The Wire has pretty much ruined my television watching experience. Since I watched all five seasons of The Wire, I'm been disappointed by pretty much everything I've seen on the small screen, except for my second viewing of The Wire.
It's got to the point where I rarely watch anything, because I'm always left a little disappointed. Yes, I enjoyed Breaking Bad, but the finale ticked me off royally until I decided it was not as it seemed. (Don't click through that link unless you're ready for a monster spoiler).
I'm still watching (and enjoying) Mad Men, but that show is a little different. Nothing really happens in Mad Men, it just looks and sounds awfully cool. I can't wait to see how they end it.
I didn't even bother diving into The Walking Dead or Boardwalk Empire or Sons of Anarchy or Game of Thrones or House of Cards or Homeland or any of the other dramas people rave about. I get enough drama from the Leafs, Raps and Jays.
Enough people who loved The Wire told me I should see True Detective, so my wife and I decided to bang off the eight episodes last week. This entry is about that experience, and if you haven't seen True Detective yet, you might want to stop reading now.
I loved the look and feel of True Detective. The production values were top notch, and the shots of Louisiana were stunning. And the way they aged the two stars over 17 years was pretty awesome. You would likely enjoy this series on mute.
And those two stars, Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, are both great in True Detective. I've never seen McConaughey this good, and that includes his Oscar-winning performance in Dallas Buyers Club. Of course, it's easier to be good when the writing is so strong.
I was loving True Detective by the half-way point, and still digging it heading into the finale, but True Detective failed to maintain it's brilliance for the full 8-hours. And this is significant, as it was only eight episodes and difficult to compare to much longer series like The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Wire and Breaking Bad.
I'm glad I finally saw True Detective, but I wish the second half was as strong as the first half. And no, it didn't come close to The Wire.
