Did anyone else watch Frosty the Snowman last night besides me and Head Honcho? No? I can't watch the entire show, just as I can't watch all of Rudolph and Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Charlie Brown Christmas. I don't need to. I watched them so many times as a kid that my brain fills in the rest of the story, which is good because that leaves me free to watch...
...The Wire Season 4! Yes, thanks to the power of Netflix, we received 3 discs of the newest season on DVD. This has to be the most underrated show on television. Sure, gritty cop shows like The Shield get the kudos and the Emmys and the big name movie actors deigning to take roles for one season, but The Wire is consistently good. Excellent storytelling, wonderfully realistic dialogue and characters. The camera work is nothing out of the ordinary, nor are the sets particularly special (some of their locations, I have to admit, look like backlots instead of Baltimore), but unless you're talking about a show like Heroes or Supernatural which relies on special effects, you don't need great cinematography. Strong narrative and 3-dimensional characters are what make a drama like this great.
The season started out like all the rest - with a bang - and I was pleased to see a lot of my favorite characters are back: Bodi and Bubs and Omar on the street, Keema and Herc and Carver on the force. I will miss Stringer (RIP) but he deserved his fate and I really hope we will see Avon out of prison again.
Even better and more promising, the show has added a group of young characters (played by very talented young actors) who are the next generation of gang members. We will see them in school and out, interacting with each other and the older gang members like Bodi and Marlo who are vying for their loyalty. Fascinating. Already we are 3 episodes in and we are hooked like fish. This is yet another show where you feel a very strong writing staff behind it. Don't tell me they don't deserve more money for their efforts!
Your Hollywood connection,
Leigh
