Top 50 Characters of The Wire 10-6

#10
William “Bunk” Moreland

How He Fit: I am almost tempted to leave this whole entry blank as he is one of the most self-explanatory characters of awesomeness ever put on television. Kind of a quote machine just as Landsman was (and also both based on real Baltimore cops), Bunk was even more likable because he was just a humble motherfucker with a big ass dick, and in a way he was one of the least trapped in the entire show. As he put it, he just caught a case and worked it. Although starting off as McNulty’s partner he eventually grew into an extremely great character of his own, frequently hilarious and always awesome. He never really changed from the role of comic relief, but frequently showed he had other sides as well, but we’re always going to remember him for those great sayings.

What I Liked: Not obviously considered one of the best performances of the show, Wendell Pierce was in my opinion one of the most consistently great actors on the show, always bringing loads of charisma, wonderful drunken performances, a great way of saying things, and some great adlibs (“Look at that bow-legged motherfucker, I made him walk like that.”) The character is always expertly written, and even though except for season 2 he was never part of the main investigations, he always had a good story to go along. I particularly enjoyed his shifting relationship with Omar over the different seasons, in particular the season 3 scene mentioned in the top five that is rightfully considered by fans as one of the best of the series. Bunk even became a moral compass (who would’ve thought) in season 5 when he refuses to go along with McNulty’s plan. In the category of characters who should get a spin-off, along with Snoop and Clay Davis, Bunk would be right up there.

Top 5 Moments:

5. He and McNulty playing good cop, bad cop at the bar while cruising for women.

4. Burning his clothes because of trace evidence and because it "smells like pussy".

3. “You know what the plural of pussy is? Pussai.”

2. “Okay then, I ain’t all that humble.”

1. Bunk and Omar meeting on the bench where Bunk shows how disgusted he is with the way his old areas have gone, and poking a hole in Omar’s thus far perfect morality.

#9
D’Angelo Barksdale

How He Fit: Nephew of Avon, the kingpin of West Baltimore, D’Angelo was in many ways the first aspect of the series that showed to me that this wasn’t just going to be another cops vs. drug dealers series. From the start of season 1 he was our gateway into the drug world, a man who clearly was some moral problems with the drug trade and yet feels simultaneously attracted and trapped by it. Even more than McNulty he was kind of the main character of season 1, as we see how he finally rejects the drug trade and then gets inevitably pulled back into it, and once he shows ideas about not playing along in that institution anymore, he is killed for, in what is arguably the most shocking death in the series, and the gutsiest choice.

What I Liked: I’m sure I’m not the only one who wished that D’Angelo could have stuck around longer. He was fantastically acted (Larry Gilliard Jr. is another actor who doesn’t get enough credit for his work on the series, probably because he had to leave the series so quickly), fantastically written (I especially loved the little detail of him taking a long time to decide on his clothes whenever he had to go into a situation that involved him proving himself to others in the drug trade, or when the drug trade was working for him). As I mentioned in the Wallace entry, that relationship was also one of my favourites, and the heart of season 1. Obviously he is one of the many in the series that find themselves squeezed between the sides of different interests and institutions, but the fact that he was so close to getting out at the end of season 1 made it even worse on my first rewatch knowing what happens. Above all D’Angelo had a heart in an industry that does not tolerate much of such things, especially when running into someone as cold as Stringer.

Top 5 Moments:

5. Talking to Wallace and saying he should go back to school and not be in the game anymore.

4. McNuggets speech. Got my hooked on the series, and introduces much of what the series is trying to say.

3. “Where the fuck is Wallace!?!?”

2. Great Gatsby speech. He way he relates his experience is just heartbreaking. The first time through it was uplifting, knowing how much he has learned about himself and his surroundings.

1. The chess scene. The first time through I felt was a little too obvious and on-the-nose when it seemed like it was just about the drug trade and how those on the bottom are screwed, but it took on a much greater allegory for The Wire’s entire theme of institutions vs. individuals.

#8
Frank Sobotka

How He Fit: Along with Bunny Colvin perhaps the show’s most admirable character, Frank was a the head of the port union who are clearly having troubles, and on the side in order to help compensate for the losses on the port, and to possible grease enough politicians to maybe get things back to the way they were. Frank almost appears to be a doomed figure from the start, fighting an impossible uphill battle alongside criminals who engage in murder, prostitution, drug smuggling and pretty much every crime under the sun. In many ways he is the closest character on the show to a tragic character if the Greek plays, and arguably the character who represents the show’s whole ethos the best. A man trapped by his own circumstances and trying to make sure that those closest to him didn’t have to suffer the same.

What I Liked: That despite everything I wrote above, Frank never comes across as a completely angelic character, and yet is almost always sympathetic. It’s pretty clear that his devotion to his union drags him further into criminal enterprises than necessary (as he eventually realizes), and that this devotion also drew attention away from Ziggy, making him an even more messed-up individual than he already would have been. Despite this, Frank never comes across as someone who is intentionally harmful to anyone, and that more than anything is what makes me love his character. It’s clear that he doesn’t think much of people like The Greeks or Clay Davis and yet forces himself to be involved with those type of scum because of what it could potential accomplish. The tragic irony of course, is that this is exactly what dooms his union in the end.

Top 5 Moments:

5. Looking at himself in the mirror after Bunk and Lester tell him about the girls being murdered. Before this I considered him a crook who was just too caught up in what he was doing to care, but this is when I knew things would be much more interesting.

4. Reminiscing with Ziggy on the shoreline of the docks. The only scene we really get of the two of them before the shit hits the fan, and it’s so wonderfully underplayed.

3. Proving to himself that he wants to help out his working men on the docks by taking Little Big Roy’s card.

2. His talk with Ziggy in the jail cell. “You’re a Sobotka.”

1.Walking to his inevitable death. That image haunted me for a while, and would probably still make me sad if I even saw a still.

#7
Michael Lee

How He Fit: In many ways the leader of the group of four boys, Michael seemed to be the most likely to escape the drug trade at first. Unfortunately, old demons in the way of his step-father come back to haunt him which leads him to going for help from the only people he can. Michael is (like Frank) one of the best examples of how an uncaring and unsympathetic world can lead someone into a path of crime. Having the most mysterious past out of any of the bunch at the beginning of season 4 made him seem like he could become a many number of things, and it is interesting looking back at old posts on boards how many different characters people predicted Michael would turn into (Avon, Omar, Stringer, Marlo, Chris, etc.).

What I Liked: I have to admit the show completely “fooled” me in regards to the character of Michael. After three seasons of seeing people get screwed over by the system you figure I would learn my lesson, but I really put my hopes into Michael that he would buck the system. He had so many admirable qualities: loyal, courageous, self-sufficient, caring, and strong. Unfortunately these admirable qualities are what ultimately led him into the drug trade, but also eventually allowed him to make some rules of his own, becoming the next Omar. His relationships with Dukie and Bug showed his loyalty and caring, but unfortunately these were brushed away by circumstances beyond his control. What I loved most of all about the storyline of the kids overall was how they always acted like kids, never saying anything they wouldn’t have said, or that was beyond their knowledge/understanding. I realize this is true of every aspect of Baltimore that the show analyzed, but either just because it was kids or it was the creators’ intention, I felt that there was an even sharper degree of realism in their storyline, which made someone like Michael’s failed escape out of his circumstances even worse.

Top 5 Moments:

5. Refusing to take Marlo’s money and standing his ground when the drug kingpin confronted him. It impressed Marlo and me too.

4. Saying goodbye to Bug. That little crack in his voice when he says goodbye is just fantastic acting.

3. Showing up as the new Omar. One of the few triumphant moments in the show.

2. “He ain’t coming back.” Chilling, and as the audience we see how far to the dark side he’s gone.

1. “I don’t.” One of the closest times I’ve come to crying in a work of fiction, and probably more than any other moment of the entire show.

#6
Lester Freamon

How He Fit: Cool Lester Smooth. Starting out as a hump who sat around playing with wooden carvings all the time Lester finally came out of his shell after thirteen years and four months on the shelf for doing police work. The most talented police officer that we see during the entire run of the series (save for perhaps McNulty on a few instances), Lester also had the wisdom and foresight to see beyond his own self-interest in a case (well, to a point at least). Because he avoided tantrums he was often far more likable than McNulty and became the most honourable cop on the show as well (depending on your view of his actions in season 5).

What I Liked: I wanted to be this guy. Even though I’m not black, I want to be almost exactly like Lester when I am older. He is able to charm or guilt his way into doing police work, pick up girls far younger than him without the efforts of McNulty or Bunk, and know how to run an investigation inside and out, whether it is paper work, on the streets, or with wiretaps. Of course he’s not perfect. Even if his ego is not obvious like McNulty, it is definitely there. For example, think of in season 4 when he goes after the politicans. Yes, it is pretty much his only chance to do so for reasons he explains, but as a result gets the Major Crimes unit gutted right when the streets are at their most dangerous with Marlo. Still, this is some serious nitpicking and even though I certainly questioned his morality in season 5 by going along with McNulty’s plan and even adding some details of his own, but regardless he was always trying to put actual dangerous criminals away, which sadly is more than can be said for most of the BPD.

Top 5 Moments:

5. Throwing down the boxing poster of Avon Barksdale and then walking away. This is surely the moment when he turned to awesome.

4. “I don’t wanna go to no dance unless I can rub some tit.”

3. “Me? I’m just a police.” Plus the over the glasses look that says “I’m the father you never had, and I don’t want to be disappointed in you again.”

2. “Negro, you cannot travel halfway around the world and not speak any motherfuckin’ English.”

1. “You ain’t even worth the skin of my knuckles junior.” The only time we ever see him lose his cool, but with good reason.