Two Shows Enter, One Show Leaves

This primate has a gun, so do many of the primates in the shows in question.

Disclaimer: This is a post evaluating two TV series: The Sopranos and The Wire. There will be some spoilers, so bear this in mind going forward.

I'm a person who likes television. A lot. However with that comes some pretty high standards for what I view regularly. You won't find Mike & Molly or Two and a Half Men on my watch list literally ever. I view TV as an incredible story-telling mechanism, with a lot of advantages to offer over film, which has much less time (typically two hours or so) to grow and cultivate characters and explore narratives. Like novels shows have plenty of elbow room to build their universe, perfect their formula, and tell the best story possible.

I find good TV to be immensely enjoyable and a great topic for discussion. Fortunately, so do my friends. So it's commonly asked and talked about as to what exactly is the greatest show ever made, a question to which I have devoted some thought. In my view it comes down between two of the shows I've watched (I have some great shows I still haven't watched though, like Homeland or Deadwood): The Sopranos and The Wire. These two shows, as it turns out, are also the most oft cited shows by critics, though it's hard to say which holds the lead among them. I've watched both in their entirety in the last couple months, and can compare the two with some fresh perspective.

"I'm in the waste management business. Everybody immediately assumes you're mobbed up. It's a stereotype, and it's offensive."

"The fuck did I do?"

It's good to start by saying that the shows have a lot in common, both thematically and in approach. A lot of this probably has to do with HBO (always a safe bet) making both shows, and with the shows being made within a few years of each other. Neither show is prone to hyperbole, and both portray their topic matter quite realistically (The Wire slightly more so), something that mob fiction and police dramas both tend to be quite poor at. Both shows focus on long unwinding story-lines that start quite slow (which can limit their appeal to some) and pick up heat mid-season. They also tend to see their most dramatic events unfold in a season's second to last episode, leaving time for resolution and rejecting the cliff-hangars embraced by many network shows.

Stringer Bell (The Wire): what I would call the most impressive villain in television history.

Carmella Soprano (duh): the strongest, most complex, and most lovingly handled woman I've seen on film.

They are, however, also quite different. The Soprano's is a show very much about characters, featuring a main cast of decent size that is, sparing some deaths over the course of the series, fairly consistent. Because of this laser focus on a handful of individuals The Sopranos is home to what are probably the most richly developed, wonderfully layered characters in the history of television. A character so impressive and complex as Tony Soprano is an extremely rare phenomena, and the show's ability to take young characters like say Meadow and Bobby (who start off the show as young children) and develop them realistically into multi-dimensional adults is quite impressive, especially given the tendency of other shows to waste child characters (Walking Dead, anyone?). Character arcs as long and winding as Christopher Molisanti's are also uncommon, and the unceremonious way in which it is cut off makes it all the more impressive, helping drive home the sense that characters are not larger than life, but simply mortals like the rest of us. The Sopranos also has the unusual quality (not shared by The Wire) of following a protagonist who is consistently sympathetic yet very much a villain. The show occasionally reminds the viewer of this in sudden (Pie-Oh-My; Cold Cuts) and disturbing ways, yet all the while manages to keep you attempting to deny the ugly truth about Tony's sociopathy. It took me til season six to accept that truth about Tony, despite its being stated outright several times throughout the show, a fairly impressive feat.

Bodie Broadus (above, The Wire) and Christopher Moltisanti (below, The Sopranos): the characters from each show displaying the most impressive character arcs and most matured development.

The Wire is, as is commonly noted, a show primarily about institutions. Specifically the way institutions; be they schools, police forces, gangs, or unions; shape the individuals that pass through them. Honest men with good intentions like Frank Sabotka (praise his name) are bent into corrupt serial lawbreakers by forces larger than them while scheming, violent criminals like Stringer Bell come to try and escape 'the game' altogether due to some of the very same factors. While the show has a much more sprawling cast than The Sopranos, it still manages to develop impressive characters that are, unlike The Sopranos, much more diverse in their backgrounds. Bubbles, Jimmy McNulty, Ziggy Sobotka, and Avon Barksdale have next to nothing in common in their backgrounds, roles, or ambitions; a seemingly scatterbrained set up. However this diversity in cast is one of the show's greatest strengths, bringing extremely varied perspectives to the narrative, making the story that much more immersive. The Sopranos' major characters almost universally hail from the mob or their members' immediate families (though Dr. Melfi is a notable exception), a place where it loses some ground to The Wire. Characters like Omar Little make things even more interesting, making it impossible for the viewer to not root for them (how could you not in his court appearance in All Prologue), yet as Bunk Moreland points out in Homecoming Omar is as much a part of the problem as lawyer Maurice Levy or the also lovable Proposition Joe.

Frank Sabotka (The Wire): Never have I seen a more tragic story unfold on television, not just for Frank, but for what he represents as well.

Vito Spatafore (The Sopranos): A fine runner-up to the above and the toughest story to live down in The Sopranos.

At the end of the day though, it's The Wire, and it's not too close either. I spent the last paragraph on The Wire's characters and its continual analysis of the institutions that shape them, but that's only scratching the surface. A similar amount of space could be devoted to its hybrid open love letter/stinging rebuke of the city of Baltimore. Or the shows literary approach to story telling, reflecting David Simon's background as a writer. There are two defining aspects, however, that put the show over for me. The first is the decision in Season 4 to take four virtually untainted young men and follow them through the coming of age period as the forces around them: Stanfield's drug empire, the underfunded-stat obsessed school system, and the similarly diseased police department guide them along to extremely different outcomes. Taking four 'blank slate' characters and showing how differently they turn out helps illustrate the vicious cycle Simon seeks to explore and the forces at play in the show. The second is the shows' 'generational' view of the people in the institutions featured, giving the show a beautiful symmetry. Michael Lee takes on Omar Little's role, Ellis Carver for Cedric Daniels, or Rhonda Pearlman for Judge Daniel Phelan. These are just a few, by the end of Season 5 literally a dozen can be found.  It advocates the idea that since the institutions profiled are largely unchanged over the show, too large to be altered by any one character, they create similar outcomes for the people in them over time. Thus some characters come to resemble others, sort of picking up the baton as the older generation leaves the scene. It also gives a sort of eternal sense to the show: even though Jimmy McNulty may have seen his last days as real po-lice, Kima Greggs and Leander Sydnor are quickly taking his place. It helps take the sting out of some of the shows rougher events.

Omar Little (The Wire): Fan favorite, and of the more absurd (though believable) and complex characters in the show.

Adriana La Cerva (The Sopranos): A staple of the show who is central to perhaps the series' most memorable episode.

The Sopranos also trips up in a couple ways that put it behind for me. Much like one of HBO's previous shows, Oz, The Sopranos has a tendency to feign character development, though by no means to the extent that Oz does. Christopher's repeated relapses into drugs and alcohol, Tony's slow decent back into infidelity post Whitecaps (perhaps the most disappointing for me), or Janice's failed attempts to reign in her anger issues (a story-line completely left by the wayside after one shortcoming) all exemplify this tendency, to varying extents (Matthew Weiner, a major force in the show, seems to have similar issues in Mad Men). The changes seen in characters like Bodie Broadus or Malik 'Poot' Carr over the course of The Wire have much more permanence to them, an aspect I appreciate. Additionally where The Wire is constantly subtle, paced, and understated (yet poignant), The Sopranos does have the occasional tendency to be heavy handed in its story-telling. What comes to my mind are the frequent dream sequences (which aren't all fully explored) that occur throughout the series, or Tony's occasional hallucinations. While some are quite good they seem a bit of a clumsy way to tell the story, and sometimes disrupt the flow all together. Finally the complete and total incompetence with which the FBI operates in the show, and the impunity that dozens of murders are committed with, drag the show down slightly. While the show is about the mob and should focus on that rather than the police it still seems odd that the federal government, which rather than other mobs is the primary threat to organized crime today, is barely ever seen as more than a passing threat. Over six seasons the agency barely ever gets more than a foothold in Soprano's organization despite somehow (the how of which is scantly detailed) bringing RICO charges against Johnny Sac and Junior Soprano.

Ellis Carver (above, The Wire) and Silvio 'Sil' Dante (below, The Sopranos): My personal favorites from each show.

Make no mistake, The Sopranos is an incredible show that while not making the #1 spot easily captures #2. Similarly, The Wire is not perfect itself: its jargon littered episodes and crawling narratives make it a hard sell to most and takes a couple complete viewings to fully come together. However to me it's the superior show, primarily on account of its macro-focus on society and institutions as opposed to individuals. That could just be my background in large-scope issues, as a political science major, coming into play; but it's certainly a big part of what puts it over the edge for me.

To celebrate my favorite show I picked 'Way Down in the Hole' to top off the post, the Tom Waits version specifically, which is probably my favorite of the five. It fits the show more than most of the others and paired in an unforgettable way with the oft-neglected Season 2 (which was one of my favorites).

The Rabbit Habit

Pictured: Not rabbits

Before I get started, you may have noticed there is a new button to the right, type in your email address and press the button, great and terrible things await. (Also that last post got 70 views, only six of which were from robuts, thanks guyz!)

As I mentioned a couple times in my previous post, I am a rabbit owner. Well sort of, at least. Last Christmas I bought my ladyfriend a pet rabbit by the name of Houdini, she's the best (we thought it was a boy at first though, hence the name :/ ). This is her face:

Initially my plan for the whole bunny affair was that it would be the girlfriend's pet and I would just enjoy her occasional company. This plan failed.

Now I'm nearly as enthusiastic a rabbit-owner as she is and am currently on the hunt for the perfect rabbit of my own for the new duplex I shall soon inhabit. A lot of people, through knowing me, through reading the last post, or though some other means have asked me about rabbits as pets. A lot of people would like to have one because they're goddamned adorable, but are unsure about a lot of things that come with that commitment. So this post will be part guide-part my general thoughts on these small companions and the facets of having one.

I'll start by saying that for prey animals, an aspect that shapes much of the way bunnies are, they are surprisingly friendly. Sure it takes them a while to warm up to people, but once they figure out who you are and that you are the bringer of treats they're pretty much your best friend. They'll run up to the side of the cage when you walk by, lay at your feet, or nudge your arm when your on facebook or some such for attention. They're pretty nice; all the curiosity of a dog without the aloofness of a cat, all the softness of a kitty without the in-your-shit-all-the-time-ness of a dawg. They're also super cheap, running about $30-$50 a month, much less than larger animals. They are a bit fragile, so beware. Don't feed them dumb shit like bread or Cheetos, don't drop them from significant heights, and watch your feet as you walk because they love to circle them (again, best friend). They don't need to bathed, they got that shit down; they aren't smelly unless you suck at your job as a rabbit owner, and they'll pee in the cage if you train them to (which isn't hard, just put they're favorite treats on a device that hangs over or next to their litter bowl, eventually they'll get it). They aren't really for small children, which is one of the major demographics they're bought for. As prey animals they have a certain fresh-hold for excessive holding and squeezing (though they do like some) and kids just don't tend to understand that. When one doesn't want love or even nips an overly aggressive child they are commonly sent away to a pound or released into the wild, both of which can lead to dead rabbits. Rabbits are grown up pets, bear this in mind.

A lot of people worry about how they do with other pets and there's some fairness to that concern. Rabbits and dogs can be friends, but it takes some supervision, and can be helped with some select circumstances. If you have an adult rabbit and say a puppy, that rabbit will quickly teach that little shit who's boss, a lesson that will stick with the dog even when it's the size of 10 rabbits. Like dogs rabbits are grouped, social animals, so establishing dominance is an important part of their social interactions. If they're put in a situation with another animal they'll try to establish themselves, which works well with small dogs and terrifies the shit out of most cats who are, themselves, solitary animals. Let's make it clear though, while it freaks cats out at first it does establish the grounds for a good relationship. Case in point:

Best friends? Best friends.

Our bun, Houdini, is about 8 months old now (indoor rabbits live about 8-12 years) and is a mix of a Holland Lop and something else, as she doesn't have the full-time droopy ears that a true Lop would have. Lops are pretty awesome; they're pint-sized and super friendly, one of the more social and pro-cuddling breeds. We bought her in a pet store in Mattoon, however, if you ever decide to get a rabbit, do not do it this way. There are a multitude of reasons why and I will summarize them as briefly as I can. It's more expensive, first off: pet stores mark up buns quite a bit and buying all the supplies to go with them can be fairly pricey. Shelters, however, especially bunny specific shelters, tend to be much cheaper. I would imagine this is primarily due to the fact that shelters are mostly either non-profit or publicly owned (cheaper shit), are primarily focused on getting pets happy homes (as opposed to turning a profit), and tend to offer package deals with other businesses, resulting in discounted goods. It's also a better thing to do, as a person. You're rescuing your little friend from what in many cases is approaching doom. A lot of times if rabbits aren't rescued by shelters they're taken in and bred/killed for meat, neglected and die in a bad home, or are released into the wild where they, being domestic breeds, quickly die off. In short: adopt, don't shop. For my upcoming bun I will most likely be going to No Splitting Hares in Algonquin, IL; a no-kill, bunny focused shelter.

The Netherland Dwarf is pretty cool too, and is a lead contender for my bun-to-be. They are, as a breed, all bred to exhibit dwarfism, so it's basically a breed of Tyrion Lannister bunnies (which this bunny is named, jealous). It's why they have SUPER big eyes and heads in proportion to their bodies, they also have comparatively tiny ears. They look like this:

Bros for life.

Bunnies are great companions, loving, affectionate pets; and thoroughly underrated and frequently misunderstood animals. Get one, love one, and let your life (and it's) be better for it. If you want more pictures of buns (always an admirable pursuit) try the Daily Bunny, which has a new bun picture er'ryday. There will be more rabbit posts in the future as Houdini and my bun-to-be try new things and have new experiences, but for now I hope this post has sated what questions you may have and perked your interest in these charmers. Here is another picture of Houdini and a song that has nothing to do with rabbits but is really awesome and has been stuck in my head space as of late.

The Post-Suck (and a healthy amount of hyperbole)

(Pictured here: The Suck)

A while ago, when I was unemployed after finishing school, I told myself that if I ever actually quit being unemployed (a questionable prospect then) that I'd make a blog about things I like. I figured I'd wait til then, and spare whoever looked at it from reading the chronicles of a very depressed person, because it would have mostly been like this:

Now that things are less sucky, I think it's time to try this out. Full disclaimer though, this blog will be primarily about things I think are interesting/nifty/what I'm feeling at the time. Generally this will mean food, good TV (not Seinfeld), rabbits (because I have one and they're the best and go get one right now, after reading this anyway), and politics (it's what I do for dollarz). I also write, so there will be some stuff about that too, less the actual contents of my writing and more about the process in general. As time goes by, if many people read this (unlikely), I may write about things readers ask about or stuff like that. Each post will begin with a picture of an animal befitting the post, and end with a song (not by me, your welcome). So, before I go any farther, a bit about me.

I'm from Central Illinois, which to most people not from this state should just be thought of as 'South of Chicago but not Kentucky'. It's an okay place to come from, and a great place to come from if your interest include latent racism, country music, a roughly equivalent number of bars and churches, and cornfields. No really, it's not that bad, but it's not that great either. It is the most perfectly mediocre place to live in these United States. I went to school for Political Science (which does not actually need to be capitalized) because a lot of people's lives are way worse than mine and I'd like to do something about that. That's the short version, anyway. I'm a Democrat, a pretty moderate one, but still very much a Democrat, so if you're super conservative that could become a problem for us down the road. You are warned. This post, however, will be apolitical, primarily because it won't even remotely have to do with things like this. Other than that I write because I like to, I cook because I love to (and have been told I'm good at it), and own a pet rabbit because it's fucking awesome. The rest will come up along the way.

This post, you may have noticed, is called The Post-Suck (so is the blog writ large). It's an odd name, and it may attract some much odder traffic to my bouncing baby blog, but oh well, that's where my life is right now. Post-Suck. About two weeks ago I was still up to my eyeballs in The Suck, and if you've graduated college and spent some time unemployed you already know what I mean. It's this:

The good news is 'It Gets Better' like those anti-bullying videos, but for unemployed people (something they should absolutely make)

Now having a job to look forward to I'm transitioning into this Post-Suck phase, and it's quite a shift to make. For example it's no longer okay to: stay up til six in the morning watching Oz, wake up at 2PM and decide that the sheets and pillows still really need my company, or literally go an entire day not having stepped outside (in spring no less). But it's not a bad thing, I get up earlier, feel less like I have no function in the world, and actually taste the things that go in my mouth. It's also exceedingly expensive. Find a new apartment. Find new furniture. Get new rabbit shit. Pay down payments. Move all aforementioned shit across state. Etc, etc, etc.

Still, The Post-Suck is clearly superior to its predecessor. I have things to look forward to, a career that's just starting, and new people to meet (a sensation I'd all but forgotten during The Suck). I'll also have a pretty disgusting amount of free time to myself once I move to my new home. Sure I know plenty of people in town, but I still live alone (thank-fucking-god), and won't be out all the time. This means reinvesting in neglected hobbies and what not, which is pretty exciting for me.

Things are pretty good now, if this posts cynicism suggest otherwise it's primarily because I'm still transitioning and because, well, that's a big chunk of my sense of humor.

In the upcoming days posts will probably revolve around one of the major categories I mentioned earlier, though there could be more general life posts as well, given that I'm in a very eventful time right now. I hope the post was a good read for you, I certainly had fun writing it, and I would like to leave you with this song. I picked it because I'm quite fond of it and because for this move I am actually going West (though not nearly so far as original writer Tom Waits had meant, I imagine)

P.S. Don't mind the shitty template, I'll find something more palatable later on.