The Second, 12 episode, Season of the critically acclaimed 'The Wire' picks up proceedings not long after the events of year one with the investigative team lead by Daniels now disbanded. Rather than jumping straight back into the aftermath of the Barksdale drug empire (which becomes more of a background story this time around) the writers instead choose to introduce the viewer to another social group found in the city of Baltimore, namely the dock workers that are struggling to make ends meet in modern times. When thirteen bodies are found in an unclaimed container another unpredictable and intriguing case starts to unfold.
All credit must go to the writers and cast who are able to effortlessly craft another fascinating tale despite a completely new focus and the introduction of a whole host of extra characters. As with Season One the line between the supposed good guys and bad guys remains blurred as the show takes the time to fully explore the motivations of its entire cast and it is this that makes The Wire far more than just another cop show.…Full Review »
Equally as brilliant as the first season once the pieces fall into place, the season's focus shifts up the drug chain from dealers to suppliers through the smugglers but as with most things in David Simon's Baltimore, everything is connected and it turns out that the smugglers (and by connection the union) supply Proposition Joe who cuts a deal with Stringer. This link ensures that the likes of Stringer, Avon, D'Angelo and Omar still feature, although less prominently than the first season, replaced with the characters of the stevedore union.
Central to the season is Frank Sobotka, excellently played by Chris Bauer, who finds himself torn between looking out for his union and future generations of the traditionally local workforce and doing the right thing and setting the right example to his son and nephew. He is truly horrified at the discovery of thirteen dead girls inside a can on his dock but can't bring himself to break his connection to 'The Greek'.
What really struck me about the story's beginning was the initial infighting between jurisdictions and departments, led by Homicide Major Rawls, over the ownership of the thirteen Jane Does, something I can well believe after reading David Simon's book, Homicide A Year on the Killing Streets. This kind of gritty, self serving, inhumane approach to homicides really cannot be found anywhere else but The Wire. Also, as with the first season, season two's ending is far from the fairytale ending to be expected in most films or TV shows. The penultimate episode, Bad Dreams, finishes with one of the best set of scenes I think I have ever seen on a TV screen. Played out over an fitting Greek song 'Efige Efige' (translated to 'He Left'), the montage displays the fortunes of Frank swinging 180 degrees through a series of events elsewhere at precisely the wrong time. A masterpiece.…Full Review »
Normally to call a season of a show a 7 out of 10 is incredible, but following one of the best seasons of a show I have ever seen it was a bit of a disappointment. Bottom line is that the dock worker plot just did not work for me. Their was not one of these characters that I rooted for or felt the least bit invested in. Still love all the cop work, and there was enough Stringer and Barksdale to wet my appetite for next year, I would have just liked more of it. Here is hoping next year is more season 1 and less 2.…Full Review »
