Reality

I stay away from press about the newest season of The Wire (the one article I did read was from Newsweek and after just three sentences I learned what happens in the final show), so I'm not sure what people are saying. But after finally watching the first episode last night, I have a guess.

Until now, critics have fawned over the show's dialogue. They write about how beautifully writers David Simon and Ed Burns can realistically talk about the drug trade on the streets, politics, and schools. I love the show and simply assumed that the critics were right; that Simon and Burns had captured the way people talk.

But now I know for sure. With the theme of this year's season centered around journalism at the Baltimore Sun, I was struck by how familiar it all was. I spent two years in newspaper offices -- one big (about the size of the Sun), one small -- and I recognized the scenes from The Wire last night immediately.

The Wire is so different from everything else on television that I find it hard sometimes to pinpoint why it's so special. But last night, for the first time, I fully experienced the talent that Simon and Burns have -- they bring a reality of life that television has never seen before.