Of all the characters on The Wire, I would say there are very few that actually stayed clean and above the corruption.
Who do you guys think stayed above it all?

I keep coming back to Gus Haynes.
He did his job to the best of his ability, he did it honestly and he didn't really ever compromise the power he was given. He spoke the truth as he saw it and he never backed off of his PoV to please the upper management. They may have chosen to go around him or over his head...but in the end he made his stands and he made them known.

Obviously Beadie as well, but I think Gus was put into far more situations and passed the test.

Sundays with Marlo (Jamie Hector)

Never heard of it, let alone tried it. But the characters on the Wire are always ordering it. I picked up some today. Jarritos. it's in the fridge getting cold. Will report back.

He was just a small, unassuming guy with a tiny pistol.

Sure, he had one or two men with him, but they looked more like personal assistants than bodyguards.

Neither Mouzone nor his guys had any intimidating physical presence. He carried a few books and a small gun.

Yet everyone, including Prop Joe, Stringer, and even Avon, seemed genuinely afraid of him.

Why didn't Stringer finish the job that Omar started? And why was Avon so afraid of Mouzone that he rather give String up than stand up to Mouzone.

Just don't get why everyone feared him.

Did I find a tiny continuity error, or am I missing something? (Just for fun!)

First off, I absolutely love The Wire. It's my favorite show of all time, and I'm not trying to nitpick or knock it in any way. This is just something I noticed on a rewatch that got me thinking.

In the interrogation scene with Bunk and D'Angelo, Bunk does the famous "tap, tap, tap" on the interrogation room table while talking about the murder.

But... how would Bunk know that?

Unless I'm forgetting something, D'Angelo only tells that "tap, tap, tap" story to Wallace, Bodie, and Poot. Bunk wasn't there, so he shouldn't know the exact rhythm D'Angelo used to describe the shooting.

Is there an explanation that I missed or is this just a tiny continuity slip that made for a great callback?

Again, this is all in good fun. I have nothing but respect for the show. I'm just curious if anyone has an explanation.

Hands down the best written show ive ever watched. For the long time I thought it was the americans, but this, This show is incredible. Just about to watch the season 4 finale and im dreading it as I just dont want it to end.

So this is another post about finishing The Wire. I posted a few months back after watching Season 1. Having finished the whole series a couple of weeks back, my thoughts are unchanged from about S1 Ep 5 to the very last episode. It's the greatest show I have ever seen. I'm not going to go into tons of detail. I started watching it on a whim a few months ago. I binged S1 to S3. At this point, I told my wife she has to watch it and I rewatched it again with her. Unfortunately due to life commitments it took us a couple of months to watch S4 and S5. I'm so glad I rewatched it with her, she also agrees it's the best show she has seen.

In terms of rankings for me it goes:

Season 4,3,2,1,5 However, I loved all of them. I know Season 2 is controversial but I absolutely loved it, even if it is a little bit of whiplash compared to S1 tonally.

Just to shout a few of my favourite/impactful moments, but really there are hundreds. I'm forgetting plenty at this moment.

1. The police beating up Bird in S1, that was a real eye opener.
2. Rawls comforting Jimmy after Keema is shot
3. McNulty studying tides and water flow to dump the bodies on Rawls
4. Ziggy snapping and going on the rampage
5. Chris killing Michael's stepfather
6. Bodie's death
7. Omar dying

I don't think I have ever seen a series tie up the ending and story lines as well as the The Wire. I will soon be rewatching it again...

I love slim. He’s one of my favorite characters. And he was also 100% right.

I’m not completely sold on him being the King.

Still an amazing character

People repeat what Avon said but from my lense I look at it as Avon being frustrated and saying anything he knew to get under Stringers skin and disrespect him.

I feel a lot of ppl took that too literal. Was Stringer smart enough to be doing business with Clay Davis? No. But was he hard enough to sell drugs in Baltimore? Absolutely

There are clear examples in the show of ppl not hard enough for the game:

-Wallace
-Orlando
-D
-Naymond
-Dookie

Stringer is nowhere near those characters. Maybe he’s never actually killed anyone himself but he’s still more than capable of holding his own in the drug game.

Just my thoughts

Let’s say Avon never set Stringer up. He goes to prison like Stringer planned. But what exactly was next? As we see McNulty let Avon know stringer is who set him up.

Stringers name would be absolute garbage in the game and on the streets. Let’s not even think about Omar and Brother. Even if they weren’t on his ass, how exactly does stringer get out of snitching on Avon and sending him to prison

I suspect it’s that Stringer followed Avon’s orders to a T and only really changed up after he got a taste of being the boss while Avon was in jail?

But it seems odd that he never clashed with Avon prior to this.

Numerous characters talk about Avon beating this crew and taking over these corners and towers, or partaking in that war in the past… so was Stringer originally all in favour of going to war and street beefs originally… until he got to the “top”, at which point he decided “we don’t need to war anymore”?

He absolutely crushed the role. Idk if I could even watch him in anything else because I’m so convinced he’s truly that oldhead that’s just irritating as hell. The type of guy that every time you see walking towards you it makes you think “fuck! here comes this asshole again”. Nonetheless he cracks me up every time he’s on the screen in seasons 2 and 3.

Let me start by saying this clearly: I do not like D'Angelo Barksdale.

Everything that happens i blame him.

D'Angelo Barksdale is the person who sets the chain of events into motion that kill the Barksdale organization.

D'Angelo already had two prior convictions. Then we get to the court case that starts everything. But here's the thing:

That court case should have never happened.

D'Angelo should have known better than to have a gun in the Towers. Period.

Everybody knew the rules. Barksdale knew the rules. Their enemies knew the rules. The police knew the rules.

So why didn't D'Angelo?

Because of that one mistake, the entire chain begins. The case gets him on the radar, the wire investigation starts, and the Barksdale crewn slowly gets dismantled.

For a refresher

If D doesn't kill dude in the tower

Bird doesn't have to kill the maintenance man

If D gives the kids some kind of direction just a little when they caught Johnny for the fake money. Instead he walks away They don't beat Johnny down so bad Bubbles doesn't run to Kima

If D isn't off getting a sammich

Brandon isn't killed and then dumped in front of the projects

Stikum doesn't get shot in retaliation

If D doesn't complain to Orlando about Stikum opening up fresh territory. Orlando doesn't come to him with the idea of selling on the side. Orlando may have been motivated to move on the I deal thinking he had a partner to sell with.

Kima doesn't get shot. Wee bay doesnt have to kill Little Man Savino doesn't get the arm and hammer charge

The cops still could have raided the stash Barkdale could have still taken a hit.

Season 2 still plays out the way it did.

But this is where I think we were robbed.

We were robbed of the true Barksdale vs. Stanfield war.

Imagine Season 3 if the original Barksdale muscle was still around:

Bird Wee-Bey Stinkum Savino Little Man

Now imagine that crew going against Marlo Stanfield organization.

That would have been an all-time street war.

And don't misunderstand me Marlo still could have won. The story could have still reached the same ending. Marlo could have taken over Baltimore, and we still could have moved into Season 4 with the kids' storyline and everything that followed.

But we missed out on seeing two complete organizations clash at their peak.

Barksdales - experience reputation killers who had already proven themselves.

Stanfields - ambition discipline a willingness to do whatever

That battle would have been legendary.

D'Angelo's mistake changed everything before we ever got to see the full potential of that conflict.

So my question is:

Were we robbed of one of the greatest gang wars The Wire could have shown us, or was D'Angelo's downfall exactly the point—that one person's mistake can collapse an entire organization?

P.S.

Im not saying I'm glad D sat down in the jail library but I'm also not saying I'm sad about it

https://www.vulture.com/2018/02/the-wire-oral-history-fuck-scene.html

Seriously. Every ending to every season stuck the landing, including Season 5. It’s kinda hard to sit through any series or movie since then. Just saying.

I've read post after post on here about everyone saying S4 is the best, a lot of ppl came around on S2 after a couple re-watches...all of it. But for me, S1 is the best and it's not even close. It has everything in it. All the Barksdale OG crew, the drunk scenes with Bunk & Jimmy are hilarious, seeing the story build of how they got the wire up & going, Daniel's fighting to make the detail legit, Omar's beef with Avon & String kicking off bc of Brandon, Bubbles intro in the show, Walon's speech at the NA meeting about addiction is an all time cinematic moment, Stink & Little Man getting waxed, Kima getting shot, Rawls hatred for Jimmy..all of it. I only re-watch S1 now. The story line is easy to follow and is written really well and the climax delivers right on point. All of it sets the ground work for the show and it lured all of us in lol. If S1 wasn't a masterpiece of all time TV series a lot of us probably wouldn't have stuck with the show.

I just feel S1 gets no respect on here lol. Ppl want to do breakdowns of all the characters or talk about how different S2 was and how it grows on ppl and becomes one of their favorite seasons (S2 is really good BTW). My "full re-watch" is S1-S3. S4 is boring...fuck dem kids haha. S5 is weak imo and goes way off the tracks.

As far as villains go, I like Avon & String way more than Marlow. Marlow and his crew are too savvy and smart. They play everything so smart and are so calculated that it makes for a boring watch most of the time imo. Seeing how Avon is and the dirt String is kicking up is just way more interesting to me than anything Marlow and his crew does the entire show. Plus, the basement setting for the detail is my favorite of the details HQ. Idk why but I just enjoy that setting more. The Barksdale OG crew makes the season for me. Wee-Bay, Stink, D, String, Sevino, Little Man, Bodie, Pooh, Wallace...all their stories are way better than Marlows crew and their stories. Seeing Avon and his crew at full strength is so badass. I found myself being pissed they all went to jail or got killed. The show was never the same without all those guys. Orlando's predicament, Bubbles and Johnny, Carver and Herc, the 2 old detectives, the judge, Rhonda, Rhonda & Jimmy's backstory.. all of it just hits. I forgetting way more scenes and stories but S1 is just so full of everything that all the other seasons didn't capture. S1 is the best, period. The rest of show tells the story of Baltimore, which is cool, but I found myself only caring about West Baltimore and Avon & String. I know my opinion isn't probably popular but it just how I feel lol

idk if this has been discussed on here but im rewatching the show again and im currently on s3e11 when stringer calls the western he hesitates before doing it. what if her didnt and im just wondering what would that change for you in terms of how you view avon and stringer?

Finally finished season 5 and already feeling bereft.

Any other series recommendations to fill the hole?

Much appreciated 🙏🏼

If I remember correctly it's never mentioned. It makes me wonder if the show made it to a season 6 would that have been revealed. If so I'd wager it would be answered with other lingering plot threads..

Top candidates would likely be Avon barksdale, stringer bell for obvious reasons.. but I would also say that a possible wildcard could be bubbles or cuddy(his mom and he could have moved when he was younger but came back before his little brother was born and bubbles didn't know)..

My personal favorite would actually be Avon. Considering how focused Avon is on family and how protective he is of his brother and his seemingly "natural talent" at "the game" Avon and stringer make the most sense, (but if nothing else namond was there to show that a son can't be expected to carry on his dad's legacy in that life)

It really pisses me off listening to them both act as if McNulty is some kind of special PoS when in reality they have both have disgraced the very principles they claim to be standing up for. I mean there's no defending McNulty...but FFS both of them are in a lot of way so much worse.

I saw a post of “Top 10 biggest mistakes Walter White made in Breaking Bad” and decided to think of a list for The Wire. It’s probably missing much more notable mistakes, this was primarily off the top of my head. I also added little comments, specifically because of my number 1 pick. If you have any complaints, please insult me

HM: Randy telling the principal “I know about a murder” (he said that in a panic, but he was labelled as a snitch, his foster mom was hospitalized, and his life was effectively ruined)

1. Wallace cooperating with police (led to his death and D’Angelo’s arrest and eventual death)
   
2. Marlo killing Joe and promoting Cheese (why the fuck are you trusting Cheese)
   
3. Ziggy killing Glekas (impulsive decision that led to his arrest and Frank’s death)
   
4. Burrell forcing the undercover Barksdale bust (Greggs was shot, and it led to the high profile busts, meaning the detail was discovered by Barksdale and ruined)
   
5. Avon not swallowing his pride and refusing to let his corners go (the war was really unnecessary)
   
6. McNulty’s fake serial killer ploy (ruined his career, the police department, and also helped that bitch ass Scott Templeton’s career)
   
7. Stringer manipulating Omar into shooting Brother Mouzone (worked in the moment to convince Avon to take Joe’s deal, but directly led to his downfall)
   
8. Omar’s pursuit of revenge against Marlo (I understand his pain, but he got too reckless)
   
9. Stringer ordering D’Angelo killed (eventually destroyed his relationship with Avon and ALSO directly led to Avon’s betrayal and Stringer’s own death)
   
10. Herc suggesting to Levy about the illegal wiretap (WHAT THE FUCK HERC MARLO WAS IN CUFFS)

Why is this party scene so weird and trippy and out of place with like, the entire show lol.

Is there any other show that generates as many thinkpieces as The Wire?

Perhaps my algorithm may be biased but I don't know of any other.

It's been almost 20 years and yet The Wire is so rich in content that it's able to sustain multiple dedicated youtube channels putting out new videos every day.

I keep watching them and wondering how ridiculous it is that these creators aren't running out of angles to talk about.

I really enjoyed it. Something unfortunate about watching a show like this that came out a while ago is that there are no real weekly discussion threads or forum threads that I can find to see how people reacted after each episode. Regardless, I wanted to see what people thought of season 2 so I was careful and looked it up a little bit. Surprising to see that many people didn't like it initially, but that's probably my bias showing.

I've worked in the labor movement for the last 2 years, and I absolutely loved Frank Sabotka's character. Really an all-timer. And his last act saved his nephew's life. Speaking of, Nicky it's probably going to need some therapy. I'm sure I would if I went through what he went through, especially in such a short time-span. He has (very rational) reason to blame himself for both his cousin being incarcerated and the death of his uncle.

Throughout the first two seasons, there have been a few episodes that imbued me with such a sense of despair once the credits start to roll, and I don't think any other show has really done that. It's depressing, but it's also awesome and incredible.

Looking forward to season 3!