After rewatching The Wire, I think it's safe to say Stringer>Avon.

[Thegospel]

Just wanna point out how amazing the character dynamics of this show is....how layered they are...how DEEP they go.

The Bodie/D'Angello relationship dynamic is one of the more underrated on the show. D caught in the middle, neither OG or young buck, but still expected to command respect from someone that see's right through him. Their character growth, when contrasted together, was so great to watch. From Bodie being unimpressed with D, to D lying to try and convince Bodie of his gangsta....and even their small but competitive interactions

D: You want something from carry out?

Bodie: Yeah, Lake Trout sub

D: Pay up

Bodie: Damn you asked I thought you was treating

D: Well you thought wrong, I ain't no bank

Bodie: Yeah, you stingy like one

D: Just make sure you give me enough

Bodie: No mayo, hot, and something to drank


It's little small interactions like that which makes it even more emotionally complicated when Bodie is tasked with getting flowers for the funeral.



He thought D was a weak ass nikka, and the scenes of him punking D illustrate that, but we needed scenes like the one above to make lines like "We wasn't all that tight but he was still my nikka" stick.

Been told nikkas the wire has GOAT dialogue. Most dudes too busy praising cac shows to appreciate though

 

[Thegospel]

And Brodie never punked D imo. D was verbally shyttin on him

 

[K-ZOE]

Oh and as for the topic of who was the better boss, I guess it depends on which perspective you look at it from. If your goal is making money and eventually going legit, you'd have to say Stringer. If your goal is your name ringing out in the streets and being feared, then it's Avon. However Avon's way made millions too. Those were the millions that had Stringer playing his "away games". Stringer saw past the streets and Avon couldn't until it was too late. Really the jail time between S1 and S3 for Avon fukked everything up. That was the start of the end. He came home with something to prove and was ready for war. Meanwhile unchecked, Stringer thought throwing on a suit was all needed to do to walk in a world he found out was as cutthroat as the one he was trying to leave. If they were available to check each other during that time, maybe they'd have been able to live the life Stringer envisioned during Avon's coming home party.

 

[dennis roadman]

low key that florist is one of the biggest hustlers in west bmore

levy got the suitcase, he got the flowers

 

[Verbal Kint]

Yea Bodie was cool and all but the point of his character was kind of that he was a regular cat in the game. He had intelligence and nuts and clearly is the type of cat that could've done something with his life given the chance (ala Namond) but he was caught in the game from a youngn. The stuff with him and D showed that he had a small worldview and only respected strength. D tried to school him on life in some ways but the only thing he respected was when D took 'credit' for Bey's body. He was smart enough to stay around for a while but after years he was still just running a corner when he got popped.

 

[Here Comes the Pain]

Yea Bodie was cool and all but the point of his character was kind of that he was a regular cat in the game. He had intelligence and nuts and clearly is the type of cat that could've done something with his life given the chance (ala Namond) but he was caught in the game from a youngn. The stuff with him and D showed that he had a small worldview and only respected strength. D tried to school him on life in some ways but the only thing he respected was when D took 'credit' for Bey's body. He was smart enough to stay around for a while but after years he was still just running a corner when he got popped.

Poot>>>>>>bodie

Poot espaced death so many times

 

[Family Man]

Just wanna point out how amazing the character dynamics of this show is....how layered they are...how DEEP they go.

The Bodie/D'Angello relationship dynamic is one of the more underrated on the show. D caught in the middle, neither OG or young buck, but still expected to command respect from someone that see's right through him. Their character growth, when contrasted together, was so great to watch. From Bodie being unimpressed with D, to D lying to try and convince Bodie of his gangsta....and even their small but competitive interactions

D: You want something from carry out?

Bodie: Yeah, Lake Trout sub

D: Pay up

Bodie: Damn you asked I thought you was treating

D: Well you thought wrong, I ain't no bank

Bodie: Yeah, you stingy like one

D: Just make sure you give me enough

Bodie: No mayo, hot, and something to drank


It's little small interactions like that which makes it even more emotionally complicated when Bodie is tasked with getting flowers for the funeral.



He thought D was a weak ass nikka, and the scenes of him punking D illustrate that, but we needed scenes like the one above to make lines like "We wasn't all that tight but he was still my nikka" stick.

Wired watching this scene because the florist passed away not too long ago.

 

[Sterling Archer]

See that's the type of thinking that Stringer was against. Who gives a damn about some crown when you're making far more money than you did when you had it? Everyone was benefiting. You're in this business to make money. Period.

Because when everyone is getting money, it becomes about power and liability. This is why Marlo deaded it. Marlo was in streets for the power and couldnt be controlled. This dynamic is something that Avon wouldve foresaw. And D wouldnt have folded. He wouldve done his time.

Stringer was nothing more than book smart without the strength or guile to operate in either worlds for a sustained period.

Exactly. he didnt have what it took to run shyt. Stringer would be food if not for Avon. Avon knew that. Thats why he said as much when they had their fight. It hit home and thats why Stringer told him about D in defense.

 

[Notorious 1 E.Y.E.]

string gave up the towers like it was nothing

 

[NinoBrown]

My favourite part about that scene is how the fat white dude reacts he pushes his neck and head into his jacket, like a turtle going into its shell

I found it deliciously ironic that he directly partook in ripping off Baltimore and contributing to the demise of the Black neighborhood and was deathly afraid of violence he indirectly caused.

Back to OP, Stringer could never survive the rigors of street life nor the treachery of politics. He had no respect from the business folks Clay was involved nor did Avon's crew really respect him (they did out of loyalty to Avon).

Stringer's problems were of his own design and those who were close to him saw that, that is hubris...


What I can say is that he did meet his demise quite bravely when it came his time, can't say the same for the rest of Mouzone and Omar's victims.

 

[TooLazyToMakeUp1]

It's pretty obvious Stringer's biggest mistake was Marlo but can you blame him? Everyone underestimated Stanfield, even Avon did at first.

It's good that everyone saw the benefits of the Co-Op though.

Yep



The Co-Op was the only reason New York got ran out of the city when Stringer died and Avon went to jail

They allowed Marlo into the fold, but they were initially just going to knock him off. New York was just the bigger issue at the time

Marlo was smarter than people like to give him credit for. It wasn't just luck

 

[The Devil's Advocate]

I found it deliciously ironic that he directly partook in ripping off Baltimore and contributing to the demise of the Black neighborhood and was deathly afraid of violence he indirectly caused.

Back to OP, Stringer could never survive the rigors of street life nor the treachery of politics. He had no respect from the business folks Clay was involved nor did Avon's crew really respect him (they did out of loyalty to Avon).

Stringer's problems were of his own design and those who were close to him saw that, that is hubris...


What I can say is that he did meet his demise quite bravely when it came his time, can't say the same for the rest of Mouzone and Omar's victims.

You know what's crazy about stringer. He could have pulled it off. He wasn't dumb. He was prideful

You know when he finally realized he fukked up. When that Jew lawyer told him the whole scam. Then he says "why didn't you come to me first"

At the party Marlo was at, he had the same lawyer and was told "don't ever talk to them without me there"


Had stringer simply went to the lawyer first, this shyt would have been deaded from jump and levy would have told them all to make real deals.

Stringer took his little class and figured he was smarter than everyone else. He thought he was smarter than Avon, mouzone, Omar, levy, Davis, Marlo. All of them. Like Avon said "they saw your ass coming a mile away"

 

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

Gotta Kill nikkas and dump em right there and then. Can't be moving dead bodies, that's how you get caught.

Oh thats how?

 

[Skip b]

Yep



The Co-Op was the only reason New York got ran out of the city when Stringer died and Avon went to jail

They allowed Marlo into the fold, but they were initially just going to knock him off. New York was just the bigger issue at the time

Marlo was smarter than people like to give him credit for. It wasn't just luck

Marlo was the reason New York got ran out

 

[Notorious 1 E.Y.E.]

Marlo was the reason New York got ran out

right
Snoop and Chris was running up on nikkas quizzing them on gogo music