2008 Woodie Awards
A season to remember
Now in its fifth and final season, HBO's The Wire promises to keep its viewers hooked
Kenny Smith, Staff Writer
Issue date: 3/12/08 Section: Entertainment
In an era where weeknight television has been saturated with makeshift reality shows and uninspired dramas, there has been a show for the past six years that has truly represented the phrase "where art imitates life."
The critically-acclaimed series, "The Wire," gives an authentic depiction of urban America from the drug alleys and decaying public school systems to the heights of political power. Since the first season, the check-and-balance relationship between the inner-city's most influential institutions have been at the forefront of the television series.
In "The Wire," the police department engages in a continuous battle with the infamous criminal organizations around the city. The attempts are often derailed by the hierarchy of political powerhouses for a number of reasons, usually monetary.
Each season shines a spotlight on a particular aspect of the community; from the rise and fall of the Barksdale drug operation in Season One to the impossible task of teaching the city's youth at public schools in Season Four. Where "The Wire" shines brightest is its ability to create intertwining themes with the three-dimensional characters who have a story all their own: drug lords are gunned down, politicians scheme for personal profit, kids are forced to be "corner boys" by their own parents, and officers dabble in secret affairs on an honest day's work.
On the heels of the last episode, the final season of the series has been amazing, intricately weaving society's institutions with one fabricated story that sends Baltimore City into a whirlwind of lies, deceit, murder and mystery.
Due to budget problems in the city, the police department is forced to cease investigation on the unstoppable drug lord Marlo Stanfield and his connection with 22 murders in vacant row houses from the previous season. The department is distraught with the lack of resources and overtime needed to close these cases.
One detective in particular, Jimmy McNulty, decides to take matters into his own hands and stop Marlo's organization by creating an imaginary case against a serial killer who preys on the homeless. McNulty tampers with evidence from past cases, creates new ones by sabotaging fresh murders, and plans to use the money and resources given to his fictitious case to fund a separate illegal case with his partner, Detective Lester Freamon, built against Marlo. The imaginary one funds the money, while the illegal one eventually makes the arrest.
The critically-acclaimed series, "The Wire," gives an authentic depiction of urban America from the drug alleys and decaying public school systems to the heights of political power. Since the first season, the check-and-balance relationship between the inner-city's most influential institutions have been at the forefront of the television series.
In "The Wire," the police department engages in a continuous battle with the infamous criminal organizations around the city. The attempts are often derailed by the hierarchy of political powerhouses for a number of reasons, usually monetary.
Each season shines a spotlight on a particular aspect of the community; from the rise and fall of the Barksdale drug operation in Season One to the impossible task of teaching the city's youth at public schools in Season Four. Where "The Wire" shines brightest is its ability to create intertwining themes with the three-dimensional characters who have a story all their own: drug lords are gunned down, politicians scheme for personal profit, kids are forced to be "corner boys" by their own parents, and officers dabble in secret affairs on an honest day's work.
On the heels of the last episode, the final season of the series has been amazing, intricately weaving society's institutions with one fabricated story that sends Baltimore City into a whirlwind of lies, deceit, murder and mystery.
Due to budget problems in the city, the police department is forced to cease investigation on the unstoppable drug lord Marlo Stanfield and his connection with 22 murders in vacant row houses from the previous season. The department is distraught with the lack of resources and overtime needed to close these cases.
One detective in particular, Jimmy McNulty, decides to take matters into his own hands and stop Marlo's organization by creating an imaginary case against a serial killer who preys on the homeless. McNulty tampers with evidence from past cases, creates new ones by sabotaging fresh murders, and plans to use the money and resources given to his fictitious case to fund a separate illegal case with his partner, Detective Lester Freamon, built against Marlo. The imaginary one funds the money, while the illegal one eventually makes the arrest.
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