The Wire Series Finale : RIP (2002-2008)

Critically acclaimed TV Drama 'The Wire' officially came to an end today in a 100 minute special, after five seasons spanning over six years.

One thought I gathered from the final montage of scenes, was that after all the arrests, promotions and murders, nothing really has changed. Poverty, drug addicts, drug kingpins, police negligence and other community problems still exist. The Game, is The Game, and Life is the biggest Game of them all.

Highlights were as follows;

• McNulty and Freeman quitting, and escaping the bullet behind the fake 'serial killer'.
• Michael becoming the new stick up kid. Spirit of Omar lives on.
• Bubbles being able to eat with his sister upstairs, symbolizing his full circle of recovery.
• Daniels leaving the force and becoming a lawyer.
• Carcetti becoming Governor
• Dukie becoming a drug addict
  
• Prezbo's beard
• Chris getting life, and chilling with Wee-Bay inside
• Cheese getting done by Slim Charles
• Marlo walking and selling the connect for 10mil
• Scott Templeton winning a pulitzer for the fictional 'homeless serial killer' story
• Levi escaping getting done for selling confidential court documents , and also his reputation rising after getting Marlo off a multi-million dollar drug conspiracy.
  

I think it pretty much answered the lot, and tied up everything (unlike Prisonbreak finale). I will have to look elsewhere for quality TV entertainment. Well at least until Heroes and Entourage start back up.

Creator David Simon has said that despite its presentation as a crime drama, the show is "really about the American city, and about how we live together. It's about how institutions have an effect on individuals, and how…whether you're a cop, a longshoreman, a drug dealer, a politician, a judge [or] lawyer, you are ultimately compromised and must contend with whatever institution you've committed to."

Despite the critical acclaim, The Wire has received poor Nielsen Ratings, which Simon attributes to the complexity of the plot, a poor time slot, heavy use of esoteric slang, particularly among the gangster characters and a predominantly black cast. Critics felt the show was testing the attention span of its audience and felt that it was mistimed in the wake of the launch of the successful crime drama The Shield.