Bunk Moreland
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| William Moreland | |
|---|---|
 |
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| First appearance | The Target (episode 1.01) |
| Statistics | |
| Aliases | Bunk |
| Gender | Male |
| Age | 40s |
| Occupation | Detective in the homicide unit of the Baltimore Police department |
| Title | Detective |
| Spouse | Nadine |
| Children | Three, two sons, one daughter |
| Portrayed by | Wendell Pierce |
| Created by | David Simon |
William "Bunk" Moreland is a fictional African American Baltimore homicide detective played by Wendell Pierce on the television series The Wire. Originally from Edmondson High School in West Baltimore, Bunk was Jimmy McNulty's partner in homicide before he moved to the Barksdale detail, and they have remained friends and drinking buddies. He is the very picture of a genial epicure, dressing in pinstripes and smoking cigars. Nonetheless, he is serious about his work and is known for making sarcastic remarks during an investigation and for the use of the phrase, "BNBG" (Big Negro Big Gun) to describe an unknown suspect. He lives in Randallstown, MD, a predominantly Black suburb of Baltimore, MD, with a wife and three children. Off the job, Bunk has two weaknesses: infidelity and alcohol.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Season 1
In season one, he served as McNulty's lone ally in the homicide unit, keeping him apprised of the happenings there while chiding him for getting involved in the Barksdale case. When Omar Little killed Stinkum, Bunk's colleague Det. Cole was assigned to the case. At McNulty's request, Bunk persuaded Cole to hold off on arresting Omar (who was needed as a witness), saying that Cole could have him after the Barksdale case wrapped - a promise which McNulty had no intention of keeping.
When Omar was at the police department to help with the questioning of Barksdale soldier, Bird, Bunk discovered that they had gone to the same high school. This was the beginning of an on-going association between the two, in which Omar occasionally acted as an informant for Bunk.
Bunk and McNulty are friends and drinking partners off the job. Both men are alcoholics and are frequently unfaithful to their wives or loved ones, often covering for each other. McNulty once had to pick up a drunken Bunk from a woman's house after he locked himself in her bathroom. Bunk had burned his clothing so that his wife would be unable to find trace evidence of him having slept with another woman. Sometimes they drink competitively with the loser paying the bar tab.
He and McNulty reviewed the old Deirdre Kresson murder and the William Gant murder, building cases against Barksdale soldiers Wee-Bey and Bird, respectively. At the end of season one, he was partnered with Lester Freamon, after McNulty had been demoted to harbor patrol.
[edit] Season 2
In season two, Bunk and Freamon were assigned the case of the fourteen dead girls found at the port. They worked it diligently, interrogating the crew of the ship which had carried the girls, but were unable to find any evidence. As they investigated the ship crew, every member aboard spoke a language other than English in the interrogation, frustrating Bunk and Freamon both, who lost their tempers with a Black seaman (whom Bunk derogatorily called "Kunta Kinte") whom they would not believe could not speak English.
Bunk also worried about the William Gant murder; state's attorney Ilene Nathan threatened to drop the charges if the police were unable to find the key witness, Omar. Bunk repeatedly reminded McNulty of this, and eventually McNulty was able to find Omar, with Bubbles' help.
Later Bunk was temporarily assigned to Daniels' detail for the Sobotka investigation. He and Freamon persuaded Daniels to fight to bring McNulty back to the unit, in spite of Rawls' dislike of the rebellious former detective. At the end of the season, Bunk and Beadie Russell returned to the port where the ship had last docked, finding video evidence which led to the solution of the fourteen murders. Once the Sobotka case was finished, he returned to homicide.
[edit] Season 3
In season 3, Bunk was tasked with finding a stolen weapon of an injured officer, Dozerman, who was nearly killed in a failed drug bust led by Sergeant Ellis Carver. He was constantly pressured from his superior officer Sergeant Jay Landsman, Colonel Raymond Foerster and Deputy Commissioner William Rawls to find the gun despite several homicides that he was also investigating. Throughout the season, he suspected Omar Little of being involved in various shootings and at one point privately told him to back down. Bunk and Detective Vernon Holley were the investigators of Stringer Bell's murder, during which Bunk used his favorite phrase, "BNBG" to describe witness Andy Krawczyk's recollection of the murderer. [1]
[edit] Season 4
In season 4, Bunk is again partnered with Lester Freamon as they investigate the disappearance of minor drug dealer Lex, who had been killed by Snoop and Partlow on Marlo Stanfield's orders. It becomes clear to Bunk that Lex was murdered, but no leads are forthcoming. At the same time, Bunk shows surprise and skepticism towards McNulty's seemingly successful attempts to get his life back on track.
Omar Little is interrogated by Bunk after Partlow frames him for murdering a delivery woman in Old Face Andre's convenience store. Bunk initially pays little heed to Omar's claims of innocence and warnings that the other prisoners will kill him before he can appear in court, but Bunk feels uneasy when Omar reminds him that if he has any doubts, that means the true killer is still on the streets. Bunk secures a safer placement for Omar and intercedes in the murder case, which Detectives Holley and Crutchfield have already considered closed. The two are furious, but Bunk convinces Holley to return with him to Andre's store. Bunk questions Andre further and finds holes in his story, deducing that the store's main function is as a stash house. He later serves Andre with a grand jury summons. When Omar is released, Bunk reaffirms his suspicions that Omar had killed others, including Stringer Bell, and extracts from him a promise to never kill again.
Bunk then assists Lester Freamon in discovering the dead bodies that Marlo Stanfield's crew has dropped finding the body of Lex in an abandoned row house. Freamon notices the nails used in the boarding up the house and claims that any more houses with these exact nails will yield a dead body. Bunk and Sgt. Landsman are both unhappy about searching more houses for bodies but then Cedric Daniels, the C.I.D. colonel follows through with Freamon's wishes and orders all patrolmen in the Western to search every abandoned row house with a nail that matches Freamon's description. As a result more bodies are found dramatically increasing the city's homicide rate causing Bunk to investigate Lex's people as to getting testimony against Marlo Stanfield. As no witnesses are found implicating Stanfield, a new investigation detail is set up in hopes of bringing down Marlo Stanfield.
[edit] References
- ^ Org Chart - The Law. HBO (2004). Retrieved on 2006-07-22.
