"The Wire" Turns Ten

I remember the first time I saw "The Wire." I was instantly hooked from season 1, episode 1. This past Monday marks the ten year reunion of the revolutionary show. Everything about this show captured my attention. From the unique opening song to the cast of characters, "The Wire" was a hit. I had never been to Baltimore but the street/hood life lives in every urban city. Everyone was talking about this new show. It was unlike anything I had ever seen on tv before. MTV interviews a few Hip-Hop artists about the effect the show had on them. The show developed a cult following. Even now ten years later, I can watch all five seasons as if they were new.

My favorite season is a tie between 3 and 4. My least favorite has to be season 2. At the time, I didn't realize what the producers/writers were doing. Season 2 is drastically different from season 1. I can say that years later I can enjoy season 2 as an integral part of "The Wire's" story. Season 3 was the demise of one of my favorite characters, Russell "Stringer" Bell. I was upset for a long time about his death. The genius of this show is that I loved all the characters, good or bad. I rooted for everyone, the cops, the politicians, and the dealers. From Avon Barksdale to Omar Little, from Clay Davis to Thomas Carcetti, from Michael Lee to Snoop, every character on this show represented the good and evil in all of us. No character is 100% anything. I rooted for the good in them as well as disliked the bad in them. But, all of the characters of this show were well thought, 3 dimensional and all too real. These characters reminded me of people I knew. These characters were all of us.



I am not sure if I have a definitive favorite character. I was a fan of Stringer, Avon, Bodie, Michael, Kima, Bubs, McNulty, just to name a few. There was just something redeeming about every character. That's the unique aspect of "The Wire." The characters are written in such a way that you cannot hate them. I may have disliked their actions but not the character. There are two other very important "Characters." They are the city of Baltimore and the soundtrack. The theme song, which was song by different people every season, is classic. If you watched the show, then you know the "you gotta keep the devil down in the hole" lyrics. I loved that the music was current. As you can tell, I am a fan. this show changed my outlook on a lot of things. I've never been into that world but this show gave me insight into something unknown. I loved the way that it heighten my love of politics and journalism. I think I was the intended audience for this particular show. If you're a fan, tell me who's your favorite character, favorite season. If you've never seen it, you should check it out. Now, I feel like watching season 4 again. I cannot believe that this show premiered ten years ago. It does not seem like it was that long ago. Good shows never go out of style.

*One of my favorite seasons has to be the opening of season 4.*