The Wire is a really tough, but ultimately rewarding show. More than any other show, the writing style is like a book, where it's chapters and stuff that flow into each other. So, just the first episode alone isn't a good way to gauge it. In fact, I'm pretty sure the main case isn't even started until episode 5 of a 13-episode season, but 1-4 build a complete picture of the various characters and politics involved. I think if you watch 1-4 (yea, big time commitment, I know), then you'll get the hang of it and get into it. But man, once you see the big picture, and the criticisms and laments that David Simon has about what's going on in Baltimore, and get into the characters and their situations, it's pretty awesome. Yea, I realize it sounds kind of like "you have to slog through four hours of shit just to get to the good stuff," but I don't see it as that, I see it more as "it feels tough at first, but once you get the hang of it, you'll realize how awesome it is."
Basically, the seasons can be summarized like this: Season 1 is the losing war on drugs, season 2 is the gradual disappearance of blue collar workers and how that ties to crime, and season 3 is about city politics, while season 4 will be about the failure of the public school system, at least in Baltimore.
Also, on the black people thing, just try watching more. It didn't mess me up, but my fiancee and my friends had a hard time getting used to the scenes with the projects. But that's just the way Baltimore is, and once you get some more dialogue and character interaction under your belt, it shouldn't be too bad. Also, HBO has a website, and since the show is still filming, I guess they have archives for seasons one through three.
