Is there any character on "The Wire" whose death still stings and angers as much as this child? When talk turns to "who is the most despicable character" right away I think of the adult men who deserve slow torture and death for encouraging and ordering the murder of the boy (Levy & Stringer, and Avon just for good measure).

I couldn't help but think of Wallace whenever Stringer came on screen. "Snatch a life?" Avon retorts dismissively, "Which life you snatch?" Clearly a child like Wallace is not an impressive enough life for a hard cold gangster to have stolen, but to me it was Stringer rat his selfish cowardly worst.

Any other thoughts on most heartbreaking murder on "The Wire?"

Every time I watch the scene of his death, and I’ve seen that episode I don’t know how many times now, it hits me with the same intensity. Crushing weight of life comes down just as strong as it did the first time and it always leaves me in tears. What a lovely and gentle soul that little boy was! He was very much like Dukie in his gentle demeanor, tender and compassionate personality and care for children. Not to mention striking intelligence. But they were both so ill fated and inescapably trapped.

As much as I was devastated to learn Dukie’s fate, at least Mr. Simon did not force me to go through the whole “Wallace thing” again. Two of those would be too much, even for The Wire.

Yes I agree, Wallace's death was tragic and heartbreaking. However, let's remember that Wallace was correctly identified as a snitch. He had already gone to the police, and was preparing to testify to a grand jury. Any player in The Game, no matter how sweet or innocent, knows that snitching is the quickest way possible to get clipped. I'm not saying it's right, but that's how it is.

De'Angelo, on the other hand, did not betray his organization; he merely wanted to leave it behind. Stringer suspected that he might eventually rat them out. However, we have no evidence that he ever intended to do so. With this in mind, I think De'Angelo's death was at least as sad and unnecessary as Wallace's.

I wouldn't agree that they correctly identified Wallace as a snitch. They really had no idea he was a snitch and they really didn't care. Anyone that could testify and wasn't in the trusted group had to go even after D said he wouldn't snitch. Thats why I never really had any sympathy for Bodie there was no difference between what Marlo did to Little Kevin and Stringer's decision to get rid of Wallace. Bodie didn't question Stringer because it was his chance to step up in the organization.

I agree that Stringer and Co. did not have solid evidence of Wallace being a snitch. However, the fact is that they did suspect him of being a snitch, and he was a snitch. Even though they had no real evidence, they were right.

So what I was saying is that Wallace actually broke the "no snitchin'" rule, and De'Angelo did not. As a result, I think Wallace actually deserved to die (according to the code of the street) more than D did.

I have to disagree with you there. They didn't suspect him of anything. When the busts came down Levy went though a list of people who knew stuff and could snitch: the security lady they paid off, Wallace, Little Man. They even mention Wee Bey but dismiss it because they know he wouldn't snitch and Savino because he only had to do 3 years and that wasn't a big deal. They didn't know anything about Wallace and they didn't care he was on the list and he had to go.

I'm sorry, but this is all bull----.

The suggestion that a grown man's decision to murder a child, or have a child murdered, can be legitamized behind the snitching code is absurd. It demonstrates how very very far society has fallen that Stringer's choices and his ultimate priorities regarding Wallace lable him as something other than a coward & man of low stature.

I know, I know, Stringer was a great character, a little sanity is in order here visa vi "the snitching code."

I am not defending Stringer's actions, or saying that I believe Wallace deserved what he got. I was just pointing out that Wallace broke the "no snitchin'" code and De'Angelo did not. Without attacking or defending that code, we can acknowledge that it does exist and is enforced. I'm sure Wallace knew this better than we do.

My real point was in response to the first few posts on this thread, which basically said that Wallace's death was the most tragic on the show. I was just trying to point out that D's death was at least as sad. Obviously I don't think the murder of Wallace was justifiable.

Of course. Yeah, DAngelo's was also deeply unjust and sad.

Come to think of it...all the big murders on the show were awful. I was out of my chair shouting at the screen as Sobatka walked down that pier to his death.

Nobody, though, went down quite like Bodie - Defiantly standing his ground. Even Stringer Bell ran.