Jimmy McNulty

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For other persons of the same name, see James McNulty.
James McNulty
The Wire Jimmy McNulty.jpg
First appearance "The Target" (episode 1.01)
Last appearance "–30–" (episode 5.10)
Cause/reason End of series
Created by David Simon
Portrayed by Dominic West
Episode count 56
Information
Aliases Jimmy, McNutty
Gender Male
Age 30s
Occupation Major Crimes Detective
Title Detective
Spouse(s) Elena McNulty (ex-wife), Beadie Russell (girlfriend)
Children Sean McNulty, Michael McNulty

Detective James "Jimmy" McNulty is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by British actor Dominic West. McNulty is an Irish American detective in the Baltimore Police Department. While he has proven to be a canny and tenacious detective, he is disliked by several of his superiors because of his disdain for authority and tendency to circumvent the chain of command to set up investigations. When off the job, he has frequent problems involving alimony, alcoholism, child support, relationships, and money. McNulty nevertheless manages to play the role as one of the more competent officers in several of the largest drug-related arrests that take place within Baltimore.

Contents

[edit] Biography

McNulty grew up in the Lauraville neighborhood of Baltimore. His father worked for Bethlehem Steel before being laid off. McNulty joined the police department after a year of college at Loyola College in Maryland in Baltimore as a means of supporting his pregnant girlfriend Elena, whom he later married. His first few years on the force proved him to be a very effective patrolman in the western district under the command of Major Colvin. After assisting Detective Ray Cole in solving a homicide (Cole had arrested the wrong man), he was promoted to detective and assigned to the homicide unit, where he was partnered with Bunk Moreland.

[edit] Season One

Before the beginning of the series, McNulty began to notice that Avon Barksdale was building his territory in the drug trade, and had successfully beaten several murder prosecutions. McNulty becomes responsible for the formation of the Barksdale detail following the trial of D'Angelo Barksdale, who is found not guilty after a witness changes her story in court. In the Judge's chambers, McNulty is frank about his observations and the lack of investigation so far, prompting Judge Phelan to bring it up to Deputy Commissioner Ervin Burrell. Major Rawls is furious with him for going around the chain of command. McNulty tells Bunk that he hopes this investigation will lead to a case that means something to him. Jay Landsman asks McNulty what assignment he would find least desirable, and McNulty says that he finds the diesel fumes in the Marine Unit intolerable.

Due to McNulty, a case unit initially consisting of Narcotics Lieutenant Cedric Daniels and his squad of Kima Greggs, Ellis Carver, and "Herc" Hauk is formed. Deputy Burrell then urges the majors and shift lieutenants to send additional detectives for the investigative detail. As Burrell had given the department the idea that the case was unwanted, most of the additional manpower were rejected by their commanders and dumped onto Daniels as a message to make a quick case not focusing on quality police work. From Homicide, Rawls dumps McNulty and Detective Santangelo into Daniels' case squad, as both detectives have proved somewhat undesirable there. Daniels and McNulty argue about how to handle the case at their first meeting; McNulty, after seeing an FBI drug sting, suggests surveillance and wiretaps, while Burrell has ordered Daniels to provide a fast case with buy busts, to appease Phelan. Soon after the investigation begins, McNulty learns that Daniels had been investigated for having questionable liquid assets from his friend in the FBI, Special Agent Fitzhugh. McNulty's relationship with Daniels continues to be complicated by their mutual distrust.

The detail is assigned assistant state's attorney Rhonda Pearlman as a prosecutor, with whom McNulty is having a casual relationship. McNulty is officially separated from his wife, who limits his contact with his two sons, Sean and Michael. While with them one afternoon, McNulty spots Stringer Bell in public, and sends his sons to tail him and get his license plate number. When Elena finds out, she seeks an emergency order to stop him from seeing his sons. She is also angry that he continues to see Pearlman casually.

Working on the Barksdale detail, McNulty becomes friends with Lester Freamon, who also has been assigned to a dead-end job for defiance. Freamon often tries to temper McNulty's aggressive attitude towards Daniels. Frustrated that Barksdale's dealers don't use cell phones, they decide to clone the dealers' pagers instead. They also work together on Daniels' conscience, convincing him to allow them to do better police work and look deeper.

With the help of Kima Greggs, McNulty tracks down the elusive Omar Little, gaining his respect and cooperation. Omar agrees to testify against "Bird" Hilton. His assistance also leads to McNulty inadvertently solving a case for Santangelo, who in turn reveals that he is a mole for Rawls, and that Rawls will fire McNulty if he can find any way to justify it. Kima introduces McNulty to her CI Bubbles. When she is shot in a buy-bust sting operation gone wrong, McNulty takes it particularly hard, though everybody (even Rawls) assures him it is not his fault. McNulty has a frank discussion with Daniels in which he admits that the Barksdale case is really just a chance for him to show how clever he is and how messed up the department is. Daniels tells him that everyone has known this all along but that the case has taken on meaning for those involved.

The detail succeeds in arresting Wee-Bey Brice for shooting Kima, "Bird" Hilton for murdering a states' witness, and both D'Angelo and Avon Barksdale. McNulty nearly convinces D'Angelo to testify against Avon but, ultimately, D'Angelo takes a twenty-year sentence instead. When the Barksdale investigation closes, Rawls reassigns McNulty to the marine unit, based on information from Landsman.

[edit] Season Two

McNulty is bored at his new job in the Marine Unit, where he is partnered with Claude Diggins. While on harbor patrol, he spots the body of a dead girl in the water. When Rawls argues the case is not in his jurisdiction, McNulty gets some revenge, spending three hours poring over wind and tide charts to prove it was. When Beadie Russell finds thirteen dead bodies in a shipping container on the Baltimore docks, McNulty again intervenes and, with the help of city medical examiner Doc Frazier, shows that they too lay within Rawls' jurisdiction. The case is given to Bunk and Freamon, who thus grow angry with McNulty.

To make amends, McNulty promises to discover the identity of the murdered girl. Despite his best efforts, he cannot do so. Bunk Moreland is also after him to find Omar, who is needed to testify against Bird. McNulty coerces Bubbles into looking for the elusive stick-up man, and Omar testifies successfully.

McNulty signs an agreement that he will pay alimony, believing it unnecessary because he can still reconcile his marriage. He decides to give up alcohol and detective work, two main reasons for its failure. He even breaks it off entirely with Pearlman. When Elena confirms the marriage is over, he grows despondent, and drinks more heavily than ever.

When Daniels' unit is recreated to investigate Frank Sobotka, a vengeful Rawls refuses to allow Daniels to have McNulty. McNulty seems to accept this with good grace, but tries to help the detail unofficially. Daniels persuades Rawls to let McNulty return to the unit by taking on the murders of the fourteen girls. Appropriately, McNulty's first assignment is to go undercover as a john visiting a local whorehouse, a task he enjoys greatly, much to the amusement of his colleagues. He also flirts with Beadie Russell, who has been assigned to Daniels' detail, though he seems to shy away from a relationship.

While on surveillance, McNulty watches Spiros Vondas, an associate of the shady figure known as The Greek, send a text message. He reasons that the time and location could be used to retrieve it from the phone company's databases; it is from this message that the detail learn that the Greek had shut down his operations.

After McNulty learns from Bubbles that Stringer Bell and Proposition Joe are sharing territory, he begins investigating them on his own time, convinced that he can gather enough evidence to prompt Daniels to focus MCU's attention on Bell once again.

[edit] Season Three

McNulty returns to a detective position when the Major Case Unit is formed in season three, but is disappointed that their target is not Stringer Bell. He begins looking into the Barksdales anyway, finding out about D'Angelo's alleged suicide and Avon's early release. Investigating D'Angelo's death, he quickly realizes it was no suicide, though he cannot prove anybody's culpability.

McNulty reconnects with his old commanding officer from the beginning of his career, Major Colvin, to set up the Barksdale organization as the Major Crimes Unit's primary target. McNulty circumvents the chain of command again to set up an investigation of Barksdale, as Daniels is not interested in the quality of the unit's assigned case targets, blaming his rank in the department for his lack of case target interests. Angered by McNulty's back burning attitude, Daniels tells McNulty, "When the cuffs go on Stringer, you need to find a new home, you're done in this unit!" Even Freamon thinks McNulty should be more loyal to Daniels.

McNulty begins a relationship with political consultant Theresa D'Agostino, but he realizes that she is only interested in him physically. He eventually grows dissatisfied and feels less fulfilled. Largely due to Freamon's work, the Unit implicates Stringer Bell, but he is murdered before McNulty can arrest him. After Avon is arrested, Daniels reevaluates his decision to get rid of McNulty, but McNulty realizes he has no life outside his work. He is transferred to patrol in the western district, which he remembers as the happiest time of his life, and begins a relationship with Beadie Russell.[1]

[edit] Season Four

McNulty's role was drastically scaled down in the fourth season. The character moved in with Russell and her two children, and is enjoying his life as a patrolman in the Western district alongside Sergeant Ellis Carver. His beat includes the corner Bodie Broadus is working on behalf of Marlo Stanfield. McNulty is requested by both Major Daniels and Administrative Lieutenant Mello to do investigative work in the district but he declines. Mello remains disappointed while Daniels realizes that McNulty has improved his behavior while working as a patrolman. However, like the other Western officers, McNulty doesn't take an anti-terrorism lecture seriously, the officers' point being that any terrorist group would have their work cut out for them attempting to "fuck up the Western" to the extent that it could be noticed as any more messed up than it already was. Indeed, Bunk observes that McNulty has made a gift of the folders containing the files from the lecture to Russell's kids, after throwing away the papers. Though other officers make arrests for statistical purposes, he focuses on quality arrests. This is exemplified by the arrest of two burglars who were stealing from churches. In the process he mentors Officer Baker, a younger patrol officer in the Western, whom he and Bunk Moreland end up referring to as "good police." He also significantly reduces his drinking, sometimes resolving to stay sober. Bunk and Freamon are amazed and slightly dismayed at how much Jimmy has changed, and Elena expresses regret for having left him, saying "if I would have known you'd grow up to be a grown-up." McNulty soon begins to miss the Major Case Squad, and quietly begins getting closer to Bodie, hoping to turn him into an informant against Marlo. After "Monk" Metcalf sees Bodie with McNulty, Bodie is killed as a precaution. McNulty feels guilty, and rejoins the Major Case Unit, much to the delight of Freamon and Daniels.

[edit] Season Five

Season Five opens with McNulty returning to old habits after a frustrating year-long investigation of the vacant murders yielded no results. When the Major Crimes Unit is closed down, McNulty is despondent, telling himself that he was talked into rejoining the unit by Command's promises of departmental reform. McNulty is transferred back to Homicide and his frustration manifests in heavy drinking and womanizing despite his relationship with Russell.[2][3]

McNulty faces further frustration in the Homicide Unit when he cannot obtain a working vehicle to get to an accidental death scene. Waiting at the morgue, he finds Baltimore County homicide detectives Nancy Porter and Kevin Infante arguing with a new medical examiner. Porter explains that they were assigned an accidental death and the paramedics grabbed the decedent's neck to move him from behind a toilet. The medical examiner noticed signs of strangulation and intends to rule the death a homicide. McNulty is amazed that post-mortem strangulation is indistinguishable from strangulation which causes death. McNulty is drinking heavily on the job when assigned another probable overdose case with Bunk. McNulty disrupts the crime scene to make it seem that a struggle occurred. Bunk is outraged but McNulty continues, choking the decedent, and stating that there is a "serial killer" in Baltimore. Bunk leaves; he wants no part of McNulty's actions. McNulty repositions the body to encourage bruising that indicates strangulation.[4][5]

McNulty then searches for old cases to link to his fake strangulation to create the impression of a serial killer. He finds an old strangulation of a homeless man investigated by late detective Ray Cole, and doctors the case file to create connections to his own murder. McNulty also finds a strangulation of a homeless man investigated by Frank Barlow and notices a red ribbon tied around the victim's wrists. McNulty inserts mention of a red ribbon into the Cole case file and visits the morgue to tie a ribbon on his decedent's wrist. McNulty's decedent is ruled a death by strangulation by the medical examiner. After Landsman ignores these "serial murders," McNulty approaches Alma Gutierrez of The Baltimore Sun to generate publicity for them. His plan fails, however, when the story is relegated to the middle of the paper instead of the front page. Bunk repeatedly warns McNulty that his path leads to self-destruction; Lester, however, approves of McNulty's project and suggests that it needs sensationalism to succeed. McNulty continues to drink heavily and cheats on his domestic partner Beadie Russell.[6][7]

McNulty and Freamon collaborate to enhance the appeal of their serial killer story. McNulty finds that most dead homeless men are concentrated in the Southern District at night time. Freamon puts McNulty in touch with his old patrol partner Oscar Requer who agrees to notify them of dead homeless men in the district. Freamon also devises a plan to show maturation in their serial killer's pattern and acquires dentures to create bite marks on the victim.

McNulty and Freamon canvass an area where the homeless gather at night. McNulty doubts that actual canvassing is needed on their false case. Freamon believes it will make their reports verifiable and protect them from the potential consequences of their plan. McNulty complains Landsman barely noticed his work on the case, but Freamon reminds him that if their plan works, the case will attract more interest and sloppiness could be their downfall.

McNulty returns home to a confrontation with his domestic partner Russell. She criticizes his behavior and drinking, which he claims is due to the case he is working. She reminds him of the strength of their relationship and says she used to disbelieve those who warned of his self destructive behavior. When McNulty tells Russell that he must respond to another call because he is chasing a serial killer, she says he is chasing more than that - referencing his philandering. She warns him not to return if he does not want to be there.

McNulty attends a further death with Freamon on Requer's tip. McNulty fakes another homicide and mutilates the decedent to show bite marks and defensive wounds.[8] When investigating the "homeless killer", McNulty and detective Greggs travel to Quantico, Virginia for FBI assistance. McNulty realizes its a waste of time because he and Freamon have provided the police department with false information on the killer. Furthermore McNulty has been voicing the killer all along giving the FBI the only means of tracking it. After doing the voice analysis, the FBI describes the homeless killer to McNulty and Greggs yielding a near pinpoint description of McNulty.

"The suspect is most likely a white male in his late twenties to late thirties, who is not a college graduate, but feels superior to those with advanced education, and is likely employed in a bureaucratic entity, possibly civil or public service. He has a problem with authority and a deep-seated resentment for those that have impeded his progress professionally. The sexual nature of the killings is thought to be a secondary motivation and the lack of DNA or saliva in the bite marks suggests possible postmortem staging. He may be struggling with lasting relationships and potentially a high functioning alcoholic with alcohol being used as a trigger in the crimes. The suspect’s apparent resentment of the homeless may indicate a previous personal relationship with a homeless person or the targeting may simply be an opportunity for the killer to assert his superiority and intellectual prowess."

With his worst aspects of himself spelled out, McNulty is visibly surprised during the description. Thoroughly defined by other law enforcement agents, he realizes that his fabrication will eventually be discovered. McNulty confesses to Greggs who informs Deputy Commissioner for Operations Cedric Daniels. Angered that the serial killer was made up, Daniels and Pearlman meet with Acting Commissioner Bill Rawls, State's Attorney Rupert Bond, and the Mayor's office who are equally upset. Daniels and Rawls confront McNulty, informing him that this will be his last CID case.

He starts by solving a new crime in the 'serial killer case'. A homeless man he met on his previous canvas had apparently decided to settle old scores using the modus operandi of McNulty's homeless menace. McNulty brings this, his final criminal, to justice. After attending a wake (of sorts) in his and Lester's honor (as they have been told they will never again be allowed to work a case that will go to court – resulting in Freamon retiring), McNulty leaves the bar and his friends, suggesting an attempt to reconcile with Russell. The show closes with a montage of McNulty looking at the city of Baltimore, revealing the fates of some characters. Fittingly, the show ends as it began, on this seminal character deeply involved in his city's troubles.

[edit] Critical response and analysis

Jim Shelley of The Guardian has described the character as "irresistibly charming, a classic anti-hero; a modern-day Rockford."[9] Entertainment Weekly said that the character was exemplary of the funky feel of the show citing his naturalistic dialogue, soulful voice and easy rapport with his African-American work partners.[10] The role of McNulty's character has been described as defying genre conventions - although his actions drive several plot points he is not exactly the central character implied by the show's opening or promotional material.[11] Flak Magazine also picked McNulty as a central character - they commented on the uncommon experience of having the main character fit to a standard police character archetype ("He has poor impulse control. He's personally fearless and outspoken, and he bangs babes like a hunchback rings bells…") but also exposing the archetype as self destructive and emotionally immature.[12] Salon.com described McNulty as "The heart, soul and oft-impaired nervous system of "The Wire"", again selecting him as a central character. Salon also chose McNulty's pride as his main character trait - they described this aspect of his personality as being the thing which gives him his success as an investigator and his failure in most other aspects of his life.[13] Entertainment Weekly picked McNulty as offering one of the show's most wicked ironies, he is one of the characters you would expect to be on the side of law and order as a police detective but they describe him as a "boozing cop who pisses on authority and order."[14]

[edit] Origins

David Simon, the character's creator, has described his goal of presenting McNulty as ambiguous in his motivations. Based on his experiences with real detectives, he feels that most crime dramas present their police characters with the inherent falsehood that they care deeply about the victims in the cases they are investigating. Simon states that in his experience a good detective is usually motivated by the game of solving the crime—he sees the crime as an "insult to his intellectual vanity" and this gives him motivation to solve it.[15]

The character was originally named Jimmy McArdle but executive producer Robert F. Colesberry suggested renaming him to Jimmy McNulty (after his maternal grandmother) because no one liked the name. Dominic West's original audition tape for the part was recorded with him as the sole actor leaving spaces for the lines that would be spoken back to him. The producers were amused by the tape and agreed that they had to give him an audition.[16]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Org Chart - The Law". HBO. 2004. http://www.hbo.com/thewire/orgchart/law.shtml. Retrieved 2006-07-22. 
  2. ^ "More with Less". Joe Chappelle, Writ. David Simon (story and teleplay), Ed Burns (story). The Wire. HBO. 2008-01-06. No. 1, season 5.
  3. ^ "The Wire episode guide - episode 51 More with Less". HBO. 2008. http://www.hbo.com/thewire/episode/season5/episode51.shtml. Retrieved 2008-01-22. 
  4. ^ "Unconfirmed Reports". Ernest Dickerson, Writ. William F. Zorzi (story and teleplay), David Simon (story). The Wire. HBO. 2008-01-13. No. 2, season 5.
  5. ^ "The Wire episode guide - episode 52 Uncomfirmed Reports". HBO. 2008. http://www.hbo.com/thewire/episode/season5/episode52.shtml. Retrieved 2008-01-22. 
  6. ^ "Not for Attribution". Joy Kecken & Scott Kecken, Writ. Chris Collins (story and teleplay), David Simon (story). The Wire. HBO. 2008-01-20. No. 3, season 5.
  7. ^ "The Wire episode guide - episode 53 Not for Attribution". HBO. 2008. http://www.hbo.com/thewire/episode/season5/episode53.shtml. Retrieved 2008-01-22. 
  8. ^ "Transitions". Dan Attias, Writ. Ed Burns (story and teleplay), David Simon (story). The Wire. HBO. 2008-01-27. No. 4, season 5.
  9. ^ Jim Shelley (2005). "Call The Cops". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguide/tvradio/story/0,14676,1542359,00.html. Retrieved 2006-07-12. 
  10. ^ "Wire Power". Entertainment Weekly. 2002. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,264531~3~~wire,00.html. Retrieved 2007-10-03. 
  11. ^ Jon Garelick (2004). ""A man must have a code" - listening in on The Wire.". Boston Phoenix. http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/arts/tv/documents/04139983.asp. Retrieved 2006-07-12. 
  12. ^ James Norton (2005). "The Wire vs. The Sopranos". Flak magazine. http://www.flakmag.com/tv/wire.html. Retrieved 2006-07-12. 
  13. ^ Dan Kois (2004). "Everything you were afraid to ask about "The Wire"". Salon.com. http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/feature/2004/10/01/the_wire/index.html?pn=4. Retrieved 2006-07-12. 
  14. ^ Gillian Flinn (2004). "TV 2004 The 10 Best". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/0,6115,1009257_3_0_,00.html. Retrieved 2006-07-12. 
  15. ^ Ian Rothkerch (2002). ""What drugs have not destroyed, the war on them has"". Salon.com. http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/tv/int/2002/06/29/simon/index.html. Retrieved 2006-07-22. 
  16. ^ Alvarez, Rafael (2004). The Wire: Truth Be Told. New York: Pocket Books. 
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