They finally got Omar?

[Homercles 10,205]

Omar was one of the very best characters created for tv, and MKW absolutely owned it…probably a mix of his excellent skills, inner demons and brilliant delivery.  In interviews he stated that his own addiction and dedication drove him to just about BECOMING Omar to his own detriment…good thing he didn’t go full Omar and shoot the boy Mike Mike in his hind parts.  
 

The man was excellent even in this simple scene from The Sopranos just before Jackie Jr eats it   

[Chopper 17,235]

He was a wonderful actor. Loved him in so many roles. He managed to generate empathy for whatever character he played.  That "tweet of god" thing got to me a little.

Thought this was interesting.

 

[Homercles 10,205]

Figured I’d throw this clip in with MKW and the real Omar off which his character was based (dude standing in the first scene)

 

[WhatTheBuck 28,781]

A man got to have a code.

How Omar got the code.

 

[shadow_operative 15,932]

3 hours ago, Homercles said:

Figured I’d throw this clip in with MKW and the real Omar off which his character was based (dude standing in the first scene)

 

god damn i love Slim Charles.

[Homercles 10,205]

6 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

god damn i love Slim Charles.

He the only one that made it across the board, yo…earned being the queen.  

[Jive Turkey 12,597]

The Ravens paid respect last night. They should do this for every home game. 

 

[Dutch 4,465]

Fuck the Ravens, but...that was very cool.  Respect.

[Ten Bears 2,481]

Got some cold chills over that. Yo.

[bluto 4,928]

The cheerleaders getting fired up over it made me laugh.

[Guest Lobo]

Yeah, they must have all been song girls at USC, because that part was awkward.  Great gesture though as the men head into battle.  

RIP, MKW.  We've lost too many under appreciated talents this month already.  

[XYZ 2,154]

Fentanyl.

[Guest Lobo]

2 hours ago, XYZ said:

Fentanyl.

Seriously?  Why are they putting that into recreational drugs?  The drugs are already drugs.  Why add poison to them?  I do not understand this wave of fentanyl deaths.  Why lace a perfectly fine product with something that kills customers and adds no value?  Just step on shit like the old days with laxatives or baby powder or whatever the fuck.  

[shadow_operative 15,932]

6 hours ago, Lobo said:

Seriously?  Why are they putting that into recreational drugs?  The drugs are already drugs.  Why add poison to them?  I do not understand this wave of fentanyl deaths.  Why lace a perfectly fine product with something that kills customers and adds no value?  Just step on shit like the old days with laxatives or baby powder or whatever the fuck.  

when you add fentanyl to your coke you can step on it over and over and over again, and make a shit ton more money. yeah, some people are going to die along the way, but what's a few dead junkies if you're able to make more money. so say the dickheads adding fentanyl to their shit. 

Edited September 26, 2021 by shadow_operative

[Liquor and Poker 3,659]

12 hours ago, Lobo said:

Seriously?  Why are they putting that into recreational drugs?  The drugs are already drugs.  Why add poison to them?  I do not understand this wave of fentanyl deaths.  Why lace a perfectly fine product with something that kills customers and adds no value?  Just step on shit like the old days with laxatives or baby powder or whatever the fuck.  

Fentanyl is cheaper than the actual drug 

[Gil Bang 25,956]

wow.  New York has arrested 4 guys and charged them in his death.  Allegedly distributed the drugs that killed him. 

[jeevsie 3,734]

Link, por favor.

[jeevsie 3,734]

Found one:

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/02/entertainment/michael-k-williams-overdose-death-arrests/index.html

[Homercles 10,205]

I’m glad I have this and the wire thread here.  Seems a generally under appreciated show, and don’t really have friends I can talk in depth with about it…though everyone knew MKW as Omar, most can’t talk in depth about his character development.  
 

Stuff like how Michael ended up replacing him, admiring that everyone respected Slim Charles, that epic scene where he confronts Brother in the alley, or a few even more epic scenes with the Bunk.  
 

People ask me what the show is about and why it’s my #1…and I struggle.  It’s really about Baltimore, serving as a generalization about urban America’s dueling diversity of ‘good and bad’.  I love it so much because it’s about something real, executed at such a high level you notice something new every time you watch it.  That doesn’t sound exciting to people expecting the opening of Sopranos, Breaking Bad, etc.  
 

MKW encompassed that concept perfectly in his portrayal of Omar.  You could tell pieces of him were given to Omar, and that he took something from Omar as well…it was something real, and deserved every bit of acclaim.  

Edited February 3, 2022 by Homercles

[Gil Bang 25,956]

 

[Sawbonz 27,560]

2 hours ago, Homercles said:

Seems a generally under appreciated show,

[TwiceHorn 31,465]

12 minutes ago, Sawbonz said:

A lot of critics list it as the best or one of the best TV shows ever made.

That said, not a whole lot of people have seen it.

I think it came up on the GoT thread, but one of the things that makes The Wire, and most of GoT, compelling is that it is a sociological drama rather than character-driven.

I would contend that it is set in Bodymore, Murdaland, and the city is a character in the show, but it's not about Baltimore.

This America, man.

[Homercles 10,205]

11 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

A lot of critics list it as the best or one of the best TV shows ever made.

That said, not a whole lot of people have seen it.

I think it came up on the GoT thread, but one of the things that makes The Wire, and most of GoT, compelling is that it is a sociological drama rather than character-driven.

I would contend that it is set in Bodymore, Murdaland, and the city is a character in the show, but it's not about Baltimore.

This America, man.

I guess I should have clarified under-appreciated ‘ by your average tv watcher.’   I get a lot of Sopranos, BB, Ozark, etc but not much wire.  Critics certainly seemed to appreciate it, but with its slow-burn opening episodes there’s no Tony/Chrissy running over a guy who owes him money, Walt standing in his underwear with a pistol, etc.

Guess I wasn’t clear on Baltimore either, certainly a star in the show but was trying to say it serves as a surrogate for urban America in general.  And that opening line on the stoop sets that stage nicely.  RIP Snot Boogey

[TwiceHorn 31,465]

Just now, Homercles said:

I guess I should have clarified under-appreciated ‘ by your average tv watcher.’   I get a lot of Sopranos, BB, Ozark, etc but not much wire.  Critics certainly seemed to appreciate it, but with its slow-burn opening episodes there’s no Tony/Chrissy running over a guy who owes him money, Walt standing in his underwear with a pistol, etc.

Guess I wasn’t clear on Baltimore either, certainly a star in the show but was trying to say it serves as a surrogate for urban America in general.  And that opening line on the stoop sets that stage nicely.  RIP Snot Boogey

I know what you mean.  Most of my friends are surly types, similar demographic, and old enough to have seen the show, but haven't.

I wasn't disagreeing, just elaborating/expanding.

[South Austin 52,498]

14 hours ago, Homercles said:

IPeople ask me what the show is about and why it’s my #1…and I struggle.  It’s really about Baltimore, serving as a generalization about urban America’s dueling diversity of ‘good and bad’.  I love it so much because it’s about something real, executed at such a high level you notice something new every time you watch it.  That doesn’t sound exciting to people expecting the opening of Sopranos, Breaking Bad, etc. 

I mentioned this in the other thread, but at the urging of my girlfriend, I finally watched The Wire, and wrapped up the finale last weekend.  One of my favorite shows of all time, and, pertinent to this thread, I thought Omar was one of the more compelling characters among such an incredible cast.  Like others, I found myself rooting for Omar, a cold-blooded killer and thief.  I guess that speaks to a moral relativism that I'll never fully comprehend. 

In response to your point above, and to borrow from Wikipedia, the show is about how different segments of a large metropolitan area interact and coexist with law enforcement -- the drug trade, the docks, city government, the schools, and the media -- to generally track each of the five seasons.  The drug trade and city government are generally constant throughout the series, but they all seem to revolve around law enforcement, probably because the show's creator, David Simon, is a former police reporter, and his writing partner, Ed Burns, is a former homicide detective.

I was almost depressed when the finale ended, because I wanted the show to go on.  And it could have, because there was no real resolution, no true happy ending, despite some bright spots for a few of the characters at the end.  Life in Baltimore just goes on, no better, no worse.  

[Jive Turkey 12,597]

13 hours ago, Gil Bang said:

 

damn.  i can just picture Briscoe and Curtis tracking this down with Van Buren giving some advice.

 

[C-Man 27,225]

1 hour ago, South Austin said:

I mentioned this in the other thread, but at the urging of my girlfriend, I finally watched The Wire, and wrapped up the finale last weekend.  One of my favorite shows of all time, and, pertinent to this thread, I thought Omar was one of the more compelling characters among such an incredible cast.  Like others, I found myself rooting for Omar, a cold-blooded killer and thief.  I guess that speaks to a moral relativism that I'll never fully comprehend. 

In response to your point above, and to borrow from Wikipedia, the show is about how different segments of a large metropolitan area interact and coexist with law enforcement -- the drug trade, the docks, city government, the schools, and the media -- to generally track each of the five seasons.  The drug trade and city government are generally constant throughout the series, but they all seem to revolve around law enforcement, probably because the show's creator, David Simon, is a former police reporter, and his writing partner, Ed Burns, is a former homicide detective.

I was almost depressed when the finale ended, because I wanted the show to go on.  And it could have, because there was no real resolution, no true happy ending, despite some bright spots for a few of the characters at the end.  Life in Baltimore just goes on, no better, no worse.  

I never finished it. I got several episodes (or maybe halfway) into the fourth season and just didn't get back to it. I think I let people telling me that it kind of ran out of steam around that time and that they generally disliked the final season influence my decision. My wife has never seen an episode. Maybe I'll start over with Season 1 with her.

[South Austin 52,498]

1 minute ago, C-Man said:

I never finished it. I got several episodes (or maybe halfway) into the fourth season and just didn't get back to it. I think I let people telling me that it kind of ran out of steam around that time and that they generally disliked the final season influence my decision. My wife has never seen an episode. Maybe I'll start over with Season 1 with her.

The fourth season -- about the schools -- was gut-wrenching.  I'm watching it knowing that those kids are actors in a fictitious TV series, and I think to myself, "there are kids like them all over America." 

The last season was good, but not one of the best in my opinion.  I wouldn't say that it ran out of steam, because there was a lot going on.  Maybe on par with Season 2.  I did like the character of the Baltimore Sun editor, who was also a director for the series.

[WhatTheBuck 28,781]

44 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Like others, I found myself rooting for Omar, a cold-blooded killer and thief.  I guess that speaks to a moral relativism that I'll never fully comprehend. 

He had a code. “A man got to have a code.” He didn’t target civilians. He targeted dealers. We saw how he had some principles in the flashback to when he was young and he and his buddies tried to rob a working man. He made them give the man his money back. He stole what he saw as dirty money from bad guys. He was generally a man of his word. He was playing the hand life dealt him and life had dealt him a pretty hard hand.

Life on the street is tenuous, it’s kill or be killed. But Omar didn’t kill civilians. That’s why it was outrageous that he would get blamed for killing the security guard who could finger DeAngelo Barksdale (I think I’m remembering that correctly). That set up the great interaction between Omar and Barksdale’s lawyer where Omar pointed out that there wasn’t much difference between what each of them did for a living. Was that moral relativism? Or equivalence? I’d lean toward the latter.

The character of Omar was originally intended just to be a big part but MKW killed it and it grew into a significant part of the cast and the story. 

[henrygandorf 29,191]

15 minutes ago, C-Man said:

I never finished it. I got several episodes (or maybe halfway) into the fourth season and just didn't get back to it. I think I let people telling me that it kind of ran out of steam around that time and that they generally disliked the final season influence my decision. My wife has never seen an episode. Maybe I'll start over with Season 1 with her.

finish s4.

s5 is pretty shitty. 

[WhatTheBuck 28,781]

15 minutes ago, C-Man said:

I think I let people telling me that it kind of ran out of steam around that time and that they generally disliked the final season influence my decision.

Go back and watch it and decide for yourself. The Wire at its worst is better than most anything else you’re going to see on tv. The last season is the least of the 5 but it also has some of the best moments of the entire series. Finish the book. You won’t regret it.  

[WhatTheBuck 28,781]

3 minutes ago, henrygandorf said:

s5 is pretty shitty. 

It’s really not. There are some major problems with plausibility in the plot that you just have to grit your teeth and accept. But once you accept them then the internal logic otherwise still works.

Spoiler

McNulty’s imaginary serial killer being identified by the profiler as, essentially, him, and Bubbles’ redemption and going upstairs to have breakfast with his sister make that season worthwhile. You only think it’s shitty because the rest of the series was so good. But it’s better than the best of anything The Sopranos ever put out. Characters develop and plots get resolved. It has an actual ending. (And just like in The Sopranos, the main character lives. Unlike in The Sopranos, he’s not the same character he was in the very first episode of the show.)

 

[henrygandorf 29,191]

9 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

It’s really not. There are some major problems with plausibility in the plot that you just have to grit your teeth and accept. But once you accept them then the internal logic otherwise still works.

  Reveal hidden contents

McNulty’s imaginary serial killer being identified by the profiler as, essentially, him, and Bubbles’ redemption and going upstairs to have breakfast with his sister make that season worthwhile. You only think it’s shitty because the rest of the series was so good. But it’s better than the best of anything The Sopranos ever put out. Characters develop and plots get resolved. It has an actual ending. (And just like in The Sopranos, the main character lives. Unlike in The Sopranos, he’s not the same character he was in the very first episode of the show.)

 

my opinion isn’t based on rumors. i have watched it 3-4x trying to make fetch happen. and i don’t care what it’s better or worse than, that’s not how things are judged. 

the horns went 5-7 but hey, that’s still better than like half of college football. 

nope. 

[WhatTheBuck 28,781]

13 minutes ago, henrygandorf said:

trying to make fetch happen.

I don’t know what that expression means. Is it another way of saying you don’t get it?

[South Austin 52,498]

6 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

I don’t know what that expression means. Is it another way of saying you don’t get it?

Okay, glad I'm not the only one who didn't understand what he was trying to say.

[henrygandorf 29,191]

12 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

I don’t know what that expression means. Is it another way of saying you don’t get it?

it means i keep hoping that upon subsequent attempts and viewings, i'll begin to actually enjoy it, but that hasn't happened.

"make fetch happen" isn't the best movie quote turned expression, but it's better than most of the other movie quote turned expressions out there.

[henrygandorf 29,191]

also s5 of the wire isn't "better than the best of anything the sopranos put out".  that's just patently false.  i didn't like the last couple seasons of sopranos, but season 2 was fantastic television.

my favorite 3 dramas of all time are the wire, mad men, and the west wing.  i'm comfortable with my assessment of the wire seasons.

[WhatTheBuck 28,781]

39 minutes ago, henrygandorf said:

that's just patently false

No it’s not.