Hi Joel! I'll try to keep this comment brief, but I do want to share a fewof things. First of all, Twin Peaks was my favorite TV series ever, until The Wire came along and knocked it off its pedestal back in 06 (now, after The Return, they sit comfortably side-by-side; I now have 2 favorites. I couldn't choose one over the other if I wanted to). You caught my attention a few years back when I found your YouTube series on TP; it's superb and the first thing I refer people to when they express an interest in TP. I remember your saying a while ago that you were gonna do The Wire, and then I forgot all about that. So I'm thrilled to bits that you're back in the game (so to speak) with this show, and I'll be following along as you watch. I've probably seen the series 11 or 12 times all the way through, and I still notice new stuff all the time. I'll try to find my watch journal because I'm sure I have leftover questions from the last time around.
A couple of things about a first watch through The Wire: First, you might find watching with your closed caption settings on. I had a lot of trouble with Baltimore patois, especially when we were out on the street with the dealers. Much of the dialogue is delivered in such an understated way that it's easy to miss important stuff, and this is a show where details are crucial. It's also so beautifully written that you don't want to miss any of the dialogue. Second, you're eventually going to get confused. I probably watched the series 5 or 6 times all the way through before I understood and could remember all the originating events for some of the big stuff that happens later. I know that's why keeping a viewing diary comes in handy; but, even then, you probably won't be able to write down every single thing that every seemingly random character says (or doesn't say--this is gonna matter, too).
Last thing for now: the language from this show will totally take over your life, and you'll need to call your friends who have already seen it so you can throw some Baltimore street slang around. I hope you're enjoying this show as much as I did and still do.
Hi Joel! I'll try to keep this comment brief, but I do want to share a fewof things. First of all, Twin Peaks was my favorite TV series ever, until The Wire came along and knocked it off its pedestal back in 06 (now, after The Return, they sit comfortably side-by-side; I now have 2 favorites. I couldn't choose one over the other if I wanted to). You caught my attention a few years back when I found your YouTube series on TP; it's superb and the first thing I refer people to when they express an interest in TP. I remember your saying a while ago that you were gonna do The Wire, and then I forgot all about that. So I'm thrilled to bits that you're back in the game (so to speak) with this show, and I'll be following along as you watch. I've probably seen the series 11 or 12 times all the way through, and I still notice new stuff all the time. I'll try to find my watch journal because I'm sure I have leftover questions from the last time around.
A couple of things about a first watch through The Wire: First, you might find watching with your closed caption settings on. I had a lot of trouble with Baltimore patois, especially when we were out on the street with the dealers. Much of the dialogue is delivered in such an understated way that it's easy to miss important stuff, and this is a show where details are crucial. It's also so beautifully written that you don't want to miss any of the dialogue. Second, you're eventually going to get confused. I probably watched the series 5 or 6 times all the way through before I understood and could remember all the originating events for some of the big stuff that happens later. I know that's why keeping a viewing diary comes in handy; but, even then, you probably won't be able to write down every single thing that every seemingly random character says (or doesn't say--this is gonna matter, too).
Last thing for now: the language from this show will totally take over your life, and you'll need to call your friends who have already seen it so you can throw some Baltimore street slang around. I hope you're enjoying this show as much as I did and still do.