Revisiting ‘The Wire’ Characters Part 22 – Clay Davis

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 Clay Davis, played by Isiah Whitlock Jr.

A senator for the state of Maryland, Clay Davis was a lying, thieving, dirty politician full of tricks and devious methods to financially reward from the foolishness of others. To true fans of The Wire, the word “shit” is best said as “sheeeeeeeee-it.” Davis had the trademark delivery of extending the word for emphasis.

Davis duped numerous people during his time. In the opening season, Cedric Daniels attempted to pinpoint involvement from Davis since a Davis driver had his car discovered with loads of drug money in it. The senator escaped punishment here even though his corruption seemed obvious. Later, he said he’d back Frank Sobotka in keeping the union alive, only to then vote against it. Most memorably, he became a financial adviser to Stringer Bell, but ended up profiting handsomely from the drug kingpin’s trust and made his away out of the situation unscathed.

When Stringer’s fury caused him to ask Slim Charles to murder Davis, Slim responded with a valid point. “Shit, String, murder ain’t no thing, but this here is some assassination shit, man.” Regardless, the deceit from Davis was enough for Stringer to consider such a bold act. And many others in The Wire would’ve preferred to have seen Davis land in a casket.

Even down the road when faced with serious charges, Davis got acquitted and denied any wrongdoing to the public. Various other shows would have imprisoned a character like Davis, attempting to prove that cheaters don’t prosper or lying doesn’t pay off in some formulaic way. To The Wire‘s credit, the show never gave into stereotypes or assumptions. Not all, but plenty of actual politicians are dirty like Davis, and most of them will never spend a day behind bars.

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 11 – Michael Lee / 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 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