I can stomach most of the violence in heartbreaking deaths like Michael B. Jordan’s Wallace.
But as grim and gruesome as some of that violence can be, I can get through most of it without wincing too much. Ichi the Killer is a personal favorite, so it’s not the actual depiction of violence that I have a problem with; it’s who the violence is inflicted upon. When a character like Stringer Bell is cornered by two notorious crooks he tried to play against each other, it’s tough to watch, but he ultimately brought it upon himself. The only storyline from The Wire I struggle to sit through is when Bubbles is tormented by a bully.
Bubbles' Bully Storyline Is The Hardest Part Of The Wire To Watch
I Hate To See Bubbles Get Beaten Up
Early on in The Wire season 4, as Bubbles is doing his rounds, selling his wares on the street, he starts being harassed by a bully. For the rest of the season, every time he steps out to make some money, Bubbles is jumped by this bully, robbed, and beaten to a pulp. This is the hardest violence to watch in The Wire, because Bubbles is one of the show’s most lovable and redeemable characters. Whenever he’s attacked by this bully, Bubbles is totally defenseless and doesn’t put up a fight.
Whenever he’s attacked by this bully, Bubbles is totally defenseless and doesn’t put up a fight.
Bubbles isn’t a part of the game; as an addict, he’s a victim of it. He did some questionable things to fuel his addiction, like steal from his sister, but he’s not a bad person — he has a disease. When other characters in The Wire were afflicted with violence, they usually did something to prompt it. When Chris and Snoop ambushed Bodie, he could’ve retreated from his corner, but instead, he pulled out a gun and opened fire. But Bubbles did nothing to this bully; beating him up just seemed like an easy way to get free drugs.
All five seasons of The Wire are available to stream on Max.
This storyline also highlights the broken promises of Baltimore’s cops, which came to a head in season 4. Just like Carver broke his promise to keep Randy and his foster mother safe, Herc broke his promise to protect Bubbles from his bully. He gave Bubbles a phone and promised to drop everything and come to his aid if he called, but he never did.
Bubbles' Most Devastating Storyline Was Also The Catalyst For His Most Positive Growth
Sherrod's Death Is What Motivates Bubbles To Finally Get Clean
As hard as it is to sit through the scenes where Bubbles is being tormented by his bully, this storyline ends up being the catalyst for the character’s most positive growth. When he’s finally had enough of his bully, Bubbles gets a hold of some sodium cyanide and hatches a plan to poison him. He replaces the drugs in some of his vials with the sodium cyanide, hoping that his tormentor will steal them, take the poison, and unwittingly kill himself. But instead, Bubbles’ young ward Sherrod gets into the vials and accidentally poisons himself.
The accidental death of Sherrod — one of The Wire’s saddest character endings — is what motivates Bubbles to finally get clean and reconcile with his sister. By the end of the show’s final season, Bubbles has been comfortably sober for a while and his sister finally trusts him enough to let him out of the basement to eat with her and her kid. I hated watching Bubbles get bullied in The Wire’s fourth season, but at least some good came out of it in season 5.
The Wire, debuting in 2002, is a series that explores the complex world of Baltimore's narcotics scene, presenting perspectives from both law enforcement and their targets. It delves into how the war on drugs has evolved into a self-perpetuating institution, blurring moral boundaries between right and wrong.
- Seasons
- 5
- Streaming Service(s)
- MAX
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