John Mittell's The Wire

simultaneously “show us that societal and institutional forces make the classical Hollywood arc of the goal-orientated protagonist something that is not possible for everyone” (Potter 200). Simon uses the long-form series as an opportunity to develop rich characters and ongoing story-lines that interwind and create complex narratives while challenging the norms of typical episodic television shows or Hollywood films. Mittell writes about the shift of popularity towards complex television and cites “a number of key transformations in the media industries, technologies, and audience behaviours” as reasons for the move (30). One factor Mittell goes on to discuss is the “changing perception of the medium’s legitimacy and its appeal to creators”
(30). Mittell refers to well-known filmmakers crossing over into television and creating popular dramas and how this assisted in television gaining credibility. Another way in which complex television gained popularity was with the introduction of new time-shifting technologies. With the help of DVD box sets and recording devices, the audience may choose when they wish to view the program and how many times (Mittell 31). For an extremely dense show such as The Wire, these time-shifting technologies are almost necessary for the viewer to grasp every detail as the interwoven plots come together, otherwise “viewers may not absorb all of the pertinent information in a single viewing” (Potter 196). As mentioned earlier, The Wire falls into what Mittell refers to as narrative complexity because of its lack of closure at the end of episodes, its multilayered and dense plot lines and its expectation that the audience can quickly follow along without much explanatory help.
With these factors combined, Simon is able to create rich characters and a “basis for discussion and analysis of social issues including urban decay, class, gender, sexuality, employment, belonging, globalization, power, bureaucracy, education and, of course, race” (Penfold-Mounce et al. 154). With the abundance of social issues included in The Wire, some may find it surprising how there is still room for a “vast and complex social network” of characters (Potter198). The show switches the narrative point-of-view often between the police, politicians, drug dealers, corner kids, teachers and other members of society. The balance of different perspectives provide the viewer an inside look into characters and “[t]he show’s serial format allows it to track these less prominent narrative threads for extended periods of time across multiple episodes and even seasons” (Potter 198). By including these scenes that have little connection to the leading storyline, Simon successfully creates multi-dimensional, realistic characters. An example of this how Simon chooses to include scenes of Detective Kima’s life at home in season three or the drunken escapades of Detective Bunk in multiple
seasons. An important factor Mittell connects with complex narrative television is “the role of story arcs across episodes and seasons” (33). The Wire demonstrates this with the number of constant ongoing strong narrative plot-lines. Simon does not restrict any plot or character development to one episode, and often ends an episode or season with no closure. An example of how Simon executes this style is in season three when multiple characters mention City Council woman Euneta Perkins’s name, but she does not even appear in the series until the final episode of the season. Season one concentrates on the nation’s War on Drugs, which continues into the rest of series. Season two’s main focus is with unions, and although some of the storylines wrap up, certain characters appear sporadically in future seasons. The third season revolves around the corruption behind politics and season four focusses on inner-city schools. The final season concentrates on the media, but again includes plot-lines and characters from all the previous seasons. Although the five seasons have certain distinguishable themes or storylines, they each overlap with strong narrative and character arcs. With this being said, “[t]he sheer complexities of the show mean that tuning in mid-season will leave the viewer lost” (Penfold-Mounce et al.154). This is in part what sets television programs such as The Wire and other complex narrative’s apart from episodic television. Another result of having ongoing plots that span over episodes and seasons, is that it allows for character development and an in-depth social commentary.
Simon “provides a complex and sophisticated sociological narrative that deals with mainstream sociological issues” (Penfold-Mounce et al. 164). By following these social issues of race, urban decay, class, gender, sexuality etc. throughout the series, the viewer is privy to the different institutions and social societies in a city and how they handle difficult matters. Simon attempts with The Wire
“to produce an ‘authentic’ account of not only Baltimore but wider social issues facing America in particular, but has resonance far beyond its geographical locality” (Penfold-Mounce et al. 154). The social issues included in The Wire can transfer to any American city, as well as the different institutional struggles. Simon uses his series to comment on America and ask the question, “are our society’s largest institutions even capable of reform?”
(Potter193). Mittell writes about how “[n]arratively complex programs invite temporary disorientation and confusion, allowing viewers to build up their comprehension skills through long-term viewing and active engagement” (37). This means that the series purposely leaves out certain information or explicit storytelling techniques. Rather, the series invites competent viewers who can engage with the text. An example of how The Wire includes this, is with their openings. The show will include a “previously on” section, but leave out pertinent information that relates to