The Wire: What happened to Wendell Pierce's Bunk? Details explored

Wendel Pierce’s William "Bunk" Moreland in The Wire is definitely a character worth diving into. This talented homicide detective might be inclined towards alcohol, but hardly gets into trouble, unlike his best friend Jimmy McNulty.

Through the five seasons of the series, Bunk goes through numerous complications, which he solves with his prowess as a detective. However, The Wire Season 5 creates quite a difference between him and his best buddy McNulty.

What happened to Wendell Pierce's Bunk in The Wire?

In The Wire Season 5, we see that the whole department is facing difficulty with the budget cuts. However, the one person who gets even more aggravated than the other is Bunk’s best friend, McNulty. The budget cuts, along with the failed situation of an investigation that they were doing, led to McNulty creating a complicated situation. McNulty decided to use the dead bodies of homeless people to stage a serial murder case. His intention was to force the department to increase the budget.

To make the case even more authentic, McNulty created injuries on the dead bodies. However, things begin to take a turn when Bunk finds out about this whole situation. Bunk understands that the path that McNulty has chosen is not wrong. He tries to make him understand, but fails to do so. He then tries to use the help of Lester Freamon.

However, instead of stopping McNulty like Bunk advised him to do, Lester becomes McNulty’s accomplice and helps him instead. Now, seeing Lester’s actions, Bunk is completely irritated and detaches himself from the situation by resuming his already ongoing case.

Though Bunk often took the path of infidelity and alcoholism to cope with his myriad complications, he possessed a distinct moral compass. This moral compass often drove him frustrated at the corruption and the impulsiveness of his friend McNulty. He understands the consequences of his actions, making him a genuine and intriguing character in The Wire.

If there is anyone who would never stop calling out on McNulty’s self-destructive behaviour, it is Bunk. He is not a romanticized hero, but rather a man who understands the reality of his line of work.

Wendell Pierce's performance as Bunk in The Wire is truly worth appreciating. He brings out the morality in Bunk’s character. There is a distinct, multilayered personality in Bunk's character, which depicts how versatile he is in his art. Bunk is a reminder of the individual’s capacity for good. He always tries to be on the path of doing the right thing.

Bunk’s situation at the end of The Wire depicts the continuation of his struggle. There is no dramatic climactic ending for Buck; rather, he goes on doing what he does best. Buck’s moral integrity is put to the test through McNulty’s actions, but he remains stable in his beliefs.

Wendel Prierce, just like his other works, brings his A-game for the character of Buck. Some of Wendel Pierce’s other works that would definitely enhance your watchlist are Capital News, Moloney, The Gregory Hines Show, The Brian Benben Show, The Weber Show, Treme, The Odd Couple, and many more.

Though the series was released many years back, its relevance as an intriguing crime drama with police procedurals still remains. The fandom keeps on increasing with passing years, proving that this show was truly ahead of its time. The series comes with an IMDb rating of 9.3. This high rating of the series shows how well-crafted each and every character and the storyline are.

Trending

For more such interesting pieces, stay tuned to Soap Central.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback