Cheers to The Wire for aptly dispatching Omar (the Emmy-worthy Michael K. Williams) with a bang. The seemingly indestructible stick-up artist was suddenly gunned down by a child assassin during an otherwise mundane scene at a grocery store. It’s the kind of stunning dramatic moment that made HBO’s sprawling urban tableau TV's finest drama during its soon-to-conclude five-season run. May Omar — and The Wire — rest in peace.• Read and react to Bruce's opinions on Oscars host Jon Stewart, Saturday Night Live's return and more!• Share your own raves and rants about other shows on the Reader Cheers & Jeers discussion board.• We may feature your Cheer or Jeer on TVGuide.com or in TV Guide magazine!read more
Question: I'm a little disappointed that you didn't make a bigger deal of the travesty of Emmy ignoring The Wire for yet another year. I suppose you're beginning to feel like you're banging your head against a wall with this topic. Do you think one of the problems with a show like The Wire is that it takes a commitment from the viewer in order to understand the brilliance of its intricate story and nuanced performances? Is it because the subject matter is just a little too hard to swallow for an industry that persistently lauds a show like Boston Legal, which turns real-life issues into farce? How can you not recognize an actor that brings to life a character like Omar (Michael K. Williams), who makes your skin crawl one minute and the next seems like the only one on the streets with any dignity? Why can Emmy give comparable shows like The Sopranos, The Shield and Rescue Me the accolades they deserve, but not The Wire? I guess we avid TV fans should know better than to put much stock ...read more
Question: I'm so excited for The Wire to start, I can barely stand it. I'd cancel my own wedding if it conflicted. Any scoop?
Answer: The first four episodes are better than ever (or so TV Guide's Bruce Fretts tells me). Here's some scoop: Dominic West's Jimmy (who is still working as a beat cop) has settled down and is living with Beadie (Amy Ryan) and her two kids. Prez (Jim True-Frost) takes a job teaching at a rough inner-city middle school. Herc (Domenick Lombardozzi) is working as a driver for the mayor and walks in on Hizzoner in a very compromising (and very explicitly depicted) position. And Michael K. Williams (Omar) goes full-frontal in the opening minutes of Episode 3. BTW, if you have yet to jump on The Wire, now's the time. Per Fretts, the new season — beginning Sept. 10 —read more
