Finished The Wire

I have finally wrapped up the entire series of HBO's The Wire, and what a ride it was. Season 5 was once again terrific, with the story going unexpected places and performances that were once again stellar across the board. Some of the drama took place in the newsroom of the Baltimore Sun newspaper, as true journalism was pitted against sensationalism and the almighty dollar. This was compelling stuff, and the character of Gus Haynes, a newsroom editor who takes a stand against fabricated news, joins the pantheon of great characters that this show has brought us.

The police side of things get a little out of hand and teeter on the edge of credibility, but in the end the characters win us over. And as always, the drug/gangster side offers a terrifying but absolutely riveting narrative that drives the entire show. We are also shown how the 4 juvenile characters that were introduced in season 4 turn out. Let's just say that the street is a hard, hard place.

If I had to rank the seasons, It would probably look something like this:
Season 3
Season 1
Season 4
Season 2
Season 5

Now keep in mind that the grade scale here goes from A+ to A-. That's it. And the reason season 5 rates an A- with me is because the season was only 10 episodes long, rather than the usual 12 or 13, so that things seemed to be a bit rushed. Not good for the final season that wraps everything up. Given 2 or 3 more episodes, I think the more stately pace of the other seasons could have been achieved and the feeling of the "filmed novel" would have been retained.

To say I am bummed that there is no more of this show for me to watch would be an understatement. This is by far the best TV show I have ever seen, with the most memorable characters. If you haven't seen it, by all means do so.

And remember, Omar's coming!