"I do not really know what to say about 'The Wire'. I’m a fan of Deadwood, The Shield, The Wire complete series, The Sopranos, etc., etc. To compare it and say that 'The Wire' is a better show is a compliment from me. I’ve never seen a television show with such a clear direction on where the story takes place. You see things heading three episodes down the road, but the way it unfolds is worth every second. Each character in the show is as believable as they come. My hat goes off to the casting team for spending so much time to choose the right person for each role. What’s great is that each season of 'The Wire' just builds upon the last. Season 1 was great, but season 2 delved even more deeply. HBO takes time introducing the characters' psyches so that you can see what motivates them to take the actions they do. Many shows don’t do this, but 'The Wire' does. By showing reasons, you start to care for the characters, whether or not they are lawful. It just surprises me that this show is not as mainstream. Maybe it’s because there aren’t always shocking moments like in The Sopranos and Deadwood. Subtlety works for me though. It creates layers of plot, so that when the shocks do come in the show, they hit like a ton of bricks."