The Wire

:

Season 4
  • Network: HBO
  • Series Premiere Date: Jun 2, 2002
Season #: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
9.1

Universal acclaim- based on 856 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 789 out of 856
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 856
  3. Negative: 58 out of 856
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User Reviews

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  1. AlecM.
    Mar 25, 2008
    10
    The Sopanos was good (I love it), but in comparison to The Wire it's an overweight soap opera. Stunning in its vision, TV has never been this good.
  2. JeromeR
    Jun 17, 2008
    10
    Awesome!
  3. MT
    Jul 16, 2008
    10
    The most ambitious television series of all time: the depth of the story telling and sheer number of characters and their interplay throughout the series is what makes 'The Wire' so astounding. Never have I seen a show so richly nuanced, so true to life and so unflinchingly honest. And on top of all of this, The Wire remains entertaining for those who stick with it, with writing The most ambitious television series of all time: the depth of the story telling and sheer number of characters and their interplay throughout the series is what makes 'The Wire' so astounding. Never have I seen a show so richly nuanced, so true to life and so unflinchingly honest. And on top of all of this, The Wire remains entertaining for those who stick with it, with writing that runs the gamut from hilarity one moment to bleak pathos and despair the next. In spite of all of this I can see why the series never did well commercially: It is not intended for the casual viewer. Heavy subject matter aside, to appreciate the series, one really has to see it from the very beginning and digest every episode for the pieces to really fit together. Now that the majority of the series is available on DVD, that really is the best format to watch it in. I watched the first 4 seasons back-to-back and can't imagine having to wait every week between episodes.… Expand
  4. AaronS.
    Jul 21, 2008
    10
    At this point it's like standing in an echo chamber. 'The Wire' is THE BEST show ever produced in the television medium. A remarkable, dense series that is the rare television program that approaches the level of art. Hyperbole? Absolutely not. 'The Wire' captures the zeitgeist better than any other program (or film for that matter).
  5. AnnM.
    Sep 26, 2008
    10
    I have only watched one season, but it is an amazing show - writing & acting are so far above the usual stuff on television. This is art!
  6. ChristieM
    Nov 10, 2009
    10
    I agree with the critics... the best season of The Wire, hands down. The children make you want to cry.
  7. CraigN
    Dec 28, 2009
    10
    If television may be categorized as literature, then The Wire is the great American novel of the 21st century. The series reached its peak in Season 4. A must-buy DVD
  8. CP
    Apr 13, 2009
    10
    The best season of the best TV show ever.
  9. MatthiasW
    Apr 18, 2009
    10
    The hype doesn't do it justice. "The Wire" is not only the best thing on television, but an amazing, heartbreaking work of art.
  10. DanielP
    May 27, 2009
    10
    Brilliant.
  11. ceej
    Jun 22, 2009
    10
    Most intense TV season ever. So, so heavy. Heaviest of all the seasons--drags you down, down into a place better than heaven. I might have an ulcer, but the compassion and education I've gained makes it worth it.
  12. ChrisB
    Jul 17, 2009
    10
    Entertainment perfection. If you love drama, comedy, character interaction, script writing, plot developing or any combination of any of them you will not find anything better than The Wire. The best entertainment I have ever seen, regardless of movies, TV, comedy, etc, this is entertainment of the very highest order. I've seen the best cinema, theatre, music, etc has to offer. This Entertainment perfection. If you love drama, comedy, character interaction, script writing, plot developing or any combination of any of them you will not find anything better than The Wire. The best entertainment I have ever seen, regardless of movies, TV, comedy, etc, this is entertainment of the very highest order. I've seen the best cinema, theatre, music, etc has to offer. This beats all of 'em Y' feel me.… Expand
  13. ChrisC
    Nov 18, 2006
    10
    The experience is visceral. The best show on T.V. ever. I am unhealthily fixated on all the characters and the drama. Currently trying to turn all my smart friends on to The Wire.
  14. CarlA
    Nov 21, 2006
    10
    This is the only show on television that I watch regularly. It is absoluely excellent. I've heard that it is coming back for a fifth season. Thank goodness.
  15. ColinC
    Nov 25, 2006
    10
    This is the best show on television. Superb acting tight story lines, very underrated by mainstream viewers put off by language & the perception that it shows African-Americans in a most unfavorable light. What is missed is the core intelligence of these characters and the methods that they navigate thru their daily lives under difficult conditions.
  16. AlexW
    Dec 21, 2006
    10
    Rivetting! Mind-blowing! I cannot stress this enough. If you haven't watched it, you need to rent, buy, or steal the DVDs, turn off all your phones, lock yourself in a room for a couple of days, and discover the best show ever created!
  17. DavidL
    Dec 24, 2006
    10
    The Wire S4 manages to do what I hadn't thought possible - shock its fanbase into loving the show more than even the very first season. With an incredible setup for season 5, season 4 is the epitome of entertainment.
  18. JanH
    Dec 25, 2006
    10
    Very simply the best TV serial drama ever. ONe cares for every character no matter what they have done as the door is opened into their humanenss. aAtextbook on the problems of large urban cities. It really doesn't make any difference what your level of analysis is--it ends up being the best TV serial drama ever. Did I say the best ever? Answer is YES.
  19. LizA
    Dec 29, 2006
    10
    This show is phenomenal!!! The writing is amazing, the acting is flawless.....I love, love, love this show! It elevates the television serial to a whole new level. No other program can touch The Wire.
  20. DavidH
    Dec 29, 2006
    10
    Simply incredible television which stands head and shoulders above anything else.
  21. SeanW.
    Nov 27, 2007
    10
    Easily the best show on television hands down... wow.
  22. SeanR.
    Nov 27, 2007
    10
    Greatest show of all time. HOw this show has never won an Emmy astonishes me.
  23. ColinB.
    Dec 17, 2007
    10
    I have watched every season at least twice, and this by far is the best depiction of urban environments in the US today. To say this is the best show on TV does not even do it justice.
  24. FrancisC.
    Dec 28, 2007
    10
    The best television series ever made. I've watched the first four seasons three full times now; its a masterpiece. It might be decades before anything rivals The Wire.
  25. darktyler
    Aug 11, 2010
    10
    The show just got more and more powerful as it went into Season 4, which focused on the school system, bringing in four school kids who found themselves in the crosshairs of situations and decisions that were sad and frustrating to behold â
  26. Justinavery7074
    Oct 6, 2011
    10
    Without this show, I would be dead from suicide. But since this show exists and since this season as well does exist, I am still here. It's better than some of the greatest movies of all time. In **** Credible
  27. mmchale
    Oct 22, 2010
    10
    Season 4 of the Wire is the best season of any television series. Period. While the Wire has always been a great TV show, with more authenticity, in-depth writing, complex characters, superb acting and gripping storytelling in one episode than most shows produce over their entire span. The first three seasons are all amazing, and the storylines from the previous seasons continue to growSeason 4 of the Wire is the best season of any television series. Period. While the Wire has always been a great TV show, with more authenticity, in-depth writing, complex characters, superb acting and gripping storytelling in one episode than most shows produce over their entire span. The first three seasons are all amazing, and the storylines from the previous seasons continue to grow in the fourth season, but they cannot in any way prepare you for the sublime and heartbreaking new storyline following four youth, the school system, and the corner. I can't use enough superlatives to describe this season: Perfect! Riveting! Flawless! The apex of art, entertainment and social commentary on TV (and perhaps any medium)!!!!

    If you find the first few episodes disorienting, don't worry, it will all make sense â    … Expand
  28. LucasCorso
    Jun 18, 2012
    10
    Season 4 of The Wire is the single greatest season of television ever. The depth, complexity, balance, and ambition of the story make it remarkable. And, despite its stark portrayal of a mostly bleak world, it is massively satisfying and entertaining. The brilliant poignancy of the story about the eighth graders raises season 4 a notch above the The Wire's other seasons, which are allSeason 4 of The Wire is the single greatest season of television ever. The depth, complexity, balance, and ambition of the story make it remarkable. And, despite its stark portrayal of a mostly bleak world, it is massively satisfying and entertaining. The brilliant poignancy of the story about the eighth graders raises season 4 a notch above the The Wire's other seasons, which are all amazing in their own right. I'm sad for all the television watchers who have never seen it. I wish I could score this higher than "10." Somehow a "10" still seems inadequate.… Expand
  29. drlowdon
    Mar 3, 2013
    10
    I have never quite been able to decide whether I prefer Season Three or Four of The Wire, either way the thirteen episodes contained in this boxset continue to provide the most realistic and fascinating look at the drug trade and the culture that surrounds it ever seen on screen.
  30. TheDaveHimself
    Jun 26, 2011
    10
    For the longest time, I thought The Sopranos was the greatest show to ever hit television. And then a friend recommended The Wire. Each season is a powerhouse, but Season 4 is Shakespearean. Epic on all levels and told with the finest delivery, HBO doesn't need to remind us they have the eye for near perfect television. The best season from (probably) the best television series of all time.
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best TV Season of 2006
2
#2 Most Discussed TV Season of 2006
10
#10 Most Shared TV Season of 2006

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
98

Universal acclaim - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Doug Elfman
    88
    Despite high praise, there are two serious problems: (a) The first new episode is crazy confusing, and (b) over the course of the first batch of episodes, the story lines don't develop quickly enough.
    Read full review
  2. Kansas City Star
    Reviewed by: Aaron Barnhart
    100
    To me, what allows “The Wire” to surpass “The Sopranos” in the pantheon of greatest American TV shows is its ambition and its anger.
    Read full review
  3. TV Guide Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    100
    This is TV as great modern literature, a shattering and heartbreaking urban epic about a city (Baltimore) rotting from within.
    Read full review
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