"The Wire Season 4" Might Be the Best Wire Season

 

    Alright, I'll admit it. I took a break from watching season four of The Wire. But frankly, now that I'm done it, I'm starting to question why I would ever make that decision. Look, my complaint of the past couple of seasons is that this show immediately dived headfirst into stretching itself out, trying to keep up with loose threads of past seasons. Though, I think that this season they made the right decision. The kids work, I think this might be the most emotionally impactful season of the show. You just want to make it work out for at least some of the characters, and I don't know if they knew it was leading up to the final season, but I think it's shaping out to be pretty good still. Let's talk about it.

    Immediately, the most noticeable change viewers will make is that there is a large McNulty size gaping hole in this season. Outside of a couple cameos it's laughable Dominic West even gets his name to touch this season, he made his peace, he thought he could quell the demons and spend time with family. But justice calls back, and it wants him to help deliver. First of all, RIP Bodie, I do kind of wish he made it to the end, but like Jimmy said, "You're a soldier," so that only leaves you alive for so long. Even with the McNulty gap, I think the show works, and that's because of the kids. You really care about the Fayette gang, even if ultimately they end the show fractured and broken.

    I mean for so much of this season I was out there rooting for Michael, whose desperately trying to keep his brother safe, only for him to end up just another corner kid, finding himself exploited for his willingness to keep his family together. Or Randy, who despite doing what people think is the right thing, finds himself a martyr for the rest of his life. Or Duquan, who finally seems like things are moving in the right direction for him, only to find himself looped into drug dealing. I can't believe it but turns out Naymond made it out the best of them, and that's only because Colvin stepped in last minute.

    All of this to say, this is a pretty somber and sobering season, it doesn't really end that well, and if you thought it did then you'll be sorely disappointed. Even for Bubbles, who I thought was a dead man walking for most of this season, ended up alive, but more broken than ever. After trying to mentor and help a young man he just finds Sherrod dead after all. I mean who did get a good ending out of this, Lieutenant Daniels? Omar? Hell, even Kima ended up getting basically what amounted to a divorce, and Carver is out there disillusioned that he couldn't do more. 

    Even still, it's good. At least Avon was likeable. No offense to Marlo but he's just paranoid and evil, he won't even leave bodies out there to dry. Though, coming back to the focus of this season schools, I just think it felt much more compelling to see how drugs can run the lives of these people, even from such a young age. Whether it be the "No Child Left Behind" policy all but guaranteeing the kids who need help won't get it, or the fact that social services won't do anything to save them from the lives they've grown up in. It's all there for viewers to see plain and simple.

Final Score: 85/100

    I've heard some mixed things about the final season, so I'll try to keep an open mind. I did nitpick about how the detail felt less like a detail in season three though, so hopefully they tighten that screw right back up as they prepare to avalanche Marlo. On the note of Carcetti who see's his storyline continued this season, I do feel for all of the politicking and backstabbing that goes on. Though frankly the person I'm rooting for the most out there is Norman. Shoutout my goat. I heard the last season goes on some weird like mystery serial killer chase? How is that supposed to work out? Either way I guess I won't be pausing my run through of that season anytime soon.

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