I couldn't disagree more strongly with the reader who claimed Spitzer was like Carcetti. Spitzer's downfall actually seems to me to be a rebuke to Simon's ethos: Spitzer was impolitic, uncompromising, righteous (in his public life) and a dismal failure as a governor. His prostitution bust was a result of moral recklessness, not the kind of perfidy, caution, and compromise typical of the Wire's company men. Maybe we're better off with the craven in power.

Simon would have appreciated, however, the very Greek nature of Spitzer's fall.

Why do we try to make everything so hard, some things never change, the game is what it is, the only thing that changes are the players. I like to tell young officers that its a game, but a very deadly one. They should also know that when they leave, the game will keep on going. Nothing can stop the game, from the streets to the pinnacle of power, it stays the same. Ever since the roman days of the centurions, law enforcement has remained steady and simple, put the bad guys in jail. The only thing changing is technology. After roughly 33 years I look back as I'm sure Ed Burns does and shaking our heads say, does nothing ever change.

Where was David Simon Sunday night? Watching The Pogues perform at the 9:30 Club in Washington. Who else was in attendance? Maryland Governor (and former Balto mayor) Martin O'Malley. No word whether they saw each other or spoke, as there's no love lost between them.

After Landman's gorgeouslyn written (and acted) eulogy in the wake scene, there was an odd cut to what seems to be a teleplay. It turns out to be the transcript of whatever incriminates Daniels (and/or his ex-wife), but was this a tip of the hat to the writers? A way of saying - all this that is so powerfully real to you is, in fact, grounded in words on a page.

I love the Wire, but I'm getting a little sick of journalists praising its authenticiity... except, of course, when it is critical of journalists.

omar and marlo are anagrams + 1. they are natural antagonists by virtue of their names.

So many places I've read journalists complain about the Sun storyline because "It's not nuanced enough" or "The higherups at the paper are shown as being one dimensional, negative characters" and, really, it makes me wonder if that criticism isn't more than a little self interested.

Have you people ever watched the Wire? The Baltimore police establishment is represented by people like Burrell, Rawls and Valchek. The political establishment is Clay Davis, Mayor Royce and the city council President. Business establishment? Krychek. Legal establishment? Levy. Are any of those characters represented as three dimensional characters with various shades of grey to their morality and decision making? Or are they all entirely self serving, corrupt examples of everything that's wrong with people in powerful positions?

The Wire had plenty of moustache twirling moments and I can't help but be a little skeptical when the people who gush about the show get a little put off when that same treatment is given to their shop.

The season finale stressed THE WIRE'S great theme that organizations and the people in them strive for survival first and function second. So yes, the massive dysfunction of Baltimore's city administration stays hidden and uncorrected, but at the same time some sympathetic characters (McNulty, Freeman, Pearlman, et. al.) don't get scapegoated either.

The dialogue between Daniels and his ex summed it up best:

Those who who can't bend the truth are broken by it.

Those who bend the truth too much are already broken.

In the Wire's world, THE STANDOUT COMPANY MAN AWARD goes to Bunk --- he does his job well (function)--- and buys his lawn furniture too. (Survives)

Thinking too far outside the box to compensate for organizational failure is perilous: HAMPSTERDAM, fictional serial murders, and cooking journalism stories.

On the other hand, stretching the truth to coverup organizational failure is cancerous.

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Pet Peeve of the season: Instead of inventing a serial killer, why didn't McNulty tell the SUN about City Hall gutting the police department and its investigation of the 21 homicides in the Vacants?

Why wasn't the most news worthy story ever in the news?

A new generation of po-leece, a new generation of players;

A new generation of junkies, a new generation of failures;

A new generation of flunkies, a new generation of pols;

A new generation of weasels, a new generation of hope.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

The Wire's graduation day, and everyone graduated, in some manner of speaking. You either move up or get put out, and if you're lucky someone remembers your name.

The greatest show in the history of television is done.

The Sun story line made perfect sense to me. Too much attention was paid to Templeton because, well, too much attention was being paid to Templeton. By everybody. The paper made the corporate decision that the way to keep the profits flowing in the internet age was to wrote novels instead of news - Dickensian novels :) The real news people are expendable, but novelists are loved and cherished.

Marlo, whatever becomes of him, is in no way Stringer Bell. Bell was an educated thug who was never as smart as he thought he was, never smart enough to realize he shouldn't be left alone with Clay Davis, for example. Marlo is a tenth as educated but 10 times as smart. He knows he doesn't fit in the business world, and never will. Knows he can never trust Levy the way he trusted Chris and Snoop. And he probably knows he can never go back to dealing in Baltimore. But now he also knows that he still has what it takes to fight his way back to the top in another town. Maybe he'll turn up in Philly or Atlanta.

Daniels and Pearlman care only about themselves and each other now. Maybe that's all they ever really cared about. Smart. When Daniels said people he cared about could get hurt, the panic his ex showed when she realized she was not one of those people was some of the best acting of the season.

McNulty and Freemon will be fine. Jimmy will have trouble finding something to fill the hole in his life, but Landsman's words gave him the one thing he's been looking for this whole time - natural police, best there is. Freemon is going to have his pension and his hobbies and his young girlfriend. And they both know they did what had to be done, and the ends justified the means.

Bubbles was great. Dukie was sad. The scene where he wasn't allowed back in his middle school, the only place he was ever happy, was about as heartbreaking as seeing him with a needle. But I think the saddest ending of all may have snuck in there. When Griggs and Bunk are out there joking over the body, I'd swear that was Namond.

Prez has grown into teaching in a way he never could have grown into being a cop. Bunk is Bunk, always has been and always will be. Kima has turned into the cop she always thought McNulty was. Michael is becoming Omar (but I was waiting for Marlo to blow his brains out on the way out of the wheel shop). The Wire isn't over, but we won't get to watch it any more.