OT: Anything Outside Basketball (games, tv series, books and etc.)

[jbent87]

Definitely look into Fargo if you haven't yet. Preferably with a glass of whiskey. Everything about that series is fantastic but the atmosphere created in the frozen tundra of North Dakota/Minnesota/general midwest is top notch and will make you cold just watching, hence the drink.

[XtremeDunkz]

Just binged The Office recently. The writing on that show is excellent.

[Stanford]

The knock on The Wire is that season 2 is basically filler. It has very little relevance to the rest of the story. That is what prevents it from being the GOAT.

Good grief, eagereyez. I don't agree with the trendy opinion that season 2 is actually the best, but it's a great season of television, and important to the series.

Every season after 1 had adjacent storylines that intersected with Drug Orgs. vs Cops: politics, the school system, unions and media. Of course they had relevance to the rest of the story. You could easily argue that the docks had more relevance than all of them. Hell, the connect established in season 2 is used throughout the rest of the series. Marlo's power move was to take control of it by dealing with the Greeks directly, rather than through Prop Joe/The Co-Op.

Season 2 also serves to contrast the problems ailing poor black communities with the different-but-similar problems in the lower-middle working class. I would argue that the point of season one was to show the striking similarities between the police department and the drug orgs. David Simon continued to do that in the following seasons with unions, politics, the school system, etc. It's a major theme of the show. To say it's irrelevant is to miss the point, I think.

I would recommend watching season two again, knowing what you know about the rest of the series. I think you'll change your mind about it. I also thought season two was a weak one when I initially watched it, but it made more sense after the second and third time through.

As for the topic of the thread, these were my favorite shows from 2017:

The Deuce
GLOW
Transparent
Master of None
The Vietnam War
The Handmaid's Tale
Better Call Saul
The Leftovers
Black Mirror

[eagereyez]

The knock on The Wire is that season 2 is basically filler. It has very little relevance to the rest of the story. That is what prevents it from being the GOAT.

Good grief, eagereyez. I don't agree with the trendy opinion that season 2 is actually the best, but it's a great season of television, and important to the series.

Every season after 1 had adjacent storylines that intersected with Drug Orgs. vs Cops: politics, the school system, unions and media. Of course they had relevance to the rest of the story. You could easily argue that the docks had more relevance than all of them. Hell, the connect established in season 2 is used throughout the rest of the series. Marlo's power move was to take control of it by dealing with the Greeks directly, rather than through Prop Joe/The Co-Op.

Season 2 also serves to contrast the problems ailing poor black communities with the different-but-similar problems in the lower-middle working class. I would argue that the point of season one was to show the striking similarities between the police department and the drug orgs. David Simon continued to do that in the following seasons with unions, politics, the school system, etc. It's a major theme of the show. To say it's irrelevant is to miss the point, I think.

I would recommend watching season two again, knowing what you know about the rest of the series. I think you'll change your mind about it. I also thought season two was a weak one when I initially watched it, but it made more sense after the second and third time through.

As for the topic of the thread, these were my favorite shows from 2017:

The Deuce
GLOW
Transparent
Master of None
The Vietnam War
The Handmaid's Tale
Better Call Saul
The Leftovers
Black Mirror

It was relevant in the same way that Better Call Saul is relevant to Breaking Bad. What you wrote in red is absolutely correct, because season 2 was misplaced. It should have been an epilogue or spin-off.

[Stanford]

It was relevant in the same way that Better Call Saul is relevant to Breaking Bad. What you wrote in red is absolutely correct. Season 2 should have been an epilogue or spin-off.

I'm curious why you don't feel the same about seasons that include the media (season 5), the school system (season 4) and politics (season 3, 4, 5). If The Wire is about drug dealers, these seasons should be disqualified as well. Carcetti wasn't a drug dealer as far as I know.

[JojoSlimbiid]

It's really is a shame that True Detective couldn't build off that 1st season. In retrospect it was a bit overrated but regardless it was phenomenal T.V .

Season 2 is such a clusterwhat that it's hard to assess where exactly season 3 will go.

[eagereyez]

It was relevant in the same way that Better Call Saul is relevant to Breaking Bad. What you wrote in red is absolutely correct. Season 2 should have been an epilogue or spin-off.

I'm curious why you don't feel the same about seasons that include the media (season 5), the school system (season 4) and politics (season 3, 4, 5). If The Wire is about drug dealers, these seasons should be disqualified as well. Carcetti wasn't a drug dealer as far as I know.

Because the school system, politics, and media were complementary pieces to the focus of the show - the inner city drug dealers of Baltimore. Season 2 took a complementary piece and made it the main focus.

[TFK]

Breaking Bad was awesome, but it doesn’t come close to the Wire.

What makes the Wire so great and distinguishable from the Breaking Bad’s of the world, in addition to the amazing writing, are the sheer quantity and quality of characters, and the corresponding unbelievable casting and acting to boot. GoT is similar to the Wire to me in that sense.

[76ers 2020]

The knock on The Wire is that season 2 is basically filler. It has very little relevance to the rest of the story. That is what prevents it from being the GOAT.

Good grief, eagereyez. I don't agree with the trendy opinion that season 2 is actually the best, but it's a great season of television, and important to the series.

I didn't know that was trendy opinion but I definitely agree with it. On first view it was probably my least favorite but it jumped to number one when rewatching the series. Agree that calling it filler is way off. I might have agreed though before watching it from start to finish again. Not sure.

The Sopranos is in a league of its own. To the many people who hate the ending, rewatch and pay attention to key details. Its all there.

I still can't believe how much tension was built from something as simple as parking a car. Horror movies wish they could create that much tension.

[TTP]

It was relevant in the same way that Better Call Saul is relevant to Breaking Bad. What you wrote in red is absolutely correct. Season 2 should have been an epilogue or spin-off.

I'm curious why you don't feel the same about seasons that include the media (season 5), the school system (season 4) and politics (season 3, 4, 5). If The Wire is about drug dealers, these seasons should be disqualified as well. Carcetti wasn't a drug dealer as far as I know.

Because the school system, politics, and media were complementary pieces to the focus of the show - the inner city drug dealers of Baltimore. Season 2 took a complementary piece and made it the main focus.

We had this discussion last year but this is just wrong and it's why you don't appreciate (understand?) season 2. The focus of the show is the city and the problems that plague institutions and its impact on different people. The drug trade is just one of the settings introduced, along with the docks, politics, school system, and media.

This is literally a quote from David Simon listed on the Wiki page:

Simon has said that despite its framing as a crime drama, the show is "really about the American city, and about how we live together. It's about how institutions have an effect on individuals. Whether one is a cop, a longshoreman, a drug dealer, a politician, a judge or a lawyer, all are ultimately compromised and must contend with whatever institution to which they are committed.

[sixers hoops]

Reading this thread makes me want to watch The Wire, never seen it actually.

My top 5 are:

1. Sopranos
2. Dexter
3. Game of thrones
4. Shameless
5. Big Bang Theory - I know it doesn't belong on this list, but it makes me laugh lol.

I also watch Big Brother and Survivor, don't know why but I like them also. How the Universe Works, Space's Deepest Secrets, and Naked and Afraid are always recorded by me. There are alot of good shows on TV so I don't get enough time to watch them all, but The Wire is on the list now.

I’m currently watching sons of anarchy. It def hits slow points where I lose interest but very good overall. Not top 5 material but worth the time. I think it’s seven seasons so I’ve been working on it since mid December.

In comparison, Shameless took me less than a month to rip through seven seasons. I was just more excited for the next episode.

Mr Robot was a really cool season one, but good too complicated and I lost interest. Too much technical macro scale computer hacking stuff, as well as too many hallucination and dream sequences.

[XtremeDunkz]

Reading this thread makes me want to watch The Wire, never seen it actually.

My top 5 are:

1. Sopranos
2. Dexter
3. Game of thrones
4. Shameless
5. Big Bang Theory - I know it doesn't belong on this list, but it makes me laugh lol.

I also watch Big Brother and Survivor, don't know why but I like them also. How the Universe Works, Space's Deepest Secrets, and Naked and Afraid are always recorded by me. There are alot of good shows on TV so I don't get enough time to watch them all, but The Wire is on the list now.

I’m currently watching sons of anarchy. It def hits slow points where I lose interest but very good overall. Not top 5 material but worth the time. I think it’s seven seasons so I’ve been working on it since mid December.

In comparison, Shameless took me less than a month to rip through seven seasons. I was just more excited for the next episode.

Mr Robot was a really cool season one, but good too complicated and I lost interest. Too much technical macro scale computer hacking stuff, as well as too many hallucination and dream sequences.

There was one bad season that i didnt like in SoA (season 3 i think?)

Spoiler:

When Abel gets kidnapped

but other than that I loved it.

[PLO]

The Wire is the best I've seen, last week a book was released on it: All The Pieces Matter I don't have a copy as yet but its getting great reviews and spruiked by a few people in basketball circles as well. I think it was Zach Lowe who tweeted out something about it recently and at least another basketball related entity has as well.

The Eastside/Westside basketball game in the first season was one of many highlights; Avon getting schooled by Prop Joe and the police surveillance finally getting an eye on Barksdale.

[sixers hoops]

Reading this thread makes me want to watch The Wire, never seen it actually.

My top 5 are:

1. Sopranos
2. Dexter
3. Game of thrones
4. Shameless
5. Big Bang Theory - I know it doesn't belong on this list, but it makes me laugh lol.

I also watch Big Brother and Survivor, don't know why but I like them also. How the Universe Works, Space's Deepest Secrets, and Naked and Afraid are always recorded by me. There are alot of good shows on TV so I don't get enough time to watch them all, but The Wire is on the list now.

I’m currently watching sons of anarchy. It def hits slow points where I lose interest but very good overall. Not top 5 material but worth the time. I think it’s seven seasons so I’ve been working on it since mid December.

In comparison, Shameless took me less than a month to rip through seven seasons. I was just more excited for the next episode.

Mr Robot was a really cool season one, but good too complicated and I lost interest. Too much technical macro scale computer hacking stuff, as well as too many hallucination and dream sequences.

There was one bad season that i didnt like in SoA (season 3 i think?)

Spoiler:

When Abel gets kidnapped

but other than that I loved it.

Season 3 took me WEEKS to get through. It was rough.

[76ciology]

Just binged The Office recently. The writing on that show is excellent.

The best! Just sad the show went downhill after michael scott left

[76ciology]

“Halt And Catch Fire” is also a good one. A more entertaining “Mad Men.”

[76ciology]

The Wire is the best I've seen, last week a book was released on it: All The Pieces Matter I don't have a copy as yet but its getting great reviews and spruiked by a few people in basketball circles as well. I think it was Zach Lowe who tweeted out something about it recently and at least another basketball related entity has as well.

The Eastside/Westside basketball game in the first season was one of many highlights; Avon getting schooled by Prop Joe and the police surveillance finally getting an eye on Barksdale.

For books, I’d recommend subscribing to the “Scribd” app. Gets you a lot of books and audiobook where you can access thru ur phone.

[eagereyez]

I'm curious why you don't feel the same about seasons that include the media (season 5), the school system (season 4) and politics (season 3, 4, 5). If The Wire is about drug dealers, these seasons should be disqualified as well. Carcetti wasn't a drug dealer as far as I know.

Because the school system, politics, and media were complementary pieces to the focus of the show - the inner city drug dealers of Baltimore. Season 2 took a complementary piece and made it the main focus.

We had this discussion last year but this is just wrong and it's why you don't appreciate (understand?) season 2. The focus of the show is the city and the problems that plague institutions and its impact on different people. The drug trade is just one of the settings introduced, along with the docks, politics, school system, and media.

This is literally a quote from David Simon listed on the Wiki page:

Simon has said that despite its framing as a crime drama, the show is "really about the American city, and about how we live together. It's about how institutions have an effect on individuals. Whether one is a cop, a longshoreman, a drug dealer, a politician, a judge or a lawyer, all are ultimately compromised and must contend with whatever institution to which they are committed.

What you quoted is an artistic embellishment. The drug trade is more than just one of the settings. It is 90% of the plot. The fact that three people in this thread thought season 2 was the worst upon their first viewing is evidence that it was misplaced.

[Stanford]

]What you quoted is an artistic embellishment.

The creator of the show is telling you you're wrong, man. He's thought more about it than all of us combined.

The fact that three people in this thread thought season 2 was the worst upon their first viewing is evidence that it was misplaced.

It's evidence of nothing. Season 1 primes you to expect a show exclusively about the drug trade. When they follow up with a bunch of white dudes on the Baltimore docks, it's jarring. When you realize the show isn't exclusively about the drug trade, it fits in perfectly with the rest of the series.

[Stanford]

I'm an idiot. I forgot to mention Nathan for You, which was probably my favorite show of the year. Watch it, please.