The Wire - The Complete Fifth Season

As a black man who grow up on the mean streets of an east coast city, this series is about as close to the real streets as any "TV" series has ever gotten. This is one of HBO's least talked about but absolutely best series ever. Difficult to watch (my wife could not watch it), but as I told her we turn away at our own peril because there are people like the characters in this series in every major city in American, I know because I grow up with some of them. Remember them and the situation I grow up in made me mentally tough enough to survive Iraq. Sure there were a couple of stumbles and some "over-the-top" moments but overall you can feel the reality and grit coming off the screen. The characterizations, the despair, and feeling of hopelessness are real and something that I can easily identify with. Had not decided to get out and did the only thing I thought I could to get...joining the Army, and getting a education in process, I might have ended up as one of the hopelessly lost, angry, violent, and confused black men that this series depicts. And make no mistake, that's what this series is about. You may think it's another crime drama about the cops who are battling to keep a lid the madness but it's not...it's about how we have allowed whole generations to become lost. Watching this series had me asking one essential question...am I my brother's keeper. As long as we...all of us, fail to step up, we will be reading about or seeing the same kinds of destruction and despair that the comes with the inner city drug culture, and it's shocking violence.

If you have watched the Wire ever...then this is a MUST HAVE. The final season brings everything full circle without leaving you disappointed. There is no truer tale of the streets that can be seen in modern times other than the Wire. This is a classic that you will watch over and over again for many years to come! R.I.P. OMAR!!!!!

The fifth and final season did not disappoint. I was very pleased with the way the series ended. I was very satisfied with the way the series tied up loose ends with the cast of characters.

This was a tough call. The Wire is just about the best thing ever on TV, and this season, the worst of the series by far, is still miles ahead of, say, Law and Order. But I had to knock at least one star off, deciding to compare this season to past seasons of the series instead of other shows.

First off, the whole thing was rushed. I can't believe they went out on a shortened season. As the pace quickened, my concern for the characters waned.

I loved that McNulty's self-destructive tendencies resurfaced, as the idyllic lull of his radio car days had been a little much. However, I didn't buy that Freamon would tie his cart to McNulty's BS. He's driven when it comes to a case, but he's always been very intelligent. I didn't buy his complicity in the criminal activities. Since when does Freamon have less sense than Bunk or Greggs?

I loved a lot of things about the end, including Omar, Cheese, Dookie, I even bought Bubble's epilogue. I liked watching the whole drug empire collapse on itself, so much that I really would have liked a couple more episodes with this aspect of the show alone.

Characters whose spot in the epilogue had me rolling my eyes: McNulty, Freamon, Roni & Daniels, and Marlo.

Don't get me wrong, the flaws, while irritating, are merely small dents in the door of a Rolls Royce. It's still a great show, and part of my venting may just be anger that there won't be any more.

Not as great a season as the 4th but well worth the view. Mcnulty is still a complete jerk and Omar is still one of my favorite characters. If you like any of the show you'll like these disks.