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The Wire (2002) series

Discussed in 34 episodes · 22 film takes
PKA Score 7.4/10
Kyle
7.5/10
16 takes
Woody
7.2/10
3 takes
Taylor
4.3🦉/7
3 takes
IMDb 9.3
PKA rates this 1.9 lower than critics

Sentiment over time — how their takes changed across episodes

LovedNeutralHatedPKA 370PKA 476PKA 583PKA 690PKA 796PKA 370: +0.88 (2 takes)PKA 432: +0.00 (2 takes)PKA 438: +0.93 (2 takes)PKA 439: +0.75 (1 take)PKA 444: +0.80 (1 take)PKA 445: +0.85 (1 take)PKA 494: +0.00 (1 take)PKA 495: +0.60 (1 take)PKA 497: +0.85 (1 take)PKA 546: +0.95 (1 take)PKA 564: +0.05 (2 takes)PKA 584: +0.70 (1 take)PKA 633: -0.60 (1 take)PKA 635: +0.65 (1 take)PKA 645: +0.60 (1 take)PKA 652: +0.70 (1 take)PKA 796: +0.48 (2 takes)
Each dot is one episode’s average take (bigger = more takes that episode). Toggle a host to isolate their arc. Voice-verified film/show opinions only.

Every time it came up

▶ PKN 444 @ 0:00 — PKN 444
Brief comparison to The Last of Us regarding pacing and narrative structure
Kyle ✓ voice-verified▲ positive
“i was watching the wire recently oh my god a whole season will pass and it's like yeah we're still right here in this building”
▶ PKN 442 @ 21:38 — PKN 442
Discussion of actor Dominic West's fitness and appearances across shows
Kyle ✓ voice-verified▲ positive · passing mention, not scored
“Lieutenant Daniels from The Wire, the bald, incredibly ripped man who's in charge of the unit. He's also the guy in Spartacus”
▶ PKN 494 @ 37:05 — PKN 494
Reference to Baltimore's drug dealing culture as portrayed in the show
Kyle ✓ voice-verified● neutral
“I think of baltimore like that from from watching the wire just how they were like if we don't literally put a cop on that corner they will be here selling drugs in 10 minutes”
▶ PKA 497 @ 1:04:50 — Painkiller Already #497
HBO shows ranked; discussion of season structure
Woody ✓ voice-verified▲ positive
“I'm watching The Wire currently. I feel like I'm up to date on it. After the first season, it falls off a bit.”
▶ PKA 526 @ 1:54:14 — PKA 526 w Destiny - Panic Attacks, Destiny Loses Twitch Partners
Discussion of a scene from The Wire involving a character with a colostomy bag from a beating during a scam
Kyle ✓ voice-verified● neutral · passing mention, not scored
“when the one homeless crackhead guy who was friends with bubbles, like the white dude, had the colostomy bag from the beating he took”
▶ PKN 426 @ 39:38 — PKN 426
Mentioned as one of the best TV shows to watch alongside Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones
Woody ✓ voice-verified▲ positive · passing mention, not scored
“Mix the wire in there, and then we're really cooking with grease”
▶ PKA 612 @ 3:15:20 — PKA 612 W/ Jewel Thief Larry Lawton: Top 10% Prison Stories, Woo
Discussion of TV shows watched in prison, including The Wire alongside Survivor
Larry · unverified▲ positive · passing mention, not scored
“a lot of people, even I did, used to watch The Wire”
▶ PKA 445 @ 3:41:46 — Painkiller Already #445
Discussion of The Wire as one of the best television series with exceptional writing and characters
Kyle ✓ voice-verified▲ positive
“The Wire has just incredible writing. each season is a different flavor”
▶ PKA 495 @ 1:52:41 — Painkiller Already #495
Taylor is currently watching The Wire and discusses his progress through seasons
Taylor ✓ voice-verified▲ positive · passing mention, not scored
“I am in middle end-ish of season three. I guess I'm pretty towards the end of season three at this point.”
Taylor ✓ voice-verified▲ positive
“the docks is the best when you go back when I first watched that show I was like this show is boring.”
▶ PKA 370 @ 3:34:40 — Painkiller Already #370
Kyle recommends it as possibly the best TV show ever made, set in Baltimore with focus on both cops and drug dealers.
Kyle ✓ voice-verified▲ positive
“It's fucking great. It's very, very good. It's strong.”
Kyle ✓ voice-verified▲ positive
“The Wire might be the best TV show there's ever been.”
▶ PKA 422 @ 1:42:14 — Painkiller Already #422
The Wire mentioned as one of the top HBO shows alongside Sopranos and Game of Thrones
Kyle · unverified▲ positive
“I got the same three and they all hbo and again hbo they just can lose i love how uh showtime tries these knockoff versions”
▶ PKA 439 @ 1:06:06 — Painkiller Already #439
Taylor mentions The Wire as an excellent series he still recommends to people.
Kyle ✓ voice-verified▲ positive
“I still go watch The Wire.”
▶ PKA 438 @ 57:15 — Painkiller Already #438
Discussed as favorite show of all time with great writing and character development
Kyle ✓ voice-verified▲ positive
“The Wire is the best show of all time. The second season a little bit weak but I still like it.”
Kyle ✓ voice-verified▲ positive
“The Wire has amazing writing great character development amazing characters. You like the good guys. You like the bad guys.”
▶ PKA 481 @ 1:29:19 — Painkiller Already #481
Taylor ranks The Wire as a top 5 TV show of all time
Taylor · unverified▲ positive
“The Wire is a top five TV show ever. It absolutely is. It's right up there with the Sopranos.”
Kyle · unverified▲ positive
“The Wire is the C a little harder than the K on that fuck. The wire is a top five TV show ever.”
▶ PKA 432 @ 2:18:01 — Painkiller Already #432
Extensive discussion and viewing of a scene from The Wire Season 2, discussing the character Ziggy and a confrontation scene on the docks
Kyle ✓ voice-verified▼ negative
“That Ziggy guy was a real piece of shit. Just an absolute scumbag. Everybody else is working hard, working their balls off, and trying to get enough hours and like he'd go and like sell a bunch of like crack cocaine and ”
Kyle ✓ voice-verified▲ positive
“Dude, you're going to love it. You're absolutely going to love that show. It's one of the best shows ever made. It's definitely like top three for me.”
▶ PKA 362 @ 4:03:42 — Painkiller Already #362
Extensive discussion of The Wire as one of best HBO shows with praise for writing and characters
Kyle · unverified▲ positive
“The Wire's fucking excellent. Some of the best writing that's ever been on television. And they tell both sides of this cop and drug dealer story.”
Woody · unverified▲ positive
“The Wire is fucking excellent. Some of the best writing that's ever been on television.”
▶ PKA 2023 @ 26:44 — Best Of PKA 2023
Taylor mentions watching the show with his dog Rocky who was disturbed by violence scenes
Taylor · unverified◆ mixed · passing mention, not scored
“I started watching the wire and I looked over and he's watching them like Stomp the [ __ ] out of that black guy and I'm like no no no no those are our friends”
▶ PKA 796 @ 2:39:06 — PKA 796 W/ Drift0r: “They Called Me The Killer”
Drifter discusses his current rewatch of The Wire, comparing it favorably to The Sopranos and discussing season 2.
Taylor ✓ voice-verified◆ mixed
“People always say Wire is better than Sopranos or at least on the same tier. I don't see it that way. Sopranos is better.”
Kyle ✓ voice-verified▲ positive
“It's definitely up there in my like Mount Rushmore of shows. It's solid. I love The Wire.”
▶ PKA 748 @ 2:10:08 — PKA 748 W/ Turkey Tom: The Disgusting Thing Your Girlfriend LOVE
Taylor started watching the acclaimed crime series but lost interest in season two
Taylor · unverified◆ mixed
“I started I've started watching The Wire. It's pretty good. It's not the same, but it's good. I lost interest in season two.”
▶ PKA 692 @ 49:10 — PKA 692: President Hit Squad, Woody Humiliated In School, Shogun
Comparison of anthology-style storytelling in The Wire with American Horror Story and other shows
Woody ✓ voice-verified▲ positive · passing mention, not scored
“I'm thinking of um the wire I don't think you've seen the wire Taylor I've seen yeah first season part okay”
▶ PKA 652 @ 3:07:46 — PKA 652 W/Vito:! What Tentacles Are Used For, How Important Is A
Discussion about HBO show, some seasons weaker than others but very good overall
Kyle ✓ voice-verified▲ positive
“I love the wire uh but but when I watch it the second season I I don't care about those white characters all those Pollocks living down on the docks”
▶ PKA 645 @ 3:15:59 — PKA 645 W/ DrewIsSharing: “Eugenia Cooney Saves Me From Being Tr
Discussion of scene where character makes body armor from magazines in prison
Kyle ✓ voice-verified▲ positive
“There's a scene in the wire where the dude's locked up and he's made body armor out of magazines duct taped to his like torso underneath his hoodie so when they come to stab him with those shitty prison shanks they just ”
▶ PKA 635 @ 1:56:53 — PKA 635 w/ Rekieta Law: America's Chernobyl, Rittenhouse’s Milli
Taylor discussing his recent rewatch of The Wire and its place among the best television shows
Woody ✓ voice-verified▲ positive
“I loved the first season and I liked the other Seasons I just don't put it there with the best of the best”
Woody ✓ voice-verified▲ positive · passing mention, not scored
“I know you like those shows and I also know that you're not alone that most people consider them some of the best”
▶ PKA 633 @ 2:02:56 — PKA 633 w/Wendigoon: Religion Conspiracy Theory Class, Kyles Bed
Taylor watching Season 2, discussing police brutality and corruption depicted in the show
Kyle ✓ voice-verified▼ negative
“it doesn't [ __ ] age well because the cops are such like lying pieces of [ __ ]”
Kyle ✓ voice-verified◆ mixed · passing mention, not scored
“I've been watching The Wire no well okay you'll stay on Colts yeah actually let's stay on Colts I thought you had more another cult question what he did have a cult question that got cut off”
▶ PKA 632 @ 3:00:15 — PKA 632 w/Drift0r: WW3 Predictions, Kyle Falls Downstairs, Drift
Consideration for rewatching with new perspective
Woody ✓ voice-verified▲ positive · passing mention, not scored
“I'm thinking about going back into the wire and and trying to uh I don't know view it from a different lens I watched a YouTube video recently that it sort of breaks the wire down”
▶ PKA 613 @ 1:01:24 — PKA 613 W/ Slush: Woody's Facial Disfigurement, Jake Paul vs And
Discussion of marketing strategies used by drug dealers in the show
Kyle · unverified▲ positive
“yeah Barksdale and um the wire was like Hey the lower the quality the more they buy and yeah so that's what's up yeah they kept changing the uh the name of the drug but it was the same [ __ ] over and over he's like yeah”
▶ PKA 584 @ 2:09:56 — PKA 584 W SlushPuppy: Elden Ring, Woody Made A Power Move, COD D
Brief mention as exemplary HBO prestige drama
Kyle ✓ voice-verified▲ positive
“sopranos and the wire and stuff like that are just so much better”
▶ PKA 564 @ 3:59:03 — PKA 564 w BlameTruth - Lock and Load, Penguin Facts, Woody's Inj
Discussion of whether to continue watching series after disappointing season two
Taylor ✓ voice-verified▼ negative
“i i couldn't stay into the wire that second season took me out of it so much i haven't gone back”
Woody ✓ voice-verified▲ positive
“i think it's really good yeah it wraps up really nicely in the end too i've heard that's a really good series”
▶ PKA 546 @ 2:52:30 — PKA 546 Dick Masterson & Destiny - Drinking Episode Regrets, T
Discussion about the HBO crime drama series, its quality and pacing
Kyle ✓ voice-verified▲ positive
“I love the wire it's one of the best shows ever made it's top three ever made”
Kyle · unverified▼ negative
“I got bored”
▶ PKA 500 @ 41:05 — PKA 500 - Anthony Cumia, Dick Masterson, Bruce Greene - Conspira
Brief mention as superior to Game of Thrones as a television series
Kyle · unverified▲ positive
“I'm such a big fan of the wire um but but there were times when it got me so excited”
▶ PKA 494 @ 51:09 — PKA 494 Taylor's Car Rental Stories, Blade in Emergency Room,
Discussion of Season 3 quality and character details, including Baltimore setting and accents
Taylor · unverified▲ positive
“The Wire's sick, though. I'm really enjoying it. We don't have to talk about that though. I'm almost done with Oh, no. I'm like It's episode five, season 3, and already it's better than all of season two combined.”
Woody · unverified▲ positive
“Yeah, it it it it gets better.”
▶ PKA 493 @ 2:04:37 — PKA 493 w/ John McAfee - Kyle Has Cancer, John Flees Murder Char
Kyle discusses watching season 2, particularly his hatred of character Ziggy and appreciation for Frank Sobotka and McNulty
Kyle · unverified◆ mixed
“I'm in season to the doc season and I think that I underestimated when you guys said that's the doc season I didn't think every scene would be at this bar or at this doc”
Kyle · unverified▼ negative
“I hate him more than Ramsay I hate him more than Jeff King Joffrey he is so unlikable I can't get over him I want him to die so bad”
Taylor · unverified▲ positive
“I like Frank Sobotka I like him I like bunk bunk and McNulty good team”
Kyle · unverified▲ positive
“he's he's doing some bad [ __ ] when other people do bad [ __ ] he's like man this is gonna hurt the Union right not like that's what he cares about”
Taylor · unverified▼ negative
“I was very surprised by that especially the kind of unseremonious deaths in the show are very unceremonious”
▶ PKA 492 @ 3:37:17 — PKA 492 w Shaun Attwood - Keemstar vs H3H3, Prisoner Eye Pluck,
Discussion of watching the show, characters, and quality across seasons
Taylor · unverified▲ positive
“but I can tell I'm gonna love this show like the acting's fantastic what's his name this is the smart black guy who's like the yeah him who like the first scene he's in is like coaching someone through a court case”
Kyle · unverified▲ positive
“he's great yeah stringer Bell I love that guy's character I like Dee's character I like most of the characters in it the the detectives I won't spoil anything with this they all develop into interesting storylines”
▶ PKA 490 @ 1:54:10 — PKA 490 w/ OnlyUseMeBlade - Blade's Prison Stories, Blade Quitti
Kyle recommends the show and discusses its quality and writing approach; multiple speakers rank it alongside other prestige dramas
Kyle · unverified▲ positive
“the wire is so godamn I could talk about that for days”
Kyle · unverified▲ positive
“it wasn't written by TV writers it was written by a homicide detective from Baltimore and inner city school teacher”
Woody · unverified▲ positive
“my favorite TV show of all time...wire's number one”