Baltimore...Through "THE WIRE"

I've done a few posts that either indirectly or directly cite the WIRE as my favorite TV show. So far this season (season 4), I've seen the first two episodes. And with each episode I watch, I have additional confirmation that not only is this my favorite show on TV and quite possibly the best show on TV, it should also be your favorite show too!

Maybe it's because I've been in Baltimore for the last 8 years and this show resonates with me because of what I have seen: the poverty, the drugs, the down-trodden rowhomes, the ineffective politicians, the struggle for better education in a perenially underachieving public school system, and a littany of other real-life issues that The WIRE brings out for the rest of the country/world to examine and (hopefully) ponder.

While the first episode gave me the feeling of a family member I hadn't seen in a while coming to visit, the second episode made me realize just how in-touch the producers of this show are with what takes place in "Charm City". The second episode addressed so many issues that have so much depth to them that I couldn't help but give those issues more thought even after the episode ended. Of course, these are issues that I have thoughts about all the time, but the show depicts the real issues of this city so well that it forces you to face them. A few of the things that were addressed in this episode include those listed below (those of you who have watched the show will understand what I am talking about in the parentheses):

-Political contributions and their origins (Clay Davis using laundered money to fund the mayor's political campaign)

-Political leverage (Carcetti pulling Mayor Royce's card at the debate; Lester sending out the subpoenas knowing they would/could have an impact on the mayoral race)

-Political misconduct (Mayor Royce receiving oral sex from his intern)

-Incarcerated black males who in turn help produce misguided children (the scene when Nay visited Weebey in jail)

-Incompetent parenting (Nay's mom calls his working under Bodie, a known drug-dealer, Nay's "job")

-Mothers who show their kids love through tangibles rather than intangibles (Nay's mom giving him a bunch of school clothes and then saying, "you know my son ain't going to his first day of school not looking like HIMSELF")

-Rivalry among friends (Nay and Michael appear to have a rivalry brewing in their friendship)

-Integrity (Michael not accepting the "free money" from Marlo)

There are probably some things that I didn't even catch while watching the show, but these are the issues that stood out prominently in my mind. The writers, director(s), and producer(s) of this show do a masterful job of keeping the storylines up-to-date with the issues of Baltimore and the actors are fantastic.

If you haven't watched the show at all through the first 3 seasons, don't fret. You don't necessarily need to know the past 3 seasons to appreciate this one. This show will grab you and force you to watch every episode. If not for the raw manner in which the city is depicted, then for the issues that this show forces you to give thought to. The WIRE manages to be raw, authentic, thought-provoking, shocking, enlightening, and entertaining all at once. If you have HBO or know someone who does, catch the first two episodes of season 4 "On Demand". It's worth your time!