I was going to do a whole thing on the "fertile valley" metaphor, but I got confused. With valleys, we need peaks. Which is like saying that Season Three is some kind of low ... thing. Which is all kinds of wrong, making my metaphor crumble into crumbly bits.

Crap. Now I've got metaphor all over the carpet.

Frank Sobatka killed me, though. Made me cry a lot. Chris Bauer should have won an award for that performance, because it was truly brilliant. And I kind of think they're all what it's really about. Like Lester said "All the pieces matter." All the seasons matter, too. ETA: in regard to swapping tape with your neighbors, yeah, I'd expect so. Wasn't trying to make the Irish sound backward or anything; maybe Neighbor One gets more channels. They did say that particular channel only plays one English-language show and that The Wire is that show. Yeah, you're right, Gus. I still feel that I have to translate from time to time and I have read a lot of Simon & Burns' writing and seen six seasons of Homicide.

Just had a long Skype with an n-th cousin in Ireland. Wire is huge there, like all-caps HUGE.

This sorta shocked me, since the only Irish guy in it is pretending to be Italian. So, I was like "Why?" and my n-th cousin was all "If you say 'like' once more, you will catch such a slap!".

Then he laid it out for me. The structure of Wire -- here-is-how-cops-work, here-is-how-robbers-work -- just clicks right in to the Irish mindset. My n-th cousin, who is a proper caravan-dwelling straight-up pavee "Gypo" on the wrong side of the law, watches so he can critique both sides.

Robber-side: "Are ye plain daft? Never let your breath go into any kind of microphone when it's shenanigans that on your mind!"

Cop-side: "Follow the money. Have your grass Bubbles do a buy with an RFID bill. Follow that sucker to the top."

Cool.Maybe that instinct passed from my being part Irish- American. And, yes, many cop writers do say they have more in common with the criminals than the "citizens". Or maybe I like it so much because at this stage in my life, I don't feel like a citizen, either.

And to think I once said "A show about the drug trade? God, how depressing!" See, that's why it's good when liberals change their minds, or in Rightspeak "flip-flop" Because I didn't know what I was talking about, and just pictured when NYPD Blue arrested, say, Skel Number One, over and over.That *would* have been depressing. The Simonverse is a tough world, but I'm not really depressed by it.

Jesus, that was pitch-perfect, all the way through. Funny as hell, too.

Funny as hell, too.

The thing that killed me at the beginning was that it HAD to be a fake Home Depot. They are never that helpful there.

I can tell this season is going to be a heartbreaker. Again.

Oh, I know. What got me was how funny they made some of the scenes of the kids hanging out. I'm assuming the arc of the one kid (the one with the big idea of how to get revenge on the terrace boys) is going to mirror The Corner to some extent. But maybe not.

There was so much to love about the episode, though. They showed the familiar characters with such a deft touch and introduced new characters just perfectly. My favorite things about the older characters: Carcetti going bugfuck crazy in a hellish situation of his own devising (and I got the biggest laugh of the episode out of his deputy campaign manager explaining why he wasn't going to vote for Carcetti), Herc missing Carver (and it's clever to have him working for Mayor Royce), Carver's interactions with Bodie, McNulty turning Daniels AND Bunk down, Daniels filling Bunny's shoes, the comparison of the Homeland Security briefing at the Western with the teacher training day, how Prez's introduction to his classroom mirrored his first visit to the Major Crimes Unit, that Snoop more or less used the nail gun appropriately, Kima and Lester's complete duping of their new Lt., Syndor's role as the new Prez, shit, I could go on and on.

Carver's interactions with Bodie

OTP!!!!

I've actually never seen the Corner. I didn't have HBO when it was aired but I think it's on OnDemand now so I should check it out.

Herc and the other mayor detail guy checking out the president of the City Council cracked me the hell up too! Especially considering the controversy surrounding our current city council pres. (awarding city contracts to her sister's company, that sort of thing) who is maybe not quite so hot but does certainly resemble the woman playing her role on the show.

I loved all of Herc's scenes: trying to banter with the other guy, checking out Madame President, making sure the car is ok, standing around looking bored while Royce gave a speech. Yeah, that's the stuff.

The Corner's ok. Not the best, especially when compared to The Wire (which IS the best), but it'll do.

Also, what does OTP mean?