Board 8 > IglooBob's top 25 "The Wire" characters (w/writeups).

(+) Yeah! (+)

The list is made, but the writeups are not. I'll post these as I feel the writing itch, hopefully at a steady pace. But I figure I should go ahead and make this topic so that I have a reason to start writing! Gushing about my favorite show ever and some of my favorite characters ever incoming.

oh also

A lot of spoilers will happen after this bolded text so if you haven't already watched this show you should definitely do it, preferably before reading this topic.

Tagdemic! Tagdemic right here!

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Save My Female Character Day 53 http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/62013732

tag

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Tag so hard

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PhoneYoshi

Snoop #1: CONFIRMED

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Taggin' dis

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Rawls the best

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EndOfDiscOne posted...
Rawls the best

Oh hey, I'm not the inly one who thinks this.

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PhoneYoshi

Hrezs posted...
EndOfDiscOne posted...
Rawls the best

Oh hey, I'm not the inly one who thinks this.

I actually didn't put much thought into this. I LITERALLY just realized then and there how awesome Rawls is.

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pssh, all the really cool people waste their lives on top 50 wire character rankings

(tag)

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And if you don't know, now you know.

Omar, Sobotka or Stringer Bell are acceptable #1s.


Just kidding so many are acceptable but they are THE BEST

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this starts tonight! ~11pm Alaska time

Tag!

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Not today

Honorable Mention: Wee-Bey Brice

"F*** it, then. For another pit sandwich and some 'tato salad, I'll go a few more."

"My word is still my word. And it will reach you wherever you go. You better give that boy up."

Bey is the main muscle for the Barksdale organization and is most notable for his loyalty and love for his pet fish. His biggest contribution to the story is getting Namond away from the streets, but he also plays indirect roles in several other key events. He hooks Cutty up with the Barksdales, tortures Brandon which leads to Omar's war against the Barkdales, and by throwing a dead girl in the nearest dumpster he inspires Shardene to start giving information to the police. He's also the only character in the series to ever win a gunfight with Omar, which he does by hitting Omar in the arm and forcing his retreat while defending Avon.

He doesn't have quite enough screen time or enough impact on the story to justify his being in the top 25, but he's a likable character and feels worthy of mentioning. The fish thing is a humorous personality quirk that made him more endearing and probably helped people remember who he was in the first season when we were still figuring out who all the characters were.

i love that scene where he leads D'Angelo to his place and we all think he's gonna GET GOT but instead we find out he Wee-Bey just wants his fish to be taken care of

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oh man tag

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Call me numbers.

When I rewatched s1 I was surprised that Wee Bay was the one who tortured Brandon and dumped Shardene. Doesn't seem likable anymore.

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Yeah The Wire's definitely like that. Bey is a nice dude who's loyal and has a humorous personality quirk and he also tortures and murders without remorse.

tag

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"The king stay the king." - D'Angelo

25 D'Angelo Barksdale

In this game, pawns get capped real quick.

You can change up, right? You can say you somebody new, you can give yourself a whole new story. But what came first - is who you really are. And what happened before - is what really happened. And it don't matter if some fool say he different, cause the only thing that make you different is what you do, is what you really go through.

I think D'Angelo is the closest thing to an actual human being in the entire show. There's the obvious stuff, where he's like "why can't we just sell this **** and not beat people up" but there's other stuff that separates him from pretty much all the other gang members. His apology letter to Gant's family, his being haunted once he realizes that he's indirectly responsible for Brandon's death, and his famous "Where the **** is Wallace" scene. It's made pretty clear that he isn't okay with the dirty side of drug dealing and wants out by the end. That makes him unique within the show, and his death is one of the more tragic ones of the series.

The Wallace-D'Angelo relationship is one of the more touching ones in the show, and that's especially meaningful considering that the writers were still figuring everything out in season 1. D'Angelo walks somewhere between "this is how the world really is, listen up" to "I support you and think you should go back to school and get out of this life before it's too late." It's pretty impactful all around.

If there's one mistake made with his character, I think it's how he is written once in prison. I understand it's a reasonable extension of his character arc and sets up the Stringer/Avon tension later, but there were times throughout where it's really hard to empathize with D'Angelo. That helps make it seem like Stringer isn't a complete awful human being for having him offed, but it hurts D'Angelo as a character a little bit. His reactions to Avon by the end can be kind of frustrating.

I don't think there's another character in The Wire like D'Angelo. Cutty probably comes closest, but he's pretty far off too. D'Angelo embodies the wasted talent and hopelessness of the drug trade and it's fitting that he's killed by his own family's organization in the end.

i think D'Angelo's behavior in prison was completely justifiable and did not weaken his character at all

i think it's very human for a guy like him to withdraw into isolation after going through everything he did, and considering the life he lived, turning to drugs was a logical path to further get away from the presence of his family (something he couldn't even physically get away from with his uncle being in the same prison, exerting his influence)

that's what makes his death even more tragic, i believe

tried oh so very hard to leave that life behind but it catches up with him anyway

loved the scene in S3 where his mom confronts McNulty and he puts her down for being just as responsible for his death

and it's not even out of happiness to see her put in her place (well, there was a bit of that) but how emotional it was with her realization

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all you need

Yeah I don't think it's unrealistic at all, and is probably justifiable. Just made me like him a bit less!

I agree on the McNulty scene. Everything that comes around after he starts poking about on D'Angelo's death is some strong stuff.

D'Angelo is top 5 for me and I liked him even more in prison.

I actually hated Stringer until season 3, even though I agreed with his general business philosophy.

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Yeah, D'Angelo is top 5 for sure.

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"The king stay the king." - D'Angelo

saving this for now, another one or a few coming tonight

D'angelo is in my top 5. Maybe even top 3. Omar and Bunk are the only two definites I would put above him.
He's also at the root of three of my favourite The Wire scenes. Avon being told the truth by Stringer, "Where's Wallace?!" and McNulty laying the verbal smackdown on his mother. The scene where he's all "I grew up in this s***" was pretty awesome as well.

Big expectations for the shows most likeable character, Slim Charles :D. F***ing love that guy.

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if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it do the other trees laugh?

24 Normal Wilson

Don't get the crime rate down, ain't no governor neither....Just a weak-ass mayor of a broke-ass city

It does have a certain charm to it. They manufactured an issue to get paid. We manufactured an issue to get you elected Governor. Everybody's gettin' what they need behind some make believe.

Sometimes this guy seems like comic relief. But he's smart comic relief. He plays off Carcetti especially well, kind of like the "keep it real" guy when Carcetti is being dumb. I think the audience is meant to project on him regarding Carcetti. His reactions are the same reactions the audience has, watching an up and coming guy who wants to fix the city's problems turn into just another politician. He's one of the more likable characters on the show, and is one of the few who doesn't suck on the side. A lot of characters are sometimes good but also morally ambiguous or downright awful people. Whether Norman is just awesome or if delving into that aspect of his character wasn't interesting, I'm not sure. But I do know it makes him really suitable for being the guy that Carcetti ends up letting down along the way.

From: TVontheRadio | #017
i love that scene where he leads D'Angelo to his place and we all think he's gonna GET GOT but instead we find out he Wee-Bey just wants his fish to be taken care of

This. That was such a satisfying scene. Hilarious in an "oh my god thank god D's not dead" kind of way.

Which, frankly, is a pretty dark kind of hilarious.

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