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Lurdiak
Feb 26, 2006

I believe in a universe that doesn't care, and people that do.


Yeah to me the early seasons of Homicide and the movie are even more compelling than The Wire, despite having to work within strict FCC guidelines. The show's success and expansion of the characters from the book is a big part of what inspired Simon to get The Wire produced.

They have amazing guest stars too.

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algebra testes
Mar 5, 2011


Lipstick Apathy

Lurdiak posted:

Yeah to me the early seasons of Homicide and the movie are even more compelling than The Wire, despite having to work within strict FCC guidelines. The show's success and expansion of the characters from the book is a big part of what inspired Simon to get The Wire produced.

They have amazing guest stars too.

I mean, Robin Williams is as big as you can get, right?

Orange Devil
Oct 1, 2010

algebra testes posted:

I mean, Robin Williams is as big as you can get, right?

Plays the role of his loving life there too.

Stare-Out
Mar 11, 2010

It's been a long while since I watched Homicide but I remember being surprised how grim it gets (and how progressive it was for the time), yet it's slightly hampered by being on network and there were parts that felt very much like some notes had come down from produces and executives to change/add/remove something but it's worth a watch, especially if you've read or plan to read the book.

And yeah, it has one of Williams' best performances by far.

Lurdiak
Feb 26, 2006

I believe in a universe that doesn't care, and people that do.


Bruce Cambpell's two-parter is really good too.

Jack2142
Jul 17, 2014

Shitposting in Seattle

Hmm looking at homicide, the guy who plays Bayliss is from my hometown... Cool?

animeluva1
Aug 9, 2003

Hopefully I'll have that
problem someday.
The streaming companies are waging an epic war now that everyone's in quarantine. HBO recently joined the fray with multiple shows and movies, including The Wire, available for free. Episodes are shown in remastered HD where possible.

It is time to rewatch The Wire.

Jerusalem
May 20, 2004

Would you be my new best friends?

Goddamn that's pretty loving awesome!

Phenotype
Jul 24, 2007

You must defeat Sheng Long to stand a chance.



escape artist posted:

Glad I'm not the only one hearing this!

Every. Single. Time. Got that pannnndemic!

Van Dis
Jun 19, 2004
I'm giving this a rewatch and Andre Royo is such a delight.

zenguitarman
Apr 6, 2009

Come on, lemme see ya shake your tail feather


That scene when Walon visits Bubbles in the hospital is soul crushing. His whole arc is the best thing about this show (tied with like 4 other things)

kaworu
Jul 23, 2004

zenguitarman posted:

That scene when Walon visits Bubbles in the hospital is soul crushing. His whole arc is the best thing about this show (tied with like 4 other things)

I'm going to be frank, like... probably the one and only character about whose story I remained completely and totally emotionally invested in from the first episode through the very last episode was Andre Royo as Bubbles. I mean, I honestly feel like his story is probably the only one about which you can feel almost totally and entirely happy, and he's the only one still in the picture who gets anything resembling a "storybook" ending.

It's actually kinda funny, it can be argued that despite changing at some point during the interim, McNulty ends up right where he started, while Bubbles ends the series being allowed to go upstairs, earning back some of his sister's trust at long last :unsmith: There are probably some other characters who also appeared in all 5 seasons as well as the first and final episodes, but I can't think of them right now... Maybe some of the cops like Herc, Kima, Daniels or Carver, maybe Avon? Tough to recall.

Barry Foster
Dec 24, 2007

What is going wrong with that one (face is longer than it should be)
Bubs does some bad stuff at points but I think one of the high points of The Wire is that it portrays a drug addict as one of the vanishingly few people in the whole show who're actually thoroughly decent

banned from Starbucks
Jul 18, 2004




I cant stand bubbles after like s2. It's like they just give him plot armor or something. Esp when he gets that fat biker sponsor and every scene is them throwing out these dumb nuggets of wisdom or whatever. Bubbles should have ODed in hamsterdam and Bodie should have gotten the happy ending. The ending montage should have had Bodie banging bubbles sister and eating some dank rear end crab legs.

Orange Devil
Oct 1, 2010
Bubbles attempts to commit a premeditated murder and ends up accidentally killing a good friend instead. And yet at no point is his decency ever in question.

Jerusalem
May 20, 2004

Would you be my new best friends?

I guess technically you can argue that Poot makes it through happy (or at least not miserable) and I'm fairly certain he makes at least once appearance in every season.

zenguitarman
Apr 6, 2009

Come on, lemme see ya shake your tail feather


Daniels gets the good Bodie ending.

Lurdiak
Feb 26, 2006

I believe in a universe that doesn't care, and people that do.


Bodie had it coming.

Ainsley McTree
Feb 19, 2004


Lurdiak posted:

Bodie had it coming.

I don't think even he would be surprised at how he went out

Aces High
Mar 26, 2010

Nah! A little chocolate will do




Bubs having Walon as a sponsor was telegraphed from season 1, they spend a lot of time together and he talks all about rock bottoms.

Bubbles' story is kind of interesting to look at in the wake of recent shows showing addiction such as BoJack Horseman. Throughout The Wire we see Bubs doing what we're all told in school happens when you get addicted, you lose your humanity, you rip off dealers and hopefully don't get caught, you steal from anyone who trusts you so you can get another hit.

Bubs tries to clean up several times but through various circumstances he winds up back at it again. Sure the BPD did him no favors in season 1 because Kima didn't exactly leave a letter in her desk explaining that one of her CIs was trying to get clean and shouldn't be tasked with buying drugs to scope out dealers, but he still chose to get back on that horse. He eventually takes the personal responsibility after he sees what his life has cost him as his friend dies from a scheme that was going to kill somebody just by design.

Bubs has a happy ending because he took personal accountability and still had some relationships that he hadn't irreparably damaged. Compare that to the conclusion of BoJack's story where he has basically no personal relationships with the people we watched for 6 seasons. BoJack pulled similar stunts as Bubbles but whenever pressed he always deferred the responsibility on someone else and even after 2 years in prison he still hasn't changed.

What are some other shows that have similar arcs to that? Those 2 feel like something you would see in real life, not something churned out in Hollywoo(d) for cheap sentimentality

Milo and POTUS
Sep 3, 2017

I will not shut up about the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I talk about them all the time and work them into every conversation I have. I built a shrine in my room for the yellow one who died because sadly no one noticed because she died around 9/11. Wanna see it?
Bojack goes to prison?

Jack2142
Jul 17, 2014

Shitposting in Seattle

Its final season stuff.

BoJack is being an addict for the 1% which is a completely alien universe to Bubbles... Aside from The Wire being gritty realism and BoJack while a very good show also is partially a zany cartoon.

Aces High
Mar 26, 2010

Nah! A little chocolate will do




sure but how many shows go out of their way to have their main character end up where BoJack does at the conclusion of the show? I don't discount that it's a wacky cartoon but it's also a cartoon that isn't afraid to go places that things like Breaking Bad won't go

BB maybe isn't a great example but it's what immediately came to my mind

Jack2142
Jul 17, 2014

Shitposting in Seattle

Aces High posted:

sure but how many shows go out of their way to have their main character end up where BoJack does at the conclusion of the show? I don't discount that it's a wacky cartoon but it's also a cartoon that isn't afraid to go places that things like Breaking Bad won't go

BB maybe isn't a great example but it's what immediately came to my mind

No I agree its a great show and uses the zany comedy backdrop excellently for the serious issues of mental illness, male privilege and addiction it deals with. However it is still going to be different in tone and come at it from a different angle than the Wire which is essentially a gritty crime drama.

Honestly BoJack just by his wealth compared to bubbles is operating in a completely seperate universe more than the fact he is a talking horse.

Jack2142 fucked around with this message at 19:51 on Apr 11, 2020

Lurdiak
Feb 26, 2006

I believe in a universe that doesn't care, and people that do.


Bojack inadvertently causes the death of someone who might as well be Bubbles as a throwaway gag in season 1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lMSWwAoe4E

Now obviously this has more to do with the zany cartoon aspect of the show, but it's also a good example of how his wealth insulates him from both consequences and the plight of those in lower socio-economic classes.

escape artist
Sep 24, 2005

Slow train coming
I'm going through a Wire re-watch. Season 4 Episode 11.

What's the significance of Albert's mom passing away? It's a strange scene and it's really the only scene we get with just Albert. There's no follow up to it.

zenguitarman
Apr 6, 2009

Come on, lemme see ya shake your tail feather


Probably just another example of the different types of trauma that kids bring into school with them everyday.

Eason the Fifth
Apr 9, 2020

zenguitarman posted:

Probably just another example of the different types of trauma that kids bring into school with them everyday.

I agree with this. Like the scene where Laetitia cut Chiquan with the box cutter, it's there to show that childhood trauma is beyond the scope of the school system to handle. That scene where the silver lining is that she isn't HIV positive - and Prez doesn't click with it at first - has a hell of a weight. Albert's is the same.

Also, escape artist, I'm glad you're still around and kicking. This thread has some great takes on this show and your analysis was always a pleasure to read.

Eason the Fifth fucked around with this message at 19:23 on Apr 12, 2020

escape artist
Sep 24, 2005

Slow train coming
That makes a lot of sense. Well-said.

Thanks. I loved analyzing this show. Anyone wanna do a coordinated re-watch during this loving quarantine?

Aces High
Mar 26, 2010

Nah! A little chocolate will do




We could make a thing in the something awful discord!

Data Graham
Dec 28, 2009

📈📊🍪😋



The guy who plays Maury Levy is in that movie Molly's Game playing, wait for it, a sleazy lawyer

Stare-Out
Mar 11, 2010

He's a lawyer in Liar Liar too.

escape artist
Sep 24, 2005

Slow train coming
where the hell can one legally watch The Corner? Do I gotta buy a DVD?

I have Amazon Prime with HBO and it's not on there.

Syrian Lannister
Aug 25, 2007

Oh, did I kill him too?
I've been a very busy little man.


Sugartime Jones

escape artist posted:

where the hell can one legally watch The Corner? Do I gotta buy a DVD?

I have Amazon Prime with HBO and it's not on there.

YouTube had it at one time iirc

Jeffrey of YOSPOS
Dec 22, 2005

GET LOSE, YOU CAN'T COMPARE WITH MY POWERS
Make a The Wire: The Rewatch: The Rewatch thread imo

pokeyman
Nov 26, 2006

That elephant ate my entire platoon.
Levy’s a non-sleazy non-lawyer in one episode of Veronica Mars!

Milo and POTUS
Sep 3, 2017

I will not shut up about the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I talk about them all the time and work them into every conversation I have. I built a shrine in my room for the yellow one who died because sadly no one noticed because she died around 9/11. Wanna see it?
I was watching random clips of news radio and he was there too!

Jerusalem
May 20, 2004

Would you be my new best friends?

Doesn't he play the dad in some generic Disney family sitcom too?

deoju
Jul 11, 2004

All the pieces matter.
Nap Ghost
Truly, this is his finest performance...

https://youtu.be/khY4dAdfDTE

deoju fucked around with this message at 13:49 on Apr 13, 2020

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BiggerBoat
Sep 26, 2007

Don't you tell me my business again.

escape artist posted:

where the hell can one legally watch The Corner? Do I gotta buy a DVD?

I have Amazon Prime with HBO and it's not on there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Paz0ajIxzI

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