THE WIRE season 4 (see post #1 re: SPOILERS) (1 Viewer)

[Michael Reuben]

Looks like TWCable of Manhattan finally got with the program. Episode 2 was posted to their on-demand service this morning. Looking forward to watching it tonight.

Season 4 has been getting more press and better reviews than I can remember from any prior season. Entertainment Weekly gave it an A+, which is not something you see often.

M.

 

[Chad Erickson]

i wonder if all of the positive reviews has anything to do with reviewers getting the entire season's episodes instead of just the first 4 or 5?

 

[Michael Reuben]

I'm sure that's a big part of it. All of us regular viewers know that the payoffs in this series take time but are well worth waiting for.

M.

 

[Michael Reuben]

GREAT NEWS! HBO has already picked up The Wire for a fifth season, based largely on the critical response:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060913/tv_nm/wire_dc

Not-so-great news: The fifth season will be the last. Still, I remember David Simon saying in interviews that five seasons is what he originally envisioned. So this means he'll have a chance to complete his original outline.

M.

 

[Matt^Brown]

This show has ruined all other cop shows for me. My wife doesn't understand why but after 3 seasons of The Wire nothing else compares.

I hate that the gang (I mean the cops) are all broken up. Some of my favorite moments are with that original crew all working together.

 

[Chad Erickson]

That is awesome news about season 5. it should be interesting to see what David Simon's take is on Mass Media. I'm sure it won't be too flattering.

As a side note, has anyone seen the second episode this season? I checked my ONDEMAND last night via Comcast and they still don't have the new episode available. Hopefully tonight.

 

[Marty M]

For once, our local cable provider, Insight, is on the ball. My wife and I watched the second episode this past Monday night. With the new TV season start I might just watch it on Sunday, although it sometimes helps to understand the Wire better if you watch an episode the second time.

 

[PhilipG]

That's potentially fantastic news - but I'll wait till cast are re-signed and the number of new eps known before celebrating too wildly.

 

[Holadem]

Same here. See Deadwood...

Terrific opener.

Now that Stringer is no longer, I have a new fav character, Carcetti. His fund-raising montage was my favorite scene of the episode. I truly hope he keeps straddling that fine line between self-serving frat-boy and the rare Baltimore official that actually gives a shit. Did/does he boink his campaign manager? I wanna say yes, but don't recall any suggestion to that effect in the episode or last season.

Interesting how we saw less of McNulty than just about anyone else. He remains on his self-prescribed path to righteousness, yet a very slight glimpse of cunning and recklessness self came through with that binder.

I didn't think it was possible to come up with a cleverer druglord than the Barksdale-Stringer combo, but apparently it is. Marlo has figured out the very simple fact that bodies get you more attention from law enforcement than just about anything else. So now we have a mass grave in one of the decrepit, boarded up buildings of the Baltimore projects . Of course, it is more likely that the bodies are spread in different buildings. According to the HBO synopsis, the stuff Marlo's minions poured on their victim after the first execution of the episode is quicklime, which according to Wikipedia "has traditionally been used in the burial of bodies in open graves, to hide the smell of decomposition". Nice...

Classic choice of colors for the rival kiddie gang's apparels.

My only issue with the episode was the spotty acting in part by some of the kids, and one clunky exchange with the foster parent (could have been the acting as well).

Was there any indication of the time elapsed between seasons? Couldn't have been more than a year, since there was already talk of elections at the end of last season.

Whatever happened to Prop Joe? Chilling in a boarded up building?

--
H

 

[Chris Woodard]

I think the actor who plays Clay Davis may deliver the most impressive reading of dialogue of all time in episode #2.

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT

 

[Michael Reuben]

That's kind of a personal trademark. The actor, Isiah Whitlock, delivers the same line with the same reading in 25th Hour, where he plays a fed, and I think he does the same thing in She Hate Me, where he also plays a fed.

I particularly enjoyed the contrast between his conversational style with the mayor when he was angry and with Stringer when they were doing a "deal" in season 3.

M.

 

[Holadem]

As I read that spoiler (I've yet to see the epsiode, I am stupid like that), I immediately thought of The 25th Hour, yet until Michael made the connection, I never realized it was the same actor .

--
H

 

[James St]

But what is that Clay Davis line in reference to?

Did the hit that Stringer ordered on him late last season still stand?

 

[Chad Erickson]

Holadem -

As far as what has been shown on the show, Carcetti has not slept with his campaign manager. McNulty slept with her last year until he figured out she was using him for information about Hamsterdam. Carcetti did have relations in a bathroom with someone at a fundraiser last year though.

As far as McNulty goes, i'm pretty sure i read that he is only going to be in a handful of the shows this year as he was wanted for many film projects.

Comcast still doesn't have thier act together. I called again last night and the lady read me some scripted crap that they are doing thier best to get the missing shows up for users. I'll say it again, hopefully tonight they will have the episode posted.

 

[Raasean Asaad]

lol @ Chris

 

[Marty M]

Did this happen last season after McNulty had been with her?

 

[Chad Erickson]

Another great episode last night. I love the Carver/Bodie relationship. I like how they have shown both of them grow over the past three years. Carver has went from doing nothing but busting heads to learning the streets the way Colvin showed him last year.

Random Notes.
*Loved seeing the Avon Barksdale boxing poster in Cutty's gym.
*Sheeeeet - ala Clay Davis - he gets some of the best lines on the show
*Weebay as Namond's dad was cool to see.
*They finally paid offer the conversation that Carcetti and D'Augustino had last season regarding the letter he sent to the mayor regarding witness protection. To anyone that didn't see last year, it just appears as a way to attack the mayor, but if you saw last year, you know it was a part of thier political agenda from the beginning.
*Omar is back next week!

Hopefully Comcast gets thier act together tonight and makes Episode 40 avaialble. They never did have last nights episode up on their ONDemand system. Sheeeeet.

 

[Garrett Adams]

With Jimmy more or less less out of the action Lester Freeman is now my favorite character.

 

[Everlasting Gobstopper]

Great ep this week. We got to see Bubbles, Burrel, Rawls, and Landsman, all of whom were MIA last week, and from the previews, a couple more no-shows will be back next week.
Anyone else thinking that after last night's little coup within the police department, that Landsman might end up with a nice promotion to Lieutenant in the Southeastern district, under Maj. Valcheck? Not to mention if Carcetti wins the election, Valcheck might become Deputy Ops (it'd be a bit of a stretch for him to become comissioner)
Also great to see that wordless exchange between Bubbles and Prez.
Anyone else wondering if they held on to all that paperwork on Clay Davis' driver and the bag of money he received way back in Season 1? Knowing Freamon, it's tucked away somewhere safe because "all the pieces matter."

 

[Marty M]

I really liked that exchange between Bubbles and his new "assistant" talking about running into the glass ceiling. Great writing.