quote:

Originally posted by Trekscribbler:

quote:

Originally posted by Ishmaels coffin:
Stereotypes by definition lack subtlety and shading of character, existing merely to facilitate broader story concerns.
Formulaic , The Wire most certainly isn't.

No, formulaic it is. Read a serious amount of pulp fiction, and you'll find, at least, season 1 to be entirely predictable (or as much as I could stomach).

quote:

Originally posted by willbenjamin:
I urge you guys to watch the rest of the season, even if you have to sit through some clunky parts in the first few episodes. It get's much better, trust me.

But that's the rub: I'm a completist, and I can't dismiss the bad for the good. Apologists and defenders of THE WIRE have been doing it for years (or seasons, if you like), and, if it honestly doesn't hook me from the beginning, I tend to be fickle. It's my fault, not the program's. The program's only fault -- so far as I could see from the first three/four eps -- was that the characters appeared to be stock characters from any handful of gritty films.

Maybe I've seen too many movies; I've also been told that's why I didn't find SKY CAPTAIN absolutely life-changing.

Obviously, you're entitled to your opinion, but i just can't understand it. If you can accurately predict how the first season of the wire ends, i will be amazed.

The show is written by a police reporter and an ex-detective, and much of it is based on reality, with quotes and characters lifted directly from their experiences, with names changed. this undermines any real potential for it to be particularly formulaic to me.

Also, what's wrong with the dots line? I always found the show to be remarkably consistent, with very very few scenes dipping below a high standard. The good with the bad thing just doesn't apply to me, but this is all opinion so i respect that.

But the characers are not stock characters at all, imo. No way wallace can be seen as a stock character when you consider all his actions. nor d'angelo. nor avon. nor stringer. no way for omar. nor mcnulty. nor rawls. nor kima. nor daniels. nor phelan. nor pryz. nor bubbs.

the program establishes itself through character, 13 hours per season of exploring characters, not the crime. the crime/police work is completely secondary, and is in no way the main incentive to watch. you don't see character development so complex very often, especially not in tv.

the 'seen too many movies' thing i don't understand either really, since there aren't many movies i can think about that take an approach similar to that of the wire, as 2-3 hours is not enough for what the show does.

and i couldn't tell if it was a joke, but sky captain is an appalling film.

but it's all good, i appreciate where you're coming from, but i can't imagine you holding many of those criticisms if you followed it though. that said, i enjoyed it from the get go so i can't really speak for you.