Omar Little: An Introduction to The Wire

This post is a shout out to my favorite character in maybe my favorite TV show, that show being The Wire.  This is the first post I have made referencing it, but it certainly won't be the last.  I would rather focus on movies than TV shows because as an art form combining writing, cinematography, and storytelling I think they are a far superior medium.  TV shows have to end after either ~20 or ~40 minutes, however movies can be over 2 hours.  Shows allow for more character development over time, but as a medium, movies compare more favorably to other art forms as "true art", however The Wire breaks a lot of the rules.




The Wire is considered by many to be one of the great masterpieces when it comes to TV shows and their attempts to replicate the storytelling, writing and cinematography of a fine movie.  College classes are even starting to be written around the show, and not just cinematography classes at artsy schools.  Harvard and Duke both have classes on The Wire in their sociology departments because it touches on many social issues such as class struggle and poverty.

Omar Little though is an extremely rich character who in many ways symbolizes what makes The Wire great.  On the surface, he is no better than anyone else who is involved in the Baltimore drug trade (what the show is about).  He is a criminal, he is violent, and can be cold at times but he is so much more.  He is the Yang to Stringer Bell's Yin (Stringer is a character who is a cold, calculating drug lord).  These two characters throughout the show do a dance, but they have stark contrasts.

Little with Boyfriend Brandon

Omar is a machiavellian Robin Hood, but one with a heart who truly cares for others.  While he robs people for a living, to him "its all in the game".  His targets generally are organized crime syndicates, just like Robin Hood only robbed the rich an the gangsters were the "rich" of the hood.  Omar even has the reputation among the police of being an "honest criminal" which leads the main character, Jimmy mcnulty to suspect foul play when Omar is accused of shooting a citizen.  A "criminal with a conscience", he has a lot of compassion for his partners in the show (he is gay), and his Grandmother who he takes to church.  Omar also shows throughout the series the ability to be a cunning mastermind that rivals the smartest kingpins shown in the show.  His robberies always are done smoothly and there is always a subtle ulterior message through these actions.

two intelligent thugs together

Though he is a criminal, he also shows that in a different life, he may have grown to be an inquisitive, intelligent citizen.  During the second season, he helps a bailiff with a crossword puzzle, giving the answer "Ares" and mentioning he was always interested in mythology in school.  Throughout the show they show little snippets that portray Omar as a true philosopher of life and someone who has a comprehensive understanding beyond his peer in his "business".  One of these quotes is "money ain't got no owners, only spenders", which is very deep when you think about it.  Throughout all his robberies too, he is much more articulate than his peers and ponders things such as the value of robbing the man on the street (which is why he only goes for dealers).


Omar is still a criminal, but if anything he is a victim of circumstance.  It would be an interesting tie-in with one of the sociology classes on The Wire to ponder what an intelligent, cunning man like him and his morals (he won't even use profanity) would end up doing if not dropped in the middle of one of the worst inner cities in the United States.