The Wire: Best TV Series Ever?

[Flumm]

Quoted, to avoid being excuminated by people who have never travalled outside of Hawaii...

Whenever I see a recent movie with a predominantly black cast, I always think "how long before someone from The Wire pops up in this?"

This happened the other day when I inadvertently started watching Shaft on the telly. Within 5 minutes of me having the thought, both Kima Greggs and Bubs had appeared in the movie...

Commissioner Burrell had a role in My Blueberry Nights, so that's one more for the list!

Omar's in Gone Baby Gone, too.

I caught a little of ReShafted the other night also, TiTG.

I think perhaps Bubbs' character was Hispanic? If so, that hadn't occured to me before, to be honest. Although, as I noticed he managed to catch the attention of some potentially naughty gentlemen, gangsters quite possibley, I feared terribly for his well-being and changed the channel should I have to watch unBubbs die before his time.

Always a pleasure to see him, though...

And going through HBO's castlist is fascinating...

Apparently, Prop Joe has never acted in anything than The Wire and Homicide: LoTS, for example. Never would have guessed it...

[stereosforgeeks]

EPISODE 8 SPOILER!!! Not everyone has OnDemand, stereos you putz!!!! --Pacino

Holy crap. Omar got bagged. Shit is not going good.

[papalazeru]

JL tried to convince me to get into this a long time ago.

Still haven't done it.

Lugz tried to convince me...I still have done it.

I will but I want the worlds biggest box set first.

[instant_karma]

I just finished watching the first season of this show.

I now understand what all the fuss is about.

Plus, I now know who the dude on SG's sig is...

[Flumm]

Ah, it's hard to ignore thread titles with "Best TV Series Ever?" in them, isn't it?

You've plenty to appreciate up ahead of you, hope you enjoy the ride, Karma...

EPISODE 8 SPOILER!!!

Holy crap. Omar got bagged. Shit is not going good.

As spoilerisms go, I'm glad I did not read that one.

After watching Ep8 yesterday, I have to say, for me it's felt like it's been somewhat of a slow season, all in alll.

I know half of the Wire is in the telling, and I wouldn't want it differently, but somehow, strangely even with the significance of the storylines themselves, it's seemed to pull a slightly less focused, event-based pace, and a little energy has been lost somewhere along the line, I think.

Maybe that's just me feeling the trepidation of everything coming to a close, though.

Still really enjoying Gus' presence in the newsroom, and I'm curious as ever as to how that's going to run it's course, he has great mojo, probably the best addition to the cast this season, I'll miss him as much as the rest of the crew when it's over.

Even if I could feel it coming over the horizon, McNulty's encounter with the federal profilers was slyly funny, if only highlighting the madness of it all. Also, made a little richer I think, with him having a more genuine moment with Dee later on. I tend to like how Dominic West plays those scenes, with the blank face, he often reminds me of myself as a young boy being confronted for deeds done, half regretful and aware of mistakes being made, half defiant -- always somehow a little powerless to stop it.

Will he grow up?

In terms of character, or the mythology of the show, I could see it going either way, but in truth, I'm not at all sure that I have, so I couldn't blame him if he didn't.


Sigh.

The studly lady isn't singing yet, but I can hear her warming up just out of sight.

Sounds like the blues.

Pretty.

[TonyWilson]

I haven't caught up fully but I just saw Prop Joe get got.



NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

[stereosforgeeks]

That was why My sig had a picture of him. In remembrance of a player lost. Proposition Joe see you on the other side. *pours 40*

Yeah I really like Gus too Flumm. The problem with the newsroom stuff is it feels a little heavy handed. I mean Simon isn't really known for being incredibly subtle, but he normally lets the story do the talking. In the newsroom scenes it just seems more forced.

Also, Flumm you seem to be right about this season being slower. Normally by now there is some more major stuff going down. Maybe it is due to the even broader focus this season and the newroom stuff not being hugely momentous plot wise.

[stereosforgeeks]

A really cool take on the wire from Slate this week.

This afternoon I took my kids to see Roar: Lions of the Kalahari, an IMAX documentary at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, and, of course, it got me thinking about The Wire. In Roar, an old male lion rules a water hole at the Kalahari, with a bevy of hot young lionesses to hunt springbok for him and raise his cubs. But a younger, tougher male shows up at the hole, challenges and conquers the old king, takes his ladies, and exiles him to the desert, where he soon dies. It's the Marlo-Prop Joe story, or maybe the Marlo-Avon story, but with springbok as the bodies and the desert as the vacants.

Roar made me notice something I had overlooked about this season of The Wire. It's perfectly obvious what the lions are fighting for: sex, food, and reproductive advantage. The male lion who triumphs gets all the lionesses and as much springbok as he can eat. But it's not at all clear what Marlo is fighting for. He has no appetites. He sucks on lollipops. He's never fooling around with hot women, never spending his money on flashy cars, never taking the slightest bit of pleasure in his achievements or even in his money. The two great capitalist villains of this year's culture are Marlo and Daniel Plainview, the vicious protagonist of There Will Be Blood. They are very similar, and somewhat unpersuasive, because they lack any human appetites. Yes, there is an occasional businessman who longs only for money, not the tangible satisfactions that money brings. But most capitalists—even the nastiest, most ruthless of the breed—are in it to get laid, to buy a fancier jet, to own a bigger house, to get the kids into the best school. That's why I continue to find Marlo slightly unsatisfying as a character: He represents an idea of pathological capitalism, but because he's an idea, he's not persuasively human. Even Chris Partlow gets a wife and kids.

And since I'm being all ponderous and philosophical, let me mention another perhaps tenuous connection, between The Wire and this week's Roger Clemens-Brian McNamee steroid hearing. Republican members of Congress who support Clemens all but called McNamee a rat, accusing him of betraying a friend to protect himself. Their assault on McNamee is an unsettling reminder of how pervasive the "stop snitchin' " code has become. Stop snitchin' is a pervasive theme of The Wire, from D'Angelo in Season 1 to Randy in Season 4. And this season, we're seeing stop snitchin' through Bunk's eyes. He can't get anywhere in his investigation into the murder of Michael's stepfather. We see Bunk desperately trying to bully or cajole or trick his witnesses into revealing something, but they're smart enough protect themselves. What's so clever about Bunk's frustration is that he himself is obeying the stop snitchin' code in his own life, even as he tries to get his witnesses to break it. Bunk knows that Jimmy and Lester have faked the murders and that the bogus investigation is stealing time and money away from real police work, but he won't rat Jimmy out. The right thing to do would be to snitch on Jimmy and end his charade. But Bunk, like his silent witnesses, has chosen loyalty over right, and the people of Baltimore must pay the price.

[wharto]

Just got into this magnificent show and have just finished series two, and am about to purchase series three and four, anyway getting to my original point I agree that this could be just about the best tv show ever!

[stereosforgeeks]

The Philadelphia Inquirer is running a multipart series about Philadelphia's homeless, inspired by the gruesome death of a homeless man. This is delicious because the Inquirer's editor is none other than Bill Marimow, former Sun managing editor, nemesis of David Simon, and Simon's supposed model for managing editor Thomas Klebanow on The Wire. Klebanow, of course, is supervising the Sun's special homeless investigation, inspired by the gruesome deaths of homeless men.

[stereosforgeeks]

Man what a great episode.

Lester all drunk "I hope Chardene is up when I get home, because Lester Freamon is in the mood for love!" Fantastic line! For those that don't remember, Chardene is the stripper who briefly dated D'Angelo in season one and then became one of Lester's informants.

Namond was back and doing well even won the debate contest! The scene itself was rather pointless, but it was nice to see him and Bunny again.

Bubs's (Reginald) Anniversary.

Landsman called Jimmy a "genital wart." Priceless.

Tommys speech was hilarious with one of the writers knowing what words were coming next as if he'd seen the same dog and pony show a dozen times. "Don't forget the community..." Great stuff.

Lester busting Marlo.

Herc being even more of a sleaze with questions about the tap.

"How's my hair?" "You look good girl" *POP*. Damn Snoop is one tough ass chick.

Bug, Dukie and Michael's farewell. Heartbreaking crap right there.

Lester and Clay! Great play by Lester there. It is tough to tell if he will be able to work with it though with everything coming crashing down.

Kima and Cedric followed by the evidence room scene. Wow.

Gus's investigation on Templeton.

There is no possible way for this to end well. Marlo will obviously get off because there is no stopping the game.

Templeton will probably not have much bad happen to him.

I want a happy ending for Dukie. Maybe he will go see Prez?

Jimmy is up shits creek, but what about Lester?

Man I am seriously jonesing for Sunday, with a sense of sadness and anticipation I have never felt from a television show before. The closest would have been Sopranos or SFU, but those were nowhere near as consistently brilliant as the wire.

[John-Locke]

Only one more episode to go

EVER

[Evil Hobbit]

Can I cry with you Locke? Your shoulder looks comfy to me..

[ThisIsTheGirl]

I made it up to episode 6, then I realised that I'm gonna be inconsolable when this show ends, so I'm really dragging out the final few episodes!

[Pacino86845]

I made it up to episode 6, then I realised that I'm gonna be inconsolable when this show ends, so I'm really dragging out the final few episodes!

Obviously I won't spoil it for you, but let me just say that episode 8 and more so 9 will kick you in the ballz and tear out your heart at the same time... like only The Wire can do!!

One week 'til episode ten...

[John-Locke]

I made it up to episode 6, then I realised that I'm gonna be inconsolable when this show ends, so I'm really dragging out the final few episodes!

Yeah, I was all over last season like a rash, as soon as episodes were leaked I'd watch them, this season I've dragged it out as much as possible, after a slow start this season has been as good as one could hope.

[stereosforgeeks]

I watched ahead for a bit. I then went and rewatch the first 7 epsodes before the 8th one aired. I needed to have everything fresh, you know.

[Evil Hobbit]

One of the key elements I love in this season is Guz from the Sun. I love that character so much, he just engages you into that world. I'm usually against it but I could really see a Sun spin-off work with this character as the lead.

[stereosforgeeks]

One of the key elements I love in this season is Guz from the Sun. I love that character so much, he just engages you into that world. I'm usually against it but I could really see a Sun spin-off work with this character as the lead.

From what I understand from actual reporters his character is rather cliche and trite. To the outside world however I think it works.

Actually that can be applied to the whole newsroom plot.

[John-Locke]

I hope we get to see Prez next episode, I think he's just about the only character from Previous seasons we haven't seen yet, hell even the dock guys got some screen time (anyone notice that studly dock guy with a goatee was a homeless guy a few weeks ago?)

[stereosforgeeks]

I hope we get to see Prez next episode, I think he's just about the only character from Previous seasons we haven't seen yet, hell even the dock guys got some screen time (anyone notice that studly dock guy with a goatee was a homeless guy a few weeks ago?)

I so want Dukie to go to Prez!!!!!

[Pacino86845]

One of the key elements I love in this season is Guz from the Sun. I love that character so much, he just engages you into that world. I'm usually against it but I could really see a Sun spin-off work with this character as the lead.

From what I understand from actual reporters his character is rather cliche and trite. To the outside world however I think it works.

Actually that can be applied to the whole newsroom plot.

Why would that character be cliched to reporters but not the rest of the world? Are they watching exclusive television programs about newsrooms that the rest of us can't?

[Ribbons]

The Wire: 4 Seasons in 4 Minutes

[stereosforgeeks]

One of the key elements I love in this season is Guz from the Sun. I love that character so much, he just engages you into that world. I'm usually against it but I could really see a Sun spin-off work with this character as the lead.

From what I understand from actual reporters his character is rather cliche and trite. To the outside world however I think it works.

Actually that can be applied to the whole newsroom plot.

Why would that character be cliched to reporters but not the rest of the world? Are they watching exclusive television programs about newsrooms that the rest of us can't?

Ohh well he just comes across as the holier than thou newroom type and not an actual person. An ideal or something.

They hate the newsroom stuff too because plot-lines are just too cut and dry and in the newsrooms they work in that simply isnt the case. The bosses who don't know anything. The pulitzer stuff this last episode would be a thing they didnt like. Covering your own coverage is ridiculously self-important and while that can happen its not the degree as displayed. The pulitzer committee guy saying "that's why I get the big bucks" just a terrible line as well.

[Pacino86845]

They hate the newsroom stuff too because plot-lines are just too cut and dry and in the newsrooms they work in that simply isnt the case.

This sadly has been the one limitation of this entire season, all aspects of the show suffered from it IMO. It's a minor qualm I'd say, but not limited to the newsroom... noticed there most of all 'cause we haven't seen any of it before, but to be fair the whole season got this treatment.

The bosses who don't know anything. The pulitzer stuff this last episode would be a thing they didnt like.

Ok, fair enough, but I don't think they could say that stuff does NOT go on, could they?

Covering your own coverage is ridiculously self-important and while that can happen its not the degree as displayed. The pulitzer committee guy saying "that's why I get the big bucks" just a terrible line as well.

Ok, that's also a fair point.

But Gus saves the day, still... the lying journalist angle is also terrific, especially the bittersweet connection to McNulty's own bogus investigation. Reminded me a bit of Shattered Glass, which IS a real life occurrence of such a scale of lies, if not greater.

[stereosforgeeks]

It's not that the stuff doesnt happen, but the way Simon has covered police, drugs, the docks, politics and school system with a good amount of depth and the media felt sorely lacking in comparison.

You are absolutely correct about this season being more cut and dry. I felt like the messgaes have been a little too forced this season, but again this is a complaint only compared to other seasons.

[anthonymous]

I just want you to know stereosforgeeks, that you have spoiled a lot for me with your sig pics!

I've been avoiding The Wire-related web stuff but accidentally found out about Prop Joe, and because of your signature I'm pretty sure I know about Omar and Snoop now as well.

It isn't your fault of course, I imagine the rule is that once it's aired you can do what you want, but DANG IT!

[John-Locke]

Yeah the same thing happened to me with Omar

DAMN YOU STEREOSFORGEEKS!!!!!!!

[stereosforgeeks]

Yeah the same thing happened to me with Omar

DAMN YOU STEREOSFORGEEKS!!!!!!!

Im sorry guys. I didnt really think about it. I put them up a couple of days after airdates.

[John-Locke]

Yeah but you were watching it On Demand so you were a week ahead

[John-Locke]

'The Wire': Mission Accomplished?

As the series finale nears, the creator says the intent of 'Wire' is clear.

On "The Wire," it's tradition for Baltimore police to hold a wake for a fallen officer by laying out his body on a barroom pool table, singing the Pogues' "The Body of an American" and raising their glasses to the dearly departed.

And so it's time to do the same for the show itself, dead at 60 episodes.

The unparalleled HBO drama, whose final episode airs Sunday, endeavored unlike any previous fictional series to depict a city in full. Its protagonist was Baltimore, framed by thousands of close-ups — from the corner drug dealers to the city hall politicians.

Yes, "The Wire" led a full life. But was its mission accomplished?

When it premiered in 2002, series creator and former Baltimore Sun reporter David Simon set out with grand ambitions of social commentary and novelistic storytelling. An "angry show," he's called it, aimed squarely at the problems in our cities and our inability to solve them.

Now, looking back, Simon doesn't believe "The Wire" has changed anything. Instead, he says the days are gone where fiction altered the political landscape, like Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in 1852 or Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" in 1906.

"I actually have lesser expectations for storytelling, even for journalism in modern times," says Simon. "The best journalism and the best storytelling used to outrage people. In these times, people are inured to outrage."

Each of the show's five seasons focused on an institution: police, labor, politics, schools and the press. On "The Wire," institutions are like Greek gods, invisibly dictating people's lives, trapping them in bureaucracies.

The show takes great pride in its independence from the normal culture centers of Los Angeles or New York. Simon created it with his writing partner Ed Burns, a former Baltimore police detective and schoolteacher. Their deep knowledge and passion made the show feel like a missive of public outrage, fired from a forgotten corner of America.

"If there's one small thing that can be pulled out of the last five years, it's that if everybody begins to contemplate some of the people trapped in that Other America — the Bubbles, the Michaels, the Randys, the Wallaces and Bodies — if they start to contemplate those characters as a little more genuinely human than the current political construct would allow, that would be nice," Simon deadpans. "That would be of some modest benefit."

A word like "nice" sounds almost defeatist from Simon, who's been called "the angriest man in TV." Famously cynical (rare is the optimistic "Wire" episode), Simon says: "Everyone has hope. Mine's just a thinner read than some other people's, I guess."

Simon's cynicism has come under fire in the final season. Though critics have been effusive about "The Wire" (one even called it the greatest TV drama ever), this season's newsroom story line has been called one-dimensional and biased.

A focus of the newsroom story line is a reporter (Thomas McCarthy) who fabricates stories. The city desk editor (Clark Johnson, who directed the final episode) is suspicious, while the managing editor and the executive editor are blinded by their pursuit of journalism prizes.

Those two editors are rough caricatures of two former top Sun editors, Bill Marimow and John Carroll. Simon, who took a buyout from the Sun amid a wave of layoffs, claims they sheltered a fabricator at the Sun, though the editors say the reporter made honest mistakes.

"I expected it," says Simon on the media backlash. "The average school superintendent or police commissioner or mayor or union leader, they don't blog and they don't publish. When you write about the media, you must expect the critique to be critiqued."

Simon thinks the media has fittingly missed the real story: "This newspaper depicted goes through the entire year missing every story. What's not on the screen is my critique."

The backlash may have soured the wake for "The Wire," but fans will likely find the final episode exceptionally rewarding. There are also a few touches of symmetry with the pilot episode, which Johnson also directed.

We return to the perspective of surveillance cameras a few times, and we again glimpse the familiar statues outside the McCulloh housing projects. (Look closely and you'll also spot Simon in the newsroom, making a Hitchcockian cameo.)

The intent is clear: The tragedy of Baltimore is cyclical; we're back where we began.

"I don't know how much catharsis there was or wasn't. The endings just felt right to the characters," says Simon, who had always planned a five-season run. "There was very little left to say that needed saying."

Simon and HBO will continue their relationship with a miniseries called "Generation Kill," about Marines in Iraq. Simon is also putting the last touches on a pilot about musicians in New Orleans that he hopes the network will green-light.

"Are there things to be angry about post-Katrina in New Orleans?" Simon wonders sarcastically. "I'm going to guess that there are."

It may be hard to pin down any effect "The Wire" has had outside of television, but few would doubt its artistic merits — except, perhaps, the oblivious Emmys. It has only been nominated once, apparently overlooked because of its low ratings (this season has averaged about 3.5 million viewers).

Ultimately, Simon has simple hopes for the legacy of "The Wire": "I hope it's a good story well told."

The series finale of "The Wire" airs Sunday, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

-Jack Coyle
The Associated Press

[Retardo_Montalban]

Holy crap, I'm totally on board for Simon's New Orleans show.

[Evil Hobbit]

Ultimately, Simon has simple hopes for the legacy of "The Wire": "I hope it's a good story well told."

And it sure as hell was! Kudos to all the makers for a fantastic ride. The Wire will be missed, but brilliant it was indeed.

[John-Locke]

Wow, what a perfect ending, I think people two blocks away must have heard me laughing at the new Commissioner reveal, Omar might be dead but his spirit lives on in Michael, Lester might be retired but his spirit lives on in Sydnor, McNulty might be gone but his difficult yet brilliant nature lives on in Greggs, I'm so happy for Bubs, so sad for Dukie... I could go on all day.

Is The Wire the best TV Show Ever? I'd go so far as to call it the best and most important use of Moving Images with recorded sound ever, better than any Movie, pretty much better than anything.

[Retardo_Montalban]

Yeah, that ending was pure aces. The way this show ties everything together into an unending cycle is genius. Just seeing every character evolve and replace all these other characters was amazing. McNulty is the new Freamon! I also grinned at how both Kima and Carver manage to fill in Mcnulty's shoes. especially Sydnor shaking down Judge Phelan.

[stereosforgeeks]

David Simon thanks the fans.

[Pacino86845]

I can't believe it's over.

A season that felt like an extended epilogue, but what an epilogue!

RIP McNulty, heh.

[stereosforgeeks]

I can't believe it's over.

A season that felt like an extended epilogue, but what an epilogue!

RIP McNulty, heh.

wish lester wouldve gone on the table with him.

Lester was "natural Poh lice"

[Evil Hobbit]

I can't believe it's over.

A season that felt like an extended epilogue, but what an epilogue!

RIP McNulty, heh.

wish lester wouldve gone on the table with him.

Lester was "natural Poh lice"

That was a great scene. Freeborn men of the USA!! Love the companionship in there.

[John-Locke]

David Simon Q & A

Essential reading

[Pacino86845]

Quoted, to avoid being excuminated by people who have never travalled outside of Hawaii...

Whenever I see a recent movie with a predominantly black cast, I always think "how long before someone from The Wire pops up in this?"

This happened the other day when I inadvertently started watching Shaft on the telly. Within 5 minutes of me having the thought, both Kima Greggs and Bubs had appeared in the movie...

Commissioner Burrell had a role in My Blueberry Nights, so that's one more for the list!

Omar's in Gone Baby Gone, too.

I caught a little of ReShafted the other night also, TiTG.

I think perhaps Bubbs' character was Hispanic? If so, that hadn't occured to me before, to be honest. Although, as I noticed he managed to catch the attention of some potentially naughty gentlemen, gangsters quite possibley, I feared terribly for his well-being and changed the channel should I have to watch unBubbs die before his time.

Always a pleasure to see him, though...

And going through HBO's castlist is fascinating...

Apparently, Prop Joe has never acted in anything than The Wire and Homicide: LoTS, for example. Never would have guessed it...

Dunno if anyone mentioned these already:

-Jimmy McNulty appears in 300 as the dude who rapes the queen
-Avon Barksdale shows up in Southland Tales as a "Neo Marxist."

[instant_karma]

I arrived late to the party for this particular show, having just started watching season one as the final season was starting.

I was gonna write a long winded thing describing the many reasons why The Wire was so good, but I figure they've probably all been covered in this thread already so I'll just go with this-

What a fucking great show.

[silentbobafett]

Like most I didn't get straight into it! I saw the first few episode and thought - what the fuck (or WTF to my cyber homies)... but boy I'm glad I revisted it.

I flew throught he five seasons and I watched Season 4 in a day and then waited until S5 finished and watched it in a day also.

I strongly recommend doing this, it's like a fucking great book and the slow burning story and attention to detail can only be appreciated fully in a long sitting (and/or mulitple viewings)

Read the above posted letter from David Simon... very cool guy! Great show

[stereosforgeeks]

The Wire-simpsons

[anthonymous]

Just finished the final episode.

Mere words cannot express how amazing this show is/was.

They really can't. I'm trying to...trying to think of the things that I like about the show but the words just won't come.

Do other people have this problem? For other shows you get thousands of people commenting in online forums and such: suggesting theories, ascertaining a shows merits, criticising less-favoured elements.

For THE WIRE there is relatively little. Five pages on The Zone. Often no more than 100 comments in a talkback. I've only ever seen in-depth discussion on Alan Sepinwall's blog and commentators often struggle to find faults.

Is this because the show is just far too good? There are few unanswered questions to speculate on and even fewer things to criticise (the only thing I've ever seen maligned is the newsroom aspect and its lack of realism but this is outside my realm of speculation.)

Furthermore, the show says so much so clearly that repetition of its core values seems redundant and almost disrespectful.

I'm just thankful that in a few decades I can say that I watched it and loved it the first time around.

[stereosforgeeks]

The only place Ive seen ongoing discourse on the show is on slate.com

[Flumm]

While discussion of sigs and avatars bubbled up on the 2.0 bug thread this morning, I happened to be playing around with some things with some software, and it reminded me of my tribute sig-type idea I had, the period in which a few of us were in that post-wire malaise back there, yet that somehow I didn't quite get around to:





It's a little late in the game, I 'spose, and even in reduced quality, this version seems it still would be a little too unfair to signaturize for some other's zone browsing pleasure, so I thought I'd give it a home here, instead.


In turn, though, looking at it now, it only serves to remind me how much I really kind of need to find time after the summer to revisit this show for that inevitable one, orgiastic wire tapping.

[so sorry]

The Wire Seasons 1-4 for $24 for less than 24 hours

I'm not usually one to pimp for Amazon (that's Herc's job ), but this seems like a straight up steal... unfortunately, it looks like you have to buy all four seasons at once. As much love as this show has gotten, I hesitate to shell out 100 clams for a series I've never seen a minute of (even though I desperately want to)

[Pacino86845]

If you like realistic police procedural films/shows, you will love The Wire... otherwise there's still a good chance that you'll love it, but ya never know. That's an amazing deal for those DVDs.

[so sorry]

If you like realistic police procedural films/shows, you will love The Wire... otherwise there's still a good chance that you'll love it, but ya never know. That's an amazing deal for those DVDs.

I was at Best Buy yesterday afternoon, and I had the 1st Season Set in my hands for about 15 minutes (for 35 bucks). But I ultimately put it back... still, as cheap as 100 bucks is for 4 seasons, I just can't bring my self to do it!