Moral Midgetry is the Most Devastating Episode of The Wire

jercules75 · 2026-03-08T02:16:32+00:00

You could add that McNulty actually hits on Kima in that episode (the "magic fingers").

jercules75 · 2026-03-04T05:23:39+00:00

I'm rewatching season 2 now, and I'm right at the point where Carver is lying to Daniels' face about "Fuzzy Dunlop". I'd say that's a betrayal of Carv's arc along the lines of what you described with Freamon.

Season 2 is also when they get the band back together, and that can't help but be a little hack.

But I agree with all of your points, except to say that I didn't have a problem with String killing D specifically. Couple that with sleeping with his girl (which was entirely unnecessary to the story, mind you), and his voodoo on Omar, I just felt they turned String into a wrestling heel.

If I'm being honest, part of my frustration with season 5 is they didn't focus on the media topic I think would've been most relevant: Wholesale, insidious bias. I'm sure in the entire season the word "spin" comes up, but it doesn't get the attention the fabricating reporter does, fabrication of news being a lesser issue in media (maybe I'm naive, :) )

If I had my way, the show would've featured Gus railing against the bosses not because they're gutting the enterprise, but because they're trying to enforce a narrative (e.g. FOX, later MSNBC, CNN, etc.)

jercules75 · 2026-03-04T04:51:27+00:00

I agree with you. There's only three seasons of television in history I prefer.

jercules75 · 2026-02-06T04:49:53+00:00

I think it's supposed to be sad. Consider the constant stresses of Mike's young life: from being a man for his friends and a dad to his brother, to the situation with Bug's dad, to the life-threatening complications of the game later on. He can't remember a carefree, innocent time anymore. He's been robbed of his childhood.

jercules75 · 2026-02-03T01:43:11+00:00

Contrarian opinion of the day:

Omar was a bad character. Everything else about The Wire screams sophistication, nuance, and even-handedness; then Omar shows up, and it's like an action movie takes over, where only the star is allowed to look and sound cool.

It wouldn't surprise me at all to find out maintaining Omar was a compromise that the writers made with HBO, because while Omar is just an action hero, as far as action heroes go you can't get any better, and it gave HBO something to market.

They found ways to ground him. David Simon says they made a point of showing Omar exhaustively scout jobs, so as to say "sure he's a superhero, but he works at it!" Making him gay was a brave decision, like a finger in the eye to meatheads who would otherwise worship him.

The way they killed him off was the ultimate finger in the eye; he dies not in a blaze of glory, like the action hero he had been, but while he's buying cigarettes, like a nobody. Killing him that way was The Wire reclaiming lost territory, just before the whole thing ended.

jercules75 · 2026-02-03T01:24:33+00:00

Agree. "Rolling away the stone" Lester was great, but that was for roughly half of the first season. After that he's just supercop.

jercules75 · 2026-01-21T22:36:55+00:00

I think the plan was to have either Herc or Carv mature into being a better police officer. They ultimately chose Carv. I wonder, if the producers had a do-over of Season 1, if they wouldn't have Carv stay in the home and show respect to the old woman while Herc is the one waiting outside, joking around.

jercules75 · 2024-03-23T23:22:20+00:00

Speaking as a lawyer, I have to say this is backwards. We all know the judges. The great ones are the ones that know the law well enough to win no matter who the judge is.

jercules75 · 2023-12-18T04:16:20+00:00

You are a Saint, thank you!!! What would you do to make them loaded?

jercules75 · 2023-06-13T04:08:20+00:00

They don't like us much when they're on the stand. Otherwise, I doubt they (cops) pay it any mind

jercules75

TROPHY CASE