The Wire

My concerns with season five were put to rest last night.

The scene of Marlo going to the bank - genius. "You got my money in there?"

Omar is coming back ('nuff said)...McNulty banging the girl on his car (hilarious)...the Bunk's reaction to McNulty's new plan throughout the episode (incredible)...Chris and Snoop starting to question Marlo...just everything seemed to come together well last night. The two plot points I have trouble digesting are getting a little better, but I still think they are problematic. We'll see where they take it - they've certainly earned my trust.

Although many lame critics point to the bleakness of the world in the Wire, the optimism can be found where it belongs - in the characters. There is heroism in the Wire. Last nite, Omar's blind uncle (or friend) wouldn't give him up, it was a wonderful scene of human courage and loyalty and how it impacts even those dishing out the punishment. A lesser talent would have been tempted to show Chris and Snoop enjoying the torture or possibly even tried to connect it to popular perceptions of torture at Guantanamo or some other stupid reference to the headlines. Instead, they choose to show the reluctance of Chris and Snoop and how doing such an action makes them start to question themselves (or rather, Marlo). Omar's blind relation wasn't going to give him up...and you believed it.

There are other instances when the Wire does the same. One of my favorite moments of the show is when Rawls, who we hate, comforts McNulty when Greggs is shot at the end of season 1. He says something along the lines, "You're an asshole McNulty and I don't like you...you know if this was you're fault, I'd be the first one to say it. So you can believe me when I say this to you: it WASN'T your fault."

Not to mention the penultimate episode of season 2, when