The Wire - The Complete Fifth Season | 
| Actors: Dominic West, Clark Johnson, Aidan Gillen, Clarke Peters, Wendell Pierce
Studio: Hbo Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $59.99
Buy Used: $30.36
You Save: $29.63 (49%)
New (47) Used (25) from $30.36
Avg. Customer Rating:  61 reviews
Sales Rank: 156
Format: Box Set, Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), Greek (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 4
Running Time: 630
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.5 x 1.3
MPN: 1000038240
UPC: 883929015368
EAN: 0883929015368
ASIN: B00123BY6S
Theatrical Release Date: January 1, 2008
Release Date: August 12, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
In the projects. On the docks. In City Hall. In the schools. And now in the media. The places and faces have changed but the game remains the same. Times are tough for the detail. Mayor Carcetti has slashed the departments budget to the bone. Police are operating without overtime some without cars and radios. Angered McNulty is off the rails again and headed down a dangerous path of deception and lies that will ally him with an unscrupulous reporter. The drug trade still rules the corners all you have to do is read between the lines.Running Time: 630 min.System Requirements:Running Time: 630 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC: 883929015368 Manufacturer No: 1000038240
Amazon.com
A barroom toast to Det. Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), a one-man good cop/bad cop, offered in The Wire's final episode could very well serve as this series' epitaph: "When you were good, you were the best we had." Season five bears witness to this. The 10 riveting, wrenching episodes focus on yet another beleaguered Baltimore institution, The Baltimore Sun daily newspaper, whose staff, much like the police, is forced to do more with less. One editor (Clark Johnson) struggles to maintain the paper's journalistic standards in the face of declining ad revenues, employee buyouts and bureau closures. An ambitious reporter (Tom McCarthy) undermines him by taking a page out of the Stephen Glass/Jayson Blair playbook, manufacturing sensational quotes, and eventually, whole stories, while bean-counter management encourages its rising star and keeps its eye on the (Pulitzer) prize. Meanwhile, on the streets, the year-long investigation of rising drug lord Marlo Sansfield (Jamie Hector) and the 22 bodies found in "the vacants" has been discontinued and police morale is at an all-time low (the money promised to the department has been diverted to the schools). McNulty manufactures a serial killer case that will have far-reaching repercussions in the mayor's office, where Tommy Carcetti (Aidan Gillen) is mounting a run for governor a mere two years into his term. "I wonder what it would be like to work at a real police station," McNulty rages at one point. The Wire, as ever, is all about real. It's a gritty and unflinching look at life in one of roughest districts of a "broke-ass city." There is street justice for some characters, and street injustice for others. Some meet sad, sudden, or shocking ends that defy TV convention. Referring to Marlo, McNulty declares early on, "He does not get to win; we get to win." The hard-earned victories are mostly small, or come with a price. Not that The Wire does not offer glimmers of hope. Bubbles (Andre Royo) struggles to maintain his sobriety (Steve Earle portrays the leader of his 12-step program and also does the theme song honors this season), and the final episode features a cameo by Jim True-Frost as the once overwhelmed teacher, "Prez," who now seems to have the hang of the job. The ratings-strapped and criminally Emmy-snubbed The Wire has always been a critic's darling with a passionate fan base. To the show's credit, it did not make itself more accessible in its final season (consequently, its send-off did not receive near the fanfare of The Sopranos or Sex and the City). That should not dissuade newcomers to the show. It is heavy lifting, and if you're just joining The Wire, a visit to the show's official website for orientation is recommended. But buy it, watch it, and be patient. It's so worth it. From the masterful storytelling to the peerless ensemble, it just doesn't get any better than The Wire. But that's not exactly news. --Donald Liebenson
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| Customer Reviews: Read 56 more reviews...
 The WIRE - Complete fifth season October 6, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
My used boxed set of the WIRE was received in excellent condition. I am
very pleased with my purchase.
So long to the best October 6, 2008
So long to the best television ever. Gritty, real, dynamic. Acting that feels like no acting at all, characters that walk in from off the street and move you whether you want to be or not. I could go on watching it forever but it ended well and I'm not sure if I could have stayed with it. It was like carrying baggage. I don't think anything else will ever move me as this but it is a relief to have closure.
Jim201A
A fantastic end to an amazing series. October 6, 2008
I am sad to see another fantastic HBO series come to a close. Season Five was just as good at the previous four and left us with a catharsis that will make you question what is good, what is moral, and if the world we live in is governed by correct laws. In short, fantastic. Do not purchase this series without starting at the beginning. Start with the beginning and be prepared to be wowed by yet another fabulous production from the genius of Ed Burns.
my review October 1, 2008
I really enjoyed the experience of shopping on this site. I was amazed at the price I paid for the item. I have a complete set of "The Wire" i.e., at least five full seasons, only because of Amazon. Every other site I explored was unable to give me what I wanted. Thank you so much!
The Wire: FIfth Season September 25, 2008
Again, The Wire excels in exposing the grim effects of post-industrial America. This season's focus on the declining significance of print media in the face of the explosion of digital communication, with the socio-political landscape of Baltimore, Maryland looming, adds to this series' lore and placement to fans and critics as one of the most important shows ever. From street corner politics and its policing to the closed-door deal-making in city government, The Wire ends its five-year run with the brilliance and breathtaking precision that has now become part of the show's long list of virtues. Returning fans can expect to see their characters continue to grapple with life's choices - professional and personal - as well as its limitations, with the same gritty honesty the show's creators have maintained throughout. New fans, be prepared for a stinging commentary on today's post-industrial urban landscape. For starters, watch seasn's 1 through 4 first, you wont be disappointed. The complicated lives of the characters and the creator's commitment to the story's accuracy evolves over the five seasons though each season has its own targeted theme. It will also help to search for some commentary from Dave Simon and Ed Burns on the show's purposes. The Wire is extraordinarily entertaining, and it is also a graduate course into contemporary America. There will be no note-taking and there will be no math, but this class is no cake-walk. Enjoy every riveting minute.
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