The Wire (2002–2008) User Reviews

If You Haven't Seen this show, but are considering it, please read my review.

[OmarHartwellWhite · 10/10 · 13 May 2014]

This Review is aimed at anyone who has never seen the wire, but may have heard about it from about 3000 people recommending you should watch it. I watched the wire about 3 years ago well after the series concluded, and watched it in the same binge watching way I watched The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and Game of thrones. I won't compare The Wire to these shows because they are not really comparable other than the fact they are some of the greatest shows ever, but are completely different. The wire isn't about drug dealing, the police, politics, or the education system, it is about the entire city of Baltimore. I'll admit The Wire isn't for everyone, it may be too violent or complex with the vast amount of characters and side stories for some, but I guarantee if you are a film and TV series lover and appreciate writing, acting, and an abundance of interesting characters, the wire is pretty much perfect in these regards. Each Season changes slightly in which facet of the city it will mainly cover, and becomes more complex as the series progresses. This show has without a doubt some of the most interesting characters, and best writing I have ever seen on a series. Even small side characters have intriguing stories that progress throughout the entire series, and I have never seen more attention to detail. This show isn't built up with such high expectations for people who haven't seen it for no reason, watch it , and there is about a 99.99% chance you will become one of those previously mentioned 3000 people recommending it to everyone you know who hasn't seen it.

Incredible!

[Rob1331 · 10/10 · 30 September 2022]

I don't even no where to begin to explain how much I love The Wire! It's a crime drama that takes place in Baltimore. It takes a gritty look into the lives of everyone from police officers to gang members to drug users to political figures, etc. The writing and acting for this amazing series is down right brilliant. All you have to do is read through the reviews to see how loved this show really is. The consistency of the greatness of this show throughout all five seasons is ridiculous. The gritty attention to detail makes this series feel so real. It's easily one of the best shows of all-time.

This isn't just a show about crime - this tries to show every aspect of life in a crumbling society

[gogoschka-1 · 10/10 · 12 January 2014]

Along with TV-shows like 'Oz', 'Deadwood', 'The Sopranos' and 'Six Feet Under', David Simon's 'The Wire' was part of a revolution - qualitywise - in television. Although it is very entertaining, this isn't just entertainment; this is art, pure and simple - and the concept of this show was groundbreaking. On the surface, one might think this is a show about crime, but really, 'The Wire' is about the life and soul of a whole city. Every aspect of the city of Baltimore gets its share of screen time, and the way this is done - the writing, the direction, the amazing performances by the terrific cast; the music, the camera work, the realism... I could go on and on - is just outstanding. On par with 'Generation Kill' (no wonder, since the same creative team was behind both), this is as good as television gets.

Favorite films: http://www.IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/

Lesser-known Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

Favorite Low-Budget and B-Movies: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054808375/

Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls075552387/

As good as everyone says it is!

[Supermanfan-13 · 10/10 · 21 September 2022]

The Wire absolutely, without a doubt, lives up to all the hype and love it gets. The storytelling is so ridiculously good and that's because that this is one of the best written shows in television history. It's one of those rare shows where every season is just as good as the others. It's ranked #6 All-Time with a 9.3 rating for a reason... because it's absolutely amazing! If you google any "best show ever" list you will find The Wire near the top of every single one. If you've never seen this incredible show then do yourself a favor and go watch it immediately and if you have seen it then go watch it again because it's just that good!

The Wire is why awards are irrelevant.

[rwdelos5517 · 10/10 · 25 April 2020]

This series not winning an Emmy, is why awards are nonsense. Andre Royo alone deserves one for every season this show was on.

Fantastic

[jaoneal · 10/10 · 20 September 2006]

I don't subscribe to HBO. A couple of weeks ago I heard an interview with a young actor from this series on NPR. It was described as a "gritty crime drama" with many Baltimore locals portraying variations on themselves. The interview made it sound interesting enough that I decided to check out the first season on DVD.

After the first few episodes I became seriously hooked and devoted 36 hours of the next ten days to the show.

Having now watched the first 3 seasons, I believe it to be the best television series I have seen.

I do not understand why this show hasn't generated the buzz or the awards of HBO's other series, such as the Sopranos or Deadwood. It is more gripping, faster paced, and more intelligent. The other shows can be a bit plodding, with plot lines that go nowhere, and a few characters I don't much care about. That wasn't the case here.

The show is a cross between the Sopranos and the old NBC show Homicide: Life on the Street. The crime/sopranos side and the law/Homicide side run in parallel. Individually, the parallel plot lines are compelling. In tandem, they are complimentary and brilliant.

There is no way to avoid having "the best show ever" tag sound like anything but silly hype--regardless, what makes this show substantially better than any other realistic and compelling crime or police drama is the fact it is... searching. It doesn't just delve into the individual psychologies motivating these people (ala the Sopranos) or the complex interactions amongst the members of a community (ala Deadwood) it asks "what the hell can be done for all of these people" and points out the problems with any and all of the answers.

It's truly brilliant. If you like intelligent television, I envy the enjoyment you will have watching this for the first time.

It's not a show, feels like real life

[ozgunozaksoy · 10/10 · 28 September 2020]

Definetly the most realistic show I have ever watch. You can feel for all of the characters, there is no certain good nor evil like the real life. Acting is also amazing, a piece of fine art. The Wire is a must watch show, trust me you won't regret it.

Best TV Series Ever Made?

[ezraaaa · 10/10 · 8 May 2021]

Here's my rating with some little review for every season:

Season 1: 8.5/10 (Impressive start, although the plot feels so slow)

Season 2: 9/10 (Masterpiece of storytelling)

Season 3: 10/10 (Omar Little the champions of people)

Season 4: 11/10 (is this a real life? Is this just fantasy?)

Season 5: 9.5/10 (such a perfect conclusion)

I used to not understand what whas so great about it

[atrevino90 · 9/10 · 21 October 2022]

I first attempted to watch this series over a decade ago when I started getting interested in films and tv shows in a major way, but I was still not mature enough to enjoy the more complex kind of TV I see that now. I used to think the show was boring, did not understand half of it, to be fair I am not from USA and some of the language in this show is a little too high level for a non native to understand from both the cops and drug dealers, even now I still don't get a few expressions they do or police terms. I guess I even hated it I only watched the first season and save a few scenes I was mostly bored

Now I feel like my taste has matured a lot since I last saw it, decided to give it another chance, and now I see every scene, every dialogue, every line between the lines and I haven't even finished the first season again and I am loving it, maybe not yet as much as I love Sopranos or Breaking bad which are arguably simpler but very smart, real and entertaining. The Wire does feel more complex on its themes I guess it's too real in a way which is why I thought it was boring the first time, they bother with details normally other TV shows would skip or overlook.

I still think Sopranos is better, it is easier to digest, but without losing that feeling of realism and being relatable on every level, but it doesn't make the wire any less important.

I look forward to finishing it this time and maybe even update my review once I am all done.

Hard to put into words how phenomenal The Wire is

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 22 July 2011]

I have seen many brilliant shows, and The Wire is one of them. Even the word brilliant isn't enough to put into words how good this series is. The Wire is incredibly well made, with moody lighting, striking location work that also brings atmosphere and great photography, while the music is very haunting. The Wire with its thoughtful and tense dialogue also has some of the best writing of any show I've seen, the stories are ceaselessly compelling and the characters are rich and unforgettable. All the episodes are superbly directed, and very rarely do you feel cheated at the end of episodes. The acting is superb, Dominic West and Idris Elba are especially brilliant. In conclusion, phenomenal. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Doesn't get better than this

[the_batman0902 · 10/10 · 17 September 2021]

I heard that during it's initial run that The Wire's creator David Simon had to convince executives to not cancel the show. Take a moment to digest that. Cancelling The Wire... You look at shows today, Riverdale, The Flash... all these PATHETIC shows that keep on running for no reason and The Wire, the GREATEST TV SHOW was almost cancelled.

The Characters are so intricately crafted to mirror relationships on both sides. There is no singular 'main character' but a collection of talented actors playing the role made for them. OMAR LITTLE. One of the greatest television characters.

Show, don't tell. Perfectly executed. The right song at the right time to clue you in. The quote at the start of the episode always, ALWAYS has a deeper meaning than you think.

The best thing on TV today

[chrisneill · 15 January 2005]

Possibly the best thing written for television ever; certainly the best to come out in the last 25 or so years.

"The Wire" escapes the melodramatic pitfalls of shows like "the West Wing," "Six Feet Under" and even "The Sopranos" (which are all smartly written--or rather have had their moments of greatness).

Here is a show which over the course of 37 hours weaves together scores of very tautly detailed characters. It's not easy to watch--and its certainly challenging. But it is surely worth it.

The story unfolds in Baltimore and is a study on the effect of institutions on its members: police, politicians, criminals, addicts.

Some may find the show didactic. This is understandable because its creators make heavy usage of allegory (for instance, seasons three's not-so-subtle criticism of the situation in Iraq).

Didactic or not, the show forces its viewers to think about and hopefully start a larger discussion of the issues it touches upon: the failure of the drug war, the gradual extinction of the American worker and the dangers of a presumptive, preemptive war.

Hats off to creators David Simon and Ed Burns (a retired BPD detective) for creating one of the most interesting, daring shows in the history of television.

Let's hope HBO renews it for another 26 episodes.

...while you're waiting for moments that never come.

[Zubacz · 7/10 · 26 August 2013]

I find it surprising to see everyone likes this show so much. Sure, the cast, direction, camera and writing are outstanding; definitely some of the best on TV, but I found the story to be lacking the entertainment value. I found the praised realism of the show to be too... real, to really be enjoyable. For a person who was in the army or police or had dealings with other uniformed organizations, the show just reaffirms what they already know. State organizations are indeed mostly governed by people doing each other favors, protecting their asses and doing as little of what is required as possible, while appearing to be doing their job. To a person who has little contact with uniformed organizations, the workings of the police department portrayed in The Wire seem realistic but unbelievable. While the acquainted person probably yearns to see another way to do things, the unacquainted hopes for the despicable vision to be finally dispelled. Not only does this not happen, but the last season shows that even people with the best intentions get corrupted and broken and the only way to manage to do something right is to lie and cheat while at it.

I resented the show for giving me no closure, no satisfaction of seeing at least some improvement to the world resulting from pained efforts of the positive characters.

"A life, Jimmy, you know what that is? It's the sh*t that happens while you're waiting for moments that never come." - Lester Freamon. That quote summarizes the show for me. Those moments I was waiting for never came. Moments where I would think things could be different than I expect, moments where I would learn something new.

I can recommend The Wire to people who want to get insight into how governmental organizations work. When having a beer with friends, if people ask me how it is in the Police or the Army, instead of explaining, I can tell them: "see The Wire, it shows that perfectly".

I'm definitely in the minority

[jcslawyer · 5/10 · 9 February 2020]

I seriously don't get the hype regarding this show. It was so slow moving and boring. When I watch a show about the gritty streets or seedy side of any city, I expect there to be a little more engaging action. I don't want Michael Bay, but I also want more than one life to live.

No doubt the acting is amazing. The problem is that some of the characters are so uninteresting. And the stories each episode that are not driving along the plot were so boring. I forced myself to watch Season 1. I couldn't even get into it. When it finally became relatively interesting, I was able to watch a couple episodes before getting bored again. I tried Season 2, but that first episode is mindnumbingly not interesting. Nothing drags you in. I said forget this, I won't be one of the lovers of the wire. I even tried reading episode and season synopses, but even they bored me.

I get why many people are drawn to this show. It takes you deeper into characters' psyches than most. Bla bla bla. But at the end of the day, I don't care. I want to be entertained. I want to escape. This bored me to no end.

An American Masterpiece: The Single Greatest Narrative of Our Generation

[shandronobrien · 10/10 · 29 September 2016]

I say that without a shred of hyperbole. The Wire's importance, beyond setting the standard for all modern television, is one of a historical document. 500 years from now, the show will surely be one of a handful that allows future generations to glean the state of American society during this time period -- it's problems, it's people, it's language, it's institutions, and the constant tension that exists when all of these are forced to coexist.

This is due to the fact that the Wire, through nuance and true-to- life portrayal of human interactions, constructs an extremely lucid and heart-breaking evaluation of almost every aspect of society. Most of you reading right now wake up every day as a cog in the massive, interwoven, and fundamentally autonomous institutions which together make up a capitalist society. However, given that we are all a minuscule part of this larger whole, it is nary impossible to take a step back and objectively evaluate just how much influence these institutions hold over the course of our lives. It's not unlike trying summarize a 1000-page novel while holding a single random page less than an inch from your face. Our perspectives are inherently limited in this regard, and so too is any vain attempt to connect the pieces and make sense of it all.

This point is one of the many reasons that the Wire warrants our time and careful consideration. From a bird's-eye perspective, each season builds on those prior until at the very end we have no choice but to reckon with vast tapestry of individual strands as a singular work. One that feels so true to life that it's near impossible for me to think of anything else, fiction or non-fiction, book or movie, painting or play, sculpture or architectural feat, which in their combined power holds the volume of educational lessons, thoughtfulness, humanism, pure ethos, or entertainment that the Wire does.

"All the pieces matter," a quote that flashes across the screen at the beginning of an episode in Season One, is prophetic in it's understanding that the totality of something can have a much greater impact than its individual parts. And that is why I find it upsetting when reading reviewers which call the show "boring" or "slowly paced" or "overrated" and then go on to admit that they gave up watching before the end of Season Two.

I am not a cynic by nature and in general tend to dismiss the common criticism that our generation is one that needs constant gratification all of the time in order to stay engaged with something for the long haul. But in this case, I truly believe that the Wire is so much different than what most people are used to watching on the medium of television that some may get confused or frustrated when the show refuses to pander to the standard beats and thrill-inducing plot devices on an episode-by-episode basis which we have been trained to expect with TV shows. There are no neatly wrapped episode arcs, no spoon-feeding over obvious plot points via voice-overs or flashbacks, and no musical score to tell us how a particular scene or moment should make us feel.

Instead, the show forces us to become witnesses to a series of events in much the same way we would witness something unfolding right in front of us. Especially during Season One, David Simon and his creative team give us a lot of footage that looks like it should be from a documentary. This is all intentional, of course. The 4:3 film, the non-HD look, the way the camera seems to lack the traditional god- like power to always know that a character is going to say something important so that it shows us that character a second or two before they say their line (indeed, if you watch closely you'll notice that there are times that the camera will only pan to a speaking character after they begin saying their lines, giving the viewer the distinct feeling of a real-life situation unfolding in real time) -- all of these things are by careful design. And all of these devices add to the show's power because the characters become more real when depicted in this way. This makes it all the more devastating every time one of these characters is chewed up and spit out by the merciless wheels of capitalistic institutions surrounding them.

I chose to write a review which differs from many of the others here because simply rehashing why I love Omar so much, or which season is the best, or why I think it's better/worse than the Sopranos or Breaking Bad are all things which are touched upon over and over again. Instead I wanted to provide my own analysis about why the show succeeds and stands apart of from others to the point where comparison is futile. Some people, including myself, think that the show will provide you with such an empathy-rich experience that when you have finished you may potentially see the world a little bit differently, that you'll feel a little bit closer to all of the people you share this country with, no matter how different their persona or background is from your own. By this measure, your persistence and patience given to the show will be repaid 10-fold.

Ahead of its time

[=G= · 10/10 · 25 October 2004]

HBO's "The Wire", another ground breaking TV crime series from David Simon who grandfathered "Homicide: Life on the Street", raises the bar for crime dramas by dedicating a whole season (13 episodes) to a single story with unparalleled realism. Telling of a motley bunch of detectives who set about to bring down a Baltimore drug ring which supplies a black innercity housing project, the gritty 12 hour first year series slowly develops a broad range of characters from street punks to senators in a world where the blacks and whites of good and evil are reduced to shades of gray and everyone is connected by their humanity for better or for worse. Not the usual cops vs bad guys fare with episodic ups and downs, "The Wire" is one long drama about people which happens in a law enforcement and crime setting. For realists only, this series will require some viewer patience while the complexities of the plot and the characters are developed. One of a kind...so far. (A)

20 years ahead of its time.

[echoman-net · 10/10 · 17 September 2021]

Millennials will laugh at this time capsule of the 00's; Pay phones, pagers, the 00's cars, tiny flip-phones, cathode ray televisions...But this is GREAT TV! Excellent cast and production, story lines that are timeless, and still revelant. Great stuff !

Best show on TV

[inthepalemoonlight · 10/10 · 18 October 2004]

Hate to be rude but don't pay attention to the moronic post below. That was some of the most lame criticism I have ever come across on this site. I doubt the guy even watched the entire first season. This show is the best thing going on TV. Writing. Direction. Acting. Its all perfection. The people behind the show are former journalists and police officers who were covering crime in Baltimore or working the beat as cops for over 20 years. They know what they speak of and don't rely on cookie cutter characterization. This is the closest thing to a novel that you will find on TV. It is so impeccably plotted and so honest and realistic that I will never be able to watch another cop show (or any TV drama) without comparing it to this example of television greatness. Did I mention its also the smartest TV show on the air too? The Sopranos gets the media attention but it can't match the sophistication and grittiness of The Wire. The Sopranos is a romanticized TV crime drama by comparison. And as for Six Feet Under? Please! It reached its peak in its final six episodes of the first season and haven't lived up to that magic since. It doesn't get any better than The Wire. Universal critical acclaim. The winner of the 2002 TV Critics awards. The winner of the 2004 Peabody award. Nuff said.

As Close as it Gets

[jeffronthi · 10/10 · 23 July 2014]

You want to get close to the streets? This is it, and what a true American tragedy it plays out to be. The drama is scintillating, without being sensational. These are real people, in real life, with real struggles, played beautifully by an incredibly talented Dominic West and crew.

True politics, true characters, real struggles, genuine, small triumphs,and a lot of poetic moments that are incidental and not self aware. Gotta love that.

Impeccable. Everything I always wished from a crime drama. Check it out.

The best show ever made

[sabol-13102 · 10/10 · 24 June 2016]

Rarely do you see a show like this that has so much ambition in what it's trying to accomplish, and more rarely do you see a show like this succeed in it's intention of doing so. Let me introduce you The Wire, the best TV show put on small screens. The show that will, after you've finished it, live you empty inside, because you'll never find another TV show that can rival it. With it's five seasons, The Wire raised the bar of quality for TV shows, the bar that no TV show to date has managed to reach.

The Wire's story is set in the city of Baltimore, and it's about the slow fall of Baltimore city, about the pointlessness of the war on drugs, the bureaucracy and corruption that infest both the police force and drug-dealing gangs, class war against the labor unions, and the city's dysfunctional public schools system. And it's all shown through the perspective of law enforcement and drug dealers. As the story goes, you'll encounter well thought out plot twists, and you'll see a lot of characters die, because, as David Simon said: "We are not selling hope, or audience gratification, or cheap victories with this show. The Wire is making an argument about what institutions—bureaucracies, criminal enterprises, the cultures of addiction, raw capitalism even—do to individuals. It is not designed purely as an entertainment. It is, I'm afraid, a somewhat angry show.", and that makes the show so great, because deaths have meanings and consequences, and aren't just there for the shock factor like in Game Of Thrones. It also helps that Simons knows what he's talking about since he was writing a lot for the Baltimore Sun, and he saw a lot of things on the streets that are portrayed in the show.

One of the things I really love about The Wire is that characters aren't all good or all bad. They're gray, when it comes to their morality. Simon challenges the viewer to like characters, a lot of characters will do some bad things, and you'll probably agree on a lot of them given the situation they're in. The writing is just great, The Wire has a web of a lot of characters and the show spins them well. From McNulty to Stringer Bell, there are a lot of complex and great written characters, but there are also some weaker ones, but that's also to be expected, because the show has more than the hundred characters and you can't expect that they'll all be on the same level of writing. There is no plot armor in this show, a lot of characters will die, and, as I've already said, their deaths have consequences, and aren't just meant to be shock factor.

Acting team consists of familiar HBO actors, and of real cops and criminals, and they all did a pretty damn good job. Some are weaker, and that is most notable during season 1 and 5, but weak actor aren't that usual in the show, so don't worry. I'd say the best actor is easily Dominic West as McNulty, who stole the show for me, but since I'm biased towards McNulty, don't take my word for granted.

The only problem I had with the The Wire was one of fifth season's arcs, the one with the newspapers. It felt out of place for me, and it wasn't that interesting. It didn't introduce interesting characters nor was it on par with The Wire's better arcs.

In the end, The Wire did what little to no TV show could hope to do, it succeed with it's extremely ambitious, and I'd say impossible mission to tell a story of Baltimore's crumble. The social commentary, the writing on the characters, the well thought out plot twists, great directory, and David Simon's expertise on the case made The Wire the best television show ever seen on small screens. Enjoy the ride while it lasts, because once it ends, you'll be left with an empty whole within yourself, because they'll never be a TV show that could rival The Wire. Now go watch it already!

Like a great novel

[sinistre1111 · 3 May 2005]

Season 3 of The Wire ended like a great novel, in a series of great novels, about crime, politics, "po-lice" and personalities in the City of Baltimore. The Wire truly has no equivalent on American TV, more akin to something like the British miniseries Traffik, or Robert Altman's Short Cuts, but really in a class by itself. The show also doesn't fetch the ratings of HBO's other blockbuster series, like The Sopranos or Deadwood, but so far the network has stood behind what is indisputably a creative / artistic success. Viewers accustomed to having a Tony Soprano or an Al Swearingen to latch onto may be daunted by The Wire's 2-dozen or so "main" characters, all given equal importance within multiple story lines. The concurrent tales all buoy one another, and as the season draws to a close, they begin to merge and compliment each other in unexpected ways. No detail is too small to not be done with great care, and no significant threads are left to hang, which also speaks to the brilliance of the writers.

The Wire is no less than a dramatic triumph, and I can't wait for a new season.

I hate that this bored me

[gallagherkellie · 6/10 · 31 August 2020]

I tried really hard! I was bored on an off throughout season one but thought I was crazy since it's so highly rated. I love cop shows. I'm fine with things being slow at times, Breaking Bad is one of my favourite shows. But I just couldn't get into this one! I got into it around episode 6. The end of season one got me wanting to try season two, but I lasted 35 minutes. I just can't do it and I'm so upset that not even Idris Elba would keep me going. Not enough happens to keep me wanting to watch. Zero twists or shocks. Sorry to the super fans out there :(

Was unable to get into it

[ILuvTVMovies · 2/10 · 7 February 2022]

I watched a few episodes expecting one of the greatest shows in the history of the universe, given the ridiculously high rating.

Needless to say this show is nowhere near a 9.3. It's standard crime drama.

best show ever, owns nypd blues, the shield and so on...

[critikal · 10/10 · 6 June 2005]

the wire is definitely the best show ever made. most realistic stuff ever. i takes a couple of episodes to get into it because it's pretty slow compared to the average show but once you get into it, you just become addicted. unlike other police shows this one deals with ONE investigation during its 4 entire seasons while in other shows cases are closed in one episode. another good thing about THE WIRE is that we follow both cops and thugs without any superficial caricature we find on CSI and such,THE WIRE keeps it real all the way. incredibly well written, amazing photography and oustanding actors, this is the kind of show that should be covered with emmies...

Captivating storyline with too many great dramatic performances to mention

[Ed-Shullivan · 10/10 · 16 January 2015]

My wife gave me the complete series as a Christmas gift and although the television series is more than a decade old now I do not feel it has lost any of its relevancy regarding crime and human nature over this past decade or two.

There are a total of 60 episodes spread out over five seasons and there are just too many great performances and excellent story lines to mention them all. Suffice to say that the two main characters are two Baltimore city detectives. Jimmy McNulty (played by Dominic West) is a white Irish rebellious detective who will screw anyone to get to the criminal he is chasing. Along the way he hurts a lot of his fellow cops, his bosses and lets down his immediate family time and time again. With all his faults though once he gives you that great Irish grin of his all is forgiven, no matter what the circumstances.

McNulty's partner is Detective William Moreland, better known around the station house and the bars simply as "Bunk" who knows McNulty best. Bunk is a heavy set well dressed black cop (played by Wendell Pierce) who likes to chomp on a cigar and drink hard liquor to extremes. Bunk has a lot of life in him, and is considered a cops impression of what a real detective should be. A hard drinking, womanizing, persistent cop who really wants to get the worst criminal elements behind bars serving hard time.

Both Bunk and McNulty have ex-wives and two children but their lives really evolve around the city of Baltimore's urban city corners where drugs are always readily available, and murders are popping up within the walls behind condemned row houses by the dozens. The other two characters who deserve special mention are the drug lords, Avon Barksdale (played by Wood Harris) and Russell "Stringer" Bell (played by Idris Elba). Now these two gangsta's grew up on the city streets of Baltimore like many other city hoods but the difference is they had both street smarts and the will to kill anyone who got in their way. Theirs are interesting story lines throughout the series and keep the audience guessing what they will do next. No spoiler alert so I will defer from giving away too much on their path to destruction.

Two characters who you can't help but feel compassion for due to their diverse journeys throughout the series are the drug addicted junk man Reginald "Bubbles" Cousins played to perfection by Andre Royo, and the shotgun wielding gay drug thief Omar Little, also played with fearless perfection by Michael Kenneth Williams. Now their lives when involved in any scene are never predictable and you cannot help but root for them to win. Hell, even the cops cut them a lot of slack as they can see that their hearts are big, but their minds are twisted after living on the streets their entire lives.

I could go on and provide details on at least another dozen strong performances by other cops, attorneys, judges, police captains, shipyard workers, and even kids, but I suggest instead that you keep this crime themed television series on your "must watch" list and if you ever want to see a series that captivates the drug crime world of a major urban city such as in this Baltimore story you won't be able to stop watching until you watch at least a couple more episodes before you go to bed far too late in to the early morning hours because it is just that good a dramatic crime series. And isn't that really when the crime comes out? Late at night?

I give it a perfect 10 out of 10 and a MUST SEE for a television crime and dramatic series.