HBO has made a series of prequels to
The Wire , which starts its fifth and final season on Sunday, January 6th. The prequels are on YouTube and feature some of
The Wire's most popular characters .
The one below features young Omar running the streets of Baltimore in 1985, at the launch of his stick-up career. For those of you who don't watch The Wire (shame on you), Omar grows up to become a Baltimore legend for robbing drug dealers. He insists he never puts his gun on anyone who isn't in "the game." Omar's also gay, which adds a layer to his character that both busts stereotypes and adds dimension to the way inner city life is typically portrayed. In this prequel, a young, scar-faced Omar stands by his convictions and begins to develop a code of ethics governing the streets. (This prequel is rated R for language!)
&
Go here to see the other prequels. One features Prop Joe in school, establishing his namesake, and the other shows Bunk and McNulty meeting for the first time. McNulty is the McNulty of old: cocky, brilliant, rebellious and boozy.
