The Wire

My favorite TV show is The Wire. It's a drama that takes place almost solely in Baltimore Maryland. It features a slew of characters all of whom are pertinent to the cast. Not one character can be removed from the show, as they all play a significant role in this extremely realistic and gritty series.

The Zeitgeist

The zeitgeist of The Wire is defined as the gritty underbelly of a large, successful city in modern times. It features those perpetrating the evil (drugs) spreading throughout it and those trying to save it in an extremely realistic manner. It touches on almost every aspect of a city from the school system to the streets to the docks and it does it in an effective manner that allows the viewers to empathize with the characters.

Avon Barksdale

Kingpin of the Barksdale Empire, Avon leads and controls the group cautiously and ruthlessly. He is a careful man, using pay-phones and pagers and never being in the same room as a gun or as the drugs he sells. He retains a 'Gangster' mentality, which differs from his partner Stringer Bell's mentality as a businessman. He speaks in slang whereas Stringer speaks calmly and cooly, but both characters are shrewd and intuitive.

Bodie Broadus

Bodie is intelligent and ruthless, he does what it takes to rise through the ranks of the Barksdale Empire, even to a point of murdering his friend. His relationship with the police force (Especially Herc, Carver and McNulty) develop well over time, going from hateful to relatively friendly. Bodie deals with the personal issues of being a drug dealer as well as murdering others. He clashes with D'Angelo's leadership at times.

Reginald 'Bubbles' Cousins

Bubbles is a heroin addict and a crucial informant for the police throughout the series. A sub-plot of the series is him trying to quit and better himself as a person, but he struggles and faces many problems along the ways. He has an audible Baltimore accent and speaks in a very unique way (Pronouncing "McNulty" as "Mc-Nutty").

William "Bunk" Moreland

Bunk is Jimmy McNulty's police partner and best friend. They are frequently seen conversing, drinking, or investigating together. Bunk is a middle aged black male who speaks clearly and is frequently poking fun at McNulty and others. He has some of the same problems that McNulty does regarding infidelity and alcoholism.

(Deputy) Commissioner Burrell is gruff and believes in a "chain of command" style of authority. He uses his influence to over power others and wants to ascend to Police Commissioner. It is under his orders that the task force to investigate the Barksdale empire after a Judge berates him for D'Angelo buying off a witness. Not much is known about his life outside the force besides his lust for power. He speaks fiercely and is almost always giving an order.

Tommy Carcetti

Tommy Carcetti is a politician who hopes to become mayor of Baltimore throughout the series. He features major character changes, from a relatively seedy person accepting bribes to a solid citizen who tries to do, relatively, what is right. His ambition to become mayor makes him a like-able character. He lives in a large house with his wife and child, and speaks rapidly, but poignantly. He deals with issues like cheating on his wife when we first meet him in the series, but moves past that and becomes a better person later on.

Ellis Carver

Carver and Herc are inseparable throughout the early seasons after they are assigned together on the Barksdale case. Carver forms bonds with many of the street pushers, although he is rude and mean to many of them, he doesn't mean it in a totally malicious fashion. Carver faces issues with skimming drug money off busts with Herc and other issues arise regarding Herc and Carver throughout the series progression.

D'Angelo Barksdale

D'Angelo is Avon's nephew and a dealer in his empire. He watches over Bodie and Wallace in the Low Risers. His character unfolds throughout the series, and the audience comes to know him at a deeper level then he shows on the streets. He speaks eloquently and occasionally uses slang, and he has a son with a woman, and faces family issues with the Barksdales' later in the series.

Lester Freamon

The stereotypical "Sage Old Man", Freamon is smart, but 'past his prime'. He is always very sincere and only speaks when he needs too. Little to knowing is really ever found out about his personal life besides his copy of carving model furniture. Rawls re-assigned him to 'Pawn Shop Division' after Freamon angered him and Freamon hasn't had a big break since.

Shakima "Kima" Greggs

Greggs is an officer in the group charged with investigating the Barksdale empire. She is gruff yet nice to her colleagues in a "Empowered black woman" role. She is a lesbian who's personal life is deeply effected by the case.

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Thomas "Herc" Hauk

Herc is an officer in the group charged with investigating the Barksdale empire. He and Carver are almost inseparable. Herc is usually portrayed as the 'meathead' although he never abuses this. Not much is shown about his life outside the force (Until later seasons) but he and Carver make poor decisions which lead to a less than stellar outcome by the end of the series for Herc.

Cedric Daniels

Lt. Cedric Daniels leads the police group charged with investigating the Barksdale empire. He is loyal to his group but doesn't respect any sort of backstabbing or rule bending. He is by the book, but fiercely protective of anyone under his wing. He speaks clearly and lives well in a relatively nice neighborhood. His ambition is to advance through the police ranks, which he does, although not to a point where he would have liked.

Marlo Stanfield

Portrayed as an "Up and Comer" at first, Stanfield decisively takes almost all of West Baltimore under his control and ruthlessly defends it. He is cold towards others. He speaks quietly but firmly and usually spends his day in an open courtyard where people parle with him. The Wire doesn't delve too deeply in Stanfield, but nearing the end of the series we see Stanfield begin to open up slightly.

James "Jimmy" McNulty

Some would view McNulty as the main character of The Wire, he instigates the investigation of the Barksdale empire. He is of irish descent, is just under middle aged (mid-30s). He has gone through a divorce but has two kids who he cares for very much. He has a heavy drinking problem that affects his job and eventually love life immensely.

Michael is the unofficial 'leader' of the group of kids that Season 4 focuses on. He is always kind and fair to his peers, although his character goes through some drastic alterations throughout the series. At home he is fiercely protective of his little brother and seems to despise his drug addict mother, and later, his abusive father. He speaks eloquently, which is frankly rare in this show.

Namond Brice

Brice is the son of Wee-Be, a high ranking soldier in the Barksdale empire. He is under immense pressure from his mother to continue to family 'business' of drug dealing and is spoiled by her. He is a black youth, is arrogant and speaks, like many others, in mainly slang. He has issues with his mother at home, and lives in a dangerous area, although most areas in this show are relatively dangerous.

Omar Little

Omar Little's sole source of income is robbing drug dealers. He is feared and is powerful on the streets. He is my favorite character due to his eloquence (He speaks well and never swears at all in the entire series.) and his mannerisms. It's known that he lives in 'Project' housing although his lifestyle makes him a target and he moves around a lot, he is a known homosexual. This, I think, was an excellent choice to make as it dashes negative stereotypes away.

Ronald "Prez" Pryzbylewski

Prez doesn't know the streets well, but is a genius when it comes to cracking code and surveillance. He is inexperienced and young, but is well dressed and speaks clearly. Not much is known about his personal life besides his anger issues (He is docile except when extremely aggravated). He is related to a high ranking police official and this pressure, amongst other things, causes him to quit the force and become a school teacher in Season 4.

William Rawls

Rawls is a fierce and easily angered police Major and Commanding officer of the homicide department (In Season 1). He likes his job being simple, and tries his best to ruin McNulty's career at every corner. He's aged and speaks gruffly. Not much is known about where he lives or how, but it was hinted at that he may be a homosexual as he is seen in a gay-bar at one point.

Stringer Bell

Stringer Bell is Avon Barksdale's second in command. He handles all the finances and the directs the lower level soldiers on what they should be focusing on. Stringer sees himself more as a business man than a drug dealer. He is middle aged, black, straight and speaks English, although like many other characters, it is full of slang. He lives in a relatively upscale neighborhood and works at a business centre that is a front for money laundering. He is in charge of re-upping the drug supply and keeping soldiers and dealers in line.

Wallace

Wallace is a low level pusher who works with Bodie and D'Angelo in the low risers. He is a black, straight, male teenager, again, quite common in this show. He speaks english although one could consider it "Ebonic". The neighbor hood he sells drugs and lives in is dangerous. He lives with 5-10 children who he cares for himself, they are not his own but he feels like he needs to be a 'big brother' to them. He becomes briefly addicted to cocaine during the show.