<p>Okay, I will try to make this post short, as I can speak about this topic for years (really).</p>
<p>So, I just finished the last episode of HBO's show The Wire (2002-2008).</p>
<p>It is the best TV show I have ever seen--and ranks up there with the best art in any field, proving television to be able to match other media's quality.</p>
<p>The show is set in Batltimore, and while much of the cast is retained--and Baltimore always remains the central "character"--each season focuses on a difference facet of urban life:</p>
<p>1--Drug Trade+Police
2--Port System/Union
3--City Government and Bureaucracy
4--Public School System
5--Print Journalism</p>
<p>However, it is best to look at the show as one flowing narrative.</p>
<p>I watched in online, and urge anyone willing to engage intelligently in this 60-episode show to watch it. It is complex, engrossing, philosophical, and I can't even make too much hype for it (but yes, it does have <em>some minor</em> flaws).</p>
<p>It is unflinchingly realistic, bleak, and portrays a city in decay--but also some of the hope shining out in the rot. </p>
<p>To me, Season 4 was a masterpiece within the masterpiece of The Wire--it was heartbreaking, thought-provoking, and made me reevaluate my views more than any other seasons, though all seasons made me look at my own perspectives.</p>
<p>Give it a try. I loved it from the start, with the chess scene in episode 3 completing hooking me.</p>
<p>I watched it online, but Season 1 just went OnDemand--I plan to buy the DVDs though.</p>
<p>The greatest show I have ever seen, period. And perhaps the greatest overall work of art I have ever engaged myself in.</p>
<p>Has anyone else seen it?</p>