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Ah, how good it is to get back to The Wire. I've been steered off track by other DVDs landing on my doorstep for Jane After Dark, so season five of The Wire has been a while coming. One again, the show blows me away with the writing, characters, cinematography and realism. I'm just part-way into season one, but I love all of the references to everything that's happened thus far in the series, and the crew's continued attempts to bring down Marlo's organization. And, apparently, Omar is still in the game ...

(S05E01) "The bigger the lie, the more they believe." - Bunk

The beginning of the end. But how do you put it into words? The Wire leaves you breathless at the end of every episode. Every season features such a slow and deliberate pacing as it starts off as well as a new focus. It's not hard to figure out why so many people never stuck with it after McNulty's fateful meeting with Judge Phelan. But the real fans, the ones who have watched each season countless times and dissected every tiny detail (there's an infinite list), truly know that it's worth it every time. This show is art. In the streets. Down at the port. In City Hall. In the schools. And now in the newsroom. Every season is a puzzle piece and we're finally lucky enough to see the last one. I'm completely ripping off HBO with this next line, but there really isn't a better way to say this: it's all connected.