Roland "Wee-Bey" Brice was the Barksdale organization's most trusted soldier before being sentenced to life imprisonment for multiple homicides.
Biography
Wee-Bey dropped out of school in sixth grade and started dealing drugs on a corner with Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell (both slightly older than him), eventually becoming the primary soldier in their criminal organization. Wee-Bey was also responsible for more mundane activities including driving and picking up money. In contrast to his long list of crimes, Wee-Bey is good-natured towards his friends, and has a passion for keeping pet fish. He has a son, Namond, by a woman named De'Londa, though he had no hesitation about sleeping with other women and maintains a separate residence. De'Londa uses his last name although they are not married.[1]
Season one
Wee-Bey is the primary and trusted enforcer of the Barksdale Organization. He is prominently featured as the most established soldier, and trusted enough by Avon Barksdale to be actively involved in the organization's most important plans, along with second-in-command Russell "Stringer" Bell. As the main person in-charge of the gang's dirty work, Wee-Bey naturally comes into conflict with the police numerous times. For instance, he is pulled over by Detectives Hauk and Carver, who seize $20,000 of Barksdale's money from the car. Later, when Avon is eliminating various outstanding evidence of wrongdoing, Wee-Bey kills a witness they had bought off. Wee-Bey gets involved in two different gun fights with legendary stick-up man Omar Little, after torturing and killing Omar's partner in crime (and love) Brandon. Their first encounter ends with Wee-Bey shot in the leg, but he later defends Avon against Omar, shooting him in the shoulder and forcing his retreat. Wee-Bey holds the distinction of being the only character on the show to ever get the best of Omar in a 1 to 1 gunfight.
Wee-Bey was also linked to the body of a dancer from Orlando's strip club, the Barksdales' legitimate business front. He did not kill her, but, after she slept with him at a party, he did nothing to help her as she was dying from a drug overdose. His callous disposal of her body sways another stripper, Shardene, to give information to the police, beginning the collapse of the Barksdale criminal empire.
Wee-Bey's eventual downfall comes when he and Little Man kill Orlando because he was working as a police informant. During the incident, Little Man shoots Detective Greggs, who was undercover. Stringer orders Wee-Bey to kill Little Man and flee town; D'Angelo Barksdale is responsible for driving Wee-Bey to Philadelphia (and taking care of his fish). When D'Angelo is arrested soon after, he gives the police Bey's location and information concerning Wee-Bey's murder of Deirdre Kresson, a former girlfriend of Avon's. Once in custody, guaranteed a life sentence for his involvement in the shooting of a police officer, Wee-Bey confesses to countless murders, including several he did not commit (such as William Gant, which "Bird" Hilton was arrested for), to protect other people in the Barksdale Organization. In exchange, he requests a pit beef sandwich with extra horseradish and a side of potato salad, during the interrogation. For this action, Wee-Bey obtains a high reputation and respect level in the streets of Baltimore and the Barksdale Organization.
Season two
Wee-Bey is imprisoned with Avon, serving life without parole. He continues to keep fish and enjoys an easy life due to Barksdale's protection. A guard named Dwight Tilghman harasses him because he confessed to murdering a relative of Tilghman's. Wee-Bey complains to Avon, and the problem was swiftly dealt with. Later down the line, after D'Angelo's alleged suicide, (his death was really a setup by Stringer Bell, who felt D'Angelo was out of pocket and getting ready to snitch on the entire Barksdale Organization) Wee-Bey was there to reassure Avon that D'Angelo's death was not his fault.
Season three
Wee-Bey appears only briefly, to help Avon approach legendary prisoner Dennis "Cutty" Wise to offer him a position within their organization. Both Wise and Avon are paroled, leaving Wee-Bey to serve his time without them.
Season four
Wee-Bey's teenaged son Namond Brice becomes involved with the drug trade, getting a job with his old colleague Bodie Broadus. Namond is also responsible for Wee-Bey's fish at home. Ultimately, he is confronted by the fact that Namond is capable of any career, but participating in the drug world would kill him, and allows his son to move in with Howard Colvin, on the hope that he can live a good life that Wee-Bey never had the chance to. Wee-Bey orders De'Londa to follow his lead, as his word will reach her wherever she goes.
Season five
In the final episode montage, he appears in the jail yard talking with Chris Partlow after Chris is convicted of the murders in the vacants. While the Barksdale and Stanfield organizations were bitter enemies on the street, Wee-Bey and Chris have perhaps found common ground since both served a similar top enforcer role in each organization, and both are serving life sentences for taking sole responsibility for multiple murders to protect their respective bosses.
Production
Appearances
Season 1 | ||||
"The Target" | "The Detail" | "The Buys" | "Old Cases" | "The Pager" |
The Wire" | "One Arrest" | "Lessons" | "Game Day" | "The Cost" |
"The Hunt" | "Cleaning Up" | "Sentencing" |
Season 2 | ||||
"Ebb Tide" | "Collateral Damage" | "Hot Shots" | "Hard Cases" | "Undertow" |
"All Prologue" | "Backwash" | "Duck and Cover" | "Stray Rounds" | "Storm Warnings" |
"Bad Dreams" | "Port in a Storm" |
Season 3 | ||||
"Time after Time" | "All Due Respect" | "Dead Soldiers" | "Amsterdam" | "Straight and True" |
"Homecoming" | "Back Burners" | "Moral Midgetry" | "Slapstick" | "Reformation" |
"Middle Ground" | "Mission Accomplished" |
Season 4 | ||||
"Boys of Summer" | "Soft Eyes" | "Home Rooms" | "Refugees" | "Alliances" |
"Margin of Error" | "Unto Others" | "Corner Boys" | "Know Your Place" | "Misgivings" |
"A New Day" | "That's Got His Own" | "Final Grades" |
Season 5 | ||||
"More with Less" | "Unconfirmed Reports" | "Not for Attribution" | "Transitions" | "React Quotes" |
"The Dickensian Aspect" | "Took" | "Clarifications" | "Late Editions" | "-30-" |
References
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