Customer Reviews

The Wire: The Complete Third Season

5 star:		(126)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

HBO have at long last, decided to release this on DVD and thank goodness. The Wire is undoubtedly the best TV around these days since "Homicide: Life on the Street". No surprise then, I guess that the same man (David Simon) had/has a big hand in both series.

Unlike most crime/cop shows that have a beginning, middle and end in the one episode, the story here is spread over the entire series. We're seeing stuff that kicked off in Season 1 still developing in Season 3. Some viewers find this challenging - this certainly isn't a show you can watch while cooking dinner or chatting to your buddies on the phone. It's sad that ratings have dropped though because if you give the show the undivided attention it deserves and focus on the story, complex as it is, the rewards are truly immense.

After the drama on the docks that was the main focus of Season 2, Season 3 takes it back to the streets where we most like it. The Baltimore drug wars rage on, with Avon Barksdale, played by Wood Harris, out of jail to find his territory of corners under threat from young & ruthless upstart, Marlo, played utterly convincingly by Jamie Hector. Stringer Bell has held things down while Avon's been away but his methods have been questionable, to put things mildly. Stringer gets his comeuppance this season though and as much as I hated the character - and admired Idris Elba for playing it so well - I honestly didn't see his comeuppance coming in the way it eventually did. Scorching scriptwriting!

The police are desperately trying to keep up. Major "Bunny" Colvin, played by Robert Wisdom, comes up with the 'brilliant' idea of creating a 'safe zone' for drug sale and use in the city and this area gets dubbed Amsterdam. The plan seems to work - the rest of the city suddenly becomes a haven - but Colvin keeps the project from his superiors. The results are disastrous, for him and for the city.

Meanwhile, the detail is back on the hunt and as we watch them chase their tails, the questions left hanging in the air are what is this so-called war on drugs about, exactly? And who is winning?

In the background, meanwhile, there's scheming, wrangling and backstabbing in the corridors of the city political powers. Unlike the stuff on "The West Wing" this is the kind of politics I can get into and this is a story that is going to run and run.

Like any TV show, this one has its 'stars' but this is truly an ensemble performance. Everyone, whether it's by playing a starring role, a recurring role, bit part or even an extra, gets to contribute a crucial part of the jigsaw that makes up the big picture.

Still, I must mention some of my favourite performers. Apart from those already mentioned, they include: Lance Reddick, an actor with the ability to convey more with a single look than most actors can with a whole minute of dialogue, as Lieutenant Daniels; Dominick West, who plays Detective Jimmy McNutly, a cop who races to save the world while his own life crumbles around him; Sonja Sohn, who plays Detective Kima Greggs, McNulty's loyal partner, who realises she's not as ready for a life of domesticity with her girlfriend and their baby as she had originally thought; Andre Royo, who plays Bubbles the 'co-operative' drug fiend with heart; Michael K. Williams, who plays Omar the gay gangster with a shotgun - something I never thought I'd see on TV in my lifetime; Frankie Faison and John Doman who play Commissioner Burrell and Deputy Commissioner Rawls respectively (for some reason, neither fails to make me laugh out loud with every line they deliver); Michael Hyatt, who plays Brianna Barksdale, mother of D'Angelo (who was murdered in Season 2) and sister to kingpin Avon; and last but by no means least, the 'dynamic' duo Detectives Herc and Carver, played wonderfully by Dominick Lombardozzi and (the beautiful) Seth Gilliam respectively.

And then there's Chad L. Coleman as Dennis "Cutty" Wise, the ex-con who finds he no longer has the stomach for the streets. He turns to volunteering, running a youth boxing gym. Here's an actor to look out for and he brings an intensity to his role that I found mesmerising. I hope we get to see more of him in future Seasons.

This is a totally believable drama with cracking dialogue and nary a cliche or stereotype to be seen. The reactions to the show, both positive and negative just go to show how a gritty and realistic drama series can hit home.

This is a must for any connoisseur of mature and thought provoking TV. This is one show that takes a long, unapologetic and uncompromising look at an underclass we would all prefer to ignore and thus, while it's not always pretty, it is always riveting. If you don't have seasons 1 & 2, I recommend you get them now. This one of very few shows I am able to watch over and over and not get bored, learning and appreciating something new each time. I am placing my pre-order for Season 3 forthwith!

After a virtuosic first season and an ambitious (but not quite as thrilling) second season, The Wire's third season proved to be the best one yet. Even though it hasn't been embraced by the public at large (like, say, The Sopranos), the show has received gobs of critical acclaim and delivers the goods, too, every week. I think that not only is The Wire a better show than The Sopranos (which is, admittedly, a truism), but it is a show which better reflects our post-9/11 mindset than its erstwhile New Jersey neighbor. The Sopranos is a product of another time, the zeitgeist of the late 1990s, with its constant putdowns of moneyed, whining, shrink-visiting, latte-sipping, politically-correct hipsters (the Eagles song "Get Over It" being perhaps the definitive cultural manifesto of the time). That show produced three excellent seasons of TV, but then 9/11 changed the world and Tony, Paulie, et al, never managed to get back ahead of the curve. The Wire was formed in direct response to 9/11 and links the drug war to the War on Terror, in both a direct and indirect sense, while examining the institutions (both legitimate and seamy) and the individuals that inhabit them. Although the show is described (even by itself) with such terms as "gritty" and "unvarnished", it is actually not so simple--in the show, as in life, few people fall into the sinner and saint categories. Leaders in these institutions are generally rational and even the antagonists occasionally speak uncomfortable truths. The result is a universe in which we find people's character defined not by their social or economic position.

Season 3 builds on the previous seasons and returns to the streets for a showdown between Avon Barksdale's (Wood Harris) crew (still managed, in the interim, by Stringer Bell (Idris Elba)) and a vicious upstart by the name of Marlo, who has taken control of Avon's territory thanks to Stringer's attempts to go straight. On the law side, Kima's (Sonja Sohn) doubts about motherhood continue to grow, while newly-minted Deputy Commissioner Rawls (John Doman) rips district commanders to shreds (and is the subject of a revelation of some interest). At the center of it all is Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), whose liaison with an elite political consultant leads to some quite surprising conclusions that make you reevaluate the character entirely. The political plotline leads naturally into the new arena the show explores, Baltimore's city politics, which prominently features two figures: Mayor Clarence Royce, who seems like an honest, reasonable man, and City Councilman Tommy Carcetti (Adrien Gillen), whose character flirts the line between raw ambition and occasional idealism. In between these personalities is still-Acting Commissioner Burrell (Frankie Faison), whose previous cock-of-the-walk status gives way to getting chewed out by the Mayor. There are plenty more great storylines: Daniels (Lance Reddick) hooking up with Pearlman (and dealing with his nominal wife), Bunk trying to find a wounded officer's gun, and Major "Bunny" Colvin deciding to legalize drugs in condemned areas in order to keep the dealers off the streets. Colvin's plan does reduce crime, and things seem to be getting better, except that the legal drug area ("Hamsterdam") is a hellhole, and eventually the plan is exposed. This plotline just goes to show how much bigger problems can get if they're ignored. Overall, a spectacular season from a show that exceeds even high expectations.

I watched Seasons 1 & 2 again last week and came to the realization that it was the best show on HBO. I used to have Sopranos in my top spot, but the Wire has passed it. It has the patience and intelligence I wish the Sopranos could consistently maintain. However, the Wire has only had three seasons and the Sopranos six, so it is might be harder for Chase and crew.

Season Three picks up where Season 2 left off with Daniel's new team investigating the dope in Baltimore. Like the two previous seasons having a theme (1-streets & police, and 2-dock workers and smuggling) this season involves the politics.

Season 2 is still my favorite, but all three seasons are amazing. The third continues the standards of the previous two seasons with excellent writing, acting, and pacing. Robert Wisdom who potrays Major Colvin and Aidan Gillen who plays Councilman Thomas 'Tommy' J. Carcetti are excellent new additions who hold their own to an exellent ensemble.

Thank you HBO for making a 4th Season, despite lower ratings. The critics are right, this is the best drama on TV.

In Season 3 of David Simon's groundbreaking series, Lt. Daniels' Major Crimes Unit has turned its attention back on Westside drug dealers. Ultimately, as in Season 1, the targets are the drug kingpins Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell.

But while in Season 1 and 2 the police were the clear heroes of the show (if notoriously flawed and human), in Season 3 The Wire's subtle critique of the drug war becomes a more significant theme. The police-work conducted by McNulty, Greggs, Daniels, and Freeman remains exciting and heroic, but their efforts are now on the margins of the true movement and import of the story. When Barksdale is finally busted, it is not so much the result of their police-work as the anonynmous tip of Stringer Bell. Bell (an charismatic and compelling character in his own right, who continues to grow in Season 3) has become increasingly disenchanted with "the game", and reaches out to "Bunny" Colvin of the Western with information on Avon. In the end it is questionable whether Major Crimes has accomplished anything, or whether it was the relationships with actual people forged by Colvin's humanity that actually made a positive difference.

Major "Bunny" Colvin of the Western District has become sick of the drug war--convinced that the tactics employed do not constitute real police work. So he starts pushing all drug trafficing in his district into 3 zones where drug dealing is more or less legalized. In the meantime, he hides this strategy from his bosses, while his friend "The Deacon" begins organizing outreach and condom/needle distribution among the addicts who begin gathering in these districts and no longer have to hide. "The Game" gradually becomes gutted from the inside out, as the violence associated with drug dealing is no longer necessary. When murders or thefts among the dealers occur, the dealers themselves begin turning to the police for protection--building relationships and passing information. Utimately even the ruthless Stringer Bell begins to trust Colvin and prefers Colvin's experiment to the destructive reality of grinding on the street. In the end, Colvin's story asks vital questions as to what police work is all about, and how the police can best protect and serve.

But what lifts Season 3 of The Wire above all television that has come before it is the story of Dennis "Cutty" Wise, which features in every single episode. Cutty is a convicted felon who is released from prison after 14 years...estranged from his family and all meaningful ties to the community.....as well as to himself. Indeed the only people who are initially prepared to reach out to him are Avon and his crew, who respect Cutty's legendary reputation in "the game". Cutty's journey takes him to the street, back into the game, back out, and ultimately upon a path to redemption, upon which he must "travel from A to B all by myself". I don't want to ruin the story for you--I'll only say that his struggle to find meaning and purpose in the midst of the urban nightmare is nothing less than sublime. His conversations with such awesome characters as Bodie, Slim Charles, Avon, The Deacon, and other denizons of the urban landscape are conducted in a Baltimore street slang that Simon renders into Shakesphearean poetry, whose final object is not merely extraordinary realism but striving towards a vision of redemption. It is the sort of timeless art that just gets better with repeat viewings.

If you are new to The Wire, start with Season 1, episode 1-3. Give yourself a chance to get used to the language, the realism, the all-to-human characters. And be prepared for the story to keep getting better and better.

It's criminal the amount of people that watch the best drama on television, "The Wire." I started watching because of David Simon. The man wrote the book that ultimately became my favorite TV show of all time, "Homicide: Life on the Street." I quickly became a huge fan, and theres a number of reasons why.

The writing for "The Wire" is nothing short of incredible. It's not written by "TV Writers" but more experienced authors and this makes quite a difference. A season of The Wire unfolds like a great novel. As each episode goes by, the greater the story builds. Its full of amazing characters and has many special touches and little nuances that are a joy to watch. The cast is fantastic and all the actors do a wonderful job.

I think what many people tend to miss is the importance of the storylines and the issues that David Simon and his team are addressing. In season 3 the storyline of Major Bunny Colvin "decriminalising" drugs in a certain area of his district was an amazing look at the world of crime and drugs. It was such an incredible storyline, because it wasn't black and white. An amazing hypothetical that leaves me thinking to this day.

The Wire is television at its very best, it also demands a lot from the viewer. Its definitely worth repeat viewing of the episodes. If you put the time in to notice the detail of the show it is extremely rewarding. The intricate storylines, complex characters, and revealing insights into life and instituitions are waiting for your viewership. This DVD is a must own. Season 4 of The Wire premieres in Spetember on HBO.

As the third season of HBO's brilliant and innovative the Wire begins, it becomes apparent that the war on drugs in Baltimore is primed to explode. The previous season, most of the show was focused on events surrounding the docks, but with season three, the series is shifted back to the streets as both sides of the war on drugs escalate to new methods in an effort to eliminate one another, and it's a war that no one is winning. Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris) is out of jail and looking to reclaim what's his, even if it means going head to head with Stringer Bell (the excellent Idris Elba). In the meantime, Detective Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) finds his own life falling to pieces more and more, but it won't stop him from doing what he feels he needs to do. Featuring a large ensemble cast, all of whom leave a lasting impretion (from Frankie Faison to Lance Reddick), the Wire is one of those rare accomplishments in the world of television that does so much right that it can't be put into words. The Sopranos and other shows always get the spotlight from the real gems on HBO, and the Wire is one of those shows that deserves much more recognition than it's ever gotten. If you don't believe that, the proof is right here, and soon enough, the much anticipated fourth season will be premiering, and upon viewing this season, you'll be salivating for it.

I'm writing this on a Monday morning, having just finished a weekend-long marathon viewing of Season 3 with my wife to prepare for Season 4. This tells you two things about "The Wire":

1. **You need to pay attention.** That's a scarce commodity these days - which is why the show will never be as big a ratings hit as it deserves. And I'm sure I'll lose this product more sales than I gain when I boast how a critical plot development in Season 3 will make little sense if you didn't watch Season 1. [Or at least carefully read the episode summaries on HBO's web site.] But that's the kind of show it is - where you learn a very surprising (and telling) fact about one of the two dozen or so major supporting characters by a wordless two-second shot at the end of a scene that was about a different sub-plot entirely. Also: the thick street accents and liberal use of gangsta and police slang will probably have you hitting the Rewind button on your DVD remote more than once.

2. **You will enjoy paying attention.** [I'll bet that no one would be willing to watch 12 episodes of, say, "Without A Trace" in three days.] Although its fellow HBO show "Deadwood" is the one noted for the savory richness of its dialogue, one could argue that "The Wire" is equally eloquent - though unprintable - while being a little less precious about it. Just about every episode has at least one speech so strong that it will echo in your mind long after the hour is over. And the acting is equally and uniformly splendid, fully inhabiting three-dimensional characters who make almost impossible a facile assortment into "good" and "bad" columns.

The Wire gets better with each season. Without a doubt, it is the best show on TV.

Season 3 has it all: great writing, great acting, and the best story of the entire series. If you love the Wire, you must get this.

For those who weren't put off by The Wire's unflinching depictions of violence, drug use, profanity, and urban decay, the show takes a new and frightening direction in season three. Yes, the first two seasons of The Wire dealt with some heavy subject matter, but some of the content of this season may be dark and depressing enough to make even the show's most loyal and unflappable viewers turn away in horror. Yes, season three of The Wire sees the best show of all time venturing into the corrupt, depraved arena of politics, and once you go down that road you never come back. For the first time, fans of the show get a look at those roaming the halls of power not just in the Baltimore Police Department (though there is a great deal of that) but of the city itself. What goes on in the mayor's office, the City Council chamber, and the police headquarters isn't always a pretty picture--even the drug game seems to have more room for loyalty and honor than the political game--but the show's newfound emphasis on political maneuvering does contribute to its evolution from a crime drama with elements of social commentary to a full-fledged urban drama with (according to David Simon) heavy inspiration in Greek tragedy. And we should all be grateful for it, as it helps further The Wire's claim as the most relevant and challenging show yet to hit TV. I don't vote and tend to wonder why so many people concern themselves with politics, but The Wire approaches the subject with such a personal and philosophical emphasis that even the most apolitical viewer should be riveted.

Of course, it's not all politics, as pretty much every character viewers know and love from season one is still in play, and there's plenty of violent action and intricate electronic investigating to be found. After shifting focus for a season to examine crime along East Baltimore's docks, The Wire in season three finds the Major Crimes Unit once again pursuing the drug empire of Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell, whose damaging bust at the end of season one has left them even more cautious and (in the case of Stringer) looking to make some inroads into legitimate business. Stringer isn't the only one looking to make some changes either, as season three's predominant theme is the idea of reform, whether it be personal or political, in the ghettoes or in the city government. Naturally, as experienced viewers might expect, reform in the morally ambiguous world of The Wire is a tricky concept, often temporary or illusory, much talked about but difficult to actually attain. Not to mention, all talk of reform aside, Baltimore is still a dangerous place, with cops, fueding drug crews, and freelance criminals thrown together in a limited space with a set of shifting agendas and alliances that practically guarantees they'll come into conflict.

Season three introduces several key new characters, all of whom are seamlessly integrated into The Wire's ever-expanding universe--Tommy Carcetti (Aiden Gillen), a calculating city councilman whose occasional idealism does little to temper his ambitions; Dennis "Cutty" Wise (Chad L. Coleman), a newly-freed ex-con trying with mixed success to go straight; Marlo Stanfield (Jamie Hector), an almost cartoonishly evil drug dealer who decides to take on the Barksdale empire; and Maj. Howard "Bunny" Colvin (Robert Wisdom), the Western district commander who decides to try a decidedly unconventional and controversial approach to prevent his command from being overrun by drug dealers. The infusion of new blood helps bring The Wire's "visual novel" approach to its fullest fruition yet, with the show juggling a huge (and brilliantly portrayed) cast of characters and multiple intersecting plot strands, many of which build on the events of the preceding two seasons. The Wire may be the best example yet of why cable is the home to such a disproportionate share of TV's most highly regarded shows--only on a network like HBO, where a show's creators are allowed to plan for the long term, would a show with The Wire's level of future orientation be able to survive. Even in season three, we're still seeing the payoff of plot elements that were introduced in the first two seasons, thanks to Simon and co.'s unbelievably meticulous and deliberate plotting. Everything that happens has its purpose, even if it's not always apparent right away, and the fierce intelligence and complexity of the writing is bolstered by the ingenious use of crime novelists to author several of the episodes. The attention to detail is way beyond anything else I've seen on TV; there's just so much going on in these episodes it defies easy summation. Even with the expanding cast, the characters are kept multifaceted and relatable, and more than ever before the show elevates conversation to high art, with dialogue laden with authenticity and humor througout--be it the relentlessly inventive and colorful slang of street criminals, the slick pandering of politicians, or the world-weary philosophizing of seasoned cops.

At all times, maximum belivability is the objective, making this season, even more so than the first two, into a microcosm of the world at large. Whatever your stance on the more politically provocative aspects of this season, the writers almost make it difficult to condone or condemn anyone too vociferously because the reasons for their actions are always thoroughly explored and explained. The Wire has been described from its beginning as an examination of the effects of institutions on individuals, and Bunny Colvin's plan for dealing with the war on drugs through a policy of accomodation that borders on outright legalization allows the show to broaden and intensify its gaze to illustrate why such a bold idea will never be allowed to take hold in a major American city. As is generally the case, especially with the War on Drugs, innovation and rationality are inevitably suppressed by an entrenched and inflexible bureaucracy for a simple reason--too many people have a stake in preserving the status quo. Colvin's idea may be a good one-and to its great credit, the show lets us see both its positive and negative aspects-but it's far too dangerous to those in power to be allowed to proceed.

Still, while it may not always be an easy show to watch, and it doesn't offer much in the way of happy endings, in this reviewer's opinion The Wire still represents the very best American TV has to offer. Even the best shows I've seen-The Shield, The Sopranos, The Simpsons-have shown some chinks in their armor over the years, but The Wire consistently holds up to analysis, even when I've started proactively looking for flaws while watching. The recent fourth season took the show in even more new thematic directions, with a great deal of success, but I think this season establishes the best balance between The Wire's crime-drama origins and its increasingly ambitious current incarnation. Of course, the forthcoming fifth (and supposedly final season) could end up rendering the discussion of the show's best season irrelevant. Loyal viewers should already be getting all tingly at the thought.

I've watched and brought season 1 and 2, A NEED TO SEE SHOW. As near to real life as ANY show can get on HBO or anywhere else, nothing can touch THE WIRE, too bad for the low ratings only because it wasn't promoted as good as the SOPRANOS, hopefully season 4 will be fully promoted and advertised.