‘The Wire’ Week: Top Ten Moments On The Tenth Anniversary Of The Show’s Finale

Today is the tenth anniversary of the series finale of HBO’s The Wire. A lot has happened since the finale “–30–”, but the crime drama that gave a gritty and realistic look at drug-infested Baltimore is still a consensus top-five show of all-time at the very least. To end “The Wire Week” and honor the ten-year anniversary, we’re counting down the top-ten moments from the series. There were dozens of amazing scenes throughout the five seasons of The Wire, so plenty of moments that didn’t make the cut easily could have been on the list and all the way up in the top five. [Note: clips may be NSFW]

 

Honorable Mention of 10:

-Omar kills Stinkum and shoots Wee-Bey (“you come at the king, you best not miss”)

-Season 1 ending montage and final scene with Omar’s return (“all in the game, yo”)

-“Where’s Wallace?!”

-Avon is arrested off of Stringer’s tip to Colvin.

-Bunk lectures Omar about his ways.

-Prez accidentally kills a cop.

-Ziggy kills Gleekus

-D’Angelo is killed in prison

-D’Angelo explains chess

-Bodie and Poot kill Wallace

 

10. Frank Sobotka walks to his death

 

Left with basically no options, Frank Sobotka either had to rat on The Greeks or work with The Greeks, and he was leaning towards ratting. But when his nephew Nick said that by giving The Greeks “loyalty” they would lean on the witness and get Ziggy cleared of his murder so he can walk, Sobotka decided to hear them out. However, as the Greek music played and the potential meet with law enforcement went through the FBI, The Greek’s inside man delivered the news—but they didn’t know Frank didn’t give anything up yet. However, we knew what Frank’s fate would be as the episode faded to black.

 

 

 

9. Carcetti wins the primary

 

After all the polling, shaking hands, illegal under-the-table deals, speeches, dirty politics (mostly from Mayor Royce), the three-way primary election was up in the air, with Tommy Carcetti having a slight chance at knocking off the incumbent. Carcetti had gotten so close in the polls (but still behind) that he couldn’t stand the thought of losing, and he would have rather lost by 15 points than a couple. While walking along the harbor boardwalk with his wife Jennifer, Carcetti didn’t seem too optimistic about winning, and then when he finally answered his phone he did not get overjoyed or emotional. Instead, he was almost shocked: “Royce is conceding…we won.”

 

 

 

8. Sergeant Carver lets Randy down

 

Sergeant Ellis Carver was really trying to do the right thing and help Randy Wagstaff navigate the terrible situation he was in being labeled as a rat. However, the situation could not have ended in a more heartbreaking manner, as a couple of thugs got the cop guarding Randy’s house away with a fake 911 emergency call, which led to an opening to throw Molotov cocktails into the house and engulf it in flames. Randy’s foster mother Miss Anna suffered terrible burns and was in critical condition—which, clearly, she didn’t deserve. He was trying to protect him, but Carver then has to live with both Miss Anna and Randy having their lives ruined—and Randy let him hear about it.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbaH4P8zBkg

 

 

7. Bodie stands his ground and is killed

 

As a bit of a last-man-standing for the Barksdale Organization at the street level, Bodie Braudus was not a fan of Marlo Stanfield, Chris Partlow, and Snoop because of the way they did things. When it came time for them to go after him, he could’ve ran away and probably lived to see another day, but the loyal Bodie stood his ground and fended off both Chris and Snoop—until Michael came up and shot him in back of the head. Unfortunately, Bodie was set to give up “Marlo and his kind” to McNulty basically because they dropped bodies like it was no big deal, but later that night is when he met his death, so he didn’t get a chance.

 

 

 

6. Greggs is shot

 

The Wire was really good from the beginning, but Season 1, Episode 10 (aptly titled “The Cost”) is when things really started to pick up and you knew the show was for real. Kima Greggs was a true cop, so she was in favor of going undercover, posing as Orlando’s girlfriend, to try and get Avon’s dealer Savino on the wired car—despite the massive risks. Unfortunately, she became caught in the crossfire, as Wee-Bay and Little Man came up to kill Orlando, and Kima took some bad damage too. The chaos that ensued on the radio between the detail and the faces of distraught when they arrived at the scene gave a real-life look at similar situations that happen to real policemen and policewomen.

 

 

 

5. The end

 

This one doesn’t need much of an explanation, but it includes Marlo getting back on the streets and showing he’s still got it—which alone is a great moment itself. Basically, life goes on in the city of Baltimore.

 

 

 

4. The death of Omar

 

Toward the end of the series, Omar Little was on the hunt for Marlo Stanfield after the kingpin had Butchie tortured and killed by Partlow while allowing one of Butchie’s men to get away and get word to Omar about what happened. Most people were probably rooting for the shotgun-wielding gangster to get his revenge, and he sure seemed on the path to do so. It’s why his death in a small convenience store at the hands of young Kenard—who he looked right at and paid no mind to—was such a shock. In a snap, Omar was dead.

 

 

 

3. My name is my name

 

Kenard already took care of Omar in the previous episode, but word finally got to Marlo Stanfield (while he was in jail) about how his name was out “in the streets” without him knowing it. Clearly, Chris was trying to hide it from Marlo because he didn’t think his boss needed that heat, but Marlo was incensed and a heavy speech where he made it clear he would step to anyone. “My name is my name” would forever be the defining moment for one of The Wire’s best characters.

 

 

 

2. The rooftop scene with Avon and Stringer

 

The final scene with Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell together basically encapsulated their entire life together, as well as the high stakes in the crime life in Baltimore. At first, it was cool and funny to see the two reminisce about when they first started and had nothing (no yard for the badminton set), but as the scene went on it was clear that the two were simply headed in opposite directions. Part of both of them might have realized it in some way that they were both crossing one another, and they both eventually paid for it—Stringer, with his life. The final hug was a goodbye for the both of them, as despite basically having everything (as displayed by their amazing view on the rooftop), it was a case of being all the way in like Avon, or all the way out like Stringer.

 

 

 

1. The death of Stringer Bell

 

Of all the characters in the first three seasons of The Wire, Stringer Bell might have been the main one and the most iconic. There were hints all throughout the episode of his eventual death (including the rooftop scene), but it was still shocking to see him trapped by Omar and Brother Mouzone in the development building he was establishing. “Your boy gave you up,” Omar told him, and despite Stringer attempting to talk his way out of the situation, it was not to be. For all the good Stringer did (despite the bad), like setting up the co-op and attempting to better both himself, by going to college, and the Barksdale Organization, by getting them to be smarter and wiser to avoid going to jail, he didn’t get to see it through. The final shot, going to the B&B Enterprises sign in the background then back to Stringer dead on the floor, was tough to see. Stringer’s death set the standard in television for killing off major characters in the middle of a series, and it was a stunning end to what was probably the best episode of The Wire.