Too damn confusing
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Nux3000 — 9 years ago(October 04, 2016 02:56 AM)
LOL. What a funny little explanation!
People may have originated from Africa (when the continents were laid out totally different), therefore umm blacksplaining
I guess that means all animals that originated from Africa, like giraffes, are all easily distinguishable from each other, too? -
arcticmonkeys1987 — 9 years ago(January 05, 2017 08:18 AM)
David Simon mentioned in one of the commentary's that the show serves better by binge watching as opposed to the usual weekly episode formats of most TV shows, the like of Netflix.
Course its one of my favorite shows now but I reckon if I tried watching one episode every other week I would've given up on the show altogether lost all interest. Thank god for boxsets. -
the_bigguy_15 — 9 years ago(June 02, 2016 11:40 AM)
Now that the entire season is available on HBO, I suggest watching the entire first season (try in a week or so) before giving up on it.
I just finished the entire series in about 4 weeks, and I thought it was great. Yes, sometimes it seems slow, but trust me the writers know what they are doing and it does make sense.
If you do have problems with understanding, I'd suggest putting on subtitles.
Watch a few shows and you will catch on.
That is what happens in a pilot - you need to keep watching to get the whole story about characters.
I guess that is a cultural thing. I don't have that problem. Again, stick with it. -
lansdownehouse — 9 years ago(June 02, 2016 05:52 PM)
The Wire rewards repeat viewing. Unlike almost every other dramatic series originating from the North American continent, The Wire has elements of subtlety, nuance and unique understatement that almost demands subsequent viewing.
I've watched and rewatched the series every summer holiday season for the past decade of so. Each viewing still gives new insights into the convoluted sub-plots within. This is drama at its best. Definitely one for the lovers of Shakespeare and maybe even Dickens (not that he could ever be accused of subtlety, however) in my opinion.
I'm getting pretty fed up with the interminable comparisons to Breaking Bad, too. BB is dramatic, yes, but in a much more prosaic, and dare I say it, infantile manner. Where's the subtlety? The Pathos? The subtle interrelationships between characters and sub-plots. To me, as a dramatic work, it's more akin to teen pulp fiction series like Breaking Dawn et. al.
The Wire resides at a higher level altogether. I can see in centuries to come our descendents will be revisiting this series as a classic example of Millennial literary achievement. -
BigBadDolemite — 9 years ago(July 04, 2016 11:02 PM)
It is infantile to suggest that we are in an either/or universe. I watched every episode of Breaking Bad and I though it was an incredibly well written and well acted show. It raised the bar.
Many shows raised the proverbial bar before Breaking Bad was ever concocted. If you think Breaking Bad is doing something new then you've must not of seen much. -
jonnnk — 9 years ago(June 30, 2016 10:43 PM)
Damn Breaking Bad with those actual interesting characters and exciting well written storylines.. So far Mcnulty is the only character I give half a Sh#t about..But apparently I need to rewatch the series 40 times until I like it..
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micirisi — 9 years ago(June 11, 2016 01:55 PM)
It's really good. You have to watch it twice with subtitles. A lot of the blacks look the same to me also more confusing with their assorted nicknames. So I'm a racist, F me. There is also a lot of innuendo in the conversations that will fly over your head. Great show! Deserves another peek.
He killed sixteen Czechoslovakians. Guy was an interior decorator. -
petr-dalajka — 9 years ago(June 17, 2016 07:16 AM)
- Watch it with subtitles. I need them too. The slang they use is way too much for me to understand enough to make sence a lot of times.
- Thats either conected with point one or you are not very observant person. The story is no so complicated to be hard to understand.
3),4) There are lot of characters, who play very small roles and you dont have to know them all by name to enjoy the series. If you want to go in depth, look them up on imdb.
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pistrix — 9 years ago(September 18, 2016 07:49 PM)
Point 1 I can agree, though they were speaking their Baltimorese/ghetto version of English.
Whenever I am watching something for the first time, no matter what it is, if on DVD I will actually put the English subtitles up. Yes some phrases were confusing for a second like the phrase "gotta get got." That is not common vernacular for me, so I had to think it over a second. I maybe even looked it up, but either way I sorted it out.
They have their version of slang. But yeah I subtitled the show to understand what they were saying.
2) What do you mean what is going on? Pretty much the whole series is basically life in Baltimore. Each season focuses on 1 main issue, but with the drug trade arc spanning the series.
3) I don't fully get what you are saying. Which characters?
4) Er I cannot help you there as they all look different to me.
((Damn the remakes, Save the originals.)) -
sati_84 — 9 years ago(September 19, 2016 03:59 AM)
The meaning of most of the slang is obvious when looking at the context. Your example, the phrase "gotta get got" is doubly so. I'm not a native English speaker, and watched the show for the first time with English subtitles, second time with Hungarian subtitles to check out the translation (Hungarian is my native language). At first viewing, there was some confusion the first time I heard phrases I was not familiar with ("stevedores" gave me a few scratches of head), but I kept on going without looking up anything, just paying attention. And I figured out all plot relevant slang terms by the end of the series.
Bottom line is: use subtitles and pay attention. The Wire rewards a viewer who pays attention.
I was looking back to see if you were looking back at me to see me looking back at you -
pistrix — 9 years ago(September 19, 2016 03:54 PM)
Exactly you understand the slang and Baltimorese, as we call it, when seeing the context it is in. I do know non-English speakers have at times had issues with US slang, and then of course there are different terms pending geographic location in the US as well. We don't like to make things easy around here. LOL.
But yeah things can be figured out while viewing so it is not completely unknown. Just for me, no matter what movie or show I am watching on DVD, I always watch with subtitles first. The Wire did have some language that took some working out.
((Damn the remakes, Save the originals.))