Bubbles Reflects On "The Wire's" End

By Caitlin A. Johnson

This winter, legions of fans of the cult hit HBO series "The Wire," will go into a period of deep mourning after the final episode of the gritty urban drama airs.

Fans of the Baltimore based show are devoted. They debate their favorite characters intentions and whether or not he is a good person. They deconstruct the circumstances that lead said character's demise and what it would take to earn redemption. They ponder what it all means.

"The Wire," created by David Simon, a former Baltimore Sun Reporter and Ed Burns, a former Baltimore cop, is too rich and complex to sum up in a sentence. It's about an American city, specifically Baltimore, which has been crippled by the crumbling shipping and steel industries. It's a city with a population of less than 10 percent of New York, but with more than half the murders.

"What David Simon and Ed Burns did that makes 'The Wire' stand out most of all was that Baltimore itself was probably our main character," actor Andre Royo told The ShowBuzz.

Royo's character, Bubbles, embodies the city's contradictions. Baltimore boasts one of the nicest waterfronts in the Northeast, but also some of the deadliest ghettos. Bubbles is a heroin junkie. His clothes are tattered and his face is scarred. He's far too thin and he's always looking for a scam to run so he can pay for his addiction. He settles into a gig as a police informant, making $30-a-day -- plus tips.

But Bubbles, said Royo, has a paternal side. He takes a HIV infected addict named Johnny under his wing and later a troubled teen named Sherrod, who eventually dies from an accidental overdose.

"There's a certain heart and a certain form of dignity that Bubbles has within himself," Royo said. "Bubbles really wanted to do good, it's just that he has this addiction he has to fight from time to time."

At the end of the fourth season, Bubbles tries to commit suicide because he blames himself for Sherrod's death. He has detoxed after receiving treatment. In the fifth season, the audience will be introduced to a clean Bubbles.

"When you've been a certain way for so long, and you walk outside with a new sense of reality, Bubbles has to find his way around and see how does he function," Royo said. "What does he do? What is his purpose if he's not high? 'Now that I'm clean what do I do,' that's the journey that you follow with Bubbles in the fifth season."

Royo says people often tell him that Bubbles' plight has changed their perspective.

"One day I was in Barnes & Noble buying a book for my daughter and a woman came up to me and she said that because of my character she doesn't look at homeless people the same," he said. "A lot of people realize in watching 'The Wire,' that, you know, it takes more than just good schooling, good parenting or good friends or positive attitude, it takes everything to nurture our kids."