"One thing that distinguishes Omar is his absolute patience. He's willing to endure even longer surveillance than the police do. He's absolutely determined." -- David SimonIn the vast array of characters created on The Wire, (and vast may be an understatement) one character not only broke out of the pack as the series' most wonderful invention, but turned out to be a character full of more contradictions than perhaps any other in the history of episodic television, and that man is Omar Little, played by Michael K. Williams. USA Today once named Omar as one of the 10 reasons they still love TV and his inclusion was much deserved. The Wire isn't Williams' first appearance in an HBO series -- close viewers of The Sopranos might remember him as the Boonton man with the chess-playing daughter whom Jackie Jr. took refuge with at the end of Season 3. That brief appearance though didn't telegraph the range and brilliance of Williams' work as Omar, a warped vision of Robin Hood in the urban environs of Baltimore. Omar is a "rip-and-run artist," robbing from drug dealers to enrich himself and to help others or, as Omar describes himself, he's "just a n----- with a plan," a man who tends to announce his approach to potential victims by cheerfully whistling "The Farmer in the Dell." That aspect of his character would be fascinating enough, but that just scratches the surface.
"It's either play or get played"
Omar also happens to be gay, something that wasn't revealed until his second appearance in season 1. On top of that, he frowns upon profanity, chastising his lover Brandon when he swears that, "Nobody wants to hear such dirty words, especially from such a beautiful mouth." He also holds Sundays sacred, choosing not to work and even escorting the woman who raised him to church once a month, a woman who believes Omar makes his living working in the airport cafeteria. He also takes pride that he "ain't never put no gun on no citizen." With his frequent takedown of the Barksdale crews' stashes, needless to say he earned the wrath of Avon (Wood Harris) and his lieutenant Stringer Bell (Idris Elba), who struck back in season 1 by brutally murdering Brandon and setting the story arc for Omar that ran pretty much for the first three seasons. In season 1, after a failed attempt at clipping Avon, he decided to help the police by being the eyeball witness to the murder of a state's witness ordered by Barksdale. Though his court appearance didn't happen until Season 2, the scene provided one of the highlights of the entire series as Barksdale's slimeball lawyer Maurice Levy (Michael Kostroff) accused Omar, unapologetic about the way he makes his living, of being a parasite and Omar shot right back that they were two sides of the same coin: "I got the shotgun, you got the briefcase."
"Come at the king, you best not miss"
It was with a bit of sadness at the end of Season 1 when Omar, knowing he was a marked man, chose to move his operation to New York. Thankfully, David Simon and Ed Burns knew they had a great character in Omar and superb actor in Williams and didn't let him stay away for good. Williams told The Advocate in September, 2003 interview that the original intention was to kill Omar off after seven episodes, but they couldn't bring themselves to do it. Still, the creators and writers of The Wire are smart enough not to overuse Omar. So far, he hasn't appeared any earlier than the third episode of each season. As writer Richard Price observes on one of the Season 3 DVD commentary tracks, Omar is used sparingly, so as not to ruin the character. Simon admits on a different commentary that there was some concern that the iconoclastic Omar was growing too heroic in viewers' eyes, so that led them to have one of his crew accidentally killed in a shoot-out in Season 3. Even that development deepened Omar's character as he is one of the few characters in the universe of The Wire to willingly take responsibility for his own actions, punctuating his guilt with a cigarette burn to his own palm.
Simon and his other colleagues readily admit in various commentaries and interviews that they patterned most of Omar's scenes on classic Westerns, none more so than when Omar met up once again with Brother Mouzone (Michael Potts), another of the series' great creations. Mouzone, a Nation of Islam gun-for-hire that Avon secured from his season 2 jail cell to keep watch over the towers, was set up by Stringer, who tricked Omar into believing he killed Brandon so that Omar would take care of Mouzone for him. Omar shot Mouzone, though not before realizing he'd been had. The reunion of Mouzone and Omar in Season 3 not only led to Stringer's downfall, it really created an odd couple for the ages. I hope that somehow we see them hook up again, but Simon and the gang are too smart to concoct a phony excuse to please viewers. In the world of The Wire, it's the story that rules -- and that may even get the great Omar in the end.______________________________________________________
Edward Copeland is a contributor to The House Next Door and the publisher of Edward Copeland on Film and the political blog Copeland Institute for Lower Learning. The above is part of Wire Week at The House, with a new article each day leading up to the HBO drama's fourth season premiere on Sunday, Sept. 10. For more, see "On The Wire" in the sidebar at right.
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20 comments:
What a great character, and what an amazing show. Now that we have only the two Deadwood telemovies to come, it's good that we still have The Wire (and The House Next Door's coverage of it) too look forward to.
Omar's a great character. The Robin Hood reference is interesting, if someone misguided, if only because Omar doesn't lavish his wealth upon the community from which it is taken, so much as parcel it out piecemeal to those around him. He isn't quite as altruistic as his Sherwood Forest counterpart; still, he's a helluva lot moreso than Avon or Stringer, or just about any of the cops on the show.
Omar's ability to remain in play when both the cops and the drug lords are after his ass is one of the series most exciting pieces of tightrope walking; it is an act that only gets more thrilling in season 4.
I really dig Omar. Thanks for the nice piece about him.
To me, the most fascinating thing about Omar is that he's not a moral person (being a stickup artist and all) but he is an ethical person (within the context of being a criminal). He observes certain rules and seems genuinely offended when others do not. And he seems to appreciate honesty, even when it takes the form of effrontery (an implicit challenge to his royal badness). As Ed notes, this makes him probably the least realistic criminal on the show -- he's always skirting the edge of fantasy, definitely a borderline Sergio Leone type -- but the writers generally keep him on the right side of that line.
Omar's relationship with Butch is key. Butch keeps Omar's character grounded in some sorta reality, acting as a sage advisor (the blind man who sees things more clearly than most) who is also a go-between (for Omar and Stringer, Omar and Prop Joe) piecing together the practicalities of such a tenuous existence. His advice, aid and comfort helps Omar avoid the what would seem to be, in this most realistic of dramas, his grisly and tragically inevitable fate.
As much as I like Omar's character, I think that the writers are wise to keep him in the background, as he seems to have wandered in from a more stylized world, such as The Sopranos. Most of the criminals on The Wire have an ethical code, but they don't flaunt it in quite the same way as Omar, just as most of the cops don't flaunt their righteousness in the same way as McNulty. Remember: the "sunday truce" was observed by everyone, not just Omar, until Stringer decided to break it. And Avon's loyalty to Cutty was almost heartwarming in season three--something that Omar might not be capable of. Also, for those in L.A., it seems that Wendell "Bunk Moreland" Pierce is co-starring in a revival of "Fences."
A nice analysis of the character that probably most illustrates the integrity and intelligence of Simon and company (incalculably assisted by the deftness of Williams’s portrayal). Because as problematic as the nearly mythic Omar can seem drifting in and out of the shadows of the otherwise realistic world of THE WIRE, on any other show he’d already be a played-out, quasi reformed wild-card-cum-deus-ex-machina. Instead, he’s been deftly tailored as a would-be free agent who’s still inextricably bound to his community. (Witness my favorite scene of Omar’s to date, the park bench confrontation with Wendell Pierce’s Bunk calling him on the destructive fraudulence of his supposed lone wolf status.) Thus his skepticism towards the true nature of Hamsterdam can be used by the writers to address a crucial plot point—why aren’t the surrounding neighborhoods commenting on the free zones—since Omar comes off as intimate and familiar with the citizens surrounding him, not some omniscient oracle.
Ed: “He also holds Sundays sacred, choosing not to work and even escorting the woman who raised him to church once a month….”
An interesting facet to Omar, agreed, though I think the real revelation of that sequence is that the materialistic Bell stands alone in having no qualms about violating the long-held Sunday truce.
As a footnote, Simon’s made it quite clear that Brother Mouzone has never identified himself as Nation of Islam; the one time he was explicitly asked, Mouzone’s response was the same enigmatic smile and icy silence as always.
Dan Jardine: “He isn't quite as altruistic as his Sherwood Forest counterpart; still, he's a helluva lot moreso than Avon or Stringer, or just about any of the cops on the show.”
Avon Barksdale has consistently been shown as a generous donator. Not for purely selfless reasons, of course, as it keeps the peace with the neighborhoods, but his exhortation to Dennis Wise to “take care of the little niggers” is heartfelt and pure—and hypocritical. Avon seems incapable of connecting his activities to the blasted ruin of East (?) Baltimore, whereas Omar harbors little self-delusion about his role in and potential harm to the community.
Matt: “To me, the most fascinating thing about Omar is that he's not a moral person (being a stickup artist and all) but he is an ethical person (within the context of being a criminal).”
That’s it exactly, I think. That even in the disreputable subculture where criminals prey upon and double-cross other criminals, there are lines not to be crossed. Which makes an interesting counterpoint to Stringer Bell’s efforts to corporate and micromanage the drug trade; however worthy (to the dealers, of course) Bell’s goals are, they’re irrelevant to Omar’s way of doing business. I wonder (speculation only) if the writers will have to put the character on the shelf now that his opposite numbers are gone.
Before posting I see while I was writing this that Joel made most of the same points in about a quarter of the space. I probably should have shot for the same efficiency in describing the most smoothly efficient criminal on TV these days.
Speaking of Bunk and Omar, one of the entire series most memorable scenes occurs between the two of them in season 3 episode 6 when Bunk, who is easily the funniest sob on the show, gives Omar a complete dressing down. It's revealed that they both attended the same high school, but have clearly taken very different paths. Now no doubt Omar is portrayed as a pretty sympathetic character throughout the series, but Bunk reveals the truth behind all the mythologizing. It is made all the more potent because Bunk doesn't normally reveal such rage and righteousness; he's normally the smart ass, not the preacher. Not only is Wendell Pierce fantastic here, but so too Michael Williams. Omar tries to feign disinterest, even letting rip a massive spit at the end of Bunk's rant, but the closeup at scene's end reveals all. Spittle still dribbling down his chin, Omar looks positively shaken.
They have a few other very good scenes together in season 4, building on this de-mythologizing drawing on the kinda ethical dilemma that championing a guy like Omar can lead to.
Bruce, you fuck, you stole my thunder re: the Bunk-Omar confrontation. I guess I should have read the comments before posting. D'oh!
[MILD Season 4 SPOILER ALERT]
As for Omar being interesting because he, unlike many of those who roam these streets, has some ethics (never pull a gun on a citizen, only on players being a central tenet thereof), I'd have to concur that that is most certainly a key aspect of his character's appeal. He's a dangerous cocksucker, but only to other dangerous cocksuckers. There is again some very interesting development in this area in season 4, with Omar schooling his newest beau in such matters, as well as telling Bunk that "a man's gotta have a code, yo."
Dan Jardine: "Bruce, you fuck, you stole my thunder re: the Bunk-Omar confrontation."
Then my work here is done.
As an aside, can we look forward to a salute in the coming week to my favorite character on the show, and Pierce's wonderful incarnation?
Fuck. Fuckity-fuck-fuck-FUCK!
Um, season 4 of The Wire actually debuted TODAY, so by my watch you boys are about a week behind schedule. "Wire Mondays" are shaping up to be old news.
Anonymous, I believe that's only for those with HBO on demand. For the rest of us, season four starts next Monday.
Anon: Trust me, we were aware of HBO's experiment with debuting the episodes a week early via video-on-demand, but decided to stick with the regular cable premiere date instead. It was a conscious choice designed to include as many people as possible in the discussion.
A follow-up note regarding the timing of "Wire Mondays." According to the publicist for The Wire, whose counsel we sought in our internal debate about how to time the recaps given the On Demand sneak preview, only about a third of HBO subscribers have the On Demand feature. Not only that, most households with the feature, for whatever reason, still wait for the on-air debut. So we opted to hold back, though we regret being so far behind hardcore Wire junkies like "anonymous." We hope the coming analyses will have enough meat in spite of their tardiness to maintain "anonymous's" interest.
As for Omar, I'm intrigued by a different exchange with Bunk, this one from Season One, in which Omar visits the homicide division to provide information on one of the Barksdale murders. Mid-conversation, Omar recognizes Bunk as a former high school lacrosse star, giving us a tiny peek into a time when Omar was just a student watching ball games and leaving us wondering what went down between there and here.
Barry: From time to time, something in the writing of Omar's character (and the tenor of Williams' performance) suggests that Omar can still remember the person he once was -- which means his persona as the Baddest Man in Town is a conscious construct, maybe more so than similarly dangerous characters.
In other words, Omar knows he's playing Omar, and the eerie unreality of his thug persona -- like something out of a gangsta movie or a spaghetti western -- is a weapon against his enemies, who fear not just getting killed by Omar, but getting killed by the closest thing to a fictional character that they've ever encountered.
It's worth noting that Omar's not the same guy on the street that he is in the privacy of his domicile, particularly when he's with a lover. The wisecracking killer persona is a human equivalent of a cobra's hood, which unfurls to mesmerize and intimidate prey before the fangs come out.
Simon has said that Omar is deliberately theatrical, he loves the show. There's a scene in season four where, at the tail end of a robbery, he pulls off a completely unnecessary but showy flourish that will no doubt become part of his legend. Omar to his new partner/boyfriend: "That's why we get up in the morning."
I always thought that Omar's theatricality was not just part of his character and a necessary element of his need to create a legend -- the thing that makes the kids run and yell "Omar's coming!" when walks whistling up the alley with his shotgun and vest -- but also a little reminders to the show's fans that as realistic as "The Wire" aims to be, it is nevertheless at heart a crime novel. That said, as Simon always points out, many of the show's most outre elements were actually based on real people, stranger than fiction and all.
Well, after twelve hours of googling "The Wire," compiling Season 4 reviews, and wading through the tumultuous HBO message boards, I finally feel like I've found the promised land. Any site that promises an exegesis of Bodie Broadus definitely gets bookmarked. Great site.
I agree with Dan Jardine: The Season 3 confrontation between Bunk and Omar is amazing. I think it's one of the most important scenes of the entire series. And I'm glad you mentioned the detail of Omar's saliva sticking to his chin-- the moment is so awkward and intimate, it perfectly underscores how disruptive Bunk's lecture is. The whole exchange gives me goosebumps. A flawless few minutes of television.
how do they do an article on omar and report false information. Omar was seen in season three episode two for his first appearance of the season. Obviously, he appeared before the third episode in that season.
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