My two favorite shows of all time are Breaking Bad and The Wire, and I sometimes wonder which series is better.

On one end, you have Breaking Bad's breakneck pacing and its fascinating characters, and on the other end, you have The Wire's stellar world-building and its nuanced, almost literary host of characters. While I might give Breaking Bad the slight edge, what's giving me pause is one character in particular from The Wire, and that's Omar Little, played by the late, great Michael K. Williams.

Omar, you see, is still one of the best gay characters ever written for television. Sure, the actor himself wasn't gay, but Williams’ commitment to playing a gay character should be remembered forever. Here’s why.

One Of The Best Things About The Wire Is That The Toughest, Most Feared Character Was A Gay Man

“Oman comin’!” Thus is the introduction that Omar would get whenever he’d be walking down the street, whistling, and everyone would run. This is the kind of introduction that you’d see bad guys in the best Western movies get. Plus, with his shotgun, duster, and bulletproof vest, you’d think Omar Little was the most villainous character in the entire series.

However, he wasn’t. In fact, even though he’d shoot people dead, he was the GOOD guy. At least, from a street-level, vigilante perspective. Omar, you see, would rob the drug dealers, and then sell the drugs to other, rival dealers. He also wouldn’t go after civilians, and only administered pain to those who brought pain to the neighborhood or to himself. More importantly, though, to this article, he was also openly gay.

Throughout the series, he had a number of boyfriends. Some, like Brandon (played by Michael Kevin Darnall), were ride or die, even enduring torture without giving up Omar’s whereabouts. Others, like Dante (Ernest Waddell), took much less of a beating, and sang like a canary. Even so, Omar was unmistakably gay and unmistakably feared, and I just love that The Wire, available with an HBO Max subscription, could showcase such a compelling gay character.

I Also Love How Omar Didn’t Into Fit Any Stereotypes…Even Though Other Characters Tried To Make Him Fit Into Them

In the first season, Omar, his lover, Brandon, and another member of Omar’s stick-up crew robbed Avon Barksdale’s safe house, which put a bounty on Omar’s head. However, once Barksdale learned that Omar was gay, he doubled the bounty since he hated knowing that a gay man ripped him off. In every way, Barksdale had issues with Omar because he was gay, and he had no idea how difficult it would be to have him killed, since he initially perceived that gay men were weak.

However, Omar was anything but weak. Cunning, charismatic, and even conniving at times (He could lie on the stand with no compunction), Omar was such a marvelous character because he didn’t fit into any stereotypes, and many of his enemies underestimated him due to stereotypes.

So, even though Michael K Williams played a number of great characters in his lifetime, I think there’s a reason why he will always be remembered for this one iconic role.

In The End, There Still Hasn’t Quite Been A Character Like Omar On Television

I love how we now have a lot more gay characters (actually portrayed by queer actors, no less), but I still don’t think we’ve quite had a character like Omar Little since his debut in 2002.

In a lot of ways, Omar can’t be replicated. The Wire was a show about a lot of things, but its main focus was the city of Baltimore itself. Yet, even with its massive cast and its many themes, Omar is probably the most recognizable character in the entire series, with his homosexuality being at the forefront.

In that way, Omar was a one-of-a-kind presence, and still, to this day, one of the greatest gay characters in television history.

HBO doesn't have a monopoly on prestige television, but they are the king of it. The network loves to work with the same people who have proved they have what it takes to make great shows. That includes many of the same great actors who appear on more than one show. Some of these actors have appeared in three or four (or more) shows over the years, but for this list, we're sticking with at least two, usually the ones they are best known for. Actors like Wendell Pierce, Cynthia Nixon, and many more.

Wendell Pierce - The Wire And Treme

Wendell Pierce first broke out as the best-dressed detective in the Baltimore Homicide Unit on The Wire. Pierce's character, Bunk Moreland, appears in every episode of the show. A couple of years after The Wire ended in 2008, the show's creator returned to HBO with Treme, and it was a natural fit to include Pierce, who is a New Orleans native, in the cast.

Carrie Coon - The Gilded Age And The White Lotus

2025 was a huge year for Carrie Coon on HBO. Not only did she return for Season 3 of The Gilded Age as the determined high society lady, Bertha Russell, but she also killed it on the third season of the anthology series The White Lotus. She stole the show with her monologue in the final episode of that show, while continuing to dominate New York society in the 1880s in The Gilded Age.

Steve Buscemi - The Wire And Boardwalk Empire

Steve Buscemi's first appearance on HBO came when he joined the cast of The Sopranos as Tony Blundetto, Tony Soprano's cousin, in Season 5 of the legendary peak TV-era show. He wasn't on the show long, but a couple of years later, he played a much bigger role on Boardwalk Empire. He played the fictional mob boss Nucky Thompson in the period piece created by Sopranos writer Terrance Winter.

Evan Rachel Wood - True Blood And Westworld

Evan Rachel Wood started her career as a talented child actor and made her first appearance on HBO as a recurring character in True Blood. She made an even bigger splash on the network as one of the main characters in Westworld. Wood also appeared in the miniseries Mildred Pierce on HBO.

Alexander Skarsgård - True Blood And Big Little Lies

Alexander Skarsgård is a true HBO regular. His first show for the network, the limited series Generation Kill, aired in 2008 and he returned to the network that same year as a series regular in the vampire hit True Blood. While still starring on that show, he made a one-off appearance in the series finale of Eastbound and Down. He was a main cast member on Big Little Lies, playing a very dark character (and earning an Emmy in the process), before he took on a notable guest-starring role in Succession, earning two more Emmy nominations.

Sydney Sweeney - Euphoria And The White Lotus

Sydney Sweeney burst onto the scene alongside her castmates in the teen drama Euphoria on HBO in 2019 and in 2022, she also appeared in Season 1 of The White Lotus. She earned not one, but two Emmy nominations that year, one for each show.

Edie Falco - Oz And The Sopranos

The HBO show Oz was an early entry in the "peak TV era" from the network, running for six seasons in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The cast of Oz was stacked and included Edie Falco as Officer Diane Whittlesey. That isn't the show she is most famous for on the network, of course. As Falco's time was coming to a close, she landed the role of a lifetime as Carmela Soprano in The Sopranos, and her amazing performances earned her three Emmy awards.

Aidan Gillen - Game Of Thrones And The Wire

Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish in Game of Thrones is one of the great TV villains of all time, and the character was played brilliantly by Aidan Gillen. It wasn't Gillen's first major role on HBO, as that came a few years earlier when he played the ambitious politician Tommy Carcetti on the final three seasons of The Wire.

Cynthia Nixon - And Just Like That And The Gilded Age

itsCynthia Nixon has been a staple on HBO for decades now, starring as Miranda Hobbes in And Just Like That... and it's predecessor. She's also one of the stars of the incredible period drama The Gilded Age as the spinster-turned-wealthy widow Ada Forte, née Brook.

Michiel Huisman - Game Of Thrones And Treme

Treme, which ran for four seasons on HBO, had a whole host of actors who were HBO regulars. Michiel Huisman, who played the musician only known as "Sonny" on the New Orleans-based show, was also starring in a little show called Game of Thrones at the same time on the network, playing Daario Naharis.

Michelle Monaghan - True Detective And The White Lotus

It must be incredibly rewarding for any actor to have the opportunity to star in two anthology shows on HBO. Michelle Monaghan knows exactly how it feels. She first starred in Season 1 of True Detective and, more recently, was part of the stellar cast of Season 3 of The White Lotus.

Michael K. Williams - The Wire And Boardwalk Empire

The late Michael K. Williams left behind an incredible legacy at HBO. He was, of course, one of the most incredible TV characters of all time as Omar Little on The Wire, and he followed that up with a great turn as a gangster in 1920s New Jersey in Boardwalk Empire. Those weren't his only appearances on the network. He popped up in a one-off scene on The Sopranos in 2001, then later in the miniseries The Night Of. His final television credit before his tragic death was on the HBO show Lovecraft Country.

Alexandra Daddario - The White Lotus And True Detective

Before earning an Emmy nomination for her great turn as newlywed Rachel Patton in Season 1 of The White Lotus, Alexandra Daddario had a recurring role on another HBO anthology series, True Detective, during its first season. She even had a cameo early in her career in The Sopranos.

Murray Bartlett - The White Lotus And The Last Of Us

It's easy to see why The White Lotus was such a monster hit when it aired its first season, with Murray Bartlett stealing the show as the hotel manager who gets caught in a serious downward spiral as the show goes on. He's hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time. Later, he was cast in "Long, Long Time," one of the most beloved episodes of The Last of Us, as Frank, the deceased lover of Bill, played by Nick Offerman. While it was only one episode, it was so good that we had to include it here. Bartlett was also a regular cast member on the HBO show Looking.

Danny McBride - Eastbound And Down And The Righteous Gemstones

What is there to be said about Danny McBride's various sitcoms on HBO? After making his name in supporting roles in movies like Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder, he arrived on HBO in the now-legendary Eastbound and Down. His next hit for the network was Vice Principals alongside Walton Goggins, and then as Jesse Gemstone on The Righteous Gemstones.

Clarke Peters - The Wire And Treme

It's hard to believe that The Wire is one of those shows that never won an Emmy. That goes double for the excellent cast, including the great Clarke Peters, who played Lester Freamon in all five seasons of the show. Like some of his co-stars on the show, he also appeared in Treme on HBO.

Jeanne Tripplehorn - The Gilded Age And Big Love

Jeanne Tripplehorn is a veteran actor whose career stretches back to 1992's Basic Instinct. She was a big part of Big Love on HBO as Bill's only legal wife in the show about polygamy in Utah. Tripplehorn also starred in a recurring role on The Gilded Age as a disgraced high society outcast who happens to be one of the kindest characters on the show. She was also nominated for an Emmy for her role as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in Grey Gardens on HBO.

Jeffrey Wright - Westworld And Boardwalk Empire

Jeffrey Wright is one of the best actors of his generation, and he's had an opportunity to show off just how great he is in multiple HBO shows. First, he won an Emmy for his role in the miniseries Angels in America. Later, he had a recurring role on Boardwalk Empire, before his fantastic turn on Westworld, for which he was nominated for three more Emmys, but sadly didn't win one. In 2025, he reprised his voice role in The Last of Us video game in the HBO adaptation.

Jamie-Lynn Sigler - The Sopranos And Entourage

Jamie-Lynn Sigler occupies an interesting spot here. Of course, she's best known for her role as Meadow Soprano on The Sopranos. Her next role on HBO came in a role that was a fictionalized version of herself dating Turtle in Entourage.

Walton Goggins - Vice Principals And The White Lotus

Walton Goggins has been one of the hardest-working actors in Hollywood for many years, and in 2025, he really upped his profile with his fantastic performance in Season 3 of The White Lotus. It was his third major show on HBO after Vice Principals and The Righteous Gemstones.

Lena Headey - Game Of Thrones And The White House Plumbers

She played one of the greatest villains of all time on Game of Thrones, and Lena Headey returned to HBO in 2023 in the underrated miniseries The White House Plumbers, where she played Dorothy Hunt, wife of one of the Watergate burglars, E. Howard Hunt.

Pedro Pascal - Game Of Thrones And The Last Of Us

Like a lot of actors, Pedro Pascal put in a ton of work early in his career with one-off roles in every show you can imagine. Then, in 2014, he was cast as Oberyn Martell on Game of Thrones, and his career blew up. More recently, he's been breaking hearts on The Last of Us on HBO.

Indira Varma - Game Of Thrones And Rome

The Game of Thrones cast was absolutely stacked, including the great Indira Varma, who played Ellaria Sand in 13 episodes of the show. That wasn't her first time in an HBO show, however. In 2005, she starred as Niobe in two seasons of Rome, the incredibly underrated (and expensive to produce) historical drama created by John Milius.

Jim True-Frost - The Wire And Treme

Jim True-Frost's character in The Wire has one of the most interesting character arcs on a show full of great arcs. His performance as Roland Pryzbylewski was, like so many others on the show, nothing short of excellent. Like others on The Wire, True-Frost also starred in Treme. He even had a cameo in Boardwalk Empire as legendary lawman Eliot Ness.

Kim Dickens - Deadwood And Treme

Kim Dickens has a stellar television resume, and two jewels on that CV are both HBO shows. First, she was one of the main characters, Joanie, in Deadwood. Later, she starred on Treme.

John Hawkes - Deadwood And Eastbound And Down

The original cast of Deadwood was a bunch of heavyweights, including John Hawkes, who played Sol throughout the run of the show. A few years later, the versatile actor returned to HBO in a completely different kind of role as the brother of Kenny Powers in Eastbound & Down. Most recently, he put in a fantastic performance in Season 4 of the anthology series True Detective.

Rose Leslie - Game Of Thrones And The Time Traveler's Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife is one of the more under-the-radar shows in HBO history. Rose Leslie led the cast of the show that was canceled after one season, despite a passionate fanbase. Of course, Leslie first became a star on HBO as Ygritte on Game of Thrones.

Bobby Cannavale - Boardwalk Empire And Vinyl

Bobby Cannavale really made his name on HBO as the volatile gangster Gyp Rosetti in Boardwalk Empire, though his first gig on the network was in a small role on Six Feet Under. After Boardwalk Empire, he teamed up with the creators of Vinyl, starring in the lone season of the short-lived show.

Edi Patterson - The Righteous Gemstones And Vice Principals

The Righteous Gemstones and Vice Principals are two shows that were perfect for Edi Patterson. She's wonderful at playing quirky characters, fitting in great with the cast of both of those shows.

Domenick Lombardozzi - The Wire And Boardwalk Empire

Herc in The Wire is an obnoxious character that is hard to love, but Domenick Lombardozzi's performance charms everyone who watches the show. He repeated the feat later on Boardwalk Empire.

Regina King - Watchmen And The Leftovers

If anyone on this list needs no introduction, it's the great Regina King. She is a force of nature in everything she does, including two excellent HBO shows, The Leftovers and the one-and-done Season of Watchmen.

Michael Imperioli - The Sopranos And The White Lotus

Some people might remember Michael Imperioli as Spider in Goodfellas, but most will first know him as Christopher Moltisanti, Tony's frustrating nephew in The Sopranos. He returned to HBO in Season 2 of The White Lotus and once again reminded fans of the network how great he can be.

Some actors, no matter how long their career or how great their talent, will forever be first known for one iconic TV role. This isn't an indictment of their careers at all. In fact, in many ways, it tells the whole story. They were so good at one particular role that no matter what, that's what people will think of first. To be sure, these are some of the best actors of their generations ,and they deserve praise for all their roles, but especially these.

Kelsey Grammer - Frasier Crane

For a total of an amazing 20 years, Kelsey Grammer has played Frasier Crane. First on Cheers, then on its spinoff Frasier, and again in the reboot of Frasier in the 2020s. There may be no more obvious actor to include on this list.

Mariska Hargitay - Olivia Benson

Mariska Hargitay is Hollywood royalty as the daughter of Jayne Mansfield, and she's carved out on heck out her own career playing Olivia Benson on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She has played since the end of the 20th Century, more than 25 seasons in total. There is no other character in prime time history with a longer run than Hargitay's Benson. It's remarkable.

Jessica Walter - Lucille Bluth

The late Jessica Walter had an incredible career, but for many, she'll always be known for one of her final roles, Lucille Bluth on the cult classic Arrested Development. She was so hilarious and quotable that it's easy to see why this is the case.

Peter Falk - Columbo

Peter Falk completely embodied Detective Columbo on the show that carried that character's name. He defined a new kind of TV detective, a style that has been often imitated but never duplicated over the years since Columbo debuted. He was funny and wicked smart. A Holmesian-style detective who never found a dry cleaner.

Tom Selleck - Thomas Magnum

Tom Selleck was a hard one to include here. Thomas Magnum was one of two iconic roles, along with Frank Reagan on Blue Bloods, that Selleck has played in his career. That's not to mention Jesse Stone, another fan-favorite. But in the end, it's all about Magnum P.I., one of the best shows ever.

Lauren Graham - Lorelai Gilmore

Lauren Graham is another tough one here, because Lorelai Gilmore is hardly her only big role on TV, but none of her other shows have been nearly as enduring as Gilmore Girls and that isn't likely to change in the future. It'll always be what her fans think of first.

Lucille Ball - Lucy Ricardo

Lucille Ball was a groundbreaking legend, and that is entirely due to her iconic character Lucy Ricardo on I Love Lucy. The list of what made the show, and the comedic actor, is so long, we could never fill it out here, but she also doesn't really need any explanation. She's the queen of early TV for very good reason, and that can never be taken away.

Peter Dinklage - Tyrion Lannister

Peter Dinklage might not like to hear this... or maybe he would... but Tyrion Lannister is such an amazing role, and Dinklage's performance is completely worthy of such an iconic literary and TV character. Game of Thrones took over the television watching audience completely, and Dinklage's Lannister was almost everyone's favorite. He's done great work all through his long career, but it will be impossible to top Tyrion.

Sean Hayes - Jack McFarland

Jack McFarland from Will & Grace is one of the most underappreciated characters in any sitcom in Hollywood history. Sean Hayes is fantastic in the role, and he'll have people saying "Just Jack!" forever.

Angela Lansbury - Jessica Fletcher

Angela Lansbury had a storied career that lasted decades, and every time she appeared on screen, she lit it up. Jessica Fletcher on Murder She Wrote was her crowning achievement. She's one of the best TV detectives of all time, even if there were way too many murders in Cabot Cove than there should have been.

Henry Winkler - The Fonz

Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli. Fonzie. The Fonz. A character of many names, and one iconic look. Henry Winkler has had a career that most actors can only dream of, but his role on Happy Days will always be what he is first known for. We should all be so cool.

Sarah Michelle Gellar - Buffy Summers

Sarah Michelle Gellar's role in the movie Cruel Intentions may be her most iconic movie role, but it doesn't eclipse her role as Buffy Summers on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Not even close. It'll always be her most beloved role.

James Gandolfini - Tony Soprano

On one hand, it's a shame that James Gandolfini is on this list. His premature death will always have us asking "what if?" On the other hand, he is so freaking GREAT as Tony Soprano in The Sopranos, that its impossible not to include him here. Just watching him in anything else, or old interviews, you quickly realize that he completely disappeared into the gangster. It's remarkable.

Gillian Anderson - Dana Scully

Speaking from experience, I can say that many teenagers in the 1990s have a huge crush on Dana Scully on The X-Files. She was smart and capable, but with an air of mystery that really kept viewers guessing, in the best way.

William Shatner - Captain Kirk

Personally, I think William Shatner's best role was on Boston Legal. He was also amaing in TJ Hooker. However, even if he had 1000 legendary roles over his career, he would still be most remember for James T. Kirk in Str Trek. That's how iconic the role, and the show are.

Matthew Perry - Chandler Bing

It was a real tragedy when the world lost Matthew Perry in late 2023. He was a once-in-a-generation talent and, in many ways, was first among equals on Friends. He was in some other great projects, like The Whole Nine Yards and Fools Rush In, but let's be honest, he'll always be Chandler in our hearts.

Amy Poehler - Leslie Knope

Amy Poehler was a star on SNL and in a ton of great movies. However, she was absolutely born to play Leslie Knope on Parks & Rec. It's almost hard to believe she isn't actually Leslie in real life, and that's meant to be the most sincere of compliments.

Michael K. Williams - Omar Little

Of all the amazing characters and actors on The Wire, Omar and Michael K. Williams stand out above them all. He was one of the most honest and complex characters in TV history, and the late Williams, another actor we lost way too soon, will be forever remembered for his portrayal of the Baltimore stick-up man.

George Wendt - Norm Peterson

Cheers had an amazing ensemble of comedic actors, and as a kid, my favorite was always George Wendt and his character Norm. He was the most popular guy in the bar and the most popular with viewers. When Wendt died in 2025, everyone started sharing their favorite moments of his from the show, despite the show ending decades ago.

Mary Tyler Moore - Mary Richards

Mary Tyler Moore made it after all, and all on her own. Her titular show was the highlight of her long, incredible career, and it's a good thing the show was named after her, because she deserves to be remembered forever for it.

Caroll O'Connor - Archie Bunker

Caroll O'Connor's role as Archie Bunker became one of the most iconic and most important in television history. The groundbreaking sitcom, All In The Family, changed TV forever, and Bunker, with his bigotry and chauvinism, reinvented just how much a simple sitcom could say about society.

Rainn Wilson - Dwight Schrute

Of all the characters on The Office, Dwight, played by Rainn Wilson, was the one we all loved to hate the most. It must have been such a fun role for Wilson, because he never phoned it in, and he never let us down; we could count on him driving us nuts every week. I mean that in the very best way.

Wayne Knight - Newman

Wayne Knight has popped up in all kinds of roles in his career. We'll never forget him for his performance in the original Jurassic Park, for example, but it's Newman on Seinfeld that we'll always love him most for. He might not have been a main character, but that is testimony to just how good he was. He's as remembered as the "big four" despite playing a much more limited role. That takes a great actor and an even better performance, and he did over the entire run of the show.

Ian McShane - Al Swearengen

Al Swearengen from Deadwood is one of the best characters of the prestige era of TV. Ian McShane has had a long, distinguished career, and at the top of the list of his great performances is as the foul-mouthed, tavern-owning gangster in the HBO Western.

Danica McKellar - Winnie Cooper

Ask anyone in Gen X about Danica McKellar, and they might mention her Hallmark movies. They might also mention her wonderful guest turn on The West Wing. In the case of both of those, though, they will come after they fondly reminisce about watching her as Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years. They grew up with Winnie and Kevin (Fred Savage). It was her earliest role, but it remains her most iconic.

For some, it may be hard to believe that it’s been over a year and a half since the death of Michael K. Williams, the actor known best for his acclaimed work on HBO’s The Wire. Williams died of an accidental drug overdose, and four men who were allegedly involved with the distribution of the substances were criminally charged. This past week, one of those individuals pleaded guilty, cutting a deal that would determine his sentencing. After the news broke, Williams’ nephew spoke out, and he shared thoughts on what awaits the dealer. 

Irvin Cartagena is the person who took up the plea deal this week and, now, the 39-year-old could receive a sentence between five and 40 years, according to TMZ. Dominic Dupont spoke with the news outfit sometime after and opined that Cartagena is going to want to look to God and religion as a source of empowerment as he stares down a potentially lengthy sentence. All in all, Dupont believes the drug dealer will ultimately spend decades in prison and hopes that he’ll use the time behind bars to improve himself. 

Michael K. Williams’ nephew, who was the person who found the actor’s body, has admitted to struggling with his uncle’s passing. While this latest piece of legal news may be seen as a step towards justice for the family, Dominic Dupont has mixed feelings on the matter, it seems. He also explained to TMZ that he sees this as a losing situation for both parties, especially since nothing will ultimately bring Williams back. Dupont is also torn when it comes to Irvin Cartagena, because he’s a self-declared proponent for justice but also believes a person must be “held accountable and responsible for the decisions they make.”

To say that the late actor left an indelible mark on pop culture would be a gross understatement. His turn as Omar Little on The Wire (which can be streamed with an HBO Max subscription) is considered to be one of the finest performances any actor has ever given. After his death was reported, a number of stars took to social media to pay their respects. Among those to memorialize him were Viola Davis, The Rock and former co-star Wendell Pierce, who penned a truly touching tribute. The cast of the HBO drama also honored him when the show celebrated its 20th anniversary last summer.

During the course of his career, Michael K. Williams was also candid about his struggles with substance abuse. Dominic Dupont spoke to that point, saying that we as a society must find more effective ways to assist those who are battling addiction. He also declared that the United States needs to find a way to curb drug travel within the country. Ultimately, it’s Dupont's hope that others won’t meet a fate similar to that of his uncle. 

Most probably can’t even fathom being in a position like his right now, as he must still contend with the passing of a relative so long after it occurred. But he seems to be remaining strong for the rest of his family, and we wish them continued comfort as they continue to process their loss. We’ll also be watching out for more developments regarding the sentencing of Irvin Cartagena. 

Those who seek to revisit some of the actor’s past work, can check out some of Michael K. Williams’ great TV shows and movies.

Fans of HBO’s classic series The Wire know how important Michael K. Williams’s character, Omar Little, was to the fabric of the program. The simple two-word phrase “Omar comin’” would strike fear in the hearts of anyone standing in the streets of Baltimore, be they drug-dealing criminals or the hardened police officers tasked with taking them down. Omar fought with armies on both sides of the battle, which made him unpredictable… and electric. 

What you might not know, however, is how influential the late Michael K. Williams was to the storytelling in The Wire, and how concerns he had for season 2 of the series set creator David Simon down a different path. It also aligned the faith of the cast behind Williams and Simon, once they knew of the showrunner’s intentions. During a recent press day for The Wire, where the cast emotionally recalled the acting performance of Williams, Simon also opened up about an important conversation that helped him set the tone for the workplace on the HBO series. As he told CinemaBlend:

That level of “buy in” is integral for a show like The Wire, which really did take an unprecedented look at crime and corruption in a blue-collar American city – so much so that the mayor of the city tried to shut down filming because it was making Baltimore look too bad. But unless the cast and crew had faith in David Simon as a storyteller, it might be hard to recognize the bigger picture. Because yes, in season 2, the story shifted to the ports, and tried to tell the plot from a new angle. But Simon had an idea. And after that conversation with Michael K. Williams, he also had a valuable ally. As he went on to tell CinemaBlend:

Again, trusting the process led to the creation of one of the greatest shows on television. During the same conversations, I talked to the cast members about the best season of The Wire, and got a tremendous story from Wendell Pierce about a prequel movie for The Wire that could have starred Samuel L. Jackson. Why didn’t THAT happen? 

Now that The Wire is turning 20 years old, it’s time for you to either revisit it, or dive into it for the first time. The complete series is available on Blu-ray and DVD, and is currently streaming on HBO MAX for those with a subscription. It really is a masterpiece.

They are two of the scariest words used in a television program: “Omar coming.” This warning, shouted by people as the streets of Baltimore cleared, meant that Michael K. Williams’ lethal and unpredictable stick-up man Omar Little was fast approaching, so get the hell out of his way. Omar usually targeted gangs who were slinging drugs around his neighborhoods, robbing from both the Barksdale and Stanfield crews and earning enemies from the crooks and cops that populated the tremendous HBO series, The Wire. Sadly, Williams died from drug intoxication in September 2021 at the age of 54. But his mark as Omar was left on the cast and crew of the HBO series (which is how we cooked up these 12 great Michael K. Williams movies and shows), and they opened up to CinemaBlend about his impact during a recent conversation for the show’s 20th anniversary. 

The Wire turns 20 this year, and is available to own on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital, as well as to stream on HBO Max. The show ran for five seasons, and Omar Little was a thorn in the side of the characters for the saga’s entire run. Not Michael K. Williams, though. The actor was beloved by his cast as well as the series creator, David Simon, who opened up about Williams’ contributions to the show when he told CinemaBlend:

And what an ally he was. Though The Wire could balance a number of juicy storylines involving politicians, police, and charismatic criminals, Michael K. Williams’ Omar is the one who resonated with so many audience members by showing them something they’d never seen before. That’s what a choked-up Lance Reddick tried to explain as he held back tears and said of Williams:

It’s nearly impossible to choose the best episode of The Wire, or even to single out the work done by, say, co-star Dominic West as the unforgettable McNulty. But as the show turns 20, fans can celebrate what’s easily one of the bet things to stream on HBO Max, and even  use the streaming service to try David Simon’s next story, We Own This City, with Jon Bernthal.  

Legendary actor Michael K. Williams of The Wire and Lovecraft Country fame passed away back in early September at the age of 54, in what was then described as an accidental drug overdose. Now, nearly five months later, four men who are alleged to be part of a drug distribution crew are facing charges in New York City. 

The four men being charged faced criminal complaints in federal court based in Manhattan, with a release from the United States Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York reporting that three of the four are facing narcotics conspiracy charges that claim fentanyl-laced heroin had been distributed to Michael K. Williams, who subsequently died because of it. The fourth is expected to make his appearance in federal court on February 3, while the first three were scheduled to be presented to a judge in federal court on February 2. 

Fentanyl-laced drugs were allegedly sold to Williams on September 5, just one day before he was found dead in his home by members of his family. The trafficking organization has allegedly been in operation as far back as August 2020, and possibly farther, in Brooklyn. 

Surveillance video screenshots seemingly show one of the defendants, Irvin Cartagena, making the transaction of the laced drugs with Williams. According to authorities, the men facing charges did not stop selling the fentanyl-laced heroin despite the death of Michael K. Williams. Of the four men arrested and facing charges in New York, one was arrested in Puerto Rico. 

Regarding Michael K. Williams' death due to laced heroin, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams noted that he was "a prominent actor and producer" who "tragically overdosed." The attorney went on to describe the situation with laced drugs as a "public health crisis." He said: 

The description of fentanyl-laced drugs as a "public health crisis" sheds more light on an issue that affects a lot of people, and has received some high-profile attention due to past celebrity overdoses, allegedly including Prince after taking fentanyl-laced Vicodin and dying in 2016 and Demi Lovato in 2018 after allegedly taking Oxycodone laced with fentanyl, although she ultimately recovered. 

While the case involving Michael K. Williams' death is being pursued on a federal level, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell noted the contributions of the New York police force in investigating the case and attempting to bring justice for the death of Michael K. Williams to his family. The commissioner stated:

Michael K. Williams' death at only 54 shocked fans and fellow celebrities alike, and stars ranging from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to Viola Davis to Kerry Washington shared tributes to the legendary actor in the wake of his passing. Although Williams is best known for his role as the iconic Omar on HBO's The Wire, he was actually nominated for an Emmy in the Best Supporting Actor category for Lovecraft Country at the 2021 ceremony that took place just a couple of weeks after his death. 

The death of Michael K. Williams was undoubtedly a tragedy, but authorities are working to find justice for him and his family. Fans can also celebrate his life by revisiting his body of work, including Boardwalk Empire, 12 Years A Slave, The Wire (among other offered shows on HBO Max) and more via streaming now.

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Michael K. Williams passed away at the age of 54 on September 6, 2021, leaving behind a family and a body of work that is up there with some of the all-time greats from the medium. Throughout his acting career, which went back to 1995, Williams gave life to the likes of Omar Little on The Wire, Albert “Chalky” White on Boardwalk Empire, and dozens of others who felt like fully-realized and three-dimensional people rather than characters on a show or in a movie. As we mourn the loss of one of the best actors of his time, we should look back on Williams’ extensive library of shows and movies so that we can best remember the greatness of his craft. Here is just a sampling of the gifts Michael K. Williams had to offer us all.

The Wire (HBO Max)

David Simon’s HBO crime epic The Wire shows how the lives of those on opposite sides of the law and different neighborhoods of Baltimore, Maryland, are connected in one way or another, including series standout, Omar Little (Michael K. Williams), a modern-day Robin Hood in a trench-coat.

Why it’s worth watching: Not only is The Wire one of the greatest television dramas of all time, it also features Michael K. Williams’ best characters in Omar Little. A good man who does bad things to bad people, Omar was at times the funniest character on The Wire cast while others the most tragic of the bunch. It’s just a damn shame Williams never won an Emmy for this iconic performance.

Stream The Wire on HBO Max.

Rent/Buy The Wire on Amazon.

Boardwalk Empire (HBO Max)

Set in Prohibition era Atlantic City, New Jersey, the HBO period crime drama Boardwalk Empire tells the story of the unforgettable characters who found a way to become not only profitable and successful with their various businesses but also feared for the manner in which they operate said businesses for better or worse.

Why it’s worth watching: Two years after he portrayed Omar Little for the final time (not counting the 2012 The Wire musical) Michael K. Williams played Albert “Chalky” White, a powerful African-American gangster with his hands in various cookie jars throughout Boardwalk Empire’s Atlantic City. Beloved in his own community but feared in others, Chalky was a dynamic character who appeared to always be one step ahead of the competition.

Stream Boardwalk Empire on HBO Max.

Rent/Buy Boardwalk Empire on Amazon.

12 Years A Slave (Hulu)

Steve McQueen’s harrowing biographical drama 12 Years a Slave tells the story of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejofor) a free African-American man living in New York who is kidnapped and sold into slavery in the years leading up to the Civil War, kicking off more than a decade in captivity and failed attempts to free himself from the shackles of the south.

Why it’s worth watching: There is a long list of tragic characters in 12 Years a Slave including Robert (Michael K. Williams), one of the men that Solomon Northup meets on the slave ship early on in the movie. Even though he’s only in the movie for a few minutes, Williams makes the most of his time and delivers a performance as a man willing to do anything to be free, even if he has to die in the process.

Stream 12 Years a Slave on Hulu.

Rent/Buy 12 Years a Slave on Amazon.

Lovecraft Country (HBO Max)

Set in the Jim Crow American South, the HBO horror drama series Lovecraft Country tells the story of Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors) as he sets off on a journey to locate his missing father Montrose Freeman (Michael K. Williams), uncovering several monsters (both man and non-human) along the way.

Why it’s worth watching: One of the most beloved and talked about shows of 2020, Lovecraft Country was made all the better thanks to its brilliant cast that included Jurnee Smollett, Courtney B. Vance, and others in addition to Jonathan Majors and Michael K. Williams. Every one of the stars makes the most of their time in this mind-bending blend of human drama and supernatural horror.

Stream Lovecraft Country on HBO Max.

Rent/Buy Lovecraft Country on Amazon.

When They See Us (Netflix)

Ava DuVernay’s 2019 Netflix limited series When They See Us tells the story of the 1989 Central Park jogger case in which five African-American and latino teenagers were falsely accused of brutally assaulting a white woman. This tragic series shows just how far some will go to solve a case even if it means doubling-down on those who are innocent.

Why it’s worth watching: Told over the course of four tense and emotionally raw episodes, When They See Us shows how false accusations built up by prejudice and misunderstanding can impact multiple lives, including the parents of the falsely accused, which were led by Michael K. Williams as Bobby McCray.

Stream When They See Us on Netflix.

Gone Baby Gone (HBO Max)

Set in Boston, Ben Affleck’s Gone Baby Gone centers on the disappearance of a four-year-old girl and tireless effort by local detective Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) to find her before the whole neighborhood is torn apart by the case.

Why it’s worth watching: With a cast that includes Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Michelle Monaghan, Amy Ryan, and Michael K. Williams, it’s easy to see why Gone Baby Gone remains a highly-regarded crime drama 14 years after its release. Combine that with an intricate story where everyone feels both innocent and guilty and it just gets better.

Stream Gone Baby Gone on HBO Max.

Rent/Buy Gone Baby Gone on Amazon.

The Night Of (HBO Max)

After being implicated in the murder of a young woman in New York City, Pakistani-American college student Nasir “Naz” Khan’s (Riz Ahmed) finds himself going through the criminal justice system in hopes of clearing his name.

Why it’s worth watching: Awaiting his trial, Naz is sent to Rikers Island where he meets Freddy Knight (Michael K. Williams) an influential prisoner who can make things happen to those living outside the jail’s walls just as much as he can to those wasting away in their cells. This morally ambiguous character is made all the more realistic thanks to Williams’ ability to be both warm and terrifying at the same time.

Stream The Night Of on HBO Max.

Buy The Night Of on Amazon.

Hap And Leonard (Netflix)

Based on Joe R. Landsale novels of the same name, the Sundance TV crime comedy-drama series Hap and Leonard tells the story of two best friends — Hap Collins (James Purefoy) and Leonard Pine (Michael K. Williams) — who find themselves in a get-rich-quick scheme that turns out to be not as easy as they once thought.

Why it’s worth watching: Although it doesn’t receive as much acclaim as some of Michael K. Williams’ other crime shows, Hap and Leonard is one that shouldn’t be overlooked. Throughout the series’ three seasons, Williams’ Leonard is at times a hilarious character with a great deal of emotional depth while at others a complete mad man with an unforgettable temper.

Stream Hap and Leonard on Netflix.

Rent/Buy Hap and Leonard on Amazon.

Bessie (HBO Max)

One of the best movies on HBO Max, Bessie follows Bessie Smith (Queen Latifah) as goes from an unknown blues singer in Tennessee to one of the most prominent and influential music artists of the early 20th Century, detailing the success and setbacks she experienced along the way.

Why it’s worth watching: The Primetime Emmy Award-winning biographical drama is anchored by the outstanding performance by Queen Latifah as the trailblazing Bessie Smith and Michael K. Williams as her husband and manager Jack Gee. The chemistry between these two is out of this world and makes the highs and lows of their marriage seem all the more real, no matter how hard some of it is to take.

Stream Bessie on HBO Max.

Rent/Buy Bessie on Amazon.

When We Rise (Amazon Purchase)

The ABC limited series When We Rise chronicles the struggles — both personal and political — and successes of a various members of the LGBT community over the course of 45 years.

Why it’s worth watching: The large ensemble cast, which includes Guy Pearce, Mary-Louise Parker, and Michael K. Williams playing various trailblazers in the LGBT community in different periods of time helps tell a well-rounded story about those who sacrificed so others could have a voice and the freedom to live their lives without fear of prosecution or persecution by society.

Buy When We Rise on Amazon.

The Road (Pluto TV)

Based on Cormac McCarthy’s award-winning novel of the same name, John Hillcoat’s 2009 post-apocalyptic survival film The Road tells the story of a father (Viggo Mortensen) and son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) as they push towards the Southern coast in hopes of surviving a cataclysmic event while also keeping ahold of their humanity in the process.

Why it’s worth watching: Michael K. Williams is only in The Road for a few minutes, but his performance as the thief who is forced to give his clothes to the father and son after being caught stealing their cart is one that can’t be missed. This emotionally-gutting scene is difficult to watch but helps illustrate one’s need for survival in a dying world.

Stream The Road on Pluto TV.

Rent/Buy The Road on Amazon.

Inherent Vice (IMDb TV)

Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2014 adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s neo-noir novel Inherent Vice tells the story of down-on-his-luck private detective Larry “Doc” Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) as he attempts to get to the bottom of a mystery involving a wealthy real-estate tycoon set in the psychedelic world of 1970s Los Angeles.

Why it’s worth watching: Throughout Inherent Vice, Doc encounters one over-the-top character after another, including Tariq Khalil (Michael K. Williams), a member of the Black Guerrilla Family who hires him to hunt down a member of the Aryan Brotherhood who owes him big. And that is just one of the situations Doc finds himself wrapped up in throughout this sprawling affair.

Stream Inherent Vice on IMDb TV.

Rent/Buy Inherent Vice on Amazon.

There will never be anything that will take the place of Michael K. Williams, but each and every one of those movies and TV shows can help remind us of the amazing and versatile talent of one of the greatest actors of our time.

Hollywood lost a television legend this week in Michael K. Williams, the beloved actor known for his roles in acclaimed shows like The Wire and Boardwalk Empire. Williams was found dead in his New York apartment this past Monday, with the news of passing arriving in the afternoon. Fans have since taken to social media to mourn the late star and express their condolences. A number of celebrities like The Rock and Viola Davis are also paying their respects to Williams with some truly sweet tributes.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson acted alongside Michael Kenneth Williams in the 2013 movie Snitch. In an Instagram post, the wrestler-turned-actor shared a photo of Williams and shared a sweet caption:

Oscar-winner Viola Davis shared a raw reaction on social media. Along with her caption, she also shared a sweet video featuring a number of images of the late actor:

Ed Norton was also one of the stars who took some time to remember the actor, with whom he worked with on the 2019 film Motherless Brooklyn. In one of the two tweets he shared, Norton discussed what the performer brought to the film:

Scandal star Kerry Washington reacted to the news in a social media post of her own. Like many others, she expressed shock and sadness over the actor’s passing:

Of course, Michael K. Williams’ The Wire co-stars also chimed in with some incredibly sentimental thoughts. Lance Reddick, who played the role of Cedric Daniels on the HBO drama, shared a video to Twitter in which he shared how he learned of Williams’ passing and what it was like to work with him:

Wendell Pierce’s William "Bunk" Moreland shared a number of scenes with Michael K. Williams’ Omar Little on The Wire. Pierce posted a lengthy thread on Twitter in which he mourned his colleague:

Wendell Pierce also spoke on the significance of the characters they played on The Wire. He illustrated this by referring to one of the show’s key moments:

It’s honestly still hard to believe that Michael K. Williams is no longer with us. For many of us, he was a constant presence in our entertainment viewings. As tragic as the situation is, it’s lovely to see so many taking the time to remember him not only for his contributions as an artist but as a human being.

We here at CinemaBlend continue to extend our thoughts and condolences to Michael K. Williams’ family and loved ones at this time.

Actor Michael K. Williams was found dead in his New York City apartment on the afternoon of Monday, September 6. Williams, beloved for his work in The Wire cast as Omar Little, is said to have been found while there was drug paraphernalia in his home, which, right now, suggests a possible drug overdose.

According to the New York Post, Williams was found dead in the living room of his Brooklyn penthouse by his nephew. 

Many fans of the late actor first came to know him through his portrayal on The Wire of famed Baltimore stick-up man, Omar, who frequently stole from street-level drug dealers. Williams was praised for his work as the feared thief, who was known to have a strict code of ethics that set him apart from the other, many, street-level criminals shown on the series.

While Omar chose not to use profanity, and also refused to hurt any innocent civilians who were not involved in criminal enterprises, he was still a legend to the other characters who was feared to the extent that if anyone heard him whistle his signature tune, they would simply warn others and get as far away from his target as possible. And, Michael K. Williams brought the appropriate amount of mystery and menace to the role, while also helping to show how even someone as dangerous and committed to a life of crime as Omar has many dimensions to their personality.

After leaving his temp job at a pharmaceutical company, Michael K. Williams pursued work as a dancer early on, eventually landing gigs in music videos and on tours for artists like Madonna and George Michael. He won his first acting role after being discovered by rapper Tupac Shakur, which led to Williams being cast in the film Bullet, which released in 1996.

He then went on to rack up over 100 credits in movies and television shows, always bringing his signature intensity, depth, and (frequently) humor to his parts. Along with his five seasons on The Wire, Williams was seen on shows like The Sopranos, Alias, CSI: NY, Community, F Is for Family, and Law & Order: SVU. Williams was in films such as the made for TV movie Lackawanna Blues, Gone Baby Gone, Miracle at St. Anna, The Purge: Anarchy, Inherent Vice, Assassin's Creed, Ghostbusters, SuperFly, Motherless Brooklyn, and The Red Sea Diving Resort.

Williams also had leading roles in shows like the Sundance TV series Hap and Leonard, Boardwalk Empire, and TV mini-series Bessie, The Night Of, When We Rise, and When They See Us. Recently, he'd appeared in the Emmy-nominated horror series Lovecraft Country, and had completed roles in the upcoming series Vital Signs, and the films Surrounded and 892. He was, himself, Emmy nominated for his work in Bessie, The Night Of, When They See Us, and Lovecraft Country, along with being nominated for executive producing a 2018 episode of the documentary news series, Vice. 

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Michael K. Williams at this difficult time.

Spoilers below for those who haven't yet watched Lovecraft Country's wild season finale. You have been warned!

After giving audiences nine episodes of the most mind-expanding storytelling on TV, Misha Green's Lovecraft Country came to a howling stop with its Season 1 finale. "Full Circle" reflected on all the magical madness that played out previously, while also setting up a potential future for this ever-changing ensemble of characters and cast members. Assuming, of course, that HBO deems the show worthy of a Season 2 order. But before we get into that kind of speculation, there are an abundance of WTF moments to talk about from this thrilling and tragic conclusion.

It's a shame that we're already at the end of Season 1, but at least Lovecraft Country left viewers with more than enough big moments to ponder once the credits were finished rolling – without a post-credits scene, for the record. For anyone who missed our previous looks back on WTF moments, here's everything we noted from Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, and Episode 8. Now before this "stalling the inevitable" incantation truly takes hold, let's take a musical road trip through the finale's weirdest and wildest moments.

No Visual Clue In The Title Screen

Perhaps calling this a WTF moment is a bit extreme, but each of the previous nine episodes featured a small and simple visual clue on the title screen, beneath each episode's name, for something important that shows up later in the respective eps. However, this one didn't utilize such an image, although it did showcase a zoom-out on a striking background that incorporated imagery from the entire season. So it wasn't a total loss, but I guess I didn't realize how much I looked forward to that particular element until it was gone. Knowing this show, that's probably a metaphor for something.

Hanna's Flaming House Is Actually A Safe Haven

Despite Jonathan Majors' Tic and Jurnee Smollett's Leti having dreams making it look like Hanna's burning house was a hellscape, it was revealed to actually be a safe spot fueled by Hanna's rage and populated by the spirits of Tic's magic-protected relatives. Such as Tic's mother, Dora (Erica Tazel)! Weirdly enough, that burning abode is where Tic accepted his eventual fate, understanding that it needed to happen in order to truly keep the future bloodline safe and protected. It's also where Leti studied up on her magical skills with Regina Taylor's Hattie. Essentially, this house would be the best place to level up if Lovecraft Country were a video game.

Diana's New-Old Arm

Thanks to everyone's successful efforts to stop Diana from turning into a Topsy and/or Bopsy clone, she returned from her nightmarish slumber to her natural state. Well, except for her arm, which became a gnarled and withered souvenir from her cursed experience. I'm pretty sure I gasped with too much concern as Diana screamed during that reveal, which taps into the worst repercussion that a curse could have on a promising artist like Diana.

Rest In Anti-Peace, Titus Braithwhite

Because this show hadn't already brought enough justice to quasi-resurrected racists, Tic and Leti returned to the tunnels they discovered in Episode 4 in order to bring back the grand wizard poobah himself, Titus Braithwhite. And not to gather 'round for his undoubtedly splendid family anecdotes (sarcasm), but to remove his magical protection and truly send him off this mortal coil – with a piece of his chest missing – thanks to some assistance from Leti and Tic's trio of bewitching ancestors. Unfortunately, that happened after he transported himself elsewhere and tipped Abbey Lee's Christina off to his presence as she totaled her car and flew through its windshield like an evil blonde javelin. That accident was a WTF moment unto itself, really.

"Would You Be Willing To Die To Fuck Me?"

Jamie Chung's Ji-Ah offered up a top contender for Best Line of Lovecraft Country Season 1, as well as Best TV Line of 2020, with this English-translated response to an unwanted suitor who appeared uncomfortably interested in her "exotic" nature. Note that she gets all the points here, while the WTF actually goes to that dorky hornball for stepping way out of his lane.

Hippolyta's Machine: The Home Version

While it wasn't so explicitly laid out, Lovecraft Country appeared to show that Hippolyta found a far easier way to tap into her extra-dimensional identities without driving out to that abandoned-ish observatory. She seemingly built one of those machines inside her house, and then showed it to Diana – though not to viewers directly – when trying to make her daughter feel better about her arm situation. If anybody could craft such a science-enhancing construction, it's definitely Hippolyta, who also proved herself to now be an accomplished comic book writer/artist, as it should be.

Tic Eating Some Yucky Raw Yuck-Ass Chest Meat

Remember when Tic and George were smart enough not to eat any of Samuel Braithwhite's liver meat earlier in the season, and how nicely set up it was with the plates and the utensils and the cloches? In hindsight, that would have been a utopia situation compared to Tic trying to gnaw down on the so-very-thick flesh that he'd carved out of Titus' chest, followed by a blood chaser. Combating the absolute grossness of Tic's disgust with his own situation was Montrose's surprisingly sage advice to "pinch and swallow" as a way of making it easier on himself. Granted, spooky flesh isn't the same as rotgut moonshine, but the suggestion was still extremely fatherly of Montrose.

Lovecraft Country Got Me Again With A Body-Switch Twist

Within the narrative context, it makes all the sense in the world that Christina utilized a Ruby potion in order to pull a mega-reversal on Leti & Co. ahead of the big ritual. What doesn't make sense, though, is that after the variety of twists that already went down with Christina's identity-swapping potions, that I somehow still didn't see this coming until five seconds before the reveal played itself out. Misha Green and her creative team set up the perfect distraction with Leti and Ruby's sibling rivalry, which then makes Ruby's unfortunate fate all the more depressing.

Fight Night

Before the shock of Ruby's potential death could truly set in, Lovecraft Country unleashed its biggest fight scene of the season, with Leti facing off against Christina-as-Ruby, which was a nice and important layer to that dispute, which ended in Leti being thrown out of a window and to her "death" below. (That moment was legitimately shocking as it happened.) Meanwhile, the other heroes were caught up in a brawl with a c(k)lan of Braithwhite followers, and it was nearly as shocking to see that Montrose, Ji-Ah and the pitchfork-swinging Hippolyta survived and took out all those old-timey white folks without suffering any serious injuries. Big thumbs up for the back-and-forth edits that made the scene feel so frantic and badass, too.

Ji-Ah Saved The Day

As if shutting that dude down so fucking hard earlier in the episode wasn't enough, Ji-Ah brought the previously introduced shaman's words to reality by taking on the darkness that was expelled during Christina's ritual, which basically did what Christina's blood would have done had Ruby's mini-heist been successful. While tapping into their minds, she also tipped viewers off to some of Tic's final machinations setting up his letter to Montrose and Diana's shoggoth power, as well as Christina catching Ruby and hooking her up to IVs like William and Hillary.

Tic Still Died, Though

Yeah, both the writers and Jonathan Majors himself absolutely set the table for Tic to die by the end of this episode, but did I still expect to hear about some kind of spell reversal that would allow him to survive while still granting his future bloodline exclusive access to magical powers? I most definitely did. But it didn't happen, and even though it's hard to tell whether Tic was truly a hero or not throughout all of Lovecraft Country's first season, his death was definitely a major blow that is a truly difficult one to mourn in traditional ways, considering what it means overall for Leti and their son-in-the-making. That said, it's very interesting to consider how Montrose will do with his role as a reformed grandfather.

So Did Christina

On the flip side, it was quite quick and easy to get over Christina's death once it finally happened in full (we think). Despite having some redeemable qualities – such as her partially progressive views about Black people that specifically provide her with certain advantages – and showing signs of remorse over possibly killing Tic for a failed spell, the character's true colors were always as white as her pale skin, so she doesn't deserve lavish memorials. For as much as I did predict that Christina would die, though, I most definitely did not foresee HOW it would happen. Namely, having Diana show up with a new bionic arm to squeeze Christina's throat until it literally burst, which was fucking awesome. Because seriously, don't you just sometimes think certain people need to have their throats exploded, with or without bionic arms involved?

Diana, Queen Of The Black Shoggoth

Similar to how Hippolyta completely transformed herself throughout the season, Diana also ended the finale as a different character from who she was early on, both mentally and physically. As revealed in Christina's death scene, Diana's curse-mangled arm was amputated and replaced by a rocking bionic arm, giving her a sense of power and pride that wasn't there before her encounter with Topsy and Bopsy. I'm assuming that replacement happened during a wormhole trip with Hippolyta. As well, those final moments fully confirmed that Diana now controls the protective power of the Black Shoggoth, which Tic was seen passing over to her in Ji-Ah's visions. That shot of the monster running up and howling at the moon is definitely one of the sweetest visuals of the season, and I hope it becomes a poster I can hang on my wall.

Without any more episodes left to go in Season 1, Lovecraft Country fans now have to patiently wait to hear what HBO will decide for the show's future. In the meantime, it's currently available to stream in full on HBO Max, but be sure to stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates as they become available, and stay up to date with our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows are coming soon.

Spoiler warning for anyone who hasn't yet watched Lovecraft Country's fourth episode, "A History of Violence."

Against all odds, Lovecraft Country largely held back on major WTF moments throughout the first half of Episode 4, although they definitely started piling up as the minutes ticked by. "A History of Violence" essentially jumped from the haunted house format of Episode 3 into an Indiana Jones-esque adventure, as Jonathan Majors' Tic, Jurnee Smollett's Leti and Michael K. Williams' Montrose went on a trek to hunt down the missing pages from the Book of Names.

Let's all hop in the car to drive up to Boston for this week's look at Lovecraft Country's most WTF moments, starting off with the very first sequence. (For those who might have missed them, check out our WTF features for Episode 1, Episode 2 and Episode 3.)

Montrose's Breakdown

Montrose definitely had some curious reactions to reading the Bylaws and Precepts of the Order of the Ancient Dawn, and it makes me all the more fascinated by scenes in which Montrose is around other characters but isn't also covered in sweat and drunkenly freaking the fuck out. He's clearly going through a hardcore case of mourning over George's death, while no doubt also being thrown for a loop by the fantastical text. But instead of just tossing the book into a dumpster, Montrose sets fire to it inside his own living room, saying "Smells like Tulsa," while wearing only boxers as he watched it burn. (The episode's title felt quite real there.) At least we later learned that Montrose returned his library books instead of burning everything he read.

Opening Titus' Vault Door

This shit was like something right out of The Legend of Leti: A Tic to the Past. I know Montrose was clued in, but I still can't believe they managed to figure this vault door out without some kind of online walkthrough – perhaps George had one in his glove compartment – not to mention that it took all of five minutes to arrive at the precise solution. And maybe it was the complete seriousness of the crime they were committing or something, but nobody went nearly as apeshit with pride as they should have as soon as the door started to open.

The Giant Chasm

Given everything that these characters have seen thus far, nobody blinked too hard upon seeing a giant gap in the earth that was only traversable by an extremely long and thin slat of wood. This was one of those moments where I had to remind myself that magical defense mechanisms exist in Lovecraft Country, and that I should not spend the next 10-15 minutes thinking about how those giant pendulums were first installed over that giant pit, and who would have been able to make that installment happen. (Clearly someone from Edgar Allen Poe's family.) To showrunner Misha Green's credit, by the time the wood started to ash into nothingness, it felt like the only logical thing the wood could have done in that moment.

William And Ruby Getting It On To Marilyn Manson

Lovecraft Country's new "It" couple is obviously William and Ruby, whose vertical bar conversation turned into a horizontal bedroom conversation, which was something I definitely did not see coming when the episode started. William thankfully didn't seem to be taking advantage of Ruby in any way, so good for them! Making their lovemaking all the more meaningful was the accompanying Marilyn Manson cover of Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You," meaningful because it's a white guy performing a not-safe-for-the-women song originally written by a Black artist that partially inspired Manson's shock-rock career path. Lovecraft Country continues to impress with its layered soundscape.

The Elevator And Neighbor's Corpse

How did Leti not lose her fucking mind after seeing her neighbor's corpse down in those tunnels? How did no one lose it whenever they came across that elevator? In this moment, I fully had it in mind that the giant chasm room might have been a wormhole-adjacent situation that didn't follow normal physics, but the sight of the elevator still left me gobsmacked. How many times in life have I been stuck in a scenario where I wished there was a backdoor back to the comfort of my house? Or a water-logged home elevator, in this case. But if I ever actually found one, I would probably lose touch with my senses for a short while.

The Blood Door

By this point in the episode, I should not have been surprised for Tic, Leti and Montrose to come upon a rather technical door that ran solely on blood, and not just your run of the mill blood, because that shit will make a one-armed corpse out of whoever's brave/dumb enough to try it out. (Though kudos on anyone else in the world actually finding this fucked up door in the first place, considering what had to be done to get there.) But I was still kind of surprised to see it, and I was already deep into wondering how the door would have pulled Tic's blood upward into the applicable chambers before I remembered to stop it. Sweet ladder drop, too.

The Dining Hall Of Death

If Lovecraft Country ever inspires a Halloween attraction of some kind, I can already tell my favorite part would be the recreation of this corpse-ridden dining hall that wouldn't have felt out of place on Game of Thrones if someone knocked all of those cobwebs out and replaced them with olde tyme sex workers. I don't at all understand how this bizarrely designed room existed where it did, with glass ceilings that were apparently underwater. In any case, the entire scene was enjoyably grotesque and spooky, given that everyone in the room died instantaneously in the midst of a regal dinner – even the baby was eating – and I wish they could have just hung out in there a little longer. Though I guess that instinct isn't a natural one.

The Siren Decipherer

When it comes to gnarly first appearances, let's give it up for Yahima Maraokoti, a long-dormant siren shocked awake by someone trying to snatch her pages. Things got seriously ghoulish there at first as she got the ol' bones working again with the most hideous body movements. Then, after a bit of full-frontal nudity revealed the duality of her nature, she related her bonkers story concerning her connection to Titus, revealing that all those corpses were her family. And guess what? She could decipher the pages, and Tic could arbitrarily understand her language. But then guess what after that? It turns out she was siren-cursed and so leaving the death room took away her voice forever. Well, I guess that leads to our next entry.

Montrose The Murderer

All these WTF moments started off with Montrose, so it only makes sense for the episode to end with him going off the beaten path and murdering the best chance everyone had of getting the pages deciphered. Montrose has made it clear that he wants to protect Tic, and obviously Leti if she's around, so he presumably doesn't take too kindly to the thought of Tic gaining access to magical spells, since that would just draw him deeper into this already fucked up occult world. That said, he did seem genuinely interested in knowing if Yahima could reverse the spell, so Montrose probably has motivations I'm not aware of just yet.

Lovecraft Country airs Sunday nights on HBO at 9:00 p.m. ET, and in between viewings, stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more coverage. Those curious about what's coming to the small screen soon should check out our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule.

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As crazy as it may seem, 12 years have passed since HBO aired the final episode of The Wire back in March 2008. And over the course of the past decade-plus, the cast of the groundbreaking HBO drama series has gone on to do some pretty remarkable things in on the small-screen, the silver screen, and just about everywhere else. I mean, what would you expect from a collection of acclaimed actors like Dominic West, Idris Elba, and Michael B. Jordan? Expect to find them way down in the hole? No, not this cast.

And now that all five seasons of David Simon's love letter to the city of Baltimore and its residents are streaming for free on HBO, I'm sure some of us are wondering what Bubbles, Omar, Wee-Bey, and the rest of the expansive cast are up to these days. For the sake of brevity, and my own sanity, I'll be sticking with the main cast and a few outliers here. Let's go back to Baltimore…

Dominic West (Jimmy McNulty)

For five seasons, Dominic West portrayed the on-again, off-again alcoholic Baltimore police detective Jimmy McNulty, who despite his issues with his vices was a damn good police officer on the Major Crimes Unit. West has continued to stay busy over the years in shows like The Affair and Brassic, the latter of which is still ongoing on the Sky One British television network. When he's not acting, West partly spends time at Glin Castle in Ireland, the childhood home of his wife, Catherine FitzGerald.

Idris Elba (Stringer Bell)

Between 2002 and 2004, there was no one more feared than Stringer Bell on the fictional streets of Baltimore. Brought to life by the superb acting of Idris Elba, Bell was as ruthless as he was ambitious as he tried to slowly take over the city of Baltimore. Although things didn't end ideally for the character, Elba went on to have probably the most successful career out of anyone on the show. With two films in the works — 2020's Concrete Cowboys and 2021's The Suicide Squad — the English actor and singer is quite busy, especially considering his March 2020 Covid-19 diagnosis.

Wendell Pierce (Bunk Moreland)

Many people might recognize Wendell Pierce as James Greer in the Amazon original series Jack Ryan, but before the celebrated actor was giving it to the young CIA analyst, he portrayed Baltimore homicide detective William "The Bunk" Moreland on The Wire. Following his five-season run on the HBO series, Pierce teamed up with David Simon again for Treme. You can next see Pierce in action when Jack Ryan returns to Amazon sometime in the near future.

Michael K. Williams (Omar Little)

If you've ever wanted to know what Robin Hood would look like in the projects of a major metropolitan city then look no further than Michael K. Williams' portrayal of Omar Little in The Wire. For five seasons, Omar stole from the drug dealers who held the city of Baltimore hostage and took care of matters with his unique form of street justice. Williams has continued to show up in crime films and television series over the years, including the soon to be released Arkansas.

Sonja Sohn (Kima Greggs)

One of the most fearless and dedicated detectives in the Baltimore Police Department, Kima Greggs was a vital member of the team that aimed to bring down the drug trade in Charm City. Sonja Sohn, the actress behind the character, even stayed around Baltimore following the conclusion of the series to help rebuild communities, and even made her directorial debut with the 2017 HBO documentary Baltimore Rising. Sohn is also staying busy with her acting career, which has led to a role on the Showtime series, The Chi.

Lance Reddick (Cedrick Daniels)

The deputy of operations turned attorney Cedric Daniels was a driving force in the wire-tap investigation carried out against the Barksdale organization throughout The Wire, a position that put him at odds with the members of his team and the Baltimore Police Department as a whole. The performance was brought to life by Lance Reddick, who most recently starred in the Amazon series Bosch, which was renewed for a seventh and final season in February 2020.

Andre Royo (Bubbles)

Andre Royo gave audiences one of the best performances on The Wire as the recovering heroin addict and confidential informant Reginald "Bubbles" Cousins. Throughout the series, Bubbles went from an untrustworthy addict to a key member of the cast who could be depended on for street-level information. Royo most recently appeared on the television drama Empire before it wrapped in April 2020.

Seth Gilliam (Ellis Carver)

Ellis Carver was one of the original members of the task force assigned to put a stop to the Barksdale organization in the early seasons of The Wire, with the brash and arrogant police officer being brought to life by Seth Gilliam. The veteran television actor has appeared on everything from Teen Wolf to The Walking Dead, where he currently portrays Gabriel Stokes.

Domenick Lombardozzi (Thomas "Herc" Hauk)

Over the course of five seasons of The Wire, Thomas "Herc" Hauk saw himself go from lowly Baltimore police officer to criminal defense investigator before breaking out on his own as a private eye before everything wrapped up. The actor behind the character, Domenick Lombardozzi, most recently appeared in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman and is set to appear in The King Of Staten Island and Boogie, both of which are in post-production.

Wood Harris (Avon Barksdale)

Wood Harris played Avon Barksdale, one of the most powerful and notorious drug dealers in Baltimore throughout the duration of The Wire. Barksdale was the main target of the wire-tapping operation in the show's first season. Harris, who is mostly known for his role in the 2000 sports drama Remember The Titans, has continued to work in film and television, most recently appearing in Empire.

Clarke Peters (Lester Freamon)

The quiet and meticulous Lester Freamon proved to be major player in the Baltimore Police Department through his investigations as part of the Major Crimes Unit, even if he was roped into the whole mess of the "serial killer" subplot in Season 5. Clarke Peters, the man behind the role, is next set to appear in the Spike Lee joint Da 5 Bloods.

Michael B. Jordan (Wallace)

Although he only appeared in the first season of The Wire, Wallace's story is one that had a ripple effect throughout the entire City of Baltimore. Killed by his best friends under orders from Stringer Bell, the orphaned street kid was one of the most tragic characters featured in the show. Michael B. Jordan, who was barely a teenager when he was hired for the role has gone on to become one of the biggest names in Hollywood, thanks to little movies like Black Panther and the Creed franchise, which is slated to continue in the future.

Aidan Gillen (Tommy Carcetti)

Introduced in Season 3 premiere, Thomas Carcetti went from councilman to mayor of Baltimore and eventually governor of Maryland by the time everything was said and done, no matter what it cost to get there. Aidan Gillen is now best remembered for his portrayal of the master manipulator Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish on Game Of Thrones. He is currently attached to the Taylor Sheridan-directed Those Who Wish Me Dead.

Amy Ryan (Beadie Russell)

Before she was known as Holly Flax on The Office, Amy Ryan joined the cast of The Wire in Season 2 where she played Port Authority police officer Beadie Russell. In the years following her turn in David Simon's crime drama, Ryan has continued to act in film and television, with her latest project, Lost Girls, seeing a March 2020 release from Netflix.

Isiah Whitlock Jr. (Clay Davis)

Clay Davis, the Maryland State Senator from Baltimore is hands down the most corrupt character to show up on The Wire. Known for his shadiness and ability to stretch out the word "shit" longer than anyone before or since, Clay Davis was one of the characters you just couldn't help but love to hate. Isiah Whitlock Jr., the actor behind the insane character, is slated to appear in the Showtime miniseries Your Honor as well as the Spike Lee joint Da 5 Bloods, where he will reunite with former The Wire castmate Clarke Peters.

Hassan Johnson (Wee-Bey Brice)

Unlike characters like Stringer Bell and Clay Davis, Wee-Bey Price was one of the few antagonists on The Wire that you actually felt bad for, despite everything he did. The former gang enforcer and father of Namond Price wound up serving time after confessing to crimes he didn't commit. Hassan Johnson is currently featured on the ABC drama For Life.

Jamie Hector (Marlo Stanfield)

And then there's Marlo Stanfield, who you just can't help but love despite everything he did throughout the final three seasons of The Wire. Portrayed by Jamie Hector, Stanfield was the central antagonist starting in Season 3, and only ramped up his reign of terror over Baltimore as his competitors began to die off. Hector most recently appeared in the Hulu series Wu-Tang: An American Saga.

Those are just a dozen or so of the characters from David Simon's The Wire. I'm sure I left off someone's favorite character due to the fact that there were literally dozens of faces appearing in each of the show's five seasons. If you agree with the list, or if I forgot a big name, make sure to sound off in the comments. And continue to check back on all things HBO here at CinemaBlend.

Netflix will explore the true crime genre yet again in 2019, with a series based on the controversial case of the Central Park Five, but it won't be a docu-series a la Making a Murderer or The Keepers. No, Central Park Five will be a limited series courtesy of Academy Award-nominated director Ava DuVernay, and now three impressive actors have joined the cast, including one of The Wire fame. Read on to discover the three actors and the roles they'll tackle for Central Park Five!

Omar's (kind of) coming! Michael K. Williams, best known for his iconic role as Omar on The Wire, has signed on for Central Park Five, although his new character will be quite different than the man he brought to life on The Wire. Williams will play Bobby McCray, the devoted father of one of the teenage boys accused of and then convicted of a rape they did not commit. Young Anton McCray lost valuable years of his life while incarcerated as one of the Central Park Five, and we can bet that Williams will have some emotional material ahead of him for this series as Anton's father. On top of The Wire, Michael K. Williams made a name for himself on a variety of projects, including Boardwalk Empire, The Spoils Before Dying, and Hap and Leonard. Anton McCray has not yet been cast.

Michael K. Williams will be joined on Central Park Five by John Leguizamo, who will also play the father of one of the accused teens. As Raymond Santana Sr., Leguizamo's character will have to watch his son, Raymond Santana Jr., go through an ordeal that saw him and other young men wrongfully convicted and not fully exonerated for many years. Raymond Santana Jr. has not been cast, but we can only hope that Central Park Five lands an actor who can hold his own with Leguizamo. Central Park Five will take Leguizamo back to Netflix, who played Ozzy on the thriller Bloodline. TV fans may remember him from series like The Kill Point and a relatively brief stint on ER.

Also joining the cast is Vera Farmiga of Bates Motel fame (or infamy, as the case may be). Unlike Michael K. Williams and John Leguizamo, however, Farmiga will be playing somebody who probably won't be much of an ally to the accused boys, at least at the beginning. She is on board as Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Lederer, who is the lead prosecutor for the case and will presumably cause a lot of trouble for the boys and their families. Farmiga could also be found on the big screen with films like Up in the Air and The Departed.

Created, directed, and written by Ava Duvernay, Central Park _Five_ will run for four episodes and debut globally on Netflix in 2019. Based on the terrible true story that rocked the nation, the series will chronicle the stories of the five teens of color who were wrongfully convicted. The four episodes will focus on the five Harlem boys, which is a slight departure from the original description of the series that stated five episodes were in store, with one per boy. You can expect the series to span from the spring of 1989, which saw the brutal attack of a woman in Central Park and the subsequent questioning of the boys who would ultimately be wrongfully convicted, all the way to their exoneration and settlement in 2014.

The only downside of the exciting castings is that we have a while to wait before we see these actions in action on the series. The show will premiere at some point in 2019; no more precise premiere window has been confirmed. For what you can watch while we wait, check out our 2018 Netflix guide and our summer TV schedule.

When Ron Howard came aboard to direct Solo: A Star Wars Story following the exit of Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the movie's reshoots were extended, and for most of the cast, this wasn't an issue. However, because he was already committed to another project, The Wire and Boardwalk Empire star Michael K. Williams was unable to return, so despite having already shot all of his scenes as Dryden Vos during principal photography, Paul Bettany was brought in to replace him. Months later, Williams has provided details on what his version of Dryden Vos was like in the pre-Howard version of Solo: A Star Wars Story. The actor explained:

Michael K. Williams has said before that his version of Dryden Vos was a human/alien hybrid, but this is the first he's talked about how the character's dynamic with Han Solo and Qi'ra. It's important to note that aside from Paul Bettany's Dryden Vos being a full human, the only thing we've learned about him so far is that he's a crime lord who Han will cross paths with in the story. For all we know, his personality is the same as it was when Williams was playing the character, but for right now, Lucasfilm is keeping tightlipped on how Dryden specifically fits into the story. Regardless, this iteration of Dryden Vos sounds interesting, so even though we won't see someone who's "half mountain lion" in Solo: A Star Wars Story (fingers crossed a future Star Wars movie finds a way to fit in such an alien), hopefully Bettany's version still somewhat resembles who Williams described during his appearance on the Jim and Sam Show.

Set many years before Han Solo met Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi at the Mos Eisley Cantina, Solo: A Star Wars Story will delve into the origin of the Star Wars franchise's most beloved smuggler, which includes him meeting Lando Calrissian, pulling off a dangerous heist and making the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. Along with Pau Bettany, the main cast includes Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Joonas Suotamo. It remains to be seen if Michael K. Williams' cut scenes will be included on Solo: A Star Wars Story's home release.

Solo: A Star Wars Story blasts its way into theaters on May 25. To learn what other major motion pictures are coming out this year, head to our 2018 release schedule.

Around this time last year, it was reported that The Wire star Michael K. Williams was being eyed to join Solo: A Star Wars Story, and Williams ultimately signed on and shot all of his scenes during principal photography. However, the exit of directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller threw a wrench into the works, and after Ron Howard was hired as their replacement, the reshoots were extended. Unfortunately for Williams, he was unable to return for this extra filming due to scheduling conflicts, leading to his character being both recast and altered. Seven months later, Williams has made peace with being cut out of Solo: A Star Wars Story, though he's still acutely aware of how weird the events were that led to him being replaced. Williams said:

Michael K. Williams was brought on to Solo: A Star Wars Story to play Dryden Vos, one of the crime lords who Han Solo will cross paths with during his standalone story. Williams' Dryden Vos was a motion-capture creation, but after the actor left the movie due to being busy with The Red Sea Resort, Ron Howard cast Paul Bettany in his place, subsequently turning the character into a full human. We have yet to see any footage of Bettany's Dryden Vos, but judging by Williams' above quote, he's now okay with how things turned out, noting that it's just another crazy Hollywood story. However, Williams also mentioned during his appearance on EW Morning Live that he's disappointed that the general public will never be able to see the scenes he performed in alongside his fellow cast members. Williams continued:

While the Star Wars movies usually do contain deleted scenes for the home release, it's hard to say if Disney and Lucasfilm will include Michael K. Williams' cut scenes Solo: A Star Wars Story's Blu-ray and digital release. While it would be good to have insight into how Solo was different during the Lord and Miller days, it's possible the studios might not want to spotlight this portion of the production, preferring that footage stay unseen. If some or all of Williams' Dryden Vos are included, it'd be a good idea to include a disclaimer from Ron Howard on why the character is so drastically different compared to Bettany's version.

Solo: A Star Wars Story will blast its way into theaters on May 25. To keep up with what other movies are coming out this year, head to our 2018 release schedule.

It's been two months since 21 Jump Street duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller exited the Han Solo movie with only a few weeks left of filming left. Ron Howard was quickly hired as the Star Wars spinoff's new director, and judging by Howard's social media posts, production still seems to be running smoothly. However, the creative shakeups didn't end with Lord and Miller's departure, as The Night Of star Michael K. Williams has revealed that he's been cut from the Han Solo movie because he was unable to participate in the reshoots that had become necessary for his character. Williams explained:

Michael K. Williams was first reported to be involved with the Han Solo movie back in March, although no details were revealed about who he would be playing. Sadly for those who were looking forward to seeing the Boardwalk Empire and The Wire actor in a galaxy far, far away, it's not happening due to unfortunate scheduling conflicts with his other projects. Williams also informed Deadline that his character was a "half-human, half-animal," although he didn't mention how this character fit into the plot. Nevertheless, Williams is proud of the "kick-ass" character he helped create, and later added that he doesn't think that him not being in the Star Wars family anymore is "final."

As for if any of Michael K. Williams' cut scenes will be made available on the Han Solo movie's home release, that's hard to say. Depending on how important his character was to the story, it's possible Lucasfilm might throw in a few of Williams' moments to give Star Wars fans a taste of what might have been. But let's also not forget that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story cut a fair chunk of material from before its reshoots, including scenes that were shown in the first trailer, and those weren't included on the home release. Either way, hopefully we'll learn more about Williams' character once the Han Solo movie has screened to the public, either from Williams himself or someone else from the cast/crew.

So far Michael K. Williams seems to be the only acting casualty from the Han Solo movie's directing shift. The main cast still includes Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo and Ian Kenny, among others. The next Star Wars anthology spinoff will arrive in theaters on May 25, 2018.

Last week, the upcoming Han Solo movie celebrated the beginning of its shoot by releasing a photo of the main cast members assembled together in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon. While those will be the folks we'll see the most in the second Star Wars Anthology movie, there are still plenty of other actors who will be getting in on the action. Now it's looking like one of those actors will likely be The Wire's Michael K. Williams.

According to Variety, Michael K. Williams is in final talks to join the Han Solo movie for an important role. No details about his character were revealed, but given the actor's impressive resume, no doubt we can expect him to be someone important rather than just a cameo. If everything works out as planned, Williams will join a cast that consists of Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian, Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Michael K. Williams has been active in Hollywood since the mid-1990s, with his notable movie credits including Gone Baby Gone, 12 Years a Slave, the Robocop remake, The Purge: Anarchy, the Ghostbusters remake and Assassin's Creed. However, it's on television where he's arguably shined best, primarily through his performances as Omar Little on The Wire and Chalky White on Boardwalk Empire. While it's anyone's guess right now who Williams is playing, since the Han Solo movie will see the eponymous protagonist back in his smuggling roots, there's a good chance that Williams could be one of the seedy characters he'll run into. Williams is experienced with those kind of roles. It's also worth mentioning that since Phoebe Waller-Bridge is reportedly playing a key CGI character in the Han Solo movie (rumored to be a droid, like Rogue One's K-2SO), consider that Williams may not be playing a human, but an alien or another CGI role instead.

No concrete plot details about the Han Solo movie have been revealed to the public yet. All we know for certain is that it will follow one of Han's adventures back when the Empire was still strong and he was far from being the Rebel hero he would become in the Original Trilogy. It was rumored last year that we may see how Han won the Millennium Falcon from Lando, but that has yet to be confirmed. With all the recent casting news lately, don't be surprised if more updates are on the way in the coming weeks/months, especially last October, it was reported that Zoe Kravitz, Tessa Thompson and Naomi Scott tested for an important role, and we never received an update on how that went.

The Han Solo movie will be released in theaters on May 25, 2018. Let us know what you think of Michael K. Williams jumping aboard in the comments below.

Fans became tremendously excited last month when word leaked that Black Manta would be featured as the primary villain of director James Wan's upcoming Aquaman movie. If you were hoping to see actor Michael K. Williams play the role, however, we have some bad news. While recent rumors have pointed to Williams as the actor in line for the gig, the blockbuster's director has shot down those stories personally.

As a regular Twitter user, James Wan is pretty accessible to fans, and while many filmmakers refuse to comment on rumors in social media, Wan has been very upfront about the possibility of seeing Michael K. Williams as Black Manta in Aquaman. Linking to another Tweet reporting the rumor, a fan asked Wan about the legitimacy of the story, and Wan dismissed it with three short words and two pieces of punctuation:

Before you start debating about whether or not it was cool for James Wan to do this, he did follow up shortly after with another Tweet on the subject. The director was asked by another fan about the possibility of making the Aquaman rumor become real, and while Wan didn't speak directly to that idea, he did take the opportunity to show reverence to Michael K. Williams as a performer:

While it sounds like the chances of seeing Michael K. Williams as Black Manta in Aquaman seem quite slim, it's not terribly hard to understand why fans might want to see him in the villainous part. As James Wan points out, Williams is a tremendous actor -- earning incredible acclaim for his parts in the HBO series The Wire and Boardwalk Empire - and he also shares a distinguishing feature with the legendary DC Comics villain: a long scar on his face (albeit Black Manta has three, courtesy of Aquaman's trident).

If it's not going to be Michael K. Williams, who do you think James Wan and the folks at DC Comics/Warner Bros. should hire to play Black Manta in Aquaman opposite Jason Momoa? Or do you think that they're making a major mistake, and should hire Williams immediately? Hit the comments section below with your feelings and thoughts on the matter, and stay tuned for the latest updates on the blockbuster's development.

Audiences may be most familiar with Michael K. Williams for his roles in TV dramas like The Wire or Boardwalk Empire, but the actor is getting his first shot as an action hero in the upcoming Assassin's Creed live action adaptation. He's playing Moussa, a prisoner of the corporation Abstergo alongside Michael Fassbender's lead Callum Lynch, and is granted the voodoo assassin skills of his ancestor, Baptiste. It's a role the actor is understandably excited about, and it seems like it may lead to him joining a different mammoth sized franchise that rhymes with Sharvel. Yep, Williams has reportedly been approached for a Marvel movie.

Collider had the chance to speak with Michael K. Williams to discuss all things Assassin's Creed, but the actor threw in an almost casual statement of being approached for a Marvel movie right. This is William's first big action role, and Collider asked what his biggest draw to the project was. It boiled down to impressing his son, but Williams showed a lot of excitement in keeping the action train rolling.

The "they" who wants him to be a Marvel character is unclear. It could be Fox approaching him for something in an X-Men movie, Marvel Studios for any of the dozens of movies they are doing, or perhaps an appearance in a Netflix series. Michael K. Williams admittedly doesn't think he'll end up doing it, but we'll have to wait and see for any more definitive news to come out. Williams is a big talent, so he'd be well received in any potential Marvel project.

It's pretty impossible to nail down which of the many Marvel projects Michael K. Williams was approached for, but Collider did make a joke about running a Black Panther rumor for him to impress his son, and Williams admitted that was the one his kid wanted the most. So, there'd be a good incentive for Williams to be in Black Panther, which is already building a stellar cast. That movie isn't scheduled for release until February 2018, so there may still be time for Williams to get a role, which is something he expressed an interest in a while back.

Before that, though, you'll be able to see Michael K. Williams in Assassin's Creed, which might finally break the video game movie curse. The film is directed by Justin Kurzel and hits theaters on December 21, 2016.

When the Ghostbusters return to the screen this summer, nearly everything about the movie will be different. The story is a completely fresh take on the material and, with the possible exception of the logo, very little will be carried over from the first two Ghostbuster movies. We didn’t think any of the previous characters would be making appearances, but now it turns out that may not be true. Slimer may have a scene in the new film after all.

Michael K. Williams has a role in the new Ghostbusters as an FBI agent who works with New York’s mayor. In a recent interview with EW Radio, reported on Comicbook.com, he was very excited to report that he shared a scene with the famous green ghost. As he put it:

This is interesting information to learn, especially since we were previously told that this wouldn’t be happening. A few months ago, an entry popped up on IMDB claiming that Simpsons voice actor Dan Castellaneta would be voicing the character of Slimer in the Ghostbusters reboot. While there was some confirmation to the information initially, director Paul Feig debunked the report.

There's a few different ways one can parse this new information. It could be that the ghost that Michael K. Williams appears with isn’t technically Slimer, but has some similarities to him, which made the actor think of Slimer. Alternately, it’s possible that Slimer was always planned for the film, but simply that the voice acting credit was not accurate, (as of now the entry on IMDB has been removed). This would seem to be the most likely, as Paul Feig’s tweet doesn’t necessarily state that Slimer won’t be in the film. Also, we saw a toy at the New York Toy Show, the same place where we learned who the movie’s main villain will be, that certainly looked like our old green friend.

If Slimer does appear in the new Ghostbusters, he’ll be the only one reprising his original role, though he won’t be the only familiar face. Much of the original cast, including Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver will appear in the movie, though not as their original characters.

Are you excited for the potential return of Slimer?

Actor Michael K. Williams has been in the business for a long time, but he’s probably still best known for his breakthrough role on The Wire, playing Omar Little, a stick-up man from the streets who gains increasing prominence as the series goes on. Despite opening avenues for the actor, The Wire role became a stressor when Williams became unable to separate his TV show role from reality.

Michael K. Williams recently spoke out about his time shooting The Wire. The actor revealed that he was having trouble separating himself from the character he was portraying on television. According to The Guardian he was experimenting with drugs and spending all of the money that came in from the hit series. It didn’t help that people in everyday life tended to only recognize him as “Omar” from The Wire. He had to learn not to behave like the character he was portraying on TV.

Actors have trouble separating themselves from their work frequently. Playing the iconic Batman villain the Joker caused Heath Ledger to start taking the dangerous drug cocktail that eventually killed him. Immersing himself in a role caused the world to collectively believe that Joaquin Phoenix had gone off the deep end for a while. Art doesn’t always imitate life; it can, in fact have an effect on life, and that’s a lesson Williams had to learn.

Luckily, it’s not a problem the actor has now. The man is offered enough gigs at this point that it is doubtful anyone would accuse him of being defined by one role. In the past year or so, Williams had roles in the RoboCop reboot, The Purge: Anarchy, Inherent Vice, The Gambler and Kill The Messenger in gigs as varied as a detective, an activist, a loan shark and an anti-purge resistance fighter. On the small screen, Williams spent five seasons playing Chalky White on the period drama Boardwalk Empire; the series ended its run in October of 2014. None of the aforementioned roles may be as iconic as the memorable Omar Little, but they also have afforded the actor a wealth of opportunities to try out new characters without the burden of having to be inside those character's heads 24/7.

It's not often people really come into their own at such a late age, but it's nice to see Michael K Williams has finally made it. He's a brilliant actor, and it'll be wonderful to watch him work for the next few decades.

Blumhouse Productions hasn't yet announced The Purge 3. But with The Purge Anarchy earning better reviews from critics, and bigger box office than it's predecessor, a third installment in the dystopian horror franchise seems all but guaranteed. And now we have an idea of where the third movie might go, thanks to one of the stars of the last film.

Yesterday, I sat down with Michael K. Williams for his new film Kill The Messenger. Aside from that thriller, we talked his Marvel past, his Marvel ambitions, and what he has to look forward to in The Purge 3. When I asked if he was attached to the film, he nodded and added, "Yes, most definitely."

In The Purge: Anarchy, Williams played Carmelo Johns, an advocate against the annual event that spurs Americans to mayhem and murder one day a year. In pirate radio broadcasts, Johns declares that The Purge is actually a conspiracy of class warfare that allows the rich to openly prey on the poor. His claims became a bloody reality in the film's thrilling final act, where Johns comes out of the shadows to kick some ass.

"He was tons of fun," Williams said. "They set him up."

Set him up for what? Williams was reluctant to say.

It's unknown if a script is in place. But here's the direction we suspect The Purge 3 will take. The first two films set up a world where The Purge enables murder to occur without legal recourse. The first film centered on the rich essentially cannibalizing each other over petty aggressions. But The Purge: Anarchy took this murder spree premise to the streets of a big city, where the rich were hiring others to bring them victims for their blood lust. Or in some cases, the rich were sweeping buildings to make way for smoother gentrification.

Carmelo Johns was set up as the leader of the revolution against this kill-the-poor conspiracy. And with Michael K. Williams attached and eager for The Purge 3, we speculate Johns will play a central role in the film. Perhaps he'll reteam with Frank Grillo's bitter cop, who not only survived The Purge: Anarchy but won praise from critics and fans alike for his Dirty Harry-style portrayal. Could this mean The Purge 3 will follow the plot line of revolution?

With a premise as prime for violence as The Purge, there are a lot of possibilities for the third installment that has yet to be announced. But frankly, Blumhouse would be mad not to take advantage of the fan response to Grillo and William's hard-to-kill rebels.

Revisit the buzz of The Purge: Anarchy with this trailer:

We'll give you more on this story as it develops.

Earlier we reported that Boardwalk Empire's Michael K. Williams is ready and willing to take on the role of Black Panther. All Marvel need do is ask. But this possible casting scenario would not mark the heralded actor's first appearance in a Marvel movie. Deep-cut fans of Williams know full well he had a blink-and-you'll-miss-it role in 2008's Edward Norton-led The Incredible Hulk.

He's credited as "Harlem bystander," which is insane when you consider this film came out at the tail-end of his run on the highly acclaimed series The Wire. Michael K. Williams was too big a name to be casually popping up as a featured extra. So how did this happen? Turns out, Williams had a major moment with the titular superhero that was nearly completely cut from the film.

While researching to interview Michael K. Williams about his role in the Jeremy Renner-fronted thriller Kill The Messenger, I was surprised to realize that he beat The Avengers star to sharing a scene with the Hulk. When I asked Williams about how he came to be in The Incredible Hulk--for "five seconds" by his estimate--he unfolded a whole sequence that got lost to studio notes. He explained:

From that scene of action, confrontation and Harlem bravado, Michael K. Williams role got cut down to this:

Upon the film's release, Williams told IGN this part was created for him by Ed Norton. And according to Williams, Norton himself directed him in this sequence. He recalls:

Nonetheless, the scene was shot. And Michael K. Williams is hopeful that it will someday see the light of day. "At least as outtakes," he laughs.

Of course, this was Hulk pre-Disney acquisition of Marvel. So it'd be Marvel and Universal that'd need to make that call. And depending on when this scene was cut, it's possible that the CG that brought to life The Hulk and his villainous reflection The Abomination was never completed. But all the same, we'd love to see the badass Williams giving Hulk permission to smash.

A Black Panther movie is coming. Marvel might be keeping mum about it, but Stan Lee has confirmed it. The time is right for actors looking to make their way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe to speak up if interested. And the most recent to say it loud and proud is Michael K. Williams of The Wire and Boardwalk Empire.

Earlier today, I sat down with Michael K. Williams to discuss his role in the upcoming Jeremy Renner vehicle Kill The Messenger. We'll share more about this tense political thriller closer to its release in October. However, when the conversation turned to all things Marvel, Williams was frank for his hopes and ambitions to get in on the superhero stories. Asked if he had been approached about joining the latest phases of Marvel's Cinematic roll-out, he said:

I asked if there was any part he had his eye on. Michael K. Williams said with a broad smile:

But does his enthusiasm for the role stem from a childhood devotion to the character? Or rather from the enticing opportunity to get in on these big, bold blockbusters?

What does Williams feel he could bring to the role of Black Panther?

Marvel should be so lucky.

Michael K. Williams (A.K.A. Michael Kenneth Williams) has been bringing his New York brand of grit and dangerous appeal to the screen since his film debut in the 1996 crime drama MugShot. Within three years he was working with Martin Scorsese on Bringing Out the Dead. Then in 2001, he got his first role on an HBO series, landing a one-off on The Sopranos. Later he'd win acclaim and ravenous fans for his work on The Wire and Boardwalk Empire. He's gone on to work with a slew of acclaimed directors like Antoine Fuqua (Brooklyn's Finest), Ben Affleck (Gone Baby Gone), Spike Lee (Miracle of St. Anna), Todd Solondz (Life During War Time) and Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave). He's sought after, admired, and one hell of an actor. Marvel would be mad not to at least take a meeting with the guy.

Make it happen, Marvel. We're sure Jeremy Renner will put in a good word for you.

Omar comin’! If there’s ever been a film that could give the world a spiritual revival of Michael K. Williams’ urban outlaw from HBO’s The Wire, it’s the upcoming sequel The Purge 2 from Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions. Who better to run, duck and hide from on the scariest day of the year than one of TV’s most frightening anti-heroes? Of course, it probably won’t turn out that way, but Williams definitely joined the cast, along with Friday Night Lights star Zach Gilford, Away We Go’s Carmen Ejogo and The Glades actress Kiele Sanchez.

They all join the previously cast Frank Grillo (The Grey), as THR reports, which technically gives this film more star power than the first film, in which Ethan Hawke was the only redeeming value. Returning writer-director James DeMonaco really needs to trim a lot of fat off of this premise if he expects audiences to make this sequel as big a success as its predecessor. (The Purge earned $89 million on a $3 million budget.)

There’s no sign of what the plot is going to be about, and though it can’t be ruled out that these are all members of the same family through marriage, I’m guessing the story may, and should, branch out from just a single location, taking us a little further into the ridiculously dangerous world on the night of no regrets. We can possibly count on one thing, though: all of these characters are adults, so no one could possibly be as stupid as Max Burkholder’s son character was, but let it be known I will stand around kicking and screaming all to myself if any of these people do anything as stupid as letting bleeding strangers in their house, knowing they probably wouldn’t do it on any random day.

Williams, who had better not be cast as a mute librarian or something similarly useless, has been all over the place in 2013, from tearing shit up as Chalky White in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire to a reverend in the faith-centered YouTube series Walk This Way. He’s following up a performance in Oscar contender 12 Years a Slave with the upcoming Robocop remake and is currently filming Tim Blake Nelson’s next drama Anesthesia.

Following his star quarterback status on Friday Night Lights, Gilford moved onto working with The Mob Doctor and in the Arnold Schwarzenegger bullet-fest The Last Stand. He’ll next be seen in the Rosemary’s Baby lookalike Devil’s Due.

Ejogo most recently starred in the ABC thriller Zero Hour, and was last seen on the big screen in the 2012 films Sparkle and Alex Cross. Sanchez, who I will forever remember as Lost’s completely forgettable Nikki, has kept busy with The Glades and this will be her first feature role since 2010’s Redemption Road.

You can expect to see The Purge 2 in theaters on June 20, 2014, as counterprogramming to the big budget fare in all the other theaters.

It looks like Omar Little may be moving from the streets of Baltimore to futuristic Detroit. And what's more, this time he'll be a cop.

Michael K. Williams, who is best known for playing the role of Omar on HBO's The Wire, is now in talks to join the cast of Robocop, according to THR. Directed by Jose Padilha, who is best known for helming the two Elite Squad movies in his home land of Brazil, the movie is a remake of the Paul Verhoeven classic from 1987 about a cop named Alex Murphy who is brought back to life as a cybernetic crime fighter. Joel Kinnaman will play the title role while Hugh Laurie is attached as the villain. The incredible supporting cast includes Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman, Jay Baruchel, Abbie Cornish and Jackie Earle Haley. It was announced late last week that Contagion star Jennifer Ehle is in talks for the movie as well.

Should he sign on the dotted line, Williams will be playing Murphy's partner on the police force who is apparently "close with Murphy's family." Alex's partner in the Verhoven movie was an officer named Anne Lewis, who was played by Nancy Allen. It would seem that character has been fully rewritten.

Williams finished his second season on HBO's Boardwalk Empire in December and has working on a number of films during his hiatus. He is currently in production on Twelve Years A Slave, the new film from director Steve McQueen starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, and Paul Giamatti.

Omar comin'.

Though the HBO series The Wire was never a ratings success on the level of Game of Thrones, it's attracted a dedicated and ever-growing fan base over the years, and every single one of those fans knows what the above sentence means. According to Deadline, Michael K. Williams-- who played the charismatic, violent and constantly surprising Omar on The Wire-- has joined the cast of Twelve Years A Slave, the next film from Shame director Steve McQueen that's currently filming in New Orleans.

There are so many great things to process about this movie that we need to slow down a little bit and consider them one by one. First up, there's Williams, who has worked on Boardwalk Empire and a brief, underutilized guest spot on Community since The Wire ended, but still feels like he's waiting for a role that gives him a fraction as much potential as Omar did. It's unclear if Twelve Years A Slave will be that role-- after all, shooting has already begun, which suggests the part isn't that big-- but he'll at least be stealing scenes from some excellent company. In addition to Chiwetel Ejiofor in the lead role, as a free black man kidnapped and sold into slavery in pre-Civil War America, the cast includes Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Garret Dillahunt, Paul Dano, Pariah breakout Adepero Oduye and even SNL's Taran Killam.

And finally, there's Steve McQueen, who had a career in the world of high art before he made his directorial debut with the experimental, gripping drama Hunger, which also introduced the world to Michael Fassbender as the Irish political prisoner Bobby Sands. The two teamed up again last year for Shame, and while that movie didn't take off in awards season the way many expected, it clearly gave McQueen enough status to get Twelve Years A Slave going. It will be McQueen's first period film and first film with a large ensemble cast-- do you really need any more reasons to be excited about this?

Horror-fan turned movie producer Slash (of Guns 'N Roses fame) has begun casting his first feature film, the horror-thriller Nothing to Fear. Inspired by the town of Stull, Kansas, which is said to be the home of a gateway to hell, the movie centers on a family whose hopes of a simpler suburban life are derailed when they cross the path of a charismatic but disturbed man of the cloth. While Oscar-nominee Thomas Haden Church was in talks to play the part of this perturbed preacher last fall, THR reports consummate character actor Clancy Brown (Highlander, The Shawshank Redemption) has just signed on to portray this reprobate reverend, who will face off against Ethan Peck's (In Time) "townsperson with a past." Anne Heche (Rampart), James Tupper (Playing the Field) and Willa Holland (Legion) have also joined the cast, presumably as the sure-to-be-tortured family.

While I had hoped Church would stay onboard--simply because he should be in more movies--I have to admit Brown seems an inspired choice for the role of this malevolent man of God. He's shown a stunning screen presence in his past works, and a chilling ability to play merciless authority figures. Slash's producing partner Rob Eric has said as much, admitting the love that he, Slash and their Slasher Films' co-founder Michael Williams share for Highlander, which he calls "one of the movies we remember as kids that make us do what we do now," urged them to approach the multi-talented performer whose most prolific gig of late has been as the voice of Mr. Krabs on the off-the-wall Nickelodeon cartoon Spongebob SquarePants.

Easily encapsulating why Brown is a great fit for the role, Eric gushed:

When asked how he feels relative unknown Peck will stack up against his onscreen adversary, Eric was confident their chemistry will prove explosive, saying, “It’s a very hard thing to go up against an actor who is so strong and embodies his role as Clancy does but Ethan is that man. Ethan will have really intense scenes with him.”

Nothing to Fear is currently in pre-production, no shooting schedule has yet been announced.

Michael K. Williams was almost the star of Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained. According to an interview with the actor a couple months ago, it came down to him and Jaime Foxx, but it was Foxx who ended up with the gig. It wasn't a total loss: because the writer/director was so impressed with Williams, he decided that he was going to create a role in the movie just for him. Sadly, however, it looks like it just wasn't meant to be.

Deadline has learned from the production that Michael K. Williams is too busy working on the acclaimed HBO show Boardwalk Empire, on which he plays Chalky White, and won't be able to make space on his schedule for the new Tarantino film. But just because he won't have time for that project doesn't mean we won't be seeing him on the big screen at all. The site says that Williams has accepted a role in Snitch, a new action drama from stuntman-turned-director Ric Roman Waugh. He joins an impressive cast that includes Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Susan Sarandon, Barry Pepper, and Jon Bernthal. Also joining the project, according to Variety, are Melina Kanakaredes, Rafi Gavron and Nadine Velazquez. The film is about a suburban father (Johnson) who agrees to work as an snitch (get it?) for the DEA in order to reduce his son's jail sentence for a crime he didn't commit. The plot is based on a true story.

It's a shame that Williams won't be able to appear in Django Unchained - it's always great to see amazing actors work with amazing directors - but I suppose that's just the way it goes.

Community opened the third season with two pretty strong episodes. They did a great job wrapping up loose-ends, setting this year's tone and even creating (or hinting at) a few new roles and relationships for some of our characters. Oh, plus we've already had some great guest work from Michael K. Williams, John Goodman and especially Martin Starr in last week's episode. This weeks episode, "Competitive Geology," is heavy on the Chang, but Michael K Williams is back as Professor Kane, so there's always that...

"You woke with a guard this morning but tonight, you're going to bed with a detective." or "Who are these people?

This week's opening act sets up our two narratives and, shockingly - at least to me - one of them does not involve the group. At all. It's just Chang. Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself (but really? just Chang). He wakes in his squatter's paradise at the college, living with a lovely lady mannequin leg named Veronica and dreaming big dreams about becoming a full on detective. Meanwhile, the group just seem to be getting along so well. Awe. Like, really well. Awe. NO! Too well. And enter Professor Kane's new assignment, a terrarium, which is kind of like a ecological diorama. Ugh. It's clear Professor Kane has a hard time understanding life on the outside sometimes, like his students sometimes or even the recent developments in Lego. Regardless, terrariums a due the next day and everyone's lab partner is seated across from them. Uh yeah, who are these people?

"You've only been here a month. You haven't done much of anything and there's no such thing as security guard detective."

Let's open with the Chang storyline since you can tell that's the one I'm most excited about. As I stated above, Ken Jeong's Chang can be hilarious - when used wisely and sparingly, as he was during his 'Senior Chang' days in the first season. However, the more we get, the less I enjoy and I was really looking forward to the first full on film noir spoof and Harmon gave it to him. Objectively? It wasn't too bad but it definitely doesn't rank up there with a solid half of any of the better episodes.

It opens with Chang and his superior not seeing eye to eye, mostly because his superior isn't a crazy person and the fact that "they don't investigate crimes because they can barely prevent them." Of course, this does little to stop his insane mind from inviting us in for a full on film noir voice-over and the beginning of Chang's first case. Sure, it has some good lines ("he kind of arms that have elbows" or "I needed answers like a fish needs a bicycle"), I laughed at the jump cut to the stapler and I even liked the fact that he lit the fire to start his own case BUT was it consistently funny or smart enough for this show? I did also like that he and the Dean had a 'crazy off' that results in no consequences for anyone but the man of reason. Say hello to Head Security Guard Chang.

"We really prefer to partner up amongst ourselves."

After the opening few minutes left the oh, so happy group a little shocked with their lab partner assignment, they decided to take a trip to see Professor Kane and see about remedying this 'new people' situation. Even though Kane finds the whole thing bizarre he grants them their wish and off they go and split... shocker Pierce is odd man out and still left with Todd. Poor, poor Todd. He's given so much offense and yet so little is taken. All's not well in paradise though when the group soon realizes that they don't pair up so well. Annie doesn't want to do the work and watch Jeff complain about his twitter casualties or send texts to no one. Reminiscing over Kickpuncher Abed and Troy realize they already spend too much time together. And, well, why would anyone ever assume that Britta and Shirley would make a good team. That was doomed before the moment Shirley started talking [read: blathering on and on] about her kids or Britta mentioned sugar conspiracies.

Enter the new scapegoat, Todd. To solve the 'Todd Problem' it's back the the study room to get better partners... I mean find out who gets stuck with Todd. Troy's plan is a complicated way of saying he wants Britta. Abed want's to pair the old and the young, which Shirley is more okay with since Jeff is in the old group (he's not okay). Britta wants the high-IQ's with the lows for obvious reasons. They eventually they settle on a ranking system (popularity contest) with Abed, the computer, calculating the results. Everyone is happy. The end. "Are you questioning my algorithm?" "No." "Is you're algorithm above questioning?" No." Of course, this only leads to more squabbling and Britta torching the rankings and throwing them in the garbage... with the turtle. Oh yeah, Todd found a turtle! He's a pretty nice and patient guy, I'm sorry for not mentioning him but I don't think he'd take offense. However, one can only be pushed so far, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?" A lot is wrong with these people but what they do learn is that, they are better together. As a whole. And mostly being unkind to others, like Todd.

"Maybe I need to take one... A test, not a penis."

This week's tag was once again very abrupt and not just a Troy/Glover and Abed/Pudi segment (which always makes me sad) but it's okay because it involved the entire group. Troy dropped another classic line, "they're boobs... and I don't know" but we learned that Britta is perhaps a little phallically obsessed. She's Rorschach-ing and Freudian Slipping penises all over the place while trying to do research for her Psych Class. Penis, penis, penis, penis. penis. Overall I thought it was a pretty lackluster episode but, like usual, still found places to cram in some laughs, The actors are too good to not get you going a few times, including Ken Jeong even if a little Chang goes a long way (or, uh, a big Chang goes a short way). It's nice that Pierce's continued his recent trend being the senile, out of touch racist we like (he was funny, again!) instead of the mean one we don't. And it was nice to see his take his position as perennial seventh-wheel in stride. Well, funny and not mean-spirited stride.

I don't think I'd fail this one but I'd meet after class and tell them that they can do better. Unless, of course, you love Chang and lots of him, meaning this probably an awesome episode. Hurray!

Bonus Questions:

The Dean-Low.

"I'm married to the job. And to a mannequin leg I Found in the boardroom." ..."Homewrecker!"

Legos were simple...

Paintball. Paintball 2.

"What is happening at this school? I have so many conversations I don't understand."

"Maybe I was crazy. Or maybe, just maybe, I was a Detective."

Clue-y.

"I had to think fast."

"It has feelings."

"You're just a good grade in a tight sweater."

"Well, you're just a bad grade in a tight sweater."

Do worms have tiny little faces?

"Offense taken. Offense taken..."

Another ego-shattering blow delivered by Professor Kane this week, "Pop Pop."

The 'mean clique' in prison.

Iris-in on Todd's single tear.

Community airs on NBC, Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT. It stars Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Alison Brie, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole-Brown, Donald Glover, Jim Rash, Ken Jeong and Chevy Chase. It was created by Dan Harmon.

Welcome back to Greendale for Community Season 3. First class, "Biology 101."

"We're going to seem like a mainstream dream and be appealing to all mankind."

So, the third season of the smartest, most reference-filled, Emmy snubbed, comedy opens with a bunch of lies in song. Yes, a full on musical number that, in retrospect, takes place all inside's Jeff's mind, his perfect vision of Greendale without Pierce. When you look at it this way, all of the lines are even funnier and you absolutely have to watch it again. It's perfect, the wishes of Jeff Winger, not to mention the lies - something he may be a little familiar and too comfortable with - for what he hopes will be a normal, happy, sex-with-Annie filled year. Obviously, expect the opposite.

And snap back to reality and two of the three threads of this week's narrative are quickly introduced, the first right off the bat and hinted at in the song - life with(or with)out Pierce. Enter the Dean and the second thread for the week, his quest for no more National Lampoon-ery this year at Greendale. And what do you know, Pierce arrives and would like to come back to the group (one cliff-hanger down). He can't because he's not in Biology 101 (spoke too soon?) but not to worry, the table isn't magical and they're all friends. Oh, and by the way, Chang's living in the air vents.

"Cougar Town's been moved to mid-season, that's never a good sign. Not cool, not cool, not cool..."

This third thread is brought in immediately after the break and it's probably the least compelling, so it's as good a place to start as any place. Abed's beloved Cougar Town wound up with a mid-season premiere date (in November on ABC), which leaves him, not only worried but, without his favorite show and nothing to watch. This gets most of the group, well, mostly Britta since she's always on the crusade, to find a replacement.

In a not so subtle jab at British television, not to mention Britta's sense of cultural superiority, the first show brought in is the original series upon which Cougar Town was based (not true) Cougarton Abbey which solves the problem but only for six episodes because that's how the Brits do it, closure! Abed does not like closure. This brings out the ever more common, Troy versus Britta conflict which I always enjoy, especially how he rightfully notes her capacity to ruin everything, even his analogy for how she's a supreme ruiner. All's well in the end, when Britta discovers the thinly veiled Doctor Who - Inspector Spacetime, the best show Abed has ever seen.

"Homey don't Dean this..."

Back to the second story line unfolding, Dean Pelton's quest to clean up Greendale and end the shenanigans of the previous two years. However, this poses two problems for our newly facial haired 'pan-sexual imp' because it, first, sets him on a wild goose - monkey - chase and, second, gets him an air of false confidence that leads him into the powerful path of Vice Dean Laybourne and man in charge of The Air Conditioning Repair School Annex, played by the brilliant John Goodman.

As it turns out, the security team isn't really all that equipped to handle getting a monkey (or a Chang) out of the air ducts but "gas that knocks out monkeys" will do just fine. Unfortunately, the Dean can't afford to pay them for their services after his run in with, or should I say slaughter by, the Vice Dean down at the Annex, where all the school's money actually comes from... Hm. Jim Rash's Dean Pellton is no match for John Goodman's gravitas? Shocking. So, after a quick and forced shave it seems "this year isn't going to be that different." Let the craziness begin!

"We'll see ya, when we see ya."

After the very cold, cold open where it looked as though Pierce would be sitting out Bio 101, Jeff does his best to piss off their Professor (and ex-con) Dr. Marshall Kane, played by the Michael K. Williams. A little bit, Dr. King, a little bit X, this professor doesn't take any of Jeff's bullshit and soon has him fighting to get back into the class and the study group, while Pierce has eased comfortably back into both. My how the magic table has turned. After his meager and unsuccessful attempts to bribe the righteous professor he notices a picture of Pierce and an African American convict. Doing the 2 + 2 math before understanding the equation, he flees with hopes of a return to a spot in the study group. A return thwarted by Chang (carrying what appears to be a large ham) and a bunch of gas that knocks out monkeys.

Cue the 2001: A Space Odyssey inspired dream sequence where Jeff realizes that perhaps, he and Pierce aren't so different, especially in their quest for the monolithic table. So, does this dream cure our friend Jeff? Nope, he enters the room, crazy as ever, spouting a classic Pierce line, "having fun without me again?" And that photo? Sorry, racist Jeff, not all Black people look the same... or wear prison uniforms... or are all in prison. Jeff goes even more Kubrick, Jack Torrence-ing the table with an axe before, in a turn that I was really happy to see, Pierce takes the blame. His character was way off the dark deep end last year and I feel this is a nice fresh start.

"There. Now the table's good as new."

The tag is short but sweet. Troy wants to be more supportive of Britta, who tells the group of her recent life-discovery, her desire to be a therapist. While they all try their darndest to keep from laughing, Chang walks in, dressed in Security Guard. He's back to working at Greendale so you best "keep it down, there's a new sheriff in town.

All in all, a very smart, if not really packed, episode. It was cluttered but excellently structured as to not sacrifice too many laughs (their were still plenty). The problems of Season 2 seemingly smoothed over. Everything status quo for the start of a new school year. The guest stars... uh, you have to ask. Goodman kills everything, except maybe Michael K. Williams, who looks like a formidable adversary for Jeff this season (kind of like John Michael Higgin's Professor Whitman with the whole Carpe Diem theme in the first season).

And lastly, it's great to see Pierce turn a corner and Chang be relegated to the sidelines, in what is probably a perfect position for him as Greendale security. I always liked Season 1. Small doses. Chang's the best. I also don't know if I'm reading too much into this but I did notice two not so subtle hints that this could be their last season if they don't start seeing an increase in viewership, namely the lack of money line from Pelton and the reaction from the group when Chang announces he's the new law in town. Shirley specifically says, "this is our last year." So get watching. Another great show cannot be cancelled! (Community airs on NBC, Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT)

Crib Notes:

Troy and Abed announce their plans... to move in together. They're registered at Linens 'n Things but "we have plenty of linens, we mainly want the things."

Troy's reaction to the magical table that keeps their books from falling on the ground.

"I know who Sean Penn is, I've seen MILK."

"Idea shower, spray your solution all over me."

Leonard's prescription socks.

Remains of the Day.

"You are a pizza burn on the roof of the world's mouth."

Starburns adding a new piece of flare for the new season.

"You could have lived the rest of your life in blissful ignorance and died a happy, pan sexual imp but you wanted to feel power this year. Well now you're going to feel my power as it surges downward from me straight to you from nostril to rectum from now until the end of time and that's what's up?"

The blade of grass.

"What is with that guy?"

"Pierce isn't crazy, the table is magic. As someone who has been on the other side I can tell you, it's a scary, Chang filled world out there."

'Starface' suggesting a Breaking Bad situation.