The Wire

Roles

• Stringer
• Bell
• Avon
• Barksdale

About this piece

Stringer Bell tells Avon he killed his cousin to protect him Details Season 3, Ep. 8, "Moral Midgetry" 53 minutes into the episode

Summary

Avon Barksdale, head of a drug ring, is at war with Marlo to control drug distribution. Avon has been shot recently by Marlo's crew and is having a meeting to plan revenge. Stringer Bell, the n. 2 of Avon's organization, enters the room and asks to talk to Avon alone. They all leave and Avon and Stringer talk alone. Stringer tells Avon he should stop this nonsense of war and Avon tells Stringer that he has lost his "hard edge" and is not smart enough to make it in the business world. When Avon provokes him about not being hard enough, Stringer reveals that it was him who orchestrated the death of D'Angelo, Avon's cousin, in prison and made it look like a suicide, as D'Angelo was going to talk and bring the whole organization down. The two have a fight but Stringer overpowers Avon easily as Avon is wounded. Stringer delivers a monologue about how it needed to be done and Avon wasn't tough enough to make that decision. The scene ends as Avon gets up and stare at each other, Avon unable to say anything.

Tone

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