The Wire - BBC 2 Pace - Page 5

Psybear · 22-03-2009, 14:40

Just finished Season 5 too. Great finish, although the penultimate episode was better. Still reading Simon's book - Homicide A Year on the Killing Streets - you can see where a lot of the ideas and stories for the Wire came from.

JimDriver2 · 22-03-2009, 15:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flap

No it's not - FX doesn't have subtitles for any programme. And there are subtitles on the DVDs.

The subtitles are there for the main reason subtitles are on discs, deafness, people from other languages etc. They're not their so english language speakers can be lazy. The accents aren't that bad, neither is the slang. I never really understand people with this complaint about The Wire. Just pay attention and listen closely.

TheDot · 22-03-2009, 15:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimDriver2

The lack of subtitles is deliberate. David Simon has repeatedly said he wants people sitting on the edge of their seats, leaning forwarding trying to understand what is happening.

It's stylistically designed as a kind of response to normal mindless TV that wants you to turn your brain off, so you don't notice all the flaws, simplifications etc. This is the complete flip side, requiring you to think about what is happening, what all the subtext and symbolism means. The show works on an number of different levels.

I'd highly recommend people who are watching it the first time, after each episode read Alan Sepinwall's blog posts. It's the best online stuff i've read on the wire. For S1 he does complete ep breakdowns, which are great for catching all the stuff. Link here: http://sepinwall.blogspot.com/search...201%20(Newbies)

Thanks for the link to that blog, just had a quick look and seems like a good read- especially as he writes about Mad Men too

paulsaz · 22-03-2009, 16:15

And to think we mocked the yanks when they put subtitles on trainspotting. It's really not that difficult to understand what's going on and you soon get used to the dialect.

SIMON ADEBISI · 22-03-2009, 16:30

Had a look at that blog. Good stuff. Now i know what ill be doing in work tomorrow

Sandeep C. · 22-03-2009, 20:54

I used to read the Wikipedia entries after each and every episode. It helped to flesh out a few things for me, sometimes certain episodes have so much going on it's hard to keep up.

Flap · 22-03-2009, 21:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimDriver2

The subtitles are there for the main reason subtitles are on discs, deafness, people from other languages etc. They're not their so english language speakers can be lazy. The accents aren't that bad, neither is the slang. I never really understand people with this complaint about The Wire. Just pay attention and listen closely.

I never complained!

I was merely pointing out that the no subtitles on FX wasn't specific to The Wire

statto · 23-03-2009, 21:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimDriver2

I'd highly recommend people who are watching it the first time, after each episode read Alan Sepinwall's blog posts. It's the best online stuff i've read on the wire. For S1 he does complete ep breakdowns, which are great for catching all the stuff. Link here: http://sepinwall.blogspot.com/search...201%20(Newbies)

That's a great link, but now I'm going to have to watch them all again to take advantage of it.

I have to say that I'm surprised at how many people find it difficult to follow, whether it be due to complexity or dialect. If anything, first time I watched it I found it easier to understand than I was expecting. Having said that, the blog will be great for the tiny details that it's easy to miss. Just read the first episode analysis - never noticed that Gant's murder scene in episode one is the same place as the crime scene Bunk and Kima are at in the last episode montage. Quality touch.

asadmm · 24-03-2009, 01:11

Was having a look earlier on the Sky EPG and its got The Wire starting at 11.20pm on next Monday 30th March (not 28th) assuming The Target is the first episode. Listed in Radio Times as being on after Newsnight Mon to Fri.

I did start watching it on FX when it started a few weeks back but missed a couple of episodes ended up watching one via the FX website but after seeing this thread I decided not to watch tonights and just follow on BBC 2 from next week. Hoping that the BBC don't cut it too much and make it even harder to understand.

I think the language and the swearing is a bit difficult at the start but you get into it quiet quickly without any real probs.

An additional place to go for further discussion is The Guardian web site who are completey obsessed by The Wire. Though I think they've had discussion on all the seasons before they restarted a week by week blog from the first episode when FX started showing it from episode 1. Unfortunately the blog is for people who have already seen the whole series, so has a spolier alert, not for those like me who are seeing it the first time, so will check out the blog listed above. For others maybe worth checking The Guardian's [b]The Wire Blog.

Though I guess this place is as good as any for a discussion. So prob will be back asking questions from next week

LeftHandedGuitarist · 24-03-2009, 07:44

Are we expecting the BBC to cut things? Even with an 11:20pm time slot?

JimDriver2 · 24-03-2009, 08:49

I wouldn't think so. S1 is only an 18, like someone said, almost certainly because of one characters repeated using of the C-word towards a female police officer, and in a violent aggressive way, which the BBFC really don't like.

All other Series were 15's, and i'd say fairly mild in terms of violence, the infliction of pain is never lingered on. The language would be the big thing, but it's on so late that I can't see it being cut. Also I don't think it's that bad, I normally notice it when I think swearing is gratuitous and never really felt that with The Wire.

SIMON ADEBISI · 24-03-2009, 09:00

S4 is an 18 too. FOr the reasons below i think.

Spoiler:

The mayors boner and Chris stomping Michaels step father to death

GregB · 24-03-2009, 13:29

I haven't seen this yet so can people make use of the spoiler tags or just use the other wire threads and leave this one for bbc pace discussions.

studmeister · 24-03-2009, 20:05

what's the big deal with this show? i watched season one last year and can't work out why it's being hailed as one of the best tv shows ever. does it get better from season two or something?

powder · 24-03-2009, 20:57

It's because of the excellent writing - the clear lanning ahead and the structure to the show that isn't overbearing. It has great story arcs, excellent characters and the whole thing is very realistic although manages to be captivating.

It may just not be your cup of tea - but although i don't like much classical music i can still recognise quality and even if you don't get the show you should be able to see what it is that makes it great

Psybear · 24-03-2009, 21:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by studmeister

what's the big deal with this show? I watched season one last year and can't work out why it's being hailed as one of the best tv shows ever. does it get better from season two or something?

I wasn't overly impressed with S1 either - but then went and bought the DVD set and watched it again. Really started to like the show in S2 (which for a lot of people was their least favourite, probably because it's set mainly in the docks, instead of the corners/projects).

It's a slow burner and it takes a while to get to know the various characters. For me, the characterisations (much more than the storylines) are what make this show so good.

paulsaz · 24-03-2009, 21:50

It is a show that gets much better on a second or third viewing, especially near the start when it's difficult to work out who everyone is. First time I watched it I thought

Spoiler:

Stringer was Barksdale and vice versa and could never work out who wee bay was

If you've not seen them yet I'd suggest recording them and watching them in two or three episode chunks. One a night is better than one a week though.

Sandeep C. · 25-03-2009, 07:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulsaz

Spoiler:

Stringer was Barksdale and vice versa and could never work out who wee bay was

How about Stinkum?

bosque · 25-03-2009, 07:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by studmeister

what's the big deal with this show? i watched season one last year and can't work out why it's being hailed as one of the best tv shows ever. does it get better from season two or something?

That's just you, then. Ask yourself why that is

carlito8 · 28-03-2009, 23:06

Bumping this back up as the repeats start on Monday night on BBC2, starting from season 1, looks like 5 episodes a week.

I started watching season one on DVD again this week with my wife after going on to her for ages about how good it was, 8 episodes in and she's really getting into it.

I think it's my 4th run through of the seasons.....still as good as ever.

*Also if any mods are looking in could you please change the thread title to 'The Wire (From The Start) BBC2 30th March 11.20pm'*