The Wire Dissapoints

My opinion may change after a few days, or upon a re-watch of the show and season, but for me the finale (written by Simon) was curious, almost un-Wire-like in ways. Most importantly, and it really should be important to the consistency of the show -- Where was McNulty's fall? Was it losing his job? That was it?

The first hour moved along at a quick, but logical pace, the last 30 minutes felt rushed and forced. Did it have to feel like that? Maybe. You have high hopes going into a series finale, especially for a show like The Wire, but perhaps the argument that I've always made about The Wire -- that unlike most other shows, it deserves to graded on the season more so than individual episodes -- holds true even for the series finale. I'm open to that, and as far as the season as a whole goes, I was pleased, much more than many other critics and non-Baltimore viewers (it's tough to find anyone in this city who watches the show and has a bad thing to say about it).

Here's the Sun's television critic on the finale who, legitimately points out that for as much as Simon enjoys repeating the Greek tragedy line about The Wire to whomever will listen, we didn't see much of it in this series finale.

Wire Wins Top Award from WGA

The Wire picked up the award from best drama at the Writers Guild of America Awards. Good for them.

I still don't have a coherent opinion on the current season -- which usually wouldn't prevent me from blogging -- but in this case I want to feel out the season a bit more before I offer complaints or praise. All I'll say is that I think David Simon is stretching a bit in his final season, but it's still been a fun watch for me so far. You can't deny that Clark Johnson (who btw has been directing episodes since the beginning) has done a terrific job as the Sun's city editor bringing life to some of the otherwise boorish newsroom scenes. We'll see where the season takes us in its final episodes.

Keep Your Day Job... And Your Day Look

It looks like Hayden Panettiere can no longer pay me late night visits in my Japanese hotel room.

Hayden Panettiere's dolphin-saving mission last month has led to a warrant for her arrest in Japan, E! News reported.

The media coverage I have heard and read has been somewhat sympathetic or at worst neutral towards Hayden and her activist adventure.

Now I'm not familiar with the details of Japan's laws regarding property ownership. And the article doesn't make clear who, if anyone, owns the waters and shores on which the activism took place. But the purpose of the activism should not determine or influence whether or not a crime was committed.

But Hayden, really... keep your day job. Noble cause or not, you can't save every dolphin in the world. Plus, the full-body wetsuit and salt water-soaked hair just isn't doing it for me.

See for yourself: Before / After

Around the Dial

What has happened to television? Can anyone answer this question? Do they make anything, anymore that doesn't require the viewer to be high as fuck in order to watch the show? It doesn't seem that way.

Has anyone bothered to catch the Real World this season? It's great; MTV has officially completed their project with the show taking it from semi-socially relevant, to a show filled with hot, slutty blondes. No blacks, no gays, just 3 hot blondes, one extremely desperate and extremely awkward not-hot chick and 3 white guys. I haven't even seen them leave their house. It's just get-fucked-up-at-home, yell at each other a little bit, then someone fucks someone else. I love it.

They just now got their "job", after 15 episodes (granted a Real World season typically runs 50-70 episodes) and that job is to work for a travel agency. Brilliant. Who wants to watch them do something worthwhile like work with retarded kids in some mountain-side camp? I sure don't. Who needs retarded -- or even worse -- sick kids on their television screen at night? MTV has answered that question…

The Wire Round Up

You still have a few months to wait until the new, and final season of The Wire premiers in January, (and a whole lot longer for Deadwood) but to help tide you over 'till then I've dug up a few Wire related links. Enjoy

Creator David Simon spoke at Johns Hopkins the other day, participating in a symposium that centered around the theme "Renewing American Culture." As he put it, "I prefer to focus on it's collapse."

He also offered a strong indictment of the drug trade - one of the central themes of his work - calling it "the worst subversion of our judicial system you could possibly have."

"Your chance of being the victim of violence in this city if you're white is no different than Omaha, Neb.," he said. "There are two Americas."

"There's no politician that has the courage to do what needs to be done to get rid of these draconian drug laws," he added.

'I don't mind nasty roles'. Aidan Gillian, or Mayor Carcetti, a man cut from the same cloth as Rob.

And don't forget, season 4 will be released on DVD December 4th.

What I'm Watching at Work Today

Premier of Kid Nation on CBS. Missed it last night, and I gotta see if it is as cringe inducing as I think it will be....I'll just have to put aside my anger at being turned down for the one adult role on the show -- the host. Something about court orders and not being allowed alone around kids under 18. Whatever.

A Polygamy Primer for "Big Love" Fans

This past season of HBO's Big Love rocked so hard I found myself at dinner parties, after consuming too much wine, waxing about how Big Love is the new Sopranos: family drama, moral complexity, organized crime and sex.

And for we fans who want to understand the show's context better, the Attorney's General of Arizona and Utah have helped us by publishing a primer on fundamentalist Mormonism. It is definitely worth a read.

Thank Father that at least some prosecutors are using taxpayer money wisely to assist tv viewers versus prosecuting drug crimes. Even better, they got a federal grant to do it.

P.S. David Byrne is doing its soundtrack. For Gen X'ers like me who danced in movie theater aisles when Stop Making Sense was showing in theaters this is a cool thing. Plus, we X'ers have great memories of making out to "Heaven."

P.P.S. The female stars of Big Love are all really hot, starting with Chloe Sevigny, pictured above.

HBO Dominates the Emmys...

with one notable exception. Don't ask me how I remember, but a while back I punched out a The Wire post, complaining about the lack of professional recognition that the show gets, especially for what one could call a progressive show in many ways. Not too many shows are a majority-minority cast, and afford black actors the chance to play roles that they would normally not get to play. Couple that with the realistic depiction of poor, urban life in America which has a tough time finding room on prime time television in between sitcom A) which depicts the American husband and provider as a retarded oaf, constantly belittled by his wife -- or, sitcom B) which depicts the American husband and provider as a retarded oaf, constantly belittled by his wife. I would be remiss not to mention the plentiful dramatic choices such as CSI: Miami, CSI: Las Vegas, and CSI: New York.

I say this because the basic response to that was, "are you crazy? Everyone goes on and on about how great The Wire is, both critics and viewers." True, The Wire is in a sense a smash with the critics, both professionals and losers with blogs. However, it is never recognized by its peers, or by the Academy. The show has won a surprisingly few number of awards. How is that? Now, the only non-cynic response to the question is that it isn't a good show. The writing is poor, the acting is stiff, the costuming and set design blow, etc. Go ahead, try and make that argument, but I think if David Simon introduced a global warming subplot to this upcoming season -- maybe have Marlo trade his Escalade in for a Prius -- the Hollywood culture would feel more at ease with the subject manner being discussed.

I know that's a bit snarky and simple, but I do think a show like The Wire can create a certain amount of uncomfortableness in viewers and I know that if I really cared about issues like global warming and the environment, I would shy away from anything that made me think hard about problems much more serious and closer to home than melting sea caps. You know, might make me feel like I'm shallow and only care about the sexy, but unimportant social issues.

So yeah, The Wire wasn't nominated for anything, but HBO did get 17 total nominations, "dominating" all networks. They deserve it, but so does The Wire.

Imus's Grease Man Moment

Is it normal to feel like you've just finished a snuff film after one of the Bachelor episodes?

It's not a altogether bad feeling, but it definitely has a end-of-the world type feel to it. This is coming from me folks, tough to creep me out. But this does the job.

How does Imus offend people with a Spike Lee movie reference, but the Bachelor gets nothing? Impossible. And why are you apologizing Imus? Defend yourself instead of giving in to self-righteous activist. It was a movie reference that had to have crossed a few minds. It was the racial joke of a 60 year old man; which is damn good because he is like 67. Whatever, not all jokes are home-runs.

One day we will all be sensitive and enlightened to a point where it will become unnecessary to even discuss certain delicate topics. It will be a much better place then. When do we start to round the bigots and racist up into a camp somewhere!

Culture Shock: Welcome Shenaz

For anyone who's ever hoped a travel show would come along starring someone not from the U.S. or Europe, who's not well-known, who's damn cute, and who seems to have a brain, prepare to be psyched. Very psyched.

The host of Culture Shock, which debuts tonight next Monday at 8pm on the Travel Channel, is sometime-actress and former MTV India Vijay VJ Shenaz Treasurywala.

She joins the Travel Channel's already-excellent Monday lineup tonight, settling in alongside bold cherub Andrew Zimmern and the incomparable Anthony Bourdain. It's a move I expect will form the best three-hour block on television in recent memory.

Shenaz's official Travel Channel bio here. Culture Shock promo here. Times of India coverage of Shenaz's every move here, here, here, and here.

Shenaz hosting what I assume to be a demo or Indian travel show below.



A bit more here. Shenaz explains why she prefers sex to clothes here.

Update: Premieres Monday, April 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. That's next Monday. Sorry.