Bunk Moreland

Last updated
William Moreland
The Wire character
Bunk Moreland.jpg
Wendell Pierce as Bunk Moreland
First appearance"The Target" (2002)
Last appearance"–30–" (2008)
Created by David Simon
Portrayed by Wendell Pierce
In-universe information
AliasBunk
GenderMale
TitleDetective
Occupation Baltimore Police Department Homicide unit detective
SpouseNadine
ChildrenThree (two sons, one daughter)

William "Bunk" Moreland is a fictional character in The Wire , played by Wendell Pierce. Bunk's character is based on a retired Baltimore detective named Oscar "The Bunk" Requer. [1] He is portrayed as a generally competent, if profane and curmudgeonly detective. [2] [3] Like his best friend Jimmy McNulty, he also has problems related to infidelity and alcohol abuse, although he is more mindful than McNulty of the department's chain of command.

Contents

Casting

According to series creator David Simon, Pierce was cast immediately after completing his audition for the part. In Jonathan Abrams' book All the Pieces Matter, about the process of making The Wire, Simon described Pierce's state of mind at the audition: "He was really pissed off. He had gotten in an argument with a cab driver. It was one of those sort of trying-to-hail-a-cab-while-black moments in New York, and he came in and he was steaming." [4]

Although he tried to apologize for being upset, the casting staff felt his attitude was perfect for a stressed-out Baltimore homicide detective. [4] Pierce was not aware of the rationale until much later. He described feeling somewhat indignant upon learning about it, but told Abrams, "The fact that I would bring it up in the middle of a major audition shows some gumption on my part." [4]

Lance Reddick, who was later cast as Cedric Daniels, was originally called in to audition for Moreland. [5]

Character storyline

Bunk attended Edmondson High School in West Baltimore, where he played lacrosse well enough to make the all-city team. He lives in Randallstown, a predominantly African-American suburb, with his wife Nadine and three children. Bunk worked as a patrolman in Baltimore's Southwestern District before becoming a homicide detective. He is a frequent cigar smoker, and habitual drinker.

Season 1

Bunk serves as Jimmy McNulty's lone ally in the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide Unit, informing him of its happenings while chiding him for getting involved in the Barksdale case. He is also the primary investigator for the murder of William Gant, who testified against D'Angelo Barksdale. Omar Little informs Bunk that the shooter is a Barksdale soldier called Bird and agrees to testify against Bird in court. Because of this, Bunk persuades his colleague Ray Cole not to arrest Omar for the murder of Stinkum, a Barksdale associate.

When Omar is at the police station, Bunk discovers they attended the same high school, beginning an ongoing association between the two. At Sergeant Jay Landsman's insistence, Bunk and McNulty review the Deirdre Kresson murder, which ultimately turns out to be related to the Barksdales and is solved as part of the final arrests of D'Angelo and Wee-Bey Brice.

Season 2

With McNulty having been bumped out to the Marine Unit, Bunk is partnered with Lester Freamon, and they are quickly recognized as the most efficient detectives in Homicide. Landsman assigns them to investigate the deaths of fourteen Jane Does in a shipping container at the Port of Baltimore. They are detailed with Officer Beadie Russell from the Port Authority, who initially found the bodies. Bunk and Freamon track down the ship which carried the container and holds it in port in Philadelphia to question the crew.

The crew feign ignorance of the English language, and the detectives let the ship go after learning that two crewmen jumped ship after Baltimore. Based on a few sparse facts, Bunk and Freamon deduce that the women were prostitutes being smuggled from overseas, that one of the girls was murdered by a sailor after refusing him sex, and the rest were killed for witnessing the crime. The murderer is one of the crewmen who fled, leaving the investigation at an impasse. Bunk and Freamon come under heavy criticism from Colonel William Rawls for releasing the ship without getting statements.

While working the port case, Bunk worries about the William Gant murder; State's Attorney Ilene Nathan threatens to drop the charges if the police cannot find Omar. Bunk repeatedly reminds McNulty, who eventually finds Omar with help from Greggs' confidential informant Bubbles. Omar testifies, and Bird is imprisoned for a maximum term. Later, Bunk and Russell return to Philadelphia and find video evidence implicating Sergei Malatov, whose testimony leads to the solving of the Jane Doe murders and aids the Major Crimes Unit's investigation into stevedore union treasurer Frank Sobotka.

Season 3

When the city deals with five homicides in one night, Bunk must leave his son with McNulty at an Orioles game. Bunk quickly recognizes the scene of Omar's drug robberies and mistakenly believes one of the shootout victims, Tosha Mitchell, was a civilian. He continues to investigate her death even after Landsman, Rawls, and Colonel Raymond Foerster order him to find the stolen weapon of Kenneth Dozerman, who was shot and nearly killed in a failed drug bust led by Sergeant Ellis Carver. The brass consider the weapon's recovery a top priority, but Bunk thinks it is a frivolous use of his abilities.

Bunk meets with Omar and confronts him about the "innocent" victim. Omar informs Bunk that she was part of his crew and says he would never kill an innocent person. In response to Omar's statement that no one will talk to Bunk about the murder, and Tosha died in the game, Bunk makes Omar feel guilty about his negative influence on the world due to the collapse of West Baltimore. Bunk says that predators like Omar are all that still exist in their old neighborhood, which was once a community despite its hardships. To assuage this guilt, Omar finds Dozerman's gun and returns it to Bunk.

Later, Bunk is one of the investigators of Stringer Bell's murder. [6] Bunk realizes Omar was the shooter but does not close the case. Afterward, he tells McNulty that the city's homicide rate will probably reach 300 by New Year's, noticing how McNulty has slowed down on his consumption of alcohol.

Season 4

Bunk investigates the murder of Fruit, one of Marlo Stanfield's drug dealers. He is unable to find his main suspect, Curtis "Lex" Anderson. It becomes clear that Lex was murdered, but his body is not found and no leads are forthcoming.

At the same time, Bunk is surprised at McNulty's seemingly successful attempts to get his life back on track. Omar contacts Bunk after Chris Partlow frames Omar for killing an innocent woman in a convenience store robbery. Bunk initially ignores him, but Omar appeals to his sense of honor. Bunk tracks down new evidence proving the witness in Omar's case, Old Face Andre, lied, leading to Omar's release. In exchange, Bunk extracts a promise from Omar to never kill again.

In the process, Bunk also manages to make an enemy out of Crutchfield, the detective assigned to the Andre case. Freamon transfers back to Homicide and is partnered with Bunk again. Freamon manages to find Lex's body and, in the process, more than 20 other bodies, all of which are linked to Stanfield after Bunk gets key testimony from Lex's mother.

Season 5

Bunk and his colleagues in Homicide deal with budget cutbacks, including no overtime pay, until the city's financial situation resolves. The fiscal problems lead to the closure of the Major Case Unit and the reassignment of McNulty and assignment of Greggs to Landsman's squad. [7] [8] While investigating a probable overdose, McNulty tampers with the body and the crime scene to create the illusion of a serial killer, and Bunk leaves in disgust. [9] [10] Later, Bunk learns that McNulty is altering old case files in order to advance the deception. Bunk enlists Freamon to talk sense into McNulty, but this plan backfires when Freamon decides the plan could work and makes suggestions to improve it by sensationalizing the killer. [11] [12]

Bunk refocuses his attention on the Stanfield murders and delivers a report to Landsman that is placed immediately into a desk drawer. Landsman points out that Bunk is simply changing the date while submitting essentially the same report. Bunk angrily asserts that he is forced to repeat his requests as he is still waiting for the crime lab to process evidence. Bunk finally gets a DNA match on Partlow for the unrelated murder of Michael Lee's stepfather, but agrees to delay his case in order to allow the Stanfield wiretap to continue. He is last seen investigating a homicide with Greggs, engaging in jovial conversation similar to that he used to share with McNulty.

Related Research Articles

<i>The Wire</i> American crime drama television series (2002–2008)

The Wire is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by American author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. The Wire premiered on June 2, 2002, and ended on March 9, 2008, comprising sixty episodes over five seasons. The idea for the show started out as a police drama loosely based on the experiences of Simon's writing partner Ed Burns, a former homicide detective and public school teacher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy McNulty</span> Character from The Wire

James McNulty is a fictional character and the protagonist of the HBO drama The Wire, played by Dominic West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cedric Daniels</span> Character from The Wire

Cedric Daniels is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, portrayed by Lance Reddick. Daniels is well-regarded in the Baltimore Police Department for making his subordinates focus on decent police work and quality arrests. He occasionally has disagreements with higher-ranking officers but for the most part performs well, and has thereby gained a reputation as both a reliable commander and an above-average investigator within the force, in stark contrast to some of his superiors and peers, most of whom display varying degrees of corruption and unreliability.

"The Wire" is the sixth episode of the first season of the HBO original series The Wire, the titular episode of the series. The episode was written by David Simon from a story by David Simon and Ed Burns and was directed by Ed Bianchi. It originally aired on July 7, 2002.

"Old Cases" is the fourth episode of the first season of the HBO original series The Wire. The episode was written by David Simon from a story by David Simon and Ed Burns and was directed by Clement Virgo. It originally aired on June 23, 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kima Greggs</span> Character from The Wire

Shakima "Kima" Greggs is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actress Sonja Sohn. Greggs is a determined and capable police detective in the Baltimore Police Department. Openly lesbian, she often displays a hardened, cynical demeanor, and has had problems with infidelity, alcohol, and relationships. She plays a key role in all of her BPD details' main cases.

"Lessons" is the eighth episode of the first season of the HBO original series The Wire. The episode was written by David Simon from a story by David Simon and Ed Burns and was directed by Gloria Muzio. It originally aired on July 21, 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lester Freamon</span> Character from The Wire

Lester Freamon is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Clarke Peters. Freamon is a detective in the Baltimore Police Department's Major Crimes Unit. He is a wise, methodical detective whose intelligence and experience are often central to investigations throughout the series, particularly with respect to uncovering networks of money laundering and corruption. He sometimes serves as an avuncular figure to several of the characters.

"Sentencing" is the 13th episode and finale of the first season of the HBO original series The Wire. The episode was written by David Simon and Ed Burns and was directed by Tim Van Patten. It originally aired on September 8, 2002.

"Homecoming" is the sixth episode of the third season of the HBO original series The Wire. The episode was written by Rafael Alvarez from a story by David Simon & Rafael Alvarez and was directed by Leslie Libman. It originally aired on October 31, 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Rawls</span> Character from The Wire

William A. "Bill" Rawls is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor John Doman. Over the course of the series, Rawls ascends through the higher ranks of the Baltimore Police Department, eventually becoming Deputy Commissioner of Operations and, at the end of Season 5, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.

Jay Landsman (<i>The Wire</i>) Fictional character

Jay Landsman is a semi-fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire based upon the real life Baltimore City police officer Jay Landsman. The fictional character of Jay Landsman is portrayed by actor Delaney Williams.

"Final Grades" is the 13th and last episode of the fourth season of the HBO original series The Wire. Written by David Simon from a story by David Simon & Ed Burns and directed by Ernest Dickerson, it originally aired on December 10, 2006. With a running time of 78 minutes, it is the second longest episode of the whole series and received critical acclaim.

Maurice Levy (<i>The Wire</i>) Character from The Wire

MauriceJ. "Maury" Levy is a fictional character in the HBO drama The Wire, played by Michael Kostroff. He is a skilled defense attorney and was kept on retainer by the Barksdale Organization, later by Proposition Joe and ultimately by the Stanfield Organization. He represented members of his clients' organizations at various criminal trials, advising them on defense strategy on charges ranging from drug trafficking, murder, and criminal possession of a weapon to parole negotiation. He also acted and advised for Barksdale Organization's front organizations and Stringer Bell's real estate business. Levy is corrupt and unscrupulous, willing to aid his clients in furtherance of their criminal activity.

The Baltimore Police Department plays an integral part in The Wire.

Law enforcement is an integral part of the HBO drama series The Wire. The show has numerous characters in this field and their roles range from those enforcing the law at street level up to those setting laws citywide. The Baltimore City Police Department has been explored in detail from street level characters to the upper echelons of command. The show has also examined those setting laws in city politics and touched upon the FBI, the correctional system and the family of police officers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhonda Pearlman</span> Character from The Wire

Rhonda Pearlman is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actress Deirdre Lovejoy. Pearlman has been the legal system liaison for all of Lieutenant Cedric Daniels' investigations on the show. Later in the series, she begins a relationship with Cedric Daniels.

"Unconfirmed Reports" is the second episode of the fifth season of the HBO original series The Wire. The episode was written by William F. Zorzi from a story by David Simon & William F. Zorzi and was directed by Ernest Dickerson. It originally aired on 13 January 2008.

"Transitions" is the fourth episode of the fifth season of the HBO original series The Wire. The episode was written by Ed Burns from a story by David Simon & Ed Burns and was directed by Dan Attias, who won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Drama Series for the episode. It first aired on January 27, 2008.

"Took" is the seventh episode of the fifth season of the HBO original series The Wire. The episode was written by Richard Price from a story by David Simon & Richard Price and was directed by cast member Dominic West. It aired on February 17, 2008.

References

  1. ↑ Simon, David (2006) [1991]. "Post Mortem". Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets (4th ed.). Owl Books. p.  641. ISBN   0-8050-8075-9. Rick 'The Bunk' Requer left to man the department's retirement services bureau, though his homicide incarnation lives on in Wendell Pierce's portrayal of the legendary Bunk Moreland on The Wire, right down to the ubiquitous cigar.
  2. ↑ "Wendell Pierce AKA Bunk From 'The Wire' Was Arrested Assault". Complex.
  3. ↑ "Smacketology Day Five". Grantland.
  4. 1 2 3 Abrams, Jonathan (2018). All the Pieces Matter: The Inside Story of The Wire. New York: Crown Archetype. pp. 13–14. ISBN   978-0-451-49814-4. OCLC   1008768023.
  5. ↑ Abrams 2018, p. 20.
  6. ↑ "Org Chart - The Law". HBO. 2004. Retrieved 2006-07-22.
  7. ↑ Joe Chappelle (director), David Simon (story and teleplay), Ed Burns (story) (2008-01-06). "More with Less". The Wire. Season 5. Episode 1. HBO.
  8. ↑ "The Wire episode guide - episode 51 More with Less". HBO. 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-22.
  9. ↑ Ernest Dickerson (director), William F. Zorzi (story and teleplay), David Simon (story) (2008-01-13). "Unconfirmed Reports". The Wire. Season 5. Episode 2. HBO.
  10. ↑ "The Wire episode guide - episode 52 Uncomfirmed Reports". HBO. 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-01-17. Retrieved 2008-01-22.
  11. ↑ Scott and Joy Kecken (directors), Chris Collins (story and teleplay), David Simon (story) (2008-01-20). "Not for Attribution". The Wire. Season 5. Episode 3. HBO.
  12. ↑ "The Wire episode guide - episode 53 Not for Attribution". HBO. 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-22.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.