Bodie Broadus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Preston Broadus | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| First appearance | "The Target" (episode 1.01) |
| Last appearance | "Final Grades" (episode 4.13) |
| Cause/reason | Murdered by O-Dog |
| Created by | David Simon |
| Portrayed by | J.D. Williams |
| Information | |
| Aliases | Bodie |
| Gender | Male |
| Age | 20s (Deceased) |
| Occupation | Crew Chief |
| Family | grandmother; brother James, deceased |
Preston "Bodie" Broadus is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor J.D. Williams. Bodie is a Barksdale organization drug dealer who has slowly risen through the ranks over the show's run and is one of the few street characters to have had a starring role over the first four seasons.
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[edit] Biography
Preston "Bodie" Brodus was raised by his grandmother after his mother fell into addiction and homelessness, dying when he was a child. He grew up the hard way in Baltimore in an economy that would not support him, and was still a teenager when he began working with the Barksdales. He once briefly enrolled in Baltimore City Community College, but dropped out to return to his career on the street corners of Westside Baltimore.
[edit] Season 1
Bodie, aged 16, worked under D'Angelo Barksdale in the low rise projects known as "the pit", with his friends Poot and Wallace. He chafed under D'Angelo's soft style of leadership and often challenged his authority. When the pit's stash was robbed, he made a positive impression on Stringer Bell by noticing the name of the stick-up artist, Omar Little, and describing the van.
Bodie often displayed a quick, violent temper; he instigated the severe beating of drug addict Johnny Weeks, and later punched Detective Mahon while being searched. Bodie received a beating for this, from Detectives Greggs, Herc and Carver. He was arrested, but almost immediately after arriving at a juvenile detention facility, he walked out and stole a car, and was soon back in Baltimore dealing again. He became a personal target of Herc and Carver, who picked him up in the pit and gave him a second beating. However, while waiting for prisoner transfer, they softened towards him over a game of pool. The Barksdale organization's lawyer, Maurice Levy, soon convinced a judge to release Bodie. Herc and Carver were incredulous at this, but when they realized he had legitimately beaten the charges against him (thanks to Levy), they relented.
Later, Bodie was tasked by Stringer Bell to murder his erstwhile friend Wallace after Avon Barksdale decided to eliminate anyone who might talk to the police. Bodie's willingness to do the deed further impressed Stringer. When the moment of truth came, Bodie was not quite ready to murder a friend; it took urging from Poot to push him into going through with the crime.
[edit] Season 2
Stringer began entrusting Bodie with more difficult tasks, such as picking up the main supply in Philadelphia, and assigned him one of the prized Franklin Terrace Towers to run. Poot was assigned to run the pit and he reported to Bodie. They faced problems with poor quality product because the Barksdales' favored New York suppliers severed ties following Avon's arrest. Bodie came up with considered suggestions to work around the problem at Stringer's meetings.
When an independent crew of dealers moved in on the Barksdales' territory, Bodie's violent outburst led the other crew to start a gunfight which resulted in the accidental death of a child. After failing to adequately dispose of the guns, Bodie was picked up and interrogated by detectives Ed Norris and Ray Cole in connection with the crime. They attempted to bluff a confession out of him, but he saw through their trick and was released.
Stringer was unhappy with him, and ordered him to welcome "Proposition" Joe Stewart's dealers to the towers, because Joe was providing high-quality product. He and the other West Siders started friendly competition to entice buyers away from Joe's nephew, Cheese. Bodie was pleased when Brother Mouzone drove away the East Side dealers, but worried about the quality of the product that would be available to his crew without Proposition Joe's help.
[edit] Season 3
The Franklin Towers were demolished and Avon Barksdale was released from prison. Western District Major Colvin tried to deal with the spread of the drug problem by offering "drug zones" where dealers and users would go unpunished. Bodie worked in one such zone nicknamed "Hamsterdam"; this brought him back into contact with Herc and Carver, now working in the Western District. When the police made their inevitable move on shutting down the free zones, Detectives McNulty and Greggs tried to arrest Bodie for possession. Bodie, having already once been stopped but quickly released by McNulty on his way into Hamsterdam, displayed his characteristically sharp mind during interrogation and cited "contrapment" leading to wrongful arrest, leaving an impressed McNulty and frustrated Pearlman no choice than to let him go. He also helped Dennis "Cutty" Wise to contact Avon Barksdale on several occasions; the two appear to have a rapport and mutual respect most likely derived from Cutty having known Bodie's older brother.
The Barksdale organization became embroiled in a turf war with Marlo Stanfield's crew. Although Bodie's crew were badly beaten, Bodie himself escaped. The escalating murder rate brought further police attention. Avon was sent back to prison, Stringer was murdered and the gang was scattered.
[edit] Season 4
Bodie was forced onto a less-desirable corner, because Marlo controlled all the prime territory. He continued to have dealings with Sergeant Carver and Officer McNulty, since his operation fell in their jurisdiction. His crew included Curtis "Lex" Anderson (his second in command), Little Kevin, and Reesy; he also employed Namond Brice as a runner out of respect for his father's reputation, despite Namond's poor attitude. He tried to tempt Michael Lee, a far more effective runner, to take a permanent position at his corner, but Michael declined. After being released from prison mid-way through the season, Bodie's old colleague Poot also returned to work on his corner.
Bodie was supplied quality product by ex-Barksdale enforcer Slim Charles, now working on behalf of Proposition Joe, which allowed him to build his corner into a busy drug market. Marlo offered Bodie an ultimatum - let Marlo's operation take over the corner or stay but work Marlo's package. At first, Bodie was determined not to back down, but he ultimately began selling drugs provided by Marlo, after realizing that nobody would help him.
In a fit of romantic jealousy, Lex murdered his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend: a Stanfield dealer known as Fruit. In retribution, Stanfield enforcers Chris and Snoop executed Lex, in an ambush he was lured into by his co-worker Little Kevin — who in turn was executed by the pair weeks later to prevent him talking to the police about the murder of Lex. Bodie felt that Marlo was violating the rules of the drug trade, as he was unaware of Little Kevin's betrayal of Lex. After Little Kevin's body was discovered, a grief-stricken Bodie was arrested for kicking in the windows of a patrol car and was released on the recommendation of McNulty, who convinced him to inform on Marlo.
Bodie was seen getting into McNulty's car by Monk, one of Marlo's lieutenants. Later that night, Chris and Snoop set up an ambush, and O-Dog shot Bodie twice in the head, killing him. When McNulty asked Poot who had killed Bodie, Poot stated that he held the police responsible for his friend's murder.[1]
[edit] Production
[edit] Origins
The character is named after real life Baltimore resident Nathan "Bodie" Barksdale.[2]
[edit] Critical response and analysis
Salon described Bodie's evolution on the show as watching him grow up.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ HBO (2006). Episode 50 Synopsis. HBO.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-12.
- ^ Jesse Walker (2006). Localist television. Reactionary Radicals. Retrieved on 2006-07-22.
- ^ Dan Kois (2004). Everything you were afraid to ask about "The Wire". Salon.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-12.
