THE WIRE SEASON TWO?

Young_PhonicsYoung_Phonics 8,039 Posts
edited August 2007 in Strut Central
Alright Wire fans, I just spent most of the day today finishing season 1 (DAMN THEY KILLED WALLACE!!!! and D'Angelo Didn't Snitch!!!). I've heard that season two is really not that good and the Wire hits its stride in seasons 3 & 4. Should I bother watching 2? Faux:Man, that Levy lawyer is a dick! How can you ride for dude? I also hope Bubs stays around and doesn't turn, dude rules.PLEASE TO POST NO SPOILERS
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  Comments


  • HamHam 872 Posts
    season 2 rulez.

  • cascas 1,484 Posts
    you gotta watch season 2. i got it if you need to watch up on your watch ups. season 2 was solid.

  • dollar_bindollar_bin I heartily endorse this product and/or event 2,326 Posts
    Season 2 was something of a change of pace in that it represented a dysfunctional white working class culture in addition to a dysfunctional street and police culture. I think it's powerful and rich, and really it's worth it for the rise of Prop Joe as a character. Plus, it's subtle but there are callbacks in later seasons to season 2 stuff, so you gotta watch it if you're going to do the full on Wire supernerd experience.

  • dollar_bindollar_bin I heartily endorse this product and/or event 2,326 Posts

    Man, that Levy lawyer is a dick! How can you ride for dude?

    You have to wait for season 3 to understand. Sheeeeeeeiiit

  • HamHam 872 Posts
    Sheeeeeeeiiit

  • Alright, sounds good. I'm really trying to get caught up-to-date (hoping that season 5 hasn't started and I can get HBO in term)..

    Damn, does Levy end up turning in Prop Joe?

    DON'T TELL ME.

  • dysfunctional white working class culture


    uh-oh! did soulstrutters get ass-hurt btw?

  • VitaminVitamin 631 Posts
    I want to talk about Frank Sobotka. This conversation is about Frank Sobotka.

    In my opinion they are all amazing. If I had to pick the best, which is hard, it's season four. But season two is amazing. And it's an important component of understanding city hall politics in seasons 3 and 4.

  • Birdman9Birdman9 5,417 Posts
    I want to talk about Frank Sobotka. This conversation is about Frank Sobotka.

    In my opinion they are all amazing. If I had to pick the best, which is hard, it's season four. But season two is amazing. And it's an important component of understanding city hall politics in seasons 3 and 4.

    While they may have bitten off a tad more than they could chew, I think Season 2 has some of the richest storyline in the whole run. Plus, you get insight into how the bigger picture works (the Greek, Vice, FBI and Homeland Security being in the area) with the addition of the docks and union guys. And Ziggy is one of my favorite characters on the Wire.

  • white_teawhite_tea 3,262 Posts
    If you are going to skip a season of The Wire, skip season two.*



    *Don't skip a season of The Wire.

  • motown67motown67 4,513 Posts
    I think one of the main criticisms of Season 2 was that it left the streets for the most part and totally changed focus to the white working class working the docks. I think it's amazing and an important story of many of America's declining cities. The end is depressing as hell as you would expect from the series. Don't skip it.

  • Don't skip it.

    Don't skip it.

    Don't skip it.

    Don't skip it.

    Don't skip it.

    Don't skip it.


    I can't even believe this is a point of discussion. I don't even see the Wire in seasons. It's 50 episodes of greatness. Shit's about humanity.

  • G_BalliandoG_Balliando 3,916 Posts
    If you are going to skip a season of The Wire, skip season two.*



    *Don't skip a season of The Wire.[/b]

    It makes no sense to skip a season. Even the most boring parts of the Wire are better than 90% of any other TV dramas.

    Somebody mentioned Ziggy was their favorite character on S2. That little bastard was just so annoying I wanted him to die. That said, I kind of liked him for that too. He brought some pretty comical moments to the season.

    Season 2 is really great TV. I don't know why people hate. It's not like the streets are totally gone from the show in this season, they just aren't the main focus. It's all about the east side docks in this one, plus they introduce new characters that will later become prevalent (Prop Joe, Bowtie). It's very important that you watch every episode of this show to really get the full experience. I even recommend watching it all again from the beginning once you get through season 4. I really caught a lot more the second time around. Best show ever.

  • Birdman9Birdman9 5,417 Posts

    Somebody mentioned Ziggy was their favorite character on S2. That little bastard was just so annoying I wanted him to die. That said, I kind of liked him for that too. He brought some pretty comical moments to the season.

    I love that character because people like Ziggy exist at all levels, and in all groups. That loser, tragic clown by which people measure their own level of failure/fucked-upness. "At least I ain't as stupid as Ziggy."

  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    Alright Wire fans, I just spent most of the day today finishing season 1 (DAMN THEY KILLED WALLACE!!!! and D'Angelo Didn't Snitch!!!). I've heard that season two is really not that good and the Wire hits its stride in seasons 3 & 4. Should I bother watching 2?

    What--you heard it was all white people?

    To say that Season 2 is not as good as 1 or 3 is by no means to say that it is bad--Season 3 is the greatest thing I have ever seen on television (haven't seen 4 yet).

    Plus, you should know that nothing is wasted on the WIRE--every word of dialogue has a function and the plot unfolds like origami. Skipping Season 2 would seriously impact your understanding and enjoyment of Season 3.

  • DocMcCoyDocMcCoy "Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts
    I think one of the main criticisms of Season 2 was that it left the streets for the most part and totally changed focus to the white working class working the docks. I think it's amazing and an important story of many of America's declining cities. The end is depressing as hell as you would expect from the series. Don't skip it.

    The ending of Season 2 is, for me, the best yet, although Season 4's ending runs it damn close.

  • 99Problems99Problems 1,541 Posts
    (haven't seen 4 yet).


    You're in for a treat. Though Levy hardly appears in Season 4.

  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts


    Plus, you should know that nothing is wasted on the WIRE--every word of dialogue has a function and the plot unfolds like origami..

    Yes. There are no boring bits imo.


    Skipping Season 2 would seriously impact your understanding and enjoyment of Season 3.

    And Season 4 as well.

  • onetetonetet 1,754 Posts
    What everyone said is true: don't skip it.

    As a Baltimorean, there's a lot of things that didn't ring true about Season 2... indigenous Baltimore white people do have a very unique accent, but the annoying kid who's one of the main characters in S2 overdoes it to a ludicrous, distracting degree (and in general I thought his acting was atrocious).

    Also, some hipster production assistants fell prey to some wishful thinking with the set design and were hanging Will Oldham and Smog posters in the bedrooms of these working-class Baltimore characters. That's not impossible, but highly unlikely... the crossover/crosspolinization between born-and-bred Baltimoreans and hipster/yuppie transplants is almost nil here, and in some neighborhoods (Hampden, Remington, Patterson Park, South Baltimore) borders on all-out class war.

    The same can be said of the dealers on the corner who listen to Mos Def, etc... I guess Baltimore club may not be nationally known enough yet to include, but to choose Mos Def over, say, T.I. in that situation was very clearly some white P.A.'s uninformed decision.

    This may sound like nitpicking, and I admit they're small details, but as a local it really fucked with the hardcore realism most of the show attains.

    All that said, DON'T SKIP anything! Every episode of The Wire I've seen has been excellent overall... season 2 is just slightly less excellent. And, it'll fuck with your enjoyment of the sublime season 3 if you skip 2.

  • yeah the music choices up until I think season 3 were HIGHLY suspect.

    Although didn't they rock some Labtekwon in there somewhere? Maybe I'm imagining things.

  • onetetonetet 1,754 Posts
    yeah the music choices up until I think season 3 were HIGHLY suspect.

    Although didn't they rock some Labtekwon in there somewhere? Maybe I'm imagining things.

    Did they? I missed that. If so, good for him. He deserves some national exposure after 15 years or so doing it.

    That said... probably still not a realistic listening choice, depending on the character.

  • DocMcCoyDocMcCoy "Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts

    The same can be said of the dealers on the corner who listen to Mos Def, etc... I guess Baltimore club may not be nationally known enough yet to include, but to choose Mos Def over, say, T.I. in that situation was very clearly some white P.A.'s uninformed decision.

    This may sound like nitpicking, and I admit they're small details, but as a local it really fucked with the hardcore realism most of the show attains.


    The music supe has admitted that they got a few things wrong in the earlier seasons, but they tried to get it right in later ones. There's a scene on the corner in Season 4 where Dipset's "Get Crunk Muzik" can clearly be heard booming out of a passing car, which is probably much more like it. Plus, in Season 3, the scene where Cutty gets taken to a house party after coming out of jail, and there's some B-More club joints playing in the background as he's being led around the house, clearly off his gourd on ecstasy, is the kind of detail that very few shows would even bother to try and get right.

  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts

    As a Baltimorean, there's a lot of things that didn't ring true about Season 2... indigenous Baltimore white people do have a very unique accent, but the annoying kid who's one of the main characters in S2 overdoes it to a ludicrous, distracting degree (and in general I thought his acting was atrocious).

    That kid Ziggy was poorly cast--he was a totally dislikable little schitt; only from reading subsequent interviews with Simon and listening to the commentaries did I realize that he was supposed to be somewhat sympathetic.

    The same can be said of the dealers on the corner who listen to Mos Def, etc... I guess Baltimore club may not be nationally known enough yet to include, but to choose Mos Def over, say, T.I. in that situation was very clearly some white P.A.'s uninformed decision.

    That was a major complaint that I had with the first two seasons--the rap selections were absurdly inauthentic. I know Simon has acknowledged that they made some pretty embarassing errors there.

  • yeah the music choices up until I think season 3 were HIGHLY suspect.

    Although didn't they rock some Labtekwon in there somewhere? Maybe I'm imagining things.

    Did they? I missed that. If so, good for him. He deserves some national exposure after 15 years or so doing it.

    That said... probably still not a realistic listening choice, depending on the character.

    Yeah haha... indeed.

    I cringed every time D'Angelo said "most def!" but maybe that was popular slang before I started going down there.

  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts

    The same can be said of the dealers on the corner who listen to Mos Def, etc... I guess Baltimore club may not be nationally known enough yet to include, but to choose Mos Def over, say, T.I. in that situation was very clearly some white P.A.'s uninformed decision.

    This may sound like nitpicking, and I admit they're small details, but as a local it really fucked with the hardcore realism most of the show attains.


    The music supe has admitted that they got a few things wrong in the earlier seasons, but they tried to get it right in later ones. There's a scene on the corner in Season 4 where Dipset's "Get Crunk Muzik" can clearly be heard booming out of a passing car, which is probably much more like it. Plus, in Season 3, the scene where Cutty gets taken to a house party after coming out of jail, and there's some B-More club joints playing in the background as he's being led around the house, clearly off his gourd on ecstasy, is the kind of detail that very few shows would even bother to try and get right.

    "I got that Li'l Jon"

  • white_teawhite_tea 3,262 Posts

    As a Baltimorean, there's a lot of things that didn't ring true about Season 2... indigenous Baltimore white people do have a very unique accent, but the annoying kid who's one of the main characters in S2 overdoes it to a ludicrous, distracting degree (and in general I thought his acting was atrocious).

    That kid Ziggy was poorly cast--he was a totally dislikable little schitt; only from reading subsequent interviews with Simon and listening to the commentaries did I realize that he was supposed to be somewhat sympathetic.

    The same can be said of the dealers on the corner who listen to Mos Def, etc... I guess Baltimore club may not be nationally known enough yet to include, but to choose Mos Def over, say, T.I. in that situation was very clearly some white P.A.'s uninformed decision.

    That was a major complaint that I had with the first two seasons--the rap selections were absurdly inauthentic. I know Simon has acknowledged that they made some pretty embarassing errors there.

    You mean drugs dealers don't drive around evading police while rocking Michael Franti and Spearhead?

  • DocMcCoyDocMcCoy "Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts

    The same can be said of the dealers on the corner who listen to Mos Def, etc... I guess Baltimore club may not be nationally known enough yet to include, but to choose Mos Def over, say, T.I. in that situation was very clearly some white P.A.'s uninformed decision.

    This may sound like nitpicking, and I admit they're small details, but as a local it really fucked with the hardcore realism most of the show attains.


    The music supe has admitted that they got a few things wrong in the earlier seasons, but they tried to get it right in later ones. There's a scene on the corner in Season 4 where Dipset's "Get Crunk Muzik" can clearly be heard booming out of a passing car, which is probably much more like it. Plus, in Season 3, the scene where Cutty gets taken to a house party after coming out of jail, and there's some B-More club joints playing in the background as he's being led around the house, clearly off his gourd on ecstasy, is the kind of detail that very few shows would even bother to try and get right.

    "I got that Li'l Jon"

    There's a fantastic scene in Season 4 which I won't spoil for you, but it involves Chris and Snoop, and hinges on a familiarity with Young Leek.

  • JimBeamJimBeam Seattle. 2,012 Posts

    Somebody mentioned Ziggy was their favorite character on S2. That little bastard was just so annoying I wanted him to die. That said, I kind of liked him for that too. He brought some pretty comical moments to the season.

    I love that character because people like Ziggy exist at all levels, and in all groups. That loser, tragic clown by which people measure their own level of failure/fucked-upness. "At least I ain't as stupid as Ziggy."
    agreed
    most Wire fans I run across, when Season 2 comes around as a topic of discussion, instantly launch into an anti-Ziggy tirade. I tend to agree- the character is annoying to the point of angering the viewer. The way the story, on a familial level wraps around his fate ( btw: !!!!) is absolutely perfect screenplay writing.

    They get you hooked on disliking a character, and when it's all said and done, you as a viewer are surprised you can have that sort of emotion (positive or negative) toward someone on the screen. I was impressed with Season 2 in that they did take a huge and complex storyline and made no attempt to distill or water it down- they included every detail.
    (I'm mid-season 3, btw. I can't get enough of this shit.)

  • onetetonetet 1,754 Posts

    The music supe has admitted that they got a few things wrong in the earlier seasons, but they tried to get it right in later ones. There's a scene on the corner in Season 4 where Dipset's "Get Crunk Muzik" can clearly be heard booming out of a passing car, which is probably much more like it. Plus, in Season 3, the scene where Cutty gets taken to a house party after coming out of jail, and there's some B-More club joints playing in the background as he's being led around the house, clearly off his gourd on ecstasy, is the kind of detail that very few shows would even bother to try and get right.

    Definitely. I have very few complaints with the show, and most of them they've tweaked in good ways from season to season.

  • onetetonetet 1,754 Posts

    Somebody mentioned Ziggy was their favorite character on S2. That little bastard was just so annoying I wanted him to die. That said, I kind of liked him for that too. He brought some pretty comical moments to the season.

    I love that character because people like Ziggy exist at all levels, and in all groups. That loser, tragic clown by which people measure their own level of failure/fucked-upness. "At least I ain't as stupid as Ziggy."
    agreed

    most Wire fans I run across, when Season 2 comes around as a topic of discussion, instantly launch into an anti-Ziggy tirade. I tend to agree- the character is annoying to the point of angering the viewer. The way the story, on a familial level wraps around his fate ( btw: !!!!) is absolutely perfect screenplay writing.

    They get you hooked on disliking a character, and when it's all said and done, you as a viewer are surprised you can have that sort of emotion (positive or negative) toward someone on the screen. I was impressed with Season 2 in that they did take a huge and complex storyline and made no attempt to distill or water it down- they included every detail.
    (I'm mid-season 3, btw. I can't get enough of this shit.)

    I agree with 1/2 of what you're saying, but my point of disagreement is not with the character, it's with dude's acting. He was TERRIBLE. That character exists, I know the type. That accent does NOT exist, not how he rendered it (which to my mind was borderline offensive).
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