Revisiting ‘The Wire’ Characters Part 11 – Michael Lee

Ongoing for a serious chunk of the future, I will be revisiting some of the best characters to appear in HBO’s The Wire. My series will be a 30-part piece of admiration to the greatest show in entertainment history. With lists come inevitable omissions and controversies, and The Wire is known for amassing a selection of numerous legendary figures. This list will be my best attempt to pay homage to these characters, ranging from popular fan favorites to occasional lesser known ones who made an impact. Parts are placed in no special order.

While disagreements may still come even with a lengthy series, I contend that 30 parts will be a plentiful total to give respect and please fans simultaneously. Certain days will feature two articles and thus two parts being published, others will just be one. If you’re a fan of The Wire and you find my series fulfilling, please share it with others. Pop Culture Spin appreciates your viewership and your efforts to spread the word. You will find each published entry in the series linked at the bottom of this article. Each fresh installment will link all published entries in the same spot. Landing next in the series, we have Michael Lee, played by Tristan Wilds AKA Mack Wilds.

Michael Lee was a pivotal player in The Wire game who made his debut appearance late in the series. Along with Namond Brice, Randy Wagstaff, and Duquan “Dukie” Weems, Michael was one of the show’s youngsters to be examined in season four’s education focus. Each youth underwent serious development, most of which was negative. The only bright future was given to Namond, easily the most obnoxious of the four. Michael was always a smart kid with a soft spoken demeanor. That contrasted strongly with Michael ending The Wire as essentially a new version of Omar Little.

Michael always had loyalty. He protected Dukie when others shredded him with bullying, a trademark in that Michael was always willing to step up for those on the bottom. I mentioned in the debut part of this series, my Chris Partlow article, that Michael’s step-dad was implied to be a child molester. If Michael’s character suffered from an abusive past, it would certainly make sense with his distrust of adults.

When Chris destroyed the step-dad with extreme viciousness, Michael began to be more trusting. He became a protégé of the Marlo, Chris, and Snoop crew. Later on, he killed Snoop and went solo with his work. The Wire‘s last Michael moments showcase the once young man performing stick-up work and making the ghost of Omar proud.

What Michael showed, a theme in some of these articles, is that The Wire effortlessly brought in new characters and made them whole personalities with memorable performances. No easy feat. The work by Michael’s character made this trend possible.

Published Entries of my Revisiting The Wire Characters List
Part 1 – Chris Partlow / Part 2 – Jimmy McNulty / Part 3 – Bodie Broadus
Part 4 – Frank Sobotka / Part 5 – Tommy Carcetti / Part 6 – D’Angelo Barksdale
Part 7 – Marlo Stanfield / Part 8 – William Rawls / Part 9 – Bubbles
Part 10 – Ellis Carver / Part 12 – Stringer Bell / Part 13 – Roland Pryzbylewski
Part 14 – Wee-Bey Brice / Part 15 – Lester Freamon / Part 16 – Slim Charles
Part 17 – Wallace / Part 18 – Bunk Moreland / Part 19 – Howard “Bunny” Colvin
Part 20 – Avon Barksdale / Part 21 – Snoop / Part 22 – Clay Davis
Part 23 – Brother Mouzone / Part 24 – Cedric Daniels / Part 25 – Proposition Joe
Part 26 – Maurice Levy / Part 27 – Dennis “Cutty” Wise / Part 28 – Randy Wagstaff
Part 29 – Kima Greggs / Part 30 – Omar Little / Extra Part – Final Thoughts