Just watched the wire, a show that has been regarded as the best of all time and one I have wanted to see for a while. This is just an informal gathering of my thoughts on it and some rankings.
Coming into the wire, I expected nothing else than a masterpiece that stood head and shoulders above any other TV show. Coming out, I'd certainly give it a 10/10, but it stands as my 2nd favorite show behind House, M.D. For that, it was slightly disappointing. The character development and story is phenomenal and better than anything I've seen as well as the consistent top-notch quality from episode to episode. Other than some mediocre season openers (semi-boring), pretty much every episode is entertaining and great. What it suffers in, for me, is the lack of tension and thrilling moments, which have carried other TV shows to my favorites list. The wire is a slow drama through and through. Unlike many of my other favorite shows, which have cliffhanger, action scenes and incredible moments of tension of suspense, there's very little of that in the wire. The overall story it tells is fantastic and almost every moments connects in every way.
Season Ratings
Season 1- 10/10. My third favorite season of TV behind Breaking Bad S5 and Fargo S1. The only season for me that didn't feel incredibly slow and exciting story developments happened all the time. Lots of tension later in, and extremely satisfying to watch as the case against barksdale built and built on itself from simply learning the key players at the beginning to making arrests at the end. Satisfying, phenomenal from a few episodes in to the end (pilot was my least episodes of the series, however).
Season 2- 8/10. Really jarring shift from the great case in season 1 to completely new characters and setting, this one was really hard to get into. Some great characters like Frank and Spiros help elevate what is probably the least interesting story of any of the seasons. Definitely a slow burn, took half the season to really get started on the case, but the last couple episodes were fantastic. Still, it doesn't fit into the series that well and this felt like the season where the main story of the series was just a bunch of side plots.
Season 3- 8/10. A welcome shift back to the main story, with so many great elements with Avon, Marlo, and Stringer all competing for the king of the drug empire. However, I found this season to be the absolute slowest pace of them all. Story and characters carry his one, drama/tension does not.
Season 4- 9/10. Definitely an unpopular opinion here as many regard this as the best season of TV period. Really great story with the school flaws and the set of kids going there, as the well as the rise of Marlo's empire in some really horrible ways. Just didn't hit the same levels of tension and satisfaction as S1.
Season 5- 9/10. Another unpopular opinion, but some great characters and storylines added with the media. The actual police side of the story was only okay, but the stories between Marlo's organization, the return of the greeks, and omar was among the best moments of the series.
Overall ranking: 1, 4, 5, 3, 2. Overall still a 10/10, I realize that doesn't add up but this is very much a series that should be taken as a whole and not thought of in pieces.
Character Ranking
I will rank every character who I felt had significant character development. If I can't put a name to the face or vice versa they're not here. If I don't feel they were memorable, they were also excluded. This is based off how strong of a character I thought they were, not their likeability. I believe the best characters in the series have a conflict between good and evil, which plays a major part in the rankings.
50. Chester "Ziggy" Sobotka- Main S2
The only bad character of the wire, Ziggy is just extremely annoying and makes you wish you were watching anyone else, a horrible trait for any character. He screws up everything and has absolutely no redeeming factors whatsoever that could make him a stronger character. It's a shame he was given so much screen time.
49. Scott Templeton- Main S5
Scott is truly an asshole and has no redeeming qualities. He's not annoying in your face on the same level of Ziggy, but his plagiarism and lies drive me over the edge and he's definitely someone I would have like to see killed.
48. Jay Landsman- Recurring All Seasons
Jay is fairly incompetent and annoying police, I know this is an unpopular opinion but he does barely any good things the entire show and just doesn't contribute much. He's a mediocre character to me.
47. Elvin Burrell- Recurring All Seasons
Elvin is another simply bad guy who has zero redeeming qualities, he simply doesn't match the level of the people below him.
46. Melvin "Cheese" Wagstaff- Recurring/Cameo S2-S4, Main S5
Cheese is another horrible, horrible guy but is definitely more interesting than any character mentioned so far.
45. Maurice Levy- Recurring S1, S3, S5, Cameo S2 and S4
Levy is another bad, irredeemable character but is fairly interesting and certainly quite smart.
44. Rhonda Pearlman- Main All Seasons
Rhonda is fine, I really don't see a lot of pros or cons with her. She's just there, but rarely has anything interesting to contribute.
43. Beadie Russell- Main S2, Cameo S3, Recurring S4 and S5
Beadie is an aspiring and good cop, but just doesn't have much in the way of interesting developments.
42. Thomas "Herc" Hauk- Main S1-S4, Recurring S5
Herc is definitely an interesting character and has some moments where is noble and intent on actually doing good police work, but much too often gets bogged down in stupidity and corruption.
41. Alma Gutierrez- Main S5
A good, fairly interesting character who just doesn't have the character development to be higher.
40. Leander Sydnor- Main S1 and S5, Recurring S3 and S4
As someone credited for 45 episodes, his character development is somehow worse than those with only 10. He's a good cop, just not that interesting of a character.
39. Terrance "Fitz" Fitzhugh- Recurring S1-S3, S5
See above, simply not a major character nor does he have much development.
38. Stan Valchek- Recurring All Seasons
37. Clay Davis- Recurring S1-S4, Main S5
36. Mailk "Poot" Carr- Main S1, Recurring S2-S5
Poot is simply weak. He has the good-evil conflict of his two friends, Wallace and Bodie, but unlike them, he can't commit to either side. He clearly dislikes the violence of the drug game but makes no effort to get out until the end.
35. Slim Charles- Recurring/Main S3-S5
34. Clarence Royce- Recurring S3, S4, Cameo S5
33. Augustus "Gus" Haynes- Main S5
I actually really like Gus, he's definitely the best media character, he simply doesn't have the level of development and storyline to be higher.
32. Roland "Wee-Bey" Brice- Main S1, Recurring After
Wee-Bey is a cold killer in the beginning, but shows some humanity in dealing with son later on.
31. Ellis Carver- Main All Seasons
Ellis started out on the same path as Herc, but really came into his own and did good police work in the last few seasons.
30. Nick Sobokta- Main S2, Cameo S5
Nick rides a great line between doing criminal things but still having fairly high moral standards.
29. Randy Wagstaff- Main S4
28. Michael Lee- Main S4, S5
A harder, colder version of Dukie who goes down a dark way.
27. Duquan "Dukie" Weems- Main S4, S5
A good kid with very bad influences, very interesting to see his conflict between having good intentions in the wrong surroundings.
26. Felicia "Snoop" Pearson- Recurring S3, Main S4-S5
A cold, evil killer, just not a ton of character development.
25. Preston "Bodie" Broadus- Main S1, S3, S4, Recurring S2
Bodie rides a great line between wanting to be a drug dealer but still having moral standards that he can't stand Marlo. He has his moments of humanity as well as his dark moments.
24. Reginald "Bubbles" Cousins- Main All Seasons
A good man, one of the few characters we view poverty and addiction without being part of drug empire. I think he was let down by one of the less interesting storylines of the series.
23. Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski- Main S1-S4, Cameo S5
Prez shows a lot of growth and heart as he goes from an asshole, corrupt cop to an effective then as a school teacher. Too many dark moments to rank him higher.
22. Williams Rawls- Main All Seasons
21. Brother Mouzone- Recurring S2-S3
With only 7 episodes, Brother Mouzone makes it count. By far the most interesting character with that amount of time on screen. A tough killer but one who is highly intelligent and has moral standards.
20. Frank Sobotka- Main S2
19. Namond Brice- Main S4, Cameo S5
One of the funnier and more entertaining people in the series, show a lot of growth and has a great relationship with Bunny.
18. Norman Wilson- Main S4, S5
Carcetti's right hand man, great banter with him and Carcetti.
17. Howard "Bunny" Colvin- S3, S4
One of the wisest and most mature cops, is bold enough to try new things and stands up for what he believes in even if it is not right.
16. Chris Partlow- Recurring S3, Main S4-S5
Perhaps the best physical villain of the series, no one puts up more bodies than Chris. Definitely a very evil character but has a charm to him. "He'll make quick and clean for you"
15. Shakima "Kima" Greggs- Main All Seasons
Great character, but probably top 3 in the first season, simply not as important after.
14. Cedric Daniels- Main All Seasons
Probably the least morally compromised character, Daniels is the true good of the series. Still, you need a darker side to be higher.
Every character from here on out is phenomenal and deserving to be on a GOAT list.
13. Lester Freamon- Main All Seasons
Absolutely one of the most likeable characters in the series. Nearly flawless, but goes well with McNulty doing anything for a case when they can't get support from their superiors.
12. Proposition Joe Stewart- Recurring All Seasons
A wise man very much towards the top of the drug empire, yet he is by far the friendliest and least cold of anyone in the game. A lot of respect to this guy and his choices to avoid violence and try to work things out.
11. Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos- Main S2, Recurring S5
Absolute stylish gangster. Again not an especially cold guy compared to others.
10. Dennis "Cutty" Wise- Main S3 and S4, Cameo S5
Cutty has some of the strongest morals of anyone in the series, especially as someone who served a long term for being a barksdale soldier. He gets out and does right by nearly everyone, acting as great mentor to the S4 kids.
9. Marlo Stanfield- Recurring S3, Main S4-S5
Marlo is a fantastic villain. Really exciting seeing him build his empire in such dark ways.
8. Russell "Stringer" Bell- Main S1-S3
Stringer is one of the smartest in the series and is very much a methodical villain rather than a physical one. He is intimidating in how evil he can be yet is incredibly smart and careful. He goes a little too dark in some areas which makes him pretty unlikeable.
7. Avon Barksdale- Main S1, S3, Recurring S2, Cameo S5
Avon is the best villain of the series and is quite likeable. His level of evil doesn't strike a nerve the way Marlo and Stringer does as he does what he can to seize the top of the business and rarely affects anyone who didn't deserve or wasn't involved.
6. Omar Little- Main All Seasons
Omar is a complex character who I don't consider a villain due to him working with and having relationships with the police and constantly being an enemy of the main villains. Exciting battles between his groups and Avon, Marlo, Stringer, etc.
5. William "Bunk" Moreland- Main All Seasons
Bunk is certainly the most amusing character of the series and probably most likeable. Excellent foil to all cops and treats everyone right.
4. Jimmy McNulty- Main S1-S3, S5, Recurring S4
Jimmy has more issues than anyone out there but compensates for it being a fantastic cop. There's a constant conflict between his obsession to do great police work and the alcoholism and adultery that comes with that. Very complex, interesting character who is loveable at times and hateable at others.
3. Wallace- Main S1
Wallace and D'Angelo are a phenomenal pair of guys born into horrible surrounding, but are both good people and realize this isn't the life for them. Tragic story for the both of them, but a phenomenal first season with them there.
2. D'Angelo Barksdale- Main S1, Recurring S2
D'Angelo has a bigger heart than anyone in the series and has the perfect conflict between staying loyal to his criminal family and doing the right thing. I really wished he informed on them.
1. Tommy Carcetti- Main S3-S5
Carcetti is elevated by Aiden Gillan's phenomenal performance. Really exciting to see his mayoral rise and the problems that come with being in charge. Quite a bit of moral dilemma as well, lots of great intentions but many areas he couldn't deliver on.
