Summary

• The Wire's brilliance lies in its portrayal of Baltimore as the true protagonist, highlighting the city's issues and reflecting the state of the city through the actions of both law enforcement and criminals.
• By not having a central protagonist, The Wire invites viewers to look at the abhorrent behavior on display with objectivity and to think critically about the issues of corruption and crime.
• Other shows like Game of Thrones and Law & Order also benefit from the lack of a traditional protagonist, allowing for a broader exploration of perspectives and engaging audiences more freely. However, The Wire is the most brilliant example of this narrative structure.

HBO's The Wire receiving retroactive praise from reputable sources, it shines a light on the oft-neglected crime drama. As such, rewatches of The Wire highlight one obvious yet subtle detail about its greatness.

Among many things, The Wire's low ratings contributing to its lack of popularity, modern audiences have reassessed it as one of the best TV shows of all time. With a renewed interest in The Wire's brutally realistic depiction of crime, one detail about The Wire makes it a must-watch.

The City of Baltimore Is The Protagonist In The Wire

The actions of people on both sides of the law reflect the state of the city perfectly.

While audiences spend plenty of time with Dominic West's Jimmy McNulty police detective character, the show also makes it a point to focus on plenty of other of law enforcement, from fellow police detectives to the top brass to unscrupulous politicians. Furthermore, various of the warring gangs and the interesting side characters who get caught up in gang violence receive just as much, if not more, screen time than the detectives and forensic investigators, further blurring the line between the protagonist and the ing characters. The decision is brilliant, as it highlights the city of Baltimore as the true protagonist.

Making Baltimore, Maryland, the protagonist was also risky because it becomes more challenging for audiences to identify with and engage with any specific character. However, it's necessary to add to it the authenticity of real life; there are no main characters in the real world. While individuals largely control their own fates, life is inherently unpredictable, and similar to what's seen in The Wire, most people are far more complex than simple good or evil characterizations. The actions of corrupt law enforcement and occasional altruism from criminals mirror reality, which is partly why it works so well.

While individuals largely control their own fates, life is inherently unpredictable, and similar to what's seen in The Wire, most people are far more complex than simple good or evil characterizations.

Why Making Baltimore The Protagonist In The Wire Works

It objectively highlights pertinent issues in Baltimore while also compelling viewers to reassess real-life politics.

Baltimore as the protagonist also works so well in The Wire because it highlights very real yet often neglected issues that people in similar environments live with daily. By denying viewers a proper protagonist, it creates a unique opportunity for audiences to look at the abhorrent behavior on display with a little more objectivity. As complex and iconic as they are, Tony Soprano and Walter White are ostensibly bad people, which makes it fairly easy to see both shows more as entertainment and singular character studies than anything else.

The Wire feels more like a slice of life or a documentary, which effectively makes it a lot harder to judge the characters but rather easier to sympathize or even empathize with them. While the nefarious behavior of criminals and law enforcement can't be overlooked or even justified, The Wire's depictions of corruption in law enforcement and the harshness that a life of crime provides compels viewers to think more critically about the issues. As important as The Wire's protagonist decision is, however, it isn't the only show to utilize such a brilliant idea.

Other Shows That Follow Similar Narrative Structures

Law & Order and Game of Thrones contain similar narrative structures.

TV shows like Games of Thrones, Stranger Things, and especially the Law & Order franchise also benefit from the noticeable lack of a central protagonist. Game of Thrones is much more enjoyable because viewers can see all sides of the warring families' perspectives regarding their shared struggles. Stranger Things benefits from the lack of a proper protagonist because it better sells the idea that a group of kids is embarking on the show's central journey rather than just focusing on one. As such, audiences of various backgrounds can engage with it that much more freely.

Regarding other crime dramas like The Wire, Law & Order adheres to the police procedural formula - and while viewers do spend time with different groups of detectives, the sheer number of them and spin-off shows speaks to its lack of a traditional protagonist. The idea works in Law & Order because it offers a heightened sense of realism regarding the differing perspectives, temperaments, and personalities of the series' eclectic range of lawmen and criminals. Still, while other shows subvert the protagonist role to great effect, The Wire is the most brilliant example of it being done.