10 Things The Wire Fans Couldn’t Get Enough Of
2. You're Rewarded For Paying Close Attention
"All the pieces matter."
The Wire is not a show that hopes you give it your full attention, it demands it. The show is built upon incredibly intricate writing which affords each character the opportunity to grow and develop, but it also means that everything matters.
As is true with the real world, every piece of dialogue, gestures, political allegiances - every action has consequences. The most glaring example in season 1 comes in the opening moments as a seemingly innocuous conversation between McNulty and Landsman - where the latter asks the former where he'd never like to end up in his work - sees Jimmy proclaim "the boat". Fast forward to the end of the season and without need for fanfare or overtly telling the audience, McNulty finds himself as part of the coastguard.
The show is littered with examples of this and as fans, we love that we are able to feel rewarded for our time and effort. Each action has a reaction. It's this very idea that peaks the interest of us as fans because it tells us that each piece of dialogue means something.
No greater example of this comes than in season 2. Seemingly slow at the outset, Season 2 culminates in some of the most compelling and immaculately constructed storytelling in television history, whereby everything that had occurred prior was suddenly given weight and importance. It was a fantastic payoff for viewers, who finally see all the pieces fall into place.