"I missed, I missed the bus/And that is something that I'll never, ever, ever do again..."-Mac Daddy (or possibly Daddy Mac)

I hate good television. People always complain about how much crap there is on TV. Too many reality shows. Too much celebrity faux-journalism. Too many pundits. Just too much junk in general. Well that's true. I stopped regularly watching television probably seven years ago. I haven't followed any currently running show during its original broadcast since maybe the first season of Survivor. Don't get me wrong. I've seen plenty: four-and-a-half seasons of 24, a couple of seasons of The Sopranos, Battlestar Galactica, all but the last season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Curb Your Enthusiasm. This is by no means an exhaustive list. And that's the problem: despite the torrents of offal that clog the airwaves and cable lines, there are still a ton of good, even great shows out there. I didn't stop watching because there was nothing good on. It was just the opposite.

Relapse. I just watched twenty-five hours of The Wire in less than a week. And a few minutes after I post this, I'll be headed to Virgin Megastore to cop the next twenty-five. I can barely look at myself while I shave in the mirror. Damn you, David Simon. Damn you and your crew for being as brilliant as the f@#ing sun.

The show deserves every accolade thrown its way. Over the years, I'd read about how the producers of the show were left in limbo at the end of season after season wondering if HBO would re-up. Watching the show, you can understand why it never took off the way The Sopranos did, but it doesn't stop you from shaking your head and thinking how criminal it is that this show isn't as popular as say your average episode of CSI: Topeka. (Note: I can't watch Law and Order, CSI or any of their infinite spawn. I just don't get enjoyment out of watching procedurals on a regular basis. It's like the way my grandmother used to watch Murder, She Wrote. Every episode is the exact same, only the players change.) Two seasons in and the show has one of the most diverse and rich ensembles of individuals you could ever hope to find on one screen. Creator David Simon likened the show to a novel. He's dead on. That's exactly what it's like. It's unreal how deftly the show's writers negotiate the various plot threads running through each season. It never relies on cheap melodrama or explosive violence to keep the audience invested. Most impressive is how The Wire creates this morally complex universe where the motivations on both sides are never as straightforward as they initially seem. The further into the series you get, the deeper into the characters it takes you.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go make a quick run. See you in twenty-five hours or so.

Rent it, buy it, download it. Whatever it takes. Just watch the darn show.

Yeah, I'm about five years late, but what else is new?