Wire and, after some time to reflect on it, I'd like to amend my earlier comments on the series and say that I have a new order of preference for the seasons.

For me, Season Four is still the best. I mean, everything about that year was special. Here you've got four new characters and not even 10 minutes in they feel like they've been there the whole time. And what's really great about that season is the idea that you can save an at-risk child if you're willing to put in the time and effort required to do so. I also thoroughly loved the dynamic between Chris, Snoop and Marlo and felt that this was the one season where Marlo seemed like a legit drug kingpin and not some unknown rookie (Season 3) or some poor Avon Barksdale ripoff (Season 5).

In addition, I'd like to amend my previous statement to say that, upon further review, Season Two does not hold up nearly as well as Season 3 did. With that in mind, my new ranking for the seasons go 4/3/1/2/5. The fake serial killer thing just ruins any chance the last season had of truly reaching the bar this show had set with Season Four.

Also, is there a more depressing moment in the show than Stringer Bell's death? I mean, Jesus. It's absolutely tragic. Here's a guy who wants so desperately to get out of the drug world that he's willing to kill for it and, in the end, he's trapped in his efforts of reform, killed inside his own creation and turned into a punchline for the Clay Davis' of the world.

 

Terrific series, definitely one of my favourites of recent years.
I agree with your order as 4/3/1 -- I may even push 3 ahead of four, it's that close for me -- but I liked 5 better than 2. Two just took too long to really get into it. Yes they had the container full of girls at the beginning, but there was too much putzing around after that, took a solid three or four episodes to pull me in like season 1 or any of the others. Not that I didn't like the season, it just was my least favourite of the five.

 

I loved Season Two from about the second episode in and the reason I rank it above five is that the portrayal of Frank Sabotka is just so well done it's tragic. They took this guy who at first glance seemed like a real dick and made him into a very likable character who you're rooting for ... and then he goes and walks to his death.

Season Five, meanwhile, had very little in terms of redeemable qualities, mostly because of how bad the fake serial killer thing was. I mean, I know Jimmy and Lestor showed throughout the series that they were willing to go around the bosses but manipulating evidence? Tampering with the scene? Desecrating dead bodies? No, that struck me as too much.

Also, the complete and utter ineffectiveness that is Tommy Carcetti reached its tipping point, to me, in this season. I had so much hope for him in Season Four, even when he turned down the governor's $54 million handout and I just couldn't buy into this whole premise that the mayor of Baltimore, who hadn't even served out a full term and had done NOTHING for his city, could really win the governors election on a platform of less crime (When it was going up) and protecting the homeless (who didn't need to be protected).

I will say this though. Seeing Bubbles get clean was heartwarming ... only matched by the heartbreaking feeling I got watching Dukie slip through the cracks one last time.

And I don't mind if you flip Seasons 3 and 4. Both are remarkable. I only give 4 the edge because of the subject matter and how well I feel the show portrayed what it's like in an inner-city school system.

 

Five could have been great, but it was clearly rushed, Simon had his grudges to pay off, and as noted, much of the plotting was obvious. The latter may seem especially so because of our familiarity with the business, but nevertheless . . .