To those of us in the know, The Wire is a subtle masterpiece of story telling, that pulls no punches and allows you to witness both sides of the struggle. On one side, you have a rag tag unit of cops; each with their own vices. On the opposite side, you have an organized crime family that runs like a well oiled machine.
Oh, and let's not forget about Omar.
The Wire is not one of those shows that tells the story of a unit of supercops taking down nameless thugs by spraying as many bullets as they can fire inside of some abandoned warehouse. In fact, if you pay attention, the police hardly ever fire their weapons throughout the run of the first season. The Wire is a show that realistically portrays the investigation of Baltimore Drug Lord, Avon Barksdale. During the course of the first season, the police must put together enough evidence in order to link Avon, and his partner Stringer Bell, to the drug trade that has taken over the west side of Baltimore.
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| Idris Elba as Stringer Bell |
Along the way, we meet the officers that have been assigned to the case. Jimmy McNulty is an outstanding detective - when his insubordinate attitude and heavy drinking doesn't get in the way. Kima Greggs is a hardworking detective who has to balance her police work with a domestic relationship. "Herc" and Carver are two up and coming police who have trouble walking the thin line of morality they often encounter. Lester Freamon is an old school detective who's been lost in the shuffle. Pryzbylewski is an accident prone rookie who is promoted through nepotism. Finally, Cedric Daniels has been put in charge of this temporary unit that his superiors have little faith in.
The Barksdale organization is also represented in the dramatic elements of the story as well. We get to know street level dealers; Bodie, Poot and Wallace. We gain insight on Avon's muscle, Wee-Bey Brice. We also get to know D'Angelo Barksdale, Avon's nephew who is moving up in the Barksdale organization.
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| And then there's Omar. |
Omar Little is one of the most interesting characters in the entire first season. Omar is a local stick up man who robs drug dealers for a living. Omar is straightforward, vicious and openly gay. He lives by a unique code of ethics that only he's aware of. He trusts no one and he's not afraid to go up against the Barksdale Organization all by himself.
Rounding out the cast is a heroine addict named Bubbles. Bubbles is a criminal informant who has close ties to Kima Greggs. Bubbles is a character that I have grown to respect, despite his demons. Andre Royo steals the show as the conflicted heroine addict.
Season One of The Wire can be purchased on Blu Ray or DVD. It can be found from time to time on Netflix as well. I highly recommend taking the time to let the plot develop. the show starts out very slow. But each episode builds to a fulfilling finale that shouldn't be missed.
(The Scene Below is Not Safe For Work)
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