We know, how dare we discuss another TV show - an HBO show, no less! - in this day of mourning and remembrance of The Sopranos. Look, we love the show. It's great. What we don't understand is these day-late critics rushing to be the first to proclaim The Sopranos the greatest TV show of all time.
First off, that's bullshit. Secondly, David Chase is all brains - don't get us wrong - but he's no David Simon. Chase's resume pre-Sopranos (The Rockford Files, Northern Exposure) is respectable, but not mind-blowingly brilliant. The Sopranos is one of the finest TV dramas ever created, and for that Chase should receive all the accolades it warrants. The thing is, he already has. The man has a closet fully of Emmys, a legion of fans, and a cachet few in the TV industry can rival.
And, yet, David Simon owns him. He might not have the experience of Chase, but in the rather short time Simon has been writing for TV he has created two of the most indelible shows of all time - Homicide: Life on the Street and The Wire - and one of the most acclaimed miniseries - The Corner - since Roots.
But it's not the two creator's careers we're debating here; we're trying to decide which HBO show deserves the title of "greatest show ever." In our opinion, it's The Wire, and it's not even close. We decided to settle it with a random, completely unscientific sampling of questions:
1.) Which season was the show's best?
The Wire, season four
The Sopranos, season one
Advantage: The Wire
Somehow, Simon and his writing staff managed to craft The Wire's best season with the show's most recognizable face (Dominic West) planted firmly in the background. A group of adolescents and a school teacher took center stage, and The Wire was never better. Imagine if The Sopranos had used Tony only sparingly in just one episode, let alone an entire season? TV is supposed to grow and evolve throughout its run. The Sopranos did that, they just never did it better than in the beginning.
2.) Which season was the show's worst?
The Wire, Season Two
The Sopranos, Season Six
Advantage: The Wire
Even at its least involving - a storyline involving a dock workers union's ties to the Baltimore drug trade - The Wire was always compelling, always laying the groundwork for a payoff down the road. Tony's shooting, subsequent coma, and Vito's gay anthology, while great for shock value, were mere footnotes in the grand scope of the series. As it was, season six was a hodgepodge of riveting moments (Tony being shot) and "what the fuck?" moments (the first-part capper filmed around the Christmas Tree) that made the two-year wait all the more grating.
3.) Which episode is the series' best?
The Wire, "Final Grades"
The Sopranos, "College"
Advantage: The Sopranos
If only because "College" is one of the finest single-contained hours of television ever produced, does The Sopranos top The Wire here. Meadow questioning Tony about his "profession," Tony tailing an informant and strangling him, "College" was our fist glimpose into the violent core that would come to define Tony over the next eight years. Conversely, "Final Grades" was more about the resolution of several storylines that had been building for an entire season - or more - and the set-up for the final season yet to come.
4.) Which episode is the series' worst?
The Wire, "Hot Shots"
The Sopranos, "Join the Club"
Advantage: The Wire
"Hot Shots" isn't even a bad episode, just one of The Wire's more forgettable entries, devoted mostly to labor union politics and the uncovering of a group of corpses. Most people we know can't stand the "Tony as a salesman" episode, and with good reason. We all knew the show was nearing its end, yet we were sidetracked with the journey of this character who didn't even exist.
5.) Who is the show's best character?
The Wire, Stringer Bell
The Sopranos, Tony Soprano
Advantage: The Sopranos
Tony Soprano may be the most well-known, memorable character in TV history. As great as Stringer Bell was, he was gone before he had a chance at the throne. No argument here.
6.) Who is the show's best supporting character?
The Wire, Omar Little
The Sopranos, Paulie Walnuts
Advantage: The Wire
Ultimately, Omar is the face of The Wire - human, empathetic, selfish and predatory - just as much as Tony is the face of The Sopranos. That kind of detail for a supporting character is what makes The Wire the best-written show in TV history.
Overall: We feel like we've been saying this for years - because we have. The Wire is the greatest show in the history of television. If you don't believe us, read this, or this, or this...or even Simmons. The Wire takes it, four games to two.
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