The Wire: Season 1
  • Network: HBO
  • Series Premiere Date: Jun 2, 2002
  • Season #: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5
The Wire Image
Metascore
77 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critics What's this?

User Score
9.6 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 208 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
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  • Starring: Lance Reddick, John Doman, Wendell Pierce
  • Summary: In chronicling a multi-generational family business dealing illegal drugs and the efforts of the Baltimore police to curb their trade, this series draws parallels between these organizations and the men and women on either side of the battle.The words of Gary W. Potter, Professor of Criminal Justice and Police Studies at Eastern Kentucky University, in writing about the savings and loan scandals of the 1980s, can also be used to illuminate some of the central premises of the show:"There is precious little difference between those people who society designates as respectable and law abiding and those people society castigates as hoodlums and thugs. The world of corporate finance and corporate capital is as criminogenic and probably more criminogenic than any poverty-wracked slum neighborhood. The distinctions drawn between business, politics, and organized crime are at best artificial and in reality irrelevant. Rather than being dysfunctions, corporate crime, white-collar crime, organized crime, and political corruption are mainstays of American political-economic life."Tim Goodman, the television critic for The San Francisco Chronicle, summed the show up perfectly when he wrote: "This show is precisely the reason you pay for HBO."In New York's Newsday, Diane Werts says: "Most TV crime series aspire to John Grisham's level. 'The Wire' aspires to Dostoevsky's."Season ThemesSeason One centers around a family of drug dealers and the innerworkings of their empire. It also follows the detectives who are trying to catch the high members of the empire. Season Two steps away from the drug trade (while still mentioning characters from the previous season) to a case of dead prostitutes which turns into a look at the corruption surrounding the Port. Season Three investigates politics and finishes the main stories that were left open in season one. Season Four focuses on four middle school students and their journeys through the public school system and continues to address the politics of an inner-city and the issues of an election. Season Five is rumored to be about the media's role in Baltimore. Season Five will be the show's final season.Theme MusicIn the Season One opening credits, the Blind Boys of Alabama did Tom Waits's "Way Down in the Hole". The Season Two opening credits feature Waits's version of the song. According to creator David Simon, "It was our way of saying: This is the same show (song) but this year, the tale itself (singer, tonality) will be different." The Neville Brothers's version of the song opens Season Three. The theme which plays over the end credits was composed by the show's music supervisor, Blake Leyh.

    International AiringsAustralia -- Monday at 12:00 p.m. on Ch.9. Currently airing Season 3.
    New Zealand -- Wednesday at 11:40 p.m. on TV2, beginning December 15, 2004.    … Expand
  • Genre(s): Drama

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Tim Goodman
    Apr 29, 2013
    100
    Stunningly great execution.
  2. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Steve Johnson
    Apr 29, 2013
    100
    Spellbinding...The Wire is compelling in its complexity, heart-rending in its humanity, and surprising in the ways it finds to spin the conventions of cop drama. [31 May 2002, p.4]
    All this critic's reviews
  3. Detroit Free Press
    Reviewed by: Mike Duffy
    Apr 29, 2013
    80
    Though it's extremely well done, The Wire lacks the signature HBO kick of discovering something brand new, that giddy feeling of freshness that immediately attached itself to "The Sopranos" and "Six Feet Under." With The Wire, there's a less-exciting echo: Same old, same old. Been there, done that. [31 May 2002]
    All this critic's reviews
  4. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Neil Genzlinger
    Apr 28, 2013
    60
    The language is supposed to be realistic and maybe it is realistic, but it often feels self-conscious, like an overly thick Southern accent. That's too bad, because when Mr. Simon and Edward Burns, who are credited with the writing of the first five episodes, pull back a bit, they sometimes achieve a rough eloquence.

See all 19 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. Mundty
    10
    A realistic look at Baltimore Crime, Law Enforcement, Politics, Schools, and Media. This is the show to which all other shows are weighted against. Not for those with a short attention span, or in need of a clear line between right and wrong... this show is grand in scope and in depth. Be willing to invest some time and pay close attention to detail, or you will miss things. Memorable characters spanning all walks of life, that are still closely connected in many ways. With no clear hero and villain, you're forced to accept your favorite characters for their faults and find some understanding in characters you dislike. It deals with everything from racism, poverty, abuse, corruption, drug addiction, and much more. Do yourself a favor and make a commitment to watching the first season, there's not going to be another show like this for a long time, and if you don't enjoy it by the end of Season One then it's obviously not for you.… Expand
  2. tomasnomas
    10
    I don't know how to state this better than the last reviewer. Quite simply, this is the best thing I've ever seen on television. I am currently watching all the episodes for the third time in about 3 years. I never tire of it. Something new is apparent each time I have seen it. The music, the acting (acting? It doesn't seem like acting!) You will laugh, you will cry, you will be outraged, .... just great stuff. I liked Homicide and NYPD Blue, but they are Hollywood drivel compared to The Wire. I wish there were more seasons to come. On the other hand.... it might dilute the sheer power of these 5 seasons. I am expecting the 5th season in 2 days. In the meantime I have to go cold turkey... no Wire. I will savor the last season one episode a day.... in the past I've done marathon sessions. .… Expand
  3. Magster
    10
    It's too bad this show didn't get more acclaim. Many of the actors were pulled from the streets of Baltimore which is just one aspect that lends complete credibility to this show. The writing was impeccable and the actors unreal. I would recommend this show to anyone interested in a gritty-as-hell, true to life, intelligent, sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, always captivating drama. What up MARYLAND!!!?… Expand
  4. gmoore
    10
    Why can't I say just say "best TV show ever" rather than having to type out 150 characters to just say "The Wire is the best TV show ever"? And, by the way, did I mention that The Wire is the best TV show ever. (Hope this is 150 characters!). :)… Expand

See all 33 User Reviews

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