Read between the lines

Just FYI, if you have Charter digital cable, you can catch the first episode of the new season of The Wire on demand. You might be able to with other types of digital cable as well (assuming there are other types of digital cable), but I wouldn't know. It's been a while since I've dealt with anything other than Charter.

I caught it the other day, while most of you, I would imagine, were out getting sloshed and sweating bullets trying to drive home without catching a DUI. I would have been, too, but I had to work at 7 a.m. the next day, i.e. yesterday.

My thoughts on the new season so far?

Well, to be honest with you, it starts out kinda slow. There's lots of bitching about people not being paid enough money. Mayor Carcetti spent all the city's money on the schools - because the kid's gotta be able to read, right? - so now the cops can't really do anything, and they're only getting paid in IOUs. No, really. They might have to drop the case from last season with all of those bodies.

There's also lots of bitching going on inside the newsroom of The Baltimore Sun, where I'm assuming a lot of this season will be taking place. No one reads newspapers anymore, and a lot of the young people they're hiring are untalented and only interesting in going to write for the WaPo or the New York Times. One hispanic broad who works there may or may not be the girl who plays Ines in Bottle Rocket.

Of course my favorite part of last season was those damn kids, and it remains to be seen how big a part they play this year. So far, only Lil' Michael and Dukie are back. They're still living together, and they're both much taller. Namond and the other one, neither of which I cared for as much last year (nullus), are nowhere to be found in this first episode. So I'm not sure what's going on with them.

Check the amazing trailer for this season after the jump.