Just Finished The Fourth Season of The Wire on DVD

[40footwolf]

...I don't think I'm ever going to be happy again.

There's a fine line between tugging on your viewers heartstrings and straight-up emotional manipulation, and I'm not sure whether that line has been crossed yet but shit if it isn't getting close.

I don't think I've ever seen another television show so jam-packed with misery. Season Five: Every Main Character Dies From A.I.D.S.

The sad thing is I'm probably right, aren't I?

[Brock]

David Simon described season 5 as the "Dr Strangelove of police procedurals". A comment that holds true.

At least you can rely on characters like Bunk, Norman and Clay Davis to provide a fair amount of gallows humor along the way.

[StoneGold]

...I don't think I'm ever going to be happy again.

There's a fine line between tugging on your viewers heartstrings and straight-up emotional manipulation, and I'm not sure whether that line has been crossed yet but shit if it isn't getting close.

I don't think I've ever seen another television show so jam-packed with misery. Season Five: Every Main Character Dies From A.I.D.S.

The sad thing is I'm probably right, aren't I?

No. Because Bubbles doesn't die.

[FanboyStranger]

...I don't think I'm ever going to be happy again.

There's a fine line between tugging on your viewers heartstrings and straight-up emotional manipulation, and I'm not sure whether that line has been crossed yet but shit if it isn't getting close.

I don't think I've ever seen another television show so jam-packed with misery. Season Five: Every Main Character Dies From A.I.D.S.

The sad thing is I'm probably right, aren't I?

Michael's story is the saddest, most tragic, and most powerful character arc in the history of television, in my opinion. I never felt manipulated by it, though.

Season Five isn't nearly as tragic as Season Four, mainly because it doesn't focus on the corner kids as much. In fact, there are two moments that I think are outright inspirational, those being Bubbles finally telling his story to the journalist and his sister accepting him once again and Naivan winning the debate contest with a proud Bunny Colvin looking on.

[suttercain]

No. Because Bubbles doesn't die.

Much obliged.

To me the best season had to have been the first or the third. I won't give season five away for you, but to me the last few episodes felt very rushed. Overall though this was a strong series that I think was one of the best of all time. Of course I still think Six Feet Under was the best of all time.

Big Love is pretty damn good though.

[Your Imaginary Pal]

yeah, it's pretty depressing. But it's essentially just showing you how the adult charcters came to be. Well the criminal element anyway. Broken homes, poor guindance, and questionable decision making, coupled with a society that has already written you off. I can see where there may have been room for manipulation, the stories seeming to unbelievable to be true. But although the kids stories were extreme situations, they are situations that exist.

What I don't understand about the season was, how in season three where colvin was running drugs in the vacants it didn't lead to greater investigations of vacant homes that marlo was just able to dump bodies in.

[FanboyStranger]

What I don't understand about the season was, how in season three where colvin was running drugs in the vacants it didn't lead to greater investigations of vacant homes that marlo was just able to dump bodies in.

The vacants in the blocks that comprised "Hamsterdam" were razed the day after the arrests went down. Mayor Royce, once he decided to go with the "rogue Police captain" cover, and the Police brass (mainly Rawls) wanted the story to disappear as quickly as possible, and that meant destroying any evidence that could be followed by journalists. (I believe they even called it "the scorched earth policy".) Marlo didn't actually consolidate power until Avon went back in on that weapons related parole violation, which also took most of his crew with him on a criminal conspiracy charge. That's when Chris got the idea to put his bodies in the vacants, which had the bonus of lowering the murder stats in the Western, thereby drawing less police attention. It was Lester who pointed out, "We know there are bodies... we just don't know who and where they are!" Until Bunk started looking for Lex, a witness in a case, no one seemed to care that much to look.

[Your Imaginary Pal]

The vacants in the blocks that comprised "Hamsterdam" were razed the day after the arrests went down. Mayor Royce, once he decided to go with the "rogue Police captain" cover, and the Police brass (mainly Rawls) wanted the story to disappear as quickly as possible, and that meant destroying any evidence that could be followed by journalists. (I believe they even called it "the scorched earth policy".) Marlo didn't actually consolidate power until Avon went back in on that weapons related parole violation, which also took most of his crew with him on a criminal conspiracy charge. That's when Chris got the idea to put his bodies in the vacants, which had the bonus of lowering the murder stats in the Western, thereby drawing less police attention. It was Lester who pointed out, "We know there are bodies... we just don't know who and where they are!" Until Bunk started looking for Lex, a witness in a case, no one seemed to care that much to look.

yeah, but damn..what a body count. I guess it makes sense in that timeline.
I'd say the 4th season was the best of the series though.