The Wire is an American crime drama TV show created by David Simon and broadcast by HBO. The series, which featured 5 seasons and 60 episodes, premiered in 2002 and ended in 2008. Although the Baltimore-centered show wasn’t given the appreciation it deserved when it was originally released, it is now regarded by many television critics as one of the greatest TV shows ever made. In this article, we’ll discuss why The Wire deserves a permanent place among the best crime series ever made.
5 Reasons The Wire is One of the Greatest Crime TV Shows of All Time
Here are 5 reasons The Wire is one of the best crime series to grace television:
1. Rich Plot
The Wire presents a well-conceived, entertaining, and largely unpredictable crime plot loosely based on true events. It features several literary societal themes and portrays urban life and the affairs of criminals and law enforcers in Baltimore, Maryland. As reflected in the show’s name, the employment of electronic surveillance and wiretap technologies is a recurrent theme in the series.
For the most part, particularly in the first three seasons, the show is centered on the Barksdale crime family/organization and the members of the Baltimore Police Department, who investigate their criminal activities using wiretaps and other means. The show also incorporates other intriguing subplots, such as the life of the Sobotkas, a Polish-American family of port workers associated with unlawful smuggling, and the Hamsterdam project– a social experiment involving the legalization of drugs in a monitored space to reduce the rate of homicides. Generally, the show dishes out an immensely enjoyable plot that makes you anxious to see the next episode.
2. Illuminating Portrayal of the Life and Activities of Police Officers and Lawyers
Suppose you want to learn about the US police or you’re interested in knowing what to expect if you become a police officer. In these circumstances, The Wire is your best bet at finding the answers to your questions without reading them up in a book. Although The Wire focuses on the Homicide and Narcotics units of the Baltimore Police Department, these two units are enough for you to peer into the life and activities of cops.
The show characterizes different shades of police officers. You get to see an overzealous, broken cop in the character Jimmy McNulty, a lesbian cop with a relationship crisis in Kima Greggs, an intelligent and decent policeman in Lester Freamon, loyal policemen in Bunk and Carver, a clumsy, protected cop in Roland Pryzbylewski, a middle-aged policeman with the desire to make a change before he retires in Bunny Colvin, a police lieutenant determined to do what he thinks is right in Cedric Daniels, and even a cop that uses drugs.
Furthermore, the show depicts the interaction between police officers, lawyers, judges, and the FBI to achieve better results. It also illustrates the sexcapades, flirting, and romance between these government officials, as well as depicts the corrupt ones.
3. Accurate Depiction of Baltimore Politics
David Simon wasn’t afraid to portray and explore Baltimore politics in the show. The Wire frequently demonstrated the activities of the police authorities, including the commissioner, deputy commissioner, police majors, and other commanding officers, and how they pulled the strings and manipulated the Baltimore Police Department. Similarly, it revealed the political games in the Baltimore mayoral office and how the Mayors, both Clarence Royce and later Tommy Carcetti, made sure any decisions they took favored them ultimately.
4. Sumptuous Portrayal of Various Crimes
The Wire succeeds in captivating aficionados of the crime genre as it serves its viewers an “eyeful” of various crimes. The show featured drug trafficking, drug abuse, murder, smuggling, human trafficking, robbery, animal abuse, corruption, financial crimes, torture, illegal prostitution, illegal immigration, and so on.
5. Representation of Realistic Societal Elements and Issues
The Wire deserves applause for its ability to display real societal issues and events on television. The series threw light on realistic elements, such as drug addiction, the life, struggles, and activities of the urban poor, gang conflicts, HIV/AIDS, crime in Baltimore, prison life, public empowerment programs, betrayal, drug wars, family bond, marital crisis, and gun violence. More interestingly, the Hamsterdam project in season 3 of the show illustrated the consequences of legalizing drugs.
Bottom Line
Other factors that seal The Wire’s status as one of the GOATs of crime TV shows include its impressive acting, characterization, and character development. Overall, the show is one of the best things to have happened since the invention of television.
