In the projects. On the docks. In City Hall. In the schools. And now, in the media. The places and faces have changed, but the game remains the same. Times are tough for the detail. Mayor Carcetti has slashed the departments budget to the bone. Police are operating without overtime some without cars and radios. Angered, McNulty is off the rails again and headed down a dangerous path of deception and lies that will ally him with an unscrupulous reporter. The drug trade still rules the corners, all you have to do is read between the lines.
DVD Features: Audio Commentary Featurette
A barroom toast to Det. Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), a one-man good cop/bad cop, offered in The Wire's final episode could very well serve as this series' epitaph: "When you were good, you were the best we had." Season five bears witness to this. The 10 riveting, wrenching episodes focus on yet another beleaguered Baltimore institution, The Baltimore Sun daily newspaper, whose staff, much like the police, is forced to do more with less. One editor (Clark Johnson) struggles to maintain the paper's journalistic standards in the face of declining ad revenues, employee buyouts and bureau closures. An ambitious reporter (Tom McCarthy) undermines him by taking a page out of the Stephen Glass/Jayson Blair playbook, manufacturing sensational quotes, and eventually, whole stories, while bean-counter management encourages its rising star and keeps its eye on the (Pulitzer) prize. Meanwhile, on the streets, the year-long investigation of rising drug lord Marlo Sansfield (Jamie Hector) and the 22 bodies found in "the vacants" has been discontinued and police morale is at an all-time low (the money promised to the department has been diverted to the schools). McNulty manufactures a serial killer case that will have far-reaching repercussions in the mayor's office, where Tommy Carcetti (Aidan Gillen) is mounting a run for governor a mere two years into his term. "I wonder what it would be like to work at a real police station," McNulty rages at one point. The Wire, as ever, is all about real. It's a gritty and unflinching look at life in one of roughest districts of a "broke-ass city." There is street justice for some characters, and street injustice for others. Some meet sad, sudden, or shocking ends that defy TV convention. Referring to Marlo, McNulty declares early on, "He does not get to win; we get to win." The hard-earned victories are mostly small, or come with a price. Not that The Wire does not offer glimmers of hope. Bubbles (Andre Royo) struggles to maintain his sobriety (Steve Earle portrays the leader of his 12-step program and also does the theme song honors this season), and the final episode features a cameo by Jim True-Frost as the once overwhelmed teacher, "Prez," who now seems to have the hang of the job. The ratings-strapped and criminally Emmy-snubbed The Wire has always been a critic's darling with a passionate fan base. To the show's credit, it did not make itself more accessible in its final season (consequently, its send-off did not receive near the fanfare of The Sopranos or Sex and the City). That should not dissuade newcomers to the show. It is heavy lifting, and if you're just joining The Wire, a visit to the show's official website for orientation is recommended. But buy it, watch it, and be patient. It's so worth it. From the masterful storytelling to the peerless ensemble, it just doesn't get any better than The Wire. But that's not exactly news. --Donald Liebenson
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Where The Wire stopped being real:
I loved the first four seasons of The Wire. Nearly even moment of the series felt true to me. This made the highly improbably developments in season five even harder to stomach. I actually felt a bit betrayed by the writers of this program. McNulty hatches a plan that no sane person would carry out, and actually enlists the help of several others. Unfortunately this nutty scheme becomes central to the entire fifth season. Couple this with a miraculous escape when a particular character faces trouble and I... more info
One of the best ever, seriously:
I had heard about the wire for quite a while, but i wasnt sure what channel it was on and i figured it was just another cop show. I had grown up watching random episodes of cop shows and i got tired of them starting and finishing a case in each episode.
Luckily, the Wire is not one of those cop shows. Nothing gets solved in a single episode. Everything builds up to a fulfilling finish. You can't miss any episodes or else certain things wont make sense. And the realism with which this show was made... more info
From Strength to Strength:
This series is quite simply the real deal. Its attention to detail and fine tuning in terms of character, environment and the politics and sheer grittiness of modern life could not be better rendered... or could they? I'd be curious to know, but not easily persuaded. This is modern American life laid bare. If you've only just come across the series, I recommended you go back and start from series one and work your way through, I'd be surprised if you were disappointed that you'd done so. It's TV at its... more info
Disappointed:
My husband and I have both loved this series, but we are about 1/2 way through Season 5 and feel very disappointed with it. I find the McNulty serial killer plot to be very far-fetched and I don't like what happens with the McNulty character. A downward spiral back into his drinking etc. I can understand, but not the unbelievable serial killer arc. And I especially find it unbelievable that Freamon would go with him on this, no matter how much he wants funding for his Marlo investigation. I'm also... more info
