The Wire (TV Series) Mission Accomplished (2004) User Reviews

I can't wait to go to jail

[snoozejonc · 10/10 · 7 August 2022]

The media exposes Hamsterdam and Colvin gives McNulty an important lead.

This is one of the great frustrating episodes of The Wire with a very plausible depiction of its subject matter.

One of the best aspects of the story is the depressingly accurate portrayal of self-serving individuals and political manoeuvring within organisations. The fallout of the Hamsterdam initiative is cleverly written, particularly in how it contrasts how numerous characters feel personally about the situation with the actions they take, either for survival or personal gain. I have witnessed this behaviour all my life and it rings very true here.

It does a great job of showing that institutional change is sometimes impossible and those who try can end up being destroyed. However, the uplifting message that individuals can change is epitomised by the character Dennis and once again the scenes in the boxing gym feel like a sanctuary from the horrors of the outside world.

The horrors include the absurd 'Apocalypse Now' tribute led by Rawls and the assault teams, the two faced backstabbing of numerous characters, the sanctimonious bulls**t peddled to gullible voters by a wannabe mayor, and the fate of the junky hell bent on self destruction.

It nicely concludes the season for a number of characters and lays the foundations for what is to come.

For me the standout performances come from Robert Wisdom, Dominic West, Frankie Faison, Glynn Turman, Anwan Glover, Wood Harris, and Aiden Gillen.

Season 3 expanded the narrative of the show to the street corners and city hall of Baltimore, introduced great new characters like Colvin and Dennis, and portrayed the dysfunctional aspects of a society brilliantly. It even found time to make allusions to the US (and allies) at war with Iraq and Afghanistan. It is another great work of television by the writers, filmmakers and performers.

The Philosophy of S3

[cuddlesatusc · 10/10 · 7 May 2021]

Season 3 of "The Wire" seems to underline the theme of reform through the characters of Stringer Bell and Bunny Colvin. Both characters wanted to change The Game--Stringer trying to make a business and Bunny trying to make a containment-- yet in the end, their dreams are destroyed and it all goes back to the same. Hamsterdam is destroyed and Marlo's crew is back on the corners. So what was accomplished in "Mission Accomplished"? It mainly comes down to the characters of "The Wire", in this case McNulty and Cutty, who have succeed in making change for themselves. So now, what will change the city/institutions if anything at all?

S3 Final Score: 9.5/10.

Mission Accomplished

[851222 · 10/10 · 15 November 2023]

Greetings from Lithuania.

"Mission Accomplished", 12th and final episode of the brilliant season 3 was an amazing closing episode. Many of things came down to an end, and the way they did were perfect. Its like watching real news only better, because this is one of the if not the most authentic series about life ive ever seen. The rise and fall of Hamsterdam was i think at its core of season 3. And the way people were approaching it was a brilliant idea.

Overall, season 3 was an amazing one. Writing was best as it ever was, acting is perfect and directing was superb. Highly looking forward to watch season 4.

Season 3: Builds on the strengths of the previous seasons and is better than ever as a result (spoilers)

[bob the moo · 7 November 2006]

As the political capital to be made increases, the Franklin Terrace towers themselves become a target and are razed to the ground in an effort to eradicate the drug problem in the area. It has been months since Daniels' team first got their leads into Proposition Joe thanks to their work on the docks; however six months up on the wire has given them nothing than a couple of thin drug cases on low level players, leading them to try a different tact to get into Prop Joe's organisation and hopefully get closer to Stringer Bell who, since the loss of the terraces has been forced to face that the violence and conflict of the game is as big as part as the business principles he has instilled into the crew. Meanwhile the pressure on the district commanders from the Commissioners to reduce crime causes Major Colvin to consider a radical new approach to handling the drugs problem.

As in their life, the destruction of Franklin Terrace causes a cloud of pollution that engulfs politicians, residents and slingers alike and it is with this marvellous piece of symbolism that season 3 of The Wire opened. Although I greatly enjoyed season 2, it was good to find myself back in the core of the story with the focus around the Barksdale crew as it was in season 1. This does not mean that we end up repeating the plot of season 2 but rather it continues to develop the characters and themes that it has built so far. On a character level this can be seen in some of the best characters being built on again and again. McNulty is the most obvious as we continue to learn what a jerk he is, how powerless he is and ultimately how empty he is as a person – all about self again and again and always playing a losing game. Bell is probably the biggest development in the characters and it is a fantastic thread to watch him form a business in Barksdale's absence only to struggle to reconcile it with the realities of crime and the street.

This is not to suggest that nobody else steps up, because The Wire has always been strong when it comes to keep multiple characters going. Some are slightly scaled back from other seasons but the additions all serve to strengthen the season. The realities of the street back into season 3 with the struggle over the corners while also continuing the strong, consistent thread surrounding the nature of political power and the games played as part of either climbing the ladder or trying to stay at the top. Omar maybe continues to be used the way he has always been used but he remains to be a wonderfully interesting character. The narrative arch that sees Colvin trying to tolerate the drugs menace is really convincing and throws up consistently interesting problems and questions; as the heart of many of the episodes it works really well. Here the season shows its strength in the way it is patient and respectful to the audience – it offers no easy answers and only highlights the problems associated with the drugs issue on the street and in the corridors of power. However one of the best threads this time is the role of Bell in the game. It is fascinating to watch him thinking himself a big fish in the drugs trade but gradually finding that the world of "business" that he aspires to is just as ruthless if not more so. It sounds simple perhaps but it is really well done and delivered with such subtlety. It is a strong arch that produces great tension within the Barksdale crew and the other drug crews.

With the nature of the script it is yet again hard to pick out any one actor who dominates the season; some will have more time than others but this doesn't mean that they are better than the others. That said though, the standout performance for me was British actor Elba in the role of Bell. Not only is his accent good but his performance is brilliant. He is wonderfully subtle and he does the great material justice. The only downside is that the narrative arch means he will play no part in season four. Reddick, Sohn, West, Peters et al are as good as in previous series but Gilliam and Lombardozzi are a bit sidelined here. Wisdom is good as his character expands while Doman and Faison deliver well in the power middle ground below the Mayor as played by Turman. Gillen is a solid addition to the cast although I'm not sure he was the most convincing – I guess the test will be if his material gets better with season four because here he didn't have much to work with by comparison with the others in the cast. Harris is better than in the last two seasons as his material gives him more complexity. The depth of others prevents me going into the rest of the cast but suffice to say that, since the material rarely serves anyone a bad character, there aren't really any weak links in the performances either.

Overall then this is yet another great season in a series that is one of the best currently out there. Perhaps a bit slow and detailed for those looking just to chill in front of glossy stuff like CSI etc, this is a very adult and respectful season that builds the story really well with the layered approach with lots of characters producing much with comparatively little time for any one character. I don't want to hype it too much but I also feel I can't over praise it because it is so strong is so many regards.

Wooooooow

[mostafaselim · 10/10 · 7 August 2020]

The favourite episode till now 💕 Great effort and acting

3x12

[formotog · 7/10 · 23 August 2020]

It was a good conclusion and a good way to round off a good season. However, I am once again slightly disappointed because I've heard this season is supposed to be one of the best, and yet I think it was the weakest so far. Overall it was just too samey, too much like season 1. Where it tried to branch out ie. the politics, I generally wasn't captivated at all. The way people talk about this show, I have to say I was expecting more. I know I've got two seasons left but I'm over half way and this show, good as it is, isn't close to shows like Breaking Bad in my opinion. It certainly isn't even top 10 for me. I will say it's definitely one of the best written shows I've seen, but I suppose it's evidence enough that good writing isn't everything. It's a shame because had this show not been hyped like this, I'd probably be enjoying it more than I am. They got Avon Barksdale, and for good this time, but honestly, just like Stringer's death, it didn't even feel that satisfying. Knowing that Marlo is just gonna take his place, I'm really hoping season 4 brings more than just taking him down to the table. I'm hoping the Greeks return, because if there's one thing season 2 did really well, it was introducing them. This episode saw the end of the road for Major Colvin, a decidedly good police and it's a shame to see him basically ripped apart like that by the higher ups. He tried something and the city was better for it. We also got more of a feeling of closure at the end of this episode, but there was still a fairly overwhelming feeling that nothing has really changed, a trend for this show's finales, and honestly it's getting a bit tiresome. We get it. I know this is essentially about as realistic as any tv show will ever be, but what can I say, real life can be boring sometimes. Not that this show is boring by any stretch of the imagination, but I guess it comes with the program. I'm hoping season 4 can combine the originality of season 2 and the show's best writing of season 1. And I know barely anyone will agree with my thoughts but I can't help what I think

High 7

Iraq War parallels and train metaphor become clear

[edantheman · 29 June 2011]

Stringer Bell's been taken out by a vengeful Omar and Brother Mouzone, and Avon feels incomplete without his partner-in-crime Stringer as he prepares to embark on a seemingly endless gang war with Marlo Stanfield. String was truly the Mind to Avon's Heart, or perhaps more importantly within the context of this season's Iraq War parallel -Cheney to his Bush. Perhaps the most obvious comparison (aside from the title) is when Slim Charles tries to persuade King Avon to take the fight to rival Marlo: "If it's a lie then we fight on that lie." The War on Terror idea that a common enemy will unite them and looking inside their own ranks will only divide them. Just before Stringer got whacked by the Brother and Omar, on information given by the treacherous Mr Barksdale, String gave Major Colvin a little gift of his own -the address of the Barksdale organizations' soon-to-be-depleted armoury. Avon gets got by the BPD and serves out the rest of his original parole sentence. Checkmate.

One gigantic arc of storytelling ends here just as another one begins. Marlo is the heir to the throne of West Baltimore and he's just another gangster with no other aspirations like Avon, unlike Stringer. The city hall story arc will continue into the next season where another similar act of political regeneration will occur (in the form of mayoral election). Bubbles loses Johnny to the Hell of Hamsterdam but corner boy Sherrod will become his new right-hand man. So there is no satisfaction in seeing Poot, Bernard, Country and all the other pawns being herded through court to receive sentence while we know the King will be afforded the same status on the inside and replaced on the outside. Small pathetic victories for the police as usual.

But there's nothing like a depressant to chase the ol' blues away for McNulty and Bunk, who drink from Kavanaugh's to the railbed. It is at the end of this episode that the visual metaphor for the tracks that first appeared in the pilot is made apparent. Solomon Burke sings 'Fast Train', the song that will play over the ending montage and close the season. The only time we see the trains moving is in the first episode when McNulty hovers on the track as the light envelops his form in a very religious shot before stepping out of the way in his drunken state. We usually go to the decaying railbed at points in the series when the wire is down or when the brass is reassigning their casework. "Well you've been on a fast train and it's going off the rails And you can't come back can't come back together again... On a fast train going nowhere". McNulty rides the train of the mythic big case every good cop dreams of, only to find that he's just a passenger (or 'pawn' in Wire terminology) and can't affect change. "It was like i was pouring it all into my cup and the thing had no bottom", he tells port cop and former detailee from last season Beadie Russell. The season ends with him walking foot patrol in the Western, his old home.

Colvin stands before the Gods in a Comstat meeting where he is duly executed by Rawls acting under Burrell and the Mayor's orders. "Get on with it, motherf*cker." he very appropriately utters into the microphone just as Stringer yelled at Omar and the brother. The noble experiment that was Hamsterdam is now just rubble much like the Franklin Towers, fodder for up-and-coming parasitic politicians like Tommy Carcetti and paydirt for those at the Baltimore Sun (no offence, David Simon). And the laws of fecal gravity perpetuate.

Season Three- Another powerful story told with depth and realism...

[Red_Identity · 28 June 2011]

The Wire's third season continues to develop this story that was brought upon in the first season. It is true that one cannot go into any of these seasons without having first seen from the beginning.

The last 5 episodes of this season are just incredible. There is a death of a major character in one of those episodes, and it will be truly sad to not see that character again, simply because the actor portraying him did a great job. From the finales, this was probably a bit below Season 2's finale, but still great nonetheless.

Overall, I give this season a 9/10. That would seem that it is higher than Season 1 and 2 (since I gave those an 8/10 and 8.5/10) but with each season my admiration and appreciation of the seasons before it also goes up, which is why Season 1 is now a 8.5 and Season 2 on par with Season 3.

Certainly An Improvement Over Previous Series

[Theo Robertson · 20 July 2009]

Truth be told I'd almost given up on THE WIRE in the intermission between series two and three. It's certainly not a show for everyone since there's a massive amount of patience required , perhaps more than the average television viewer possesses . But having stuck with it the patience is rewarded and the third season is heads and shoulders above the first two

Season three takes us back to the streets of Baltimore where the gangsters are wheeling and dealing and McNulty and co are trying stop them . In some ways it's just the same as season one but the difference is that it's much more multi layered storytelling . There's a much more political subtext both literally and figuratively to the story . I remember watching season one thinking to myself would it not be a good idea to legalise drugs in America and season three sees city hall effectively do that . Of course there's a cliché or two in that any smooth talking , concerned for the people politician must be cheating on his wife while anyone who uses any type of homophobic language is a closet homosexual themselves , but while there's clichés amongst the established democratically elected politicians the real politicians at street level ( ie the gangsters ) are very well drawn

It's the street level politics that leads to a major character being written out of the show , something that led to a WTF ! moment , so much so that I had to come to this website to confirm the character had disappeared for good - he has too . This season has a much higher body count than the previous two , people are bumped off when you're least expecting it since there's little build up or an impact aesthetic to it - it's sudden , unexpected and dispassionate . This season also sees the investigation of a death going back to the second season , a death that I'd genuinely thought had all been forgotten about

As stated series three improves on what went before . Unless you've watched THE WIRE from the start you won't be converted by series three , indeed you'll be lost as to the subplots and character threads but it's certainly held my sometimes waning attention and looks like building up to a very strong forth season . Just a pity it's going to be minus one of its major characters