Ranking Characters Of The Wire: The Law

Prez went on quite the dramatic journey throughout The Wire. Initially introduced as a poor detective with an itchy trigger finger and a general unlikability. Prez proved early on that he shouldn't be allowed to do field work after he drunkenly blinds a teenager with his service weapon early in Season One. Confined to the basement, Prez was insufferable before he found his talents in wire tapping and paper chasing.

Prez slowly became an invaluable member of the team as he committed himself to good police work and focusing on the little details within each case. Sadly for Prez, in a moment where he found himself back on the streets, he accidentally shoots and kills an undercover detective. Due to the cop being black, Prez's (at least subconscious) racial prejudice is called into question and he leaves the force profoundly ashamed and full of regret.

This is where Prez really began to shine though, as he became a teacher at a city school in Baltimore. Prez's arc concerning his relationship gradually building with the kids in his class is incredibly powerful and well played. Despite his rocky road getting to this point, Prez becomes one of the most moralistic characters on The Wire as he attempts to improve the lives of the children he's looking after. His time in the school is some of the very best of the whole show.