The Wire, which first aired in 2002, was, and unfortunately still is, known for its grueling realism surrounding the experience of Black citizens in American society.
The show is unique in that the director, David Simon, tells it from various perspectives, ranging from low-class dock laborers to rising gang leaders. Over five seasons, the viewer follows several main characters who carry different worldviews.
The “Boys of Summer”: Namond Brice, Michael Lee, Randy Wagstaff, and Duquan “Dukie” Weems have the most notable and heartbreaking stories of The Wire’s characters. Only in eighth grade at the start of season four, they are the youngest protagonists in the series. By season four, the viewer has been conditioned to see “seasoned” and experienced Black gangsters, but they have yet to see how the transition occurs. The viewer sees how the younger generation of Black boys adapt to their surroundings for the first time in The Wire, and due to its early 2000s airing, the first time in most media.
Although much can be said about the four boys, Michael Lee, a soft-spoken and composed boy, is particularly interesting. A lower-class kid born to a drug-addicted mother and an imprisoned sexually abusive stepfather, Michael is left to care for his younger brother, Bug, alone. When school nears and Michael needs school supplies for himself and Bug, he takes Namond’s spot on the corner selling drugs. His street smarts and confidence land him a full-time offer selling drugs, but Michael turns it down.
West Baltimore’s up-and-coming kingpin, Marlo, and his lieutenants, Chris and “Snoop,” notice Michael’s independence and offer him another position with financial freedom and protection. Michael also turns this offer down, claiming that his family comes first. He does not want to owe debt or commitment. Michael’s ex-prisoner boxing coach, Dennis “Cutty” Wise, recognizes his potential as an athlete and offers his support, but Michael also turns that offer down, opting to train alone.
When Michael’s stepfather returns from prison, Michael is desperate to get rid of him to protect Bug from the same abuse he faced. Hoping to avoid being separated from Bug by social services, Michael has no choice but to ask Chris and Snoop to kill his stepfather in exchange for joining Marlo’s crew. From then on, Michael has an easy transition into the streets, and he quickly becomes a cold-blooded killer. However, when a police raid imprisons a large chunk of Marlo’s crew, including Marlo, Michael is suspected to be a snitch. Chris and Snoop disagree with the suspicion but understand his tendency to pass his judgment on Marlo’s decisions. Michael recognizes the bounty Marlo placed on him and gets the drop on Snoop, killing her. He takes Bug to their aunt’s house with a box of money, and she takes Bug in.
Without Bug, Michael becomes an independent gangster, and in his final scene he resembles an infamous thief, Omar Little, as he robs Marlo’s drug money.
Simon leads the viewers to believe that Michael’s evolution into a gangster began with his debt to Marlo, Chris, and Snoop for their killing of Michael’s stepfather. In reality, Michael’s evolution was almost inevitable from the beginning. Michael’s intelligence and athleticism would have taken him far if given the right environment. Instead, he was forced into the enormous responsibility of caring for Bug. At every decision, a pitfall was waiting for him—one that would take him further into “the game”–and at every pitfall, Michael had to think of Bug. The odds were stacked against Michael from the beginning. It takes a village to raise a child.
Michael was alone.
His addicted mother let him down when she valued getting high more than she valued her children and when she allowed her pedophilic boyfriend back into her home. His stepfather let him down when his abuse caused deep trauma and hindered Michael’s future relationships. His school let him down when they valued his test scores more than his education and mental health. Social services let him down when their only solution was dragging Bug away. The justice system let him down when they allowed his stepfather to return and continue the abuse.
For Michael, it was easier to fall into the same habits and lifestyle as those he was familiar with. He had no good representation of what an adult black man should look like. His biological father is absent, and his stepfather is abusive. If he turned on the TV, he would see black men as gangsters or rappers. If he opened his textbooks, he would see Black men in chains, enslaved. The only police he knows are corrupt and hated by the community. His coach, Cutty, is the closest thing to a role model, but Michael is keeps his distance due to his childhood trauma and trust issues. Cutty also deals with issues of his own as he transitions from prison to freedom after a fourteen-year sentence, making him a less-than-ideal role model. His tendency to build relationships with some of his students’ mothers because of his desperation from prison furthers the connection between himself and Michael’s stepfather.
If Michael’s school or an outside government program gave Michael the mental health help he needed to overcome his trauma, it’s possible he would have built a relationship with Cutty and made a future through boxing.
If Michael’s school or an outside government program gave Michael the mental health help he needed to overcome his trauma, it’s possible he would have built a relationship with Cutty and made a future through boxing.
Realistically, building that future would be unlikely.
First, schools would have to be properly funded and prioritize the child rather than the scores. Seeing Baltimore’s political world through Tommy Carcetti, season four’s mayor, we understand how tight funding is for the schools. With no outside help, Carcetti would have to pull away money from other Baltimore departments. He and other politicians are similar to the police, prioritizing a standardized measurement of improvement, even if there is none. While increased mental health programs would benefit the kids, they would not benefit Carcetti in his next election for governor.
Secondly, Michael would have to overcome the stigma around therapy and men’s mental health. It’s possible that there could be somewhat of a breakthrough, like his friend Namond, who received personal help from a social worker and ex-police. But Namond was one specific case (Namond will be covered more thoroughly in chapter two).
Although this would first require schools to generate enough funding, Michael could overcome the stigma since he does not care much about his reputation (he remained friends with Randy even after Marlo labeled him a snitch). With some push and the right social workers, Michael could have overcome his childhood trauma and built a relationship with Cutty.
Thirdly, even if Michael had the opportunity to continue boxing, the timing of his stepfather returning home would have caused a shift to his current path. Michael’s main priority was saving Bug. He did not have enough time or money to accomplish that. At the start of their new relationship, Michael’s desperation would cause him to land back on his current path. Perhaps with Cutty in the picture, Michael would have someone to fall back on instead of Chris and Snoop. Ideally, Cutty would take him and Bug in as a guardian, as Colvin did to Namond (which comes with several complications regarding Michael’s current parents). Still, it is unlikely that Michael could trust Cutty enough when Bug’s well-being is at stake. Desperate to protect Bug, getting rid of his stepfather seemed like the only solution.
As a peak into Michael’s future, he is commonly regarded as Omar’s replacement. Omar, an intelligent and independent gangster who makes his living through robbing drug dealers, is eventually unexpectedly killed by a young boy.
Using the similarities and cyclical nature of Omar and Michael, we can use Omar’s story to predict how Michael’s will play out.
For most people in the game, the only way out is prison or death. Wee-Bey (the soldier for West Baltimore’s former kingpin), Chris, and Cutty all seemingly have an easy time in prison (and the chance to start fresh after their sentence). Their ties to former kingpins grant them respect. This respect is hinted at when the police arrest Avon and D’Angelo Barksdale in season one and when Chis and Wee-Bey end their final scene by staring at the sun in the courtyard. In contrast, independent gangsters are not afforded that same respect. Omar’s time in prison is intense and frightening. The young rogue, Michael, like his predecessor Omar, will guarantee hatred from all West Baltimore gangs. Detective Bunk Moreland saved Omar. Michael will likely not get that lucky. On Michael’s path, prison is not an option, leaving only death.
Providing contrast are Sean and Michael McNulty, Jimmy McNulty’s two biological sons. Their playful scenes of video games and dream-talk are often juxtaposed against the “other” side of Baltimore. In season four’s “Misgivings,” Sean and Michael McNulty tell their father how they want to be a videogame designer and a rockstar. After a conversation between Jimmy and his wife, the scene changes to a dark corner of Baltimore, where Bodie is grieving the loss of his friend. In season 5’s “React Quotes,” Omar and a partner are in a dark car, plotting a hit on Marlo’s crew. Before the attempted hit, the scene cuts to Jimmy with Sean and Michael, while they mostly ignore him and play video games. This comparison is further intensified by Michael McNulty and Micheal Lee sharing a first name.
“[The Wire] has only aged well because the world has actually gotten worse than what we created,” said co-creator of The Wire in an interview with The Ringer.
While saddening, it’s true. According to The Baltimore Banner, 30 schools in Baltimore have closed in the last ten years. The schools cost too much money to maintain, so they are being sold, and the buildings are reused or demolished.
The schools cost too much money to maintain, so they are being sold, and the buildings are reused or demolished.
In other American cities, children face the same poverty, broken families, and pitfalls that Michael and his friends face. Public schools still prioritize standardized tests rather than learning. Representation is still limited. Social services are still cruel. Gun-related deaths are increasing.
The Wire, however, has been a pioneer for Black representation in television. Although not the first, The Wire has become one of the most popular shows featuring a mostly Black cast that is still relevant today. Although The Wire portrays many of the Black men as gangsters, Simon contextualizes the Black struggle and the pressure towards the streets. Many Black adolescents and adults can still watch The Wire and feel a connection to the characters. On a smaller scale, perhaps some viewers can see their struggle as a larger picture and alter their path based on The Wire’s messages.
The Wire challenges the norm of television, specifically the “universal” experience felt by white Americans. The various perspectives and realistic criticisms of America’s systems are bold and a revolutionary push toward representation.
