[The Wire.] Season 1.

[delga]

 First off, I can't seem to get around to the latest episode of Saving Grace. I'm fairly certain it aired when it was supposed to, so what's up with that?

So, The Wire. Let me preface this by re-establishing that I love crime and procedural dramas. They are like comfort food to me. I like their rhythm and their odd turns of spontaneity. I like the insta-punch they pack, and I like the spread of sweeps-to-non-sweeps episodes. It's all gravy, as people other than myself are prone to saying. But.

But.

I also love well-scripted, well-paced dramas. There's a reason I don't watch soaps - the scripts don't pack the right punch. There's a reason why I drop as many procedurals as I pick up new ones. After a while, they lose their spark. Seven years of CSI is about following old comforts, not about discovering something new. So when you want something new, you turn to miniseries (aka: BBC) or HBO.

This summer has been wonderful for me on that front because whilst finding time to indulge in Medium and discard Heroes, I have devoured all of Deadwood, re-watched Carnivàle, been following the second season of Big Love and tucked into the first season of Oz. Now I'm eating my way through The Wire.

 

                      

The Wire.

At first glance it looks like it should be a bog standard cop show, but it isn't. It's a drama looking at two things: a case that falls into the life of the city, and the people involved in that case. The ride is slow before picking up ground mid-season. The script takes its time, and can afford to because the writing is clean, sharp. There is nothing scrappy about this show, and it may be a slow burn but the pay off is big. Strong characterisation, deep storylines and a lo-fi approach to a high-tech show that gives you a lived-in, real life feel to the proceedings. 

It's cops against collars, with an array of characters, all of whom you feel for in one way or another. The earlier episodes are lighter, but as the case gets more serious, so does the scenary. I'm going to try and go through it episode by episode (I was trying to do that as I watched it but it was too good to keep stopping and starting) and sum up the main plot, and the main characters.

It's a big deal in a big city, and The Wire bites hard. Definitely one to watch.