However much we wish for authenticity in our films/tv, in the final analysis of what constitutes a show that grabs you emotionally, and intellectually, where you gasp for joy at the arc of its design and its revelations of emotional truth, we opt for art at its best. And dear reader, I give you but one example from the Wire series, that stands as exemplar of that art.My example is the cold case investigated by Bunk and (a reluctant) McNulty of a young woman who has been shot at night in her kitchen apparently by a gun man standing outside. The viewer already knows who the killer is. The scene in which the two detectives, watched by the caretaker/landlord(viewer), unravel the details of the shooting and retrieve the empty shell casing, using photos of the body, a tape measure and their minds, is drama of an especially high order, brilliantly crafted. As they progress they use (mainly) one expression - it begins with f and has four letters and it is vulgar. It sounds like the most exquisite Shakespearian verse. I reckon this is one of the great moments in tv drama and I've seen quite a few. THis is one moment amongst many experienced in this classic series - if anything deserves that title this series does.
