Underrated/ Down to "The Wire": Season 2, The Best Season of "The Wire"

"The Wire" ended tonight. Yep, one of the best shows in the history of television ended tonight, and while it was enough to get me out of my self-imposed blogger hibernation period, it's not quite enough to get me to reflect on the final episode, and the final season, of the show -- yet. The fifth season was probably my least favorite, which seems in line with a lot of comments circulating the web these days, and I'll likely discuss why in my next post. But for now, let's take a moment to reflect on the ugly stepchild season, season 2.

I'm an ass-backwards "Wire" fan. As I've mentioned in an earlier post, I started watching season 2 before I watched season 1, because I could only find season 2 online at the time, which doesn't make much sense but I'm sticking to my story. From there I was hooked and wanted to see where the plot lead, so I watched season 3, then season 4. At this point season 5 was still two months away, so I spent a weekend at home from college, using my On Demand feature, ignoring my parents, and inhaling season 1's 13 episodes in 2 days. It underwhelmed me. Coming off of the complexity of 3 and 4, season 1 seemed like the characters were still being sketched out, and while this is perfectly fine for a first season, it still couldn't stack up to the others. I mean, c'mon, Wallace isn't half as interesting a character as Carcetti, or Michael, right? Even Stringer and Avon were broad caricatures at the time, and D'Angelo will always resemble a punk to me. So before season 5, I thought season 1 was by far the weakest. Yeah, I know, I don't make sense.

But let's back up. Why was I hooked at this point, enthused enough to watch seasons 3 and 4 in about a week each? Because I decided to give season 2 a try, and after I figured out who the hell all these characters were and what they were doing in this little universe, I couldn't help but keep watching. Maybe I'm just saying this because I watched it first, or maybe because the Avon/Stringer stuff never interested me as much as the police work being done, or maybe it's because my skin is white. But fuck it. Season 2 of "The Wire" is the show's best season.

A lot of my reasoning has to do with the actual structure of the season, which is head and shoulders above the others except for maybe season 4. Season 2 starts with the jolt of the 14 dead girls found in a can on the docks (disclaimer: if I mess up any or all of the details of this season, I apologize; I haven't watched it in its entirety since September), and from there it's a slow, steady burn. The police work is careful and shrewd, and the writing is focused on characters and attuned to detail. The setting of the docks is astonishingly fleshed-out: we get to wake up early with these guys, share drinks with them, get inside their heads. It's a little weak that the detail on Frank Sobotka arises from him basically ruffling Stan Valchek's feathers, but the way the murder case and the detail fold into each other is flawlessly paced. Most importantly to me, the steadiness is transferred to the drug storyline, which is admittedly slow but not without explosiveness. The hotshot in the prison, Stringer's seduction of D's girl before he orders his execution, the powerful presence of Prop Joe and the growing disconnect between Stringer and Avon are all deeply felt. That scene where D'Angelo talks about "The Great Gatsby" ("he frontin' wit all them books, but if we pull one down off the shelf, ain't none of them pages ever been open") is one of the best-written monologues I've ever heard, and is well worth the season's absence of gang-banging and violent drama.

The emotional violence is left for the Sobotkas. Frank, Nick and Ziggy are the epicenter for season 2, and the lynchpin for its success. Luckily, the trio are the most relatable band of miscreants the show has ever offered. Believe me, I love me some Omar, but can I REALLY relate to a gay, shotgun-wielding, Honey Nut Cheerios-loving stick-up artist? Nick is the everyman, the Polish union lackey who, fed up with shrinking hours and a bland lifestyle, tries to dabble in some extracurriculars and does horribly. He may not be the most outlandish character, but he feels very real, as does his lumbering uncle Frank. The boss man tries to keep the docks alive by buying a couple rounds and trying to be everything to everybody, even though he can't be a father to his son. Ziggy is an ass for most of the season, but he's a likable ass, the screw-up who wants to prove that he's not a screw-up even though he knows he is. Watching him slowly sink into the crimes he's too sweetly bone-headed to commit was like seeing someone be overcome by quicksand. When he killed a guy who knew he was a screw-up, we saw his ragged vulnerability fully revealed; when he turned himself in to the police, we saw what is in my opinion the finest single scene "The Wire" has ever produced: his final stinted conversation with Frank, now separated from him by a metallic prison table. "I got tired of being a punchline to every joke," he laments to his father, who doesn't know what to say. It's a gut-wrenching scene that sets up the series' two most tragic figures: Ziggy, the clown who couldn't handle the world's seriousness, and Frank, the father whose overambition made him lose everything he loves.

But let's cut to the chase: season 2 is much more subtle and implosive, but that doesn't mean there's a shortage of pulse-pounding drama. The police work of the show has never been as gripping, from Daniels' grudging participation to McNulty's brilliance during exile to the sly maneuvering of Beadie Russell. Unlike season 1, the roles of the cops were rounded out nicely, and the dialogue and in-fighting between them were electric. Simply put, many of the scenes were just executed beautifully as well. That scene where the police just barely miss putting the lock on Sobotka by tipping him off that something's funny had my heart racing. And the penultimate episode couldn't have ended with a more incredible shot: Frank Sobotka, walking toward the Greek, the shoreline, and his certain death. After that episode, how could you NOT be hooked? And while the finale was not as compelling as the end of season 4, it wrapped up the prostitute murders and Greek storyline in a believable fashion, and gave us the silhouette of rocky things to come between Avon and Stringer in season 3. And Nick Sobotka was saved, as he rightfully should have been. The final shot of him looking through a fence at the fallen docks empire his father had created could not have been more apt.

So scoff if you will, tell me I'm insane. You're probably right. As "The Wire" ends, we'll all have our personal memories of the show, and most people will not share mine. But in a show that focuses on the downfall of the American city, I will always find a storyline about a working-class character who tries bending the rules to make up for waning wages -- and the terrible consequences such a decision leads to -- much more in line with the world around us than a bunch of disciplined gangsters holding board meetings, or a dude with a shotgun sticking up the stash in the world's most risky anti-drug campaign ever. This is over-simplification/blasphemy, I know. But the story, the writing, and the characters of Season 2 will always resonate with me the strongest. "The Wire" is over, but I will always have that memory of watching Season 2 late at night in my dorm room, watching the Sobotkas and co., and wondering why this little cop show that nobody watches was so goddamn good.

Down To "The Wire": Midseason Thoughts

"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.

It Is TV. It's HBO/ List Madness/Down To "The Wire": Top Ten Coolest Characters on "The Wire"

Way down in the hole...

This post has been a long time coming. I have been back at school for about six or seven weeks now, and I have watched every episode of "The Wire" -- all 50 hours -- in that time period. I sort of messed up and (knowingly) started with season 2, because I couldn't find season 1 on any torrents and I figured that the difference between starting at 1 or 2 wasn't that huge. Boy, was this retarded. By the time I knocked off seasons 2-4, I basically knew everything that happened in season 1 (D'Angelo almost flipping, Wallace getting got, Avon being busted, etc.), so watching the entire first season in the past four days has been sort of anti-climactic.

But the past few months have been sort of miraculous nonetheless. I'm not going to talk about how "The Wire" is the best television show maybe ever, because you could read any other review of it to tell you that. Plus, when the fifth and final season starts up in January, I'm gonna be talking about that shit and giving it imaginary awards all day. No, right now I just want to pay tribute to it -- for providing me with such provocative, poignant, gritty entertainment over the past month and a half. I have composed a list of the top ten coolest characters on the show.

This is surely a flawed list: if Bunk Moreland (Wendell Pierce) didn't make it, it would have to be. Every character on the show is brilliantly acted, so this is not an acting award. These are the ten characters on "The Wire" that both entertain and effortlessly handle their shit. You laugh with them, root for them when they gun people down, and you cry when they catch a bullet. It's "The Wire" way.

I want to quickly justify some glaring omissions and shout-out some almost-made-it's, too. I found Avon Barksdale too stupid to be that cool (part of the reason I found season 1 the weakest), and his nephew D'Angelo too wooden. Brother Mouzone may be my least favorite character, because he doesn't exist within the believable parameters of the show's world. And policemen Herk, Carver, Rawls, and Valchek are too asshole-ish to admire. On the other hand, a few characters were SO CLOSE to making this list (just a quick rundown: Daniels, Bunk, Cheese, Bubbles, Slim Charles, Bunny Colvin, and all the kids in season 4) that I have to give them props. For those of you who don't watch the show, you're probably completely lost by now. I apologize (sorry Chris).

10. Councilman Thomas "Tommy" Carcetti -- played by Aiden Gillen

Carcetti is a staple character in seasons 3 and 4, and an odd choice for this list, because it's hard to be cool when you're running for mayor of Baltimore. Still, Tommy is a captivating character because you want to believe that the guy is actually a politician who's not full of bullshit and means what he says. Introduced as a hard-nosed councilman who bribes the police commissioner and sleeps around (not with the commissioner -- yet), Carcetti has evolved into a likable mayor with the help of cool motherfucker Norman Wilson, who deserves his own place on this list. I dunno, Carcetti's just sort of the man.

9. "Proposition Joe" Stewart -- played by Robert F. Chew

Another thing season 1 was lacking was the watchful eye and Southern drawl of Prop Joe, certainly the biggest character of them all. Frankly, it sucks that Proposition Joe isn't given that much to do in the show besides act as a level-headed mediary; even his pivotal plot at the end of season 2, where he organizes a deal with Stringer behind Avon's jailbird back, focuses more on how pissed-off Brother Mouzone gets by the whole ordeal. Anyway, Prop Joe is probably the smartest gangster in Baltimore's game; dude knows how to handle business without getting dirty or violent. He even has the sense to buy back the truck-sized package that Omar stole from him without batting an eye! If Jay-Z's line, "I'm not a businessman, I'm a business... man" refers to anyone on "The Wire", it's Prop Joe.

8. Det. Kima Greggs -- played by Sonja Sohn

Kima is the only female character on this list (Rhonda Pearlman was pretty close to it too), but it's hard to outshine a lady when she is as completely awesome as Greggs. The detective is pretty, tough, gay, and loyal, and although she does cheat on her girlfriend, her girlfriend's insufferably boring, so it's understandable. Maybe it's just me, but Kima Greggs is the one character I would wanna hang out with most in real life. I'm also glad that she's a lesbian, for some reason. Just adds to her awesomeness.

7. Marlo Stanfield -- played by Jamie Hector

Marlo Stanfield is a scary motherfucker. Characterized as an out-and-out sociopath, Marlo is made to be the sort of dude who will shoot his uncle in his balding head if he gets interrupted while watching "Access Hollywood"; if homeboy wants you toast, you're toast. But while this untouchability was once boring, season 4 opened Marlo up as a classic villain, even humanizing him through his relationships with Chris and Snoop. It helps that, for my money, Jamie Hector is the best actor on the show. Hell, the way Marlo Stanfield stands -- shoulders stretched back, like he's ready for battle -- is pretty cool. It'll be interesting to see how he's brought down in season 5.

6. Jimmy McNulty -- played by Dominic West

West is the "main character" of the show, which means absolutely nothing on "The Wire". If you don't believe me, check out the way he does NOTHING in season 4... and that's okay. McNulty is a flashy character, but his idiosyncrasies are better displayed when the spotlight's off of him. Yeah, we know he's a drunk, and a hound, and a damn good cop, but he's a lot more interesting when he's looking impatiently at his ex-wife or angrily throwing a file folder across a room when a witness dies. He's a well-drawn character, and compared to other protagonist cop shows, he's clearly the most relatable. Also, huge props for getting with Beadie Russell, who got crazy hot after the docks case, I guess?

5. Lester Freamon -- played by Clarke Peters

Lester is the coolest cop on "The Wire". Period. What could have been a tired Morgan Freeman impersonation is instead a fantastic example of the show's attention to detail. Over the course of the four seasons, Lester has been an essential part of the unit, whether it be busting into D'Angelo's pager or finding Marlo's bodies in the boarded-up houses. Not only is his backstory intriguing -- stuck it to the system, got put in the pawn-shop unit for thirteen years until they "forgot about him" -- but his current role as the wisened cop is so comfortable that it's impossible not to love the guy. Lester knows his shit, and nobody messes with him. Cedric Daniels didn't make this list because Lester Freamon IS Cedric, only cooler.

4. Preston "Bodie" Broadus -- played by JD Williams

Man, I did not see Bodie's death coming at the end of season 4. And I gotta say, I was more upset than I thought I should have been. But then it hit me -- Bodie, the corner stalwart who rolled with the Barksdale crew until it fell apart, is such a real character that you don't even notice his presence until it's taken away. Bodie is not the most likable guy (damn, why'd you have to do Wallace like that, B?), but he's the most unflinchingly honest portrayal of what happens when the corner chews you up and spits you out. Bodie's legacy will be slinging, and he knows it, but he's diligent and good at what he does, which traps him. As a character, Bodie is equal parts hilarious and ruthless; his swagger kept him afloat for a while. I'm gonna miss him.

3. Dennis "Cutty" Wise -- played by Chad L. Coleman

Shocking that I put him up this high, but let's face facts, people. Cutty's season 3 storyline, which chronicled his struggle to stay out of the projects and find his place in Baltimore after finishing a long bout in prision, was so un-"Wire"-like that it's hard to justify its huge presence as anything but "Cutty's just an awesome guy". His rebirth as a boxing coach is just so blissfully pure amidst the depressing arcs of "The Wire" that it's like rays of sunshine breaking out of dark clouds. Seriously, it's unbelievable to think that "The Wire", which is dedicated to exploring the decaying public systems of Baltimore, would give this guy such a positive outcome. Cutty is just a great guy. I will continue to unabashedly love him when the show returns.

2. Omar Little -- played by Michael Kenneth Williams

You gotta be kidding me. Omar? Not at #1? He's an openly gay gangsta with a big-ass scar on his face who robs drug lords of their stashes with the help of a shotgun! He cooperates with the police to give McNulty one of Barksdale's soldiers! He sometimes whistles "The Cheese Stands Alone" before an execution! Not even Marlo can pin a murder on him to get him convicted! Well, Omar's not #1 because he KILLED my choice for #1, but that's besides the point. Omar Little is a hero on the show, and adds a wild-card dimension to the entire Baltimore drug operation. Everything about the guy is superfly, like a Shaft who likes dudes (no pun intended). The only reason Omar's not dead by now is that the writers couldn't afford to lose his bravado. Can anyone bring this guy down??

1. Russell "Stringer" Bell -- played by Idris Elba

Oh Stringer. I hate the fact that Stringer Bell, Avon's second-in-command and brains of the Barksdale operation, is nowhere to be seen in the final two seasons of the show, but we'll always have those first three. Stringer Bell is one of the most enigmatic television characters ever created. He is surely a bad dude, but at times it seems like the good outweighs the evil. Sure, he runs the Barksdales while Avon's locked up, but he's more understanding than power-hungry, sharply contrasting with the irrational blood-thirst of the Stanfield crew in season 3. Stringer is college-educated, savvy, and really tall, but that's not my favorite thing about him. I love the fact that Stringer can do some terrible things, but they never seem grandiose; everything he does seems reasonable. Stringer hates the dirt he does, and wants nothing more than to soak in what he's accomplished and be satisfied with his winnings. The way he tries and inevitably fails to get out of the game by going legit is heartbreaking. After watching Omar and Brother Mouzone gun him down, I could barely breathe, and had to pace around my room for twenty minutes. "The Wire" constantly tries to create overreaching character arcs that connect with the audience and resemble tragic Greek figures. With Stringer Bell (who was wonderfully played by Idris Elba, by the way), the show accomplished this in stunning fashion.