The Wire

Believe me, Zeke. As I've stated several times, Omar may be my favorite character on television. But The Wire isn't my favorite show because it seldom gives that emotional payoff that I'm looking for out of a show. As of right now, I'd probably rank Lost and 24 ahead of The Wire on my favorites list, but it is, by far, the best show out there right now.

 

We're on the sam page, Doc. I'm just saying it's my favorite and I think it's the best, although Studio 60 has promise.

I'm starting to wonder if the unanimous critical acclaim isn't actually hurting The Wire. I wonder if people -- like Simmons admits -- have avoided the show because so many people have told the how GREAT it is, how they HAVE to watch it.

I know I have come across as strident to people like my Dad who have HBO but don't watch the show. I think it's such a waste.

 

No contest at all.

 

I want to thank you all ... I'm almost done with Season 2. Trying to remember when anything on TV gave me such pleasure. (Or film, for that matter.) Can't quite come up with anything.

 

The whole thing with Cutty's woman, and whether or not she was the teacher who comes to Pryz's rescue was bothering me, so I did some research. It is the same woman, actor and character, at least according to wikipedia's episode recaps.

Grace Sampson

* Played by: Dravon James
* Appears in

Season 3: "Dead Soldiers" and "Mission Accomplished".
Season 4: "Soft Eyes"; "Home Room".

Sampson is a senior middle school English teacher and is the head teacher for the eighth grade at the Edward Tilghman Middle School. Grace has son named Allen, after the boys father. She had a relationship with Dennis "Cutty" Wise before he was sentenced to a long prison term. When he was released from prison he tracked Grace down and learned where she was working. She avoids reconnecting with Cutty but offers him help in the form of putting him in touch with her church deacon to help him find work. Cutty visits Grace again when he has established a boxing gym for local kids. She rebuffs his advances again and tells him that she is proud of him. Grace's sister Queenie is a drug addict and is envious of the way her sister has taken control of her life.

Grace is feared and respected by her students who know her as Mrs. Sampson. She is able to subdue a classroom quickly and commands the attention of children easily. As head of the eighth grade she encourages her teachers to use simple consistent rules in the classroom to make it easy for the students to comply. She is supportive of new teacher Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski and helps him with discipline problems in his classes when she can. When a student named Chiquan is attacked by a classmate wielding a boxcutter in Pryzbylewski's class it is Grace who steps in and slaps the violent student to disarm her. She comforts the injured girl and asks a responsible student to phone for an ambulance.

Actress Dravon James portrays both Grace and her sister Queenie

 

I plowed through all of season 1 in about two days and agree with those who thought it was the best season of a tv show ever. I'm now into season 2, and while the story is still interesting and the show is well-written, I agree with whoever said the acting/ characters aren't as good this season. It probably does have something to do with the innercity game being more intriguing than the docks, because while granted I have never lived anywhere near innercity Baltimore it was actually easier to associate with that than with dockworkers for me and I think that's largely based on the actors' performances.

I think the biggest weakness of season 2 is the acting, outside of the main crew, as said earlier though I don't feel like finding that post. Ziggy just sucks. I think he's a useless character and I have yet to find myself rooting for him or caring about him. Nick is trying too hard. He could be a good character but the acting isn't that good. I keep thinking of him as the Ben Affleck character in Good Will Hunting; trying too hard to play this badass, yet good guy (though Affleck did a better job, in probably his only good acting job). And Frank overracts every scene. How many times can that guy blow up over every little thing? It gets old seeing him fly off the handle and be soooo passionate about everything. I get it -- he's trying to protect his union, and he has to deal with being dirty to do it.

The show is still at the top of my list, but season 2 is well behind season 1. I want to see how season 2 shakes out, but I'm more interested in starting season 3 because I think I've heard it goes back to the streets. Those characters/actors: Bodie, Avon, and Stringer, and Wallace and D'Angelo (though those two obviously aren't going to be in season 3) act circles around the season 2 cast, IMO.

 

Boobie,

All I can say is I envy you for still having Season 3 of The Wire unknown to you.

Be careful on these threads, especially Whitlock. There are massive spoilers you don't want to come across for Season 3.

 

Season two was defintely a step back.

 

Haha I know. If I see the number "3" I move right on. It's those sneaky s.o.b.'s that right it out AP style that get me. I have seen a little of the spoilers but it's my own fault for having missed out on the show for so long. And I get so wrapped up in every story line and each episode that I guarantee I'll forget some of the spoilers anyways.
Looking forward to wrapping up season 2 in the next few days, then it's back to the streets (I think)...

 

Yes, I don't think it's spoiling anything to tell you it focuses on Barksdale and crew.

 

Season 2 is so not a step back. I'm sorry, but you're all just crazy. As Whitlock says, it shakes things up by showing you that race isn't important as economics is in what people will do to survive. D'Angleo's storyline is tragically beautiful, especially the Great Gatsby scene, you get Prop Joe doing all kinds of awesome Prop Joe stuff, ("N---a got more bodies on him than a Chinese cemetary. Sheeeeeeet."), you've got the episode where McNulty "accidentally" can't escape a harem of prostitutes, Omar testifying against Bird, and you've got Frank Sobatka watching his whole world crumble around him, and it's one of the most honest portrayals of the working class ever put on television. The only flaw of the second season, in my opinion, is Ziggy. He's the only thing that doesn't ring true. There is less "action", fewer gun battles, but better writing. George Pelecanos and Dennis LeHayne both started writing for the show in Season 2. Bad Dreams, the penulitimate episode, is one of the best ever.

Boobie, don't judge Season 2 yet until you watch the end. It all comes together in the last few episodes. When Steve Earle plays in the last episode, you'll rewind and watch the season ending montage several times before it really all clicks. It took me a few weeks after it was over to digest how good Season 2 was. Don't believe the hype.

 

Problem is, DD.... I think that Ziggy was a HUGE flaw.

Step backward.