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Special Features
Audio Commentary: With Series creator/executive producer David Simon, writer George Pelecanos, and director Clark Johnson on episodes 1, 2, and 12
Season 2 Preview
Season 2 Preview
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
After one episode of The Wire you'll be hooked. After three, you'll be astonished by the precision of its storytelling. After viewing all 13 episodes of the HBO series' remarkable first season, you'll be cheering a bona-fide American masterpiece. Series creator David Simon was a veteran crime reporter from The Baltimore Sun who cowrote the book that inspired TV's Homicide, and cowriter Ed Burns was a Baltimore cop, lending impeccable street-cred to an inner-city Baltimore saga (and companion piece to The Corner) that Simon aptly describes as "a visual novel" and "a treatise on institutions and individuals" as opposed to a conventional good-vs.-evil police procedural. Owing a creative debt to the novels of Richard Price (especially Clockers), the series opens as maverick Detective Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West, in a star-making role) is tapping into a vast network of drugs and death around southwest Baltimore's deteriorating housing projects. With a mandate to get results ASAP, a haphazard team is assembled to join McNulty's increasingly complex investigation, built upon countless hours of electronic surveillance.
The show's split-perspective plotting is so richly layered, so breathtakingly authentic and based on finely drawn characters brought to life by a perfect ensemble cast, that it defies concise description. Simon, Burns, and their cowriters control every intricate aspect of the unfolding epic; directors are top-drawer (including Clark Johnson, helmer of The Shield's finest episodes), but they are servants to the story, resulting in a TV series like no other: unpredictable, complicated, and demanding the viewer's rapt attention, The Wire is "an angry show" (in Simon's words) that refuses to comfort with easy answers to deep-rooted societal problems. Moral gray zones proliferate in a universe where ruthless killers have a logical code, and where the cops are just as ambiguous as their targets. That ambiguity extends to the ending as well; season 1 leaves several issues unresolved, leaving you begging for the even more impressive developments that await in season 2. --Jeff Shannon
Product Description
From David Simon, creator and co-writer of HBO's triple Emmy-winning mini-series The Corner, this unvarnished, highly realistic HBO series follows a single sprawling drug and murder investigation in Baltimore. Told from the point of view of both the police and their targets, the series captures a universe of subterfuge and surveillance, where easy distinctions between good and evil, and crime and punishment, are challenged at every turn.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
210 of 219 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Over the last two decades I've watched a great deal of television, maybe even more than the average for my generation, and out of all of it The Wire is doubtless the most challenging and important show I've ever seen, leaving even other classics like The Shield and The Sopranos in its dust, and this first season remains its defining document. All thirteen of these episdoes are filled with amazingly detailed and complex storytelling, sharp characterization, and endless insights into the nature of modern crime and punishment--and they're mighty exciting to watch, to boot. The whole season covers the participants in a single case, as an impromptu squad of cops is assembled to bring down the housing-project drug empire of Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell, but the implications of the investigation, and the show's ambitions, stretch far beyond one tiny front in the interminable drug war. We watch the case, built almost entirely on electronic surveillance (hence the title) come together piece by piece from the ground up, with the emotional stakes and social relevance being ratcheted up consistently along the way, right up until a harrowing conclusion that takes up the last two episodes. Watching the Wire, one thing is certain: Law and Order this ain't; you'll be thinking about it a lot longer afterward.
Even if nothing else, season one of The Wire would be notable for its narrative structure, which represents a new twist of the serialized TV format-the visual novel, with everything connected, so an event that happens in one episode can be referenced seven or eight episodes later and the viewer had better know what's going on. The season is deliberately structured in a novelistic format, with individual episodes making up the chapters, so watching, say, the ninth episdoe of this season will get you nowhere except a state of abject confusion. Thanks to its narrative flow, the Wire is easily the most naturalistic show I've ever watched, as the progression of events from the season's beginning to its end never feels forced or contrived. This format demands a lot of the viewer, as it practically requires you to watch nonstop without blinking or looking away from the screen, but it proves so rewarding you'll probably want to anyway.
That having been said, I can actually understand why this show's viewership is so limited (and it is REALLY limited; check the numbers). For many, The Wire will probably be so lifelike and believable that it doesn't even function as entertainment. In that sense, the show's greatest strength is also its (only) weakness, as there's nothing remotely sensationalistic or cliched about it, no reliance on overdirected action scenes, contrived cliffhanger endings, or improbable plot twists, which right away separates it from pretty much everything on network TV. For all involved, the season is filled with setbacks, frustrations, and long periods of waiting for something to happen, just like real life. The action quotient is also a lot lower than you'll find on a show like The Shield, and what violence there is is frequently disturbing, but it's always employed with a purpose, rather than just for the sake of mindless entertainment (make no mistake, I'm not opposed to a little mindless violence from time to time, but The Wire makes far more effective use of it). The world is made to look as and feel as real as possible, as though you're actually there-no dream sequences, no haunting visions, only one extremely brief flashback-an emphasis on realism that extends to the most seemingly insignificant bits of setting and dialogue. It all adds up to a show that's unfailingly convincing and authentic, but definitely not for those looking for an escape.
Hmmm, how else can I count the ways in which The Wire wipes the floor with its competition? Well, for another thing, the scope is just so much wider than any other crime show's, going far beyond even The Shield (a great show, but still an also-ran in comparison to The Wire) in capturing the workings of an American city in the early 21st century. David Simon himself has said the show's principal focus is on how institutions affect (and are affected by) individuals, and The Wire casts a decidely unflinching light on the functions and dysfunctions of the groups it examines. Anyone who's part of an institution-in this case a police force, a court system or a large-scale drug organization-has to compromise his individuality to a certain extent, and the show perfectly captures the conflicts that come with the tough decisions the real world requires of its characters. The only truly independent character on the show is Omar Little, the freelance street operator who makes his living robbing drug dealers, and he has to make the tradeoff of constant threats on his life. The world of The Wire is a difficult and unforgiving one, where having a conscience can get you killed while someone infinitely more vicious walks, and where conscientious cops can lose out to those who know how to play the game.
In yet another break with convention, there's no Tony Soprano/Vic Mackey/Greg House-style main character here around whom everything is required to revolve, at least to some extent-The Wire is about the story, and while the characters are hardly interchangeable or inconsequential, the emphasis is on fitting them all into the whole universe the show inhabits. That said, everyone depicted in this season, from the junkies and street dealers to high-ranking cops and politicians inhabiting halls of power, is played brilliantly. Although there isn't really a main character per se, Dominic West is sort of a first among equals as Jimmy McNulty, the self-righteous, insubordinate, irresponsible detective who turns the case into a personal crusade to prove his superior intelligence and frequently succeeds. For all his flaws, Jimmy's a man's man, the kind of guy you can't help but like, especially since he really is smarter than pretty much everyone else around him. After West, the biggest impression among the wire team is probably made by Lance Reddick as Cedric Daniels, the almost impossibly intense, glaring leader whose initially suspect dedication steadily grows over the course of the season. Backing them is a whole crew of memorable characters, from the odd-couple pairing of loutish white detective Herc (Domenick Lombardozzi) and his smooth black partner Carver (Seth Gilliam); to Jimmy's trash-talking, cigar-chomping partner Bunk Moreland (Wendell Pierce); to paternal, wisdom-dispensing ex-homicide detective Lester Freamon (Clarke Peters); and of course abrasive, venal Major Bill Rawls (John Doman), who manages to save his best vitriol for Jimmy.
Unlike the typical crime drama, though, The Wire's focus doesn't stop with the cops, providing a ground-up view of the inner workings of the Bell-Barksdale drug operation, from the lowest street dealers to the two leaders. The wire team's targets aren't just plot devices, nor are they slobbering, inhuman evildoers; rather; the Barksdale-Bell Crew are just as sharply drawn and fleshed out as anyone else, with an operation whose corporate structure and intricate business practices are just as pure a distillation of American capitalism as any legitimate company's. The incredible Idris Elba, especially, leaves an impression as Stringer, the smooth, highly intelligent, and icily calculating lieutenant who oversees Avon's operations, but he's hardly alone. Wood Harris is all intensity all the time as Avon, while Larry Gilliard Jr. as Avon's conscience-stricken nephew D'Angelo captures all of his character's emotional conflicts without any undue melodrama. As a whole, the experiences of the Bell-Barksdale crew provide a sad commentary on the lives of unwanted blacks in housing projects nationwide-many of them have the intelligence and motivation to be doing other things, but isolated from the mainstream of society there's nothing else for them to do. The game is all they have, whether they want to be involved or not.
So, yeah, that's pretty much it. The emergence of TV as a respectable medium (especially in comparison to the movies) over the past decade or so has been well documented, and The Wire is definitely one of the shows leading the charge. The show's subsequent seasons, while indisputably brilliant and still better than pretty much anything else out there, have watered down the show's formula just a little bit as they branch out in all sorts of directions, but no matter. This season stands alone as one of the decade's crowning visual achievements. Easily worth the time and money you'll invest in it, especially for how much time you'll spend thinking about it afterwards.
Even if nothing else, season one of The Wire would be notable for its narrative structure, which represents a new twist of the serialized TV format-the visual novel, with everything connected, so an event that happens in one episode can be referenced seven or eight episodes later and the viewer had better know what's going on. The season is deliberately structured in a novelistic format, with individual episodes making up the chapters, so watching, say, the ninth episdoe of this season will get you nowhere except a state of abject confusion. Thanks to its narrative flow, the Wire is easily the most naturalistic show I've ever watched, as the progression of events from the season's beginning to its end never feels forced or contrived. This format demands a lot of the viewer, as it practically requires you to watch nonstop without blinking or looking away from the screen, but it proves so rewarding you'll probably want to anyway.
That having been said, I can actually understand why this show's viewership is so limited (and it is REALLY limited; check the numbers). For many, The Wire will probably be so lifelike and believable that it doesn't even function as entertainment. In that sense, the show's greatest strength is also its (only) weakness, as there's nothing remotely sensationalistic or cliched about it, no reliance on overdirected action scenes, contrived cliffhanger endings, or improbable plot twists, which right away separates it from pretty much everything on network TV. For all involved, the season is filled with setbacks, frustrations, and long periods of waiting for something to happen, just like real life. The action quotient is also a lot lower than you'll find on a show like The Shield, and what violence there is is frequently disturbing, but it's always employed with a purpose, rather than just for the sake of mindless entertainment (make no mistake, I'm not opposed to a little mindless violence from time to time, but The Wire makes far more effective use of it). The world is made to look as and feel as real as possible, as though you're actually there-no dream sequences, no haunting visions, only one extremely brief flashback-an emphasis on realism that extends to the most seemingly insignificant bits of setting and dialogue. It all adds up to a show that's unfailingly convincing and authentic, but definitely not for those looking for an escape.
Hmmm, how else can I count the ways in which The Wire wipes the floor with its competition? Well, for another thing, the scope is just so much wider than any other crime show's, going far beyond even The Shield (a great show, but still an also-ran in comparison to The Wire) in capturing the workings of an American city in the early 21st century. David Simon himself has said the show's principal focus is on how institutions affect (and are affected by) individuals, and The Wire casts a decidely unflinching light on the functions and dysfunctions of the groups it examines. Anyone who's part of an institution-in this case a police force, a court system or a large-scale drug organization-has to compromise his individuality to a certain extent, and the show perfectly captures the conflicts that come with the tough decisions the real world requires of its characters. The only truly independent character on the show is Omar Little, the freelance street operator who makes his living robbing drug dealers, and he has to make the tradeoff of constant threats on his life. The world of The Wire is a difficult and unforgiving one, where having a conscience can get you killed while someone infinitely more vicious walks, and where conscientious cops can lose out to those who know how to play the game.
In yet another break with convention, there's no Tony Soprano/Vic Mackey/Greg House-style main character here around whom everything is required to revolve, at least to some extent-The Wire is about the story, and while the characters are hardly interchangeable or inconsequential, the emphasis is on fitting them all into the whole universe the show inhabits. That said, everyone depicted in this season, from the junkies and street dealers to high-ranking cops and politicians inhabiting halls of power, is played brilliantly. Although there isn't really a main character per se, Dominic West is sort of a first among equals as Jimmy McNulty, the self-righteous, insubordinate, irresponsible detective who turns the case into a personal crusade to prove his superior intelligence and frequently succeeds. For all his flaws, Jimmy's a man's man, the kind of guy you can't help but like, especially since he really is smarter than pretty much everyone else around him. After West, the biggest impression among the wire team is probably made by Lance Reddick as Cedric Daniels, the almost impossibly intense, glaring leader whose initially suspect dedication steadily grows over the course of the season. Backing them is a whole crew of memorable characters, from the odd-couple pairing of loutish white detective Herc (Domenick Lombardozzi) and his smooth black partner Carver (Seth Gilliam); to Jimmy's trash-talking, cigar-chomping partner Bunk Moreland (Wendell Pierce); to paternal, wisdom-dispensing ex-homicide detective Lester Freamon (Clarke Peters); and of course abrasive, venal Major Bill Rawls (John Doman), who manages to save his best vitriol for Jimmy.
Unlike the typical crime drama, though, The Wire's focus doesn't stop with the cops, providing a ground-up view of the inner workings of the Bell-Barksdale drug operation, from the lowest street dealers to the two leaders. The wire team's targets aren't just plot devices, nor are they slobbering, inhuman evildoers; rather; the Barksdale-Bell Crew are just as sharply drawn and fleshed out as anyone else, with an operation whose corporate structure and intricate business practices are just as pure a distillation of American capitalism as any legitimate company's. The incredible Idris Elba, especially, leaves an impression as Stringer, the smooth, highly intelligent, and icily calculating lieutenant who oversees Avon's operations, but he's hardly alone. Wood Harris is all intensity all the time as Avon, while Larry Gilliard Jr. as Avon's conscience-stricken nephew D'Angelo captures all of his character's emotional conflicts without any undue melodrama. As a whole, the experiences of the Bell-Barksdale crew provide a sad commentary on the lives of unwanted blacks in housing projects nationwide-many of them have the intelligence and motivation to be doing other things, but isolated from the mainstream of society there's nothing else for them to do. The game is all they have, whether they want to be involved or not.
So, yeah, that's pretty much it. The emergence of TV as a respectable medium (especially in comparison to the movies) over the past decade or so has been well documented, and The Wire is definitely one of the shows leading the charge. The show's subsequent seasons, while indisputably brilliant and still better than pretty much anything else out there, have watered down the show's formula just a little bit as they branch out in all sorts of directions, but no matter. This season stands alone as one of the decade's crowning visual achievements. Easily worth the time and money you'll invest in it, especially for how much time you'll spend thinking about it afterwards.
212 of 224 people found the following review helpful
By A Fan
Format:DVD
You are willing to invest 13 hours in a richly-textured, beautifully-cast and acted drama. Do not mistake this for a typical crime show. You can't just pop in the disc and expect entertainment without investing your full attention. This has the depth and detail of a well-written novel and I find myself watching each episode multiple times to absorb the nuance of the storytelling. I cannot praise this show enough. David Simon has amde a commitment to not dumbing-down his content, but it's a two-way street and you can't expect to catch little snippets of the show and understand what's going on. However, some of those little snippets are worth the price of admission themselves. Also fun to watch considering that two of the leads, Dominic West and Idris Elba are Brits, but they speak Bawlmer-style without a hitch. I have loved the Sopranos from the very first episode, but "The Wire" may well be the best television ever.
93 of 100 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The Wire is HBO again hitting it straight out of the ball park. Just like Oz and the Corner (two of HBO's other critically acclaimed but under-appreciated dramas) the Wire makes your heart bleed for the "bad" guys, makes them and the people that chase them seem, at the end of the day, human-- flawed, fragile, evil, in need of redemption, and in some cases, better off with a bullet in the brain. This first season was great, and the second season managed to be even better.
The best thing about this show is that it turns every part of your brain ON. You can't watch it after you had a couple beers and are ready to doze off in front of the TV. You need to be awake, alert to follow the twists and all subtle character stuff. In a word: bliss. Thank you, thank you David Simon and crew!
The best thing about this show is that it turns every part of your brain ON. You can't watch it after you had a couple beers and are ready to doze off in front of the TV. You need to be awake, alert to follow the twists and all subtle character stuff. In a word: bliss. Thank you, thank you David Simon and crew!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Television series in history
Hands down as far as I am concerned. Shakespearean in some of the lyrical writing and storytelling.
David Simon, I'm in awe.
David Simon, I'm in awe.
Published 1 day ago by Darryl A. Bullock
5.0 out of 5 stars
nothing compares to the Wire
I've watched many, many television shows, and I can confidently affirm that The Wire is by far the greatest achievement in the history of TV. Read more
Published 4 days ago by C. Giosan
1.0 out of 5 stars
Never buy it again at $5.00
Perhaps if I had watched it on TV I would never have made the purchase. I couldn't get past the first hour.
Published 15 days ago by M. P. Wills
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Wire Is Amazing
The Wire is one of the best shows I've ever watched. It captures a gritty Baltimore perfectly and keeps your attention throughout each season. Read more
Published 16 days ago by Palmetto
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great series!
Be careful if you get this season, if you do you'll most likely have to buy the rest of the seasons.
Published 18 days ago by Joshua Pohlman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pure Genius
A TV show that unfolds like a good book , slowly and with many layers. This storyline has the feeling of reality like no other I have seen portrayed. Read more
Published 19 days ago by Click
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Introduction to this Show
Season 1 provides a great starting point for the series and has some very compelling characters. Wallace, D'Angelo, and Stringer are very intriuging characters and you find... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Dex
5.0 out of 5 stars
the wire
The Barksdale gang holds the towers and low rises in a battle for drug supremacy in Baltimore Maryland. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Tom Welling
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great television
This show is a must see for everyone. The writing is spectacular, the story is compelling, and the actors are excellent.
Published 1 month ago by JackRobot
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love The Wire!
What is not to like about one of the best series that has ever been on broadcast television? It you haven't yet seen the series, what the Hell are you waiting for?!
Published 1 month ago by Charles St Clair
