The Wire: Complete HBO Season 4 | 
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| Actors: Dominic West, Michael K. Williams, Sonja Sohn
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: £40.99
Buy New: £23.97
You Save: £17.02 (42%)
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Rating:  30 reviews
Sales Rank: 49
Format: Pal
Language: English (Unknown)
Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region: 2
Number Of Items: 5
Running Time: 749 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.7
EAN: 7321902173429
ASIN: B000XPC4ZG
Release Date: March 10, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
Even if you missed the first three seasons (the character guides and thorough episode recaps on HBO's website are recommended), and with only one season left, it's not too late to get in under The Wire. In fact, season 4 is an accessible introduction for those who know The Wire only by its street cred as arguably the very best show on television. For them especially, this season will be, as befitting its theme, a real education. Without resorting to melodramatics that other ratings-challenged series employ to gain that frustratingly elusive audience, The Wire shakes things up this season in a way that is true to the series and its characters. A major character, Dominic West's McNulty, plays a minor role as a contented street cop and family man, while a former supporting player, Jim True-Frost's Roland Pryzbylewski, goes to the head of the class as a new eighth grade teacher at beleaguered Edward Tilghman Middle School. It may take a couple of episodes to orient yourself to the Baltimore backrooms, squad rooms, classrooms, and street corners where The Wire's intense dramas play out, and new viewers may miss something in character nuance, but they will easily grasp the big picture. A politically motivated shake-up sends Major Crimes detectives Freamon (Clarke Peters) and Greggs (Sonja Sohn) to Homicide. The gloves come off in the mayoral race between black incumbent Clarence Royce (Glynn Turman) and idealistic white challenger Tommy Carcetti (Aidan Gillen). Gang leader Marlo (Jamie Hector) quietly and deliberately becomes the city's new drug kingpin, managing to subvert all surveillance efforts. Meanwhile, while "Prez" tries to reach his students, four highly at-risk kids will be drawn into the drug trade.
Mere synopsis does not do The Wire justice. The series deftly juggles its myriad storylines and characters, all of whom make an impression, from Marlo's cold-blooded enforcers, Snoop (Felicia Pearson) and Chris (Gbenga Akinnagbe), to boxing instructor "Cutty" (Chad L. Coleman), determined to keep his young charges off the corners. There is not a false note in the performances or the writing. Richard Price (Clockers) and Dennis Lehane (Mystic River) again contributed episodes. That this series has only been nominated for only one Emmy (for writing) is a travesty. As engrossing as the finest novels and in a class by itself, this isn't television; it's The Wire. --Donald Liebenson
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| Customer Reviews: Read 25 more reviews...
miss it and miss out September 25, 2008
Alexis Alleyne (London UK)
I never thought a series about drug dealers could have me hooked, but laced with politics, the police system and characters like Freeman, Bunk, Marlo, damn every character is addictive. I sat in a cinema watching Batman but longed to get home to watch The Wire. In fact, The Wire is the only filmatic experience worthy of a new six-star rating. I won't spoil it for others but there are characters I came to love in series 1-3, but the beauty of The Wire is that any character can take the limelight. Having invested over 40 hours to the series, the in jokes were appreciated, every Omar scene is a classic and there is one involving a satin dressing gown which was a satifying fix. But the four young actors who are introduced in series four were strong, sensitive, and believable. The Wire will have you debating with the screen, blowing out friends, laughing, damn I nearly called up my old secondary school to get this on the curriculum. Get it, your life will improve.
The Bar is raised even higher - Magnificent TV Drama September 23, 2008
Mr. Laurence Williams (UK)
Anyone who has seen previous Seasons may not have thought it possible, but Season 4 of 'The Wire' has raised the bar even higher in terms of quality viewing.
It continues to be an excellent drama which is gritty, involving and believable - but this time the storyline is expanded to areas rarely covered in ANY TV series before....
*** My review of this programme is again intentionally vague about the story as I don't want to spoil things for first-time viewers !
As is the norm, the story follows-on from previous seasons to cover a multi-layered plot surrounding a specific group of drug-dealing criminals, and the detectives within the Baltimore Police Department who are trying to catch them in the act and bring down their operation. Therefore, to fully understand developments you have to be familiar with the main characters and (more importantly) the internal politics and general plot played-out earlier.
A new branch of the drug-dealing empire takes centre stage and includes several significant characters, some of whom are surprisingly ruthless and extremely unpleasant; the body count reaches new heights in this season and some of the murders are really quite gruesome. Police operations continue, but are less concentrated, with the lead-character (McNulty) from earlier seasons barely getting a look in this time. They are really playing catch-up against a typically 'professional' crime organisation.
However, things really focus on school life and the city mayoral election fight. These 'new' areas of coverage not only open fresh storylines (including corruption, scandal and difficult working practices) but also allow the lives and influences of new and existing characters to be depicted in a more varied way.
Internal feuding and politics appear in ALL areas and are the real driving force behind plot developments. This season is very 'dark' and frustrations within the educational system, police force and political world come to the fore. The mayoral race gets dirty, revealing the worst side of all those involved....
The familiar coverage of individual strife (featuring many familiar characters) continues to present an overall picture of despair and there are few moments of encouragement for those hoping that Baltimore is getting 'cleaned-up'; nevertheless, it remains compulsive viewing.
The series trademarks of an excellent screenplay and an (EVEN better than before !) stock of actors, many of whom are juveniles, strengthens the desire to watch the next Season (which I have already seen) further still.
The Season continues to be filmed on location (even including those scenes which are indoors). The lack of an accompanying music soundtrack also remains a theme of the production (which contributes to the feeling of reality).
If you've already seen Seasons 1-3 (and you should have really) you might, like me, not have found the need for subtitles this time - but I must say that understanding everything that characters such as the chilling 'Snoop' (who I didn't immediately realise was a girl !) was quite a challenge....
education, education, education. August 31, 2008
William Rycroft (London, UK)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Well, season four has completely blown me away. Building on the achievements of the previous three seasons it adds a new dimension which you might say was previously lacking: genuine emotional involvement. As I've said before the writing and the detail contained within it had made us interested in the characters and to care about them too. But by focusing on the education system, and a group of eighth graders in particular, it forces us to really worry about a group of children growing up in a city which has already shown that for some people the only opportunities available are different ways to ruin your life.
A hotly contested mayoral election is the main event in Baltimore.Tommy Carcetti may be the wrong colour to be mayor but by speaking to the right people and genuinely trying to engage with the voters he puts himself in a real position to challenge that. Aiden Gillen, looking immediately more comfortable in his role this series, shows with lip-smacking relish the contortions necessary to move ahead politically in a town with a black majority. Spin, sleaze and backhanders abound. It's a bit like here in England. For the police meanwhile, with Barksdale back inside, Marlo Stanfield is the target and the question that plagues them is how he has managed to wrest so much control of the corners without stacking up bodies. Stanfield's two enforcers, Chris and Snoop, are genuinely frightening with their cold detachment and in much the same way as Javier Bardem terrorised those he met in 'No Country For Old Men' whilst carrying a pneumatic cattle gun, they stalk anonymously through the vacant houses armed with a nail gun and a tub of lime.
Jimmy McNulty is almost entirely absent from the series (maybe Dominic West was busy doing one of his theatre jobs in the UK) which is a bit of a shame. Even in the scenes he is in he is a changed man, on the wagon and working hard to be a family man. Bunk keeps us going with his inimitable wisdom but the focus of this series really is with the children. Prez and Colvin having both left the police department are working in the school system; Prez as a teacher and Colvin working with a special group of corner kids to find the way to integrate them back into the classroom. It is a rude awakening for both of them and for us as viewers too. Lt. Daniels later says that he 'had a good education now that I think on it'. I found myself very grateful for mine as I watched these children struggle.It isn't just within the school system that we see the importance of mentoring and nurture. On the street the entrepreneurial Bubbles is trying to help a young boy himself, but there's a reason why they call it the school of hard knocks.
As I've said, it really is all about the children, and the four main actors (pictured above) are a credit to the series. Each have their own problems and seem to be following a trajectory. As a viewer I found myself desperately trying to change the course of that trajectory by thought alone, like a horror movie fan screaming 'don't go back into the house'. I really cared, and that is due largely to the performances. It isn't that these children are innocent and deserve our protection; it's precisely because they aren't innocent and yet still deserve our help and protection that shows the maturity of this series. I've barely scratched the surface here, you'll just have to watch it and educate yourself.
outstanding! 6 stars July 20, 2008
C. Brant (Eltham, London)
Quite simply the finest drama I have ever seen, I thought series 3 could not get any better but the writers/cast proved me wrong. If I could give it six stars I would. I have never felt so involved in a series before, my only complaint is I watched it too quickly.
Loved it July 14, 2008
D. Robinson (United Kingdom)
This season of The WIre was no let down. The focus on the children was excellent...showing that the system can let them down but in the case of Pres (who does try to do right) he really tries to help these children look upwards and see they can do right. Still love Omar - he does what he does and people never see him coming. Not to keen on Snoop...but you cant love em all!! Cant wait for season 5 which is coming on FX channel later this month!
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