subject: Jimmy McNulty - Inside HBO's The Wire [print this page] Jimmy McNulty - Inside HBO's The Wire Jimmy McNulty - Inside HBO's The Wire
His Role: An impulsive, arrogant, and prideful detective with a disdain for authority and the "chain of command", McNulty is nevertheless one of the brightest detectives on the force. His police work and intuition are usually key in solving many of the big narcotics cases that take place over the course of the series.
Throughout most of the series Jimmy's personal life is in shambles as he struggles with alcoholism, frequent affairs & one-night stands, difficulty making his child support payments, and more.
Played By: Dominic West. (Interesting Fact - Dominic is British and puts on an American accent for the show).What Seasons: Jimmy is in seasons 1 - 5 (though his part in season 4 is incredibly diminished relative to the other seasons).Best Scene: The famed scene from season one when Jimmy and his partner Bunk Moreland examine the murder scene of a Jane Doe twenty year old female victim using only expletives.My Favorite Line: "What the *bleep* did I do?" McNulty says that multiple times throughout the show. The terrific thing about the line is that usually he knows precisely what he's done :-).Best Foil / Rival: Stringer. From the very start of the first season, Stringer and McNulty are at one another - each one trying to outsmart and get the better of the other. Whether it is meetings at the court house or at the supermarket, their interactions are always interesting and it's obvious that regardless of their hatred for the other, there exists a mutual respect for the other's intelligence.From The Critics: McNulty is seen by a lot of critics as the principal character in The Wire... but in a very atypical way. He isn't the protagonist, but in reality more of an "anti-hero" (as described by Shelly of The Guardian). McNulty is smart, charming, and has excellent relationships with his peers (though definitely not with his superiors); at the same time, he is also rather immature and impulsive. We root for him in the show, but we also loathe him for many of the things he does. Superbly fashioned and wonderfully played, Jimmy McNulty is not simply one of the most popular characters in The Wire - he is one of its finest.
