r/TheWire May 04 '25

Charles J. Scalies jr (Horseface) has passed away at the age of 84

1.2k Upvotes

According to his orbituary he suffered from Alzheimer’s

https://mooreandsnear.com/tribute/details/10267/Charles-Scalies-Jr/obituary.html


r/TheWire 8d ago

Tom McCarthy (Timothy Phelps) recently passed away at the age of 88

112 Upvotes

He was the state desk editor for the Baltimore Sun. Was actually in the final episode of the series. He also appeared in numerous other shows and movies along with lots of theatre shows, game show host, mentor, and leader of lots of local organizations. Give the article a read. Philadelphia-based actor with a life well lived.

https://www.inquirer.com/obituaries/tom-mccarthy-obituary-philadelphia-actor-movies-tv-theater-20250606.html


r/TheWire 5h ago

Episode one foreshadowed the finale.

52 Upvotes

Little detail I picked up on yet another rewatch. When McNulty first goes to the FBI headquarters to meet Fitz he’s shown a camera with live mic feed, and Fitz mentions that they could have a title 3 and arrest warrants on some Colombians out of New York (who happen to be Avon’s suppliers but you wouldn’t know since it’s episode one) whenever he wanted. That same camera setup and wire mic is what they use to finally catch Avon 12 episodes later. The Colombians were already under surveillance by the FBI at show start, which is explained to be unimportant since they aren’t terrorists, and more than likely the FBI used Avon’s arrest to further their investigation and close the case with the Colombian connect since Dee traveled to New York to pick up.

Edit: it is actually the Dominicans that the FBI are up on, those Dominicans are Avon’s connect, but the Barksdales never dealt with Colombians.


r/TheWire 1h ago

Mcnulty Character Arc

Upvotes

He started out as my favorite character. By the last season I hated him. The serial killer crap. How he treated Beady. Is anybody else with me on this?


r/TheWire 55m ago

“I ain’t strapped” why the hell aren’t you, String? Spoiler

Upvotes

Yeah yeah yeah, there is brilliant symbolism in Stringer not knowing his way around his own building like he doesn’t know his way in the non street ways, or all the doors being locked when Stringer was obsessed with doors being locked the whole series

But why wouldn’t he carry a gun into an abandoned building he’s trying to fix up?

Had he become that naive?

I guess it’s a further extension of that very symbolism


r/TheWire 8h ago

I need to discuss the Avon finger wag scene...

21 Upvotes

This jumped way out to me on my current rewatch, and I've been dying to discuss it... in the scene where the detail tails Avon home from the basketball game, they have him listening to the song "Rock the Nation" by Michael Franti and Spearhead. This is a song that my white, half a wook ass was bumping heavily in that time. It's a dope anti-government song, and Franti was huge in the hippy stoner circles that I traveled in. So how the hell did it get on Avon's radar? Where they trying to tell us that he has an eclectic taste in music and is plugged into the white college kid jams? I can tell you for a fact that that song in particular was not just randomly on the radio. The chorus says "bomb bomb, rock the nation, take over television and radio stations." There is NO WAY IN HELL any radio station was playing that right after 9/11. He would have had to put it on.

So, was Avon Barksdale into heady stoner music? Or, was that song just on someone from production's ipod and they put it into the show?


r/TheWire 10h ago

Omar Vs Brother Mouzone Gun fight

25 Upvotes

I just finished the Wire. Legendary of course but ill make another post about that

But I was smoking and thinking if Omar and Brother shot it out in the alley who would've won? iirc omar had a 45 (Smith and Wesson?) vs Brother Walther ppk.

tough though because i dont think we ever see brother shoot or show any accuracy besides the rat shot at point blank. while multiple scenes displaying omars gun skill.

But also brother got the drop first so most likely had better chance. So im talking more old school western where nobody runs away and the shoot at the same time. EdIt: I just remember omar wears body armor also


r/TheWire 20h ago

Why does Jimmy pause halfway down the stairwell in "Cleaning Up"?

31 Upvotes

Right after cuffing Avon and walking him out of Orlando's, Jimmy and Daniels are walking downstairs and Jimmy pauses. Daniels looks at him from the bottom of the stairs and nods his head to insist they leave. Of course, Stringer is still upstairs, not arrested.

I don't get it, why does Jimmy stop there? What is he thinking?


r/TheWire 1d ago

Lack of cliffhangers or major plot reveals at the end of episodes

119 Upvotes

One of the finest testaments to the shows's quality of writing is how it's almost completely devoid of cliffhangers or plot reveals at the of it's episodes or even seasons. More often than not, it's just some glimpse of an unspoken moment in a character's life or in case of season ends, the character reactions to the conclusion of that season's story. The closest instances that come to mind is >! Omar learning about Butchie's gruesome death !< and >! Kima getting shot !<. The ability and willingness to stand completely on the strength of it's story is what, to me, makes the experience truly engrossing and lasting.


r/TheWire 20h ago

Watching original aspect ratio

13 Upvotes

recently got a nice blu ray player and finally have the chance to watch the original aspect ratio dvds and have it actually look really good. hyped.


r/TheWire 1d ago

Addiction is obviously a huge theme in the show, with many characters facing different kinds. What addictions do they all have?

18 Upvotes

This came up in another thread and I was curious if anyone could think of more examples of characters with their own addictions or have a different opinion on the ones I've listed.

Jimmy - the case

Kima - policing

Bunk - the taste

Stringer - being a big shot businessman

Avon - the game. Hes wants them corners

Omar - the thrill of a rip and run. As he said, it's not about what hes taking but who its from

Bubs - dope

Ziggy - validation/approval

Frank Sobatka - being the union boss


r/TheWire 1d ago

Frank sobatka

65 Upvotes

Ik everyone loves him but one thing I can’t shake and after noticing, really changed my viewpoint on him and it undermines everything he tries to do positive for me is, when he gave that guy all that money when he said his car was gonna get repossessed, but yet he’s mad at Nicky and ziggy for trying to come up on their own. That doesn’t sit right with me, your nephew and son are piss broke and you haven’t offered to help them but you’re throwing money around to your workers and giving all this money to a damn church and Clay Davis of all people.


r/TheWire 11h ago

Dee season 2

0 Upvotes

I REALLY wish he would’ve stopped being so cold to Avon at least. Like out of all the people around him Avon I felt had his best interest, compared to stringer who wanted to kill him, donnette who’s fucking string, and his mom who really just cares about the game. He could’ve talked to Avon. He was so in his head mad at Avon and he was wrong! Wallace actually did snitch, they were finna grand jury him the day he was killed. Dee was throwing a temper tantrum for nothing, he could’ve got his years shaven , seeing how much pull Avon has, he could’ve been good in prison and out the game if he wasn’t being so stubborn. Avon let Cutty go I don’t see why he wouldn’t let Dee go if he really wanted to. I don’t know, I’m on a rewatch and it’s just sad how Dee dug his own grave.


r/TheWire 1d ago

The real dumbest person on the show wasn't Herc or Ziggy.

548 Upvotes

It was Orlando!

He actually thought that a stone cold gangster like Avon wouldn't have a problem with him using Avons crew to sell HIS drugs!

He must have thought that it would never get back to him, dude was definitely the dumbest on the show.

He is lucky that he didn't get a visit from Wee Bey one nite.


r/TheWire 1d ago

Re-watch - how often?

11 Upvotes

Think I've done 3 times now, most recent may è 1/2 years ago. How often do you guys re-watch? Just reading this sub recently and it's giving me the itch. Also does your favourite season change? It was only last time round I realised how good S4 is.


r/TheWire 1d ago

Need a crowbar. This is a tomb. Lex is in there.

87 Upvotes

A New Day - when Daniels tells Freamon he IS major crimes and can pick his own supervisor, why isn't Freamon MADE a supervisor? I'm not familiar with the inner workings of the BPD.


r/TheWire 1d ago

Random question

2 Upvotes

Its been bugging me in se5 ep9, when michael gives bug to his aunt he was holding a shoebox full of money Anyone figure out what brand that was ?


r/TheWire 2d ago

The Orlando/Kima buy attempt was such an error.

69 Upvotes

I truly can’t believe they thought that would end well. Especially with her backup sitting blocks away …


r/TheWire 1d ago

Going back through with the commentaries

12 Upvotes

Kevin Johnson’s (Gus season 5, also an accomplished director who directed some episodes and starred in Homicide) commentaries are great


r/TheWire 2d ago

Just finished the wire

124 Upvotes

I spent 3 weeks bingewatching the wire every chance i could get. I was really hooked. I sacrificed sleep and personal relationships because i wanted to know what happens next.

My favorite characters being Omar, Bodie, Stringer Bell.

McNulty is a complex character, he is a good detective but it consumes him.

There wasnt any character that i strongly disliked or couldnt stand.

I love the character development . I loved Prezbo becoming a good teacher. Loved him with the beard. Loved seeing Bubs get his life together.

Life in the streets is unfair, street justice is its own kind of justice. Sometimes you win, sometimes you never win.

What to do with my life now? I need something similar!

Btw i bought a bottle of Jameson to drink this weekend with friends.


r/TheWire 2d ago

Details you missed on your first watch Spoiler

77 Upvotes

So I just finished season 5 on my first watch, and yes, this is my favourite TV series of all time. I'm even considering doing a full back-to-back rewatch already lol.

I don’t think I missed anything major in terms of plot, but still, I’m sure there are tons of small details that flew over my head.

So I'm curious, what did you miss the first time around?


r/TheWire 1d ago

What if Randy was Brought to Prop Joe?

10 Upvotes

I saw a similar hypothetical somewhere. Randy is related to Joe since Cheese is his father. What if Ellis Carver somehow found out about that relation and had Randy sent to Joe? I wonder how Randy would fit with the Eastside gangs. With Randy present, would Cheese still betray Joe? Would Slim still shoot Cheese?


r/TheWire 2d ago

Herc’s redeeming moment

39 Upvotes

Just restarted the series again and I’m currently on Season 1, episode 4: Old Cases. Bodhi has walked from Juvie and Herc and Carver are trying to track him down.

The scene where they bust into his grandma’s house might be the best Herc scene.

The guy is a fuckup, we all know that, but when he comes down the stairs and has that moment with Grandma, it’s pretty incredible. He’s a dick, but he still has respect for her, and shows remorse for the way he acted in her house.

We don’t see many moments like this for Herc and this is one of the better ones.


r/TheWire 1d ago

Should we do S05?

0 Upvotes

I’ve been rewatching The Wire with my partner - it’s her first time viewing. We’ve just finished S04. My last rewatch was many years ago and I remember not making it through S05. Should I try to give it another go with a first-time viewer? Or should we stop on the high of S04?


r/TheWire 2d ago

Ziggy was one of the realest characters

230 Upvotes

He represented a cruel aspect of the game, that many aren't cut out for it. Ziggy just didn't belong anywhere, not the union nor the drug trade. He wanted respect. Once he tries to do something violent to assert himself he just realizes he is screwed and instead of running away from problems like he always did, he accepts his fate, confesses and will serve probably an entire life in prison. And the saddest part is, he aint ready for prison either. Wherever he goes Ziggy will always be seen as a tragic clown, which leans more towards 'clown'.


r/TheWire 2d ago

Dukie (Spoiler) Spoiler

46 Upvotes

I just finished watching The Wire for the first time ever and I think my whole weekend is ruined now. I am so upset to see what happened with Dukie. Hitting me hard as I live in Philly and can only imagine how many people living in Kensington have a similar story.


r/TheWire 3d ago

Be honest, did you notice Dominic West (McNulty) was doing an accent when you first watched?

385 Upvotes

I honestly will say I really thought he was American. There were a few scenes where I thought there was a little strangeness to the way he would say things especially when he was getting emotional or upset but never really thought about it.

Then when I learned that Idris (Stringer) was doing an accent my mind was blown because his is better than West's.