Wire, The

The average user rating for this TV Show is 9.4 out of 10 (based on 71 Votes).

Nerijus D. gave it a10:
The greatest television series of all time!

Benjamin gave it a9:
While this may not be the best season of the wire by a long shot (that goes to season 1, 3 or 4), it is still better than any single season from any other show on TV.

Rick S gave it a10:
While A FEW of the disparaging posts listed below make at least some relevant and coherent arguments, it's PREPOSTEROUS to give even the last, so-called weakest season of The Wire anything less than a 10/10. The only real fault of this season, all overwrought and haughty criticism aside, is that the show probably tried to do too much, especially given that the season was limited to ten episodes. The irony is palpable in statements like "the serial-killer storyline was unrealistic"; the show had built so much credibility in the previous seasons that McNulty's transgressions were a bit far-fetched, even though no one would have admitted as much while they watched these brilliant final episodes. In the end, the major themes like the system's immovability and the ultimate triumph of evil despite the existence of nobility all rang true as much as ever. This show takes its rightful place atop all others in that its STORY was so massively complex yet succinctly coherent. It redefined drama, and turned the dial to "eleven".

cee jay gave it an8:
This season is could be described with the word "BLUFF" because you suddenly see all levels of every organization trying to trick each other. It is a little bit funnier than season 4, which was unbelievably heavy (in a good way). I enjoyed the wrap up for most of the characters, some people changed little for the better: some for the worse: some didn't change at all.

Aaron gave it a2:
It was the worst season EVER season four was much better.

Brad E gave it a10:
The greatest show ever...period.

Tarik T gave it a10:
It's a shame this show in the previous seasons never won an Emmy. Just shows you the stupidity of what the general consensus calls "Good TV" McNulty is the man.

Derek O gave it a9:
The greatest television show I have ever watched. The writing for this show is intense, and so deep. I wonder how anyone cannot like this show.

Arnie P. gave it a10:
this is the most brilliant television series ever offered. A sociological powerhouse. breathtaking.

Andrew G gave it a7:
The first four seasons are so mind-blowing that Season 5 has left me disappointed. The cop plot is not believable in the slightest, and while the newsroom characters are very realistic, introducing them all in the final 'tie-everything-in-a-bow' season distracts from the focus on the main characters.

Bennett H. gave it a10:
One of the greatest shows ever created. Characters, Plotlines, Writing, and Directing is flawless.

Fuzzy D. gave it an8:
I'd give every other season an eleven if I could, but not this one. While the ending to Bubbles' story was completely flawless and amazing, the police story line, as someone else pointed out, was way too cheesy. I won't say that what happened was unrealistic or impossible, it was just very, very improbable. Something that I've always loved about The Wire is that not only has it never had impossible, theatrical, or unrealistic moments, it never even had improbable moments. That changed with season five. Oh, and I agree with everything that the Baltimore Sun said about the flaws in the newspaper storyline.

Donald S gave it a10:
Anytime a great show comes to an end u hear all of the negative.

Eric G. gave it a10:
Best show ever on tv completing its tale.

Jason S gave it a10:
The best written and best acted show on TV. I'm really sorry to see it go but I think it ran it's course and reached a natural end.

James T. gave it a10:
The best of the best that tv ever had to offer, even when measured against season 4, season 5 though not as strong, is just as great

Itay M. gave it an8:
Great show. Weakest season yet. Just one question...who are these people that are calling this realistic or unrealistic...how are these television critics qualified to judge this as either??

Judy T gave it a7:
Unsatisfying ending to a difficult to watch series. I have really only kept up with it because I love Clarke Johnson and anything he is in.

Lesley W. gave it a10:
Bar none, the best show on TV - ever!

Matt P. gave it a7:
I'm not sure what to think about this season. The unadulterated Wire fan in me wants to believe that the writers know what they are doing and that they can't lead us wrong. But the smart TV watcher in me thinks, hey, this stuff isn't all that grand. The cop angle is much to cheesy, with the reintoduction of McNulty now being the weight on the ankles of the drowning Lester, a once interesting character that is now nothing more than a symbol. Which, when you get right down to it, is the real problem with this season: everything is a symbol. Marlo can't be touched; (he's like Superman this guy), Omars tiny cursade ends in a heartbeat, effectively robbing the audience of three episodes, and, as I said before, McNulty is now a total detriment to the show. His fake serial killer angle has now sucked all enjoyment I once had watching the cops. I'm sorry to say that I think the writers and producers (where is Ed Burns name in the credits?) have finally hit Soprano's zone: they've become really, really full of themselves.

Milan D. gave it a10:
This last season of the wire isn't as good as the previous four but it is still the best cop "shoot em up" shows on tv.

K M. gave it a10:
I am not a fan of TV - I've never seen one episode of 'Cheers' 'The Simpsons' 'Soparanos', etc. When my son from college brought us 4 DVDs of 'The Wire' and recommended that we watch it, I was skeptical. After the first episode, I continued to be skeptical, 'It's so real it's not entertaining' I told my husband. Two episodes later, I was hooked - hooked on the character development, the gritty, humorous dialogs, the all-too recognizable plight of the city, the eye-opening realities of the drug world and the bungled maneuvers of the 'good guys'. Better than most movies, the Wire is entertainment at its finest.

Warren P. gave it a10:
Raw, gritty, sometimes comedic and always utterly human, "The Wire" is a must-see for every citizen who cares about the state of urban America.

Mark F. gave it a10:
This show is great on so many levels that it has set the standard to which all other shows are to be compared. The writing is great, and the actors have took ownership of the roles they were cast in. Pure genius. "Woe is to them that call evil good, and good evil" - Prop Joe

Chris J. gave it a10:
As brilliant as the previous seasons, and still far and away the best show on television. We don't get as much of the schools from season 4, but Omar is back with a vengeance as heroic villain, and McNulty is at his best again as tragic hero.

C.B. gave it a10:
Still the best show in TV. Too bad no one watches. What a terrific swan song season 4 has been so far...

David L gave it a10:
Absolutely the best show on television. To be honest, season 4 was such an outstanding season (in a show filled with stellar seasons) that I wasn't sure how good the final season would be once I heard the storyline. To my surprise, after the first 7 episodes it's the same Wire that makes it hard to ever feel good about watching any other show. It just sets the bar so high, that when you hear about shows like Prison Break, and "Lost" and people talking about how good they are, you can't help but chuckle. I've never found a person who hasn't been hooked on the Wire after watching five or more episodes. It can take that long to get into and comprehend what's going on, but it's absolutely worth it. It's going to be sad once this season ends. I don't know if there will ever be a better show on television anytime in the upcoming decades. It's that good.

Ray W. gave it a9:
If you are looking for convention and safety in your tv entertainment you'll be disappointed, the wire offers the sort of hard fought rewards usually found in great novels. it compares well to anything of the last 20 years (including movies), and i think it will stand the test over the next 20 years too.

Marlo S. gave it a10:
As good as ever, particularly the cops and robbers-level plot. McNulty and Marlo eat up the screen.

Bunk M. gave it a10:
New world, new issues. Here's hoping for a strong finish.

Jon C. gave it a10:
The only show that has made me regret giving up television 15 years ago. If other shows take The Wire's lead, I'll consider hooking cable back up. Stunning television, easily better than 90% of what is in the theaters today (& the casting directors deserve Emmy's for their sublime vision).

Stephen S. gave it a10:
The Best TV Show EVER, and I have been watching tv since 1950; only the anthology drama series (Climax, Playhouse 90, etc.) ran stuff this good, but without this much consistency. I have watched 55 episodes of the wire, and the worst grade I would give any episode was a B.

[Anonymous] gave it a10:
Funny that the Baltimore Sun, which is trashed in this season, gives it the lowest score of all.

Andy I. gave it a10:
From the first 7 episodes, this season is every bit as amazing as the first 4. Funny that the lowest score comes from the Baltimore Sun, being that this season closely follows the inner workings of that very paper.

Doug gave it a9:
A little ironic that the Baltimore Sun gives the lowest rating, no?

G S. gave it a10:
This is the best show, bar none. The Wire is as real as it gets. No predictable, overly dramatized scripts here.

Mr W. gave it a5:
The show has lost all of its flow with the addition of the "baltimore sun" story line. This is the final season and instead of allowing us to dig in to the characters we've come to love/hate they add in some dry, uninteresting, newsroom crap. It seems to me that HBO is setting up a spin-off show and ruining the wire to use it as a launching pad.

brian k gave it a10:
This is the best show on TV PERIOD Nothing comes close, the Emmy's should be ashamed on themselves for snubbing this show. It crushes every other show on TV even Sopranos because unlike the Sopranos the Wire gets better with each season NOT WORSE! Season 4 was the best and no doubt season 5 will deliver too, so far it is great!

Eric S. gave it a10:
I was born and raised in Baltimore and taught in the Baltimore school system. These first-hand experiences only heighten my respect for this series. While the stories are fictional, the depiction of them is truth. As television struggles to find its future, this series come closer than any other to realizing its potential.

Miguel G. gave it a10:
The best series that ever existed. Nothing vome close to the complexity of The Wire.

Michael M. gave it a10:
Best HBO series ever, that's right Sopranos, you heard me. I doubted and naysayed until season 4, but once I started watching I couldn't stop. If you aren't hooked by the end of the third episode in season 1, then I offer a full refund.

Tony B. gave it a10:
Best television show ever.

Nate S. gave it a10:
There's been so much critical hype for this show that people might be skeptical, but it really is fantastic. You also might be fooled into thinking it's preachy or too depressing. It's not at all; it's engrossing and exciting and funny and smart.

Harry S. gave it a10:
Season five seamlessly integrates yet another beautifully realized, dysfunctional, depressing (and yet often hilarious) aspect of Baltimore city life. And even if you think the newsroom doesn't carry the same emotional punch of the schools story arc from season 4, it's still equally relevant, and further serves the show's purpose, namely, telling the story of the decline of an American city. From the corners to the precincts to the docks to the schools to the newsdesk, "it's all connected." It's not TV. It's not even HBO. Simply put, it's one of mankind's greatest artistic achievements. Okay, have I overhyped it enough for you yet?

Brian B. gave it a10:
There's simply never been anything better. Unfortunately, it's complex and it scares away new viewers, but for those who rent the DVDs and get caught up, it will change the way the think about the "art" of television.

M MMS gave it a10:
For those who seek intellectual stimulation and depth, this is the best show on TV.

Meyunn D. gave it a10:
Off to a great start!!!! Keep it coming and PLEASE don't end like the Sopranos.

Akin A. gave it a10:
Greatest show in TV history.

Garrett B. gave it a10:
Just watched the first episode. Brilliant as always. The negative reviewers have their head's shoved far where the sun doesn't shine.

Paul T. gave it a10:
I thought "Lonesome Dove" was the best I'd seen on TV until "The Wire" came around. This is the only show I watch at broadcast time instead of later on a DVR.

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