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The Wire - The Complete Fourth Season 
Actors : Dominic West, Wendell Pierce, Sonja Sohn, Lance Reddick, Aidan Gillen
Director : Daniel Attias
Studio : Hbo Home Video
by Hbo Home Video
Brand : Warner Brothers
Release Date : 2007-12-04
Publisher : Hbo Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 4
EAN : 0026359392726
UPC : 026359392726
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 125 reviews)
List Price : $59.99
Our Price : $33.89
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Description |
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With the fall of Barksdale and the ascent of young Marlo Stanfield as West Baltimore's drug king, the detail continues to "follow the money" up the political ladder in the midst of a mayoral election that pits the black incumbent, Clarence Royce, against an ambitious white councilman, Tommy Carcetti. The theme of urban education is explored through four new characters â€" Michael Lee, Namond Brice, Randy Wagstaff and "Dukie" Weems as they traverse adolescence in the stunted, drug-saturated streets of West Baltimore. The world that awaits these boys and the American commitment to equal opportunity are depicted brilliantly in the edgy, all too realistic Season 4 of The Wire. |
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Marketadvisory.com |
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Even if you missed the first three seasons (the character guides and thorough episode recaps on HBO's website are recommended), and with only one season left, it's not too late to get in under The Wire. In fact, season 4 is an accessible introduction for those who know The Wire only by its street cred as arguably the very best show on television. For them especially, this season will be, as befitting its theme, a real education. Without resorting to melodramatics that other ratings-challenged series employ to gain that frustratingly elusive audience, The Wire shakes things up this season in a way that is true to the series and its characters. A major character, Dominic West's McNulty, plays a minor role as a contented street cop and family man, while a former supporting player, Jim True-Frost's Roland Pryzbylewski, goes to the head of the class as a new eighth grade teacher at beleaguered Edward Tilghman Middle School. It may take a couple of episodes to orient yourself to the Baltimore backrooms, squad rooms, classrooms, and street corners where The Wire's intense dramas play out, and new viewers may miss something in character nuance, but they will easily grasp the big picture. A politically motivated shake-up sends Major Crimes detectives Freamon (Clarke Peters) and Greggs (Sonja Sohn) to Homicide. The gloves come off in the mayoral race between black incumbent Clarence Royce (Glynn Turman) and idealistic white challenger Tommy Carcetti (Aidan Gillen). Gang leader Marlo (Jamie Hector) quietly and deliberately becomes the city's new drug kingpin, managing to subvert all surveillance efforts. Meanwhile, while "Prez" tries to reach his students, four highly at-risk kids will be drawn into the drug trade. Mere synopsis does not do The Wire justice. The series deftly juggles its myriad storylines and characters, all of whom make an impression, from Marlo's cold-blooded enforcers, Snoop (Felicia Pearson) and Chris (Gbenga Akinnagbe), to boxing instructor "Cutty" (Chad L. Coleman), determined to keep his young charges off the corners. There is not a false note in the performances or the writing. Richard Price (Clockers) and Dennis Lehane (Mystic River) again contributed episodes. That this series has only been nominated for only one Emmy (for writing) is a travesty. As engrossing as the finest novels and in a class by itself, this isn't television; it's The Wire. --Donald Liebenson |
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Maybe the best season of any television show ever. |
I assume if you're reading this review you own, or at least have seen, seasons 1 through 3 of the critically acclaimed program The Wire. If not what are you doing; go out and buy or rent or try to borrow from someone the previous seasons, and start from Season 1. Do not, I repeat do not, skip a single episode much less a season. That might be fine for some TV shows, but not The Wire. The Wire unfolds like a great novel, building on itself piece by piece, and with a scope beyond anything done in television beforehand. It's a show that requires dedication, and with that dedication you will absorb some of the most satisfying experiences you have ever felt from a TV show.
For those that have seen seasons 1 through 3, rest assured that Season 4 isn't only on par with those first three season; in my opinion it suprasses them. Every Wire season ads a new layer to the Baltimore culture, and this season it's the school. For me, as someone who went to inner city schools though not in Baltimore, it was aghast how much I could relate my experiences to those of the kids on the show. There are four major characters--Michael, Namond, Randy, and Dukie--and all are performed by the young actors very well.
I'm not going to give much away. The first episode, like the first episode of the other seasons, purposely frustrates the viewer with many new characters brand new plotlines not always clear, and it's hard to make total sense of it even by the third episode. The more the season progresses the more you appreciate that they did confuse you in the beginning because there always is a payoff. This is the first season that doesn't rely much on the Barksdale crew, but it picks up at the street very well, as it does with the Law, and at the Hall. Along with the School all four aspects of the Wire connect in a way so seamless you're amazed television is capable of something so grand.
Special features include six Audio commentaries, and two nice documentaries on the show. One of the commentaries includes all four actors playing the kids I mentioned above, along with the actor who plays Prop Joe, and it's one of the more memorable commentaries I have seen.
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The 1st time N my life I've ever been glued 2 a TV |
Short & Sweet. Didn't watch this series before it was taken off the air. Heard all the rave reviews. Did my research and ordered Season 4 (to start with).
Easily the most dynamic TV series of my lifetime. Incredible acting (and from such young kids), brilliant writing and great storylines.
Powerful, engaging, thought-provoking, eye-popping, emotional, deep, inspiring, gripping, maddening.
There aren't enough words 2 describe this show.
I think what makes this season so real is the fact you'll look at the four boys and easily place them in your own lives as people you'd know. So to see them face real world problems and make life/death decisions at such young ages and with relatively little information, it hits home hard.
This is what I call "Reality Television." What makes this show all the more impactful is the fact that, sadly, most of these scenarios and portrayals are at least loosely based on real events that went down (and continue 2 go down) in the streets of Baltimore.
I believe a stat from the Special Features Documentary says that 80% of the characters depicted were based on real people! If that doesn't draw viewers in, I don't know what else will?
This DVD series is a must have.
Period. |
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Great stuff |
Great stuff. I feel like I know the whole g'dam town of Baltimore, from top to bottom. Seriously, it's like these people aren't even actors. In fact, you can't even imagine them as actors, being away from the set, that's how good they are. It doesn't even seem possible that they're acting. There's probably not too much higher praise you can give an actor than this. This is like going to see a great movie at the Cineplex, only the effing thing is 100 hours long, and you get to watch it go on and on, and the quality never goes down-- just stays at the same high level. Thanks guys. Great work.
Larry W. Phillips |
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"Life" isn't fair...it's "life"... |
Just finished the set...3 days. I find irony in the fact that one of the most beautiful things ever created was born of ugliness. If aliens were to come down to Earth, curious about what it meant to be human, I would show them "The Wire". I don't feel much hope, day to day. It's tough to be positive. Erosion. Winners and losers. You can't win in this life without being a little evil it seems. No good deed and all of that...just watch the show. It's a gift in a world that eats corporate s^%t and begs for more. Embrace the truth, do what you can...subtract from the evil, don't add. All you can do...maybe you'll make it...
..but probably not. |
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The Best season of the best series ever made. |
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If you haven't already seen the Wire, see it. There is nothing better. This is in my opinion the best season of it. It is the most intelligent, raw and simply brilliant television show ever made, buy it. |
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