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"The Wire" revisited: It does grow on you

July 21, 2007 by Dave Knadler

I was underwhelmed by the first couple of episodes of “The Wire,” but after renting a few more via Netflix, I’m beginning to see why this show has attracted a loyal following.

While I still think Dominic West looks a little too much like a J.C. Penney model to be fully convincing (and his divorced, hard-drinking character is somewhat cliched), the rest of the cast and the consistent writing overcome that minor quibble.

Another observation: Like “Deadwood” (which I never liked), “The Wire” can be comical in its over-the-top profanity. The writers seem almost to be mocking themselves in one five-minute scene that involves the use of nothing but the F-word and its variations. It was amusing enough, but I wonder if such a self-referential stunt really serves the larger story.

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Filed Under: television

About Dave Knadler

Obscure writer. Lazy photographer. Bashful guitarist. Perhaps too fond of wine. Tireless nemesis of New York Times crosswords, Wordle, Semantle and all other puzzles du jour.

Comments

  1. Peter says

    July 22, 2007 at 2:27 am

    I’ve never seen Deadwood or Wired, but I liked your comment about self-referential stunts.

    I know that lots of wonderful writers work in television, and I’ve heard the commonplace that all the great writers who would have filled magazines with top-flight fiction in past generations are writing for television now. Still, whether it’s the economics of the business or some other reason, I don’t think it’s possible for any television show to make a big splash these days without a gimmick.
    ===================
    Detectives Beyond Borders
    “Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home”
    http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/

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