No REAL spoilers here, but in you haven't seen "Late Editions" I suggest not reading further.

A discussion I think is interesting:

Viewers may see characters they imagine will one day grow into similar social roles of Freeman, Marlo, Bubbles, Omar, McNulty, etc...

But Simon seems to be offering up no character as "the next Stringer Bell." Marlo & his type of short-sited sociopath will continue. But Bell, who as a young man used to sit on the roof of his project building talking to Avon about black pride, and how black folks had to start owning their own business in their community, doesn't seem to be in the future of Simon's Baltimore.

Bell would have excelled in the legit business world, especially a business that rewarded those without concience. It seemed almost unfair that his talents were wasted on such a canabilistic business as drugs. Regardless, who on "The Wire" shows any of his promise or talents? Certainly not Kennard or Chirs.

I thought Michael, but he seems to be going down the path of Omar - a concience, unattached to any organization, on the run, out for himself, and holding a grudge against the murderous drug gangs.

For someone who was looking towards the future and a better life. Stringer was still incredibly naive and foolish when it came to things outside of his immediate world. Clay Davis proved this to be true without much of an effort. Obviously he was too trusting with Clay, but if you took away his muscle earlier, he'd still have nothing. He rode on Avon's coat tails the entire way and got lucky by falling in the CEO spot. I think Avon even said that he didn't fit in either world because he was too "street" for legit businesses and too weak for the drug game.

Episose 59 is better than No Country for Old Men

***SPOILERS***

First of all, episode 59 was the shit. Absolutely brilliant stuff.

Secondly, I like the "Michel as Omar" idea. He tried to make his way up Marlo's company ladder, but found that he was uncomfortable with the decisions he was being forced to make. Like Omar, Michael is smart, independent, deadly, and fearless. More importantly, he is developing a code; a definition of what is acceptable and what is not. And now that he is on the run and has left Bug and Dukie behind, he has isolated himself in much the same way that Omar used to.

I think the first poster was right, we haven't met the next Stringer Bell. This makes sense though, since Stringer and Bunny both stood for reform, which according to the universe of The Wire must be destroyed. There are also no young cops who seem to be following in Bunny's footsteps; they are obsessed with street rips and have no sense of proportion or practicality.

I was sad to see Dukie head in Bubbles' direction, but it makes total sense. Also, the episode showed us that Bubbles is finally ready to move on with his life, which means we can hope Dukie will someday reach the same conclusion.

Anyway, awesome episode.

Oh no! Hard words being spoke against my man Stringer! I can't let that stand. Stringer Bell, not hard enough for the Game?!

I think Stringer was definately hard enough. He had Wallace killed. He saw far enough into the future to see that D'Angelo had to die, and snatched that life. Like Prop. Joe he saw that a war with Marlo was pointless. His biggest mistake may have been torturing Omar's boy, which just brought Omar's wrath, which led to more stash house robberies, Brother M., & ultimately the Sunday morning granny shoot-up.

But EVERYONE goes down eventually in the drug game. Even Prop. Joe.

Also, i should say that not only do I think Stringer was mad hard, he was also the most interesting character on the show.

Agreed, episode 59 was classic Wire...brilliant. And watching Dukie get cut loose by Michael (although Michael didn't mean to be cruel) so he had to go down the same path as Bubbles was heartbreaking. The saddest thing was that while Bubbles had a support system (his sister, Kima) to fall back on, all Dukie had was Bug and Michael...both of whom are no longer able to be there for him. I saw from the finale preview that Prez shows up for the final episode and I'd like to think that he helps Dukie onto the right path, but somehow I just don't see it happening...not in the Wire's Baltimore.

But I'm still betting it will be a great finale.

Any truth to the rumor that the finale will not be available on demand, meaning that we will have gone 2 weeks between 59 and 60? That would be uber-lame, since I can't wait for this damn show.

Man, I hope not...I've already got next Monday night cleared for a viewing.

I agree with almost all the comparisons that have been made, but I would offer up Sgt. Carver as a potential successor to Bunny Colvin. Carver's already shown he's "good police" with a penchant for thinking outside the box; he was, after all, Colvin's biggest on the ground supporter during Hamsterdam and didn't seem to lose faith that unorthodoxy had a rightful place in the system. And, a seasoned Carver seems pretty plausible sitting in a Comstat meeting in a few years. Of course if he gets tainted because of his involvement in McNulty's homeless shenanigans, his career and my theory goes out the window.

Good call, I hadn't considered Carver as a successor to Bunny. Like you pointed out though, Carver was caught up in Hamsterdam, and now Jimmy's mess, so he might not be long for that department.

At the beginning of episode 59, the line in print is:

"Deserve's got nothin' to do with it" - Snoop,

<link>

which she says to Michael when he asks why he has to kill Little Walter in the car before he actually kills her. (begins around the 55 second mark)

"Deserve's got nothin' do with it" is actually the line Clint Eastwood uses on Gene Hackman in Unforgiven before he kills him, and there's a ton of great symbolism in that line as well. It's probably the most famous line in the movie. I wonder if Simon knew this line was used (he had to, he's too smart) and used the line in alluding to the Wild West/West Baltimore in some fashion? <link> .. about the 6:30 mark

The Michael/Omar thing would explain how he plans to get more cash.

I'm not sure I buy the Dukie scene. It seemed so over the top, although it didn't seem unlikely that such a thing might happen IRL in some fashion, over time.

the Prop Joe way vs the Stringer Bell way: you see how both negotiating and killer/manipulator end the same.

Yeah good call Isonomist; in many ways, "deserve ain't got nothin' to do with it" is one of the central themes of the show. It's basically another way to say "better to be lucky than to be good" (Bunk actually uses that exact line in season 4).

The classic American dream, which this show deconstructs so effectively, is that it's more important to be good than to be lucky. In other words, by way of sheer will, determination, smarts, etc, one can make a good life for oneself, no matter how that life started.

The Wire demonstrates that those who came before us and those who surround us -- whether we are aware of them or not -- have at least as much to do with our individual destinies as we ourselves do.

Just finsihed watching 59,

Definately one of the finest hours of TV ever produced.

I agree with all the comments in this thread. I do think however that while the Wire is generally bleak there cases of individual redemption.

Bubbles, Prez, Carver, Cutty now Namond. They all could have gone in very bad drections but instead with some help found a new way to channel thier lives.

Bubbles got help form his sponsor, Prez began to find his way when he started working with Lester. Bunny turned around Carver and of course Namond. Cutty go support from the minister.

I know Omar is seen as the shows heroic figure but in my view all of these characters hve displayed heroism in the way that matters in the real world.

It's not all bleak.