If you're not watching "The Wire", don't worry, this isn't the post where I try & convince you to watch. I've most likely already talked to you about it and if you really need more convincing, just Google "The Wire" + "best show". Wait. I'll save you the time. Just click here. Besides, that post will be coming soon.
Instead, I'd just like to list MY favorite characters from the show.
This show is incredibly written, incredibly cast & acted even more incredibly. David Simon & Ed Burns throw a lot of characters at us over the years, but they all grow on you eventually. I wish I could put into words how great everything about this show is, but again, you can Google for yourself & read what people with far better writing skills than I have to say about it.
For the HM guys, I will try & link to a YouTube clip of theirs. For the other 20, I'll embed the clip right into the post. BEWARE. I can pretty much assure you that all of these videos that will have language NSFW.
One other thing to watch out for. If you plan on watching the show (which I really hope you do), many of these clips will contain spoilers, some pretty big ones too. Just a heads up.
Honorable Mention: Detective Leander Sydnor, Deputy Ops William Rawls, Marlo Stanfield, Slim Charles, Wee-Bey Brice, Avon Barksdale, Poot Carr, Gus Haynes, Randy Wagstaff, Bunny Colvin & Butchie.
#20
Sgt. Jay Landsman
Landsman cracks me up. He's not ashamed to be sitting at his desk, reading some hard-core porn, even in front of the Mayor of Baltimore. He's based on a real Jay Landsman, who happens to play the role of Lt. Dennis Mello. The show really is "all connected."
One of the most memorable moments of the show:
#19
Elena McNulty
Det. McNulty's ex-wife, she didn't make the list because of her character, she made the list because I adore Callie Thorne. I've liked her ever since her role of Detective Laura Ballard on Homicide: Life On The Street. (Another David Simon production.)
#18
Senator Clay Davis
Senator Davis, a horribly corrupt politician, makes the list for his signature line.
#17
D'Angelo Barksdale
One of the many great aspects of this show is how it blurs the line between good guys & bad guys. The guys you're supposed to root against, you end up rooting for. D'Angelo is one of those guys.
#16
Brother Mouzone
A small, but memorable role for the Harper's Weekly reading enforcer.
#15
Dennis "Cutty" Wise
Cutty's rise during season's 3 & 4 is one of the very few uplifting story lines in The Wire.
#14
Preston "Bodie" Broadus
Bodie has lots of memorable scenes in nearly every season. He grows on you.
#13
Det. Kima Greggs
Unfortunately for my faithful readers, there aren't many good YouTube clips of Kima that don't involve her & her girlfriend. I wanted to show her police-ness in this space. :)
#12
Michael Lee
Season 4 focuses on the problems with the schools in Baltimore. We're introduced to a handful of kids, nearly all of which you will become extremely attached to emotionally.
#11
Chris Partlow
I love, love, love this character. The way he goes about his business, expressionless & without emotion (with one notable exception) is fun to watch.
#10
Bubbles
How Andre Royo has not won himself a handful of Emmy's for his role of Bubbles is beyond me.
#9
Sgt. Ellis Carver
For all the bleakness The Wire shows, there are many, many funny scenes. Sgt. Carver seems to be behind a lot of them.
#8
Duquan "Dukie" Weems
Poor Dukie. I love this kid. His interaction with Prez is inspiring to this future teacher.
#7
Proposition Joe
Prop Joe, the master of negotiations.
#6
Major Cedric Daniels
Major Daniels climbs the ladder, but has a questionable past, which we may learn about in season 5.
#5
Stringer Bell
#4
Det. Bunk Moreland
Bunk is a funny man!
#3
Set. Lester Freamon
Lester is the Father Figure of the bunch. Stand-up guy & real po-lice.
#2
Det. Jimmy McNulty
McNulty would probably be considered the main character. I could post 20 clips just of him. Good stuff here.
#1
Omar Little
Omar is not only the best character on The Wire, he may be the best character in the history of television. A modern-day Robin Hood, Omar answers to a code & that's it. For all the cursing these characters do, good like finding one coming from Omar's mouth. (Only one to be exact & that was it.)
15 comments:
I have to take your word on this one as I have no clue -- I don't watch the show. Looks like you did a bit of work on it though!
Pssst... Hall of Fame photos! Get posting!
Wow ... I'm going to out on a limb and say you like this show. I've never seen it (something tells me I should).
As for the post ... daaaamn. Blogspot should use it as an example of how to blog.
Let's look at the judges thought: 9.5, 10.0, 10.0, 9.0, 5.5 ... OH! He's skunked by the Romanian judge. Tough break there.
Awesome List!
I was just searching blogger and came across your post.
I just did something similar recently but for general HBO characters, and I could have easily filled it up with just wire characters!
http://www.goatkarma.com/viewblog.php?id=5
It's a decent list but without Avon Barksdale it's kind of lacking for more. I would also throw the Greek in there...since season 2 he has been a major factor in the engine that runs The Wire.
Your choice's and comments along with the photo's would be what my wife and I both agree on, I/we think this is the best show that has ever been on television, all the actors were excellent and I just do not know where you "found" them all, I know the heart of Baltimore and you captured it so exact I thought you lived there. We have purchase this show and will watch it several times a year.Not for the "holy rollers" but worthy of watching. The characters and writing to us are simply amazing and we thank you for this realistic and down to earth show. Charlytomas@aol.com
The Wire is the best show ever. Wish it could get awards still, posthumanously!
Good list but where is Avon?? would be in my top 5 fo' 'sho
no marlo? are you kidding me?
i would have bodie at 1 and would have put rawls in my top 5.
hard to leave out herc, avon, actually there are about 100 great characters.
What about Snoop? No mention by anyone?
Great list man. Nice work.
Marlo's a mesmerizing character in how calm he appears, assessing the motives and strength of everyone around him.
Snoop is a good character too, even though i can't stand her!
List is solid. Too many memorable characters to put on it.
My husband and I have just finished watching The Wire, from season 1 through season 5. I don't have cable so missed it the first time around. It is excellent and I'm going to order it through Netflix again just to catch up on what I missed the first time through. Your number one choice of Omar Little is spot-on, absolutely one of the best characters ever created by fiction. I'm so glad you included the Jay Landsman character, as well. Just wish you could have sneaked Prez in there somehow. The way he matured through the years was wonderful to behold.
Thanks for the comment!
Yes, Prezbo certainly did grow a lot over the course of the show. He is underrated for sure & I should have at least gave him an HM.
It's a damn shame Bunny Colvin didn't make the top 20... or Prez...
I love that this reminds me why I love the wire. Man im gonna rewatch the sereis because of you. so thanks. Only problem is the fact that you didnt put Bodie in you top ten. Other than that great blog
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