Ed Healy

I just finished the series finale of HBO’s The Wire. Set in Baltimore, it’s a little more than your typical crime show. Kudos to David Simon and the cast and crew.

What I like about this series is the tension – characters, institutions and society all vying with each other over the issues of the day. Baltimore comes alive with stories about people and the things they have to deal with on a daily basis.

Police are not perfect, often motivated by personal issues and desires, more than a desire to protect and serve. Judges and prosecutors are in the same boat, variably playing hard ball to bring a case down, and then balking at assisting an investigation so as to insulate themselves from criticism. Politicians are well-meaning, corrupt, childish and inspiring. Drug addicts swindle and lie and cheat – and rise out of the gutter, one step at a time. Reporters ache to tell great stories, suffer from cut-backs, mis-quote sources and guard the First Amendment voraciously. And the criminals, from the corner dealer to the corporate lawyer, try to make a living while staying alive – and one step ahead of the law.

It’s a great show. I highly recommend it.

And now I need another one. Any great shows out there, folks?