re: The Wire or Sopranos

Both were great, you cannot go wrong with ever one you go with.

Okay, I am just 4 episodes into The Wire, but so far Breaking Bad is better. When does shite really start hitting the fan?

sopranos

flip a coin.

(no message)

quote:

---

I think those shows are the two greatest dramas ever with The Wire being #1.

---

I haven't seen the wire but Breaking Bad needs to be in that discussion (#1 for me so far).

quote:

---

I haven't seen the wire but Breaking Bad needs to be in that discussion (#1 for me so far).

---

I've seen every episode of all three and I concur they are all in the same league - as is The Shield.

The Shield is still #1 for me, but, really, it is probably because I watched it first. Breaking Bad really finished strong and had great moments. The Wire was so organic and had a powerful feeling of realism - with truly excellent acting from a relatively unknown cast, while The Sopranos was, essentially, a television series version of Goodfellas - and, while that drove some high expectations for me, it lived up to them.

They all had weak patches/stretches and a few head scratchers ("What are the writers thinking here?"), but those 4 shows represent the pinnacle of the scripted television drama - built up on the foundation of Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere and NYPD Blue.

Game of Thrones is, sort of, in a different category (as it is vastly different in genre) - as are the excellent HBO products From the Earth to the Moon and Band of Brothers - miniseries based on actual events.

quote:

---

usually don't get this way if a show is slow but I'm on season 2 of the Wire right now and I'm just finding it painful to get through. I keep watching because everyone says it gets great but i'm struggling to stay interested.

---

Season 2 is probably the most polarizing season of all - however, there are important elements developed. You may look back and still think it was too jarring - but it starts to make sense - Season 1 was just cops versus drug dealers, Season 2 adds the docks and drug wholesalers, Season 3 adds the politics of City Hall - 4 adds the schools and 5 adds the newspaper.

The main problem with Season 2 is that the main focus (the dockworkers) is never really revisited in any significant way - although the wholesalers remain important. The other season additions carry forward until the end - watch it and you'll see.

quote:

---

I'm on season 2 of the Wire right now and I'm just finding it painful to get through. I keep watching because everyone says it gets great but i'm struggling to stay interested

---

I was similar to this when I watched The Wire. It's a good show and worth the watch, but it never captivated me to the point where I had to watch another episode.

I'm halfway through The Sopranos right now and it's so much better than The Wire, imo. I look forward to watching the Sopranos....I couldn't say that when I watched the Wire. It almost felt like a chore to get through some episodes.

watch Sopranos first.

After you see the Wire, everything is pretty much downhill from there. Best show of all time.