Review: The Wire - Seasons 4 & 5

[akaihyo]

Finished the last of The Wire, Seasons 4 and 5. Still excellent, if not quite as good as the first three seasons. The primary focus is always with the police, but the secondary focus moves from the criminals to the politicians and schools (season 4) and politicians and newspapers (season 5). While changing focus is needed, the move from the yin/yang of cops and hoods loses that perfect balance. The reasoning is sound, the failure of politics and school leads to the criminals and the media ties everything together. But still, not quite as solid or compelling as the first three season, while still being just about the best television ever. Fair warning, it is rather depressing at times. My Grade: A-