The Wire, Pt. 3

The third season of "The Wire" focused on reform, and the obstacles that stand in the way of reform — namely political corruption. This feels as timely today as it did then, and it's hard to see where things have improved much in the six years since the season aired on HBO.

Politics are tough. There isn't a lot of hope offered by our leaders, especially in California where in-fighting and obstinance has taken the place of governance. The same is true of Baltimore in "The Wire." The third season focuses on the politics of City Hall and the role that plays in everything from the way the police force is managed, to how citizens are treated, and how the criminals are allowed to set up shop in large sections of the city.

It feels to me like our leaders today are more interested in appearance than action. Obviously David Simon and his team feel the same. A great deal of the season focuses on how politicians work to win the PR war, often at the expense of making any kind of real change in the city. Viewers are also introduced to a city councilman, Tommy Carcetti (Aidan Gillen), who is frustrated by the decay he sees in the city of Baltimore. He is a flawed character. He has failings in his personal life, and though he's somewhat of an idealist in terms of politics, he doesn't always have the courage to see it through.

I have often felt that about our current politicians. Many of them talk a good game, but few in recent years have had the courage or capacity to back it up. I remember once in 1999, near the end of Clinton's term in office, Jay Leno made a joke on "The Tonight Show" about America finally having a president it could believe in. He flashed a picture of President Josiah Bartlett (Martin Sheen) from "The West Wing." Sadly, his joke was only half true.

I didn't often agree with the political take on issues offered in "The West Wing," but I admired the characters. They weren't afraid of debate and they had the courage to follow through on their convictions, no matter the political cost. I still believe that if there was an actual politician that displayed those characteristics, I'd be happy to lend them a vote. But "The West Wing" offered an idealized world for a reason. Nowadays, politicians don't follow their convictions — in fact it's hard to tell sometimes if they even have convictions.

There are three other plots in the third season worth mentioning. First, is an experiment conducted by Major Howard "Bunny" Colvin (Robert Wisdom). In an effort to take back a majority of his district, Colvin sets up designated areas for drug dealing where enforcement will be lacking. A common argument today, especially in California, is about the merits of legalizing drugs. I must admit that, often, I have trouble being completely opposed to the idea. It would likely reduce crime, it would reduce prison overcrowding and could provide a stream of revenue if regulated like a business. The problem with it, though, as "The Wire" points out, is that there are many victims of the drug trade. If we were to legalize something like the drug trade without improving out health and human services, treatment programs, and prevention programs, we would be condemning large portions of our society. That is something I hadn't thought about, but it is presented in a moving, layered way within the show.

Another plotline surrounds the quest for legitimacy for Stringer Bell (Idris Elba). Since the beginning, he's aspired to do more than run corners in the slums of Baltimore. He's tried to better himself and open up avenues to legitimate business opportunities. This runs in conflict to the approach taken by Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris). At one point, Avon crystalizes this conflict by saying, "I ain't no suit-wearin' businessman like you... you know I'm just a gangsta I suppose..."

One of the interesting conflicts in "The Godfather" series is Michael Corleone's (Al Pacino) quest to legitimize the family business. He struggles to use the power, resources, and influence he's gained in organized crime to provide something better for his family. But he can't ever truly escape his roots because he can't sever those ties. Each time he tries, he gets sucked back in.

You see the same in Stringer Bell. He seeks to be a businessman, but he isn't truly at home in that world. Additionally, he can't escape the pull of the street. It's an interesting study about what defines someone.

But does it have to? The show doesn't think it does.

Perhaps the most moving storyline in season three is that of Dennis "Cutty" Wise (Chad Coleman). Cutty was muscle for a street organization in his day, and for his crimes he was sent to prison. Upon leaving prison, he aspires to embrace a new life. But he doesn't fit in that world, so he turns back to what he knows, joining the Barksdale organization.

But the streets aren't what he remembers, and he finds he's lost the edge that allowed him to survive in that world. At one point, he remarks to a fellow enforcer, "The game done changed..." To which his colleague replies, "Game's the same, just got more fierce." Realizing it's not where he wants to be, Cutty leaves his role on the streets and seeks his true purpose.

There to offer support and guidance is a local deacon who points him toward the path to redemption. I was moved that, in the middle of one of the grittiest shows ever made, there is a great call to faith. Watching Cutty evolve and find his way to another way of life is one of the highlights of the season.