Sam Hurd Vs. The Wire and Breaking Bad Pt. 1

            Sam Hurd was arrested on ridiculous drug charges and it became clear he was a high-level drug player in Chicago.  Shockingly, Hurd, (a wide-receiver in the NFL!!!!!), was as influential in the drug game as some fictional characters.  In honor of Sam Hurd, this article will rank the drug players from two terrific shows, The Wire and Breaking Bad.  There are some characters who aren’t on the list, either because they aren’t directly involved in the drug dealing (Saul Goodman/Omar) or because I just don’t like them.  The rankings are a mix of each character’s rank in their respective drug trade along with how boss they are.  If you think I left someone off the list or you think I ranked someone too low let me know in the comment section.  Warning: There are spoilers abound so if you haven’t finished one of the series, bookmark this page and read it when you finish.

#30) Cheese, The Wire- Cheese was one of my least favorite characters from The Wire.  For 5 seasons he walked around Baltimore like he owned the place.  Then he sold out his uncle and finally got what was coming for him.

#29) Krazy-8, Breaking Bad- Even though Walter White was in no serious danger of dying in the first episodes of Breaking Bad, the scenes with him and Krazy-8 in the basement were extremely tense.  Krazy-8’s scheme might have worked on someone like Jesse, but Walter was too smart for him and did him away with a bike lock.

#28) Skinny Pete, Breaking Bad- Skinny Pete isn’t particularly bad in anyway, he just isn’t particularly good either.  His most memorable moments on the show were introducing Jesse to Tuco and being robbed by two meth addicts.  Not quite a soldier.

#27) Ziggy, The Wire- Man, I really love Ziggy.  And the scene where he breaks down is one of the saddest in the series, but he was in over his head.  After he bought a duck you had to wonder, what is this guy doing?  Ziggy was too emotional for the game and eventually he just imploded.

#26) Combo, Breaking Bad- Combo had some redeeming qualities, he was loyal and a good dealer for the Jesse and Walt combination.  However, his mohawk bumps him down a few spots.  His death came as a shock to Jesse, and made him finally realize how deep in the game he had gotten.

#25) Poot, The Wire- Poot made it out alive, which is a feat of its own in the Baltimore drug trade.  When he was working in the Barksdale crew he was constantly being scolded for a lack of attention, which often stemmed from his girl obsession.  Eventually he got out of the game and worked at a foot locker.  Of course he did.

#24) Badger, Breaking Bad- The last of Jesse’s friends and easily the most lovable.  His big, amiable personality may not make him the best or most efficient drug dealer, but he sure does provide comic relief.  Like Poot’s job, Badger’s initial job spinning a big sign outside of a bank was perfect for his character.

#23) Prop Joe, The Wire- Proposition Joe is easily the most successful dealer on the list thus far.  Well, I guess the argument could be made for any of the people who are still alive, but within the game Prop Joe made moves.  For two seasons he tried to civilize Marlo and teach him the finer points of drug dealing.  He should have known Marlo couldn’t be civilized and would eventually use this information against him.

#23) Wallace, The Wire- Wallace was one of my favorite characters from The Wire and his death was one of the saddest from either series.  It was obvious from the first episodes that Wallace wasn’t made to be a drug dealer.  He was too nice, too smart and too sensitive.  He talked to the police, that’s a death sentence in West Baltimore if I’ve ever seen one.  (I have never seen one).

#22) Victor, Breaking Bad- One of Gus’ loyal henchmen who didn’t really do all that much.  He watched people cook meth a lot and served as an intimidating presence but didn’t pack the punch that other enforcers did.  His most memorable scene was his gruesome death at the hands of a box cutter.

#21) D’angelo, The Wire- Similar to Wallace, D’angelo’s main problem was having a conscience.  He often tried to puff out his chest and impress hoppers, but it was all an act.  Like they did with Wallace, Bodie and Stringer saw right through him. Although this delicate quality didn’t serve him well in the drug trade, it made him one of the most pleasant characters from The Wire.

#20) Tuco, Breaking Bad- Tuco was easily the craziest character from either show, in large part because he was usually on drugs.  A violent, unpredictable boss is not what Heisenberg wanted, but removing him from the equation proved to be costful for Walter and Jesse.

#19) Chris Partlow, The Wire- Marlo’s #2 man was definitely not to be taken lightly.  Quiet but dangerous he always took care of business; he put bodies in vacants.  His beatdown of Michael’s stepfather was especially cruel and passionate given Chris’ own experience with molestation.  He fell on his sword like a good #2 does.

#18) Wee-Bey, The Wire- Chris and Wee-Bey were parallel characters in two different drug gangs and so it was a fitting end when they met up in prison in the final episode.  I’ll remember Wee-Bey for recognizing his son, Namond, was not made out for the game and getting him out of it along with his charming affection for fish.

#17) The Cousins, Breaking Bad- Like many other characters, the cousins’ silent demeanor made them all the more frightening.  The cousins were patient, cunning and cold all exhibited in the wonderful “apple” scene.  Their confrontation with Hank was excruciatingly nerve-racking and when one of the cousins (no idea which one) tries to attack Walter in the hospital, with no legs, I was comforted by the fact that the cousins were trapped in a world of fiction.

#16) Slim Charles, The Wire- Muscle.  Slim Charles provided muscle for whoever needed it, but that’s not to say he wasn’t loyal.  He provided assurance for the Barksdale crew and later moves on to help out Proposition Joe.  After Joe is killed off, he proves his loyalty by killing Cheese and delivering one of the best lines of the series when he explains, “That was for Joe”.

Numbers fifteen through one will be coming later this week… until then enjoy this unashamed glorification of the drug trade.

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