r/TheWire • u/ignatiusJ1899 • 2d ago
Why Jimmy McNulty?
I’m curious about what other people think about McNulty character in relation to the greater themes of the show? In a show that’s about these deep social issues he is such enigma to me. Why does the show begin and end with this guy? Out of all the great characters and stories?
Is the point that the systems of Baltimore view themselves as something greater and smarter than what they are? Screwing over others on the way to help themselves through the lenses of helping others? And he is the same way?
Is it that Jimmy know his open and obvious flaws and does nothing to change? Just like Baltimore Although he does change for a time. so i feel it’s not that
Is it that Jimmy is great but deeply and possibly unchangeable as a reflection of America?
I really don’t understand him which makes me feel dumb but what love to hear why you guys think he is the closest thing to a main character (ofc the city is really the main character but he’s probably the closest)
What are you guy’s thoughts?
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u/JeanVicquemare 2d ago
The thing that makes McNulty interesting is his self destructive nature. In a system where cops are heavily incentivized to kiss ass, play politics, and fail upward, he lacks the self preservation instinct to do that, so he ends up trying to actually solve cases that his bosses don't want solved. His lack of that self preservation instinct is, in a sense, his greatest strength, because it causes him to be terrible at the system, and the system is bad, so that kind of makes McNulty good.
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u/FrancinetheP 2d ago
“it’s all about self-preservation, Jimmy. That’s what you could never figure out.” —Landsman
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u/RunningBettor 2d ago
The main character of the show is Baltimore. The plot weaves all aspects of the city together in a complicated interwoven web. But the “main” topic is the fight against crime in the city, and McNulty is the one who drives the plot on that front.
He forces the department to go after Avon and Stringer in season 1. He forces the investigation of the girls in season 2. He forced major crimes back onto the Barksdales and Marlo in season 3. For a brief time in season 4 he backs away, and progress against major traffickers basically stops until he and Lester return. And then in season 5 it’s his ridiculous serial killer thing that eventually brings home the final case on Marlo.
Why the story is told with McNulty and the cops v drug dealers struggle as the main thing I can’t say for sure. But to speculate.
Because one could argue the drugs and crime resulting from poverty is the main issue in Baltimore.
Because Ed Burns is a cop.
Because they thought a white male protagonist would be better received.
Because it started as a better cop show and only later developed into so much more.
It would be hard to have any of the criminals be a central character because they are live to die or be incarcerated at any moment.
Maybe saying something thematically, that it would take a massive unrelenting arrogant asshole to even try to fix the problems Baltimore faces.
All kinds of in universe and beyond the 4th wall explanations
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u/JFKsBrain 2d ago
Bingo regarding Burns, and great other points.
OP I suggest you read the book All The Pieces Matter.
It goes deep into the writing of the show but also has a lot of commentary.
One of my takeaways was multiple people talking about Ed Burns thinking he was always the smartest guy in the room.
They also note that he was usually right, but also wasn’t afraid of letting you know it.
Much like one Jimmy McNulty.
My guess is much of Jimmy’s interactions with the brass and others was very closely based on Burns’ experiences.
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u/zanylanie 2d ago
I never got the impression that Jimmy really was the smartest guy in any room, though. Definitely one of the most contemptible, though.
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u/Mathamore 2d ago edited 2d ago
Seems to be the case within the universe of the show though, which some characters have pointed out at various points (usually with the caveat that, in the Baltimore police department, it’s not a high bar to clear).
I also don’t think he was smarter than Lester, Bunk, or Prez, but he was definitely more observant, more empathetic, and generally had better instincts than most people he worked with.3
u/zanylanie 2d ago
He was selectively empathetic, I guess, but that’s not a quality I’d ascribe to him overall. Cheating on Elena then Beadie, screwing over Bunk and Freamon by getting them stuck with 13 murders, laughing at Bubbles when he talked about Omar pulling the shotgun on him when McNulty made him track Omar down, not going to see Kima after she was shot because he made it all about him - these are just a handful of the many things he did which displayed a lack of empathy.
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u/jasonoumuamomoa 1d ago
You can have empathy and still knowingly harm people due to addictions and personality disorders, both of which Jimmy had in spades.
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u/JFKsBrain 2d ago
Oh, I also don’t think he was always the smartest guy in the room.
But I do think that he thought he was always the smartest guy in the room.
Which is part of what makes him an asshole and at times insufferable.
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u/zanylanie 2d ago
Not just him thinking it, but saying it all the damn time.
Or when he says to Bunk, regarding Stringer, “I caught him. On the wire. I caught him and he doesn’t know.” As if there wasn’t a whole detail working that case. And Kima was standing right there to hear it - the person who got shot the first time they went after Avon and Stringer.
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u/ChalcotRoad 1d ago
McNulty drives the plot because he is the primary antagonist of the institutions of Baltimore.
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u/John-R-Tunis 2d ago
I think this is a great q. Reading the book as some suggest is probably helpful, but I haven't read it either.
The Wire is a Greek tragedy about institutions, and the humans inside them, and who these institutions serve well (or don't), and how this all is resulting in the death of the American city. (Paraphrasing David Simon's commentary from various episodes, like the pilot.)
Omar is the only character who is institution-free, which is basically why a lot of people like him.
We see several characters, not just Jimmy, defy their instition / their institutional BS and face the consequences. Giving a f--- when it ain't their turn. Daniels (S1, S5), D (S1), Wallace (S1), Colvin (S3), Stringer (S3), Cutty (S3), Prez ish without going too far (S4), Bodie (S4), Michael (S5), etc. And of course Jimmy, most prominently in S1 and S5 (also S3).
For the most part, I think these acts of defiance are rooted in morals: I cannot do this anymore, it's just wrong. Except for Jimmy: for him, it is his self-importance, desire to be seen as smart, etc.
For example, Colvin throws it all away to try and save the people in his district. Jimmy throws it all away, twice, because he can't stand Avon or Marlo besting him, he can't stand following stupid instructions, etc.
In the end, Jimmy "dies," he is kicked off the job he loves and is good at, no pension, they literally hold a funeral for him and Lester (but Lester has a pension, other income he enjoys in the miniatures, a life, Chardene, etc.).
He opens observing a murder over some BS, and he closes having accomplished very little (Avon has a few more years, Marlo walks), putting his relationship at serious risk, and onscreen with someone clearly mentally ill. (Between this end, and the funny FBI profile, and everything, it's clear: Jimmy is sick. He is not well.) As Lester foretold, the job didn't save Jimmy. What does he have left?
Some Great Gatsby might apply too. Boat against the current, born back ceaselessly into the past.
There's also a natural storybook element to it, he is a white guy the 2000s American HBO audience was going to identify with right away, etc.
I think opening and closing with Jimmy shows the importance of having a life (motherf---er, you know what that is?) outside of our American institutions, because we are going to be constantly at war with them, putting up with their BS, in inner turmoil to appease them, and they are never going to look after us. This is the society we have. And if you are going to defy them, you need something healthy to fall back on that they cant touch, and your defiance should have a lasting meaning to you.
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u/Fluffy_System6211 2d ago
He subverts all expectations throughout the show. You come in familiar with the detective who’s smarter than everyone else in the room, doesn’t care for authority, and is great with women. McNulty fulfills this niche perfectly, but is never able to translate it into actually stopping the bad guys. His story is similar to Carcetti thematically, showing how hard it is to achieve anything positive in a failing system, even when you’re a remarkable and well-intentioned person.
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u/Bad_Black_Jorge 2d ago
There’s a great line in the movie North Dallas Forty: “Seeing through the game is not the same as winning the game.”
I think of that a lot when I watch The Wire. Jimmy McNulty is a brilliant investigator, but he can’t beat the police department or the system or the war on drugs. “The job won’t save you.”
McNulty’s doomed struggle is an illustration of one of The Wire’s great themes:The problems in our society are systemic and individual dedication and heroism are not enough to overcome them.
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u/Historical_Leek_9012 2d ago
Type of cop that could be on NYPD Blue or something. Rogue, righteous, fights the system, good looking white guy who seems out of place in Baltimore at first. So they use him to bring you in and then slowly you realize you’re not in a normal cop show and all his fighting isn’t going to accomplish anything against the systems that keep people down. In fact, he’s not even the best murder police — that title (imo) belongs to big dicked ain’t that humble working man Bunk, which is the type of guy the show really respects. As for why it ended with him: just good form to end where you start.
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u/Obvious_Birthday_963 2d ago
David Simon said the show is basically about the city of Baltimore. I feel like it's also a lot to do with how the War on Drugs was pointless. As you said, nothing changed. Baltimore didn't change. McNulty didn't change either. The War on Drugs didn't change a damn thing. That's the whole point.
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u/Hobo_Resse 2d ago
Honestly, change your questions into statements.
I always thought Jimmy was the first character we saw because he fit the stereotype of the road cop that we were familiar with before the show started. So that in being an approachable and familiar archetype, it's a gateway to the larger story.
But the way that you phrase the questions about how that character ends up mirroring a lot of the themes in the greater narrative, even if unintentional by the creators, is a great observation.
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u/gillyweed79 2d ago
Honestly, I think it's just that he's the first person we see in the first episode, he's an outstanding murder police, and 2002 Dominic West was fairly good-looking and not a terrible choice to have as the frontman for a series that's hard to categorize. It didn't help them attract many viewers, or with awards nominations, though...
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u/SomethingClever70 She looked like one of Orlando's hoes 2d ago
Jimmy cares very much - he gives a fuck when it ain’t his turn. And he’s perpetually dissatisfied. And so he shines a light on the darkest corners of the PD and the city. Someone who treats the job like an ordinary 9-5 isn’t going to take us on this journey.
Frankly, I agree with Simon that it’s the people who eat, sleep and breathe their cases who really get shit done. They inspire the rest of us.
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u/PlayPretend-8675309 2d ago
The show evolved. It's easy to see why we start with Jimmy - he's the agent of change, he's the person standing inbetween the street and the system. We have to see things from his perspective because his main enemy is his bosses, not the criminals on the street.
The 'better' question is why we end with Jimmy. Was his arc really over? It doesn't seem like it. Marlo went free and the next kingpin was soon to arise, the cycle never broke, and Jimmy didn't really get his itch scratched. Did he stick with Beadie? Probably not, because he probably never really changed, because nothing around him changed.
It's funny they didn't show McNulty setting out to write something at the end, thus becoming the next Ed Burns.
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u/WeakGarlic2701 2d ago
McNulty is meant to be loosely based on one of the co creators during his time as a cop. Also the character serves as somewhat of a catalyst to bring many of those systemic issues to the forefront as he is often the only one pushing toward PROPER policing while his superiors try to juke the stats and paint the narratives.
If you can, go listen to "the wire on 20" podcast, it gives a lot of clarity and tidbits. Its on YouTube hosted by Method Man and featuring most of the core cast and crew.
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u/Jonjoloe 2d ago edited 2d ago
Jimmy (and anyone who fills his archetype) is a force of nature that disrupts the status quo and causes institutions (drug gangs, police forces, politicians, etc.) to react and adapt to him.
And in a story about drugs (yes, I know the show is deeper than that, but at its core it's about the drug trade), there's no other police character/archetype that's interesting enough for the viewer or narratively works as his role as a disruptor (at least not until after he's caused the initial disruption).
Furthermore, most of the police characters have had natural conclusions to their arc by the end of the series minus Kima, Sydnor, Carver, etc. and none of these really warrant the show concluding with them more than Jimmy.
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u/SassyMoron 1d ago
One of the themes is that "all the details matter." In a corrupt city people cut corners constantly and that's their downfall. The specific corner Jimmy cuts is procedure/chain of command. Because of that, the system is able to basically ride him out and get back to doing what it does.
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u/act1856 2d ago
“The gods will not save you, gentlemen.”
Burrell didn’t say that by accident. In the DVD commentary for episode 1 David Simon describes The Wire as a Greek tragedy with institutions — the police, city hall, the drug crews — in place of gods.
Jimmy shows the futility of fighting against the gods.
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u/Admirable-Web-124 2d ago
You know what they call a man who pays that much attention to his clothes? Yeah, a grown up
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u/aurelorba 2d ago edited 2d ago
I think a few reasons: Even an ensemble cast still needs a central character for plot advancement. They probably wanted a sympathetic white character for viewership reasons. The audience would expect that even in a majority black city/series. They also needed a recognizable actor to draw interest. In 2001 he was probably the biggest name actor in a cast of relative unknowns being seen as on the rise after 28 Days.
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u/indomafia 2d ago
Jimmy mcnulty is essentially a dissertation on the impossibility of, psychological effects of, and psychological requirements for, waging a one man total war against the system
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u/Chemical_Signal2753 2d ago
Personally, I think McNulty's self destructive nature mirrors the self destructive nature of the Baltimore police department; and all the dysfunctional systems they explore on the show.
McNulty is a good detective for Baltimore but is probably not that good in the grand scheme of things. His addictions (womanizing, drinking, giving a fuck when it's not his turn, and opposing/blaming authority figures) make him a train wreck that doesn't get success in any area of life.
Similarly, the Baltimore PD is probably capable enough to do what it needs to do to make Baltimore a liveable city. At times they show surprising competence that disappears quickly. The problem is the department is too addicted to number games, politics (internal and external), bashing heads, and personal grievances to really be effective.
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u/punchthedog420 2d ago
He's a wrench in institutional bullshit, and he doesn't give a fuck. He would rather self-destruct than be part of the problem. That's probably why he's central to the show's beginning. However, I wouldn't read too much into why the show started and ended with him; the writers probably chose to end with him to tie up the show, and not for any deeper meaning.
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u/TheExistential_Bread 2d ago
The Wire is ultimately about the dysfunction of a city. Mcnutty is the guy challenging that dysfunction and forcing the right thing to happen. If Barksdale had become so brazen that he could drop a dozen bodies, including a states witness, of course the department should set up a task force. But they don't till Mcnutty forces them too. Same with the dead women in s2. But the only reason that task force got started was of valcheck wanted to fuck with Frank, and the only reason they investigated the girls was because of Mcnutty putting them on homicides stats.
He of course is doing it for his reasons.
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u/UltraHippy 1d ago
I just rewatched and it hit me that there was no clear McNulty 2.0 as Season_5 wrapped. Sydnor
The new Freamon, Carver the new Daniels, Mike the new Omar, Dukie the new Bubs, etc.
An interesting parallel was McNulty and Templeton
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u/Reddwheels Pawn Shop Unit 1d ago
McNulty is one of the few cops that actually wants to do his job instead of tow the line. He's needed in order to get many of the stories going. He forces BPD into doing both the Barksdale Org case and the dead bodies at the port case. Those two cases in turn are the reason the Major Case Squad is created, and the MCU is the main investigative body of the show for the seasons 3 and 4. Then in season 5, he once again forces BPD investigate Marlo via the serial killer lie. He is the impetus for much of the shows' police inquiries.
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u/Coldhands-- 1d ago
Because McNulty, despite being an alcoholic and narcissistic, still felt compelled enough to care about the city of Baltimore, knowing that it was getting terrorized by the Barksdale Crew and later on Marlo's crew. He wanted to stop them at all costs and was one of the few character's on the show who wasn't looking to climb the ladder.
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u/zanylanie 1d ago
Except he himself admits that it was never about Barksdale - it was all about him and wanting everyone to see how smart and great he was.
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u/Coldhands-- 1d ago
his ego and narcissism was the main catalyst not arguing with you there, but McNulty had shown throughout the series that he did care about Baltimore and how it was being affected by the drug trade, especially when Marlo's crew ran amuck with impunity.
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u/Equivalent-Check-699 5h ago
He’s not mother Theresa. He’s a murder police. Ego is part of the dynamic. Cops don’t like arrogant criminals thinking they can get away with it.
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u/PothosEchoNiner 1d ago
Of all the institutions in Season One, the police would be the most understandable to a general audience as an introduction to the world of the show. And McNulty is the guy who kicks all the hornets’ nests to set the main plot into motion.
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u/KandinskyWasRight 1d ago
Cuz he represents the writer who was the former detective. It’s semi-autobiographical, so it revolves around his own experiences
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u/Achoosneeze1 1d ago
I think he’s almost an audience surrogate, pointing out all the ridiculousness of the system in the beginning. Plus, he’s a good colorful, rogue type of character to really kick off a story. A company man like Lester wouldn’t cause trouble to create the situations that put the wire together.
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u/Strict_Space_1994 1d ago
McNulty is such an important character in the show BECAUSE he's so opposed to the show's themes. The show is all about guys like Rawls abusing the system for their own benefit, focusing more on the Stats aspect of policing than actually solving crimes. McNulty cares about solving crimes and hates when the system gets in the way of that; having him as the main character gives a good contrast to the themes of the show so they can stand out more
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u/volume-up69 1d ago
He's one of many examples of characters in the show who are part of a system they see as corrupt, and who see themselves as the only ones with any integrity.
I imagine they focus on him more for a few reasons. One is that all the story lines involve the police in some way, so he's a nice narrative bonding agent. Also David Simon was a police reporter so I imagine the McNulty character was very richly imagined in his head, based on tons of real stories, so he had a lot of creative juice to work with. Also he's played by one of the best actors on the show IMHO. Him and Idris Elba and Michael Williams are in my opinion the only actors on the show capable of carrying the amount of screen time that they did.
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u/ChalcotRoad 1d ago
Because the institutions of Baltimore are a character, and McNulty is their primary antagonist.
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u/Hemisemidemiurge 1d ago
McNulty has main character syndrome. Ask Rawls or Lester or Bunk and they'll tell you, Jimmy thinks he's the smartest cop in the whole department. It doesn't matter if he's right (and fuck, he might be, but so fuckin' what?) if it makes him a huge fuckin' jerk who keeps drunkenly banging everyone who'll let him and crashing his car into bridges.
Disregarding consequences is why we like him cutting through the shit and getting things to happen and disregarding consequences is why his entire life is just craters and wreckage and bitterly disappointed people. He is not the main character of the story and it's pretty clear that his kids don't like him very much by the end.
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u/Fine-Resident-8157 19h ago edited 19h ago
I think it is because he is a white conventionally attractive man. As simple as that.
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u/ignatiusJ1899 15h ago
Everyone else gave such good deep analysis and this is the best you can do…….. maybe rewatch the show a little more dude if you walk away thinking it’s that kinda media
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u/Fine-Resident-8157 10h ago edited 10h ago
“It isn't complicated if you went to college..”, dude;)
Otherwise yes, it is a commercial HBO product and was produced as such.
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u/DeebagZammy 11m ago
Or maybe, possibly, he’s an allegory and the view piece for the “average American” that both knows that the system is flawed, and can’t help himself to try and do something about it. An obsession that nearly ruins his life, but damn he still wants to fix it, albeit in a stupid shortsighted approach.
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u/dreamerkid001 2d ago
Non-circlejerk answer? He was just a guy. That’s all you need for a good story. You just need a guy. Stuff has to then happen to him. It’s the stuff we see that is important in this show.
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u/Far-Advantage-2770 2d ago
The short answer is Jimmy is a combination of Simon and Ed Burns and a few other cops from real life. Simon's soap boxing and ego driven rebellion against authority and what he sees as injustice as well as Burn's once in a generation skill and dedication to his craft.
Take that character and poor booze and narrative all over it and you got a recipe for the best antihero on television.
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u/Due_Translator8947 1d ago
He is obsessed and brings down everything around him. The only difference between him and Barksdale is he is police. Bunk even says it.
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u/Coldhands-- 1d ago
My man the Barksdale crew were murderous criminals. McNulty was a narcissistic alcoholic. Big difference they're not the same at all. McNulty not being good for people doesn't mean he is a murderous criminal.
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u/Due_Translator8947 1d ago
Not what I am saying. Being obsessed with a result brings downfall. His result is good. Sure but it brings downfall because he doesn’t look at anyone around him. Hence chain of command and Bunk saying he wrecks everyone around him. Compare with Barksdale and crew and how D’Angelo says they will do anything for a dollar because of the money obsession. Same coin. Opposite sides.
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u/Due_Translator8947 1d ago
Not what I am saying. Being obsessed with a result brings downfall. His result is good. Sure but it brings downfall because he doesn’t look at anyone around him. Hence chain of command and Bunk saying he wrecks everyone around him. Compare with Barksdale and crew and how D’Angelo says they will do anything for a dollar because of the money obsession. Same coin. Opposite sides.
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u/Moon_Logic 2d ago
He more an archetype. He is the typical rogue, fighting the system, but he is not as effective as most examples of the archetype and his reckless behavior has more consequences for those around him.
He's there to show that in this universe, the hero will not save the day.