The Wire General Discussion

Kind of a sluggish premiere. Although Herc talking about Affirmative Action for white drug dealers is pretty great.

And the ending was certainly horrific. 3 1/2 stars.

I love McNulty fucking over Rawls. And I love that Landsman gives Bunk and Freamon the case because the department needs their best cops on it.

It's interesting to me that all the departments try to pass the buck, and none of them want the cases, and only care about clearances. This stands in direct contrast with the rest of television which insists all cops and departments are possessive over cases. David Simon says in real life it's the opposite.

McNulty is also an asshole to Rhonda, but in her case it's undeserved.

I remember Bill Raymond as the nutty mad scientist from Stephen King's Golden Years. Always felt he deserved a bigger career than what he got.

The idea of a police major declaring war on a random dock worker over a stained glass Church window is the stupidest fucking thing ever. Of course, people in general are pretty fucking stupid, and if that's the actual moral, it feels effective and spot-on.

Better than the premiere. 4 stars.

Don't mess with Wee-Bey's fish. Even if they are plastic.

Omar back, baby!

Prez has an interesting arc. He started off last season as a total joke and utterly incompetent, but after Freamon took him under his wing, the Job actually matters to him. He's the only person in his new unit that actually takes it seriously.

Ziggy is an unlikable idiot. Seriously, how dumb is he to snap a picture?

I love that Burrell fucking up the case last year is coming back to haunt him. Consequences, motherfucker.

I liked the episode. 4 stars.

Frank doesn't seem to be cut out for this by the end.

Good to see Bubbles again,.

Ziggy is an idiot still. Most annoying character on the show.

Solid. 4 stars.

How is Ziggy not dead yet? Idiot.

I love how amused McNulty is over Omar's interview with the D.A.. By the way, she's wrong. Omar is NOT a sociopath, and frankly I don't think he said a single thing in that interview that indicated he was one.

Greggs' and Daniels' wives are NOT happy.

The season is coming together. 4 stars.

So apparently D'Angelo was absolutely right about the family thing being bullshit. And what kills me is that Avon and Stringer don't understand the obvious about why the estrangement exists. They think its due to the bid. It's not. It's due to Wallace. Unless they can bring the kid back there is nothing they could do to fix that.

Omar's shit on the stand was beautiful. Levi was shocked and outraged he (correctly) pointed out he was as much part of the direct drug game as he was. Levi seemed very much out of his element for the first time ever. And no, Judge Phelan, Bird is NOT the second coming of Jesus Christ. I suspect Christ would have a better lawyer.

Sexynekkidfuntimes with Callie Thorne! I was SO hoping for that! Nice!

Fine episode. 4 1/2 stars.

That whole thing of the wire in the tennis ball says Herc and Carver are a couple of chuckleheads. High comedy though.

String acted alone? Holy shit, talk about a House of Cards. I don't know if the shit will hit the fan with him and Avon this season or not, but when it does (and it will) it's gonna be epic.

The show keeps delivering good episode after good episode. Not too many great ones this season yet though. 4 stars.

The Greek now OWNS Frank even if he's too dumb to know it.

Speaking of which, I like Frank's brother. He's square. In a good way.

The Duck! Suddenly I understand why people like Ziggy.

McNulty is a fucking trainwreck. Him getting exactly what he wanted is no kind of happy ending to me. Dude's a mess.

Also Rawls is dumb to think Daniels wouldn't use the conditions of taking the cases against him. That was the first thing I saw coming.

This episode isn't better than usual, but the cool and unusual thing about the show is that its high quality is pretty consistent. That's not always true of other great shows. 3 1/2 stars.

Brother makes quite an entrance at the end.

Bodie is a fucking joke. When the bag of guns hit the barge I thought it was pretty ridiculous that out of him, Wallace, and D, he's the guy String left alive.

Also McNulty sucks on every level.

It was a good episode but it was also frustrating. 3 1/2 stars.

Oh, so Ziggy's a sociopath. That makes sense.

Speaking of sociopaths, Brother scares the shit out of me. I'm betting on Omar vis a vis a showdown, but guy doesn't play.

Just in case we forgot from last season, Herc and Carver are a couple of dumbasses.

Prez punching Valchek was cathartic. He shouldn't have been pulled off the Detail for it, he should have been given a medal.

What's interesting about the episode is that the heroes are increasingly frustrated that victory seems to be slipping through their fingers on every level. And yet, none of them have the slightest inkling about what happened to Ziggy and that their victory is now inevitable. The Detail has never seemed more out of the loop than they are now, and ironically it's right before they're gonna win.

Smashing episode. 5 stars.

So Russell kinda screwed Frank with the proffer. It might have all worked out for him if he hadn't sat down with the Detail to begin with.

Spiro is a devil offering all kinds of temptations.

Still love Frank's brother.

By the way, Stringer is fucked. Maybe not the next episode, but he most certainly is gonna lose The Game. Siccing Omar on Brother only works if Brother actually tortured and killed Brandon. Since he didn't, Stringer is dumb to believe Omar would never trade words with the guy. Omar is everything you do not want the person you're trying to fool in this scenario to be. He's smart, reasonable, inquisitive, and worst of all, has a conscience. This is not a random dumb thug Stringer can just manipulate like he does everyone else. Omar is the King for a reason.

The higher the House of Cards Stringer has built gets, the farther the fall to Earth is gonna be.

Landsman is a worthless idiot, but in his defense, at least he knows it.

Pretty fucking great. 4 1/2 stars.

I was satisfied by that. Probably even more-so than by the first season finale.

This show being this show means it's not wrapped up in a bow, but the character stuff felt right, which is all that matters.

I am very glad I got into this show. 5 stars.

Intriguing premiere. This is going to be a great season.

Rawls is such a fucking asshole.

The kid trying to deal to the cop and not fucking getting it is the problem with Baltimore on this series.

New guy Cutty (played by The Orville and Superman & Lois' Chad Coleman) is spooky.

Daniels not doing so well.

Stringer is starting to get fed up.

Excellent opener. 5 stars.

Carcetti is like Littlefinger without the pornstache.

Colvin has just been absolutely fucking broken. And I get it. And by the way, Rawls is still an asshole.

It's funny they burned the Wire on Cheese over the "dog", but damn, it took McNulty and Bunk a LONG fucking time to catch onto the bit.

That being said, I sincerely hope this is the last time we see a dogfight on this show. It ultimately serviced the joke, but I don't ever want to see it again.

Colvin is broken. Talking about the city being worse since he started, or a good day being the absence of a negative. The Job is fucking him up.

Greggs is handling the baby beyond poorly. By the way, Greggs sucks. That's where I stand.

Great episode. 4 1/2 stars.

One thing I love about Omar is how vulnerable he is. It's why he's the best character on the show.

I am not into funeral rituals or any group setting with mindless chanting so the episode's end did absolutely nothing for me. I feel that strongly about it.

Omar, man. Love him. 3 1/2 stars.

I hear Cutty is a bit of a redemption story, but as of now the dude creeps me out.

I am as annoyed as Colvin that these idiot drug dealers aren't appreciating Amsterdam as the gift it is. They're so dumb, they WANNA make it hard. Idiots.

I am on Lester's side in him and Jimmy's fight. For several reasons, but the biggest two are when Jimmy comes back to crow what he's learned about Stringer in his two days away, Freamon reveals it's freaking old news to him. Also when Greggs says to Jimmy she hates the thing with Lester, his reaction is "You'll get used to it." It doesn't remotely occur to this hump to try and actually fix the situation. What an asshole.

Carcetti is a clear sociopath. Aiden Gillen definitely knows how to play a type.

Interesting but imperfect. My kind of episode. 4 stars.

Hamsterdam can't work, but it's a solid idea on paper.

Good episode. 4 stars.

Daniels got blindsided at the end. Fucking McNulty.

Whether Bunk knows it or not, he got to Omar by the end.

I don't just love Cutty quitting the game. I love his honesty for his failings. And I especially love that Avon has enough respect for him to let him.

Goddam, you never see white mobsters in movies EVER do shit like that, and it's refreshing.

Carver and Herc are so dumb they have no idea WHY a cop needs CI's. And Colvin looks at Carver like he's a worthless piece of shit for the sole reason that he is.

I am either innocent or foolishly naive in that it never occurred to me the political implications between Daniels and Pearlman because Rhonda is white. I am a stupid fuck because it never occurred to me that specific thing could cause a problem. How dumb am I?

Strong episode. 4 stars.

I notice something about Omar. Tell me if I'm off-base for the final two seasons. But as of now, he is the best character. I don't expect that to change. What I notice most about him is something I appreciate. This show uses him in the same way a great movie will use Bill Murray. Bill Murray is almost always the best part of the movie he is in. And good filmmakers put him in small roles. Bill Murray's point is you always want to see more of him, but you don't.

For all I know seasons four and five are all about Omar and people get sick of him. That's what happened with Kenneth on 30 Rock. But... but... maybe Omar stays Bill Murray like Creed from The Office did. Maybe this show not only understands how special Michael Kenneth Williams is. Maybe they actually understand WHY he's special, and what he brings to the show.

McNulty is an asshole. After all Daniels did for him. Honestly, if I were Jimmy, I would have lied to his face. Why bother asking Colvin to keep his name out of it last episode? No, Jimmy admits it because he's a fucking asshole.

Kima is also an asshole. And it's because although she is a lesbian and she's supposedly married, she doesn't believe deep down those things are real. Like she doesn't understand that baby is just as much hers as it is Grace's. It's doesn't register with her that this relationship stuff is real and her "orientation" doesn't let her off the hook from adulting. And that fucking pisses me off. Just as an adopted kid it infuriates me.

Bubbles' eyes during his scene says something about Hamsterdam. It's hell. For real. It's not gonna work.

And I mistakenly thought a big part of the reason would be Carver. When he was demanding the money I thought this is how this falls. But no, he gives it back under the instructions that people need to be properly paid like a business. Instead of the terrible cop fucking things up he was in Seasons 1 and 2, he's the great cop potentially keeping this entire risky plan together.

If the Detail is JUST learning about Avon making parole I think that much less of them.

Love that Cutty is going by just Dennis now.

Stringer is a violent asshole. His rage is entirely misplaced. Of COURSE D's loved ones are going to take the idea that he was murdered seriously. Stringer is an idiot because he is dumb enough to think he could ever control that in the first place. You're mad at Donette, Stringer? Look in the mirror. You were the one who fucked up murdering D in the first place. Consequences are a thing, even if you were too dumb to plan for them.

The episode is riveting and infuriating in equal measure. 4 stars.

I like that the episode ends on String and Avon unable to speak to each other.

Stringer probably shouldn't have told him, at least not then. But Avon's dig about him bleeding green got to him. On the plus side, it's better this is all out in the open, and it's better it came from Stringer himself. On the minus side, let's be real. I have serious doubts, even IF McNulty convinced both Brianna and Donelle D'Angelo was murdered for certain, that he'd ever have been able to tie it to String. String's defensiveness here is actually kind of illogical. No way Jimmy ties it to him, and he doesn't have the resources to look further.

On the surface McNulty is a coldblooded bastard for saying he went to Donelle instead of Brianna because Donelle cared about D'Angelo and Brianna convinced him to take the 20 years. The thing that truly stings about the brutality of that statement is that it's true.

Brianna's actress played her scene with String very interestingly. She knows it's him and knew the whole time. She never outright says it, but her eyes are the judge and jury.

I love the social worker talking to Colvin about the fact that this "project" of his needs bathrooms, clean water, and alll kinds of other social services. Hamsterdam is a weird idea to begin with, but I don't think Colvin really understood the SCOPE of what he was attempting when he came up with it. And that is definitely going to be one of the main reasons it's gonna fall.

Clay tells String he isn't ready for this. I suspect Clay is 100% right. 4 1/2 stars.

Did you see how cold Theresa turned to Jimmy when she found out he didn't vote? They're over and he doesn't know it.

She has a real purty bare bum draped over the bed though. I'll give her that.

Just when I can't think any less of Avon, he's covering for String with Brianna. Silly me, after what happened last episode, I actually expected him to give a damn. Whoops. I know. I'm crazy.

Omar's outrage over the Sunday Truce being broken was palpable too. But again, the show is smart enough to not give us too much Omar.

The tragedy of Prez to me is he finally found his groove, and was working off that goofball idiot image. And I guess that's not something he can work off. Which depresses the hell out of me.

By the way, fuck Valchek. Daniels IS, in fact, in Prez's corner, but that didn't help things. At all.

I don't know if any other white viewers are in My Boat, but I see the problem with me binge-watching the show now. I am increasingly disturbed by the casual use of the n-word. I always am, but the reason I'm disturbed now is far worse than usual.

The word is used SO much, I've almost become desensitized to it when watching this show. I am a white person. That shouldn't EVER happen for ANY reason under ANY circumstance.

Yeah, I'm starting to feel self-conscious that I'm getting used to that particular bit of rough language. In a perfect world I'd still feel revulsion at the show upon hearing it.

And I guess this fact has decided for me that whatever The Wire is, it's not Perfect Television after all. It came closer than Breaking Bad ever did, but that is no small failing.

Kind of a downer of an episode. 3 1/2 stars.

Oh, my God, Rawls was in the gay club! I'm betting half the viewers who saw this over the air missed it the first go round. Me actually catching it feels more lucky than anything. I'm usually not that observant.

When you say what Hamsterdam is out-loud, it does indeed sound insane.

Jimmy says Theresa sees "right through him". That is a telling statement. Just not in the way he thinks it is. She basically treats him the way he treats all women. And for some reason he believes he's entitled to take it personally. God, that guy sucks.

Lester and his lady friend are very good at UC.

Stringer snitching on Avon pisses me off, not because Avon isn't a liability. He is. It's just that based on what Avon forgave it's despicable. Worse, Avon has actually decided to cover for him. You'd figure String would give the guy some latitude for that alone.

It feels like a very good point to reintroduce Brother Mouzone into the mix. Right narrative time for that.

Another good episode. 4 stars.

Stringer made a ton of bad decisions and they all came home to roost. Finally.

Here is why Omar is great. Omar sees the overweight white guy blubbering and lets him go. Even knowing he saw his face, and could tie him to that murder, Omar shows the blubbering man mercy for the sole reason that he was blubbering. So, yeah, I like Omar. He refuses to hurt civilians for any reason, even when it endangers him legally.

You can tell both Avon and String consider their last conversation and hug final. Neither knows the the other plans to take the other out, but I suspect Avon might have had some idea, while Stringer is clueless enough to think he's untouchable. Lot of mistakes made by that man.

Might Hamsterdam work after all? I am frequently wrong in my TV prognostications, and I would have loved to have been wrong about this.

That right there is an ending. 4 1/2 stars.

You knew Hamsterdam was gonna fall, but it's a disappointment it actually worked and fell anyways. Which is SO fucking on-brand for the season about politics.

I love McNulty's reaction to seeing Stringer's home, particularly his library. He realizes he never knew the guy at all.

I'm giving that four stars but I have to say I feel the sex scenes were TOO explicit. I don't know if they used a body double or not for Dravon James, but even if they did, they still showed a close-up of Sonja Sohn sucking a woman's breasts. Goddam, Sohn is a legit actress. The show asking her to do that is a literal porn star move. I don't feel entirely comfortable with that.

And I guess shit like that is why HBO never allows us to truly have nice things. It was a relatively satisfying wrap-up. That I feel leaned too heavily into the softcore aspect of HBO. I know Real Sex is, as Peter Griffin put it, "what done brung the network". But shit, I would like to simply watch a show without ever having to worry about it.

Admittedly, as seen in my own damn reviews, some of the nude scenes and sex scenes are actually fun! I am a hypocrite there, no question. But there is still a line there, and this definitely crossed it. I'm not comfortable with that.

But the finale was otherwise satisfying. 4 stars.

I'm going to enjoy following these kids around. Feels like a coming of age story. The piss balloons were hilarious.

During the earlier part of last season Carcetti gave off serious sociopathic vibes to me. The rest of that season gave him a more morally balanced portrayal, but this premiere is really leaning heavily into the Patrick Batemanness of it all.

Pulling for Prez. Wouldn't have said that three seasons ago.

No Omar. Good. The series' instinct NOT to overuse him remains solid.

I like Carver building a rapport with Bodie.

Impressive premiere. Probably my favorite since the first. 5 stars.

I love Daniels making fun of Pearlman about Freamon. She's mad but she can't help laughing either.

The scene with the kids doing target practice is chilling.

Dennis is really good with the kids.

It's kind of funny that Herc didn't understand how he could have used the situation with Royce to his own benefit. Little surprised Valchek didn't squeal to Carcetti about it.

I loved the look on Prez's face when he sees Bubbles at the school.

Good episode. 4 stars.

Oh, my word. First time we've seen Omar this season and he's amazing. When he comes and goes people shout his name because he's apparently become a folk hero in the neighborhood. The thing about Honey Nut Cheerios is hysterical. My favorite bit is when he robs the market, he buys a pack of smokes... and demands his change. The guy is just perfect.

That ending in the class was kind of horrifying, don't you think? Geez, Prez might not be cut out for this.

I think Carcetti would be a shitty mayor, but the truth is Royce already is. I found out this episode that Royce doesn't actually care about Baltimore or its people. Royce only cares about what is good for Royce.

Laughed at Colvin's new partner getting the shit scared out of him. Talk about not being cut out for this.

I love that McNulty is currently with Beadie, faithful, she trusts him, and he's happy. I don't think it can last, but Bunk is a total asshole because he's deliberately trying to pull McNulty off the wagon. And for no fucking good reason that I can see.

And it's not Uncle Jimmy, or even Daddy, it's McNulty. That's how you know he belongs.

The new detail head sucks ass, and it's clear to me that Rawls is a shitty human being, and every bit of grief Jimmy gave him was actually deserved. I kind of hope Lester screws him over. I expect he probably will because Lester is smart and Rawls is... not. I think if Rawls thinks he's still currently fucking around with McNulty, he's mistaken.

I liked it. Omar is wonderful. 4 1/2 stars.

Whatever Prop Joe's game is with Omar and Marlo, it's a dangerous one.

I love how dumb the brass is to shuffle off the murder they don't want solved to Greggs. They would have done better slow-rolling it with actual senior detectives. Greggs is gonna solve this like that.

Carcetti is a rather confounding character to me because I alternate between believing him a sociopath, and admiring the way he laid his cards out on the table here. I still feel like another shoe is gonna drop against him, but the show has stubbornly refused to make him all good or all bad.

I sympathize with Prez and am rooting for him. But part of me thinks he isn't cut out for this.

Bunk is obnoxious. And you realize he only got away with the toxic shit he did by standing behind McNulty so he'd seem like a Rose in comparison. Out from under Jimmy's shadow we see the dude isn't just unpleasant. I find him outright pathetic too.

Lots of questions raised in this one. 3 1/2 stars.

Is Royce suffering from early on-set Alzheimer's? He is one stupid and forgetful motherfucker. He expects Burrell to take the blame for doing exactly what he told him to do. And that kind of thing does not breed loyalty. It's why Watkins walked, and why Rawls put out feelers to Carcetti. Royce is a bad mayor. For real.

Speaking of incompetent higher-ups, that bust from the detail was a freaking clownshow. And the asshat who fucked everything up is busy blaming everyone but his own dumb ass for not listening to what his people were telling him. There's a real-world parallel here. I know it.

Marlo's playing dirty with Omar. I don't think the frame will work. I could be wrong, but it's so perfect it can be confused for sloppy. I bet Bunk and Freamon don't bite.

Prez is finally making connections with the kids for the sole reason that they are finally getting used to each other.

Never pictured Herc a phone-banker but he's good at it. His background helps the candidate he's plugging.

Fine episode. 4 stars.

I love that Omar has connections on the inside and outside to get him through this. The other cops are amazed McNulty gave him the phone call (Is Jimmy a Democrat?) but it's because it's Omar. None of the other players on the street have earned something like that (with the possible exception of Bubbles). Plus, McNulty knows Omar doesn't hit civilians to begin with and isn't actually right for this.

I am rooting for Prez and finding myself smiling every time he succeeds.

The guys at the end playing off Davis' stunt as "boys with be boys" irked me. I was hoping there would be fall-out and payback for that shit. I can't stand Davis.

Still 50/50 on whether or not Carcetti is a sociopath. The thing is, it's not definite, which is something.

Namond's mother might be gunning for the trophy of worst mom ever. And she making earning that award look fucking EASY. She sucks on every level.

Dennis learning being a dog to women can have consequences.

Good turning point episode. I'm really worried about Omar. 4 stars.

I knew Greggs would clear that case quick. The irony of Carcetti winning the election over it is pretty bitter.

Royce is far more publicly gracious than I was expecting him to be. I was pleasantly surprised by that.

I loved Prez's thing with the dice. Another pleasant surprise is that he didn't get in trouble for it.

I loved Herc saying to Carver, "Enable me." Every time Herc seems to do even slightly competent police work though it seems like he can't help but fuck it up.

$300 for dollhouse furniture? Maybe Lester IS in the wrong line of work.

Good Omar stuff (per usual). He's getting to Bunk. The argument that if he didn't do it then they are letting a murderer go free is a good one.

Bey's son being all "Fuck you!" to everything is quite annoying.

Another episode with no McNulty.

This has been a pretty good season so far. 4 stars.

Burrell sucks but the truth is Rawls is equally responsible for the problems with the police. Carcetti needs to realize that quickly.

That girl who talks slow with the mushmouth (Snoop) cracks me up. Chris owes her 800 dollars for the nailgun.

I loved Pearlman getting excited for Daniels.

Prez is doing a good job too.

Namond's mother continues to be the worst mom ever.

Andre's story about Omar fell apart easily. Good for Bunk for seeing the holes and pushing them.

Season four and I have yet to see a bad episode of the show. 4 stars.

Interesting.

Bubbles just learned Herc is NOT Kima, and NOT the cop you can count on.

Speaking of Kima, "Aunt Kima"? Ouch.

I love Bunk extracting the "No kill" promise from Omar. But I especially love that Omar intends to honor the promise.

Proposition Joe cannot be trusted.

Prez getting frustrated, and for good reason. But I note the kids are starting to like him.

I love him demanding the money for the candy up-front. Reasonable demand.

Michael suggesting Cutty is an f-word is kind of an asshole thing to say, but the truth is I find Dennis' friendliness a bit unnerving too, and for the same creepy reasons Michael does. Michael is wrong that Dennis plays for that specific team, but he's not wrong that Dennis smiles too much.

Valchek getting promoted show things won't get TOO much better under Carcetti. Burrell won't make it easy for him either. And Rawls is a snake.

I don't really understand what Colvin taking the kids to the restaurant was supposed to prove. A miserable time was had by all. Unless that was the point. Which makes little sense to me. Unclear.

Like, I said, my highest compliment: Interesting. 4 stars.

That murder at the end by Chris was personal.

What happened to Kevin wasn't right. Even Bodie knows it.

Liked Carver and Colvin looking out for Namond. He tells anyone about Bunny he gets his nuts cut off. Also Namond's mother is still the worst mom ever.

I hope McNulty's redemption actually sticks. Only one more season. It might.

The thing I like about Omar is he sits back and watches. There is a patience to the character that is to be admired.

The show is showing how and why Bush's "No Child Left Behind" act was so fucked up.

Davis is one of my least favorite characters on the show. I hope when Burrell inevitably goes, he does too.

Wow, as far as payback goes, Bubs' on Herc was pretty legendary. Herc had it coming though.

Cool episode. 4 stars.

Great episode.

Herc is screwing the pooch. His clownishness was always treated as alternately amusing or no big deal, but I like after his most recent mistakes, it is coming back to haunt him.

Prez's fury at Carver was righteous. I also love that he refuses to help Bunk and Freamon because it puts Randy in danger.

Freamon at the end makes this shit look easy and shows why it was dumb to shut down the task force to begin with.

Just in case you are mistaking who I'm calling dumb, Valchek having a good laugh over Rawls thinking he was being groomed for commissioner was funny. I hate Valchek, but I hate Rawls even more.

By the way, I like that Burrell decided to quit simply fucking around and listening to Davis' bad advice, and instead decided to actually, gasp!, make himself useful to Carcetti. Crazier ideas...

Prop Joe thinks he's the smartest guy in town. He seemed VERY alarmed at what Omar put together, especially because Omar put it together without him having any inkling he was doing it.

The cool thing about Omar's surveillance scenes is they are almost always inevitably nonverbal. What Omar is getting is something the audience understands solely due to the show's crisp direction and Michael Kenneth Williams perfect performance. Nothing is explained or spoonfed. Another reason the show is amazing.

Loved McNulty making small talk in the restaurant with Bodie. Even Bodie seemed weirded out by it.

Loved the episode. 4 1/2 stars.

Powerful ending. Randy's bitter words prove Carver is full of shit and always was.

Shocking moment with Michael and Dennis at the end. I liked Namond deciding not to be his father. Namond believing something had broken in Michael was probably correct.

Freamon's got so much pull, he chooses his own supervisor.

Prop Joe shouldn't have pissed Omar off.

The idea of pulling the bodies in the fiscal year because it will be on Royce's watch, is actually a good one. Daniels is kind of slick.

This is Bubbles' rock bottom, and the worst thing is I saw it coming, and I bet every other viewer watching did too.

This is why it's a bad idea for blue states to have Republican governors.

That paintball opening is one of the single best rug-pulls I've EVER seen on television. Usually I can see plot twists coming, but I was completely caught off guard. Well-played.

This is a good season and a great episode. 4 1/2 stars.

Depressing ending for most of the kids. Michael had the most potential and he turned into a sociopath. Dukie and Randy's fates weren't much better. Ironically, it's Namond, the Bed Seed who might just find his way out of this after all. You never know.

Bodie's death was a shock, and pretty much the point I gave up on Michael. I like how although McNulty was upset it didn't drive him to either drink or whore. He says he can stay himself on the new task force and I hope he is right.

I feel for Prez too.

I was wrong. Last episode wasn't Bubbles' rock bottom. This was. Even Landsman felt sorry for him and decided to eat the statistic. That says something.

I love the bit with Omar and the clock. And he brings the pawn shop ticket because he is awesome.

The suggests next season's ending won't be happy, at least not for everybody, but it will be realistic. I look forward to it. 4 stars.

Far be it from me to tell David Simon his business but it strikes me as a bad narrative move to dismantle the task force in the final season.

Also McNulty is pissing me off.

I love the idea of the photographer who stages burned dolls at arson scenes. Sounds like a real hack.

The copy machine lie detector is funny and stupid but it makes me unhappy because it's not actual police work.

It was good but out of all the season premieres it was the weakest. 3 1/2 stars.

Okay, so McNulty is fucking insane.

How insane? Bunk's out. For real. That says everything.

I liked Michael questioning the logic of Marlo killing a dude who talked shit about him. If it's not true and Marlo knows it, who cares if the dude said it? Snoop is getting aggravated by this line of questioning because it indicates independent thought. And considering they just left a couple of orphans in the wake of their killing spree, they could have used that at the time.

It's amazing Clay got as far as he did. He truly sucks at politics.

Avon seem a little off to you? His behavior was not usual for him.

McNulty is pissing me off. 3 1/2 stars.

Can't believe they killed off Butch. Marlo is an idiot. Omar is not going to stand for that.

Speaking of idiots. McNulty is one and I also can't believe Lester is on-board this nonsense. The fact that Jimmy is cheating on Beadie means I don't care what happens to him, but I DO care about Freamon. I am 100% with Bunk in thinking this is messed up. It's also clear he and Jimmy are no longer friends.

The thing about Davis is he's burned so many bridges, he can't be shocked nobody has his back when he needs it. That's what fucking over EVERYONE will get you.

The bit about literal clean money was interesting.

McNulty is working my last nerve. 3 1/2 stars.

Marlo is pissing me off too.

Beadie deserves better.

Carver has really grown. I think it's cool Herc ultimately supports him.

The episode title is apt. 4 stars.

Good to see Dennis again.

Bubbles is having a really hard time forgiving himself.

If I were Beadie I'd dump Jimmy too. Him trying not to smile in the meeting with the reporters made me want to smack him.

Omar bit off a little more than he could chew.

Good on Herc for remembering who his friends actually are.

Good episode. 4 stars.

The Donald thing is a new low for McNulty. Which is saying something.

Omar broke his no-kill vow this episode and the last. But it's not like he has been left much choice.

I'm surprised Marlo has gotten as far as he has. He doesn't inspire loyalty and trust, and nobody else in the co-op can stand him.

Season five and the show still hasn't delivered a bad episode. 4 stars.

So I'm questioning how John Munch can be in the same scene with Clark Johnson playing a different character than he did on Homicide: Life On The Street. Good to see the late Richard Belzer anywhere though.

Kima's interviews with the family is why Jimmy is such a bastard.

When I saw Freamon on the stand, I was like "The bad shit comes out, Davis has grounds for appeal." Except Davis weasels himself into an acquittal outright. What a smooth-tongued motherfucker.

I loved Omar changing his mind and killing Savino anyways. "You know what?"

Gus is right to question Templeton. Guy is lazy. I hope he gets found out.

I'm curious to see how the series ends. 4 stars.

"Omar"?

After this episode aired, the late Great Dwayne McDuffie, the Maestro behind Justice League Unlimited, used that one-word question as the header for his message board site for a week. The man was SERIOUSLY into "The Wire" and he couldn't believe it. Even before watching this show I knew that death was coming, that it would be shocking and pointless, and liable to piss me off.

And after finally watching this series I finally understand why McDuffie labeled the forum on his site that he left entirely unmoderated as "Hamsterdam".

How do I feel about Omar's death? Put me in the camp as someone not okay with it. I feel if the episode had ended with it as the big shock moment I might have tolerated it, but it happens at the 20 minute mark, as if Omar was a random second-string character, instead of the single best character on the show. I get the logic of doing it this way but I don't agree. I believe the rationale was "Real-life doesn't build narrative comforts into unexpected deaths." I actually agree. I have in fact used that fact in my own work.

The thing is, The Wire is STILL fiction. There are still narrative expectations to be met. "But... but... real!" is not really an excuse to fail to meet them. Realism only gets you so far. The death still could have been random and pointless in the context of the show and still made to land as devastating to the audience. The first thing doesn't prevent the second.

Here's a good question: Am I glad I knew this was coming ahead of time? Honestly? It probably would have hit me worse if I didn't. Because I already knew, I can properly enjoy the series more. This being unexpected would have left me leaving the series on an outright sour note.

I'm over McNulty and I think Greggs is gonna squeal and good for her. This has turned into such a farce.

I love Gus and seriously enjoyed him finally calling Templeton on his shit.

I won't give the episode a negative grade. It was still very well-done. But I don't just think Omar deserved better. I think the audience did too. 3 1/2 stars.

I love Greggs, Daniels. and Pearlman. I've missed people being disgusted with McNulty.

Irony that Leavy is asking Marlo who the leaker might be. The leak came from HIS office.

I've never liked Snoop. I think the slurred speech is kind of funny but I never liked her. I enjoyed Michael finally getting the better of her.

Michael's scene with Dukie at the end is kind of heartbreaking. We learned a few episodes back that although Randy didn't die, his current situation still sucks. But I am at least glad Namond is doing well.

Roger Smith quoted Bubbles speech here on American Dad once, and said he got it from "The Wire". I was looking for it and here it is.

Didn't feel like much of a penultimate episode though, did it? 4 stars.

It was my understanding the ending would be realistic, and unsatisfying for being realistic, but I'm not forgiving the latter because I appreciate the former so much.

Again, no bad episodes in this series, but outside of the last montage, this didn't feel like much of a series finale either.

I feel like the entire season has been building towards consequences. And I get the logic of McNulty and Freamon skating. The lies they built were too big. They'd take down everyone. There is no such excuse for Templeton getting away with his shit and being awarded a Pulitzer.

And for every satisfying ending (Prez) they attached it to a bummer one (Dukie). Besides Prez, really the only other person to leave the series better than they started is Bubbles. That's no small gift, but it doesn't actually feel like enough.

So I've gotten through this and Breaking Bad. I no longer need to feel intimidated by either. For Breaking Bad I feel it was overrated as far as supposedly perfect television goes. I don't exactly feel the same about The Wire, but the series finale does in fact tell me I am not cut out for supposedly perfect television and I never was. 4 stars.