"He was in the glee club."
Technically, I've seen the first seven episodes of the fifth and final season of "The Wire", but I won't spoil anything about the two episodes that haven't aired yet. What's been interesting about season 5 for me is the fact that I can't inhale the eps like I did for the first 4 seasons using torrents; I 've basically had to watch one episode a week, and the days in between have been painfully long.
Midway through the season, I'm finding it difficult to locate where season 5 belongs on the greatness meter when compared to the other four seasons. The serial killer plotline and the way it's linking itself to Scott Templeton is arguably the center of this season, and it seems that, if you go along with the thread without holding a grudge, you'll enjoy the season more. Frankly, it goes against the grain of the show by being so unrealistic; c'mon, how many times have cops fictionalized serial killers for more police funding? If it's not a plotline straight out of a bottomfeeding "L&O" ep, it at least treats the gritty cop beat the way "House" treats standard medical practice. Personally, I think it's a lot more interesting to think of it more as a critique of our sensationalizing society (adding bite marks to draw media attention is a terrifyingly truthful detail) and a character study of McNulty. Sure, Lester's helping him with the dynamics and Bunk's reacting like a sane person, but Jimmy's leap off the deep end is pretty damn compelling, especially after his moral breakthrough in season four. Watching him deteriorate back into a drunk and a hound helps justify the looniest, most insubordinate idea he's ever had, but the fact that he's doing it to get police work done and nail a man who dropped 22 bodies and is ruling the West side -- a man who's case the mayor sort of dismissed -- somewhat rationalizes his out-of-the-box actions. This is a man pushed to the edge, a smart man who knows how to manipulate bosses and the media so that he can get the funding to drop Marlo. If you don't dig the serial killer plot (and trust me, I've had days of disapproval), at least recognize what a fascinating character McNulty is.
On the other side of the coin, somebody get Jamie Hector some kind of fucking award, because his performance as Marlo should be the stuff of legend. As if anyone doubted the cold-bloodedness of the kid, the way he dropped Prop Joe (R.I.P.) without batting an eye or saying more than "I was never made to play the son" was truly chilling. The best part about him is that he's ridiculously successful: with a connect to the Greeks and Joe out of the way, the kid's on his way to becoming untouchable. It'll be interesting to see whether or not McNulty and Lester can bring him and his goons down by season's end, or if they still takin over, one city at a time. My gut tells me that "The Wire" does not pull any punches, and will not gift-wrap a happy ending into their depiction of the streets of Baltimore, so I think Marlo stands upright at the end of episode 10. It would be damn depressing, but having the ultimate incarnation of evil succeed would be pretty historic as well (since the Patriots lost in the Super Bowl).
Of course, Marlo's gotta dodge Omar first (SPOILER: falling out of that window wasn't the last we'll see of Mr. Honey Nut Cheerio's). Slate.com's recent article on "The Wire" criticized the show for routinely suspending its realism so that Omar can stick around, and I gotta say, it's a valid point. I mean, how the HELL is that guy not dead yet? The window stunt was probably the deepest dip into Fantasyland yet. Omar is obviously a central figure and lovable character, but his wild-card status is starting to look a little cartoonish on a show this trench-deep in reality. Not saying I love my man Mr. Little any less, although I can almost guarantee that Omar will be a goner by season's end, especially with his newfound thirst for dispatching Marlo. As we've seen before, Chris Partlow does not fuck around. I'm all about Omar taking down the king, but my money's on Chris when the two square off.
And then there's the newsroom. I don't want to dwell on this part of the show in the same way I never want a particular episode to dwell on the Baltimore Sun storyline. I don't dislike what David Simon is doing here, but it doesn't really gel with the rest of the show in the way the school storyline or even the docks of season 2 did. I think that's because it's too removed from the drug trade, the streets, the central focus of the show. From the way Hamsterdam was shoehorned into the politics-driven third season to the way we watched Frank Sobotka and Michael Lee fall in with the wrong crowd of slingers, drugs and the violence they put into motion were always pretty central to the "Big Issue" storylines of "Wire" seasons. There's a feeling of disconnect surrounding Simon's analysis of a dying newsroom, and it makes it appear more agenda-driven than it probably is. It doesn't help that all of the characters are either good or bad (good: Gus, Alma, old-timey copy editors; bad: Templeton, guy who plays Doug in 'Flight of the Conchords', main editor/suspenders enthusiast), and that's about all. We understand that there are those who abide by the sacred laws of journalism and those who want to sharpen their resume by sensationalizing their writing, and this was interesting when it was a movie called "Shattered Glass", but it doesn't congeal with the world of cops, dealers and politicians that "The Wire" has established over four brilliant seasons.
My criticisms are probably magnified, though. Omar and the BS newsroom are realistic and entertaining enough to still allow "The Wire" to wear the Best Show On Television Without A Doubt crown. There's a ton more about the first five episodes that I could talk about -- the awesomeness of Carver, Method Man's rise to Emmy-worthy status, the "why spend so much time on this?" nature of the Clay Davis trial -- and if you want my opinion, feel free to comment. Truth be told, with only five episodes left (three for me!), I'm starting to get a bit misty-eyed. I guess I'm gonna start watching "Dexter" when it's over, even the CBS commercials for it look kick-ass.
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