It is that time of year when there is nothing on the standard networks (we don't have real cable). I'll admit to occasionally peeking at some of the reality shows, but there is no appointment television. That's why, particularly after the sun goes down, or the weather is crappy, I watch DVDs from Netflix. Around 8:30 or 9:00 p.m. I inevitably find myself in front of the TV wondering what to watch. My recent pick of choice has been the TV series The Wire. This is an adult show (lots of violence and profanity) that runs on HBO. I often remark how it is possibly one of the best made series I've ever watched. In the next week or so, I'll finish the third season. The fourth isn't out on DVD yet and the fifth and final season will show on TV soon, so I won't know how the series ends for a while. But, for now, I'm enjoying the ride.
The show is mostly about cops and drug dealers. However, other bureaucratic organizations, like unions and political organizations, are also featured. It is set in Baltimore, which appears completely corrupt and/or crime-filled (I'll bet their convention bureau hates the show). The most interesting part of the show is seeing the juxtaposition between those in power and the criminals. The viewer realizes there is really no difference between the organizational structures and struggles, except that drug dealing is illegal. The poor young "hoppers" live in crappy, abandoned buildings, while the powerful lunch at fancy DC restaurants. The cops are somewhere in the middle. They are not wealthy and they actually like the drug dealers, but they have a job to do. For them, it is just one-half of an ongoing, never-ending, dangerous game. That isn't to say the viewer feels sympathy for the drug dealers (except for the really young ones) or the cops. They are both violent and can kill with abandon.
The acting among this poorly-known ensemble cast is fantastic. The characters are well-developed and mostly African-American. Two of the main characters (a cop and a drug dealer) are Brits who are good with the American accent. In fact, I didn't realize either weren't Americans until I saw one of them in a movie and started to wonder and I read about the other one in a magazine. Apparently, the drug dealer gets approached by real young drug dealers in NY and always uses his American accent because the kids would probably freak if they knew what he really sounded like.
Anyway, if you are looking for something to watch this summer, rent The Wire.
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