The Wire - The Complete Fifth Season

This dvd set was priced well below retail stores. Target was selling it for $20 more. Can't beat the price (and free shipping, too). I will definitely buy through this site again.

By any standard other than being the last season of the Wire, this would be a five-star season. It's incredible, and definitely must-see television for anyone willing to invest the time to understand it. However, I would say that it is clearly the worst of the five seasons, for two reasons. One has to do with the actual story, which in this season takes a slight turn towards the fantastical and unrealistic, with Jimmy McNulty's mildly absurd gambit for additional funding. More importantly though, this is the first season in which the show seems to have an axe to grind, in this case against the Baltimore Sun. The first four seasons are gorgeously balanced in their presentation of everything. This one is merely well-balanced, if that makes sense. Nevertheless, I absolutely recommend it.

Why does it take a Brit audience to appreciate, fully, the virtues of this AMERICAN teleseries?
David Simonses' purview and focus on a typical contemporary city ghetto and all its sociopolitical AND socioeconomic significations is surely the truest and the "best" to date. On any media or in any venue.
It is unblinking and unapologetic and unforgiving as well as unforgettably "real." It gives "virtual" reality an authenticity so laughably missing in self-styled "reality" shows.
Even the finest of the likes of "The Sopranos" must appear fictional next to this depiction of a virtual Baltimore, which make "life" but a reflection of this mirror image.
Oh, and how many in the audience recognize the difference/resemblance to those daily briefings we watched and loved in "Hill Street Blues"?
"Be careful out there . . ." Fpr sure.

An engrossing, addictive series. Well written, well acted, well done! Too bad it's over.

This series was perhaps the series that brought out that final part of some of the characters personas.

The big question that they were asked was "Would you sacrifice your career for the common good?" Some said yes, some said no.

We get the chance to look at the reporter who is struggling with inability and what he is prepared to do to get ahead. We look at characters who when given the chance to compromise their beliefs, refuse to do so.

This series is just brilliant, very deep and full of issues.

Loved it.

I've been watching The Wire fpr several years now, and now that I've watched the final season I feel like I've graduated or something. I'm sad because this is definitely one of my favorite TV series of all time. It's just so addictive: smart, interesting, very well written and acted. I love The Wire.

story takes a little while to get going, but once it does you're hooked again.

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.

For those who appreciate the realism and the character portryals of different facets of Baltimore life (drugs, crime, police, school system, politics, and newspaper industry), this series is one of the best in television history. This concluding chapter to this story gives closure to most, if not all, characters and issues. From the humorous Bunk Moreland to the stoic Marlo Stansfield, each character gives you reason to love or hate them. The viewer will then pass judgment as to who is really good and bad. I have not seen such great storytelling in a television series.

I viewed the last season of The Wire with some sadness. HBO will have a hard time replacing this excellent series in its lineup. Season 5 covers the conclusion of the police investigation of drug gangster Marlow, the trial for corruption of Senator Ray Davis and the struggle of a city newspaper to survive in the age of cable and internet news. This series illustrates how race, political ambition and bureaucracy combine to prevent good from succeeding. Not sinister or evil, just human frailty.

without question, this series is the best ever on tv. while it can be gritty, it never fails to entertain. the writing, the acting, and the video are all superb. recommended without qualification for both men and women.

A great series that I wished was continuing.Nevertheless it did put an ending to all the different storylines.I was quite suprised that the show didn't get as much attention as it deserved.Great actors and actresses and a fantastic script.Biggest complaint was that it got you going from one episode right to the next causing several late nights.Suggest starting it one Saturday or Sunday morning in order to finish it without several breaks in the story line.I highly recommend buying the entire
series to anyone that likes a great drama that is very true to life.

I just purchased the 5th season of The Wire and watched it in two days. What a great show. I have the complete set of all the seasons and loved every minute of every show.

This is the best series that was ever produced on HBO and it continually got snubbed by the Emmys (what do they know and the reason I don't watch much Television)- you will love this series.

Hello,
I bought The Wire the Fifth Season for my husband who is deployed to Aghanistan. I was so glad I was able to have it delivered straight to him. The package arrived in great shape and no problems. He is enjoying the collection. Thank you for helping to bring a little pleasure into his world.

Regards,
Carla Davenport.

This was compelling, I am not gonna spoil it for anyone who has not seen this season yet; but c'mon why did it have to end? This is a shame! Perhaps because for once there was an actuall tv show that could be considerd "reality" tv and that startled the good people of Baltimore since it was them under the microscope. Maybe they ran out of material... yeah doubt it! The Wire was hands down the best cable show of all times beating out the Sopranos and Tales from the Crypt (remember that). We will all miss it, well back to CSI'S, Law & Orders', and Heroes.

Over the last 9 months I have worked my way through all 5 seasons of "The Wire" and this is as good as gets when it comes to TV drama. Multi leveled plots, well drawn characters, intelligent dialogue, and sharp writing. The good and the bad, the lies and the truth. Try to fight the system but the system always wins. This was some good stuff. True that. Do ya feel me?

The Wire - The Complete Fifth Season
I love theater. Theater on TV/DVD is a great way to entertain myself in the "confines of my boudoir". The claim that "The Wire" is the best TV show ever is widely made. But for Theater on TV, there's little competition. And the Fifth Season is as riveting as the First. When does the Sixth Season become available ? !

The Wire is a masterpiece that is so superior to any other television show that it's almost not fair to compare. It's intelligent, witty and terribly addicting. I can easily watch the same episode three times and still see new things.

After 5 seasons and 60 episodes, the series that put Baltimore back on the map has broadcast the last of it's story arcs, ending appropriately on both a wake for the departed and a glance to the future.

Consistently the best writing on the small screen, it chose the most difficult of methods to play out it's ideas - essentially each season made as a visual novel - episodes as chapters, each revealing a little more of the story, moving the arc along and refusing to pander to the ordinary. No self contained sound bite episodes for this drama, they had a story to tell and they would tell it the way a good story should be told.

If there's an epitaph for the people and places in The Wire, it's that the more things change, the more they remain the same. But as a piece of drama for television, things remaining the same is not an option - this has changed TV forever.

a great series, the other four are better. this one's ok, just seemed to lack something. worth the watch though

We got hooked on the THE WIRE by accident. It, without a doubt, exceeds any HBO Special up to this point, including may I say, THE SOPRANOS; and we have the complete DVD series on both! The Wire is superior in every respect in it doesn't leave you hanging at the end of each episode as THE SOPRANOS had a tendency to do. The low life drug scene, the corrupt Baltimore police dept and the opportunistic politicians all intertwined make this the most enjoyable series both my wife and myself have watched. Keeps you on the edge of your seat... Buy it!!!

Maybe it's only at the end of something that we begin to truly appreciate what we had all along. For five seasons, we lived and breathed with the citizens of Baltimore; the drug life that thrives on the streets, and the police that strive to stop it. The characters, written so complete and so believable, are alive to us, and dare I say, could be our friends and companions, albeit fictional? We've lived on the streets, and seen many crimes and killings, and experienced pain and sometimes joy. The Wire has been a total experience, one of the best television shows ever on the tube, and it's hard to say goodbye.

In ten episodes, the Wire wraps up. Much has been opined about the quality of the final shows, how some people felt let down, and incomplete. I found the final ten to be very complete, very true to the intent of the series, and very emotional. The series truly adjusts its focus back to McNulty, an excellent cop who will go to any length to solve his problems, ethics be damned. In order to fully fund the police department, he decides to rig a series of deaths to make it seem like a serial killer. Soon, the "spree" catches fire, and McNulty is in it up to his eyeballs. My contempt for McNulty overall grew with his character development this season; which is probably most true to his character, but it didn't make me like him. Additional storylines cover the endless chain of drug people that simply take up where others leave off, and Marlo's gang is no exception. In seemingly trying not to repeat the fall of Barksdale and Bell, Marlo's story wraps in an interesting way, with some just desserts being handed out.

One story that had me absolutely entranced was Bubble's journey. From addict to recovery poster boy, Bubs upswing from his season four heartbreaking suicide attempt was a true American hero story, and it becomes aptly covered in the Baltimore Sun, which provides the "focus" for the season, albeit a slightly unfocused one. However, as Bubs story progressed, it was his that compelled me the most, and I was drawn into it with a quet dignity. I guess you feel overtly protective of him through the series, and maybe waiting for him to fall off the wagon once again. Bubs finds his dignity this season, and it's beautiful.

However, in a sad note, two of the four boys who stole last season, return to heartbreaking results. Almost as if to replace Bubs as an addict, Duquan, or Dukie, finally eeks out of Michael's life to start living on the streets, and becomes the new addict. Plot wise I recognized why that happened, but it totally broke my heart. Who wasn't rooting for Dukie, a child who's life was being evicted from apartment after apartment, who excelled in school, and made a connection with Mr. Prez? And then it begs to wonder, how many Dukies are there on our city streets, and how many of them do we as a society step over and ignore?

The Wire was always a complicated show, and it never took it's assignment lightly, a slice of American life that has never been captured in such a complete and honest way. Will people look back fifty years from now, from an idyllic society, and wonder how anyone ever lived through such times and not tried to stop it? Only time will tell. In the meantime, we have five seasons of the finest show ever, and that's good enough for me.

What happend? For the life of me, I cannot believe that HBO concluded a great mini series like "The Wire" in such a way! If I could get my money back for the whole 5 seasons I would! I was so disappointed with season 5. It looked like behind the scenes the cast was negotiating for additional salary and the network was cancelling their contracts. 10 episodes and you fizzle-out a blockbuster mini series!!! Omar dies in a liquor store without a fight, considering that he was the toughest character of the bunch. In the same season, Proposition Joe dies, Cheese dies (The upcoming Avon Barksdale type)...and Snoop dies! Snoop! The rudest, crudest, female tough guy to walk the streets of Baltimore! And she gets wasted by the upcoming kid?

And what gives with the News Room cast? Filler? That plot was going absolutely nowhere!! The weak, computer literate kid becomes a junkie overnight?

Keeba didn't even have a date during the season.

And who decided that McNulty was the star?

Complete trash! I thought nothing could be as bad as the ending of OZ...but The Wire set a new mark....

"Season Five....was a dud!"

i dont give run down on shows i will simply state that i loved season five as much as the other seasons. im just sorry it had to end. if your afan of other seasons you will not be disappointed.

Simply, with The Sopranos, the best TV has ever seen. I wish only that Season 5 could have been more than 10 episodes.

Felicia Pearson, aka 'Snoop' " ... was born a three-pound cross-eyed crack baby in East Baltimore. ..." and as an almost grown actor, she now plays a drug gang land assassin in what I consider to be the most real, most enlightening and the most entertaining of all shows on HBO, no make that all of television, cable or broadcast, period. Ms. Pearson is also an accomplished writer of " ... a quick, riveting and rewarding read that makes you almost hear her reading it to you and I HIGHLY recommend it. Kudos to the co-author's subtlety that makes this book a knockout!!! ..." - Amazon review of "Grace After Midnight: A Memoir" by Ms. Pearson and David Ritz.

Amazingly, Ms. Pearson is but a single representation of an excellent company of players in a most entertaining cable TV series, "The Wire - The Complete Fifth Season" produced by HBO. This link leads to a collection of the first four seasons of this remarkable "docu-drama", although I have yet to view an episode that would not stand alone as a prime time TV movie and some are more than worthy of theatrical release.

Those of you who have caught a few episodes already know that you can tune into these without attention to order in rotation as each segment is well written, well acted and well produced.

And now a word of caution for those of you who may have consider viewing these for the first time. The stories played in "The Wire" are based of actual events of the very recent past and are continuing to unfold in a town near you. These are very edgy, very raw, very vivid and violent stories, but they are very real. Tonight these stories will repeat in Oakland, in East Saint Louis, in Los Angeles, in Cleveland, in Philadelphia, in Newark, in Boston, in Houston, in New Orleans ... and in Baltimore, on a corner of those streets in the "bad part of town" where most of us seldom venture, even in daylight.

The origins of this "show" are based in "Homicide The Complete Series Seasons 1-7 DVD SET" an acclaimed series from the '90s, " ... not only the greatest cop drama of the 90's, it's one of the best ever. ..." (Amazon review). Interestingly or possible fore ordained, several of the players and company from "Homicide ..." show up in the writing and character acting in "The Wire".

When your kids approach the age of serious questions, you could do a whole lot worse than show them these. No amount of explanation on your part could ever show them this aspect of a very real world ... Sorry, but they will pickup some hopefully short term, but very bad roll models, unless you let them watch a complete series season and watch as that charismatic drug kingpin goes down in a very nasty way with a whimper, not a always a bang. Even the bad politicians get their comeuppance.

I can honestly say, that season 5 is the best out of the series, and I have an extremely high regard for the previous 4. I rank The Wire up there with 24 in terms of best series on TV in recent memory.

As a HUGE fan of The Wire,I was expecting the final season to be the best one yet-was I ever disappointed. The writers introduced us to new characters(and they were very boring). The storyline went from the streets of Baltimore to the newspaper reporters point of view.I watched the entire season on HBO hoping that the season would improve,it never happened. Loyal fans of the show might want to think twice before purchasing the final season.

Not the best season of The Wire, but that's like just being saluditorian in your Harvard graduating class.

*Possible Spoilers*


While McNulty faking a serial killer would be gold on just about any other TV show, I expected more out of a show as subtle as The Wire. It seemed way too "Hollywood-y" and David Simon has said he doesn't want The Wire to be just another cop show. That's not to say it wasn't interesting.

I thought it was brilliant how Simon was able to add what was essentially a new series and cast for Season 2, in addition to continuing everything from Season 1. But the newspaper storyline didn't have the same effect on me as the port/Greeks did.

However, that's not to say there weren't a bunch of pleasant surprises this season. I loved all the cameos from previous seasons, and I'm pretty sure that The Wire had the absolute best series finale I have ever seen. Usually you can't help but be somewhat disappointed with how a series ends, but Simon was able to answer every question, wrap up every story, and still leave us wanting more.

The Wire is unlike any other show your going to see on TV.

It goes against any and everything that has come before, and likely after. Each season is like a part in an ever expanding story, each episode a chapter, the whole series a book.

Each season takes place after another, during the time off between seasons, the characters and the city continue to thrive and grow, the chracters keep living, regardless if we are there or not.

The last season spans over 10 episodes. Its been a while since I watched a show that actually had an ending, most shows get canceled, and never get the chance to truly end properly. Not the case here, everything wraps up, most every thread is closed, and provides closure for just about every character in the show, from the first season to the last. It's a very heartwarming story, sad at times, and brilliant in every aspect. This has to be the most realistic show I have ever viewed. The acting is some of the best ever done. I'm really sad there will be no more stories with these characters. But what we have is great, I'm glad we got the opportunity to view such a work of art, and glad the show got the chance to go out the way it should.

I just got through watching the complete series back to back, each season blends seamlessly into the next, every episode is great, season 5 keeps it very good, and very real, providing closure. Somethings made me very sad, but all in all this is a GREAT season.

I do not wish to spoil anything, but the antics of McNulty and Freamon left me laughing throughout the whole season. It was so funny, again I do not wish to spoil it for you.

This is one of the best things to ever appear on TV, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

If you enjoyed this, you should check out "Generation Kill" which is by the same writers, and currently airing on HBO, it is very good too!

The fifth and final season of The Wire does what you expect and raises the stakes putting everything on the line careers,families and lives. The final season of The Wire ends the way it started and that's on top. This is one of a few shows that always got it right needless to say if your a Wire fan I don't need to tell you this you have already bought it just like me.

No hyperbole. No B.S. No lie. HBO's 'The Wire' just goes beyond anything that had ever been produced for television. What starts as a gritty, realistic and entertaining as hell cop show ends up being a true American work of art. Far richer and more complex and enthralling than ANY film that has come out this decade let alone any other t.v. show. This review stands for all five seasons of the show as the sum is greater than any single part. Although I do have to single out Season Four as simply remarkable.

Watching the entirety of the series (five seasons in total) is just one of the most overwhelming and rewarding viewing experiences imaginable. 'The Wire' is one for the ages.

HBO is currently planning on releasing the entire series in one grand package later this fall. A worthy addition to any DVD library.

The Wire is one of the greatest shows ever to have been on television, if not the best ever. The fifth season was not the best of the Wire, but there are reasons for that. HBO ordered only 8 episodes, and the show's creators had to fight to get 10 (the other seasons were 13 episodes). As a result, it feels rushed, and we don't get the sense of characters that we got from earlier seasons. Still, it is a great show, giving us a unique look into the "behind-the-scenes" at the Baltimore Sun while continuing to follow the characters we have grown to love. Do yourself the service of finishing the series up, especially if you've followed the others.

I'm going to miss this show.

The entire series of The Wire from season 1 to season 5 is one of the best tv series I have ever watched. It's a shame this is the last one. If you have a little extra time, watch this tv show!!!!

Although it didn't have the publicity of "The Sopranos" or "Sex & The City", it does have a big fan base and it's very popular. Kudos to the production team for keeping the show fresh by having different storylines for every season. And the last season was probably the best yet by focusing on the press while at the same time focusing on the main characters. There will never be another show like The Wire. A superb cast, superb writing, but little respect from the critics.

After the dizzying heights of season 4, in my mind the greatest single television season ever created, was their anyway that the fifth season of The Wire couldn't disappoint at least a little bit?

A lot about the final season seemed hurried. Be it McNulty's descent back in to self destruction, the surprisingly surface level characterizations of the news reporters, the thoroughly half backed and unrealistic plot that all of the action hinged on, really took a lot of the punch out of The Wire. Still, a lot was good about season five as well. The street drama was very strong, with Marlo's growing ruthlessness, Cheese's characterization, Michael and Dukie's touching relationship, Omar's legendary status taking a very surprising hit, and one absolutely chilling scene that I won't spoil. The political aspect was just as cynical as ever, with Carcetti going from idealistic reformer to political opportunist in the span of three seasons. It's quite a fall from grace.

The main problem was that David Simon didn't have enough time to tell his story. There was way more plot than ten episodes could hold, and as a result some things got rushed. 3 more hours would have given Simon and company enough time to explore some of the themes and characters, particularly the newsroom stuff. Everyone felt like such broad characters in the newsroom. Gus, the idealistic city editor, Scott Templeton, swarmy and scarily ambitious young reporter who does whatever it takes to get ahead, and Alma, the naïve young reporter who's struggling to maintain her integrity in this environment. And I can't forget about the editor James Whiting, who wants everything to be Dickensian, a nod to what critics frequently call The Wire. I never really felt that the term fit, because The Wire's social critiques actually had bite, where Dickens' work never felt like it was all that harsh or critical. This season though, it felt like typical ineffective and toothless Dickens.

Another problem was McNulty. I actually hoped he wouldn't come back. I felt that The Wire had moved past McNulty, to a more emotionally resonant place. They achieved something miraculous last season, and part of it was phasing out the main character, a high functioning alcoholic who can't help but self destruct and break the rules. I was done with McNulty, and to see him back and worse than ever just felt like a rehash. The Wire never really looks back, it always looks forward, but this felt like McNulty from season 2. Plus his fall again seemed very quick, although we're suppose to keep in mind that the season is taking place a year after season 4. Though we don't see McNulty getting worse over time, it just seems to happen.

I won't even get in to the whole main plotline that grabs every aspect of the story. All I will say is that my jaw dropped when I saw it first, and then it just kept getting more and more ridiculous, building in to some huge edifice that never seemed real. You could argue that The Wire isn't suppose to be realistic, but this is the first time I've felt they've gone to the level of parody to make their critiques about Baltimore institutions. Plus the Clay Davis plotline went by way to quick and ended in a rather goofy way.

Still, the street aspect was uniformly good throughout. Marlo is a genuinely scary character. He's so much more ruthless and efficient than Avon and Stringer. He's never caught up in the trappings of wealth; it's all about the crown for him. Michael came in to his own this year, as a character struggling against the pull of the violent drug life while still maintaining some of his humanity. Dukie's story was very touching as well. The Omar plot felt a bit odd to me, but it also felt realistic. Cheese, played well by Method Man, came in to his own this season. He makes you hate him by the end of the season. Chris and Snoop continue to scare me as well. There is no one as cold blooded as these two on television. And I can't forget about Kenard, who has one of the most memorable moments of the season.

The politics were pretty strong as well. Carcetti is just painful to watch. He's gone from the idealistic reformer to the political opportunist in about three seasons. Simon doesn't have a lot of nice things to say about politics, and this is a pretty bleak view. Narese Campbell comes in to her own here as well. Perhaps the biggest surprise is Michael Steintorf, played by Neil Huff. He turned in to a political hit man here, and I almost started to sweat every time he's on screen. Watch his conversation with Bill Rawls in the last episode to see what I mean.

And I can't forget about Bubbles, who put in a genuinely touching performance this season. I wish he had more to do, but what we got was amazing.

Despite the problems with this season, it is still very good, and it was still better than most of what was on television, and I still tuned in to watch religiously every Sunday. For a first time viewer, there is a ton of continuity and it would be best to watch the first four seasons before purchasing season 5. All the pieces matter, so it's important to absorb every episode. If you're a fan already, you're probably going to pick this up anyway. There is more good than bad here, but it's more of a victory lap than a tour de force like the rest of the series is. The show lives on in my mind. The names change, but the game remains the same.

This was a good season. For all the seasoned vets of the wire we know from season to seasom from docks to schools all of it fit, for those who hated the whole Marlo character realize this Marlo was always there cjust cause he asn't talked about he was always there. No need to speak on him when he came to the view he was the man. season 5 was the finish there was some things I didn't agree with in this season but i understood after they cut the series down to 10 episodes something was gonna suffer. Omar was killed in a crappy fashion we all must say. They had moments that touched your heart with michael and lil bug. they had it all. But if you a seasoned vet you are disappointed and beggin for a season 6 that will not come and if you are a newcomer do as I did go back and see if from the jump and see everything matters

Please abandon all hope, turn around and watch Training Day again, if you somehow think that you'll finally understand black people by watching this show. Sit down if you just absolutely Love Law & Order: SVU and want to see more great crime solving in tense cities. This show isn't a serial it's a saga. It only believes in one thing: you are only what the situation requires you to be or not to be.

Sometimes the situation asks that you lie only enough to make you and those around you look good enough to move on to better things. Sometimes the situation asks that you sacrifice parts of who you are so that one day you'll be free to be who you are. Simply put, people don't change and neither does the game, it just gets easier to see it all for what it really is, when you realize everyone's after the same thing: respect.

It's not easy to see it when you're watching crime of the day cop dramas, or when a chip on the shoulder is the only thing that distinguishes these two-dimensional cops on the other two-dimensional cop shows.

Stop looking up this series, if you just want to see the good guys and bad guys put on a show. If you're looking for The Shield, then go ahead and type in the Shield, you are still in the wrong place. As selective as the audience has been, I'd say this show is as selective. It doesn't care what you want, it just cares what the story demands. The show isn't flashy with big action scenes.

The big scenes are the conversations that never seem to stop, neither should they. Don't get me wrong, this show has its body count, but it's more about why the murders happen and what they mean, than it is how romanticized they can look. It's the real world, talk is cheap, you pay 50 bucks for 10 hours of it. It's barely minimum wage, but will you ever be the same after it? Can you ever think about a city the same?

Can anyone who's ever seen this show honestly look at politics in every kind and fashion the same? Black people, like myself, enjoy this programming, because it portrays black people in a realistic light (one in which they aren't all criminal and uncle tom like some people believe).

It's bigger than black people or hip hop for that matter. It's bigger than any individual as this show never knights a character as the end all of the show. You aren't trying to understand people, because it even though it takes weeks of episodes for a regular serial to explain, this show is weeks of episodes each episode, minus the BS and the pop bait. David Simon wouldn't have this show shipwrecked on the back of any group of people. It's Baltimore. It's every city. That's what he tries to explain to you. They're not all like this, because this is fake; they're either better or worse, none are exempt.

It's The Wire.

Echoing what another reviewer said - if you are just starting, dont bother with this episode. It had..nothing compared to the others. I wanted to see much more happen from the Media reporters, more development of the "fake" stories..gosh it was just lame. I loved this show - all four seasons prior and I was so looking forward to seeing my beloved characters again, but this was hardly a worthy farwell. The recurring characters - didnt get enough screen time. I really wanted a follow up on some from prior seasons. It just felt like new writers, going thru the motions. This season did not pull me in, leaving me wanting more at the end of the hour. If you liked the other seasons..its nice to have an end - so get the series, but otherwise..save your money. Tho I will admit I love the cameos - especially "John Munch" from Homocide then law and order.

Wire fans who went into the season expecting something as special as Season Four -- probably the greatest single season of television ever produced -- will be disappointed. Others will be maddened by the curious farce of the homeless subplot, not recognizing that its farcical nature is largely deliberate. Still others, at this point having been suffused in background information on David Simon and his grudge against the Baltimore Sun, will read the few overly didactic bits on the state of the news media as the triumph over personal blinders over the disciplined storytelling that marked The Wire's first four seasons.

There may be some truth to all of these things. Yet this season, like all of them, cannot be considered anything but a triumph. The writers don't sell out. They continue to engage complex issues and deliver often heartwrenching and, yes, realistic conclusions to the narrative arcs spun so well over the past half decade.

The media is the theme this year, but where the season shines most is where past seasons have -- with the drug game and, most of all, with the stories of the boys we got to meet in Season Four. We see them to varying degrees in Season Five, but I cannot breathe a complaint about how any of them was ultimately treated/used.

I don't normally take the time to write a review but "the Wire" has to be the best TV show ever written. The realism is disturbing and the characters are so human and ultimately, so tragic. As a middle age woman who grew up within a city similar to the one portrayed in the show, I saw and grew up with so many of the characters portrayed in the neighborhoods. The show acurately demonstrated how good kids can go "bad" and how their lives can be changed for the better once they have someone who cares enter their lives. My heart goes out to Dookie and Michael. What an ending!!!

Actually, I miss every character on this show. Yes, I'm exaggerating - but not much. Read other reviews for an in-depth analysis on why this is probably the best show ever on TV, but what I really enjoyed about it is the character development. Many shows let you know a lot about two or three main characters, but this show does so for about 20+.

I remember reading a major blog where the guy says his friend would like to revoke the television privileges of anyone who doesn't watch 'The Wire'. That's a bit radical but I sincerely think it's a borderline tragedy such this great show was seen - nay heard about - by so few. Rent the first disc of season one and you'll be hooked.

season 5 came together and put the Politcs, police department, newsroom and the control of turf in the streets all together as one. the wire was one of the few shows over the past decade where I had to watch it everynight. what made the Wire so compelling was that all the actors,writers and directing were all held accountable and they all brought the goods. this is One of the shows that I didn't want to see end at all. the court case had me rolling as well. One of the most Compelling and complete shows over the past decade period.this show stays on the real.

And that is saying a lot, considering season two was a miraculously bad sophomore slump for such a great show.

Season five has so many flaws, it would be hard to list them all without giving away most of the season.

This season focused on the media side of things, and yet the media characters were extremely one-dimensional and had no depth. Clark Johnson was decent, but since his days on Homicide are over, he should stick to directing.

The entire season sprinkles characters from the fourth season ("Bunny" Colvin, Randy, Namond, Prez, Dennis "Cutty" Wise, etc.) into two or three minute cameos, which is just pathetic. If this season is so bad that it has to harken back to past characters, there is a huge issue with the quality of what is being produced.

Much of this season is just a string of silly cliches and it really lacks any true grit that the previous seasons were so acclaimed for. There are momentary flashes of brilliance, but not as many as you would hope. If you own the first four seasons, by all means buy this to finish off your collection. If you are a random person looking to dive into this series, watch seasons one, three, or four.

"THE WIRE - THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON" can't and doesn't stand alone. To appreciate it, you have to watch the preceding four seasons as well. But to own the DVDs of all five seasons is to have a treasure of the highest value. If no new TV shows were ever made, I could continue watching THE WIRE for the rest of my life and still get something new out of it each time I watched. It's complex, nuanced, tragic, funny, thought-provoking, frightening, entertaining -- a string of priceless gems. It's a combination of Anthony Trollope and Greek tragedy, and all together, it sums up the hope, hopelessness and humanity of an American city at the beginning of the 21st century. My highest recommendation is less than it deserves.

Everyone writing a review for the final season of "The Wire" is giving it great praise. But, I believe that the final season was very weak. The newspaper storyline did nothing for me because we didn't get to know the newsroom characters better. Storylines didn't get time to fully develop. Like in one episode Cheese gets his uncle killed before you know what has happened. The death of Omar didn't go off so well, you didn't even see him limping when he goes to into the store. I believe if they have more episodes and time to work with we're really arguing about this season being as good as season 1 or 3. I had know problem with Omar dying even though he was a great character but his death seemed out of place how they filmed it. Everyone can say how good the series has been but you have to admit this is not the explosive final season everyone was expecting. There were only 10 episodes and there should have been 13. I believe the writer's strike had something to do with it. A better season five and there's not doubt this show could be getting alot of buzz and winning an Emmy for just the body of work. Just one man's opinion.

I'll begin this review as a review of the series, then move on to Season 5 in particular:

I have long thought that some of the best stuff on TV can be found among HBO's Original Series. I'm a big fan of some of HBO's better known dramas including Rome and The Sopranos, as well as of some lighter fare such as The Ali G Show and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Strangely, I'd barely even heard of The Wire until about a year ago, when a friend of mine (who generally has very good taste) was raving about it. At his suggestion, I purchased Season One on DVD. I was hooked about half way into the series, and I eagerly devoured Seasons 1-4 on DVD just in time to catch Season 5 as it aired on HBO. I can't pay this series high enough praise - to me, it transcends the TV medium, and rather than compare it to other TV series, I'd rank it up there as one of the greatest stories ever told (or rather the greatest stories I've had the good fortune of reading, hearing, or viewing). Many reviews rave about The Wire as an excellent TV Series, though in my opinion this excellent work would more appropriately be compared to an epic novel than to anything on the small screen.

The Wire has rightfully been praised for, among other things, 1) it's realism and 2) it's excellent character development, but what really sets The Wire apart is its tackling of complex, timeless themes such as poverty, suffering, lawlessness, and the underlying forces (such as beuracracy, corruption, and greed) that lead to the ultimate failure of the system to correct these issues. The Wire takes a close, and very critical view of how our political, educational, media, and law enforcement institutions fail to eliminate the poverty and drug problems that plague Baltimore. As in most great epics, the lines between good and evil aren't clear as there are drug dealers we sympathize with and even respect, and police officers we despise (and vice versa). There are cold-hearted killers who live by strict, even admirable ethical codes (Omar) and those on the other side of the law with such a disregard for any such ethical code (Mayor Carcetti) it makes the viewer sick, especially given the parallels with too many real world figures.

As I touched on before, The Wire's realism is another attribute worth noting, as this series pulls off "realism" better than any fictional TV series I can recall. Granted, I'm an upper middle class nerd who's lived a coddled life, so I may not be the best qualified reviewer to comment on the realism of a show about drug dealers in the West Baltimore projects, but to me it achieves realism in a way that many if not most television (as well as big screen) dramas fail. It isn't over dramatized. It doesn't have that polished, studio feel of most TV but rather the gritty feeling of the streets of Baltimore. The cops look and generally act like cops (they don't look like models; they live in crummy apartments and work in filthy cubicles; some battle alcohol problems or deal with boring, tired relationships). The "bad guys", similarly, look and act like rational participants in "the game" would be expected to in real life. This point ties in with the excellent character development - and in fact a few of the roles are played not by career actors but by real world products of the Baltimore drug game (The Deacon and Snoop stand out as notable examples).

Ultimately, The Wire succeeds to such a degree as a Series because, as the creators put it in one of the bonus features that came with Season 4: The Wire isn't made by people with careers in the TV business. As a result, it doesn't feel like television, but rather, like great storytelling.



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And Season 5 specifically:

I won't say much about Season 5, as I don't think it's useful to spoil the plot. I will say that Season 5 is every bit as good as the Seasons that lead up to. McNulty's character makes some pretty bold choices early in the season, and it's unclear whether he's a desperate man on a downward spiral or the only man willing to do what needs to be done, potentially sacrificing himself in the process.

The "side plot" in Season 5 focuses on the newspaper (The Baltimore Sun), much as Season 2 focused on the stevedores and Season 4 explored the school system. Not surprisingly, the newspaper is as disfunctional as the schools or the political system - an under-staffed local rag that desperately tries to put together any "story" they can sell while missing the real story right in front of their eyes (that is, the story that we as viewers have been enjoying for the past 5 seasons).

A handful of new characters are introduced, and a battle of ethics takes place at the newspaper much like that we've seen unfold at the PD for four seasons now, with the Baltimore Sun's version of John McNulty (Gus) sticking to his old school ideals of telling the truth while glory seeking newcomer Templeton makes up his own truth, with few visible consequences. The hunt for Marlo continues and, the highlight of the story, the clash between Marlo and Omar Little (the best character in the series, in my opinion) really heats up. As far as action and suspense are concerned, Season 5 doesn't disappoint.

By ending the series with Season 5, the producers wrap up the story quite well. In too many cases, otherwise good TV Series go on too long, driven by greed or perhaps the egos of the producers instead of by the story, and fade into mediocrity (the Sopranoes) or into convoluted, meandering storylines (Lost). By having Season 5 wrap up the series, while the producers do leave us wanting for more, they ultimately leave us with the feeling of finishing up and closing a long, satisfying book. No, not all the threads are tied up, some are left loose, and the Baltimore we leave behind at the end of Season 5 isn't much different than we found it in Season 1. But we are left with the satiated feeling of finishing a complete story, well told and well concluded.

I cant believe its over, I think this show was the most realistic show ever. I read Mr Instability and it had stories from the set of the show

A bittersweet dénouement to an epic tale of good, evil, and coming of age. And while I feel the series never fully recovered from the death of kindly old Professor Bell at the end of Season 3, this is still some of the best television you'll ever see. I'm going to miss you, Voldemore, Harryland!