Comments | johnnylexicon: Baltimore's Finest

johnnylexicon

Baltimore's Finest

Oct 09, 2007 12:59

We don't watch TV at our house; we watch HBO. Having been through all of Deadwood and up to season 4 of The Wire, Laura and I have decided to follow that thread back to The Wire's predecessor; we've been doing a marathon of Homicide: Life on the Street.Ah, the original chatty cop show. Seriously, if Quentin Tarantino were guest-starring on this ( Read more... )

Comments 6

radioactiveart October 9 2007, 20:42:16 UTC

It's easy to forget that in its time, it was one of the best shows on TV. I watched it pretty regularly.

For a full dose of Homicide fandom, go read chicating. Easily the biggest fan evar.

johnnylexicon October 9 2007, 20:49:00 UTC

Oh, it was definitely my favorite show for years. I keep trying to put it in context for Laura, who never watched it. Of course, I was thinking of the later seasons after it really hit its stride, and I'm the one who's been sorta embarrassed by some of these first and second season episodes. She's loving it, as far as I can tell.

upendedurn October 9 2007, 22:01:30 UTC

I did watch it. I just didn't get to watch it very often, for some reason. I think it was on past my bedtime or something.

marced4life October 9 2007, 20:58:51 UTC

And if it was Law & Order: SVU, the reliably comfortable scene would be an interview with a suspect or witness or other cop show type interviewee that would get interrupted by a cell phone call (always conveniently to the detective not taking the lead with the questioning) that would chase the duo off in some other direction. Like clockwork, baby.

Hell yes! nathanhj October 10 2007, 21:00:58 UTC

Tyche and I just finished the entire 7 season run (not including the 2-hour movie, which is hard to get). We both loved it (like ya'll I watched it a lot when it was on).

Yes the first two seasons are hella uneven, but they are charming in their own right. And episode 6 with the Araber remains one of the finest hours of television ever filmed.

Always nice to see who guest stars: Steve Buscemi, Jena Malone, and Mekhi Phifer all come quickly to mind.

Overall, though, we both like the emphasis on the detectives as much as on the crime solving. I like the fact that you see people not usually represented in glossier shows. The additcs, the street corner hustlers, the working class stiffs caught up in circumstances beyond their control. I like the fact that it takes issues of race, class and gender head-on and does it all with great writing and quality acting.

One of the best shows ever on network TV.

Re: Hell yes! johnnylexicon October 10 2007, 23:04:43 UTC

Yes, to the Araber episode.

Season 1 or maybe two also features a guest slot for Robin Williams in what I guess was the beginning of his "I'm not just funny" career. Also, John Waters in one of the most distracting cameos ever invented.