Role: The most diplomatic of the major drug lords, Joseph "Prop Joe" Stewart runs all east-side drug operations for the vast majority of the series and usually manages the supply (through the "Greeks") for all of Baltimore. He acquired his nickname from his trademark line "I've got a proposition for you," and he's frequently seen making discreet deals with Omar, police detectives, and a variety of west side players.
For a drug lord, Joe is also surprisingly non-violent, usually pushing for peaceful solutions to the majority of circumstances. Joe finds these solutions to be most lucrative and his sharp business sense always has at least 1 eye on the profits.
He is often seen fiddling with busted radios, clocks, and numerous other gadgets.
He is quite a large man, but his portly size almost adds to his likeability. He is admired by quite a few people in the drug game and is definitely the least divisive and least hated of any of the drug heads (i.e. Marlo Stanfield, Avon Barksdale, Stringer Bell) found in the series.
Actor: Robert F. Chew
What Seasons: In seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 (in fact, Joe is 1 of just 3 players in the drug game to appear in all 5 seasons of the series... the others being Poot and Wee-Bey Brice).
My Favorite Scene: The Proposition Joe flashback scene that shows Joe as a kid on the schoolyard selling test answers. He seems to have had that business sense far before he entered the drug game.
My Favorite Line: "Wanna know what kills more police than bullets and liquor? Boredom... You keep it boring, String. You keep it dead f*ing boring." With Avon locked up, Stringer makes an arrangement with Prop Joe such that he'll get heroine supply in exchange for west side territory. This line from Proposition Joe is a classic illustration of his desire to minimize physical violence in the hopes of maximizing profits.
Foil or Rival: The West Side Kingpin, Avon Barksdale. Barksdale craves power, Joe wants profits, and Stringer wants both. The Avon Barksdale versus Proposition Joe rivalry is significantly more sophisticated than other rivalries / battles in The Wire, but it exists both in structure (Avon operates the west side; Joe the east side) and in persona - (Barksdale does not have the business sense of a Proposition Joe and his initial instinct is very often violent... contrary to Joe who doesn't typically act on impulse but instead takes the most logical approach to maximize profits).
Critical Analysis: (see above)
No comments:
Post a Comment