What is it? The Wire, Complete Series, 60 episodes on 20 Blu-ray discs from HBO
How much? $199.99
When? Now
What kind of wire? Wire as in wiretap. But that's really over-simplifying. On the whole, the series is really more of a character study and analysis of the city of Baltimore and its various facets.
The first season focuses on the police and the drug trade. Under the supervision of Lt. Cedric Daniels (Lance Reddick), detectives Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) and Kima Greggs (Sonja Sohn) and the rest of their team launch an extensive investigation into Avon Barksdale's (Wood Harris) drug ring and the various murders and other crimes involving his gang.
Each subsequent season adds a different part of the city: the smuggling and union activities in the port area for Season 2; more drug activity and the political machine for Season 3; the school system for Season 4; and the media in Season 5.
Even with the shifts in focus, there is continuity. Previous characters still reappear, interacting with newer characters like Port Authority officer Beadie Russell (Amy Ryan), middle schooler Namond Brice (Julito McCullum) and convict Cutty Wise (Chad L. Coleman).
The result of all these separate threads woven together is a rich tapestry that gives a detailed, complicated and at times disturbing picture of a city.
How is it? Fabulous. While it never got much love from the Emmy Awards, The Wire has been cited as one of the best TV series of all time by critics and discerning viewers. And given the ongoing problems in real-life Baltimore, it's timely.
The series strives for realism and it certainly seems to achieve it (as much as someone who's otherwise unfamiliar with the inner workings of Baltimore can tell, anyway). The actors aren't glamorous. The acting isn't flashy or obvious. The writing is raw and real, and the settings are appropriately gritty or plush. There's nothing stagy or dull about any of it. It feels genuine, like the audience is spying on these characters the way the police are spying on the Barksdale crew.
The writers are able to juggle the large cast of characters and various story lines without losing any of them and there's not a lot of exposition. This is a show that respects the audience's intelligence and they're expected to keep up. The result is something that's engrossing, entertaining, challenging and, despite the ugliness on display, beautiful in what it's able to create.
That doesn't mean it's always easy to watch, thanks to the frustrations inherent in the system it portrays -- a system riddled with corruption, incompetence and indifference. Even when the "good guys" win, it's usually a hollow, short-lived victory. As the creators say, it's a Greek tragedy, but instead of the heroes being brought down by the whims of the gods, they're hampered by man-made institutions.
Are there extras? Yes. In addition to episode commentaries, there are four half-hour featurettes with various writers, producers, actors and real-life Baltimore figures discussing the series and the reality of life and the system in Baltimore. The commentaries and featurettes are carried over from DVD releases. As for new content, there are three very short (less than 2 minutes) prequels and a 2014 panel discussion with several cast members, producer Nina Noble and creator David Simon at the Paley Festival. It lasts for more than an hour.
New this week: The Donna Reed Show, Season 3; A Place to Call Home, Season 2.
Next week: Archie Bunker's Place, Season 1; Barney Miller, Season 8; Bitten, Season 2; The Brokenwood Mysteries, Season 1; House of Cards, Season 3; I Love Lucy, The Ultimate Season 2 (Blu-ray); Married ... With Children, Season 11 and Complete Series; Playing House, Season 1; Witches of East End, Season 2.
Style on 06/28/2015