Just watched first two episodes. Should I keep going?

[Oogie]

So me and Mrs. Grimlock watched the first two episodes of season 1, and I'm so far way underwhelmed.

I felt that it was poorly acted, terribly directed and photographed, and had an overarching feeling of, well, whiteness. Like, I didn't buy the African American characters as being authentic, I thought that the silly interjections of historical knowledge by junior thugs  (Hamilton wasn't a president!) corny and obvious, and I basically couldn't understand a word anyone was saying, which was a combination of cop jargon and what I assume is an approximation of a Baltimore accent. Oh, and all the characters seemed like dicks in the typical/predictable revisionist/anti-hero/relativist kind of way.

Mrs. Grimlock said "It reminds me of 21 jumpstreet."

Now, everyone I know and whose( i never use this please correct me) opinion I respect raves about the show.

So I ask you: shall we persevere? Does it get awesome? Are the first two episodes a good indicator of what is to come?

Our netflix queue is plenty full with Dr. Whos and awful documentaries, but I'd love to have a place for a new episodic drama.

Advice welcome.

[TL]

Yes - persevere - it took me until the end of the third episode to go, "Huh - I'm pretty into this - I'm gonna keep going," and by the time I got the fourth season, I couldn't stop - I watched the entire thing in one day.
DO IT.

[erika]

Yup. If you make it through the first half of the first season and don't like it, then quit. (But don't really quit because it's really good)

[todd]

Oh, and all the characters seemed like dicks in the typical/predictable revisionist/anti-hero/relativist kind of way.

Oh man, wait until the introduce Omar, the lone-wolf anti-hero who disappears like a ninja and whistles "the cheese stands alone" when he attacks. Or the softspoken bowtie'd assassin who carries around books and has lightning-fast wild-west quick-draw abilities.

I try not to shit on the other threads here, but I didn't like the show at all.

[yesno]

With all these kinds of huge story arc dramas, it's hard to really get into the show at first because of all the different characters.  You can watch a Law & Order or something without knowing what's going on.

It can be great to go back to watch the first couple of Wires or Sopranos when you really know the characters.

[KickTheBobo]

agreed about giving it a good 5 episodes before making a call. If it doesn't take after that, then you probably just don't like the show.

[moonshake]

The first few episodes didn't blow my mind away either, but when I got to the point where there were only a few episodes left in Season 1, I was so immersed I was literally watching the episodes back to back. Couldn't stop!

[Chris L]

What they said.

[Denim Gremlin]

I just finished the first season and found myself getting hooked fast. I agree that once Omar shows up it kicks the show to a new level, plus the introduction and fleshing out of interesting characters over the season definitely kept me hanging on.

then again if you're going to be going through every episode with at fine tooth comb and compiling a list of stuff you hate then don't even bother.  just let yourself go with the story.

[Beth]

I need to get around to watching this show. As soon as I'm done getting through Lost, aka television crack.

[TremblingEagle]

The thing about the Hamilton
it is weird what some people know and don't know. Knowledge you think is beyond obvious and really esoteric stuff side by side in the same head. I've experienced it myself.

[Dorvid Barnas]

Is it weird that I don't know what you're talking about?

[emma]

Everyone I know has been trying to get me to watch The Wire for so long, but I watched the first episode ages ago and had sort of the same reaction as Grimlock. I don't know how I missed this thread before but reading the whole thing has convinced me to try again, so tomorrow I'm going to go rent season 1.

When I told my father this, he said that if he could get a lobotomy that would allow him to forget the entire series so that he could watch it all again, he would. And then he got this really sad, jealous look on his face.

I am trying to keep my expectations low-ish but it's hard.

[Andy]

I just finished the first season last night, and HOLY SHIT.  When it was over, I was so mad/shocked at what happened.  then I thought about it: I've never been that into a TV show.  I was really upset.

I vote that you keep watching.  I like it

[emma]

Okay guys, sorry to keep bringing this thread back up from the near-dead, but this is a PRESSING ISSUE.

I think everyone in Toronto decided to start watching The Wire this week. I went on what was basically a quest today, and I had to go through 6 video stores in my neighbourhood (and somewhat outside of it) before I found a place that had discs 1 and 2 of the first season. They all had the rest of season one, and all the other seasons, but everywhere I went there were waiting lists for the first two discs.

What is going on? Did I miss something? The dvds have been out for a while now, right? Has all of Toronto decided to go wire-crazy? I don't understand! Do you?