The Wirealmost sabotaged itself with a controversial creative decision in season 2, but it led to one of the series’ greatest strengths. While otherclassic must-see TV showslikeThe SopranosandGame of Throneswere hugely popular with audiences as well as critics,The Wirealways struggled to match its critical acclaim in the ratings.
Whereas HBO couldn’t get enough ofThe SopranosandGame of ThronesandSex and the City,The Wirewas always hanging by a thread. It was consistently praised by critics as one of the best things on TV, but it always had bafflingly low viewership. The fans it had were dedicated, but they were few and far between.
To his credit,The Wire’s creator David Simonnever compromised his artistic vision to appeal to a wider audience. He always told the story he wanted to tell the way he wanted to tell it, and that sometimes led to polarized reactions. The most controversial narrative decision in the show’s history ended up being one of its best.
The Wire Season 2 Was Criticized For Throwing Out Everything Audiences Loved About Season 1
Season 2 Moved Away From The Drug Trade & Examined The Working-Class Dock Workers
AsThe Wirewent into its second season, Simon made the bold decision to pivot away from all the fan-favorite characters introduced in season 1. In season 2, he shifted away from the illegal drug trade andessentially rebootedThe Wireas a brand-new show focusing on a new cast of charactersin a different part of Baltimore.
Usually, TV writers listen to their audience. When Urkel became the breakout character ofFamily Matters, the writers abandoned their original premise and made him the star. But Simon took the opposite approach toThe Wire’s second season. He putThe Wire’s most beloved characters, like Omar and Stringer, in the backseat, so he could put fresh faces in the spotlight.
He put The Wire’s most beloved characters, like Omar and Stringer, in the backseat, so he could put fresh faces in the spotlight.
InThe Wireseason 2,Simon moved the setting of the show to the docks, so he could examine the death of the working classin the same way he’d examined the drug trade in season 1. Unfortunately, the controversy around that decision meant that great characters like Frank and Ziggy Sobotka weren’t given a fair chance to become as beloved as season 1’s characters.
The Wire Needed To Switch Things Up In Season 2
Audiences were expecting to go back to the housing projects for more storylines involving drug dealers and the cops chasing them inThe Wireseason 2, but season 1 had already completed that story.Simon had said everything he had to say about the illegal drug trade, so there was no need to go back to that subject matter in season 2.
Season 1 had concluded its thesis on the futility of fighting the drug trade. By the end of the season, McNulty and co. finally made a move on their wiretap operation and arrested Avon. But even though they successfully put Avon behind bars, the wheels kept turning and the gap he left in the market was immediately filled.
It wasa perfect statement on the neverending cycle of crime. Instead of rehashing that statement in season 2, Simon made a different statement about a different societal issue. Going forward, that became the show’s style: each season would hit the reset button and introduce a new cast of characters in a new setting.
The Wire Season 2’s New Characters & Storylines Were Just As Compelling As The Original Ones
Frank & Ziggy Were Just As Lovable As Anyone In Season 1
A lot of fans rejected the new characters inThe Wireseason 2 just because they were taking airtime away from Omar and Stringer and Bunk and McNulty. But if you give them a chance, those new characters are just as lovable and compelling as any of their predecessors from season 1.
When they got used to the tradition of new characters being introduced every season, audiences were quicker to embrace characters like Marlo Stanfield and Tommy Carcetti. Butseason 2 never got the reappraisal it deserved. The emotional core of the season is union leader Frank Sobotka’s relationship with his well-meaning good-for-nothing son Ziggy, and they deserve a lot more love.
Frank just wants to do right by his son, but Ziggy has gotten in over his head in a life of crime. In their final scene together in one ofThe Wire’s greatest episodes,we see Frank and Ziggy for what they really are: a scared kid desperate for his dad’s approval, and an overwhelmed father who failed to protect his son.
The Wire’s Ever-Changing Cast & Setting Ended Up Being Its Biggest Strength
It Allowed The Series To Capture The Full Scope Of Baltimore’s Institutional Problems
Although it was initially the most controversial decision byThe Wire’s writers, the choice to keep changing the show’s cast and setting in each season ended up becoming its biggest strength. Season 3 looked at the ineffective local government, season 4 looked at the ways the public school system corrupts kids, andThe Wire’s fifth and final season critiqued the media.
The Wireis streaming on HBO Max.
Focusing each season on a new part of the city elevatedThe Wirefrom a really great TV show to an all-time masterpiece.It meant that the series never settled into a formula, and it allowed Simon and his team of writers to capture the full scope of Baltimore’s institutional problems.
The Wire
Cast
The Wire, debuting in 2002, is a series that explores the complex world of Baltimore’s narcotics scene, presenting perspectives from both law enforcement and their targets. It delves into how the war on drugs has evolved into a self-perpetuating institution, blurring moral boundaries between right and wrong.
