The Wire
This report covers all five seasons (2002-2008) of the series. A landmark HBO crime drama set in Baltimore, The Wire is dense, novelistic, and uncompromisingly adult, with pervasive strong language, recurring gun violence, frank depictions of drug use, and nudity across every season.
Episodes to know about
The premiere opens with the discovery and discussion of a murder; a dead body with a visible gunshot wound is shown. Sets the show's unflinching baseline for violence.
A rape case is discussed by police in the opening episode; it is not shown, but the conversation is blunt and dismissive in tone.
A teenage boy who worked for a drug crew is shot dead by people he considered friends; depicted on screen and widely considered one of the most distressing scenes in the series.