Stringer Bell: A Memoriam

"What you say? What you need? What you want?" - Ginuwine, Little Man's Bangin' Lude

"We don't need to dream no more." - Stringer Bell

I had forgotten just how foul Stringer Bell has really been.  He and Avon own the death of Omar's boyfriend, Brandon, together but the hits on D'Angelo and Brother Mouzone are all him. He saw everything as business, even moreso than Avon, and saw little use for the traditions of the game if they got in the way of him making a bigger profit.  String, outside of maybe Prop Joe, was the smartest man in the parts of Baltimore we get to see on The Wire and yet even he couldn't beat the game.

"The game is the game." - Avon Barksdale

It didn't come as a surprise that Stringer's time was coming to an end. Everything in the episode pointed that way. It still was one of the most powerful deaths on television, rivaling Adriana's murder on the last season of The Sopranos. It's perhaps even more jarring because we're not supposed to like String. He's a low down dirty drug dealer and murderer. Somehow, though, he just seems so much less lecherous than the rest. He'd be legit if he could.  He's in many ways the perfect embodiment of the American Capitalist. When it really comes down to it, the hell with morality, honor, and family. The mighty dollar was his god and devil. And the game is the game.

So, who in the blogosphere is watching The Wire? Check out the links after the jump.

• Broken Language
• In My Write Mind
• A True Southern Belle
• That Good Good
• Free Floating Hostility
• Dud Sea Scrawls
• The Big Ticket
• Dancing with Derrida
• Matthew Yglesias
• ProHipHop
• Follow Me Here
• Drowning in Vanity
• Old Gold Soul
• Maps and Legends
• Musings of DJ Diva
• Thought 4 the Day
• Bejata Dot Com
• Todd Kelley
• Chauncey Billups
• Tommy T

If I'm missing blog thoughts about this week's episode, please let me know.

Peace Out, String. And damn, only one more week of The Wire. Lawd, What I'm goan do? What I'm goan do?!

Comments

[ej]

Man, you just don't know how many IM sessions we had about The Wire. I kid you not - there were 10 IM sessions, 5 discussions at work, and there were plans on blogging about it as well. I'm glad you did your research.

I was screaming at 5 in the morning as I was watching it...that my man, is just classic. I'm still sweating. I'll be watching the Tivo again this evening.

[Jeremiah]

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved

[Bernie]

I could see it coming, but frankly, I think the wrong man bought it.

[DJ Diva]

I will admit that I forgot about the evil deeds that Stringer committed. I was all for him getting out of the game and finally using that drug money for something legal. Alas, as Prince says "Sometimes It Snows In April"!

What in the heck do they have planned for the last episode????

I don't know about yall but I'm having a season finale party!

[todd kelley]

DAmn, I love that show!

[mr g]

I don't know what's going to happen in the last episode, but there's a helluva lot set up to go down:

-String dimed Avon to Colvin, so his hideout could get busted up & he may go back to prison

-Avon & Marlo are still slugging it out, though it looks like Marlo might survive

-the mayor has to make his move, as does Burrell & Carcetti (if there's a 4th season, god-willing, politics will be a huge issue)

-w/String gone, Daniels' unit has lost its main arrest & we have to see if McNulty gets kicked out of major case or not

-I have a feeling the Cutty plotline may have an unexpected role to play, though I have no idea what it might be

There's so much that can happen, I can't wait until Sunday, though I'm also a little frustrated because it's the end of the season & I need to know what happens next. Come on HBO, renew it again!

[Craig Pfeifer]

If HBO doesn't renew, they are a buncha damn fools. The Wire is the best show nobody watches and doesn't get nominated for any awards.

My favorite line from this season was "A white mayor? In Baltimore?" Heh.

Also, when Bodie and his girl bumped into herc and carver and their girls at the movies. This season was great, but the 2nd season is still my fav since it was all filmed in my neighborhood, SE Baltimore.

[Bballmom]

I saw the repeat of last weeks episode last night. I knew about it becuase of reading this blog, but I didn't tell my husband and his reaction was classic!

What a great show!

[Party Marty]

I was speechless as I sat there Sunday night watching the show. Week after week, I find myself curled up in my chair not even able to enjoy my meal b/c the show is so friggin gripping. Its bad enough that I get to see my city on the big screen, but the acting is incredible. I don't see how they are gonna squeeze everything into one last 1hr episode. I hope that they don't give us some bs cliffhanger this Sunday; hell just let everyone go out in a blaze of glory. You know that big slim is not getting arrested and Avon has no plans to go back to prison. Marlo is the future. Bmore cats hate NY dudes anyway, so he needs to be the new HNIC. Television doesn't get any better than this!

In TX via Baltimore

[Bernie]

A NY Daily News article says a season four for The Wire is not a certainty.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/ent_radio/story/262108p-224444c.html

We need to start a letter writing campaign right now!

[Clyde Smith]

It's funny, I wrote about the death of the Stringer Bell character at ProHipHop because it was covered in the media, but I haven't actually seen it. I see The Wire when it's released on dvd, so I just saw the second season. At this point, I see why Stringer would have to be done in, but from accidentally reading certain posts, I get the fact that he tries to make a shift. I'm torn between reading what people have to say and the fact that I don't want to know what happens.

But I feel the reactions y'all are talking about from just watching the first two seasons. And I get it in less than a week, which is good and bad. But it definitely makes me want to go back, get all the dvds and do some serious writing about it. Which I will in some form. If anybody does writing online that addresses the business angle or the concept of the game in The Wire, let me know. I'll try to link to it on ProHipHop or save it for when I write more about The Wire.

Peace,
Clyde

[Clyde Smith]

It's funny, I wrote about the death of the Stringer Bell character at ProHipHop because it was covered in the media, but I haven't actually seen it. I see The Wire when it's released on dvd, so I just saw the second season. At this point, I see why Stringer would have to be done in, but from accidentally reading certain posts, I get the fact that he tries to make a shift. I'm torn between reading what people have to say and the fact that I don't want to know what happens.

But I feel the reactions y'all are talking about from just watching the first two seasons. And I get it in less than a week, which is good and bad. But it definitely makes me want to go back, get all the dvds and do some serious writing about it. Which I will in some form. If anybody does writing online that addresses the business angle or the concept of the game in The Wire, let me know. I'll try to link to it on ProHipHop or save it for when I write more about The Wire.

Peace,
Clyde

[rocknrao]

I think a key to understanding the difference between Stringer Bell and Avon Barksdale is the character Dennis "Cutty" Wise. When Cutty decides he wants out of the game, Avon lets him go unmaliciously. This is an obvious contradiction to Stringer's actions against D'Angelo, who wanted the same thing as Cutty, but hadn't really gotten around to asking nicely yet when he was murdered.

Cutty in turn exhibits the same sort of magnanimousness when he takes Fruit's little corner boys under his wing into the boxing program.

I guess Stringer's fatal flaw was not being able to see the game as more than just dollars and cents. Trustworthiness and reputation are worth just as much, as Brother Mouzone points out to Barksdale, and Stringer neglected that side of the equation.

[michi]

just a few things... i have to say that the wire IS THE BEST SHOW ON TELEVISION!!! i first tuned-in in may... and i could not believe what i saw. my first thought was where is this place and i hope i'm no where near it. but i love the grittiness... the "this is too crazy to be too far from the truth and reality". i swear i sat with my mouth open... going "i can't believe this is happening... in real life". anyway, i'm totally hurt that stringer's gone... not sure why though. he was evil... and did a lot of wrong but i guess i wanted all of that treachery to turn out good in the end. i think that's the mentality of folks "in the game". they are willing to do all of this "bad" with hopes of a great life "on down the line." didn't work that way for stringer... and i don't expect it will work for most folks in that life... especially when in real life there are so many casualties... innocent and non. stringer's gone... as florida evans would say... "damn, damn, damnnnnnn!"

a square sistah-
mkm