David Simon strikes again. I love this show. After the Wire, Simon had some large expectations to fill and so far he's lived up to them. The music is incredible, the people are real, and the stories are starting to gain momentum. I love this show.

I haven't checked this out yet, but I've been meaning to. The Wire is my favorite TV show ever. How many episodes has there been, 3 or 4? I liked watching The Wire much better on DVD because the story is so dense that I tend to forget plot points if I watch weekly. It's easier to grasp everything if I watch 3-4 at a time. Is Treme like that or is it ok to watch weekly? I'll definitely catch up with this soon.

Sorry to sidetrack this, Mr. Coty but...

Is The Wire really good as in "really entertaining" or is it really good as in "I was always forced to think about difficult subjects that I would have otherwise never considered"? It's far too expensive to blind buy but I could be persuaded if the show was complex and character-driven.

I'd say The Wire qualifies as both. Its heavily interested in social commentary, yet tells an interesting story the entire time. It mixes those 2 with wonderful characterizations better than anything I've ever seen on television. Complex and character driven are exactly what the show is X 100. It isn't a show that worked best as a weekly program because, as I said, its incredibly dense. Each season has its own goals as far as what the commentary is about, yet the overall narrative is cohesive. For instance, the first season is all about how efficient the drug trade is run, and how inept the police department is run. It does this by telling the story of the cops involved and the drug dealers. You get to know the characters as the case is built. The show makes statements constantly and gives reasons as to why what happens happens. Its flawless. And it only gets better. The fourth season is probably the most difficult story I've ever seen told, and also the most affecting.

I frequently tell people that if they take one thing I recommend and watch it, make it The Wire. I mean, I don't think I can give higher praise.

I'll tell you what. I own all 5 seasons. I'll send you the first season for you to watch whenever you want. I trust you and feel like we have eerily similar tastes. I'm certain you'll love it. If the first season doesn't convince you to blind buy the rest, I'll even send you a season at a time for you to watch (assuming you're still interested). All you'll have to do is send whatever season you have back. Each season consists of 12-13 one hour episodes. There's only around 60 episodes total. 60 hours is a pretty big commitment, but not all that much when compared to other shows in their entirety. Anyway, if you want season one, let me know. If not, cool. At some point in life, you have to see it.

Deal! As in: if you really don't mind parting with a box-set for a bit then I'm really interested. Why not borrow something in return? As in: you're going to borrow something in return. That's a demand. I'll send over a PM (tomorrow as I'm going to sleep in, like, three minutes) with some info and so on. Thank you, Pete!

See that, world? THAT'S just damned cool. I envision a world that works so respectfully and generously!

World, I hear that shipping costs to Trinidad are coming down.

No. That was a lie.

Alright, I'm hooked. Officially I'm addicted to this show. The characters and writing are incredible. It really makes you feel like you are a part of New Orleans. I've been there several times and still this show makes me look at the city in a completely different light. God I love this show.