aww, thanks Corwood!

You know I didn't realize until I read it in the paper last week that the cop bar is actually a little punk rock bar where we've played a million times. [link]

I'm still so overwhelmed by last night's love letter to my fucked up city.

I think those Baltimore scenes were my favorites, although according to a number of critics online today, I am apparently a sucker for something called "fan service," which, in their view, seems to involve any sort of satisfactory resolution to a storyline. Based on the wikipedia definition, I can buy it for Michael's resolution, but anyone else's? Nah.

You don't watch much anime, do you? In that world fanservice has a whole different meaning.

I am apparently a sucker for something called "fan service," which, in their view, seems to involve any sort of satisfactory resolution to a storyline

Fuck 'em. Maybe it was a little pat but all the resolutions made sense to me. Especially Michael's.

the cop bar is actually a little punk rock bar where we've played a million times.

Neat!

I'm a little surprised, but what choked me up the most was the pictures of people we didn't know, just ordinary Baltimoreans going about their business,

The thing about those storyline resolutions - they aren't endings, they're just what happens next, and they're the natural things to happen next. No unbelievable plot twist had to come out of nowhere to make a point or give someone a happy ending or whatever.

I'm a little surprised, but what choked me up the most was the pictures of people we didn't know, just ordinary Baltimoreans going about their business

oh me too. I loved that so much.

Also, the David Simon cameo!

You don't watch much anime, do you?

Unless it's from Studio Ghibli, my default attitude is avoid.

I dug the David Simon cameo, too.

what did people want? a blood bath? I thought the ending wrapped up just enough for me to feel satisfied. Most of the characters I "cared" about, I kind of know what happens in the next year or two. We got the obligatory cycle of life stuff.

I'm satisfied. I wasn't one who hated the "Sopranos" finale, but I liked "The Wire's" better.

I didn't like Michael's final scene. I could buy that kind of change in his life, but the echoes of the guy he was emulating (I'm being purposefully vague here) were a little too broad. I am ambivalent about McNulty's scene with Templeton, too.

But those are minor complaints at best.