The Wire- Season Three

[Gordon B]

It starts this Sunday night, 9PM ET. I"m psyched.

[Harold_Z]

I'm ready. Season two hooked me - I still haven't seen season one but I'm keeping my eyes out. I know they just repeated it and I'm bugged I missed it.
I won't miss this season - the vcr will definitely be going on the episodes where I'm out.

[Jason Bivins]

Also very psyched here. Our favorite show.

Gordon, of all characters, why Bunk for your avatar? Just curious.

[Gordon B]

Also very psyched here. Our favorite show.

Gordon, of all characters, why Bunk for your avatar? Just curious.

I love the character.

Why?

1. Love the deep voice.
2. He smokes cigars.
3. My favorite scene in the entire series was from season one when Bunk and Jimmy went to the kitchen where Avon's girlfriend had been killed. The two cops walked around the room, taking everything in only saying "fuck", "fuck", "fuck" but with different inflections for about 10 minutes. That was brilliant!
4. He's got a warm spot for fellow fuck-up, McNulty.

[Jazzooo]

Can't wait--they really don't seem to be promoting it much that I can tell.

[Jason Bivins]

Gordon, that really was one of the great scenes, wasn't it?

By the way, in case anyone's curious or hasn't noticed, one of this show's primary writers is none other than George P. Pelecanos, my personal fave crime novelist. Sorry if that was pointed out already.

I'll be recording the show (along with Sunday Night Football) while we're at the David Byrne concert tonight - free tickets, don't know what to expect.

[Harold_Z]

Obviously keeping the homicide rate below 275 is NOT going to happen. That drug deal burn with the ex-con is going to wipe out that corner.

[Brian Olewnick]

A fine beginning, imo. Buncha wonderful nuggets. Loved the phony demolition plunger wielded by the mayor with the quick cut to the actual igniters. Nice little metaphor. Loved Stringer's classroom. Intrigued by the youngster with the golf club....

[stonemonkts]

I enjoyed it too.

In addition to what you cite, I liked how that ex-con was giving off sheepish vibes which the street tough picked up on, leading to the burn.

Rawls always cracks me up. Such a sarcastic prick.

[Jazzooo]

Good start--not as many separate plot threads as were set up early in the last season that I can see so far. Once again, Glenda and I were reduced to having to use the closed captions to undertstand some of the dialogue.

[hearsay]

I'm psyched too! The first two seasons had me begging for more, and this seasons political angle will surely be fascinating. I feel confident in calling this the best show on television, even though it may have too much realism and complexity for a mainstream audience.

[clinthopson]

We were grabbed. You can just feel the grit.

I agree with Doug, it's pretty hard to understand the dialogue of some of the black actors. A whole lot of mumbling going on.

Where do they get all those very believable street characters? Is Baltimore the home base for these actors?

I love the two druggie fuckups who lost their pants countered with the two cops who never get anything right.

That one chase scene looked like it it was directed by Chuck Jones.

[Rob Damen]

Best on show on TV, by a landslide.

I don't like that HBO debuted the third season right up against the Emmys last night. That undoubtedly cut into the viewership the show could have had. And coming to think of it, "The Wire" should have gotten the best drama of the year award, not its more famous channel-mate "The Sopranos", which I think, has slipped since its opening season and into a well of redundancy. Not even a stinking nomination, which would help bring viewers to one of the finest shows I've ever seen. Maybe the best.

I read that Simon's thinking it'll have 5 seasons overall.

Sadly I just had to sit through a conversation about the ending of NYPD Blue which lost its flavor a while ago. And "The Wire" never came up as one of the great cop shows. People just don't know what they're missing.

Anyway, last night's episode gives the promise that this season might be its most complex, yet. And we haven't even seen the full roster of players from the years past introduced into the show yet: Omar sighting, anybody? Brother Mouzon?

That commisioner from District 1 is about to get himself screwed by the major and the police commissioner for that media stunt he pulled. I'm also fascinated by the new character that just got out of the pen, too, who's attempting to figure out his place in a world that's changed over the last 14 years since he was away. The scene where he went home to his mother was very poignant and sad. Nobody even picked him up from jail.

Like the rest of you, I can't wait. I'm going back to watch it again on another day when I get the chance. I love the challenge this show presents.

It's so real, you can almost smell it!

Cheers,

Rob

[Gordon B]

Good start--not as many separate plot threads as were set up early in the last season that I can see so far. Once again, Glenda and I were reduced to having to use the closed captions to undertstand some of the dialogue.

Good idea. There were a couple of lines I couldn't understand, either. I think the politicians are going to replace the Greeks as the third group this year after the cops and the criminals.

[stonemonkts]

I'm usually pretty good about picking up on dialects but there were a few times last night I missed lines of dialogue (for instance, the conversation between Bubbles and the white junkie was practically indecipherable).

I like that they keep it as realistic as possible.

[Rob Damen]

Glad to see Wee-Bay back, too!

One of the funniest moments of the first season was Wee-Bay's arrest and questioning at the station. He was so casual upon ordering for food, that I just about died laughing. An all-time scene to be sure.

Cheers,

Rob

[Gordon B]

Yeah, I missed Wee-bay. The photos of Wallace and D that McNulty took out were poignant reminders to the audience of the innocent and not so innocent victims of the drug culture and the war against drugs.

I laughed at one part. I did a reverse move two years ago. We moved from Baltimore County to the city. Acting Commissioner Burrell would surely approve of that.

[hearsay]

Wallace's murder in season one, and D'angelo's murder in season two were the most powerful moments I've ever seen on a cop show. The actor who played Wallace was amazing.

Somebody answer this dispute I had with my brother and girlfriend- When Stringer ordered D'angelo's murder, I said he did it on his own, to remove complications with his girl and the possibility of D's turning states witness. Thye were arguing that Avon was in on it with Stringer, but I recall a scene where String and Avon were talking through the glass and Avon was saying he couldn't believe that D would kill himself. Not to mention the importance Avon always put on family.

[stonemonkts]

There's no logical reason to conclude Avon sanctioned D'Angelo's murder. That was another example of Stringer making a move which he felt was best for business. I also don't think it had anything to do with the girl. I think Stringer figured he would avoid the possibility of having a non-player turn in evidence against him. As soon as D stated he wanted out, he essentially signed his own death warrant.

[Jason Bivins]

There's no logical reason to conclude Avon sanctioned D'Angelo's murder. That was another example of Stringer making a move which he felt was best for business. I also don't think it had anything to do with the girl. I think Stringer figured he would avoid the possibility of having a non-player turn in evidence against him. As soon as D stated he wanted out, he essentially signed his own death warrant.

Stone, absolutely. I think one thing we might see this season is a major conflict between Stringer and Avon.

[stonemonkts]

The list of people who either want him dead, or would if they knew about his behavior is growing:

Omar
Brother Moussone(sp?)
Avon
D's mother

Gordon should give us the odds on who gets him first.

[Jazzooo]

Wow--I really thought Avon had D killed, after D said he wanted no part of Avon's business. Are you guys sure Stringer ordered it? And are you sure he wasn't ordering it based on something Avon said?

[Gordon B]

The list of people who either want him dead, or would if they knew about his behavior is growing:

Omar
Brother Moussone(sp?)
Avon
D's mother

Gordon should give us the odds on who gets him first.

Doug, the other guys are correct.

Let's see.

Omar 10-1
Brother Mouzone 20-1
Avon 1-1
D's mother 50-1
Other 2-1

[stonemonkts]

Haha, very good Gordon. It looks about right to me. I was thinking about various demise scenarios, and the one I find most appealing is this:

Hit attempt #1 will be by Mouzone, who fails (fuck all that legend shit, Stringer's character is too strong to write off so easily, imo).

Avon discovers his backdoor dealings, but before he has a chance to act, Omar does the deed. I've always viewed Omar as the most mythical of the characters anyway, perhaps the only one in my mind the most fictionalized. It works well but I still find his code unrealistic. No way he lets Mouzone live after figuring he was misled. There's no way.

[Gordon B]

There was one strange little gesture I caught in episode one. Just after Callie Thorne's character handed off her sons to ex-husband McNulty, she turned around and pushed her jeans down a bit from the back with both hands when she started to walk back to her seat. There was no context because only the TV audience could see this. If anybody has it on tape or TIVO, check it out.

[Sergio Zamora]

The list of people who either want him dead, or would if they knew about his behavior is growing:

Omar....

Man, I didn't do shit.

[clinthopson]

I've admired Callie Thorne's caboose since Homicide, Life In The City

[hearsay]

There's no logical reason to conclude Avon sanctioned D'Angelo's murder. That was another example of Stringer making a move which he felt was best for business. I also don't think it had anything to do with the girl. I think Stringer figured he would avoid the possibility of having a non-player turn in evidence against him. As soon as D stated he wanted out, he essentially signed his own death warrant.

I agree. If you recall when Stringer was arranging for D'angelo's hit (as they breifly recapped) he told they guy "if you need anything for this you have to go through your own people, my people can't know about this."

[Jon Abbey]

yeah, I saw all of season 2 last month, and Avon definitely didn't know that Stringer had D killed.

just saw the first episode last night, and was pleasantly surprised. I thought the first two seasons were OK, but a bit overrated. but finally with this episode, we have a HBO show that understands if you only have a 13 episode schedule, you better hit the ground running, as opposed to the Sopranos or the second season of the Wire. judging just from that, this should be easily the best season yet.

[Harold_Z]

WOOF !

Good episode. The dog misunderstanding was pretty funny as were the "spanish" instructions to the landscaping crew.

I thought the ex-con was going to wipe out the corner with the dealer that screwed him, but not so far.

I dug the police Captain's brown bag rap...he had it right.