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Post by nowimnothing on Jan 8, 2014 13:59:30 GMT -5
Summary:
We start with Detective McNulty (great name BTW) visiting a courtroom where D'Angelo is on trial for murder. One witness fingers him, the other pretty obviously recants her previous identification. After D'Angelo gets off, the Judge questions McNulty and McNulty fills him in on his theory. McNulty's supervisor is pissed. D'Angelo gets downgraded to the low-rises for bringing the heat down.
The initial police team is brought together with a mix of Narcotics and Homicide officers with Lieutenant Daniels of Narcotics in charge. Daniels wants to play by the book and McNulty of course is going to rub him the wrong way.
McNulty and his partner go drinking and complaining about cop and husband stuff. Greggs is a lesbian! OMG!
Bubbles gets his white friend beaten by trying to pass off some fake ten dollar bills. Greggs somehow finds out about this (he has previously been a CI) and meets him in the hospital where he volunteers to be an informant again.
D'Angelo is surprised to find the witness that fingered him dead.
Random thoughts:
The opening credits seem kind of antiquated now, but a running theme seems to be comparing the technology available to the police vs that of the FBI so it still fits. You could also view it as a period show, but that seems odd for one that is not really that old.
I first thought Stringer was a lawyer and that he and McNulty had a prior relationship. I think this was mostly based on the cartoon Stringer shows him.
I am probably being too harsh on the Greggs lesbian thing. Given the time period I am sure it was a bigger deal back then.
I am not sure alcoholic, divorced, cop who pisses off his supervisors even qualifies as a cliche at this point, is there a higher level?
Overall a decent intro to the major characters, but it does seem like a pretty stock police procedural at this point.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2014 9:25:59 GMT -5
Overall a decent intro to the major characters, but it does seem like a pretty stock police procedural at this point. I never once thought that. The way it's shot and the lack of non-diegetic music instantly grabbed me. I think I must have watched 4-6 episodes in a row the first time I discovered The Wire. Also, the fact that the cast was full of relative unknowns (at least to me, 3-4 years ago) was another major plus in establishing that this is not a TV show like most others. |
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Post by nowimnothing on Jan 9, 2014 9:36:58 GMT -5
Overall a decent intro to the major characters, but it does seem like a pretty stock police procedural at this point. I never once thought that. The way it's shot and the lack of non-diegetic music instantly grabbed me. I think I must have watched 4-6 episodes in a row the first time I discovered The Wire. Also, the fact that the cast was full of relative unknowns (at least to me, 3-4 years ago) was another major plus in establishing that this is not a TV show like most others. I am not sure if you are talking about the general cinematography, which honestly has not jumped out to me much yet, or the slight found footage video screen conceit. I find that aspect a bit distracting. I am sure it is meant to make some statement about the pervasive surveillance in our society, but right now it feel like all those fantasy elements that were in the first episodes of Ally McBeal. I am sure I am being harsh on the show, but I also understand that part of that is me going in with a lot of hype plus given it's age there are some things like the sexuality of Greggs or the found footage elements that were probably fine in their time, but seem more odd now. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2014 9:44:56 GMT -5
I never once thought that. The way it's shot and the lack of non-diegetic music instantly grabbed me. I think I must have watched 4-6 episodes in a row the first time I discovered The Wire. Also, the fact that the cast was full of relative unknowns (at least to me, 3-4 years ago) was another major plus in establishing that this is not a TV show like most others. I am not sure if you are talking about the general cinematography, which honestly has not jumped out to me much yet, or the slight found footage video screen conceit. I find that aspect a bit distracting. I am sure it is meant to make some statement about the pervasive surveillance in our society, but right now it feel like all those fantasy elements that were in the first episodes of Ally McBeal. I am sure I am being harsh on the show, but I also understand that part of that is me going in with a lot of hype plus given it's age there are some things like the sexuality of Greggs or the found footage elements that were probably fine in their time, but seem more odd now. Both. For some people The Shield is that stand out show, that doesn't look like anything on TV before it. For me, it looks incredibly artificial, while The Wire manages to maintain this sort of realism (not just through the cinematography) that felt brand new to me. So you've only watched the first two episodes at this point? For me the hype worked in the show's favor, because it helped me overcome the age old question Fuck do I care about all this? and keep watching during some rough spots. Once the season progressed I found that it completely lived up to the hype for me and I hope you'll get to that point too. |
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Post by nowimnothing on Jan 9, 2014 10:38:26 GMT -5
I am not sure if you are talking about the general cinematography, which honestly has not jumped out to me much yet, or the slight found footage video screen conceit. I find that aspect a bit distracting. I am sure it is meant to make some statement about the pervasive surveillance in our society, but right now it feel like all those fantasy elements that were in the first episodes of Ally McBeal. I am sure I am being harsh on the show, but I also understand that part of that is me going in with a lot of hype plus given it's age there are some things like the sexuality of Greggs or the found footage elements that were probably fine in their time, but seem more odd now. Both. For some people The Shield is that stand out show, that doesn't look like anything on TV before it. For me, it looks incredibly artificial, while The Wire manages to maintain this sort of realism (not just through the cinematography) that felt brand new to me. So you've only watched the first two episodes at this point? For me the hype worked in the show's favor, because it helped me overcome the age old question Fuck do I care about all this? and keep watching during some rough spots. Once the season progressed I found that it completely lived up to the hype for me and I hope you'll get to that point too. Yeah I actually just started the 4th episode. I will get the review for the third one up soon. I am trying to not let the hype color my experience too much and write as if I am coming into it fresh. Maybe that is making me overly critical, but I fully expect the show to win me over. I do like it so far, I just don't want to give it a complete pass based on what others have said. |
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Pear
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Post by Pear on Jan 24, 2014 21:32:23 GMT -5
Overall a decent intro to the major characters, but it does seem like a pretty stock police procedural at this point. Interesting, because if there's anything that I didn't feel about the pilot, it's that. The narrative structure is so different from everything else I see on TV, and I appreciate the complexity of it all, the evident care and attention to detail that just gets increasingly impressive as more elements are introduced. It's down to earth, the characters are well-defined and fit perfectly into the world, and it's definitely some compelling TV. I like how the show takes these characters and elaborates on them, but also makes sure to show us the importance of the time and place; everyone from McNulty to DeAngelo (our two pairs of eyes into two different aspects of this world) plays a part in the system, and each is shaped by the rules set by the institutions. It's really all about trying to find your place in the system. There's evidence of cracking, but everything seems to be more or less in order right now. Stringer and McNulty can exchange wordless conversations in the courtroom, and it's because of a mutual acceptance that everything's not boiling over. It's not good guy vs. bad guy here; there are layers and shades of grey, and it's the mark of a show that knows exactly how it wants to tell its story. Other stuff... -There are definitely some shaky parts, most notably with the progression of DeAngelo's story here, but I think it all ties up nicely at the end. -I really like the train tracks scene with McNulty and Bunk; I'll probably need to watch a bit more to fully grasp the meaning (if there is one). -Evidently Simon didn't want that flashback at the end because he trusted the intelligence of his viewers. I have to admit: I needed that. It's extremely difficult to keep track of all the characters, so I can see why the show would seem like a mess to some. I view it as elaborate. -Some of the social commentary is way too on point, but hey, when you have a quote at the beginning of the episode essentially delineating the major theme(s), it's bound to happen. -Speaking of, I loved that first scene. Great intro to the show. |
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Pear
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Post by Pear on Jan 24, 2014 21:35:38 GMT -5
Overall a decent intro to the major characters, but it does seem like a pretty stock police procedural at this point. I never once thought that. The way it's shot and the lack of non-diegetic music instantly grabbed me. I think I must have watched 4-6 episodes in a row the first time I discovered The Wire. Also, the fact that the cast was full of relative unknowns (at least to me, 3-4 years ago) was another major plus in establishing that this is not a TV show like most others. Yeah, agreed on that music element. It doesn't feel the need to dictate what we need to get out of a scene; we do that ourselves. I know some of these cast members, but yeah...a new narrative structure, relative unknowns, different stylistic touches...very ambitious show, even for now. I'm not sure how long it took to catch on with the public back then, but I'd imagine it was a while. |
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Post by nowimnothing on Jan 25, 2014 1:59:47 GMT -5
Overall a decent intro to the major characters, but it does seem like a pretty stock police procedural at this point. Interesting, because if there's anything that I didn't feel about the pilot, it's that. The narrative structure is so different from everything else I see on TV, and I appreciate the complexity of it all, the evident care and attention to detail that just gets increasingly impressive as more elements are introduced. It's down to earth, the characters are well-defined and fit perfectly into the world, and it's definitely some compelling TV. I like how the show takes these characters and elaborates on them, but also makes sure to show us the importance of the time and place; everyone from McNulty to DeAngelo (our two pairs of eyes into two different aspects of this world) plays a part in the system, and each is shaped by the rules set by the institutions. It's really all about trying to find your place in the system. There's evidence of cracking, but everything seems to be more or less in order right now. Stringer and McNulty can exchange wordless conversations in the courtroom, and it's because of a mutual acceptance that everything's not boiling over. It's not good guy vs. bad guy here; there are layers and shades of grey, and it's the mark of a show that knows exactly how it wants to tell its story. Other stuff... -There are definitely some shaky parts, most notably with the progression of DeAngelo's story here, but I think it all ties up nicely at the end. -I really like the train tracks scene with McNulty and Bunk; I'll probably need to watch a bit more to fully grasp the meaning (if there is one). -Evidently Simon didn't want that flashback at the end because he trusted the intelligence of his viewers. I have to admit: I needed that. It's extremely difficult to keep track of all the characters, so I can see why the show would seem like a mess to some. I view it as elaborate. -Some of the social commentary is way too on point, but hey, when you have a quote at the beginning of the episode essentially delineating the major theme(s), it's bound to happen. -Speaking of, I loved that first scene. Great intro to the show. Looking back now from episode 10, I can appreciate the pilot more, but I will stick with my initial impressions, maybe I just was not paying close enough attention to those small details. |
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Post by Dr. Dastardly on Dec 29, 2014 10:38:40 GMT -5
I rewatched the pilot last night. I'm introducing my lovely wife to it. Thoughts for me: - I also mistook this for a standard police procedural when I first watched it. I didn't really tune into the show until the "Fuck" scene, whenever that is - fourth or fifth episode maybe? That's the scene that made me sit up: I clearly remember, halfway through, thinking holy shit! I might need to take this show more seriously, if it's going to do shit like this. - On rewatching, I appreciate a lot of things more. Most of all, the sheer number of balls they throw up into the air right away. Holy shit, does a lot happen! They throw us right into like five different milieus immediately: homicide; narcotics; Avon and Stringer, the top of the drug chain; Bodie and Wallace, the bottom; and Bubs, the victim. They throw you right into the deep end with this show; I was confused the first time around, and Dastardess was totally flummoxed. I had to talk her down a little. "You will figure it out! ...And you'll get used to how black people talk, too." - And we haven't even met Freeman or Omar yet! - One thing I've always loved is how clearly Simon maps out how the business works. Junkie shows up here, gives money to this guy, then goes over here and gets the drugs, that guy is watching for cops, this other guy (Bodie) is low-level management, D'Angelo is middle management, and here's how it all flows up to Avon and Stringer. He's terrific at drawing us a map. Like way Fincher can show you the exact layout of a house, so you always understand where people are in relationship to each other. - Kima will become one of my favorite characters, but she doesn't make a great first impression. Her, like, acting doesn't seem that good. She comes off as a weak link here. - That first scene is amazing. I hadn't realized how brilliant it is. It lays out the entire point of the show perfectly, right there. "Why do you let him play if he just steals the money every time?" "You got to. This America, man." I'm not sure I've ever seen a first scene that does its job better than this. Here's a blog post about it, if you want a refresher. - Pear, that's interesting that Simon didn't want to do the flashback to show who the dead guy was, 'cause I hated that. I thought it was wicked corny, and I definitely didn't need it - the minute that dude testified, I knew we'd be seeing his corpse by the end of the episode. (I bet if I ask Dastardess she'll tell me she had no idea and totally needed that. It might just be that I know the world of The Wire well enough now that without remembering what happens, I can guess pretty well.) |
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Post by nowimnothing on Jan 6, 2015 9:06:14 GMT -5
I rewatched the pilot last night. I'm introducing my lovely wife to it. Thoughts for me: - I also mistook this for a standard police procedural when I first watched it. I didn't really tune into the show until the "Fuck" scene, whenever that is - fourth or fifth episode maybe? That's the scene that made me sit up: I clearly remember, halfway through, thinking holy shit! I might need to take this show more seriously, if it's going to do shit like this. - On rewatching, I appreciate a lot of things more. Most of all, the sheer number of balls they throw up into the air right away. Holy shit, does a lot happen! They throw us right into like five different milieus immediately: homicide; narcotics; Avon and Stringer, the top of the drug chain; Bodie and Wallace, the bottom; and Bubs, the victim. They throw you right into the deep end with this show; I was confused the first time around, and Dastardess was totally flummoxed. I had to talk her down a little. "You will figure it out! ...And you'll get used to how black people talk, too." - And we haven't even met Freeman or Omar yet! - One thing I've always loved is how clearly Simon maps out how the business works. Junkie shows up here, gives money to this guy, then goes over here and gets the drugs, that guy is watching for cops, this other guy (Bodie) is low-level management, D'Angelo is middle management, and here's how it all flows up to Avon and Stringer. He's terrific at drawing us a map. Like way Fincher can show you the exact layout of a house, so you always understand where people are in relationship to each other. - Kima will become one of my favorite characters, but she doesn't make a great first impression. Her, like, acting doesn't seem that good. She comes off as a weak link here. - That first scene is amazing. I hadn't realized how brilliant it is. It lays out the entire point of the show perfectly, right there. "Why do you let him play if he just steals the money every time?" "You got to. This America, man." I'm not sure I've ever seen a first scene that does its job better than this. Here's a blog post about it, if you want a refresher. - Pear, that's interesting that Simon didn't want to do the flashback to show who the dead guy was, 'cause I hated that. I thought it was wicked corny, and I definitely didn't need it - the minute that dude testified, I knew we'd be seeing his corpse by the end of the episode. (I bet if I ask Dastardess she'll tell me she had no idea and totally needed that. It might just be that I know the world of The Wire well enough now that without remembering what happens, I can guess pretty well.) Funny, I got my wife hooked just before Christmas. We are into the 4th season already. She had tried to watch it when I first started to talk about it last year but she also got hung up on the cop show format. She saw the court room and kind of zoned out. I told her to give it until the 4th episode and now she cannot stop. I am not watching every episode with her, but when she has it on I just have to stop and watch, knowing that a great scene is coming up. |
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Post by Dr. Dastardly on Jan 6, 2015 10:41:33 GMT -5
Funny, I got my wife hooked just before Christmas. We are into the 4th season already. She had tried to watch it when I first started to talk about it last year but she also got hung up on the cop show format. She saw the court room and kind of zoned out. I told her to give it until the 4th episode and now she cannot stop. I am not watching every episode with her, but when she has it on I just have to stop and watch, knowing that a great scene is coming up. Thanks for making all these threads, nowimnothing. Been fun to have somewhere to go to put down my thoughts on episodes. |
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