We return to my countdown of the Top-50 Wire Characters. This list will takes us through politics, police, drugs and docks. Basically, well, a nice little look at the entirety of The Wire's breadth. Let's get going.
36.) Odell Watkins
Old Wheel-Chair bound Odell Watkins was interesting to me mainly because he was basically a metaphor. He was the symbol of the disproportionate influence lower members of government have over higher members. Because Odell was closer in governmental distance to the people of Baltimore, he held their beliefs, he was their leader, moreso than Mayor Royce or Tommy Carcetti. Plus, it was funny that even The Wire, a show that never followed any usual tv trope, did fill out the "Handicapped character" in it's "How to exhaustively fill out each type of person" checklist.
35.) Clay Davis
If Odell was the symbol he was, Clay Davis was an even more obvious, but nonetheless important, symbol of outsider's influence in politics. Clay Davis was one of the most despicable people to appear in that hellscape of Baltimore. That said, he has to be on this list. Him not on it.... 'Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeit"
Memorable Quote: "Fool, what do you think? That we know anything about who gives money? That we give a damn about who they are or what they want? We have no way of running down them or their stories. We don't care. We just cash the damn cheques, count the votes and move on."
34.) Beadie Russell
Adorable Beadie Russell. Her transition from naive, innocent dock cop to adequate member of the detail in Season 2 was as implausible as it was interesting. However, her great job in dealing with McNulty is a boyfriend was a much more interesting storyline. Also, the scene of McNulty appearing at Beadie's doorstep late in S3 was beautiful (as much as she was in the scene).
Memorable Quote: "The next time, you leave. Because I own this fucking house."
33.) Nick Sobotka
I found his protege-mentor relationship with Vondas to be much more interesting on the Vondas side than the Nick side. I am probably one of the few people who have Nick as the least interesting of the three main Sobotkas. He never really changed, and I thought his straight turn to the drug life seemed a little more stretched than that of his cousin and Uncle. Nick did have a hot girlfriend though. That was a nice touch.
32.) Gus Haynes
Gus Haynes was the main protagonist of the S5 Baltimore Sun story arc. However, unlike almost every other 'protagonist' on the show, there was no bad qualities of Haynes. He was written and played as a straight, good, smart editor with high integrity. That basically makes him a saint on the Wire. Creator David Simon (former writer for the Baltimore Sun) was criticized by a lot in the journalism community for the Sun storyline because they saw it as a malicious portrayal of a newspaper where a smart editor (Haynes/Simon) was undone by bad bosses (Klebanow). To me, that really shone through.
Memorable Quotes: "You know what a healthy newsroom is? It's a magical place where people argue, all the time."
31.) Michael Lee
Talk about a tragic figure. Actually, that can be said about all of the four kids in S4, but Michael Lee might be the most haunting. The fact that he emitted a great sense of character that all the authority figures in his life (teacher, trainer, Marlo) all wanted to mentor him was made more painful due to the fact that he was molested as a child and didn't trust authority. The only one that he could connect with was Marlo, mainly because Marlo wasn't old enough so Michael didn't see him as a possible monster hiding behind a helpful smile. His transition into drug runner was as sad as his ending transition into the new Omar was hysterical.
Memorable Quotes: To Chris and Snoop, "Marlo ain't suck no dick, right? So, if Marlo knows he ain't suck dick, then what the fuck he care what Junebug say? What anybody say? Why this boy gotta get dead just for talkin' shit?"
30.) Kima Greggs
She was probably the only cop who didn't have any real bad blood in her. She was the moral one. I'm not sure if The Wire didn't go a little too far in making her a moralist. Her not pretending to see Wee-Bey shoot her was one thing. That was reasonable. Her turning in McNulty and Freamon by alerting Daniels about the fake serial killer? The worst thing she did was lose her relationship after she felt forced by her partner to agree to adopt a child. That did lead to her absolutely magnificent scene with the boy in S5.
Memorable Quote: To her son to make him sleep, "Let's say goodnight to everybody... Goodbye moon... goodnight stars... goodnight po-pos... goodnight fiends... goodnight hoppers... goodnight hustlers... goodnight scammers... goodnight to everybody... goodnight one and all."
29.) Snoop Pearson
Honestly, it took me about two episodes to realize that Snoop was a girl. And damn if this wasn't one of the most daring characters (and casting decisions) in TV history. Not only were they going to make one of Marlo's two top enforcers, nonetheless one as ruthless and violent as Snoop, a female, but then Simon went out and cast a convicted drug dealer with little previous acting experience to play the role. Snoop was damn hard to understand, but was interesting mainly for just how unique the whole situation was. I was surprised by how much her death hurt me as a viewer.
Memorable Quotes: "Man already shit himself....and we ain't get started yet! He's funky, yo." & before Michael kills her, "How my hair look, Mike?"
28.) Slim Charles
On the list for two reasons; 1.) He kills Cheese is the baddest way possible - when Cheese was in mid-rant. And he did it for Prop Joe. 2.) He won the game. By not caring about loyalties (switching seamlessly from Barksdale to Prop Joe after S3) and turf and West-vs-East, he was the last man standing. Of course, that fucker Fat Face Rick was also there, but we know Slim was gonna run Bal'mor.
Memorable Quote: "Don't matter who did what to who at this point. Fact is, we went to war and there ain't no turnin' back. I mean, shit, it's what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it. If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie. But we gotta fight."
27.) Lt. Cedric Daniels
Did anyone chage from good to bad, from supporter of good police work to ardent company man more than Lt. Daniels? His ability to do this, and accomplish both, was incredible. He showed that there is a way to advance in the BPD while doing good work, something that McNulty (good police, shitty company man) and Herc (company man, bad police) could never understand. There was nothing scarier in early episodes of The Wire than that menacing, quiet stare of Daniels. He was also the one man who did hold some integrity the higher in the BPD he went.
Memorable Quotes: "You'd rather live in shit than let the world see you work a shovel" & when told that their detail was going to end prematurely, "This is BULL-SHIT
26.) The Greek
Shady, shady man. The Greek was the baddest gangster on the show. Avon, Marlo, Prop. Those bitches (and they were bitches compared to the Greek) came and went. The Greek is there forever. Created as the embodiment of capitalism, the Greek encaptured what the drug was is about at the highest level (that of the distributor). It is money. Period. It is business. "Business, always business." The only reason he isn't higher is that he wasn't shown all that much.
Memorable Quote: After Vondas tells him that the cops only know him as The Greek, "But of course, I'm not even Greek."
25.) Tommy Carcetti
He's a character who I wonder if David Simon increased his role after it started. Tommy Carcetti started out as a gutless, filandering, political climber who cheated on his cute wife at any chance. However, when Tommy found out that he actually had a shot to win the mayoral race, he actually grew. He then became a man who actually seemed to think he could change Baltimore. He was a bad human in his personal life, but someone with the convictions of a great leader. Of course, his final use was to be The Wire's symbol for the inevitable problem of government: there are too many people to appease to and too much red tape to get anything done, regardless of intentions.
Memorable Quotes: "Yummy, my first bowl of shit" & "This is Baltimore. No one lives forever."
24.) Marlo Stanfield
Yup. The Kingpin who got out without jail is put as the first man in the upper half. It wasn't that Marlo wasn't a good character. He was a great illustration of the horrible path the drug war is taking. It is more about violence, about pride, about individualism than it ever was. Marlo didn't care about living. He didn't care about friends, family. All he cared about was being the king, no matter how long that reign lasted. His final outcome where he was basically ex-communicated from the game, was arguably the most interesting end for any character. Marlo kept his money, he kept his freedom. But he might be more shackled than ever. He doesn't have the one thing he always wanted: the crown, and the reputation as a legendary gangster; dead or alive.
Memorable Quotes: To Prop Joe, "I ain't made to play the son." & of course, "What the fuck you know about what I need on my mind, motherfucker? My name is on the street? When we bounce from this shit here y'all gonna go down to them corners, let them people know: word did not get back to me! Let 'em know Marlo step to any motherfucker: Omar, Barksdale, whoever. My name is my name!"
36.) Odell Watkins
Old Wheel-Chair bound Odell Watkins was interesting to me mainly because he was basically a metaphor. He was the symbol of the disproportionate influence lower members of government have over higher members. Because Odell was closer in governmental distance to the people of Baltimore, he held their beliefs, he was their leader, moreso than Mayor Royce or Tommy Carcetti. Plus, it was funny that even The Wire, a show that never followed any usual tv trope, did fill out the "Handicapped character" in it's "How to exhaustively fill out each type of person" checklist.
35.) Clay Davis
If Odell was the symbol he was, Clay Davis was an even more obvious, but nonetheless important, symbol of outsider's influence in politics. Clay Davis was one of the most despicable people to appear in that hellscape of Baltimore. That said, he has to be on this list. Him not on it.... 'Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeit"
Memorable Quote: "Fool, what do you think? That we know anything about who gives money? That we give a damn about who they are or what they want? We have no way of running down them or their stories. We don't care. We just cash the damn cheques, count the votes and move on."
34.) Beadie Russell
Adorable Beadie Russell. Her transition from naive, innocent dock cop to adequate member of the detail in Season 2 was as implausible as it was interesting. However, her great job in dealing with McNulty is a boyfriend was a much more interesting storyline. Also, the scene of McNulty appearing at Beadie's doorstep late in S3 was beautiful (as much as she was in the scene).
Memorable Quote: "The next time, you leave. Because I own this fucking house."
33.) Nick Sobotka
I found his protege-mentor relationship with Vondas to be much more interesting on the Vondas side than the Nick side. I am probably one of the few people who have Nick as the least interesting of the three main Sobotkas. He never really changed, and I thought his straight turn to the drug life seemed a little more stretched than that of his cousin and Uncle. Nick did have a hot girlfriend though. That was a nice touch.
32.) Gus Haynes
Gus Haynes was the main protagonist of the S5 Baltimore Sun story arc. However, unlike almost every other 'protagonist' on the show, there was no bad qualities of Haynes. He was written and played as a straight, good, smart editor with high integrity. That basically makes him a saint on the Wire. Creator David Simon (former writer for the Baltimore Sun) was criticized by a lot in the journalism community for the Sun storyline because they saw it as a malicious portrayal of a newspaper where a smart editor (Haynes/Simon) was undone by bad bosses (Klebanow). To me, that really shone through.
Memorable Quotes: "You know what a healthy newsroom is? It's a magical place where people argue, all the time."
31.) Michael Lee
Talk about a tragic figure. Actually, that can be said about all of the four kids in S4, but Michael Lee might be the most haunting. The fact that he emitted a great sense of character that all the authority figures in his life (teacher, trainer, Marlo) all wanted to mentor him was made more painful due to the fact that he was molested as a child and didn't trust authority. The only one that he could connect with was Marlo, mainly because Marlo wasn't old enough so Michael didn't see him as a possible monster hiding behind a helpful smile. His transition into drug runner was as sad as his ending transition into the new Omar was hysterical.
Memorable Quotes: To Chris and Snoop, "Marlo ain't suck no dick, right? So, if Marlo knows he ain't suck dick, then what the fuck he care what Junebug say? What anybody say? Why this boy gotta get dead just for talkin' shit?"
30.) Kima Greggs
She was probably the only cop who didn't have any real bad blood in her. She was the moral one. I'm not sure if The Wire didn't go a little too far in making her a moralist. Her not pretending to see Wee-Bey shoot her was one thing. That was reasonable. Her turning in McNulty and Freamon by alerting Daniels about the fake serial killer? The worst thing she did was lose her relationship after she felt forced by her partner to agree to adopt a child. That did lead to her absolutely magnificent scene with the boy in S5.
Memorable Quote: To her son to make him sleep, "Let's say goodnight to everybody... Goodbye moon... goodnight stars... goodnight po-pos... goodnight fiends... goodnight hoppers... goodnight hustlers... goodnight scammers... goodnight to everybody... goodnight one and all."
29.) Snoop Pearson
Honestly, it took me about two episodes to realize that Snoop was a girl. And damn if this wasn't one of the most daring characters (and casting decisions) in TV history. Not only were they going to make one of Marlo's two top enforcers, nonetheless one as ruthless and violent as Snoop, a female, but then Simon went out and cast a convicted drug dealer with little previous acting experience to play the role. Snoop was damn hard to understand, but was interesting mainly for just how unique the whole situation was. I was surprised by how much her death hurt me as a viewer.
Memorable Quotes: "Man already shit himself....and we ain't get started yet! He's funky, yo." & before Michael kills her, "How my hair look, Mike?"
28.) Slim Charles
On the list for two reasons; 1.) He kills Cheese is the baddest way possible - when Cheese was in mid-rant. And he did it for Prop Joe. 2.) He won the game. By not caring about loyalties (switching seamlessly from Barksdale to Prop Joe after S3) and turf and West-vs-East, he was the last man standing. Of course, that fucker Fat Face Rick was also there, but we know Slim was gonna run Bal'mor.
Memorable Quote: "Don't matter who did what to who at this point. Fact is, we went to war and there ain't no turnin' back. I mean, shit, it's what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it. If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie. But we gotta fight."
27.) Lt. Cedric Daniels
Did anyone chage from good to bad, from supporter of good police work to ardent company man more than Lt. Daniels? His ability to do this, and accomplish both, was incredible. He showed that there is a way to advance in the BPD while doing good work, something that McNulty (good police, shitty company man) and Herc (company man, bad police) could never understand. There was nothing scarier in early episodes of The Wire than that menacing, quiet stare of Daniels. He was also the one man who did hold some integrity the higher in the BPD he went.
Memorable Quotes: "You'd rather live in shit than let the world see you work a shovel" & when told that their detail was going to end prematurely, "This is BULL-SHIT
26.) The Greek
Shady, shady man. The Greek was the baddest gangster on the show. Avon, Marlo, Prop. Those bitches (and they were bitches compared to the Greek) came and went. The Greek is there forever. Created as the embodiment of capitalism, the Greek encaptured what the drug was is about at the highest level (that of the distributor). It is money. Period. It is business. "Business, always business." The only reason he isn't higher is that he wasn't shown all that much.
Memorable Quote: After Vondas tells him that the cops only know him as The Greek, "But of course, I'm not even Greek."
25.) Tommy Carcetti
He's a character who I wonder if David Simon increased his role after it started. Tommy Carcetti started out as a gutless, filandering, political climber who cheated on his cute wife at any chance. However, when Tommy found out that he actually had a shot to win the mayoral race, he actually grew. He then became a man who actually seemed to think he could change Baltimore. He was a bad human in his personal life, but someone with the convictions of a great leader. Of course, his final use was to be The Wire's symbol for the inevitable problem of government: there are too many people to appease to and too much red tape to get anything done, regardless of intentions.
Memorable Quotes: "Yummy, my first bowl of shit" & "This is Baltimore. No one lives forever."
24.) Marlo Stanfield
Yup. The Kingpin who got out without jail is put as the first man in the upper half. It wasn't that Marlo wasn't a good character. He was a great illustration of the horrible path the drug war is taking. It is more about violence, about pride, about individualism than it ever was. Marlo didn't care about living. He didn't care about friends, family. All he cared about was being the king, no matter how long that reign lasted. His final outcome where he was basically ex-communicated from the game, was arguably the most interesting end for any character. Marlo kept his money, he kept his freedom. But he might be more shackled than ever. He doesn't have the one thing he always wanted: the crown, and the reputation as a legendary gangster; dead or alive.
Memorable Quotes: To Prop Joe, "I ain't made to play the son." & of course, "What the fuck you know about what I need on my mind, motherfucker? My name is on the street? When we bounce from this shit here y'all gonna go down to them corners, let them people know: word did not get back to me! Let 'em know Marlo step to any motherfucker: Omar, Barksdale, whoever. My name is my name!"
