On the Baltimore New Jersey Television War

There seems little left to say when it comes to the much discussed debate on whether The Sopranos (1999 – 2007) or The Wire (2002 – 2008) can be crowned, ‘best show on television’. However, having watched both along side each other and within a relatively short space of time, and with the advantage of access to material written post completion, the way the respective shows choose to end can reveal a victor by a narrow margin.

The Wire is perhaps the most comprehensive show that has been on television. The layered representation of Baltimore takes the viewer through so many varying aspects of how drug crime can affect a huge metropolis that a viewer could be forgiven for thinking they were watching a show on institutional restructuring. The constant strain for realism, a result of the creator’s massive experience in the subject matter and the fact that The Wire demands much from its audience will ensure that repeat viewings continue to reveal previously unseen layers. Yet the strain for realism that is so impressive for four seasons is strained a little too much in the final season, based around the industry of journalism. And, the final discerning message that the problem is cyclical is slightly undermined by the choice of concluding story lines for its main characters, mostly Jimmy McNulty and Marlo Stanfield.

Contrary to The Wire, The Sopranos is a much more cinematic experience. While it may not always be effective to the degree it was intended, the creativity in the storytelling is at times remarkable to watch. After the fifth series, the weakest of them all, the show comes back at its strongest for the final push towards a conclusion that has proved as controversial as anything in television for a long time. Whether the fate that David Chase creates for Tony Soprano is to your liking or not, going back over the last episode, even the last two series’, you cannot but be impressed by Chase’s singular vision and determination to achieve that vision. In this respect, the end of The Sopranos becomes a richer experience with repeat viewings (like The Wire). For a complete breakdown on the end of The Sopranos and what it could represent, this website provides a compelling argument: http://masterofsopranos.wordpress.com/the-sopranos-definitive-explanation-of-the-end/

What this brief piece does it merely scratch the surface of two very impressive achievements in television. The objective is a purely subjective claim that what may appear at first to be a self indulgent, anti audience conclusion is, with the necessary reading done, an example of a writer completely in control of his craft, his characters and his audience.