Where the fuck is Wallace?

I have finally caught up and seen the entire series of the Wire. Here I may occasionally offer my take on some of the notable plot lines in advance of the new season premiering January 6. It's an expansive show with complex characters, but I'll do my best.



The above scene is one of the best from season one. Its D'Angelo Barksdale, confronting Stringer Bell after D got popped driving back from NYC with a trunk full of heroin.

Lets back it up. In season 1, D ran the low-rises, which were basically the low rung amongst Barksdale drug territory. He was demoted from running a tower because he let his emotions get away and capped someone in front of citizens. D'Angelo employs a bunch of young kids, aka hoppers, to sling the stash.

One of these kids is Wallace.

Without getting into too much detail, Wallace IDs a guy who had been involved in stealing the stash. The guy gets tortured to death and dumped in public so everyone can see what happens to those who steal from a Barksdale crew.

This seriously fucks with the young man's head, and he approaches D about getting out of the game, maybe going back to school. Meanwhile, our favorite Baltimore cops approach Wallace and flip him.

You know what happens to people who snitch.


It's a dark show. Sympathetic characters like D'Angelo and Wallace tend to end up victims of predatory motherfuckers. I had hopes that both of them could be redeemed at some point.

Wallace and D'Angelo share a bond -- D sees some of himself in Wallace, both have an awareness of how vicious the game is. Both wrestle with the uglier parts of street life, and wonder why it has to be that way. This is in contrast to soldiers like Bodie or Wee-Bey, who accept their lot and play their role.

Contemplative isn't a trait favored on the street.