Q: When you deal daily with dysfunctional systems, how do you maintain optimism about your writing?

Simon: The role of institutions in society - The Wire is not about a Libertarian doomsday

Fontana: The internal spirit, consistency, and compelling nature of despicable characters

Q: How do you know how far to push characters into the realm of evil before they become unrootable for the audience?

Fontana: It's not about good or bad characters, but about "what's my next move"

Simon: People live in the moment, not in moral frameworks, they live in a world of pragmatic obstacles they have to overcome.

Q: How do you go from the writing to what's on screen re storyboards, etc.