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shadowkatWell, I figured out why the Wire is so male dominated - it's because the central or focal point of view is Jimmy McNulty - a bit of a cowboy cop, who doesn't quite know how to deal with women, and a mission to resolve a drug cartel case that has been littering his case file and his colleagues with uncleared homicide cases. McNulty is what I like to call a catalyste character - everything jumps off of him. With all these little unrelated, yet oddly related threads. It's a story-telling style that is rather interesting to me - because it's demonstrates how our lives are interlocking patterns with others lives, weaving a broader pattern, that from our perspective may seem random, but from a point of view of say someone watching from a far or looking at all the interlocking patterns - isn't random at all. Richard Price - wrote two novels that used this specific style - Clockers and Freedomland - I suggest you rent Clockers - Spike Lee made a film of it, and read Freedomland (there's a film of it too, but it's not as good as the book). Both works are social criticisms. Other tv shows that use this approach are Game of Thrones - with Ned Stark being the initial catalyst...and Friday Night Lights - Coach Taylor.
Also, after I whined about it being too male dominated...there was one great female centric scene in episode 10 - that blew me away. Detective Greggs story about how she nabbed her first perp.
Stupid show just shot Detective Greggs. The only major female character on the show at the moment.
And they did it in such a cliche manner. I knew she was going to get shot. I kept screaming at the tv - no, no, no, you better not shoot her you stupid show. Don't you dare! Of course they did. Because you know - the MANPAIN!!! We have to have the MANPAIN!!! And that's all episode 11 was - all about the manpain. It's odd, because I was rolling my eyes at the whole manpain vid, and thinking during episode 10 - maybe I'm wrong, here's three good female bits, and maybe it's not as male dominated as I think? Then they shoot Greggs, who is curled up in the back and the drug dealers/shooters don't see as important, just some bitch. Which is why the show did it of course - to emphasize that theme - that in this world, women don't matter - outside of how useful they are to men. The fact that Greggs is a lesbian, has no interest in men - is hard for the men to deal with. Men are her co-workers and that's it. She prefers women. The statement is clear - in this world of power - it's a man's game, women are the ultimate minority, sexism is worse than racism. And it is. People don't get that.
But women are treated worse in this world. Women are the most disenfranchised minority. I'll give the Wire credit for driving that point home - and it does.
The previous episode - D'Angelo's girl breaks up with him, what turns her, is what Nekome tells her - that the men treated her friend who overdosed as little more than inconvenient trash, rolled her up in a trash bag and threw her out with the garbage. McNulty tells his wife he loves her out of one side of his mouth, and the other admits to sleeping with the State's Attorney, who he is using as a divorce attorney, even though she freely tells everyone present she knows nothing about family or divorce law.
Gregg's story to her girl-friends about why she is cop - is about nabbing a crook on her own, by herself, and being tossed the bracelets by a legendary male cop. She was proud. She'd done it on her own.
When she gets shot - McNulty makes it about him, and Rawls redeems himself, steps up to the plate and tells McNulty not everything is about him, that this isn't his fault, that he's not the center of attention here - to get over his egotistical asshole self. I almost applauded. McNaulty is torn up inside. But Greggs deserves better than his guilt.
Jaye Landsman and Bunk's detective work almost saved the cliche nature of Greggs shooting, as did the
hilarious aquarium sequence with D'Angelo who is convinced that Weebay has been ordered to kill him by Stringer Bell. Also, Lester and the boys figuring out the Wire is the way to nab who did it.
I adore Lester.
Proposition Joe is introduced by name - he mediates Omar and Stringer's parlay, then Omar slinks out of town. As does Wallace - who is staying with his grandparents until he can testify - although I predict he'll not make it that far - he's being an idiot and calling his buds back at the projects.
I saw Greggs shooting coming - I was literally leaning forward in my chair and talking back to the tv - okay, I'm worried about Greggs now, oh no, oh no, they are so going to kill her. Damn. This is so cliche. They always shoot the female cop and all the guys moan about it. Here at least we got to see her significant other in pain.
Honestly? I wish it were someone else. Someone less predictable and less likable. Granted - it would have been hard to do anyone else. Also she was liked by everyone and they had to jump-start things, because I was starting to wonder how long the writers planned on dragging The Wire tap out...it was becoming a bit unrealistic. Sooner or later someone was going to shut that down. So - shooting Greggs was an easy way to push things forward and they'll either kill her or have the cliche arc about the injured cop who loved her job - dealing with being injured and struggling to either resume it or a new path. (You know you've watched too many cop shows when that storythread feels like a cliche to you. Every single cop series that I've watched does this storyline at least once. I think Homicide Life on the Street may not have done it...no, wait, Melissa Leo got shot on that one - I remember her partner being pissed.) Sure they had to shoot a cop sooner or later, but I was sort of hoping it would be McNulty. Not that I dislike McNulty - Dominic West is great in the role, I just, well it would have worked better for me, sure it would have been cliche in a whole other way and it wouldn't have underlined the whole misogyny/sexism theme they got going regarding the drug world,
but when you have a show that has just one female cop? You don't shoot her, you shoot someone else.
Just saying.
Hopefully, the Wire will redeem itself. I shall wait and see. Sort of want to be spoiled on Greggs, but I've already pretty much guessed that she'll make it. There's too much they can do with her.
Also, after I whined about it being too male dominated...there was one great female centric scene in episode 10 - that blew me away. Detective Greggs story about how she nabbed her first perp.
Stupid show just shot Detective Greggs. The only major female character on the show at the moment.
And they did it in such a cliche manner. I knew she was going to get shot. I kept screaming at the tv - no, no, no, you better not shoot her you stupid show. Don't you dare! Of course they did. Because you know - the MANPAIN!!! We have to have the MANPAIN!!! And that's all episode 11 was - all about the manpain. It's odd, because I was rolling my eyes at the whole manpain vid, and thinking during episode 10 - maybe I'm wrong, here's three good female bits, and maybe it's not as male dominated as I think? Then they shoot Greggs, who is curled up in the back and the drug dealers/shooters don't see as important, just some bitch. Which is why the show did it of course - to emphasize that theme - that in this world, women don't matter - outside of how useful they are to men. The fact that Greggs is a lesbian, has no interest in men - is hard for the men to deal with. Men are her co-workers and that's it. She prefers women. The statement is clear - in this world of power - it's a man's game, women are the ultimate minority, sexism is worse than racism. And it is. People don't get that.
But women are treated worse in this world. Women are the most disenfranchised minority. I'll give the Wire credit for driving that point home - and it does.
The previous episode - D'Angelo's girl breaks up with him, what turns her, is what Nekome tells her - that the men treated her friend who overdosed as little more than inconvenient trash, rolled her up in a trash bag and threw her out with the garbage. McNulty tells his wife he loves her out of one side of his mouth, and the other admits to sleeping with the State's Attorney, who he is using as a divorce attorney, even though she freely tells everyone present she knows nothing about family or divorce law.
Gregg's story to her girl-friends about why she is cop - is about nabbing a crook on her own, by herself, and being tossed the bracelets by a legendary male cop. She was proud. She'd done it on her own.
When she gets shot - McNulty makes it about him, and Rawls redeems himself, steps up to the plate and tells McNulty not everything is about him, that this isn't his fault, that he's not the center of attention here - to get over his egotistical asshole self. I almost applauded. McNaulty is torn up inside. But Greggs deserves better than his guilt.
Jaye Landsman and Bunk's detective work almost saved the cliche nature of Greggs shooting, as did the
hilarious aquarium sequence with D'Angelo who is convinced that Weebay has been ordered to kill him by Stringer Bell. Also, Lester and the boys figuring out the Wire is the way to nab who did it.
I adore Lester.
Proposition Joe is introduced by name - he mediates Omar and Stringer's parlay, then Omar slinks out of town. As does Wallace - who is staying with his grandparents until he can testify - although I predict he'll not make it that far - he's being an idiot and calling his buds back at the projects.
I saw Greggs shooting coming - I was literally leaning forward in my chair and talking back to the tv - okay, I'm worried about Greggs now, oh no, oh no, they are so going to kill her. Damn. This is so cliche. They always shoot the female cop and all the guys moan about it. Here at least we got to see her significant other in pain.
Honestly? I wish it were someone else. Someone less predictable and less likable. Granted - it would have been hard to do anyone else. Also she was liked by everyone and they had to jump-start things, because I was starting to wonder how long the writers planned on dragging The Wire tap out...it was becoming a bit unrealistic. Sooner or later someone was going to shut that down. So - shooting Greggs was an easy way to push things forward and they'll either kill her or have the cliche arc about the injured cop who loved her job - dealing with being injured and struggling to either resume it or a new path. (You know you've watched too many cop shows when that storythread feels like a cliche to you. Every single cop series that I've watched does this storyline at least once. I think Homicide Life on the Street may not have done it...no, wait, Melissa Leo got shot on that one - I remember her partner being pissed.) Sure they had to shoot a cop sooner or later, but I was sort of hoping it would be McNulty. Not that I dislike McNulty - Dominic West is great in the role, I just, well it would have worked better for me, sure it would have been cliche in a whole other way and it wouldn't have underlined the whole misogyny/sexism theme they got going regarding the drug world,
but when you have a show that has just one female cop? You don't shoot her, you shoot someone else.
Just saying.
Hopefully, the Wire will redeem itself. I shall wait and see. Sort of want to be spoiled on Greggs, but I've already pretty much guessed that she'll make it. There's too much they can do with her.
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no subject
Date: 2011-06-23 05:05 am (UTC)Also, outside the first season, I would not characterize "The Wire" as a cop show. Even in the first season which is the most traditional cop story, the dealers and users like Bubbles and Omar, who is sui generis, have at least as much screentime and importance to the story as the policemen do, and by the later seasons, they are more important in some ways than the cops are.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-23 06:19 pm (UTC)But I like McNulty, Greggs, Lester, Daniels, the Judge, Rawls, Pearlman, Jaye, Bunch, Carver, Herc and Prez a whole lot better than Bubbles, Omar, D'Angelo, Barksdale, Wee Bay, Stringer Bell, Brodie, Wallace and Severino.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-23 09:27 am (UTC)But the characters that seem to be the main ones in one season become outlying characters in the next one...when they aren't dead! It really is an ensemble show.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-23 09:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-23 04:06 pm (UTC)I remember Pemberton's stroke.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-23 09:47 am (UTC)The main thing I remember about that episode is Commissioner Burrell (was it, or was it the mayor?) refusing to offer sympathy to Kima's partner.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-23 12:23 pm (UTC)It wasn't that clear. One of her colleagues who brought her partner to the hospital - approaches Daniels, the Commissioner, and the Cheif Deputy. The Commissioner states one of them should talk to the family - is this her family? The Cheif says - "her girl? You mean, her sister or her daughter?" No, says her colleague, and he looks pointedly at Daniels, who intercedes with "her roommate." The Commissioner is confused. The Cheif Deputy states -
I'll go talk to her.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-23 12:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-23 04:04 pm (UTC)The opening sequence of pure chaos at the scene of the crime, with Rawls coming there and making order out of chaos - does a great job of depicting the complexity of Rawls role and the character. He figures out how the thing went to hell and why it's not really any of the cops faults - the street sign post was wrong - two streets were switched. A simple thing...
So, yeah, this episode redeems Rawls a bit and makes the story less of your run of the mill cop gets shot everyone goes nuts tv show cliche.