A follow-up to perfection is a nearly impossible endeavor. Season Two of “The Wire” is excellent; though just a touch less amazing than its predecessor.
Growth is inevitable and usually required for any ongoing series. While “Two” returns the key players, it also introduces a new batch of miscreants for us to follow. This time, the police are tasked with a smuggling operation running through the Baltimore docks.
The same cinematic appeal that made “The Wire” such a success returns. We get stellar acting from a giant cast. The dialogue is real. Every frame is gripping. The tension is high. The setting of the harbor and dockyard is beautiful to witness. The parallels of poverty continue.
Two time Academy Award nominee Amy Ryan joins the cast.
As Officer Beadie Russell, Ryan delivers the same level of quality we expect. She has an amazing having starred in comedies like “The Office” and dramas like “Gone Baby Gone” where she portrays a heroin junkie. Officer Beadie Russell is a single mother and an honest cop. She joins the team after a container littered with corpses arrives at the dock.
Opposite Russell is the introduction of Frank Sobotka, played by Chris Bauer. Sobotka runs the stevedores union and of course, has other things going on the side. Sobotka is the epitome of blue collar worker, and Chris Bauer does an amazing job in the role. Through Frank we get to see a very relatable problem. The plight of the working middle class at the hands of technology. It’s a sad story, and one that continues to be relevant in the present day. He’s a real character with a depressing story.
Dominic West, Idris Elba, Wendell Pierce, Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn, and Clarke Peters reprise their roles. James Ransone and Pablo Schreiber portray plays Frank’s maverick son Ziggy and nefarious nephew Nicholas respectively. Pablo Schreiber is the half-brother of Liev. The great Paul Ben-Victor is memorable as the sinister underboss, Spiros Vondas.
Season Two gets deeper with the conspiracy.
The first few episodes were a bit confusing. There are so many new characters and elements joining an already established cast and story. One may be inclined to give up watching early on. But that would be a mistake. The series starts to gel and rises to the tension of the original by the end.
They used to make steel there, no?
“The Wire” has definite replay value, and a second viewing of this season will reveal a lot more. “Two” is considered by the experts to be the weakest entry to the series. I disagree but you should determine that for yourself.
“The Wire” is currently available to stream on several platforms.
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