The Chi Is Unlike The Wire, But In A Good Way
Photo Credit: Elizabeth Sisson/SHOWTIME.
Comparisons to The Wire will be given anytime there is a black show on TV that discusses the urban community. The Chi is the latest to enter the discussion and rightfully so. However, when comparing the two, we can see the difference in how each show sees the black community and its people. The Wire focused on ‘the game” while The Chi focuses on “hope”.
Take the characters from The Wire and what they been through. There was no hope present and for the ones who may have wanted something different, they were met with their demise. Stringer Bell wished to trade in his hustling ways to become a businessman. But his partner Avon Barksdale wanted the power and respect that came with being a boss. In the end, it was Stringer who didn’t make it to the finish line alive.
The Chi decided to try a different approach. For all the negative headlines the City of Chicago receives, The Chi has gone another route. Rarely are the streets mentioned in the script. The issue the characters face on the show are those of family, personal growth, and change in the community. The Wire tore down the community while The Chi is trying to uplift it.
The family dynamic in The Wire was not present. There were no backstories regarding Avon or Stringer’s parents. What about Omar’s or Marlo’s? Michael’s mom was strung out and his stepdad did things to him that warranted his death. In The Chi, fathers are either present or have died but there was a story. What has transpired between Emmitt and his dad is by far one of the best storylines on the show.
Then you take into account the bonding. Not just between the men, but the sisterhood shared by some of the women. These are stories of trauma that some of the characters have turned into good. Trigg was a stickup kid who came back for his younger brother and is now running for office.
The Chi has touched on broken homes being mended. Marriages going through their ups and downs. Displaced kids finding homes, and convicts seeking purpose after prison. The show is about redemption and hope. Not everything in the urban community has to focus on drugs and violence. That’s not to take anything away from the greatness of The Wire or Power, but it’s great to see another side of the story being told.
Trying to surpass The Wire has been a tall order for urban shows. Power tried their best and even with spinoffs, they have yet to reach that level. The Chi, didn’t try to surpass The Wire, what they did was carve their own lane. The creators found a way to tell their story to the people by not bringing the house down but rebuilding it.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
