The debate whether The Wire is the best TV show ever continues to this day. It's amazing that a show with so much violence, bad language, and grittiness, can be ranked up there with shows like M.A.S.H, Breaking Bad, and others. However, after one episode, it's clear to see what the rage was all about. What made The Wire stick out, besides its truthful storylines, were the characters.
Depending on where you grew up, The Wire's cast was relatable. For those raised in an Urban Community, Omar, Avon, Stringer, Bubbles, and even the rouge police officers were not too extraordinary. It was just a way of life. For fans of the show, there are too many memories worth reflecting on. With the show centering around drugs, violence, crime, and deceit, who of the top characters made some terrible choices?
Here are some of the worst things the main characters from The Wire have done.
Omar Little
As one of the most dangerous characters on The Wire, almost everything Omar Little did was considered bad. However, trying to determine his worst act, well, that would have to be putting his faith in his own name. Omar killed because he had to. His name held significant weight in Baltimore and the last season of The Wire, Omar took the neighborhood for granted. But how was that the worst thing he's done?
With a rep like his, Omar let his guard down. While some in Baltimore still feared him, towards the end, Omar was injured after leaping from a window. His death was a result of him being off his game and not paying attention to his surroundings.
James McNulty
Over the years, Jimmy McNulty has done some crazy things. Trying to pinpoint one is not that easy. However, if we had to choose, lying about the existence of a serial killer has to be it. In retrospect, McNulty's idea was a genius move, he just took it a little too far.
After being told the Police Department was cutting back funding due to budget cuts, McNulty staged deaths to force the Department to give overtime. As good as this plan was, the heat was coming down and McNulty had to confide in someone. Little did he know, that by doing so, he would lose his job.
Stringer Bell
Stringer Bell made some tough decisions over the years but his worst had to be giving the order to have D'Angelo murdered. With D'Angelo in jail, Stringer felt he was set to snitch. Although he's Avon's nephew, Stringer made the tough call to have him murdered.
While this didn't end their business, it was the foundation for their demise. Once the truth came to light, the two friends tussled then went about their business. Stringer was ruthless but the kind that you never saw coming.
Avon Barksdale
As the kingpin of Baltimore, Avon made sure his hands were as dirty as ever. Instead of going legit like Stringer, Avon described himself as a gangsta as many times as he could. However, wearing the crown comes at a cost. With news that his partner Stringer set him up, Avon made the toughest call of his life.
With nowhere to turn and his business and life in jeopardy, Avon put a hit out on Stringer. Is that something he wanted to do? No, but Avon knew it had to be done or he would lose his place in the Baltimore hierarchy.
Marlo Stanfield
Marlo was basically a more calculating Avon. He wanted the throne, got it, then ruled with brains. If someone needed to go, Marlo never hesitated to send his goons to get the job done. Marlo never got his hands dirty but he made one major error.
The worst thing Marlo ever did was order the death of the security guard of the convenience store in one of his first appearance on The Wire. While stealing a lollipop, Marlo saw the guard watching him and did it anyway. The guard confronted him in a sensible manner but Marlo, with ice in his veins, still ordered the guard to be killed. Through it all, Marlo walked away unscathed at the end.
Preston Broadus
All soldiers must go at some point. It's rare that the hand-to-hand guys make it out of the game. For Bodie Broadus, Poot, and Wallace, this was a heart-wrenching moment and showed how different The Wire was from other shows. Wallace made mistakes after mistake but snitching on one of the bosses was not tolerated. The cops sent him away but he returned.
The hit was to be done by his two best friends. That's when Brodus really earned his stripes in the eyes of Stringer and Avon. That said, the hurt and pain on Bodie's face as he shot his friend was obvious. He didn't officially kill Wallace but that's easily the worst thing he's done on the show.
Michael Lee
Michael was that character every fan rooted for. He was just dealt a bad hand from birth. His mom was strung out on drugs, his stepfather was abusive, and his friends were just as lost as he was. In the beginning, Michael just wanted to be normal but it was always something lurking in his soul that wanted to be let out.
After ing Marlo's hit squad, Michael found himself targetted by Snoop at Marlo's order. After killing Snoop, Michael made sure his circle was safe. He dropped his little brother off at their aunt's but unfortunately, Michael didn't stay. That was the moment he had the chance to get his innocence back; however, he turned it down, essentially becoming the new Omar.
Chris Partlow
Besides Omar, Chris was the most ruthless killer on The Wire. Without giving a second thought, he took and executed orders. Some prime examples are Chris killing the security guard for Marlo and the countless bodies he and Snoop left in the abandoned buildings. However, his worst act came when he decided to help Michael.
As a victim of abuse, Michael went to Marlo to seek help. Chris took it upon himself and beat Michael's stepdad so bad, he killed him. While it showed Chris' comion, it led to the arrest of the Stanfield crew and Marlo ordering Snoop to kill Michael, which would result in Snoop's death.
Felicia "Snoop" Pearson
The same as Chris, Snoop only knows one thing: Murder. She's loyal, fierce, and takes nothing for granted, even death. Snoop and Chris are just as dangerous as Bonnie and Clyde. Although Marlow is the leader, it's Chris who Snoop looks up to and takes after. Although short in stature, her heart and fearlessness can match anyone in Baltimore.
Looking back at all of Snoop's worst acts, the one that stands out the most would be taking Michael for granted. Her orders were to kill him for getting the rest of the team locked up and instead of getting him while he least expected it, Snoop underestimated his intelligence.
Wee-Bey Brice
As real as Wee-Bey was, he made some bad judgments calls. In an attempt to kill Orlando, Wee-Bey and Little Man shot a woman sitting in the backseat. While that's nothing new where Bey is concerned, he would later find out through Stringer that woman was Kima, an undercover cop.
According to Wee-Bey, he wanted to leave Kima alive but Little Man, being reckless, shot her instead. With the heat coming down, Bell told Wee-Bey to skip town. Instead of staying low-key, he hides out in a place the entire crew knows about. With D' Angelo in jail snitching, he gives up Bey's whereabouts. Bey's critical mistake was not stopping Little Man from making his big error.