The Wire: A Series Retrospective - All The Pieces Matter
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- Опубліковано 30 лип 2024
- Sheiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.
The Wire is almost 20 years old, but relevant as ever.
Join me for a look back at this incredible series.
Intro @ 0:00
Season 1 @ 5:07
Season 2 @ 26:42
Season 3 @ 45:43
Season 4 @ 1:02:40
Season 5 @ 1:14:46
Final Chapter: Is the Wire Copaganda? @ 1:23:07
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Twitter: @thats4thebirds
Sources:
www.npr.org/2008/03/10/880397...
web.archive.org/web/200903031...
worldpopulationreview.com/sta...
www.statista.com/statistics/2...
www.neighborhoodscout.com/md/...
ncrc.org/the-black-butterfly/
www.theringer.com/the-bill-si...
www.investopedia.com/the-hist...
www.investopedia.com/the-hist...
www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/202...
www.archives.gov/milestone-do...
www.theatlantic.com/business/...
www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/fe...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wire
Music:
Shag - Thought u Knew
Clips:
Thank you for clips featured in this video:
- HBO's The Wire
- The Ringer podcast
- Shadow and Act: • Jamie Hector On Marlo ...
- People, The Wire Cast: • 'The Wire' Cast Remini...
- Vanity Fair Interview with Michael K Williams - • Michael K. Williams Br...
Thanks to the wildly talented creators, writers, actors, producers, musicians and more that came together to add everything I needed to make this critique and commentary possible.
I do not own their materials, I am merely using this for critique, educational, and entertainment purposes.
Fair Use:
I believe all content used falls under the remits of Fair Use. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act in 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. - Розваги
IMO one of the best scenes in the whole series. The final scene between Dookie and Michael in season 5 now that Michael is broken. Dookie is reminiscent about when they were “young” and used to get ice cream from the truck and Dookie says “You remember that right Mike? And Michael says “Nah” with the most vacant look in his eyes. That scene broke me.
1000% the world literally ate up any cherished memories he had left. So tragic.
It’s so sad but so good, it shows the cycle, dookie was the young bubs and Michael the young Omar, it precisely showed how it comes full circle in the hood
@@curtmarshall4522I personally felt Dookie was turning into the next Sherrod, not Bubbles.
Just the fact that the same song is sung a different way each season is magic in its self.
The fact that Michael K. Williams (RIP) was able to happily admit he was wrong about season 2 speaks volumes about this amazing series. BTW season 2 is my favorite.
@@flightofthebumblebee9529 Yes I love season 2 also (Though 4 is my fav cause I love the kids and I love the song with the kids singing in season 4) Mr Williams (RIP) was awesome. I miss him already.
Agreed. Although I love the Sopranos, Breaking Bad, The Shield, Better call Saul, Boardwalk Empire et al, the Wire scores in terms of realism and believability. American drama really has come of age.
Seaon 4 version is the best by MILES
I could only ever get behind the season 1 theme. I am in the process of rewatching though so who knows...
You mentioned kima and omar as examples of two openly gay characters and nick as an example of someone who uses homophobia to protect his own conception of masculinity. But I'd like to add that Rawls is heavily implied to be a closeted gay man who uses homoerotic verbiage to distract his colleagues from that.
I really just couldn’t find a smooth way to do it, but that little scene in I think season 3 when Mouzones man is looking for him in the club is sooooo good.
In the interview I use with Rawls later in the show, he actually talks about it there too haha. Very cool subtle world building.
@@thats4thebirds I remember the first time I saw that scene with Rawls in the club....I damn near lost it. 😂 But I remember thinking that was such a smart way to show that.
Who is Nick?
@@olubukonla7352 nick is Frank's nephew
Nick just didn't want pink hair and he wanted his girlfriend to know that he is not the type of guy who would embrace such a fashion. She was being toxic feminine in her attempt to emasculate her boyfriend. How come no one wants to talk about that? Or about the heterophobia that runs rampant in our Western society? Some people need men to be emasculated, because they're scared of masculinity. They are the ones who are toxic, not the men.
Me: watched The wire 7 times all the seasons and knows everything inside and out.
UA-cam: Hey there is some dude talking about The Wire for an hour and a half.
Me: Sure, why not...
Lmao basically me making this. “Well.. I guess I can watch it one more time.. for science’s sake you know”
At least he wasn't talking to us like we are dumb and didn't understand the show. I find people "tubers" often do this with BB, Ozarks, BCS etc. We don't need "episode 6 explained", we just want to enjoy it along with the tuber!
I’ve never been described in a UA-cam comment before…
What an excellent breakdown of one of my favourite shows! Only a quarter of the way thru but szn 1-2 are my favourite anyway lol. Will finish tonight
Thanks!
Yeah szn2 is probably one of my all time favorites of television.
It just perfectly contextualizes how these disparate parts are connected before the school season just builds on it even more.
Hey Foreign, my little brother has 2 cameos in season 4! Once in the first episode and again in a 'council' meeting. Even knowing that, it took me years before I could watch the series.
@@UncleKeith567 that’s so cool! Was he a local?
I know the casting director worked closely with local recruitment. Almost all of the school kids are locals for instance.
@@thats4thebirds Yeah. Very few members of my family live outside the Baltimore Metro area. So not an aspiring actor.
@@thats4thebirds The innocence files is largely about bite mark evidence being used to set people up. Season five makes sense to me now. The we have, we own this city. Which is about how the authorities in Baltimore have tolerated corruption as long as statistics are produced for political reasons. The whole lot is a symptom of how law enforcement has become politicised beyond repair and nothing has changed about this in all these years, lifetimes in fact. A broken dog and pony show of a system. Sad times. This is far from just a Baltimore problem.
RIP Michael K Williams, Reg E Cathey, Robert F. Chew, Robert Hogan, Melvin Williams, and Robert Colesberry, Richard John D’Angelis. There are probably many more behind the scenes.
So true. It’s honestly wild thinking about the changes over 20 years.
It's unfair how much better The Wire is than even the best shows of its peers.
Lol it’s really not
@@nobodiesaltbutmine6674it definitely is. Sopranos is a close second.
@@nobodiesaltbutmine6674naw it is!!! The wire is the best show ever made
The wire on rewatch ! OOOOOOH MY GOD 🤯🤯🤯🤯
Brilliant
I have a feeling lots of folks who stand by the wire never watched Oz
I've binged the wire in less than a month, sometimes watching it fighting the sleepiness and burning eyes, just because i was so hooked up (and because the episode is almost an hour long). so many iconic, legendary, complex characters and such a tangled web of the plot. now I am pushing all my friends to watch it, but these pieces of sh*t are too lazy to hoover an hour long episode, weak. mcnulty's obsession with stringer bell as well as marlo's with omar - what an energy and drive. what a show.
I have watched the series at least 5 times. Everytime I notice something new or different that I didn’t pick up on before. IMO, it is the best series in television history.
I wish Brother Mouzone was fleshed out a bit more and had a bigger story arc. Brother certainly lived up to his almost mythological status but I’d love to see more of it. The standoff between Omar and Brother in the alley could have had its own episode. The tension and anticipation built up brilliantly.
the way they're talking to each other about their guns lol they know all about each other's weapons😅 the standoff is for real classic tho💯 I wish they didn't murk Stringer Bell, but it was dope how it went down. he just scream "GIT ON WITH IT THEN!"
boom.
hella classic death scene.
You're one of the only folks aside from me who talks about Lester's time in pawn shop unit as a personal choice. I always wondered if maybe he actually got comfortable there since it was such an easy job, and decided not to fight his way out (which he certainly could have). I think it was only when he seen the people in his detail in season 1 were genuine, that he decided to really step up again and be a cop.
I felt like the CHI was trying something similar and then totally went off track. Snowfall has made a valuable attempt, had they kept the 3 storyline flow I think they would be more of a contender. The issue is so many people just want to see drugs and violence. they don't appreciate character building, story arcs or the overall theme of our society.
That’s what I have heard about those.
Esp snowfall being so close yet missing the nuance to kick it up a notch.
Snowfall is an even harder story to tackle, when you’re involving the actual US governments hand in bringing drugs through our country’s poorest cities. Networks will only be able to show so much, when the powers that be don’t want the whole story getting out. No matter how fictionalized they make the story, most viewers want to see a good vs evil story, and The Wire took that theory and threw it in the trash, and many feel that’s why the show never made it more mainstream and was ignored in awards ceremonies. The cops weren’t always the good ones, and the public was fearful that a psychopath had a better moral compass. The politicians were at times despicable, but the drug dealers had better business acumen. I had that discussion with someone, who I convinced to watch the show, but was very idealistic in his world views. He hated the series and claimed that it was all fake. Even when I told him that the show was based off of an actual Baltimore cop and journalist. People like to know who’s good and bad off the bat, and when that’s questioned, people will turn off.
Top boy to a lesser degree as well
@@pmcneil15 Excellent explanation of why it is so hard to bring shows like The Wire to mainstream television, even to the premium and streaming platforms. Most audiences do not want to do the work of figuring out the story and how it all connects.
You see it when you read the comments of Wire clips on UA-cam : people still see the characters as either good or bad and don't accept that these were complex characters shaped by their environment.
The wire is a genuine culture piece. The chi is in ways a representation of chicago culture but tries too hard to be trendy. Snowfall unfortunately is the same. A long drawn out action movie.
Alright I’m sold. We’ll give it a binge.
Dude it’s so worth it! You’ll be surprised at how quickly it goes.
Definitely check it out!
My favorite show of all time! R.I.P. Lance Reddick, Al Brown, Melvin Williams, Reg E. Cathey, Robert F. Chew and Michael K. Williams. Gone but immortalized through The Wire
Well put!
This show isn’t Dickensian.. it’s Shakespeare!!
This is an extraordinary piece of electronic audio and visual art. And it’s not for those who are bereft of critical thinking skills. This probably explains why it wasn’t a hit in terms of viewing numbers.
Instead we get a full, no holds barred forensic autopsy on a city.. it could literally be any city and underscores the material conclusions that broken systems are intentionally designed not to be fixed.
“ “Gots to. It’s America, man!”
Discussing the deep, complicated, flawed society in a city with real discussions of race, class, drugs, the effects of systemic abuse? Alright, yeah that's baller. Great retrospective, you're killing it 💙
Thank you!
Bro this is cringe
@@nobodiesaltbutmine6674 bro ur cringe
@@thats4thebirds idk why you UA-camrs are so pretentious. You call your videos “documentaries, video essays, retrospectives” and you call yourself a “producer” and “writer” you’re not making a movie bud you’re making UA-cam videos get over yourself. You’re not as smart as you think 😂😂. Do you know how many garbage videos there are just like this one on this site, that call themselves “retrospectives”
@@nobodiesaltbutmine6674 education is cringe, bro, it’s cringggeee
Watched this with a critical eye having watched Charlie Brooker, The Ringer, and others' takes on a favored series over the years. This retrospective proved to be a unique, refreshing view that was truly enjoyable. Great Job!
Awh man this is too kind! That’s high praise. I really appreciate it and look forward to getting more things out there.
@@thats4thebirds I don’t think you realise Clark peters who plays lester Freemon is also British, and carcaetti is Irish
@@thats4thebirds .
@@thats4thebirds .
Highly recommend Skip Intro’s video on The Wire ep. 4 in their copaganda series that explores law enforcement in media. Honestly one of the best videos on the The Wire I have ever seen and the comments are filled with really great realizations and discussions about the show. A comments section that hasn’t devolved into a flaming trash heap is a rare thing lol. But it really illustrates the incredible writing and acting on this show that it resonates so heavily with those who watched the show.
"Every like goes to my terminally ill dog with lackopetinitis"
I laughed out loud at this on a rather rough day. Thank you for that 🤣🤣
Hahaha glad it brought you a laugh! The arms of an angel was cracking me up while editing
I think the show portrayed how the problem with the police is also systemic and could not be solved with “good police”. The show also makes it clear that some of the characters we root for are complete jerks, mcnulty is a cheater, narcissist, and a manipulator, lester taking part of the serial killer scheme, daniels having dirt on him, kima becoming a mcnulty, prez shielded by nepotism, and so on.
It still makes it clear that a good police department is one of the ways to have a better city, but it doesn’t say that it can be done by having “good police” on the wheel, in fact the show always avoids giving a definitive straight solution to a not well defined problematic: “the game is rigged”.
just finished all 5 seasons. Hell yeah best show on tv. We don't deserve it. 20 years out it hits home.
This was exactly the recap of The Wire I needed. Excellent work and thank you.
This is really nice work. Well done man...
It takes multiple viewings to really get The Wire.
I do like that unlike other cop-centric shows, only 2 shots were fired by the cops in the entire show, they were both fired by the same guy, and both shots were by accident fired by a total screw up.
awesome essay! I'm glad I've found your channel :)
I loved this! This was a awesome video on my fav show of all time!
Thanks!
Yeah it’s my favorite for sure and I had a lot of thoughts milling about for so long it felt right to tackle.
I mean, I was gonna like this video somewhere during its run anyway, but the clip of Macho Man’s classic promo is the moment that actually made me hit that thumbs up.
OOOOOOOOOH YEAHHHHHHHHHHH!
@@thats4thebirds DIGGIT!
This was really good, hope this channel gets some traction. Was really well made!
Much appreciated! I’m learning w every video.
I came into The Wire blind and season 2 was not so shocking to me. It really illustrated the broader theme of the show and as a biracial kid, a black kid who grew up in poor white america, I identified more with Nick and his family problems than the drug game. The juxtaposition between Nick and Ziggy and Stringer and Avon was awesome. Frank Sobotka is hands down my favorite character in the whole damn show too...
also 32:08, god I love Beady.
Nice perspective! Yeah I think the show does an Incredible job with parallel arcs. As cheesy as it sounds, it helps with seeing the other side of a situation or how we aren’t so different at the base of it all.
Dude. Beadie is one of the goats. She deserved better than Mcnutty lmaoo
Bro this is a masterpiece. How tf you only have 400 subs?
Thanks! Honesty before this video I had less than 200 lol
I’m hoping to keep it going and keep having people fuck with, if not my opinions, then at least my perspective.
I’ll remember this if the channel keeps growing!
This is one of the better analysis I've seen for The Wire as it doesn't seem to get as much attention as Sapranos or Breaking Bad. Really in depth and a pleasure to watch, thank you for taking the time.
Kind words, thanks!
Lad I love the sopranos and breaking bad (two top ten shows ever in my opinion) but I find it to be an insult that those two shows get lumped together with the wire. The wire is the best show ever made and way better than the sopranos and breaking bad. Nothing is in the same class as the wire
sheiiiiit this has got to be the best debrief on the wire iv seen, deserves more views mate.
This is remarkable work! Kudos to you
Thank you!
Fantastic retrospective! Well done!
Big thanks!
This was my first real crack at something like this so I’m really happy people are receiving it well.
Can’t wait to get my next one out there.
People always talk about The Sopranos being the first drama of its kind, but Oz premiered 2 years prior. If you haven't watched it, give it a shot.
Deff oh my list, thanks!
Oz will forever be my favorite HBO show
Fantastic breakdown. Great analysis and insight into some of the behind-the-scenes details a casual viewer might not have known.
I appreciate the feedback! Glad you enjoyed it.
RIP DeAndre MuCollough, who played Lamar
Best review of the wire I have ever watched. Well done Sir!
This show was more than just a show for me when I first watched it, it changed my whole outlook on politics, the drug war and life in general all the while being incredibly entertaining.
I don’t think another show comes close to having 50+ characters all of which are incredibly interesting and dynamic in there own way.
Even characters with very little screen time like slim charles, Sergei, butchie to name a few
Appreciate the kind words!
Yeah it’s an incredible watch that has truly held up. I have not felt the same feeling from any other long form ensemble cast. Not to say others don’t hit, but I feel like so may characters got the perfect amount of time to shine here.
You did a great job with this. Your commentary flows perfectly. Making the almost 1.5 hours fly by. You really nailed every important aspect of The Wire
I'll be honest, I feel like Carcetti had no choice but to refuse the bail-out. You get some brief descriptions of the conditions attached and to me it is clear that the offer is every bit as political as his refusal. The Governor had offered a poison pill, an just to add to the misery, you have Nerys Campbell waiting in the wings who was on at least some of the committees that should have been aware of the budget issues a long while ago. I'll admit, I find the very dirty politics of the Wire fascinating, but horribly depressing
In many ways you’re not wrong. It’s just a great example of how there’s no good decision here. Either he fucks over the city or the Governor does.
Either way the people suffer as political pawns.
One of the best analyses I’ve watched on one of my favorite shows. Keep up the great work.
Wow, thanks!
Great Job, it was an excellent show!
Great reviews man ,. I'm beng watching your Retrospectives Bro, Respect!
I appreciate that!
Take a shot every time I say nuanced lol
What’s your favorite moment from The Wire?
Are you interested in David Simons return to Baltimore with We Own This City?
Finally, yes it is also knocko, I’m letting David Simon and urban dictionary give me a pass here lol
twitter.com/aodespair/status/1261104938261843969?s=46&t=7iXpKBQ0Y14c2zg4hWMJNg
Let’s talk about it!
When Omar goes straight up John Wayne and blows up the SUV, leaving all of the money. That shit was "gangster" as hell. Hard to say one favorite moment tho.
I was glad when Omar and Brother got Stringer.
@@ianthorpe1925 mannnnnn I love the fact that they corner him and all he can do is try to scheme his way out until he realizes these are the last two people in the world who would ever.
Or the set up convo with him and Avon earlier in the episode even where they both clearly know they’re betraying each other in their hearts. It feels like such an awkward good bye hang for two old friends.
Have you seen Treme? Institutional corruption in a different way.
Loved this series, it felt like the best way to show what the word “systemic problems” actually means and how hard it is to pin down
I appreciate that!
Definitely there’s no one problem or solution to this. It’s a whole myriad of factors.
Politics. Pride. Position. Paper. It’s all in this fucked up stew and people are forced to deal with it while being over policed, underrepresented, and under funded.
Big tragic when people just dumb it down to just one thing.
@@thats4thebirdshey far leftists do that all the time😅
Damn, this was dope... Better than some of the bigger channels...You're gonna blow up bro.. Best of luck to you..💪🏿✌🏿💯
This analysis is comprehensive and highly entertaining. The number of Hazy IPAs that dissapered during filming suggests merely the tip of the immense time that was put into this project. I enjoyed watching it all the way through.
Oh wait, you have more! And I hope there are many more to come.
Haha yeah for real. This was almost the east part. Editing, researching, and writing are by far the most time consuming aspects but I had fun in the end.
Just tuning up the script on another long boi. Hope to get footage and record next weekend and start editing after. Thanks for the support!
This is an absolute underrated awesome video. Respect from Spain
Dude, I’m only half way through this video and it’s brilliant, you did an amazing job with this! The Wire is in my top 3 shows of all time and you explain its mastery to a T in this!
Thanks boss! It’s my all time favorite show so I felt like I was finally ready to compile all the shit I love about it, and a few reasonable critiques too haha
@@thats4thebirds it’s either my favourite show or my second favourite, it’s just a masterpiece for sure , and you said everything perfectly! It’s hard to sum up how good this show is and to talk about all the complex themes as well as you did in this video, and make it super entertaining too! I’m about to rematch the show with my buddy who’s never seen it before and I’m so excited! Your video got me super hyped!!
Great job
If I got on a roll, my thoughts about what I just watched could and probably would continue until the most hard core reader would say...Damn, 12 pages of one comment is waaaaay more than I thought I could read. What I'm saying is this commentary was some of the best I've ever listened to. Being from Baltimore and still residing there, I can tell you that your take on The Wire, as time moves on will be required listening and viewing. You nailed every aspect and put it in terms anyone can understand. The choices of the final edit jived perfectly. Your take on the system and how it fits into normal life is on point. Just quality all the way.
Kind words! I sure appreciate it.
Looking forward to getting my next stuff out!
@@thats4thebirds Maybe do The Corner and We Own This City. All 3 of David Simon's Baltimore HBO series' are incredible (so is Treme, Generation Kill, and and I've yet to watch the Deuce but the pilot episode was good).
Great video!
Thank you! Glad you liked it.
Excellent video, man. For someone with only 320 subs, this is better production and analysis than I've seen in some very large channels. Subbed for sure.
Wow I appreciate that! I consume a lot of this kind of content so I sort of tried to get as close to that level of production. Had to learn a lot tho it’s crazy haha
The funny thing is that Cutty would not have been able to find his calling and truly change for the best had it not been for the kindness, forgiveness, and good will of a couple drug dealing murderers who had a 14 year old boy with asthma murdered (of which all 3 were involved). Had Cutty not went to work for Avon, he may not have excelled as much as he did in the end, if at all. Life is all about choices (even the poor little kid with asthma).
Well done!
Appreciate that!
Great work man I enjoyed it.
Bro, I appreciate the work! You produce a video that saved me from watching The Wire five season in under two hours. Salute!
Cheers haha glad you enjoyed it! To be honest I still enjoy every season enough to not skip any but 2/3/4 are a cut above the rest imo
Omar in some ways reminds me of Mike Ehrmantraut. Lives by a code.
That’s a great connection! I think it’s been so incredible to see Mikes character expand in BCS.
One of my favorites.
Hes like a combination of Nacho and Mike imo
Excellent review 👍
I appreciate that! I’m glad it’s resonating with people
Excellent job
Fantastic breakdown. It’s the best show ever made IMO but more importantly it’s probably the most thought provoking, important, and realistic show ever made. Really enjoyed this video…
I agree with everything you said mate!!! Best show ever by far
I met the man (Cyurs Farmer) that played Michael's little brother dad at event in LA. Small part but an amazing transformation to that role. He was far from his character. When he said he was in the wire I had to watch it over and over because I just couldn't see it.
This as a brilliantly observed essay, well done and thank you.
Instant Sub and Like.
Appreciate that dude!
Well done on this video! The Wire really changed my understanding of how people are affected by institutions. It made it clear. When I first watched it 7 years ago, I thought season 5 was definitely jumping the shark, but given some of what has been in the news since then...doesn't seem that far fetched.
Yeahhh you’re not too wrong I guess haha.
We’ve seen plenty of body cam footage showing people manipulating crime scenes so it isn’t beyond the realm of reality that’s for sure.
That was exactly what I found on a rewatch, somehow the fake biting serial killer story seemed before it's time. Today it's fine.
You just gained a new subscriber great video!
Awesome, thank you!
I think you'll like what I have cooking.
@@thats4thebirds on my second watch!
Enjoyed this thoroughly. 👌👌
Best show ever made. If Body of an American isnt played at my funeral im not going.
That was well done. Subbed.
🙏🏼 thanks and thanks!
Dope content. Subbed
Appreciate it!
Biggest pet peeve was how Omar was taken out. Hated that so much but I also understood why. No final showdown with Marlo and Chris left a bad taste in my mouth. Omar jumping off a 4 or 5 story building and seeing the look on Marlo’s crew faces only added to Omar’s legend. That kid taking out Omar from behind so easily still bothers me today even after viewing the entire series 6 or 7 times. Omar was one of the best characters in TV history and he deserved better.
The only person that could get close to him was a child and they knew that..I see comments that say it wouldn't really happen..being from Bmore it would most Def happen especially if that kid is poor and offered money or under threat to him or his family if he doesn't follow thru..
A masterpiece. This video and the series.
I appreciate the kind words!
I can’t wait to make more of these.
@@thats4thebirds my vote would be for another Simon/pelecanos collab: The Deuce. I’m currently rewatching and realizing the profoundness of the series. Plus it has one of the best series finales I’ve ever seen.
Deb, I totally agree! The Deuce further explores gentrification and dysfunctional urban criminal justice systems. I have Treme on my mental watchlist, and dearly hope that David Simon makes the other series he’s talked about exploring the rot of money in politics.
An excellent review and analysis of what will in time become a classic piece of drama.
Appreciate that! Yeah he’s absolutely timeless in many ways. It’s aged very well.
Subscribed✔️ i love your perspective💯
🙏🏼 thanks! Hope you like what comes next!
Nah bro, your the best content creator of the wire. And it’s not even close!! I have seen all the video essays regarding the wire. And most of them treat the wire like it’s law and order svu or blue bloods! They think the wire has clear “good guys” and bad guys”. When that’s not how the wire should be absorbed! And a lot of the white content creators do a lazy and shallow overview of the street characters. Because they clearly show a lack of understanding of the language and subtle nuances of black life in American cities!!
This video essay in particular showcased its lack of understanding by the narrator stating that he hated “bodie” for killing “Wallace” with this one simple statement the narrator and director of this video essay has transformed the wire into a marvel movie! With heroes and villains!! Which causes him to miss out on getting to know one of the most important characters of the whole show,! And that’s “BODIE BROADUS”
Very well put together video! I don’t use this word lightly, but the wire is absolutely legendary!!
One of my favorite shows of all time! Great retrospective.
Appreciate that! Big same. Love this and am thankful it’s continued to age pretty well (even tho that’s sort of sad in a way)
A great presentation. You did GOOD....
Glad you liked it!
I never watched the show but I've heard a lot about it. I decided it was time to find a good breakdown of the themes. This is by far the best analysis on youtube.
Definitely check it out! It’s worth a watch even with the plot points detailed out.
Michael Williams actually couldn't whistle
This is brilliant!
I appreciate that! A lot of research, rewriting, and editing but it’s been nice to really learn more about something I love.
@@thats4thebirds I can tell you put in a lot of work but also you enjoy The Wire and see it, although through different eyes, but almost the same way I see it. I appreciate that.
gotta say, love thw way youre kinda lookin away and have glasses. some reason; makes me feel like youre just kickin' it, but also droppin mad knxwledge
dude, this video rocks! what a good analysis
Thank you! That’s very kind.
this was such an entertaining retrospective on The Wire: is it copaganda? it was recommended by Foreign man in a foreign land, almost as a companion piece to his most recent video. I'm looking forward to more of your videos.
I really appreciate it!
Foreign is a good dude, I’m glad you enjoy his content as well and had a good time here.
You gotta watch this video also, It's definetely a voice in the same discussion by Skip Intro on his series about cop-reform and cop-shows in US.
ua-cam.com/video/aOXQpkUhZyc/v-deo.html
@@thats4thebirds You gotta watch this video also, It's definetely a voice in the same discussion by Skip Intro on his series about cop-reform and cop-shows in US.
ua-cam.com/video/aOXQpkUhZyc/v-deo.html
I've always said that this show need's to be taught in schools across both the U.S and the U.K
But they wont......"This show is too dangerous and problematic"
Yeah man I’m from the uk and the wire is by far my favorite show ever. I’ve done research papers about the wire!! It’s just so brilliant
I'm 41 years old and The Wire is the greatest show I have ever seen. I have watched the entire series too many times to count. I have watched/read many analysis and retrospective on The Wire. Yours is unique, entertaining, and overall top teir. In other words.... Good shit!
High praise! Thanks so much. Glad you enjoyed it.
Keep creating content like this and you will be gaining subs in no time. The Wire is a top 3 TV show of all time to me.
I appreciate that!
I had a lot of feelings about it and having seen it so many times it was nice to condense those thoughts into something like this. Glad you liked it!
Incredible retrospective on probably one of if not the best show I’ve ever watched. The way you broke down the nuances and connections between race, class, politics, the media, the judicial system etc. and how they all intertwine in the show was masterful. Having dove completely head first into leftist politics recently, your video has me appreciating this show in ways I never thought of before. Good shit
That’s what I love to hear! I’m glad it resonated with you. Making this video definitely gave me a deep appreciation for the little things that make it tick.
MASTERFUL
🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 thank you!
I’m so glad you love it. I was so excited for you to watch!
@@thats4thebirds Every season is fully fleshed out, loved that overview in the beginning with all the characters, JOKE STILL HITTIN
Ngl the more people talk about the serial killer plot the more I like it. It's an additional lense you get from someone so desperate to get change done they'll lie to they systems they are apart of and act shocked when it doesn't go as planned. I won't praise it's pacing for it tho
That’s fair! We agree on the pacing at least haha it just sort of cuts right through that last season.
The cast was amazing!!
In my opinion, I think The Wire is a sort of deconstruction of "how can just one person make a difference?"
But, Unlike other films/series, instead of us seeing something like one cop stand up to the corruption and it all comes crashing down... We see the mundane decisions of regular-ass people who are involved in, against, or adjacent to the game end up making HUGE waves in the city! The Wire shows you how every decision matters! Maybe 999/1000 decisions amount to nothing in the grand scheme of things but EACH one has the potential to disrupt things in a big way!
Damn straight haha. All the pieces matter is for real.
I think it’s fascinating as a series and as a true outlier from most police dramas and prestige dramas in different ways.
@@thats4thebirds right? People tune in for shootouts, car chases, drug raids, etc... The Wire skips all that (for the most part) to watch Lester Freeman dig thru tax returns, or to watch Keema sit on a riff taking pictures
This commentary on the best show on TV Ever, is amazing. Wow. Thorough and unbiased.
Thanks for watching!
While I certainly have biases, Id like to think I was pretty fair on a thing I love.
Great job dude you are crazy talented good luck on your path to the grave.
This was great 👌🏻
So you telling me I was the only one looking for a Clark Kent easter egg in Seasom 5
That summation of American "prestige television" was bleeding brilliant. One can even pretty well fit It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia into that mold.
The Dennis system is infamously hilarious around these parts.
@@thats4thebirds I get the Implication
@@greenman6141 so they are in danger?
@@thats4thebirds Oh, indeed!
Great break down bro. You gotta do We Own This City once that wraps. Or maybe The Deuce next
We own this city is 100% on my list!
A lot of fans don’t like Season Two but It’s my favorite season by far. Plk
Time has definitely been kind to season 2. I think it’s that moment that it stops being an average cop show and starts to build that “oh this is bigger than the corner” feeling.
Thankyou very much for one of the best, most comprehensive and informative analysis of what is the greatest TV show I have every watched in my life!!!
this video slaps take this offering to the algorithm
👏🏼 thank you! “This is UA-cam, the gods will not save you here” haha
This video and Skip Intro's analysis of the Wire are probably the best deep dives about the shows themes.
Thank you! Huge praise. His work on this is top quality.
just finished season 2. it does not deserve the hate it gets; its actually very fucking well done. I kinda feel bad for ziggy, and his dad was righteously angry but he dug his own grave and was loathe to lie in it. what he said when the cops told him they wanted to help ["25 years we been dyin slow...now you wanna help.] is one sorely underrated speech. stringer is not nearly as smart as he first seemed, much to his detriment. man....season 3 is gonna be a ride.
i typically dont watch any t.v. the last thing I watched with any pursuit for story was breaking bad. i feel like without hbo bringing this, the sopranos and definitely oz, there would be no concept of stories like this: anti hero urban drama with serious people as characters.