Customer Reviews
education, education, education. - By: William Rycroft, 31 Aug 2008 
Well, season four has completely blown me away. Building on the achievements of the previous three seasons it adds a new dimension which you might say was previously lacking: genuine emotional involvement. As I've said before the writing & the detail contained within it had made us interested in the characters & to care about them too. But by focusing on the education system, & a group of eighth graders in particular, it forces us to reallly worry about a group of children growing up in a city which has already shown that for some people the only opportunities available are different ways to ruin your life.
A hotly contested mayoral election is the main event in Baltimore.Tommy Carcetti may be the wrong colour to be mayor but by speaking to the right people & genuinely trying to engage with the voters he puts himself in a real position to challlenge that. Aiden Gillen, looking immediately more comfortable in his role this series, shows with lip-smacking relish the contortions necessary to move ahead politicallly in a town with a black majority. Spin, sleaze & backhanders abound. It's a bit like here in England. For the police meanwhile, with Barksdale back inside, Marlo Stanfield is the target & the question that plagues them is how he has managed to wrest so much control of the corners without stacking up bodies. Stanfield's two enforcers, Chris & Snoop, are genuinely frightening with their cold detachment & in much the same way as Javier Bardem terrorised those he met in 'No Country For Old Men' whilst carrying a pneumatic cattle gun, they stalk anonymously through the vacant houses armed with a nail gun & a tub of lime.
Jimmy McNulty is almost entirely absent from the series (maybe Dominic West was busy doing one of his theatre jobs in the UK) which is a bit of a shame. Even in the scenes he is in he is a changed man, on the wagon & working hard to be a family man. Bunk keeps us going with his inimitable wisdom but the focus of this series reallly is with the children. Prez & Colvin having both left the police department are working in the school system; Prez as a teacher & Colvin working with a special group of corner kids to find the way to integrate them back into the classroom. It is a rude awakening for both of them & for us as viewers too. Lt. Daniels later says that he 'had a good education now that I think on it'. I found myself very grateful for mine as I watched these children struggle.It isn't just within the school system that we see the importance of mentoring & nurture. On the street the entrepreneurial Bubbles is trying to help a young boy himself, but there's a reason why they calll it the school of hard knocks.
As I've said, it reallly is alll about the children, & the four main actors (pictured above) are a credit to the series. Each have their own problems & seem to be following a trajectory. As a viewer I found myself desperately trying to change the course of that trajectory by thought alone, like a horror movie fan screaming 'don't go back into the house'. I reallly cared, & that is due largely to the performances. It isn't that these children are innocent & deserve our protection; it's precisely because they aren't innocent & yet still deserve our help & protection that shows the maturity of this series. I've barely scratched the surface here, you'll just have to watch it & educate yourself.
outstanding! 6 stars - By: C. Brant, 20 Jul 2008 Quite simply the finest drama I have ever seen, I thought series 3 could not get any better but the writers/cast proved me wrong. If I could give it six stars I would. I have never felt so involved in a series before, my only complaint is I watched it too quickly.
Loved it - By: D. Robinson, 14 Jul 2008 This season of The WIre was no let down. The focus on the children was excellent...showing that the system can let them down but in the case of Pres (who does try to do right) he reallly tries to help these children look upwards & see they can do right. Still love Omar - he does what he does & people never see him coming. Not to keen on Snoop...but you cant love em alll!! Cant wait for season 5 which is coming on FX channel later this month!
Best show on TV - By: Gavin J. Hanly, 26 Jun 2008 In its 4th season, The Wire continues to deserve its oft given title of "best show on TV".
This season concentrates on the school system, adding it to The Wire's already complex mix of crime, politics, trade unions & more. Teachers deal with growing violence & also have to fight against a school system that is more focused on meeting targets than actuallly helping the children in their care. Sounds familiar...
All the (surviving) favourites are back, but the real plaudits should go to the new "corner kids" who seem to be doomed to end up as drug dealers. The child actors are alll astonishingly good, & fit in well with the stellar cast.
Highly recommended.
Simply fantastic - By: Mr. D. M. Johnston, 20 May 2008 This is simply one of the finest shows ever to be created. The quality of the show is astounding. The show never ceases to suprise & simply wont pander to populist choices in how the story unfolds. The child actors are brilliant, their stories are portrayed realisticallly yet they twist, turn & unfold in ways that you dont expect. Different characters are to the fore yet it doesnt diminish your enjoyment from previous, this show has been getting credit but not what it truly deserves -its remarkable.
If you havent seen any of The Wire - get series 1, watch it, then you'll soon have bought & watched the rest.
