The Wire? Forgetaboutit!

My lovely, tolerant girlfriend knows me and understands me better than anyone in the world – eccentricities and all – and somehow still decides to like me, after seeing me struggle and slowly over-come possibly the hardest moment of my life: the end of the Sopranos box-set. The loss and utter devastation I felt after completing episode 86 a couple of months ago is indescribable…but blatantly I’ll give it a try! It was kind of like discovering, falling in love with, and finally embracing into every part of your being, the most perfect, custom-made-for-you thing…and to then have it taken away from you.

You knew it was going to leave you, that was always the deal, yet even when you were completely aware (i.e. approaching the end of season 6) you were still not ready. Nothing can really prepare you for the horrifying void created at losing your true love.....Wow! It got a bit weird there…any who, I suppose my point is that I really liked the Sopranos and was a bit gutted when I finished the box-set.

My amazing bird then (and I really need to stress amazing at this point) had to endure and fully sympathise with my loss; comforting me, watching every single bit of extras on the box-set as I tried to compensate by being in denial that it was over, and even acting like a best mate when you’ve been dumped (‘plenty more fish in the sea…’ etc, to which I replied ‘don’t be so fucking stupid!!!’…and it all got a bit hazy after that). Yet she persevered; willing to find me a replacement, as much as my heart didn’t want another. ‘Umm...how about the Wire?’ she asked cautiously, stroking my curls as I lay numb in bed, listening to Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ on a loop (this was at least a month later, by the way). ‘I’ve heard really good things about it; the ‘new Sopranos’ and all that’, she continued, but before rage came over me again at her deluded, ignorant suggestion, I said rationally, ‘yeh, actually, I’ve heard the same’.

She bought me series 1 as my finishing exams present and I have just started it. After much scepticism and, to be honest, excitement, I ended episode 1 unsatisfied and largely disappointed, yet with a confirmed sense of ‘I told you so’. It wasn’t so much that it was bad, more that I tricked myself into thinking it would be half as good as the Sopranos and possibly skim its surface of uniqueness. It really, really didn't.

I immediately went for the Sopranos as it was always something I was going to be into (I’m pretty obsessed with the Mafia in film as it is), so I was easily able to ignore the ‘hype’ and give it a go for myself (hype is in quotations because that usually suggests something overrated and undeserved of the attention…the Sopranos is anything but). The Wire however, I’ve gone for completely on the back of all the hype (minus quotations).

The thing with the Sopranos is that it is not just a show about the Mob (something awesome enough). With regards to its story-telling and mature, almost filmic style, it acknowledges the rules and even respects them; only to completely reject them (shown brilliantly as we never find out about ‘the Russian’; something narrative and cinematic traditions would always insist upon). David Chase understands conventions and the notion of a classical narrative structure, yet there is nothing ‘conventional’ or ‘classical’ about his series; crushing the system harder than Bobby B squashing the train-sets as he’s gunned down in the penultimate episode. Even his treatment of genre is challenging. The Sopranos is crime, comedy, melodrama, family drama, love story, realism, neo-realism, modern (in content) and postmodern (in structure). All in one episode. 'Unique' and 'special' are words used to describe genius; yet they probably need to invent new adjectives as they seem way too ordinary and basic for David Chase and the Sopranos.

Whether the Wire can achieve such groundbreaking dysfunction and inventiveness as the Sopranos is completely uncertain, as the Sopranos has set, scrap that, invented the almost unapproachable bench-mark; yet its abilty to reach the popularity and acclaim of its HBO buddy is a certainty. As for my willingness to give it a go? Yeh go on then. It's solid and eager, especially after a pretty damn good, reassuring episode 2. I have accepted that it will never be any sort of ludicrous replacement for the Sopranos (and so I need to accept that that glorious chapter of my life is over...and I'll just re-watch the entire series in the summer). I will see it through and embrace it because I love good American telly and a supportive companion to encourage my eccentricities (of the compulsive good-American-telly-watching kind). My girlfriend is, and always will be, my Carmela, so of course with that profound title comes great responsibilty: i.e. always keep the fridge stocked with Gabagool, deal with AJ's deppressive bullshit, understand that Friday's and Saturday's are for the Goomah's...and buy me season 2.