Roush on The Wire
Question: Given the dearth of shows on the air due to the writers' strike, how possible is it that
The Wire will go unheralded by Emmy voters yet again this year? This has consistently been among the finest television shows out there the last five years, and in my opinion it is the best urban drama ever. The writing, the acting (especially from the young actors; the goodbye scene between Michael and Duquan was one of the most moving scenes I've ever seen between two young actors) and the casting are all superb. When combined with what the show says about the modern American city, I will be righteously annoyed if in this year of
American Gladiators and
Knight Rider redux, mediocre shows like
Grey's Anatomy and
Boston Legal are rewarded, and this American masterpiece is not. There is no better show on TV, much less on broadcast TV, and it has been the single finest vehicle for African-American actors that I can remember. Well, I suppose my opinion is clear. What's yours?
— Dan
Matt Roush: Couldn't agree more. The Wire is a towering achievement, and this season has been perhaps the most plot-driven and conventionally suspenseful yet — also by that measure, seemingly the most commercial, though it clearly will always be destined to live under the mass pop-culture radar. Will Marlo be brought down? Will McNulty's scam with the false serial killer be found out? Will Scotty Templeton's own journalistic crimes be exposed? These gripping questions, played out against a searing portrayal of a city's socio-political decline, make for incredible drama that I fear we in the media too often make sound like it's too-good-for-you to actually be good entertainment. The Wire is the best of all worlds, but will the Emmys finally take note? The best argument I can make in its favor is that without HBO's The Sopranos in the mix this year, The Wire may finally emerge from its shadow for this last hurrah. It would be delayed justice, but justice nonetheless. The writers and directors could also get some much-deserved attention this time, but it will undoubtedly be a more uphill climb for the actors, who are hardly household names.
