It's just that good.

HBO’S ‘The Wire’ is a critically acclaimed show that traces crime, corruption and dysfunction in Baltimore as it weaves itself through the drug trade, the seaport system, the city government and bureaucracy, the school system and the print news media.  In a city as complex and variegated as Baltimore, you can imagine the difficulty in attempting to encapsulate and portray these sinuosities.

In spite of the difficulty of the task at hand, David Simon, the creator of the show and a former police reporter in Baltimore, and his team propel themselves above and beyond the challenge.  They develop a series that is so effective at capturing the challenges and complexities of urban poverty and bureaucratic entrenchment that it could stand alone as a go-to, classic, 'media-textbook' of sorts for developing an understanding of the under girding forces of urban development.

And on and on, with never-ending sentence after never-ending sentence, I can go… Anyway, moving forward.  Charlie and I moved to Baltimore in the fall/winter of 2009 and we didn’t know a soul. (Actually, we knew – 1 person.  But he was often busy skateboarding, and who can blame him for that?)  So, who did we befriend, but the TV Show about our new homeland, The Wire?

And boy, am I glad we made that choice (as depressing as having a TV show as a friend sounds) because now, almost two years later – different subplots subtly emerge and challenge me in ways unimaginable prior to watching the show.  The connections from the show pop up in all facets of my daily life.  They span from the challenges and difficulties I encountered when I 'taught for America,' to the observations that I take-in on my daily commute, and even to issues currently facing the aid and development organization where I work.

Anyway, enough gushing about the Wire.  There's a particular subplot that's been brewing  in the caverns of my mind which will surely lend itself to a forthcoming post.  In the meantime I’ll close with one of my favorite scenes.  (Worth noting: I probably have at least thirty 'favorite' scenes.)

Disclaimer: there's significant incidence of distasteful language in the video.  But don't let that stop you. It's worth it.

{You think Ronald McDonald gonna go down in that basement and say...'Hey, Mr. Nugget! You the bomb!?}

Closing charge: Winter is just around the corner.  Instead of feeling blue, consider holing up and making a new best friend, The Wire.