This is an essay I wrote about why The Wire is awesome. Enjoy.

The HBO original series The Wire has gained much acclaim since its premier in 2002. This police crime/drama chronicles the underground drug trade in Baltimore Maryland from the perspectives of drug dealers, police officers, and political figures. Journalists Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune and Tim Goodman of the San Francisco Chronicle agree that it was one of the best shows on television during its reign (2002 – 2008). They explain that The Wire earns its prowess from its dense storylines, literary writing styles, and relevant social criticism. All of these elements are prevalent in the second episode of season one entitled “You Cannot Lose if You Do Not Play.”

In this episode, the density of the show becomes apparent. In Goodman’s article, “Yes, HBO’s ‘Wire’ is Challenging. It’s Also a Masterpiece,” a “dense” television show is one that can be difficult to follow because of the intricacies associated with serial storylines. He claims that density is a good thing and that “expecting the series to be simple, easy or unchallenging is a ridiculous notion” (Goodman). “You Cannot Lose if You Do Not Play” picks up where the last episode left off with controversy surrounding a dead murder witness. The program’s density comes into play when storylines begin to overlap. The audience follows D’Angelo Barksdale, a street level drug dealer, as the police arrest him and coax him into writing an apology letter to the family of the dead witness. This occurrence implies that Barksdale might be affiliated with the murder. At the same time, viewers begin learning about how corrupt the narcotics unit really is: Crooked cops perform false arrests and drunken shakedowns. Finally, throughout the duration of the episode, Colonel Daniels complains to and bargains with superior officers in relation to the personnel in his narcotics unit.

These overlapping plots are not a bad thing, Goodman argues; television programs are more entertaining when they stimulate audience members’ minds. Goodman also discusses the pity he has for viewers that are too lazy to attempt to follow The Wire: “It's viewers who should worry that they are missing the absolute best of what television has to offer merely because it requires effort” (Goodman). Where he admits that The Wire can be difficult for new viewers to follow, Goodman believes that the show is not too complex for intelligent audience members to understand.

The main element that makes The Wire easier to follow is the literary style in which the show is written. In Ryan’s article, “Hooked by ‘The Wire’,” the storytelling is described as being “gripping” and the series is compared to a “meaty novel.” Goodman agrees by describing the plot of The Wire as one that “continues to move slowly, with intricate strands of story revealing themselves at a leisurely pace, like a good, well-crafted book. No, check that -- like a great novel.” (Goodman). In “You Cannot Lose if You Do Not Play,” literary styles become apparent throughout the episode.

A recurring literary theme in this episode and the entire series is a chant echoed by the low-level drug dealers. Whenever a street dealer sees a police officer they yell “5-0” which then gets echoed by every other dealer in the vicinity. The repetition of this phrase becomes expected by the audience and analogous with the camaraderie associated with the drug-dealing community. Foreshadowing is also present in “You Cannot Lose if You Do Not Play.” At one point, D’Angelo Barksdale visits his uncle, drug kingpin Avon Barksdale. D’Angelo hands his son over to Avon, at which point Avon refers to the child as his “little soldier.” The word “soldier,” as it’s used on the street, means drug dealer and/or gang member. Avon’s statement leads the viewers to believe that the family will be raising their children as drug-dealing gang-bangers.

The idea of breeding children for a life of crime also exemplifies the idea of social commentary contributing to the quality of The Wire. Again, Ryan and Goodman agree that the presence of social commentary is a defining element of the program. Ryan states that “The Wire steers clear of preaching, but it’s impossible not to see the graft and wheeling and dealing that goes on in the higher echelons of Baltimore’s power structure without also seeing parallels in the petty larceny on the street corners and the theft and betrayals among the city’s drug dealers” (Ryan). Goodman believes that The Wire does an exemplary job of explaining modern drug wars, racial issues, poverty, and political corruption. He goes on to illustrate that “Few series in the history of television have explored the plight of inner-city African Americans and none -- not one -- has done it as well” (Goodman).

“You Cannot Lose if You Do Not Play” is filled with socially critical elements that are both obvious and abstract. A less apparent socially relevant instance occurs towards the end of the episode. Officer McNulty is shown drinking beer in his car. He sees two men trying to break into a car. He tries to stop them, but instead he drunkenly stumbles down a hill. He couples his embarrassing spill with an open chuckle while looking at his police badge. This act leads viewers to imply that police officers are imperfect. They have problems, flaws, and do not always act as responsible authority figures.

Later in the episode, Officer Pryzbylewski pistol whips a young boy for leaning on his car. This obvious act of brutality leads to a formal complaint from the boy’s mother. In order to minimize damage, Colonel Daniels coaches Pryzbylewski on how to lie to Internal Affairs, should they contact him. When asked why Pryzbylewski struck the boy, he replies with “because he pissed me off.” Daniels then says “No, Pryzblewski, he did not piss you off. He made you fear for your safety and that of your fellow officers… Go practice…” The obvious social criticism implies that repercussions can be avoided if a crooked cop conducts himself in the right manner. It is made apparent that a police officer has more credibility than a young black boy from the Baltimore housing projects. This idea may be inherently unjust, but more often than not, it is true.

A television show should embody certain criteria to a quality program. The Wire is a dense show that combines literary storytelling and relevant social commentary to intrigue viewers. Journalists Maureen Ryan and Tim Goodman concur that the advent of these criteria helps illustrate why The Wire is a quality program. An episode called “You Cannot Lose if You Do Not Play” embodies density, literary storytelling and social commentary; therefore, this episode can be considered an exemplary installment of a complex and quality series