For this Pop Culture Panel, Dan Suitor and Amy Watts join me to discuss HBO’s The Wire. Oft-heralded as the best show in the history of television, it’s also one that was never very popular in its early seasons, but has drawn more and more viewers over the last 10 years as it made its way into the cultural consciousness.
More than many other television serials, The Wire watches like great literature and rewards rewatching, in large part because characters develop from smaller parts to larger ones over the course of the series. As our window into the world of Baltimore, the series sprawls over the years and it’s all connected.
SPOILER NOTICE: This podcast discusses events from the first five episodes of season one.
Links:
Watch The Wire Season 1 on HBO GO or on Netflix (DVD only) or buy the set on Amazon.com.
Alan Sepinwall’s Discussions of Season 1 episodes for Wire Newbies
- The Wire, season 1, episode 1: “The Target” (Newbies edition)
- The Wire, Season 1, Episode 2, “The Detail” (Newbies edition)
- The Wire, Season 1, Episode 3, “The Buys” (Newbies edition)
- The Wire, Season 1, Episode 4, “Old Cases” (Newbies edition)
- The Wire, Season 1, Episode 5, “The Pager” (Newbies edition)
Wire Watching Project at A List of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago:
- Episode 1: Got To. This is America, Man
- Episode 2: No, Officer Pryzbylewski, he did not “piss you off.” he made you fear for your safety and that of your fellow officers:
- Episode 3: Y’all Can’t Be Playing No Checkers On No Chessboard
- Episode 4: Thirteen Years and Four Months
- Episode 5: How Complex Can A Code Be If These Knuckleheads Are Usin’ It?
Also from ALOTT5MA: On Watching and Rewatching The Wire and It’s All in the Game, Yo.
Other links:
Washington Post: After ‘The Wire’ ended, actress Sonja Sohn couldn’t leave Baltimore’s troubled streets behind
Alyssa Rosenberg, After ‘The Wire,’ Black Actors Trapped In Baltimore
Gawker: People Say Really Stupid Things About The Wireon OKCupid
Stuff White People Like: #85 The Wire
Subscribe to the BRR podcast feed. (Coming soon to an iTunes podcast directory near you.)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download