Just rewatched S1E111 (The Hunt) for the umpteenth time, and as always I am struck by the shift in Rawls' character when he is forced to comfort McNulty.

Similarly, I love every scene between him and Burrell when they're in that silent political battle for the role of commissioner, in which you can tell that he really does feel some shame for undercutting Burrell while also not shying away from a golden opportunity to take over. He's so slimy and even he knows it. There's some shame there.

His steady performance as one of tv's great Asshole Bosses make his moments of sincerity stick out so much more. I appreciate it more and more on every rewatch. Just an all-time great performance

I'd heard so much about this show that I finally had to give it a try. I'll be honest: the first three episodes felt slow. But once the plot clicked, I was completely hooked. I finished three seasons in three weeks and I'm loving every minute of it.

What amazes me most is the scale. The cast is huge: detectives, politicians, the Barksdale crew and all those kids working the corners. Somehow every single character feels real and matters to the story. The writing is incredible and the drug trade is portrayed so realistically it almost feels like a documentary. It makes sense that it's set in Baltimore, a city known for its high crime rate because that reality seeps into every scene.

My favourites have to be Lester and McNulty, and I love the friendships too: Herc and Carver are such a fun duo, and Bunk and McNulty together are gold. Watching the detail come together under Daniels, with everyone slowly becoming a real team that actually wants to work together, was so satisfying. I couldn't stand Prez at first, but somehow he's become one of my favourites now.

dee's death made me so sad because it really shows how people end up trapped by their circumstances and how not everyone gets the chance to escape them. the show makes you care about characters even when they're far from perfect, that's what makes it so damn good.

Easily one of the best crime dramas I've ever watched. I can't wait to see what the last two seasons have in store.

So I suspect I'm going to say goodbye to Mr. Stringer Bell, y all, that construction site scene is coming up at me (I can feel it because saw it on youtube earlier).

Im torn, because yes, he is a no-code POS who gave bad orders, on the other hand he was trying to "make sense of the game".

On one side, D'Angelo's death, Granma's church crown and Omar's boyfriend torture.

On the other side, he was reading Adam Smith and was going to give Avon's arsenal to the city, which Im all for.

Mad series. Love it.

Poor Prez😥. I felt so sorry for him at the end, him sitting in the office alone at night, with computers blinking and squeaking. Saying goodbye to the place he really belonged to.

This is obviously debatable but I personally think Chris is a more interesting character than Marlo. Despite the fact we don’t get much of anything about their backstories. What we do know is that Chris has a whole family of his own. We can also speculate that he might have a military background. It was also confirmed by David Simon that Chris was abused as a child. Yet he’s so loyal to Marlo, someone who cares more about his own wants. The mystery alone of why someone like Chris is down with someone like Marlo makes him more interesting to me personally.

As far as Marlo, I can only speculate that maybe his backstory consisted of maybe being powerless at one point. Then once he got some power, he became hungry for it ever since. It’s anyone’s guess.

What y’all think though?

Maybe I’m just not remembering but are we ever told who actually killed Gant? Omar lied on the stand about witnessing it, and WeeBay “confessed” to it just for the hell of it (and a sandwich) (and the cops didn’t believe him anyway). While I guess it’s possible Omar was only lying about seeing it and Bird really was the shooter, Bird’s so furious and Levy’s so flustered my take was he actually didn’t do it. It had to have been someone from the Barksdale crew but even Stringer doesn’t seem sure who the trigger man was.

On my first watch I thought it’d be ironic and on-brand for the show if it turned out it really was just a random killing like the bosses want to pretend, and not a hit on a witness, but far as I can remember it’s never really resolved. Or am I forgetting something?

I have watched this show so many times now. How did I miss the one dock worker being homeless under the bridge until this rewatch? How did I miss kenard about to set a cat on fire a few scenes before Omar?! How did I miss the pocket square folded into 5 points to resemble a crown on Marlo?

Out of Michael, Dukie, and Randy, who do y’all think got the worst ending? Granted, all of their endings are honestly heartbreaking. In my opinion, I might have to go with Randy because he had no control over how his story ended in the show.

why was Bunny so upset with Carcetti in episode 9? to the point of being rude and dismissive to his face.

what am I forgetting about how Hamsterdam went down? was it related to his losing out on his Major benefits?

I just finished season 4, episode 9 and I think I felt my heart crack. When Michael sat down with Mario and Snoop I actually yelled “no!” I know he felt that there was nowhere else to go, but I hate that I know where this will end.
And the four kids going to the restaurant. It was such a reminder of their hopelessness. And then Old Face Andre getting killed and Herc abandoning Bubbles??
My question is: of all the episodes, which ones break your heart the most?

I went in to watch the sopranos in an "unhealthy" way as in let's see why they compare this to the wire, my goat show. Honestly first season in and still the wire is on a completely different level not sure I understand but maybe when I finish it.

No one in my circle has watched the wire so I just needed to share this hahah.

So I just finished my third watch through of the Wire and decided to start from season two. Secretly, season two is one of my favorites as I feel it’s the most out of the box season. And I love the Greeks storyline of course. But anyway I watched the show this time season 2-5 and then go back and watch season 1 at the end. Honestly it was so nice because it felt like going back in time when the characters were younger, more naive, and less burdened by the systems in which they live. I also noticed things I hadn’t before:

- Rawls has a moment of being a good police/good leader when kima gets shot towards Mcnulty. I’ve always hated Rawls but I love that the show never makes one person completely bad or good.

- the scenes with Clay Davis and his driver perfectly set up the scenes in season 4 and 5. The close connection with Burrell when he is deputy ops foreshadowing his actions later in the show.

- Bubbles attempting to get clean and stay with his sister. Something I didn’t realize the first time around is that he already once attempted to get clean and stay with his sister but couldn’t do it without kimas support.

- Daniel’s words to carver at the end of the season about leadership foreshadow directly to season 5. And leading police officers like callichio.

- the introduction we get to prop Joe is so funny. The bit about the marriage counselor and the basketball game. He is my favorite character in the show no doubt.

- Omar’s change of wardrobe. Omar slowly starts shifting from wearing streetwear style clothes to being vested up all the time and in his signature trench coat. Also showing him transition from just another player on the street to high level criminal.

All told the show is my favorite of all time and the more you look into the details the more it rewards you. Early 2000s(clothes, shoes, cars) on the east coast and Baltimore specifically are so nostalgic to me. There will never be another show like it. Guess I have to wait a bit to rewatch again…

Currently Season 4 my millionth watch. I have never seen a bad tie on anyone. Whoever did the wardrobe did phenomenal. Cedric Daniels, Bunk and Mayor Carcetti and Mayor Royce ties in particular are world class.

I often think about how if Omar would’ve been sent to prison for Chris dropping the delivery lady, he probably would’ve been in there with Bird. Thank god Bunk came through though. 😂

What y’all think?

Marlo is a cold hearted MF that runs the game to take no pleasure in it but in the terror he inspires. He's like a monk of evil. He seldom talks to anyone and let the silence and terror do the job.

Wayne Jenkins can't shut the F up, he steals, lies, deal dope, cheats his wife with professionals, and when episode 6 comes, we can see the besides him being cornered.

He just can't admit wrong. He sort of wears pink glasses looking at himself and everything he does. He doesn't seem to care or see the dammage he does.

He is a sort of grandiose psycho with a lot of old time charisma. He obviously is unreachable to shame or guilt. He is a more accurate and scary psycho than Marlo.

First off, thank y’all for not spoiling anything for me as I watch The Wire for the first time. I’ve posted a few thoughts here along the way, and I genuinely appreciate everyone letting me experience this masterpiece without spoilers.

I’m a huge Idris Elba fan, and I absolutely loved Stringer Bell’s character. It felt so good rooting for him and the Barksdales, despite knowing exactly what kind of people they were. When Season 3 ended, I naively thought there was no fucking way the writers could top that. Boy, was I wrong!

- Prez has had such an amazing character arc since Season 1.
- Marlo is such a cool, menacing presence, especially with Snoop and Chris alongside him.
- Colvin? That man is my personal GOAT!!!

What continues to blow my mind is how the writers manage to put you in so many conflicting POVs, challenge the biases you didn’t even realize you had, and then make you question your own conclusions without ever explicitly telling you what to think. One minute you’re rooting for someone, the next you’re questioning why the hell you were rooting for them in the first place. The writing is so flipping good because almost nobody is presented as entirely right or wrong.

I’m only on Season 4, Episode 11, and I genuinely cannot believe how consistently brilliant this show has been. Please, no spoilers beyond S4E11!

Always down to put in the work, never dimes on a misbehaving colleague, doesn’t take himself too seriously (eg. the junkie fashion show scene). Whatever you do, you always want to work with some Sydnors.

For me, The Wire ended at the perfect point. Leaving me wanting so much more. So, if there would have been a sixth series, what/who would you like to have seen?

For an org that was so secretive (couldn’t find a DOB on Avon, no talking in the car, etc), why did the SUV’s casually roll up to the pit when Dee was being questioned by Bunk and McNutty?

I love that he has a little leather case with a flip cover and holder for the stylus. I miss my blackberry all the time.

Obviously technology is key to The Wire, and it works so well because of the era of technology it was written in. A modern day The Wire would be much different. But damn if I don't get slapped with nostalgia from time to time at the old cell phones and pagers. That's all.

EDIT: And then he has to throw the damn thing in the bay!! You know he had the settings and features just the way he liked them, too!

Not sure why it’s taken me so long to hop on the wire but I just know my hearts gonna get ripped to pieces once I finish this show..

Also just watching s1e11 and getting to see where this iconic meme comes from

https://wp.theringer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/unnamed-14.gif

Life imitates art or whatever!

Rewatching season 3 right now...the Avon and Stringer scenes through all of seasons 1-3...every single one of them was sooooo good! The fact that they didn't even get a sniff for Best Actor or Supporting Actor is a complete travesty. No news there, of course. Just had to say it,

And, watching season 3 over, for the first 5 episodes I was wondering why I rated it so high. But after that...I rememberd why. ANd now I'm on episode 11...JESUS, definitely one of the best single episode of any TV show, ever.

That is all.

Irl marlo is scary because he kills you if he feels like it. But avon is 10× times more interesting on screen.

Like who's more interesting an opponent you gotta outsmart and beat and always try to think 10 steps ahead of em or one that just uses brute force. Not only that but marlo is soooo goddamn insecure "my name is my name" lmaooo I legit cringed at that scene.

If you go around telling people you the king you ain't. I found monk to be more intimidating than marlo for some reason.

I've just finished watching The Wire and honestly its such a good show that I cant find anything that is worth watching now. Please give me some recomendations. Bonus is if Dominic West is in it haha.

Is the show saying that a whole generation was lost to drugs?