The Wire - worth persevering with?

[LockdownLisa]

Yes, I know I'm slightly behind the curve, but I just can't get into it. We've watched the first 5 or 6 episodes and I struggle to keep understand what half of them are saying and I just haven't found the plot that riveting. I loved The Sopranos and Breaking Bad from the first episodes, so maybe The Wire just isn't my thing? Anyone else a bit underwhelmed to start with but learned to love it?

It's an incredible programme, but a slow burn in series 1, as the characters and the premise of "the wire" are established gradually, and not just fed to the audience. You need to tune your ears to the dialogue, but after a few episodes it all clicks. It is so worth persevering. Each series has it's rewards, and gives you a different aspect of Baltimore society. The fact that the lines between the "good" and the "bad" are very blurred indeed, and that you end up caring about many characters you would hate in a more conventional police procedural, make it compelling and thought provoking, and left me questioning politics and policing . Series 4 is heartbreaking.

Think it’s best series ever! Binge watched to the extent that we nearly missed flights because just wanted to squeeze in just one more episode before going on holiday! Did watch with subtitles for a bit of the first series but you soon get the cadence.
Love it so much. But if it’s not for you move on - I really didn’t get breaking bad.

Series 1 is a fairly hard watch but definitely worth continuing IMO. I found BB ok and have never tried Sopranos because I find mafia type things can be clichéd and a bit annoying.

It's amazing but definitely needs to be watched with subtitles.

Can only repeat what others have said. Subtitles and yes worth sticking with, one of the best series I've ever watched.

Yes it absolutely is - it’s my favourite ever TV show, but the dialogue was much clearer when I put the subtitles on. To me it depicts the breakdown of our society over the past 50 years - poverty, drugs, racism, misogyny, corruption, unemployment, hopelessness of the disenfranchised. But it also portrays the kindness and resilience of human nature. It should be material for study IMO.

I think it's genius, even S2 which dragged a bit at first.

But I didn't like Breaking Bad so each to their own.

YES! A thousand times yes! I was the same. Dialogue all clicked about episode 6. It is SO worth persevering.

No, I am not a native English speaker, so I often have subtitles on. But seems useful for native speakers as well, if not used to the dialect.

Persevere with it, it's definitely worth it. I struggled at first with everything from the strong Balt'more accents to the huge cast - I actually kept my laptop open on a cast list for the first few episodes. By episode 5/6, I finally got into it all and consumed the rest of the seasons in a matter of weeks.

What I will say is that the second season has a different slant and pace, so I really do recommend that you stick with The Wire for at least two seasons. That said, try to keep going as season four is to my mind, the most interesting, and season 3 (and Hamsterdam) is rather brilliant too.