Growing up and going to High school in Baltimore City when this show premiered it was inescapable. I did not immediately realize it at the time but this show taught me more than any college sociology class could ever dream. I have never witnessed a more realistic portrayal of the marginalized sub-cultures existent in modern urban America. The Wire provides an unwavering illustration of the fractured social, political and economic America paradigm. Forcing us all to challenge our moral perception of conventional teachings, by introducing us to ourselves. This amazing piece of cinematic beauty presents the truth behind our condition, that we are all corrupted, and though austere as the message may seem, the Wire gratifies through the liberation of cultural inhibition. Crime, tragedy, death, pain, sorrow; are as real and unavoidable as happiness, or ecstasy. And it is these elements of life that are reflective in everything we do, create, or provide. The Wire could not have captured this axiom more perfectly. A must watch for all.