(Season 4, Episodes 5-7)
Season four just keeps trucking along! I have to admit that I don’t think I’m enjoying this season as much as the previous three. That’s not to say that there is a degradation in the quality of the show, because there isn’t; the show is still top notch. It doesn’t even mean that I’m not finding the stories interesting. It’s because the stories this season are heartbreaking. The poor kids that are being followed are just tough to watch. Talk about lost innocence. It’s beyond rough, and I really feel for them and their crappy situations. If we were only being presented the story of the school this season I think it would be just too daunting to watch, but it’s luckily broken up with the politics, police work, and drug dealing.
“Alliances”
I thought this episode was really important for one thing in particular: it reminded the audience that the kids are indeed children. As much as they seem much older than they are due to their situations and behavior (and language), adults don’t sit around worrying that people are zombies. At the same time, I can’t really blame them for creating such a crazy story; Chris Partlow is one scary dude.
It was also good to see Prez start to get acclimated to the classroom, gaining some level of control over the students.
One thing I love about this show is how everything ties together. In this episode we saw how the highest level of politics (the mayoral election) can trickle all the way down to the police department (the assignment of the murdered witness case to Greggs).
“Margin of Error”
Clay Davis is such a slimeball. That was the big take away for me from this episode, even though I really knew that already. Right now I think he is the character I love to hate the most. I really want to see this guy get his comeuppance.
Carcetti did the seemingly impossible and won the mayor’s race. Now we have some new blood in the mayor’s office and on the streets. It will be interesting to see how he does as mayor and what sort of road blocks he encounters. I was also pleased to see that his character appeared to grow a little, rebuffing Theresa’s sexual advances after the victory.
As much of a spoiled brat as Namond seems to be, it’s hard not to feel bad for the kid. His own mom is forcing him to go sell drugs. That’s just not right.
“Unto Others”
Ah, irony. After Carcetti used the murdered witness case to win the mayoral election, it turns out the victim was accidentally shot, and not murdered for testifying. Such is life, I suppose.
I guess it’s not easy going to jail when you make a habit of ripping off drug dealers. Not that Omar is a saint, but I will admit I was concerned for him. He is too interesting of a character to wind up getting killed in jail. I’m glad Bunk was there for him.
I’m very curious about the experimental classroom with the “corner kids,” and how that is going to play out. Seems right up Colvin’s alley, though, doesn’t it?
Clacked by Bob Degon
on Feb 16, 2009 @ 18:02 EST5EDT
The story of those kids broke my heart.
S4 was the least enjoyable for me, but just like you write, it isn’t because it isn’t good, it’s because it’s depressing. And I guess that’s kind of the point for the storytellers. It’s about Baltimore, and not everything is fun and games in David Simon’s Baltimore.
I didn’t think that I loved the fourth season for most of it, but once I got to the series finale, everything just kind of seemed to fall into place. The Wire was always known for its slow burn, and s4 is the slowest burn there is.
just found this blog and I seem to watching pretty much at the same pace as you – I watched the first 4 seasons in the past two weeks. I couldn’t stop watching! But I think it’s more enjoyable this way, spending 3 or so hours with these people a day, you really feel like you know them. I can’t stop stop thinking about it – hence the reason I found your blog. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and opinions!
*POST AUTHOR*
Glad that you found the site and I’m glad that you’ve been enjoying The Wire too!