OZ works at its best when it's at its most sadistic .Ever since Beecher turned psychotic at the end of the first season the show has really been missing a victim . Season two and three tried to make Alvarez something of a victim being pressured by El Cid in to carrying out things he didn't want to do but Alvarez was never an everyman type of character finding himself out of his depth in a shark infested sea in the way Beecher was . Episode one of series 4.1 sees Gill Tarrant introduced and the brutality committed against him is genuinely distressing to watch since he's merely a criminal who committed a crime against a statue . Television doesn't get more sadistic than seen here
Season 4.1 also sees Fontana write something else genuinely missing since season one and that is a running plot thread . In this case it's new warden Martin Querns replacing Mcmanus as head of Emerald City and Querns following his own agenda of making the unit all black . Out goes any notion on Fontana's part of " united colours of the Benneton gang " seen elsewhere in film and television because O'Reilly , Keller and co. find out they're going to have to try harder than usual just to survive the new racial mix . This mirrors reality . Try and find No Escape - Male Rape In Prison published by Human Rights Watch which is available on the net
Like other seasons there's several other subplots going on but they're all developed superbly , especially the ones involving character . Sister Pete finds her faith deserting her . Desmond Mobey a Jamician drug dealer is in fact an undercover cop , a job made even more difficult by becoming addicted to drugs . A new Latino kingpin wanting to take over El Cid's group Clayton Hughes starts to get really angry at the world There's even a subplot of a cell phone that is stolen by Stanislofsky and that O'Reilly wants to get his hands on that defies credibility as in " How did Ralph Gallino get that in to prison ? " but you can't help but be amused and compelled as this plot thread unravels
Fans of THE WIRE will watch this season scratching their heads wondering what's the casting deal with HBO ? The season introduces Lance Reddick , Domenick Lombardoz , and Reg E Cathey who would play prominent roles in the Baltimore police drama . Likewise JD Williams pernicious character Kenny Wangler is written out and Seth Gilliam's Clayton Hughes is reintroduced . I'm afraid this is maybe the reason why I never got in to THE WIRE since the cast will always be seen by me as the characters they played here . Perhaps the best performance by the cast happens at the final episode of season 4.1 between Eamon Walker and Adewale Akinnuoye Agbaje two British born black actors . I'm guessing if anyone in British Equity regardless of their colour wants to appear in high octane drama they'd better phone their agent and get them signed up to HBO . EASTENDERS loss is American television's gain
And season 4.1 is high octane drama . It's heads and shoulders above the previous two seasons and in some ways exceeds the debut season also . It doesn't always remain plausible ( The cell phone subplot for example ) but even when it doesn't it's still entirely gripping . It's just a great pity that the show was criminally neglected by channel 4 when such great television deserves massive critical praise lavished upon it
Season 4.1 also sees Fontana write something else genuinely missing since season one and that is a running plot thread . In this case it's new warden Martin Querns replacing Mcmanus as head of Emerald City and Querns following his own agenda of making the unit all black . Out goes any notion on Fontana's part of " united colours of the Benneton gang " seen elsewhere in film and television because O'Reilly , Keller and co. find out they're going to have to try harder than usual just to survive the new racial mix . This mirrors reality . Try and find No Escape - Male Rape In Prison published by Human Rights Watch which is available on the net
Like other seasons there's several other subplots going on but they're all developed superbly , especially the ones involving character . Sister Pete finds her faith deserting her . Desmond Mobey a Jamician drug dealer is in fact an undercover cop , a job made even more difficult by becoming addicted to drugs . A new Latino kingpin wanting to take over El Cid's group Clayton Hughes starts to get really angry at the world There's even a subplot of a cell phone that is stolen by Stanislofsky and that O'Reilly wants to get his hands on that defies credibility as in " How did Ralph Gallino get that in to prison ? " but you can't help but be amused and compelled as this plot thread unravels
Fans of THE WIRE will watch this season scratching their heads wondering what's the casting deal with HBO ? The season introduces Lance Reddick , Domenick Lombardoz , and Reg E Cathey who would play prominent roles in the Baltimore police drama . Likewise JD Williams pernicious character Kenny Wangler is written out and Seth Gilliam's Clayton Hughes is reintroduced . I'm afraid this is maybe the reason why I never got in to THE WIRE since the cast will always be seen by me as the characters they played here . Perhaps the best performance by the cast happens at the final episode of season 4.1 between Eamon Walker and Adewale Akinnuoye Agbaje two British born black actors . I'm guessing if anyone in British Equity regardless of their colour wants to appear in high octane drama they'd better phone their agent and get them signed up to HBO . EASTENDERS loss is American television's gain
And season 4.1 is high octane drama . It's heads and shoulders above the previous two seasons and in some ways exceeds the debut season also . It doesn't always remain plausible ( The cell phone subplot for example ) but even when it doesn't it's still entirely gripping . It's just a great pity that the show was criminally neglected by channel 4 when such great television deserves massive critical praise lavished upon it