The Wire Week One: "The Boys of Summer"

The fourth season of The Wire kicked off last night, and I'm happy to report that the show hasn't lost a step, despite the third season's conclusion of host of major dramatic arcs. It begins with the funniest Home Depot scene ever, and concludes with the realization that the rowhouses that have seen the steady death of the city's families, aspirations, and future have literally been turned into a graveyard. In between, it follows the huge cast of police, drug dealers, addicts, politicians, and teachers, all with unsparing honesty. Depending on the person, it's no more or less than they deserve.

The Wire also follows four new characters, all black middle-school boys from the west side of Baltimore. The central question is whether a school system where, to quote one character, "not a goddamn thing works like it should" can overcome the inescapable influence of the economically depressed, drug-ravaged world around the boys. As other scenes make clear, the time and distance between their lives and total ruin is surpassingly small.

Another major plotline involves the ongoing mayoral election and the candicacy of a white councilman looking to upset a black incumbent mayor. More than any show or movie I've seen, this episode really got across what a hugely difficult, exhausting, unpleasant process running for office can be. The depiction of life in the classroom struck me as similarly realistic, although having never taught I'll take Craig Jerald's word for it (see his post below). Craig, I think you forgot to mention the recent Antonio Banderas vehicle "Take the Lead" in your inventory of terrible, terrible teacher-based movies.

I always come to the end of an episode of "The Wire" wondering how they manage to fit so much into an hour. Partly it's because almost all of the words and scenes have larger or multiple meanings, which lets the writers say a huge amount in relatively little time. It's also because most television shows spend a phenomenal amount of energy assuming that the viewers are stupid and/or not paying attention. Characters in "The Wire" don't waste time explaining to one another what you, the viewer just heard or saw. They don't refer back to previous plot developments, or translate urban slang in plain English. They act like people, not characters, because the writers trust that honest stories about actual people are all you need.

Update: Matt Yglesias draws a parallel between The Wire and Watchmen. Kinda wish I'd thought of that (although I can't imagine anyone seriously criticizing the inclusion of Dr. Manhattan, he's the mainspring of the entire story....).