An introduction to the game

Let me echo what you've heard before: Yes. The Wire is that good. It is my humble opinion the Wire is the best TV show, start to finish, ever.

Bold take. I know.

We aren't here to discuss the entire series though, we are here to talk about the first season.

The first season, if you never watched Homicide: Life on the Street, might be jarring. Homicide was the boldest police procedural on TV by being anything but procedural. It featured the unpleasant realities of working in a modern American legal system that only played fair by being as inflexible for the police as it was for the criminals. This isn't a Homicide review but its worth checking out, even if it reeks of 90s TV style.

The Wire is the next step from the show. David Simon, a crime reporter for the Baltimore Sun turned screenwriter and producer, uses all of his knowledge, experience and connections to create this TV show that didn't focus on the action of police work or criminality but the methodical nature of it all.

The show starts with a criminal trial and the would be antagonists beating the case though simple witness intimidation. D'Angelo Barksdale is charged with murder but his family is the modern Baltimore equivalent to the Corleones.

Jimmy McNulty, a homicide detective with nothing to do and an axe to grind, convinces a judge that the city only lost the case because of the intimidation. That judge sets into the motion the case that would lead to the creation of a major crimes unit and the wiretap that drives the investigation.

The police and the criminals don't just match wits with each other but their own side as they compete for political power and influence. Using whatever they can to survive in their own little worlds. Police leadership does the bare minimum to get the judge to leave them alone. The dealers deal with their own criminal predators and competition. As the season moves forward you start to see what each character brings to the board and how it all weaves together.

In Baltimore everyone is rationally selfish and plays the game to achieve their own ends. In 2026 this is the basic description of most Prestige TV shows fill with detail, intrigue and anti-heroes. The Wire premiered in 2002 and was HBO's third attempt at prestige TV (OZ and the Sopranos being the first and second, respectively). It broke ground in serialized story telling and grittiness without being exploitative. There maybe sex but it isn't often sexy and the violence is brutal and never glamorized and the consequences are indelible.

The show is shot on location as well. The distinct architecture and decay of Baltimore is on full display. Actors would talk about shooting in row houses that used to be drug dens mere days before and finding human remains on location. Local actors, both professionals and day players, lean into the local slang and dialect. They mention local cuisine and make it all sound so good (I really want to try Pit Beef).

The Wire was never appreciated in its time. Years later thanks to streaming and DVD the show found new fans and life. That's where I found it. I am glad I found it when I did. I never had to wonder if the show was going to return. I got to binge watch in two weekends and return to it frequently.

If you had to knock the Wire for anything it would be the acting. Some people are much better than others -- Idris Elba, Wood Harris, Lance Reddick are all standouts but Andre Royo steals each scene as Bubbles an informant and drug addict. Everyone else is good, if not decent, and help to round out the world.

This show might not be for the casual fan as it really demands that you pay attention. Closer in narrative to a novel where you are shown the facts but sometimes must infer the meaning in the scene and the greater story. They may show you an arrest on one episode but won't repeat that scene as you are familiar with how arresting a criminal works. Time and again the Wire will focus on the drama between peers and the parallels between Police work and Organized crime. If you miss details you won't be given a second chance and the show will move on. You may understand the plot but you will miss the nuance of the story.

The first season is excellent I can't think of a single season of TV that is better. If you only watch one season it might be this one.