Review of The Wire Finale

That unfinished sentiment of Detective Jimmy McNulty aptly sums up the conclusion to HBO's television drama The Wire as it ended its storied five-year run this Sunday night.

Unlike traditional series finale fare, The Wire did not end on a note of optimism for the future-- instead, it left us on a bittersweet note of life continued in the midst of a system that does its best to break the good and reward those who play along with its demands. There was no final victory-- only a lingering sense of empty, wasted potential, masterfully crafted.

From the fate of Jimmy McNulty, one of the "true police", who after years of trying to get the police department to properly focus its priorities finally crossed the line to staging a serial killing, to Lt. Commissioner Daniels being forced out of his job for deciding to stand for principle rather than manipulate crime statistics, we see brilliant, passionate people destroyed by their unwillingness to play by "the rules of the game."

Forget Survivor or American Idol. The Wire's finale-- like all the episodes before it-- was reality TV at its finest. We are shown a perfect rendition of a system so broken that personal protection and political advancement have taken precedence over all other considerations-- to the point where an interest in the good of the people takes a backseat to one's ability to cut a deal.

As Commissioner Daniels noted while facing his professional destiny, If a tree doesn't bend, it will break. But if a man bends too much, he's already broken. For five years, The Wire has sought to show that we are all, in some way, broken. And, like "Bubbles" the reformed addict, it's up to us to fix ourselves-- because no one else will.

For the characters, for the honesty, for the message-- The Wire will be missed. Here's hoping that DVD sales and syndication will bring this show to the people who need to see it the most.