The Wire

5 stars out of 5

An Urban Education.

Ok, I loved The Wire. Yes, it is grisly. Violence, language, corruption, drugs, etc. But it is real. It doesn't glamorize violence or drugs - it just lays it out there like it is in Baltimore. Now I don't presume to know what living on the street in urban Baltimore is like, so I guess they could be pulling a fast one on me. But it felt real, and people that do live there report that it is real, and even some of the characters are plucked right out of the street to act on the show.
I felt like I learned more on this show than I did in 13 years of public school education.

Each season has a different focus and you see the story from several different points of view.

Season 1 focuses on drugs ang gangs. The drug economy is prevalent in Baltimore and gangs operate it fairly efficiently. A police unit is set up to do a thorough investigation on one particular organization and they set up a wire tap to find out the inner workings of the organization. Excellent season.

Season 2 focuses on unions, particularly the unions on the docks, which don't need nearly as many workers as they used to. Corruption in the unions lead them to deal with the Greek mafia, which import drugs, women and weapons. Police investigating a container full of dead women find that it is part of a much deeper plot. Pretty good season.

Season 3 is more on police work, particularly with respect to the drug trade. An inventive police major legalizes drug in certain sections of his area, hoping to contain the traffic and violence and make the streets more tolerable for other citizens. Another focus is on politics, particularly the mayoral race. Great season.

Season 4 looks at education and the challenges of teaching in inner city schools. Since most of the kids see their future on the streets, it is hard for them to be motivated by excellence in school. Politics, drugs and police all factor heavily into this season as well. Another excellent season.

Season 5 focuses on journalism and the role of the media in bringing attention to society's problems. A spree of "connected" killings get the media, politicians and police in a frenzy. This season it felt like it was spinning a little out of control. Seasons 1 throug 4 had very believable plots, but season 5 was a little wacky. It was still good, but not as good as other seasons.

Obviously, not recommended for everyone. But I feel like I have a better understanding of the challenges of the inner city after watching this series. Highly educational and very entertaining.

Battlestar Galactica

4.5 stars out of 5

Recently the series of Battlestar Galactica concluded, after 4 years. It was a good run. I believe I have commented on the series previously, but I thought I would do so in conclusion.

For those not familiar with the story line, humans on distant worlds create artificial intelligence, which eventually rebels (like the Matrix), calls a truce, then comes back 40 years later with improved technology - so much so that the robots (called the Cylons) now look exactly like humans. They obliterate most of mankind, but several space ships full of people survive and band together to try to fight and/or eke out an existence. Their ultimate goal is to find "Earth" which is reported to be home planet of one of their lost tribes.

It's a great story on many levels. There is the conflict between wanting to maintain a democracy and needing to get things done and make command decisions. Race relations are explored as people try to figure out how to treat Cylons (which are essentially human). Religion is examined as people struggle with their beliefs when everything is crumbling around them.

The series reinvented itself every year, which major plot twists that turned the show on its head. It was very fun to watch and had great subplots and themes.

It would get five stars but I can't quite recommend it to everybody. It is pretty gritty - as in, there is quite a lot of language, violence and sexual innuendo. I wonder if they could have made the story without it or whether it was integral to the plot. I don't know, but the story was pretty good, but definitely not for all viewers.

John Adams Mini-Series

4 stars out of 5

A Christmas gift from my parents on recommendation from my sister. I enjoy history a lot, and this series was a great gift for me in that sense. The 7-part series (most episodes are one hour) is about the interesting life of John Adams. The first few episodes focus on the Revolution, the middle episodes on his life as a diplomat, and the final episodes on his being VP, President and retiring.

It's quite a life and it is examined in all its humanity. Meaning to say, they present John Adams, warts and all, to be observed. Sometimes I prefer to have revered historical figures glossed over, as I like to remember the good parts, not the ugly parts. But in the sense that we are all human and all capable of doing great things, it is good to remind us that even great Presidents had their faults.

John Adams was a key man in the Revolution. His oratory and push for independence was instrumental in getting the movement going. After (and during) the revolution, his work as a diplomat seemed less successful, and his vice-presidency and presidency even less so.

The series itself is very well known, with a lot of attention to detail (too much?). The story is not quite as interesting after the first few episodes, especially given how obnoxious John Adams is portrayed, but we made it to the end and enjoyed the ride. Thanks Mom and Dad for the gift.

Prison Break, Season 2 (2006-7)

3 stars out of 5.

Prison Break is the story of how one brother is framed for a murder, and the other brother gets himself thrown in prison to better be able to break out his brother. At the end of season 1, they succeed. Season 2 is all about being on the run from the law.

It is not as good as season 1, because it not nearly as well planned. The nice thing about Prison Break (as opposed to a show like Lost) is that each season concludes with a decent ending. Season 1 ended with a successful break out. Season 2 has a satisfying ending, but the lead in to Season 3 was just too much.

Prison Break, like 24, is one of those mystery shows that hook you into the DVDs much like I envision crack addicts are addicted. I know intellectually it's not good to watch 7 episodes in a row, but I do it anyway.

Also, a word of caution - Prison Break is pretty dark. Lots of people die, and some of the people they broke out with are pretty grisly characters. The show does have great characters, great plot twists (though they get more unbelievable the longer they go) and is generally an engaging show. But I give it only three stars because I hate being hooked into an episode like that. Not good for anyone.

End of the Television Season

Well, we have come to the end of the television season and here is what I have been watching on the small screen (in order of how much I enjoy them):

1. The Office - This is the best comedy on television since Seinfeld. Yes, Michael Scott as the boss is outrageous, but seriously, they aren't going to make a show about a normal boss. I will be first in line to get the DVDs for this one, because they are worth watching again. The Office has docu-comedy down to a science. The dry humor, the practical jokes, the power-grabbing, the shallowness - in all its humanity is there to be laughed at. Overall, a great season - a couple of dud episodes and several times it descended to crude humor, but overall a fine comedy.

2. Heroes - This would be a terrific show to watch on DVD, because the story line is so riveting. It's really a combination of X-men and X-files. Random people discover they have assorted super-powers and start banding together. However, several entities are out to stop them. Thankfully, it followed the "24" format rather than the "Lost" format, and there was a good resolution at the end of the season. It's a mystery show, but they give you enough so that you are fed a pretty good stream of information and you don't feel confused. I could have used a little bit more action, but this show is more about drama and science fiction. I can see it dropping off in future years, but hopefully they will stay strong.

3. Battlestar Gallactica - This show, while not gaining great recognition, is a great mystery/drama show set in space. Kind of a Matrix and Lost combination - the human race faces extinction after their main planets are blown up by a computer race that they created. They are now looking for Earth, though the Cylons (computers) are as well. Full of great characters, intrigue and surprises. They just finished season 3 and next season may be the last.

4. Lost - My patience wore very thin with Lost this season and I threatened several times to quit. But the free replays on abc.com kept me up to date, and I endured to the end. The season finale was a real doosy. If you aren't up to speed on Lost, then don't delve in. It is like a semi-interesting novel that gets you hooked, and you want to know how it ends, but there is no end in sight. They have announced they will do three more seasons. I don't know if I will be there for those, but I might catch them on DVD.