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The Wire: The Complete Second Season | 
| Studio: HBO Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: CDN$ 74.98
Buy New: CDN$ 29.99
You Save: CDN$ 44.99 (60%)
New (13) Used (3) from CDN$ 29.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 19
Format: Ac-3, Dolby, Dubbed, Ntsc, Subtitled, Widescreen
Languages: English (Original Language), Greek (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.7 x 1.1
MPN: 92358
ISBN: 0783130260
UPC: 026359235825
EAN: 9780783130262
ASIN: B0006IUD9Y
Theatrical Release Date: June 2, 2003
Release Date: January 25, 2005
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Editorial Reviews:
From Amazon.com
It hardly seems possible, but The Wire's second season is even better than the first. The "visual novel" concept of this masterful HBO series is taken even further in a rich, labyrinthine plot revolving around the longshoremen of Baltimore's struggling cargo docks, where corruption, smuggling, and murder draw the attention of detective McNulty (Dominic West), who's been demoted to harbor patrol while his former colleagues have been similarly reassigned following season 1. What brings them back together is a series of events which at first seem unrelated (including 13 bodies found in a cargo container), and their ongoing effort to topple the drug empire of "Stringer" Bell (Idris Elba) and the imprisoned Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris), whose business is suffering from short supply, high demand, and disruption of distribution. The dutiful diligence of a Marine Police Patrol Officer and the moral outrage of the longshoremen's union leader are also factored into the suspicious goings-on at the loading docks, and what unfolds in these 12 episodes is an American crime epic easily on par with the Godfather saga. Yes, it's that good. Detailed synopsis is pointless; The Wire must be seen, heard, and absorbed to fully appreciate the way in which over 40 characters are flawlessly incorporated into a sprawling but tightly disciplined plot that deals, in the larger sense, with the deindustrialization of America and the struggle of longshoremen in a changing economical climate. Offering a privileged and occasionally frightening glimpse of the inner workings of shipping ports and cargo transports, The Wire is also a detailed exposé of organized crime and blue-collar corruption, and an authentic, well-informed study of political maneuvering among police and city officials. There's not a single false note to be found in the cast, direction, or writing of this phenomenal series, hailed by many critics as "the best show on television." With all due respect to HBO's other excellent series, The Wire tops them all. --Jeff Shannon
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| Customer Reviews:
 white folks just ain't as interesting May 12, 2008
I guess it's a harsh statement but following the comings and goings of stevedores (longshoremen to those of us out West) did not grip me as much as Season One where the drug dealers of West Baltmore were the focus.
I loved the way they started Season Two with McNulty on shore patrol which helped lead the series into this new world. It plods a bit as I found the stevedores not at all really likable or fascinatingly drawn personalities. They basically came across as lumps. Maybe that's what they are but the union boss Frank Sobotka is the least likely lead character to drive this season. He just seems "there" and that's about it.
Worse is his son, Ziggy, who was just plain obnoxious and with that scrawny body of his seems a very unlikely stevedore. Although (spolier alert!) something Ziggy does starts the whole house of cards to come apart at the seams, it seems a tad out of the blue. Even so, what was the point of the duck Ziggy buys?
You do get the "assemble the squad" slant a few episodes in to be again led by Daniels and you know the story is going to get rolling from there. Also, the last two episodes is where things really grip you and the "ship hits the plans" to loosely paraphrase that timeworn cliche. Those episodes saved this season from being a run of the mill one to one where I am looking forward to Season Three and seeing how it all works esp. regarding Barksdale and Bell's relationship.
Also, in Season Two music plays a huge part in setting the scenes and shows the difference between black (hip hop/rap) and white (alt rock) cultures of today. The choice of "Love Child" on the jukebox in one scene at the stevedores' hangout bar to rag on Ziggy was brilliant.
Lastly, McNulty is not used as much as he was in Season One and being basically a peripheral character may have been a unique choice but he was vastly underused. At least the scenes with the stickup artist Omar still are well worth watching and he remains the strangest moral compass of all when it comes to right and wrong...at least in his world.
It all came down to the fact that the world of the docks was just not as interesting as that in the towers and low rises from Season One.
Loosely Wired February 27, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
The second season paled in comparison to the first. But then the first was spectacular. In this version much time is spent on getting the team reassembled and though it's realistic, it made frustrating viewing. McNulty seemed to have lost some of the edge that he had in the first one. That said this is extremely entertaining to watch. The writing is crackerjack and the plot complex without being confusing. New characters like 'Boris' add a whole new dimension to the show. A good purchase ... a good time.
 Not as good as the 1st season August 4, 2005
3 out of 11 found this review helpful
Lets start with the bad:
Last disk, last episode, last 5 minutes of my copy of the series: The disk is flawed. I get the frozen screen, pixel followed with a jump to the credits.Of course I try to find a way to return it but the 30 days is long gone so I'm out of luck there. I try contacting HBO but never get a response. The show it self was good but wasn't as good as Season 1. It hasn't jumped the shark yet but it wasn't as complex a story. The good: It is a good series with complex characters. The multi layered characters and story are well worth a watch. People that like detective work, forensics, and very layered story and character will want a copy of the set. My only complaint is the flaw on the last disk and that the first season seemed a little better.
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