| |
|
I finished watching the first season yesterday and it lived up to the huge hype, if not the best show ever, it's certainly up there. It's such a rich world, and I'm constantly impressed by the ways that Chase is able to tell you exactly who someone is without resorting to obvious exposition.
A large part of that is his willingness to let you drift for a while. At the beginning of the show we're introduced to a huge number of characters, but gradually they're all fleshed out and we understand why they're there. It's not an easy show to watch at first because there are fewer of the obvious narrative hooks tht make it easy to watch. However, I do think the show's difficulty is a bit overstated. It's no network pilot, but give it a couple of episodes and you've got a consistent amount of narrative payoff. In a lot of ways, it's more accessible than the rambling, introspective final season of The Sopranos.
Throughout, I saw a lot of similarities with The Sopranos, notably in the central notion that you can't get out of the game. Once you commit to this life, you become dependent on it, D'Angelo's dream of the witness protection program is the same as Vito's trip to New Hampshire, you want it work, but know it won't. I'm sure there's been a ton of stuff written about the similarities between the two shows, though Wire fans seem to have an almost irrational dislike for The Sopranos, constantly needing to point out that The Wire is better. However, I see a clear connection between the two shows, with each depicting a different stage in the gentrification and social acceptance of criminal activity.
Tony had no choice about a life of crime, but has reached the point where his kids can move on. The Barksdales are on the way there, but haven't quite made it. If Avon had kids, they could probably leave the life, but lower level people like D'Angelo can't. The brilliance of the final scene with him in the prison is the way it equates drugs and family and personal identity. Without the drugs, he ceases to exist. That's why these kids can't do anything else, they were raised to do one thing, and need to excel at it.
But, one of the most interesting threads for me going forward is looking at how Stringer might try to tighten up the family and perhaps make it legitimate, a kind of Godfather II thing. Is that his ambition or does he just want to make more money with drugs? I guess I'll find out soon enough. |
|
|
