Though it wasn't the most wildly watched show when it was on the air, The Wire has steadily risen in popularity to become one of the most acclaimed shows of all time. The HBO series explored the war on drugs within the streets of Baltimore and how it penetrated various aspects of the city.
The series was a realistic portrait of the modern crime world, and unlike most cop shows on television, it showed there was good and bad on both sides of the law. Though the series came to a satisfying end after five seasons, there were several questions left hanging. Here are 10 unresolved storylines from The Wire.
Daniels' Dark Past
Cedric Daniels was one of the more noble figures in the series. A veteran law enforcement officer, Daniels starts the series with ambitions to rise through the ranks but ultimately decides to put the Avon Barksdale case ahead of his own career ambitions.
As a way to convince Daniels to play ball, Burrell explains that he has a DEA file on Daniels that questions some unexplained income. Daniels seems to confirm that he did do something wrong, but it is never explained what his crimes were.
Brother Mouzone
One of the most fascinating characters on the show was a well-known figure from New York named Brother Mouzone. The calm and collected gentleman might not appear to be a threat, but his reputation is one that is feared by many.
Avon recruits Mouzone to help him rid Marlo Stanfield's crew from his territory. After being betrayed by Stringer Bell, Mouzone teams with Omar Little to take out Bell. Once he and Omar part ways, Brother Mouzone is never seen or heard from again.
The Greek
In Season 2, a new player in the drug world is introduced in the form of the mysterious "Greek". An apparent expert at keeping a low profile and avoiding police suspicion, The Greek operates as the supplier for several of Baltimore's biggest drug dealers.
By the end of Season 2, The Greek's operation has been found out and he leaves the country with his crew. However, we see in subsequent seasons that he is back working the same trade in Baltimore. We never discover how he managed to come back and remain anonymous.
Cheese And Randy
In one of the more random bits of trivia on the show, the creators revealed that Cheese Wagstaff and Randy Wagstaff are father and son. Cheese operates as a soldier for Proposition Joe, then Marlo. Randy is a young kid whose life is destroyed when rumors spread that he was snitching.
By the end of the series, Cheese is killed and Randy is living in a foster home, turned into an aggressive and violent young man. We never see the two speak to each other or even mention the other's existence.
Templeton's Lies
Season 5 of The Wire focuses on the fledgling newspaper industry in Baltimore. When news of a possible serial killer emerges, the paper's head people jump on the sensational story and assign young reporter Scott Templeton to cover various stories on the subject.
It is later discovered that Templeton has fabricated most of his articles and is a fraud. Though his editor suspects the misdeeds and McNulty is aware he's phony, Templeton is later seen winning an award for his work. We never get to see if his lies eventually catch up with him.
Marlo's Path
Once Avon Barksdale is sent to prison, a new player moves in to take over. Marlo Stanfield is a cold and calculating man who is willing to drop as many bodies as he needs to in order to rule the Baltimore drug trade.
The final season sees McNulty and his team going after Marlo. While his empire falls, he is able to escape prosecution along with his wealth. The final episode finds him attempting to move into legitimate business but he also feels the need to return to his more dangerous life of crime. It's not clear which path he ultimately chooses.
Nicky Sobotka
Season 2 of the show focused on the troubled business at the Baltimore waterfront. The once-thriving port is struggling and Frank Sobotka, the man in charge of the docks, turns to drug trafficking to his workers.
After Frank is killed by The Greek, his nephew Nicky decides to help out Daniels' investigation. He informs on the entire operation, forcing The Greek to leave his business behind. Nicky is placed in witness protection, but he is later seen on the docks not keeping a low profile at all. We never find out if he is still in witness protection or if he is now in danger.
Rawls' Secret
William Rawls is one of the most despicable characters on The Wire and he works for the police department. He is a racist and abusive man who only cares about bringing murder numbers down, regardless of how it is achieved.
Despite his often-homophobic comments, Rawls is briefly seen in a gay bar in one episode. No mention is made of this and the subject of his sexuality never comes up. Though it would be nice to explore more, it was a great twist for the character.
Avon's Empire
Avon Barksdale was once the king of Baltimore's drug trade before he was pushed out by the young and ambitious Marlo and ultimately arrested. Later on in the series, we see Marlo visit prison to connect with a drug supplier, but comes face-to-face with Avon, who is running things in prison.
It is not clear how Avon has remained so powerful even when out of the drug game, but he is not someone to let his position of power go easily. It would have been interesting to see what he is up to from behind bars.
McNulty's Next Move
Jimmy McNulty is possibly the main character of the series and one of its most complicated. Though a very good detective, other aspects of McNulty's life seem to be a complete disaster. He is a severe alcoholic who cheats on women and has a self-destructive personality.
Though he briefly cleaned himself up with a new girlfriend Beadie, he soon slid back to his old ways. After the scandal with his fake serial killer, McNulty is fired. Knowing what a mess his life can become when he is not a cop, it's left open whether he'll change his ways or continue his downward spiral.