User reviews

This Review is aimed at anyone who has never seen the wire, but may have heard about it from about 3000 people recommending you should watch it. I watched the wire about 3 years ago well after the series concluded, and watched it in the same binge watching way I watched The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and Game of thrones. I won't compare The Wire to these shows because they are not really comparable other than the fact they are some of the greatest shows ever, but are completely different. The wire isn't about drug dealing, the police, politics, or the education system, it is about the entire city of Baltimore. I'll admit The Wire isn't for everyone, it may be too violent or complex with the vast amount of characters and side stories for some, but I guarantee if you are a film and TV series lover and appreciate writing, acting, and an abundance of interesting characters, the wire is pretty much perfect in these regards. Each Season changes slightly in which facet of the city it will mainly cover, and becomes more complex as the series progresses. This show has without a doubt some of the most interesting characters, and best writing I have ever seen on a series. Even small side characters have intriguing stories that progress throughout the entire series, and I have never seen more attention to detail. This show isn't built up with such high expectations for people who haven't seen it for no reason, watch it , and there is about a 99.99% chance you will become one of those previously mentioned 3000 people recommending it to everyone you know who hasn't seen it.

I don't even no where to begin to explain how much I love The Wire! It's a crime drama that takes place in Baltimore. It takes a gritty look into the lives of everyone from police officers to gang members to drug users to political figures, etc. The writing and acting for this amazing series is down right brilliant. All you have to do is read through the reviews to see how loved this show really is. The consistency of the greatness of this show throughout all five seasons is ridiculous. The gritty attention to detail makes this series feel so real. It's easily one of the best shows of all-time.

The Wire absolutely, without a doubt, lives up to all the hype and love it gets. The storytelling is so ridiculously good and that's because that this is one of the best written shows in television history. It's one of those rare shows where every season is just as good as the others. It's ranked #6 All-Time with a 9.3 rating for a reason... because it's absolutely amazing! If you google any "best show ever" list you will find The Wire near the top of every single one. If you've never seen this incredible show then do yourself a favor and go watch it immediately and if you have seen it then go watch it again because it's just that good!

Along with TV-shows like 'Oz', 'Deadwood', 'The Sopranos' and 'Six Feet Under', David Simon's 'The Wire' was part of a revolution - qualitywise - in television. Although it is very entertaining, this isn't just entertainment; this is art, pure and simple - and the concept of this show was groundbreaking. On the surface, one might think this is a show about crime, but really, 'The Wire' is about the life and soul of a whole city. Every aspect of the city of Baltimore gets its share of screen time, and the way this is done - the writing, the direction, the amazing performances by the terrific cast; the music, the camera work, the realism... I could go on and on - is just outstanding. On par with 'Generation Kill' (no wonder, since the same creative team was behind both), this is as good as television gets.

Favorite films: http://www.IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/

Lesser-known Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

Favorite Low-Budget and B-Movies: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054808375/

Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls075552387/

This series not winning an Emmy, is why awards are nonsense. Andre Royo alone deserves one for every season this show was on.

I don't subscribe to HBO. A couple of weeks ago I heard an interview with a young actor from this series on NPR. It was described as a "gritty crime drama" with many Baltimore locals portraying variations on themselves. The interview made it sound interesting enough that I decided to check out the first season on DVD.

After the first few episodes I became seriously hooked and devoted 36 hours of the next ten days to the show.

Having now watched the first 3 seasons, I believe it to be the best television series I have seen.

I do not understand why this show hasn't generated the buzz or the awards of HBO's other series, such as the Sopranos or Deadwood. It is more gripping, faster paced, and more intelligent. The other shows can be a bit plodding, with plot lines that go nowhere, and a few characters I don't much care about. That wasn't the case here.

The show is a cross between the Sopranos and the old NBC show Homicide: Life on the Street. The crime/sopranos side and the law/Homicide side run in parallel. Individually, the parallel plot lines are compelling. In tandem, they are complimentary and brilliant.

There is no way to avoid having "the best show ever" tag sound like anything but silly hype--regardless, what makes this show substantially better than any other realistic and compelling crime or police drama is the fact it is... searching. It doesn't just delve into the individual psychologies motivating these people (ala the Sopranos) or the complex interactions amongst the members of a community (ala Deadwood) it asks "what the hell can be done for all of these people" and points out the problems with any and all of the answers.

It's truly brilliant. If you like intelligent television, I envy the enjoyment you will have watching this for the first time.

I first attempted to watch this series over a decade ago when I started getting interested in films and tv shows in a major way, but I was still not mature enough to enjoy the more complex kind of TV I see that now. I used to think the show was boring, did not understand half of it, to be fair I am not from USA and some of the language in this show is a little too high level for a non native to understand from both the cops and drug dealers, even now I still don't get a few expressions they do or police terms. I guess I even hated it I only watched the first season and save a few scenes I was mostly bored

Now I feel like my taste has matured a lot since I last saw it, decided to give it another chance, and now I see every scene, every dialogue, every line between the lines and I haven't even finished the first season again and I am loving it, maybe not yet as much as I love Sopranos or Breaking bad which are arguably simpler but very smart, real and entertaining. The Wire does feel more complex on its themes I guess it's too real in a way which is why I thought it was boring the first time, they bother with details normally other TV shows would skip or overlook.

I still think Sopranos is better, it is easier to digest, but without losing that feeling of realism and being relatable on every level, but it doesn't make the wire any less important.

I look forward to finishing it this time and maybe even update my review once I am all done.

Definetly the most realistic show I have ever watch. You can feel for all of the characters, there is no certain good nor evil like the real life. Acting is also amazing, a piece of fine art. The Wire is a must watch show, trust me you won't regret it.

I have seen many brilliant shows, and The Wire is one of them. Even the word brilliant isn't enough to put into words how good this series is. The Wire is incredibly well made, with moody lighting, striking location work that also brings atmosphere and great photography, while the music is very haunting. The Wire with its thoughtful and tense dialogue also has some of the best writing of any show I've seen, the stories are ceaselessly compelling and the characters are rich and unforgettable. All the episodes are superbly directed, and very rarely do you feel cheated at the end of episodes. The acting is superb, Dominic West and Idris Elba are especially brilliant. In conclusion, phenomenal. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Here's my rating with some little review for every season:

Season 1: 8.5/10 (Impressive start, although the plot feels so slow)

Season 2: 9/10 (Masterpiece of storytelling)

Season 3: 10/10 (Omar Little the champions of people)

Season 4: 11/10 (is this a real life? Is this just fantasy?)

Season 5: 9.5/10 (such a perfect conclusion)

I heard that during it's initial run that The Wire's creator David Simon had to convince executives to not cancel the show. Take a moment to digest that. Cancelling The Wire... You look at shows today, Riverdale, The Flash... all these PATHETIC shows that keep on running for no reason and The Wire, the GREATEST TV SHOW was almost cancelled.

The Characters are so intricately crafted to mirror relationships on both sides. There is no singular 'main character' but a collection of talented actors playing the role made for them. OMAR LITTLE. One of the greatest television characters.

Show, don't tell. Perfectly executed. The right song at the right time to clue you in. The quote at the start of the episode always, ALWAYS has a deeper meaning than you think.

Possibly the best thing written for television ever; certainly the best to come out in the last 25 or so years.

"The Wire" escapes the melodramatic pitfalls of shows like "the West Wing," "Six Feet Under" and even "The Sopranos" (which are all smartly written--or rather have had their moments of greatness).

Here is a show which over the course of 37 hours weaves together scores of very tautly detailed characters. It's not easy to watch--and its certainly challenging. But it is surely worth it.

The story unfolds in Baltimore and is a study on the effect of institutions on its members: police, politicians, criminals, addicts.

Some may find the show didactic. This is understandable because its creators make heavy usage of allegory (for instance, seasons three's not-so-subtle criticism of the situation in Iraq).

Didactic or not, the show forces its viewers to think about and hopefully start a larger discussion of the issues it touches upon: the failure of the drug war, the gradual extinction of the American worker and the dangers of a presumptive, preemptive war.

Hats off to creators David Simon and Ed Burns (a retired BPD detective) for creating one of the most interesting, daring shows in the history of television.

Let's hope HBO renews it for another 26 episodes.

I find it surprising to see everyone likes this show so much. Sure, the cast, direction, camera and writing are outstanding; definitely some of the best on TV, but I found the story to be lacking the entertainment value. I found the praised realism of the show to be too... real, to really be enjoyable. For a person who was in the army or police or had dealings with other uniformed organizations, the show just reaffirms what they already know. State organizations are indeed mostly governed by people doing each other favors, protecting their asses and doing as little of what is required as possible, while appearing to be doing their job. To a person who has little contact with uniformed organizations, the workings of the police department portrayed in The Wire seem realistic but unbelievable. While the acquainted person probably yearns to see another way to do things, the unacquainted hopes for the despicable vision to be finally dispelled. Not only does this not happen, but the last season shows that even people with the best intentions get corrupted and broken and the only way to manage to do something right is to lie and cheat while at it.

I resented the show for giving me no closure, no satisfaction of seeing at least some improvement to the world resulting from pained efforts of the positive characters.

"A life, Jimmy, you know what that is? It's the sh*t that happens while you're waiting for moments that never come." - Lester Freamon. That quote summarizes the show for me. Those moments I was waiting for never came. Moments where I would think things could be different than I expect, moments where I would learn something new.

I can recommend The Wire to people who want to get insight into how governmental organizations work. When having a beer with friends, if people ask me how it is in the Police or the Army, instead of explaining, I can tell them: "see The Wire, it shows that perfectly".

I seriously don't get the hype regarding this show. It was so slow moving and boring. When I watch a show about the gritty streets or seedy side of any city, I expect there to be a little more engaging action. I don't want Michael Bay, but I also want more than one life to live.

No doubt the acting is amazing. The problem is that some of the characters are so uninteresting. And the stories each episode that are not driving along the plot were so boring. I forced myself to watch Season 1. I couldn't even get into it. When it finally became relatively interesting, I was able to watch a couple episodes before getting bored again. I tried Season 2, but that first episode is mindnumbingly not interesting. Nothing drags you in. I said forget this, I won't be one of the lovers of the wire. I even tried reading episode and season synopses, but even they bored me.

I get why many people are drawn to this show. It takes you deeper into characters' psyches than most. Bla bla bla. But at the end of the day, I don't care. I want to be entertained. I want to escape. This bored me to no end.

I say that without a shred of hyperbole. The Wire's importance, beyond setting the standard for all modern television, is one of a historical document. 500 years from now, the show will surely be one of a handful that allows future generations to glean the state of American society during this time period -- it's problems, it's people, it's language, it's institutions, and the constant tension that exists when all of these are forced to coexist.

This is due to the fact that the Wire, through nuance and true-to- life portrayal of human interactions, constructs an extremely lucid and heart-breaking evaluation of almost every aspect of society. Most of you reading right now wake up every day as a cog in the massive, interwoven, and fundamentally autonomous institutions which together make up a capitalist society. However, given that we are all a minuscule part of this larger whole, it is nary impossible to take a step back and objectively evaluate just how much influence these institutions hold over the course of our lives. It's not unlike trying summarize a 1000-page novel while holding a single random page less than an inch from your face. Our perspectives are inherently limited in this regard, and so too is any vain attempt to connect the pieces and make sense of it all.

This point is one of the many reasons that the Wire warrants our time and careful consideration. From a bird's-eye perspective, each season builds on those prior until at the very end we have no choice but to reckon with vast tapestry of individual strands as a singular work. One that feels so true to life that it's near impossible for me to think of anything else, fiction or non-fiction, book or movie, painting or play, sculpture or architectural feat, which in their combined power holds the volume of educational lessons, thoughtfulness, humanism, pure ethos, or entertainment that the Wire does.

"All the pieces matter," a quote that flashes across the screen at the beginning of an episode in Season One, is prophetic in it's understanding that the totality of something can have a much greater impact than its individual parts. And that is why I find it upsetting when reading reviewers which call the show "boring" or "slowly paced" or "overrated" and then go on to admit that they gave up watching before the end of Season Two.

I am not a cynic by nature and in general tend to dismiss the common criticism that our generation is one that needs constant gratification all of the time in order to stay engaged with something for the long haul. But in this case, I truly believe that the Wire is so much different than what most people are used to watching on the medium of television that some may get confused or frustrated when the show refuses to pander to the standard beats and thrill-inducing plot devices on an episode-by-episode basis which we have been trained to expect with TV shows. There are no neatly wrapped episode arcs, no spoon-feeding over obvious plot points via voice-overs or flashbacks, and no musical score to tell us how a particular scene or moment should make us feel.

Instead, the show forces us to become witnesses to a series of events in much the same way we would witness something unfolding right in front of us. Especially during Season One, David Simon and his creative team give us a lot of footage that looks like it should be from a documentary. This is all intentional, of course. The 4:3 film, the non-HD look, the way the camera seems to lack the traditional god- like power to always know that a character is going to say something important so that it shows us that character a second or two before they say their line (indeed, if you watch closely you'll notice that there are times that the camera will only pan to a speaking character after they begin saying their lines, giving the viewer the distinct feeling of a real-life situation unfolding in real time) -- all of these things are by careful design. And all of these devices add to the show's power because the characters become more real when depicted in this way. This makes it all the more devastating every time one of these characters is chewed up and spit out by the merciless wheels of capitalistic institutions surrounding them.

I chose to write a review which differs from many of the others here because simply rehashing why I love Omar so much, or which season is the best, or why I think it's better/worse than the Sopranos or Breaking Bad are all things which are touched upon over and over again. Instead I wanted to provide my own analysis about why the show succeeds and stands apart of from others to the point where comparison is futile. Some people, including myself, think that the show will provide you with such an empathy-rich experience that when you have finished you may potentially see the world a little bit differently, that you'll feel a little bit closer to all of the people you share this country with, no matter how different their persona or background is from your own. By this measure, your persistence and patience given to the show will be repaid 10-fold.

HBO's "The Wire", another ground breaking TV crime series from David Simon who grandfathered "Homicide: Life on the Street", raises the bar for crime dramas by dedicating a whole season (13 episodes) to a single story with unparalleled realism. Telling of a motley bunch of detectives who set about to bring down a Baltimore drug ring which supplies a black innercity housing project, the gritty 12 hour first year series slowly develops a broad range of characters from street punks to senators in a world where the blacks and whites of good and evil are reduced to shades of gray and everyone is connected by their humanity for better or for worse. Not the usual cops vs bad guys fare with episodic ups and downs, "The Wire" is one long drama about people which happens in a law enforcement and crime setting. For realists only, this series will require some viewer patience while the complexities of the plot and the characters are developed. One of a kind...so far. (A)

Millennials will laugh at this time capsule of the 00's; Pay phones, pagers, the 00's cars, tiny flip-phones, cathode ray televisions...But this is GREAT TV! Excellent cast and production, story lines that are timeless, and still revelant. Great stuff !

You want to get close to the streets? This is it, and what a true American tragedy it plays out to be. The drama is scintillating, without being sensational. These are real people, in real life, with real struggles, played beautifully by an incredibly talented Dominic West and crew.

True politics, true characters, real struggles, genuine, small triumphs,and a lot of poetic moments that are incidental and not self aware. Gotta love that.

Impeccable. Everything I always wished from a crime drama. Check it out.

Hate to be rude but don't pay attention to the moronic post below. That was some of the most lame criticism I have ever come across on this site. I doubt the guy even watched the entire first season. This show is the best thing going on TV. Writing. Direction. Acting. Its all perfection. The people behind the show are former journalists and police officers who were covering crime in Baltimore or working the beat as cops for over 20 years. They know what they speak of and don't rely on cookie cutter characterization. This is the closest thing to a novel that you will find on TV. It is so impeccably plotted and so honest and realistic that I will never be able to watch another cop show (or any TV drama) without comparing it to this example of television greatness. Did I mention its also the smartest TV show on the air too? The Sopranos gets the media attention but it can't match the sophistication and grittiness of The Wire. The Sopranos is a romanticized TV crime drama by comparison. And as for Six Feet Under? Please! It reached its peak in its final six episodes of the first season and haven't lived up to that magic since. It doesn't get any better than The Wire. Universal critical acclaim. The winner of the 2002 TV Critics awards. The winner of the 2004 Peabody award. Nuff said.

I just finished the series finale, and I just have to say wow. This show is easily In my top three if not my favourite show of all time. This series is simply genius, they are so many characters with so much character development making such a complex and perfect story. The series finale was perfectly done ending the series in a way that no other show could top. It is the perfect "know one wins" ending. There is only one small complaint that I have and that is that they don't show much of the season 4 main characters in season 5 other than Michael as he was crucial in the final season. This tv show is simply a MASTER PIECE.

Season 3 of The Wire ended like a great novel, in a series of great novels, about crime, politics, "po-lice" and personalities in the City of Baltimore. The Wire truly has no equivalent on American TV, more akin to something like the British miniseries Traffik, or Robert Altman's Short Cuts, but really in a class by itself. The show also doesn't fetch the ratings of HBO's other blockbuster series, like The Sopranos or Deadwood, but so far the network has stood behind what is indisputably a creative / artistic success. Viewers accustomed to having a Tony Soprano or an Al Swearingen to latch onto may be daunted by The Wire's 2-dozen or so "main" characters, all given equal importance within multiple story lines. The concurrent tales all buoy one another, and as the season draws to a close, they begin to merge and compliment each other in unexpected ways. No detail is too small to not be done with great care, and no significant threads are left to hang, which also speaks to the brilliance of the writers.

The Wire is no less than a dramatic triumph, and I can't wait for a new season.

I get why people love The Wire. It's realistic. It has interesting characters, and It has very good writing. The only problem is it's severely overrated. I had a hard time getting through the first season, and finally had to stop watching after the first episode of season 2. I even tried to watch season 4 after reading it was a lot of people's favorite season,but the show just never really grabbed my attention.

I would compare it to when Bret Easton Ellis said Breaking Bad was the most overrated television show in the history of television. I disagree with him, and am a big fan of Breaking Bad, but I compare his feeling toward Breaking Bad,with my feelings towards the Wire.

In conclusion,I think the Wire is a good,but not great show, and that it should definitely not be considered one of the greatest shows of all time.

rating 7.3

I don't understand! 9.3? Why? How? This is not a bad show i can see that, but seriously it's way too slow and boring and so overrated! I'm on season 2 episode 2, i really tried, but i'm gonna stop here. i don't care about any character or storyline and i came to this conclusion : i'm bored!! I don't enjoy anything on this show. One of the best show ever? Not even close!!! Realistic doesn't mean good.