Ranking Characters Of The Wire: The Law

Aside from a few choice exceptions, no one really likes Jimmy McNulty. The closest thing to a de facto main character The Wire had, McNulty was a chaotic detective in the Baltimore police that enjoyed angering his superiors and acting up within his unit.

McNulty is a skilled detective and possesses clear intelligence but he has a superiority complex that rubs people the wrong way as his ego continues to grow with each case he manages to solve. Despite forming friendships with Bunk and Kima, most detectives on the show loathe his attitude and tendency to create difficult situations for the homicide unit. He develops the most friction with superior officers such as Daniels and in particular, Rawls.

McNulty's obsession with solving cases creates a fraught personal life. He is a womaniser and adulterer, not to mention an alcoholic, and would be generally disagreeable to anyone he comes into contact with. Despite that, Dominic West plays the mischievous detective with an unbridled glee and excitement that makes him both iconic and enjoyable.

He would potentially have taken the top spot if he didn't trade his charisma for his frustrating smugness so heavily in the fifth and final season.