I’m exhilarated and depressed. The last episode of The Wire on HBO aired tonight. I was actually thinking of writing a live blog, but I’ve turned my wife on to the show and she is only up to Season 3 on DVD. As she is one of five people who actually reads this blog, spoilers are out of the question.
For those not in the know, The Wire has been, quite simply, the most consistently well-written and performed shows on TV. It is apparently quite difficult to maintain quality in an hour-long drama for five years. The Soprano’s, for example, had some spectacular years and some that were so-so. One of the smart things that the creators of The Wire did was to change things up each year. First year took place on the streets, the second year on the docks, the third year dealt with alternative methods for policing the drug war, the fourth year centered on a middle school, and this last year on a newspaper. Many of the same characters show up every year, of course, but new ones are introduced and the interactions are always changing and adapting. I hear tell that is why the series was not a ratings bonanza as it could be difficult to keep a sense of who’s who. And the Baltimore accents sometimes made you wish for subtitles.
Another great thing about the show was that there was rarely any tied-up-in-a-bow endings. Sometimes things work out well for a sympathetic character, and sometimes they don’t. Some years it looks like a character is going to be redeemed, and the next year they’re back in the hole. (Speaking of which, Way Down in the Hole is the great Tom Waits song that runs over the credits, and has been performed by various artists over the years).
So while it might be said that it is somewhat sad to wax elegiac about a TV show, the fact is that there is so little out there worth the time. The Wire was a compelling drama—with just the right amount of absurd humor—that unblinkingly tackled actual societal and personal issues in painfully realistic ways. In an earlier post, I had a list of entertainment that I would take along with me on a six month trip, and The Wire figured prominently. It is rare that I would re-watch a TV show, but as I sit with my wife viewing the occasional episode from the earlier seasons, I appreciate the show more and more. I can’t wait to see what David Simon has next up his sleeve.