Crunch Time

Well folks, we are getting to the end here and like these two fellows to the right, I'm a bit sad about it. Nevertheless, however The Wire wraps up, it should be exciting. With only 3 eps left and most of us finally at the same spot in the season (you losers), let's have a chat.

First, a quick look at the spots I hit up for post-show analysis. If you have any others, feel free to add them. As a side note, each of these posts their reaction to the episodes as they air, so those of us who watch it early on demand are a week ahead:

The AV Club: This of course is part of their relatively new TV Club feature, which is probably one of my favorite developments of the past year. One writer handles all the Wire posts and he prefaced the season by basically saying every episode would get an "A" grade as a reflection of the shows general greatness. And I agree. This would be my favorite of the show recaps, as it is pretty straight forward in it's analysis and doesn't dwell on the sub-par newsroom plot. It may spin slightly too positive at times, but the series has certainly earned that benefit over the years.

Slate: The format here, which I don't love, is an ongoing conversation between multiple writers. The result is several pieces per week on each episode, which is nice and definitely a different perspective than The AV Club. Show creator David Simon even responded to one of their posts early in the season. That being said, their continued dwelling on the problems with the newsroom is tiring. You're journalists, I get it and I don't care, talk about something else.

Salon: This would fall in between the prior two, as they do tend to shit on the newsroom, but are a bit more restrained in doing so and actually look at other elements of the show. They also present it as a conversation between several of their writers, but it's all in one piece, giving it a more cohesive feel.

Some quick points on the major plots this season:

Omar: this is predictably the most compelling of the current story lines. There have been some complaints regarding his super hero status, but isn't that what he's always been? He's the one character on the show that will occasionally defy logic, but is great for that very reason. So stop complaining and look forward to his final clash with Marlo.

Serial-killer: I've gone back and forth on this plot and ultimately don't love that it's emerged as the dominant story. Early in the season I hoped that it would come and go, but that was foolishly optimistic. I do, however, understand that it serves its purpose in connecting the various institutions the show has focused on over the years. They all influence each other and the smallest details can have large ramifications. One question that's been raised is regarding the escape plan (or lack thereof) of McNulty. Even if he was to get the funding and manpower to get Marlo, how do they resolve the case of the phantom killer? Or, is it reasonable to think that could be buried as easily as the 22 bodies were a year earlier? They were both national stories, so maybe he's just banking on the ineptitude of the PD and financial problems of the city to eventually give up on the case.

Newsroom: I'm probably in the minority of not minding the newsroom setting, though it can be painful at times to shift from Omar blowing up cars to writers debating the proper usage of evacuated. Each character is too simple and representative of obvious ideals. From the wise and saintly portrayal of Gus (in Simon's mold) to the overly-ambitious, jackass, liar that is Templeton. You could go through each character in the newsroom and give them a pretty easy description. Yet, keep in mind we are only given 10 episodes with these people, thus Simon is forced to be overt when getting his point across. There is really not time for them to develop and expand on their personalities. They are what they are and that likely won't change in the final 3 episodes.

Any additional thoughts on Carcetti, Bunk, Michael, Dukie, etc.?