The Wire Season 4 Finale

I went in to this season excited but somewhat skeptical. The skepticism was die in part to the featurette on the Season 3 DVDs saying 4 would revolve around the failings of the school system. It could have also been that I was coping with my grief over the death of Stringer Bell by proclaiming that "anyone stupid enough to kill the Barksdale crew's 'Chairman of the Board' couldn't have anything else to say worth listening to." Or maybe it was lingering resentment toward HBO in general for the epic letdown of The Sopranos this season. True cause aside, I had my doubts. But I was very surprised at how much I cared about the Fayetteville Mafia Crew by the time school passed out "Final Grades" this past Sunday.

A few quick hits on Season 4 -

1. Randy, Michael, DuQuan and Namond all ended up in some parallel universe that was the exact opposite of the place where they began. Namond, the biggest asshole bully of the bunch turned out to be a cowardly momma's boy who received the ultimate undeserved grace from the unlikely allies of Wee Bey and Bunny Colvin. Randy, the mannered, entrepreneurial and most cared-for of the corner boys ended up in a group home being beaten. DuQuan, the homeless and penniless but smart and most caring member of the crew ended up slangin' on the corner. Finally, Michael, the reserved, principled, protective older brother of the crew who once refused $200 from Marlo for school clothes closed the season living in a Stanfield-financed apartment, killing drug dealer at Marlo's request and being awarded Bodie's corner.
2. Bodie, Bodie, Bodie... I really hoped he would stick around and be Marlo's downfall. Slim Charles loses cool points for leaving him unprotected like that.
3. There is NO WAY Omar can survive stealing from the co-op and then selling their product back to them like that. If Deniro couldn't pull it off in Heat, Omar can't either. He goes next season... painfully. Nice re-up of 10% of the difference by Prop Joe by telling Marlo they were buying it back for 30 cents on the dollar when in fact Omar's offer was 20.
   
4. And Marlo? He has no clue what he's done putting a tail on Spiros. If Paul Ben-Victor comes back next season to restore order to the West Side, it may be the best season yet. At the very least we know someone will be losing their hands and feet.
   

NOTE TO "THE SOPRANOS": This is the consistency with which a truly great show operates. Get back to it.

If you don't know, now you know...