The Wire. Is it really that good?

[bananaistheanswer]

I have 8 episodes of this on sky+ from the beginning of series one taking up space on my +box. I can't seem to muster enthusiasm to watch them so I either delete them to make space, or I start watching them tonight. Just feel a bit meh about it. So. Is it worth watching? Or an over-hyped piece of nonsense?

Oh, YES!

First few episodes of each series are slow. Lt Daniels develops a penchant for stripping off from the end of series 2. Which is luuuuurverly

Omar is the best character ever.

Oh you noticed Daniels' strip shows too Highlander?

Omar is my favourite as well.

Daniels has the most gorgeous shiny go faster backside. omar makes me shudder,pure evil . the actor who plays Bunk was on a tv program about New Orleans,he so nice,shows what a good actor he is.

Omar is a lovely. He has a code.

Marlo is pure evil. Snoop's not very nice either.

I agree mos def, Omar isn't evil. He only targets drug dealers, he would never target civilians. He actually has quite a strict moral code with regards to normal hard working citizens as demonstrated in the flash back scene from when he first got into crime. I think that's why he's such a good character. My all time favourite the wire scene is when he gets the better of avon and stringers lawyer during a court case. It's a classic scene!

wintera I was hooked after the first 20 mins

That scene is excellent wintera.

I warn Wire virgins not to You Tube. It's tempting but full of spoilers.

Leave it to the experts, people [grin}

Oh this is great! But it's making me want to see them all over again! I've just bought The Killing on DVD so need to get through that first so I can re-flog it to buy The Wire!

40,me too.I'm holding back rewatching at the minute as I'm working my way through my old Sopranos boxsets first.It's hard to decide which series is best,both stand rewatching as you pick up all sorts of little things that you missed the first time around.

Forgot to say,the book of The Wire is well worth reading,it illuminated quite a few things for me that I hadn't realised were going on.I think it was 99p on kindle a while back.

Another firm yes vote from me!

Mirage, we've just finished the Sopranos for the first time! I did have a moment trying to decide whether Omar or Tony was the best tv character.

I saw the Wire book just after we finished watching and toyed with buying it. May purchase for when we next watch...

yes

Omar, Omar, Omar. 40 I like the Sopranos but Tony is a cold-hearted survivor with a fatal mawkish streak whereas Omar is a noble man with a CODE.

Plus Tony has a sinus problem that would bother me in bed. And he'd refuse to perform oral pleasure on me. Possibly that might be because he'd suffocate but I think the real reason is that he believes it's not what a man does.

So ultimately he's a fat, snuffly waste of bed space.

Omar wouldn't perform oral pleasure on me but for more legitimate reasons. He'd tuck me in bed, kill my enemies and go and get honey nut cornflakes in the morning with his shotgun under his dressing gown.

Limited

Lone voice here then. I couldn't make head nor tail of it. All I heard was swearing (which is fine).
DH OTOH is a proper wire bore. He's got all the boxed sets and, I think, has watched them all at least twice.

Damn you all! Bloody hooked now! Instead of sorting through bags of clothes I need to get rid of, I've spent the morning watching the 1st 5 episodes. I should be getting my house sorted, you know, washing, tidying, all the usual stuff I usually do on a thursday. But, no, I've been watching the wire instead. It's all your fault. And the worst bit? I've stored the ones I've watched so I can go back and pick up bits I've missed, and names as I can't figure out whose who. So, I still don't have much disc space on my +box.

I've just received the first disc of series 1 from lovefilm, but waiting till DH in the mood to watch them.

Omar was my favourite,he was such a good character.Him walking around with his gun hidden under his long coat whistling....

I first watched The Sopranos when pregnant with DD1,and we picked her name from an early episode.I'm off work tomorrow and trying to force myself to spring clean instead of having a Sopranofest.

another big yes here. i think i needed around 6-7 episodes to get into it but then absolutely hooked.

i loved Omar. but also Bunk - the detective.

ps has anyone else seen Treme? It is from the same guy that did the wire and there are a few actors from the wire in it. it is a TOTALLY different thing - cannot be compared - but the acting is great (it is set in new orleans 3 months after hurricane katrina)

I loved Treme. I thought I hated jazz but the music was a major draw.

The only bits I got bored with was when Lester from the Wire dressed up as a chicken. Lester doing other things fine. Poultry, not so much. I understand it's a tradition though.

Oh come on mirage you have to say what the name was: Carmela? Meadow? Big Pussy?

limited i totally agree re music in Treme - brilliant - but i think the lack of saxaphones helped - i run for the hills as soon as i see/hear them as is associate it with tuneless, rhythmless, pretentious easy-listening shite.

the chicken thing was a bit weird though i'd never heard of the new orlean indian thing and though it was quite interesting to read up on (ie read the wiki page on it)

have onyl seen series 1 so looking forward to 2&3.

Didn't notice the lack of saxophones but maybe that's what I don't like about Jaaaz.

I had the subtitles on a lot so i could identify the songs. Forgotten them all now. I must get the soundtrack.

I've seen series 2. Very good. Especially a plotline involving LaDonna. There's a big shock like the ones in The Wire but I won't spoil it.

I'll read the wiki Indian page