I'm still not worthy
Coming off the utter triumph of its first season, The Wire faced a pretty big test in trying to move on without compromising its astoundingly high quality, but having just finished watching I'm pleased to say any traces of a sophomore slump are virtually nonexistent. Once again, the show brings just the right mix of cynicism, humor and tragedy to its stories of crime, punishment, and lives on the edge. I don't know about the claims on this site that season two is superior to its predecessor, but The Wire's standards of writing, characterization, and realism are still very much intact. Not to mention, The Wire's sprawling focus and blink-and-you're lost complexity are, if anything, stepped up as it juggles multiple, often tangentially related, plotlines over the course of its twelve-hour running time. This season certainly doesn't see The Wire abandoning its examination of crime in Baltimore's black ghettoes, but rather expanding the view of its microscope to cover the illegal...
Something perfect just got BETTER...
How do you improve on perfection? Ask David Simon and co., because Season Two of THE WIRE somehow managed to surpass the flawless first season. I love this series. It's THE SHIELD with a brain, it's HOMICIDE with balls, it's THE SOPRANOS in the ghetto, it's HILL STREET BLUES in the 21st century. In short, it's the best of all TV worlds, all rolled into one, and thus, comparable to nothing else out there.
Season Two takes us into a world that is seldom seen, and never before explored in this depth on TV-- the world of dockworkers/longshoremen. If you had told me that I'd come to be fascinated by the lives of a bunch of doughy Polish dockworkers in Baltimore, I'd have laughed at you. Well. Cut to five minutes after the season two Wire finale: I was blubbering like a baby, brought to tears by some seriously epic storytelling, thoroughly invested in the triumphs and tragedies of these men.
Hats off to anyone and everyone involved in this show-- you're doing GREAT...
A great show gets even better
The second season starts with a classic cop show scenario - McNulty, now working for the marine unit, pulls a young girl's body out of the water. From there, another season of perfection unfolds. It's not fair to give spoilers in these reviews, but suffice to say that the show moves once again with its unhurried pace, building towards some kind of resolution. And who knew that they could make the tribulations of a bunch of stevedores seem so interesting?
Once again, Dominic West anchors possibly the best cast on TV, with continued great work from Idris Elba and the rest of the group. Season two also brings the welcome return of Michael Williams as Omar, who I think we were all sad to see leave during the first season.
The writing is whip smart, and all of the varied directors do an excellent job. It's a credit to the show that it always manages to keep the same feel despite input from so many different directors. West and Williams both provide audio...
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