TV Chat

Kaleva

(38,160 posts) Wed Nov 13, 2019, 10:07 PM Nov 2019

My wife and I have strated binge watching "The Wire" on Amazon Prime

We are both intrigued by the character "Omar". Was doing some reading a little while ago about the character and here is what Presdient Obama said about him:

"In January 2008 then-presidential candidate Barack Obama told the Las Vegas Sun that Omar was his favorite character on The Wire (which, in turn, is his favorite television show), adding, "That's not an endorsement. He's not my favorite person, but he's a fascinating character.""

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Little#Reception

We find the show kind of hard to follow as there are so many characters and sub-story lines within the main story but we are enjoying it and I highly recommend it.

18 replies

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My wife and I have strated binge watching "The Wire" on Amazon Prime (Original Post) Kaleva Nov 2019 OP

Keep watching. The characters will gel over the seasons. JDC Nov 2019 #1

The Wire is an amazing show. Maybe one of the greatest of all time. nycbos Nov 2019 #2

Don't worry. After your third viewing it all makes sense. intrepidity Nov 2019 #3

My favorite tv series hands down. flying rabbit Nov 2019 #4

Always thought the actor Michael K. Williams walked like a dancer, and found he started out as a emmaverybo Nov 2019 #5

IIRC, Omar was a "walk on" with no acting experience. CincyDem Nov 2019 #6

Is the Jack Ryan series good too? applegrove Nov 2019 #7

It's ok. A little predictable. CincyDem Nov 2019 #10

Thanks. applegrove Nov 2019 #11

Peter Gerety, the judge in season 1, can be seen in "Sneaky Pete" on Amazon. Kaleva Nov 2019 #17

It's reputation has grown greatly over time Bradshaw3 Nov 2019 #8

Omar, IRL had a part as an extra in one of the prison scenes. 3Hotdogs Nov 2019 #9

I see Amazon Prime bought up rights to all the BBC shows. comradebillyboy Nov 2019 #12

I watched it years ago and have thought about re-watching... hlthe2b Nov 2019 #13

Truly brilliant. We watched The Wire and The Killing back to back. Now that was great TV! OregonBlue Nov 2019 #14

One thing that bugged me about The Wire... LessAspin Nov 2019 #15

One of the best shows ever splunge63 Nov 2019 #16

Omar was my favorite character. scarletlib Dec 2019 #18

JDC

(10,486 posts)

1. Keep watching. The characters will gel over the seasons.

Reply to Kaleva (Original post)

Wed Nov 13, 2019, 10:08 PM

Nov 2019

Great show

nycbos

(6,345 posts)

2. The Wire is an amazing show. Maybe one of the greatest of all time.

Reply to Kaleva (Original post)

Wed Nov 13, 2019, 10:10 PM

Nov 2019

Omar is indeed a fascinating character.

For other people here if you haven't seen it get do it. Without any spoilers I can say one of the reason makes it great unlike in many shows there are many grey areas in the situation the characters face.

intrepidity

(7,891 posts)

3. Don't worry. After your third viewing it all makes sense.

Reply to Kaleva (Original post)

Wed Nov 13, 2019, 10:31 PM

Nov 2019

And you will watch it all again, several times.

That's just how good it is.

So, relax and enjoy it.

flying rabbit

(4,770 posts)

4. My favorite tv series hands down.

Reply to Kaleva (Original post)

Wed Nov 13, 2019, 10:31 PM

Nov 2019

So well done.

emmaverybo

(8,147 posts)

5. Always thought the actor Michael K. Williams walked like a dancer, and found he started out as a

Reply to Kaleva (Original post)

Wed Nov 13, 2019, 10:42 PM

Nov 2019

dancer and choreographer. Omar moved with a certain menacing grace and drama,

Loved The Wire.

CincyDem

(6,934 posts)

6. IIRC, Omar was a "walk on" with no acting experience.

Reply to Kaleva (Original post)

Wed Nov 13, 2019, 10:43 PM

Nov 2019

The story goes that he drove a friend to the audition and one of the directors got into a conversation with him in the hallway. Asked him to come in and read. Rest is history.

One of the really GREAT police stories.

I enjoyed seeing Bunk in the new Jack Ryan series, Lt. Daniels showing up in Bosch and Stringer Bell in everything (Avengers, Luther, Gunslinger...reading a phone book...lol). Great launching pad for these guys.

applegrove

(123,112 posts)

7. Is the Jack Ryan series good too?

Reply to CincyDem (Reply #6)

Wed Nov 13, 2019, 11:09 PM

Nov 2019

CincyDem

(6,934 posts)

10. It's ok. A little predictable.

Reply to applegrove (Reply #7)

Wed Nov 13, 2019, 11:25 PM

Nov 2019

If it's any indication, we watch it falling asleep with the TV set to go off automatically. Takes us 2-3 nights to get through an episode.

Really hard to put it in the same breath as The Wire. If you've got Prime and haven't seen it - I'd go with Bosch before Ryan. Much better storylines and characters.

IMHO

applegrove

(123,112 posts)

11. Thanks.

Reply to CincyDem (Reply #10)

Wed Nov 13, 2019, 11:26 PM

Nov 2019

Kaleva

(38,160 posts)

17. Peter Gerety, the judge in season 1, can be seen in "Sneaky Pete" on Amazon.

Reply to CincyDem (Reply #6)

Sun Nov 17, 2019, 05:30 PM

Nov 2019

Bradshaw3

(7,962 posts)

8. It's reputation has grown greatly over time

Reply to Kaleva (Original post)

Wed Nov 13, 2019, 11:20 PM

Nov 2019

I, like a lot of other people, didn't watch it when it first started. I think for me it was gritty crime drama fatigue after the Sopranos and thinking it can't be as good as that. Well, after starting it a few months ago, I was wrong. It is a great drama with a lot of nuanced characters and believable situations that provides an insight into the worlds of the people of Baltimore. That runs from city leaders to those living and working in the projects.

I now rate it up there with the Sopranos. Funny, the wiki write up has the same take: a show that was overlooked when it first came on but now is considered one of the best ever.

3Hotdogs

(13,394 posts)

9. Omar, IRL had a part as an extra in one of the prison scenes.

Reply to Kaleva (Original post)

Wed Nov 13, 2019, 11:23 PM

Nov 2019

comradebillyboy

(10,467 posts)

12. I see Amazon Prime bought up rights to all the BBC shows.

Reply to Kaleva (Original post)

Thu Nov 14, 2019, 12:27 AM

Nov 2019

I was watching Midsomer Murders on Netflix and then it shows up on Prime along with a whole line up of BBC programming.

hlthe2b

(106,333 posts)

13. I watched it years ago and have thought about re-watching...

Reply to Kaleva (Original post)

Thu Nov 14, 2019, 06:02 AM

Nov 2019

I rarely re-watch tv series, though. I tried to do so with the Sopranos, but it just felt wrong.

Enjoy though. It was a very well made series--thoughtful and provocative.

OregonBlue

(7,923 posts)

14. Truly brilliant. We watched The Wire and The Killing back to back. Now that was great TV!

Reply to Kaleva (Original post)

Thu Nov 14, 2019, 10:22 AM

Nov 2019

LessAspin

(1,407 posts)

15. One thing that bugged me about The Wire...

Reply to Kaleva (Original post)

Thu Nov 14, 2019, 02:06 PM

Nov 2019

It never got any love from the Emmy's during it's run. Since then both the Oscar's and Emmy's have tried to embrace diversity but there were no nominations when it was clearly the best show on tv.

Rant over.