R.I.P. – The Wire (2002-2008)
Last night marked the passing of probably the most brutally honest television show ever, period. While it didn't go out with the big bang that I was expecting, it definitely brought closure to the storylines; with the exception of Avon Barksdale, conspiracy theorists will say the door is open for a movie. There wasn't any black screen or big wedding proposal, people died, got fired, went to jail, came home, got promotions, did things that normal people do.
That's the charm of The Wire, it introduced the country to a Baltimore that hundreds of thousands of people have known for years and brought the Hood that millions experience everyday to millions of homes every Sunday night. The show analyzed every institution (family, schools, police, the streets, media, church, government) that goes into shaping the American gangster. The realism almost seemed surreal at times, but the cautionary tales were vividly written and visually accurate. Where else have you seen an eight year-old shoot the most feared man on the streets?
The characters drew you in, you rooted for the bad guys because the line between good and bad was easily blurred on many occasions. There were good cops and bad cops, politicians who went bad and the dudes in the trenches who you grew attached to. Remember when Wallace was killed in Season 1? That set the trend for many of those you grew attached to meeting their demise. Wallace, D'Angelo Barksdale, Stringer Bell (I know ladies), Bodie, Omar, Snoop all met their makers during the shows run as your heart tussled with how you felt about them, because there was a connection made due to the complex writing and character development
You wanted Cutty & Bubbles to win, because someone in your family is Cutty or Bubbles. Having them stay straight or clean means that there's hope for that cousin you have that just can't seem to get it together. I can't relate to three or four white women frolicking through SoHo or the Mob, but anyone who's spent time on any Martin Luther can see that Dukie was destined to be a drug addict. We saw him last tying on, about to spike a vein and slowly fade away.
Many people were quick to dismiss The Wire as a street show, but it was as true to American life as anything ever to hit television. But like most good things, it has come to an end, left for conversations in barbershops and boardrooms, DVD viewing and "remember when..." discussions. It will never fade far from people's consciousness, because the constant reminders of what the show was really about remain intact.
Leave a respond
Post a Comment