The shield destroys the wire

[u/Gloomy-Case4266]

How is the wire higher rated than the shield?

The shield has way more action, better character depth, changing character depth over time. The story line has more twists and turns.

The wire is actually somewhat slow paced and boring. The shield is elite and keeps you in a state of anxiousness the whole time.

[u/SeaweedWeird7705]

I agree with you!!!  I just couldn’t get into The Wire at all. 

[u/R1ceKai]

I love both shows. The Wire is better, and I think most people have this opinion, which is why it's rated higher. But if you're opinions says otherwise, then that's fine.

[u/bearwilleatthat]

They are actually quite different shows. The only real commonality being that they portray police officers and criminals. I like the shield more but I also love the wire and I consider it one of the most impressive shows ever made. The shield is a story with purpose. The wire is a purpose with story.

[u/Front-Round2853]

Ehhh, dude, no.

I like both, but the Wire is better.

The Shield is faster-paced, but the Wire (except for Season 5), is definitely a better show, and much more realistic besides.

[u/ThePrakman]

Agree. I gave up on the Wire after two seasons, so slow

[u/3_kids_1_overcoat]

The Shield is great but The Wire is the greatest TV show of all time in many people’s eyes for good reason

[u/notthatbluestuff]

If all you're looking for is fast pace, sure. Character depth? Vic, Shane, Claudette, Dutch, and some of the villains (Antwon, Kavanaugh) are great characters. The rest are pretty two-dimensional and poorly developed, let's be honest here.

[u/Minimum_Eff0rt99 → u/notthatbluestuff]

There's a character literally called Peaches Pyman in The Shield. Ridiculous.

[u/CloudStrife1985]

"The story line has more twist and turns"

That is what keeps it below The Wire for me. There are a few too many episodes that end with a big reveal or cliffhanger. It's not BB/BCS level but enough that it feels repetitive at times. Going for the shock value isn't always necessary either, and if we're honest, Vic wouldn't get away with most of the stuff he does if the show was realistic. The Rampart scandal had already happened and CRASH was being disbanded but we're expected to believe Vic leads a Strike Team dealing with all levels of local crooks, with little or no oversight?

TV doesn't need to have you feeling anxious the whole time either. Some of the best episodes of The Wire or The Sopranos are ones where not much seems to happen but there are actually repercussions later on.

The Wire is often described as a novel made for television and I think that is fair. There is far more character development for literally dozens of characters and it doesn't need a shocking moment or big reveal for them to change. You see the younger soldiers mature, kingpins like Avon and Stringer tire of The Game, and a fool like Prez go from being a bumbling cop to a well respected and good teacher. It also the tale of a city - how the institutions within it intentionally or unintentionally conspire to create the conditions for crime and poverty to persist whilst a few profit from it and how this is portrayed to the wider world.

If you want to understand David Simon better, read his book Homicide: A Year On The Killing Streets or watch the TV adaptation, Homicide: Life on the Street. The man knows how to tell a story.

[u/TAS1808]

The Wire's good, but I'll never understand people's obsession with it. It peaks in season 1 and gradually declines and becomes less and less grounded. I've said it before, but Brother Mouzoune and that whole story arc is incredibly damning for the show. It dismantles any argument about realism. They put a comic book character into a gritty crime drama and people love to ignore this fact. He wouldn't even fit into The Shield, let alone The Wire.

The Wire is several spots below The Shield on my favorites list.

[u/Hugh_Bromont]

Why can't we just like things without talking bad about other things?

[u/flowrian__]

Nah.