The Wire

I recently finished watching the fourth season of The Wire, and all I can say is: watch this show! The fourth season (now out on DVD; season five is currently airing on HBO) is the best season yet, and that’s saying something. This show is really one of the best I’ve ever seen. Why the writers, directors, and actors aren’t tripping over Emmys and Golden Globes yet is beyond me.

The Wire is a portrait of the drug trade in Baltimore, and each season focuses on a different aspect of the game. The first season introduced the key dealers and the cops trying to bring them down; season two showed us how the product gets on the streets; season three captured the ways politicians and bureaucrats contribute to the trade. Season four is the best and most heartbreaking and shows how kids and schools fit into the mix.

The beauty of the show is that it doesn’t shy away from the humanity and ugliness present in every character and every organization. The complexities of the street’s, school’s, law enforcement’s, and City Hall’s subcultures are all richly drawn, and the show never panders to the easy belief that any of this is black and white or clear cut in any way.

Seriously—watch this show!