Saturday, April 21, 2007
The Wire Fini
Well, we have run the string of Netflix rentals of The Wire. Season 3, Episode 12 — Fini. Until the Season 4 DVDs are burned. When Omar and “bowtie man” hunt down Stringer, like two Fates who won't be denied, the mythic inevitability of it has the cool dramatic pull of a great Western.
My first impression of The Wire was of a well done, somewhat tendentious show — but it wasn't clear why it felt that way. Listening to David Simon's commentary on Episode 12 made it clear — he thinks he is doing a show about Iraq; but he isn't sure the audience “gets it”. When creative people talk condescendingly about the audience not getting it, it often means they aspire to a depth or meaning that really isn't present in the work. Simon's tiresome string of slogans dissing Bush and his favorite: the “war against the underclass”, makes Simon seem so lightweight he could levitate.
The Wire is a remarkable show. Simon should be proud. The acting is at the very highest level. The direction is wonderful — the quality of a really good movie. The writing isn't insulting — high praise for TV fare. But despite Simon's preening, this isn't Melville, Chekhov, Greek tragedy, or whatever his fluffing penchant invokes. Pellecanos is the best of the screenwriters. Richard Price's scripts often lose their way, going for ingratiatingly witty banter, much as he does when being interviewed on Fresh Air. Pellecanos has a hard edge, which fits well with the story-line. The very best thing about the show is the space it allows. Feeling is given room to develop and adhere to the characters and the situations in which they are embroiled. Great show; great TV show.