The Wire and Law and Order Paper 2 Prompt

I imagine that there are hundreds of shows that present crime, and more specific, urban crime. Two examples are Law and Order, which takes place in New York, and The Wire, which takes place in Baltimore. Though the two shows illustrate crime happening in an urban area, both are incorporating court scenes and music; they do so to make two different points: for the audience to figure out a single crime and the other to show the life of Baltimore. Each show accomplished this with a similar purpose, and style. They both have a different take on the definitive purpose of each individual show.

It is important to acknowledge the commonalities that appear in each show. The ultimate purpose of both Law and Order and The Wire is to demonstrate urban crime and the investigation that goes into solving the various crimes. In the episodes the main crime was murder, though murder is often not the only crime presented for investigation. Without crime and investigation, these two shows would not have any foundation. Each show aims at similar styles. They present a basic style of a crime show by incorporating court scenes and music. The goal of the the court scene being to illustrate the reality of the show. Court scenes in both shows are interactive to eventually lead to either a conviction or a not guilty charge. Each show then displays an importance to the use of music. The most significant music is heard at the very beginning of the episode and at the conclusion of the episode. Each musical piece is picked to add to the interpretation that the writer wants the audience to leave the episode with.

Though these few similarities occur in both shows, each show diverges in many ways. Law and Order has an essential purpose; to present a single cri...

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...imore, but to hear it as well. In order to really experience something it should be seen and heard. It is important for these aspects of the show and the episode to be acknowledged so the true purpose of The Wire can hopefully be successfully transferred from the creators to the audience.

Each show represents urban crime and investigation, but each show has its own way in which it attacks these two aspects. Law and Order wants to audience to have an obvious criminal to name and uses external music to do so. While The Wire want the audience to experience Baltimore, and to accomplish this they have to present different crimes and use internal music to add to the experience even more. It is important for shows to start out with similar purposes and styles, but to then take their own route to the end because if they were all the same no one would want to watch them.