Entertainment For Lively Minds
Not the most promising start...
Posted by Simon Hoyle on 26 February 2009 - 10:42am.
So I set Sky+ for FX's showing of episode 1 of "The Wire" on Monday and last night, with the telly to myself and no particular interest in any of the football that was on, settled in to watch 'the greatest TV drama ever made' and... fell asleep halfway through, and had to wind back to about 40 minutes in (it's been a busy week).
I'm determined to stick with it though. Do I need a stronger mug of coffee for the next episode ?
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Stick With It!
If you're not hooked after the third one then it may not be for you.
Best to tape three episodes and watch them back to back
in order to get into it. The first few episodes of each season are all a bit dull so you have to put the time in to get the rewards from the later episodes when things really hot up.
It is worth the effort.
Also it's only a tv programme and all the chatter
and hype aurrounding it about round here and elsewhere may have built up expectations past the ability of any programme to match. I know I was surpised how similar it was to most other cop shows and how clunky some of the exposition was. It's not shy of using stereotypes and cliches either but it's entertaining and well acted. But it has been over sold somewhat.
Give it a chance....
I say stick with it as I've recently said to a friend who has just started watching. He had the same issue because he had heard lots and lots about it he was expecting something amazing from the off, as Chris G pointed out so much has now been written about the wire and it has been so over hyped in certain circles that it may struggle to live up to expectations for some new viewers
Television series' tend to hit their stride in the third season.
..when viewers have a built up a relationship with the characters and you understand how important even little events can be.
Sure, the Wire doesn't have the Whizz-Bang of Lost or 24, but then that's the idea. You have to 'lean in' and pay attention.
that's were fawlty towers went wrong
obviously
More importantly..
You need a few episodes to get used to the Baltimore vernacular. I must admit to being quite close to the subtitle option at one point.
Subtitles
Was that the beginning of the first episode of the fourth season by any chance? That's where I was almost putting the subtitles on.
The Wire actually rewards a second (and third) viewing because you pick up all sorts of things that you might not have noticed whilst you were trying to mentally assemble what is going on.
I subtitled all the way through the
first two series, as much for the technical jargon and unexplained acronyms as the accent.
true dat,
It's like learning a new language. It's surprising how quickly it becomes second nature.
I'm off to re-up my tea,
Just got in
..bike ride from station a bit breezy. Feel like a hot Vimto, you feel me?
Mos Def
It's getting slightly embarrasing that I keep saying this in business meetings.
Well I never......
Never a wire watcher have I been, but am familiar, probablty by name only, of the record label(?) Mos def. Only now have I realised it to be(I'm assuming) an abbreviation for Most Definitely.
Gosh, that must save some time over the years.
Mos Def
Rapper/Actor
Thanks Fraser
I will mos def remember that, al be.
(Almost maybe.)
Context is all
Elsewhere, in Twitterier climes than Baltimore, "def" and "indeed" would be taken to be telltale features of pure Fryspeak.
It's funny how no one will admit the Wire is
clunky in places. Also the cinematography is ropey in parts it's not the best looking show on tv.
"cinematography is ropey"
It looks the way it's supposed to look. Gloss is not required or wanted. This isn't Mad Men were gloss is essential.
I don't mean "gloss"
I mean stylistcally it's not consistent, one jarring scene uses slow motion something not seen in the rest of the show. It looks cheap but not in good way.
The acting is occasionally dubious too
although it does get better as the actors get comfortable. I found Dominic West (McNulty) hard to believe for a while (particularly a dreadful scene with Lance Reddick (Daniels) in a hospital in Series 1), but he and the show did improve. Proves it's made by humans after all - and it is a fantastic show, despite the occasional duff scene. And wait until you find out which of the actors are Brits - that surprised me...
Iffy thesping
In scenes where they were together, the two elder Sobotkas were a giant-redwood forest of woodenness.
And I'd want to see Valchek in something else before passing judgement on whether he's a brilliant actor or actually talks like that.
It's hard to respond
to that without sounding overly defensive. But nothing is perfect. Not even this. And if that is the only criticism you have then maybe you should give it another try.
I suppose if people hadn't gone on about so much
the stereotypical characters, bad exposition wouldn't have stuck out so much. Like I say it is enjoyable just not the paradigm shift I'd been expecting.
stick with it
I had to watch the first episode twice, with subtitles before I had a clue what was going on. But it really is as good as they say. My advice is stick with it. The HBO website helps as well.
Took me about four episodes before I decided it was good.
It then took the second series for me to decide it was astonishing.
but it was the fourth series
when i decided it was the best.ever.
fifth is patchy though.
Fifth
was cut from (I think) 12 to 10. It was disappointing by comparison with the others.
Sloooooow burner
I didn't think it was really good until about 8 episodes in. It was the end of the second series when I decided it was a masterpiece. And watching it weekly with ad breaks is possibly the worst way to do it. Wait until you think it's good, then dump FX and convert to the DVD boxes. Subtitle track a bonus.
http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/728467/The-Wire-Complete-Season-1-Box-Set...