Case file · Who is who
The Wire Faces
Season 3 · 2004 · Reform
The Towers come down, Avon gets out, Stringer wants to be a businessman. A district major six months from his pension tries a forbidden experiment, and a white councilman dreams of running a Black city.
This page says who people are, not what happens to them, so it is safe to read mid-season. It does assume the previous seasons have been watched. Cards marked “later” are people who only show up in the back half of the season.
- Police
- Courts & politics
- Barksdale crew
- Stanfield crew
- Eastside & the Co-op
- The street
- Home
The Major Crimes Unitthe detail, made permanent
Daniels
Cedric Daniels
Lieutenant, Major Crimes
Runs the unit that grew out of the detail. In line for major, if the politics allow. Separated from Marla.
played by Lance Reddick
Jimmy McNulty
Det., Major Crimes
Back in a real unit. Thinks about nothing but Stringer Bell.
played by Dominic West
Kima Greggs
Det., Major Crimes
Back in the field, to the dismay of Cheryl, who is expecting.
played by Sonja Sohn
Lester Freamon
Det., Major Crimes
The man for wiretaps and dirty money. Follows the trail wherever it goes.
played by Clarke Peters
Prez
Roland Pryzbylewski
Det., Major Crimes
Happy in the wire room. Less so on the street.
played by Jim True-Frost
Sydnor
Leander Sydnor
Det., Major Crimes
Back with Daniels, working the street surveillance.
played by Corey Parker Robinson
Caroline Massey
Officer, wire room
Works the wire with Prez, and says what she thinks.
played by Joilet Harris
Bunk Moreland
Det., Homicide
Still in Homicide. A missing police gun weighs on him.
played by Wendell Pierce
The Western DistrictBunny Colvin's district
Bunny Colvin
Howard Colvin
Major, Western District
Thirty years in, six months from his pension, and done playing the numbers game. About to try something.
played by Robert Wisdom
Mello
Dennis Mello
Lieutenant, Western District
Colvin's second, played by the real Jay Landsman.
played by Jay Landsman
Carver
Ellis Carver
Sergeant, Western District
Runs the district's drug squad. Starts listening to Colvin.
played by Seth Gilliam
Herc
Thomas Hauk
Det., Western District
On Carver's squad. Does not listen to Colvin.
played by Domenick Lombardozzi
Colicchio
Anthony Colicchio
Officer, Western District
The roughest man on Carver's squad.
played by Benjamin Busch
Dozerman
Kenneth Dozerman
Officer, Western District
Young cop on Carver's squad.
played by Rick Otto
Truck
Lloyd Garrick
Officer, Western District
Another of Carver's squad.
played by Ryan Sands
The brassand the Comstat meeting
Burrell
Ervin Burrell
Commissioner
Confirmed. Owes Mayor Royce a drop in crime, by any means.
played by Frankie Faison
Rawls
William Rawls
Deputy Commissioner, Operations
Runs the Comstat meetings where majors get humiliated. Loves it.
played by John Doman
Foerster
Raymond Foerster
Colonel, CID
Daniels' direct superior, one of the decent ones.
played by Richard DeAngelis
Landsman
Jay Landsman
Sergeant, Homicide
Still Bunk's boss.
played by Delaney Williams
Valchek
Stan Valchek
Major, Southeastern District
Still around, still political.
played by Al Brown
City Halland the campaign to come
Tommy Carcetti
Thomas Carcetti
City councilman
Ambitious, white in a majority-Black city, chairs the public safety committee and hounds Burrell. Wants more.
played by Aidan Gillen
Le maire Royce
Clarence Royce
Mayor of Baltimore
Two terms, a well-oiled machine, and a re-election to prepare.
played by Glynn Turman
Tony Gray
City councilman
Carcetti's friend on the council, also thinking about the mayor's office.
played by Christopher Mann
Theresa D'Agostino
Political consultant
In from Washington, Carcetti's old college friend. Knows how elections are won.
played by Brandy Burre
Odell Watkins
State delegate
West Baltimore's kingmaker. Without him, no Black votes.
played by Frederick Strother
Coleman Parker
The mayor's chief of staff
The man who keeps the Royce machine running.
played by Cleo Reginald Pizana
Clay Davis
R. Clayton Davis
State senator
Wherever there is money to be collected. Stringer Bell is finding out.
played by Isiah Whitlock Jr.
Andy Krawczyk
Developer
Stringer's partner in real estate.
played by Michael Willis
Rhonda Pearlman
Assistant State's Attorney
Still the unit's prosecutor. And, quietly, with Daniels.
played by Deirdre Lovejoy
Levy
Maurice Levy
The Barksdales' lawyer
Negotiated Avon's early release.
played by Michael Kostroff
The Barksdale organizationwithout the Towers
Avon Barksdale
The boss, coming home
Out of prison earlier than expected. Wants territory back, the old way.
played by Wood Harris
Stringer Bell
Russell Bell
Second-in-command, in a suit
Wants out of the game by going up: a dealers' co-op, real estate, politics. Believes you can sell drugs without killing.
played by Idris Elba
Slim Charles
Chief soldier
Tall, calm, loyal to Avon. The wisest man in the crew.
played by Anwan Glover
Shamrock
Sean McGinty
Stringer's aide
Takes the minutes at Co-op meetings, which is not a good idea.
played by Richard Burton
Bodie
Preston Broadus
Lieutenant
With the Towers gone he runs an open-air corner. Loyal to the crew, with no illusions left.
played by J.D. Williams
Poot
Malik Carr
Soldier
With Bodie, as always.
played by Tray Chaney
Bernardlater
Soldier
In charge of buying the burner phones, with his girlfriend Squeak complaining.
played by Melvin Jackson Jr.
Gerard & Sapper
Muscle
Avon's two heavies, not the brightest.
played by Mayo Best, Brandan T. Tate
Brianna
Brianna Barksdale
Avon's sister
Wants to understand what happened to her son in prison.
played by Michael Hyatt
Donette
D'Angelo's ex
Now close to Stringer.
played by Shamyl Brown
Brother Mouzonelater
New York hired gun
Back in Baltimore with unfinished business.
played by Michael Potts
The Stanfield organizationthe new crew
Marlo Stanfield
The boss
Young, cold, holds corners in the west and refuses to join Stringer's co-op. Gives nothing.
played by Jamie Hector
Chris Partlow
Enforcer
Marlo's gun. Quiet, efficient.
played by Gbenga Akinnagbe
Snooplater
Felicia Pearson
Soldier
Chris's partner. Small, and nobody is fooled.
played by Felicia Pearson
Fruit
Lieutenant
Runs Marlo's corners facing Bodie's.
played by Brandon Fobbs
Vinson
Adviser
Owns the rim shop that doubles as Marlo's headquarters.
played by Norris Davis
The Co-opthe dealers' cooperative
Proposition Joe
Joseph Stewart
Eastside boss, co-founder
Supplies the good product to everyone. The co-op is as much his idea as Stringer's.
played by Robert F. Chew
Cheese
Melvin Wagstaff
Joe's nephew
As impatient as ever, and sore at Omar.
played by Method Man
Fat Face Rick
Ricardo Hendrix
Co-op member
One of the bosses around the table.
played by Troj Strickland
The street
Cutty
Dennis Wise
Former soldier, just released
Fourteen years inside. Avon offers him work. He is no longer sure he wants it.
played by Chad L. Coleman
Le diacre
The Deacon
Community figure
The churchman who knows everyone, played by the real gangster who inspired Avon.
played by Melvin Williams
Omar
Omar Little
Stick-up man
With Kimmy, Tosha and his boyfriend Dante, he robs the Co-op and the Barksdales.
played by Michael Kenneth Williams
Dante
Omar's boyfriend
In the crew, but not built for it.
played by Ernest Waddell
Butchie
Omar's adviser
Still behind his bar, still good counsel.
played by S. Robert Morgan
Bubbles
Reginald Cousins
Informant
Back working for Kima and the unit.
played by Andre Royo
Johnny
Johnny Weeks
Bubbles' sidekick
Finds a place where he feels at home.
played by Leo Fitzpatrick
Home
Cheryl
Kima's partner
Pregnant. Kima is far less into it.
played by Melanie Nicholls-King
Marla Daniels
Cedric's wife
Running for city council. The marriage holds only for the campaign.
played by Maria Broom
Elena McNulty
Jimmy's ex
Has moved on. Jimmy, not quite.
played by Callie Thorne
Jen Carcetti
Tommy's wife
Sees less and less of her husband.
played by Megan Anderson
No match. Try a nickname (Bunk, Prez, Stringer, Wee-Bey…).
Nicknames to real names
- Daniels → Cedric Daniels
- Prez → Roland Pryzbylewski
- Sydnor → Leander Sydnor
- Bunny Colvin → Howard Colvin
- Mello → Dennis Mello
- Carver → Ellis Carver
- Herc → Thomas Hauk
- Colicchio → Anthony Colicchio
- Dozerman → Kenneth Dozerman
- Truck → Lloyd Garrick
- Burrell → Ervin Burrell
- Rawls → William Rawls
- Foerster → Raymond Foerster
- Landsman → Jay Landsman
- Valchek → Stan Valchek
- Tommy Carcetti → Thomas Carcetti
- Le maire Royce → Clarence Royce
- Clay Davis → R. Clayton Davis
- Levy → Maurice Levy
- Stringer Bell → Russell Bell
- Shamrock → Sean McGinty
- Bodie → Preston Broadus
- Poot → Malik Carr
- Brianna → Brianna Barksdale
- Snoop → Felicia Pearson
- Proposition Joe → Joseph Stewart
- Cheese → Melvin Wagstaff
- Fat Face Rick → Ricardo Hendrix
- Cutty → Dennis Wise
- Le diacre → The Deacon
- Omar → Omar Little
- Bubbles → Reginald Cousins
- Johnny → Johnny Weeks
Words you will hear
- Hamsterdam
- What the kids call Colvin's experiment. You will find out.
- The Co-op
- The cooperative of Baltimore's drug bosses, set up by Stringer and Prop Joe: shared product, no violence.
- Comstat
- The weekly meeting where district majors answer for their numbers to Rawls, in front of everyone.
- Burner
- A prepaid throwaway phone, swapped every two weeks to shake the wiretaps.
- Juking the stats
- Massaging the statistics: downgrading crimes, discouraging reports, anything that makes the number go down.
- The game
- The drug trade and everything around it, as seen from inside. “The game is the game.”
- Westside / Eastside
- Baltimore's two territories. Barksdale, then Stanfield, are west; Proposition Joe is east.
- Re-up
- A fresh delivery of product to a corner.
- Hopper
- A kid on the corner, running lookout or hand-to-hand.
- “Police” (the word)
- A cop. “Natural police”: someone with the instinct for the job. The show's highest praise.
- Clearance rate
- Share of murders closed. Rawls' favorite number.