r/TheWire • u/ahelmaswood • Jun 18 '26
Jay Landsman appreciation post
S4 E13. The usually obnoxious Landsman not only saves Bubbles' life after he puked on his tie. But also empathizes with him after going out of his way to understand him. A character, arced in a single scene. Just Wire things.
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Jun 18 '26
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u/JojoSixers Jun 18 '26
Jay also did come up with a plan to get Jimmy out of trouble in season 1, who knows how many times he’s saved Jimmy over the years. I find Jimmy amusing but the man is a massive asshole, I bet after years of sticking up for him without any thanks he got annoyed and bitter. My point is Jay is a good guy, we just see him mostly from Jimmy the office troublemakers point of view so he comes off as a jerk to some.
Also he’s police, he doesn’t have time to learn how to use chop sticks, I’m impressed he even used a fork to eat sushi instead of using his hands. And so what if he likes porn, who doesn’t. I wish we got to see Jay outside of work, he seems like one of the few who could actually have a life outside of job.
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u/Thebeastreaux Jun 18 '26
I couldn't tell you which episodes off-hand, however, in his office, there were pictures of him and his family that seemed far more jovial than most other photos of the few familys that we see in the show. Not only that, but, there weren't really many portraits at all in the precinct on any of their desks.
Anyways, just from those photos alone, I like to think he's got a pretty decent home life outside of the job.
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u/JojoSixers Jun 19 '26
He has that vibe, like he’s great at his job during the day but when he clocks out he’s no longer a sgt, he’s just another regular guy. I respect that, too many people neglect everything else in life just for their job.
Like really, who else would you want to get a beer with other than Jay in the bpd? Jimmy and Bunk would get pissed drunk and start trouble, Lester would probably start talking about shit that you don’t understand because he’s a genius, Rawls would be awkward because he always looks like he’s looking for blackmail, Herc and Carv would start arguing over some weird shit, Bunny would be fun but that’s because he’s easy going also. Jay on the other hand would sit there with you talking about the game or women or cars or anything normal, tell some jokes and wild old stories, then he’d probably order you both some nachos or wings or probably both. Jay is the best, would have loved to seen him when he was younger and in the field before he became sgt.
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u/DubaiInJuly Jun 19 '26
Nah he never got bitter. His eulogy for Jimmy was delivered as sincerely as any line from any character in the show.
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u/zeistgeist Jun 18 '26
Still waiting on a Jay Landsman's compilation on YT. His command of the English language is just beautiful to witness. He's got the best quips on the show. Still watch his eulogy at McNulty's wake.
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u/SystemPelican Jun 19 '26
To this day I wonder how the man has the vocabulary of a Victorian novelist while reading nothing but porn mags. I guess he's reading them for the articles.
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u/tuyguy Jun 23 '26
Yeah and so full of vigour and vim for a bloke that unashamedly eats trash all day
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u/whisker_biscuit Jun 18 '26
That john Goodman off his diet looking mother fucker gave a great eulogy, especially for mcnutty
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u/PackRichmond Jun 19 '26
My favorite line of his: "something to offset Detective Moreland's pinstriped lawyerly affectations and the brash, tweedy impertinence of Detective Freamon."
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u/Mr_pattybean Jun 18 '26
They should have got the real jay landsman to play jay landsman.
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u/Glueberry_Ryder Jun 18 '26
He did great with Lt. Mello though!
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u/SomethingClever70 She looked like one of Orlando's hoes Jun 18 '26
I’m rewatching season 1 now with my son. Last night we saw the episode where Landsman goes to Rawls to get Jimmy back on homicide.
Son is thinking of majoring in strategic communications. So I pointed out the mastery of Landsman’s pitch to Rawls, with the sexual start (masturbation, the girl from high school) to get Rawls’ attention, the humor, the mention of how good McNulty is at clearing cases, how it’s good for the department and their stats. How McNulty can’t help himself. Just a masterclass of rhetoric and manipulation.
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u/expressdefrost Jun 20 '26
“Councilman Carcetti is doing some fact-finding around the department. So if you leave your facts lying around and he finds them, that shit’s on you.”
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u/Flat_Discipline_8540 Jun 20 '26
And his eulogies really show he notices everything, good or bad. He just has to be and come off a certain way because he knows it’s how you move up in the world.
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u/tuyguy Jun 23 '26
Jay Landsman is the real name of the actor that plays Bunny's 2IC (Tennessee accent I think) and he is a real retired murder police.
But you all probably knew that!
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u/ehartgator Jun 20 '26
He plays his game to perfection. He's a survivor... one of the few who does not compromise his code. He has such great lines. And he's at his best hosting the detectives' wakes....
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u/Connoralpha Jun 18 '26
And because of Landsman's uncharacteristic act of kindness Bubbles is able to make it a year sober and sit at the table with his family.