Watched Lately: The Wire

• I don't have a lot of patience for television anymore. I've probably become a TV snob, much like the movie snob I became years ago. I can't stand to watch something that does not at least aspire for greatness, even when confined within the limits of its chosen genre. With that in mind, I now mourn the passing of one of the finest shows to even turn the standard cop drama on its ear, The Wire.


• Over the last year (or so) my wife and I have followed this series on DVD and were just caught up enough to catch the final season broadcast on HBO. Last night, we watched the final episode of the series. I am, of course, of mixed feelings. But the good kind because I'm just feelings sorry for myself for not having anymore episodes to watch.


• The ending of the episode was much like the prior season closers, just longer. Once again we are reminded that no matter what any one individual achieves, the system goes ever on in its own broken fashion. The cyclical nature of life, pointedly displayed in the final scenes for Michael and Duquan, has been a constant theme in the show. It also reminds us that Baltimore is a city that David Simon and his crew have genuine affection for even as they take it to task for its imperfections.


• From the first episode of the series to the last, I have been captivated by this tale where the good guys and the bad are not all that different. They all have their good sides and they all have their flaws (some very bad, like committing multiple murders). But they are all real people trying to make their way in a world that has the deck stacked against them.