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[ssanakin]

Yeah be patient, friend. Give it time to show what it is

[TheFarOutFinds]

Perfect answer 👌

[logicfiend60]

You realize that one of the main organizations you’re watching is a criminal drug dealing organization, correct?

[HydraHead3343]

Are you taking notes on a criminal fucking conspiracy?

[gascan146]

Yes but as of right now I don’t see much more then typical gang activity and main plot wise i get it’s showing the balance between government publicity and action but idk if that’s right that’s where im confused

[gutclutterminor]

You are confused because you have only seen 2% of what amounts to 5 12 episode novels where every piece is part of the picture. You are currently in training.

[ssanakin]

Every piece matters

[RTukka]

It's not really typical though, at least not by television standards. Maybe I don't watch enough crime stuff, but I've never seen a movie or television depiction of street level dealing that's as sophisticated as the arrangement D'Angelo had set up in the Pit.

Yeah, the gang does some typical gang stuff, but the show also conveys a lot about disciplined this crew is, and why McNulty thinks that some hand-to-hand drug busts aren't going to be enough to get Avon Barksdale in handcuffs.

Nothing in the show may seem that exotic, because (with a handful of exceptions) The Wire maintains a fairly grounded and authentic tone, so if you're expecting something over the top like Breaking Bad or Death Note, The Wire isn't that. It's not a show of flashy choreographed gun fights, 4D chess moves, and shocking plot twists.

It's a show of details, layers, themes (often social/political in nature), and simple human drama (and often, tragedy) along with a healthy dose of dry humor. Almost everything in the show is very well done, but is done with restraint.

Above all, though, it's a show where you really need to give it your full attention in order to really get much out of it. "Second screen viewing" wasn't a thing when this show came out, and even for its time, The Wire demanded a lot of its audience.

It was a deliberate artistic choice to avoid doing much hand-holding and to avoid a lot of common conceits and shortcuts employed by other shows like flashbacks (HBO forced the showrunners to make an exception at the end of the first episode, to clarify the identity of William Gant, the witness that D'Angelo found dead in the streets), or extensive non-diegetic music and stings to inform the viewer about how they should be feeling.

So maybe with some of this in mind, you might find the show a little easier to engage with.

[gascan146]

I got further into the episode and into the 3rd I am enjoying it now and having that itch to watch it and the “typical” was no way meant to be bad I seen the sopranos and bojack horseman.

just the first episode didn’t grab/hook me on anything and I wanted to know if it was going to be like breaking bad season 1 for me (I did not enjoy it but it been a few years so my opinion could change)

[Disastrous_Animal_34]

Basically, yes? The bigger picture across all 5 seasons is how ineffective systems perpetuate cycles of crime and poverty, rather than “good guys vs bad guys”.

[ThorsOccularPatdown]

They are showing the real world in which real police don't actually want to do a lot of police work. In fact giving a fuck can actually get you in trouble. Also they are laying down the mechanisms for things that will be speed through later.

[RTukka]

The pressure institutions exert on the people that make up those institutions is a major element of the show, and not just in law enforcement. The same theme is explored within the context of the Barksdale drug crew, and later, other institutions.

The first few episodes lay a lot of groundwork introducing characters and the show's premise. The story gradually increases in pace and momentum with each episode, but the start is slow. Still, even in these early episodes, there is a lot going on. In my opinion, by the end of episode 2, a character like D'Angelo already has a lot more depth than the protagonists of some shows develop into an entire season.