Most soldiers end up dead or in jail. Most addicts end up dead or in jail. Cutty is meant to be the one rare example of a soldier who got out, and Bubbles is the one rare addict who got out.
+connorthesaucejones he did make it out. Je died trying to avenge Butchies death. But I guesa your technically right becayse Butchie died because of Omars robberies
I wouldn't quite say happy end, he will have to live with some fcktup memories and regrets, as well as a lifetime of fighting addiction, regardless if he stays clean
Can’t argue, but two of my other favorite pearls of wisdom from this masterpiece: “Nothing cost more than ‘free’” - The Deacon “Conscious do cost” - Butchie
+Capcoor Daniels? I'm not sure. He smiles in the last montage doing the lawyer thing, but he loved to be police. Even back in Season 2 he considered walking away, but when Valchek put the Major Crime Unit back together, there was no way in hell he wasn't going to be its commander.
+VIMaggotVIBrainzVI But Namond never got too deep. Remember when Michael beats the shit out of Kenard; in that scene, Namond knew he wasn't meant to be a soldier. Bubbles, Cutty... they got deep.
The actor told a story that one time while standing on the streets of Baltimore filming a scene a real addict came up to him and handed him a vial of heroin, saying that "it looks like you need this more than me." The actor said he considered that his "street Oscar."
@@EbonAvatar We used to call them dope angels. They are few and far between (absolutely no one gives away free heroin), but in your biggest hour of need sometimes they just seem to appear out of nowhere. When I was a big junkie I actually did that once after I just copped at like 1 am. Dude sitting on the bus stop bench in the Tenderloin, SF, dope sick as all hell. I legitimately felt bad for him because every junkie knows how that feels. So I sat down, gave him a decent shots worth and fixed with him. Chatted a little bit and talked about who had the best dope in the city, and then left. Never saw him again after that. Imagine not only having to sleep on a city bench, but not even being able to sleep because your bones feel like they want to jump out of your skin. Not to mention being literally sick. Heroin addiction is absolute hell. Thank fuck today I have a roof over my head, a warm bed, a car... When you go from spending your money on dope to spending it on nothing, it's crazy how much money you can save. But tangents aside..
@@getmeoutofsanfrancisco9917 very interesting story, thanks for sharing that. I hope that other man had some brighter days ahead of him. And I'm glad to hear that you are doing better as well!
Andre Royo deserved an Emmy. Out of ALL the five seasons, and ALL the great performances that go overlooked. Simply incredible, there are no other words.
He got his "Street Oscar". A junkie handed him some heroin saying he looked like he needed it. Fuck the Emmy's, if they can't see the greatness in this it's cause they only want the trivial and the fakes. Andre´s "Street Oscar" proves more than anything that he played the role to its fullest!
“My people couldn’t make it here tonight. I left a trail of fire behind me. Time will make it right with them I guess. The same thing getting me right with myself.” -this really hits me. Such good writing.
The Wire, while gritty, is never full blown nihilistic. Bubble's character perfectly exemplifies that there is room for light in the intrinsic darkness of Baltimore.
I love that about the show, it never went with nihilism, hell it might even be quite optimistic with portrayals like Bubbles, Namon, Daniels, even Lester and McNulty get much happier endings that you would expect. The real antagonist of The Wire is the system. It's a political system that demands an instant reduction in crime without the careful planning and work it takes to fix the underlying issue of poverty. A school system that cares more about test scores than it does about educating and socializing children. A police system that cares more about number of arrests and "dope of the table" than it does about the welfare of the community it polices. A press that cares more about sensationalizing stories than they do about providing accurate information to the public about what's going on in their Neighborhoods. The Wire is about a bunch of systems all working together, all propping each other up and crushing everyone underneath them.
@@PeterEhik Well said. I would go even further and say that the real antagonist of the show is “destiny”, “god” or even life itself. There’s a reason why the Wire has been labeled as a Greek tragedy. There are so many forces that drive the mortal’s lives, of which they are unaware of. A lot of storylines and characters depict the arbitrary nature of the universe. I specially love the ending, in which it shows how the universe recycles itself and new villains and heroes emerge: life just goes on, uncaring of the individual, just focusing on the survival of the species as a whole.
This is the best scene I've ever seen regarding AA/NA meetings. They got the coffee down, they got the desperation of those attending. If you watch this clip and don't understand or relate. Thank God for you.
+americanlt100 Steve Earle, who played Bubbles's sponsor Waylon, said they used real NA members as extras for the meeting scene in the first season. He is a recovering addict in real life, and said filming was like being in a meeting all day, and was great. He has 20 years. I am sure there are NA or AA folks among the writers of The Wire. Not in recovery myself, but been to a few meetings with family and seems real to me.
Bubbles' progression is one of the most well acted and enjoyable journeys in tv history. I was so happy to see him get a clean, happy ending. But it also crushed me to see Dukie fall into the same life. I enjoyed the parallel between characters like Wee-Bey/Chris, and Omar/Michael. But Bubs/Dukie crushed me.
LHOOQ 2 I had mixed feelings about that. At least he didn't become a soulless assassin without a conscience for some kingpin. But Omars lifestyle is hardly a walk in the park either. And the shootouts, robberies and murders that go with it poison the community even further. I don't know, I just think at the very beginning Michael showed some potential to be a civillian, but he lost that and became angry at the world.
I don't think there's ever been a more powerful scene in any television show ever than this one right here. For years, Bubbles just seemed to go from bad to worse. His situation seemed hopeless. But, David Simon proves he's not a complete pessimist here, giving Bubbles the perfect exit out of this treacherous world that he built for himself. This was the most uplifting moment on the show. They earned this.
A quick word about grief: as a former Hospice Grief Group facilitator I saw people who did well when they allowed themselves to feel grief. We had people come in who had people they cared for die over the years and they forced it out of their heads with substance use, sex or workaholism. There came a point where they couldn't hide from it any longer. The ones who were laughing at the end of a 1 1/2 hour session were the ones who were crying in the middle. The ones who didn't cry and feel anger didn't laugh either. People don't shut down 1 emotion; They shut them all down into a muted muffle of feelings: they are always there but stuck inside. Allow that flow of feelings and that's where people find life again. Find a place where people understand that feelings are neccessary. Many people don't understand that because they, in their entirety, are not socially acceptable. But when you do find a place where people are willing to listen to ALL OF IT that's where life is.
Another masterful performance. I've left a lot of comments on various The Wire videos on YT. Comments about the incredible quality of acting of which no show in history can match, or even come close. It occurs to me that if any major movie star like Cruise, Nicholson, Blanchett or Deniro gave a performance like this one by the relatively unknown actor Andre Royo who we know as "Bubbles", they'd be given Oscar consideration if not a win for best actor. Yet in The Wire we see this quality of realism in acting time and time again. I know in many cases its "not acting" because some are "real people", but it IS acting, because they know the camera is rolling and have lines to say. Therefore, its acting. For all the acclaim The Wire has received, I still think its under rated.
The Wire has this weird underdog status. Especially considering it was only nominated for lyk a single Emmy slot and won other awards a lot of people haven't even heard about!!!
@@michaelotis223 It may be an 'underdog' in many respects, but I'm far from alone in considering the the best television show ever made. Some have come close, and have won FAR more awards (Breaking Bad, Mad Men) but none have achieved what The Wire managed.
I tear up every time I watch this scene. There’s nobody I rooted for harder in this show than Bubbles. That final scene where he finally gets to walk up the steps to eat at the table is just beautiful.
I still remember watching season 4 and his attempted suicide at the end of the season, almost breaking down in tears. At the end of season 5, I shed tears of joy for Bubs. Amazing show.
"The character of "Bubbles", played by Andre Royo, was largely based on a real Baltimore drug addict and police informant who went by that name. The real Bubbles, who would slur his speech much more than the fictional character, first started working with the cops near the early 1960's after being arrested for a burglary. He spent the next few decades as an informant, leading to the arrest of several hundred felons and getting paid at least $50 for each one caught. His near-photographic memory and ability to blend into the scene made him one of the best in the city. Eventually he would start using the hat method portrayed on the series, where he acted as if he was selling hats and would place one of a certain color on the head of those the police should arrest. " - IMDb
This is the first time I saw this scene since I stopped drinking..Got teary eyed, because I know the things he is talking about. So long as you are drinking, you avoid these type of feelings. After you stop drinking you end up accessing deeper feelings like this, so you can heal and move on.
Obviously, the actor playing Bubbles was and still is fantastic! I just want to take a moment to say how good Steve Earle was too in this role... I can't believe he did this good of an acting job considering he is a musician. Wow!
I dunno, I thought Earle's acting kinda stood out as forced and unprofessional. I'm not trying to bash the guy, not at all, he's a singer not an actor, and I understand Simon's reason for using a lot of non-professionals in the cast. For the most part they brought a lot to the show, but Steve Earle - I thought - was a weak point.
I know this is only a TV show but, damn, this scene always gets to me. Having sheer joy that Bubs made it out and really hoping Dukie found this kind of recovery.
I love when he finishes saying "... as long as you make move for other things too", and he breaths deeply and all people around him say "It's alright", "It's ok". I think that is part of what David Simon means having a community, sort of.
"so you're gonna rob me now huh?" that scumbag of a police.. bubbs was such an endearing character, always shown to be of service to others or at least caring for people he chooses to "school" as much as he cares for himself. i realised how fond of him ive become when he walked into hamsterdam, saw johnny in one of the houses, and as he bid goodbye he paused seemingly to deliberate whether to go in and join johnny, i muttered "please bubbs do not go in. do not go in" and he left.
First viewing, I was too engrossed with the plot and this specific performance (and the tears) to notice this detail. Second viewing, that quick shot at 0:29 stands out to me so much. He offers his birth name, celebrates his new sobriety, and then notices the staircase. It's reminiscent of the landing at the top of the stairs in his sister's house that we'll see him climb later in the finale montage, and you can see him think of all this as he then moves to talk about his family immediately after the shot. It's also a crucial part of what gives him the strength to finally tell Sherrod's story. Bubbles is a character who has found what to live for, and realizes what he needs to do to make things right and to live a better life. I anticipate the third, fourth, and fifth viewing will bring tears too.
Bubbles getting clean & staying clean, celebrating all what recovery can offer was one of the most heartwarming sub plots in any show I ever saw. So REAL!
+Toonhaze He could also die on those streets. And although he's a smarter guy than Bubbles overall, I doubt he would ever have the street knowledge to make it out alive.
"Thank you for listening. Thanks for letting me share." The creators of the wire speaking to you directly now. Beautiful moment, he becomes the centre shot - in front of the church windows like he is a preacher. Pure craftmanship.
coming from a family of addicts, some in AA, some not. My dad being an alcoholic for long stretches of my life, been thrown out at 16 by my step mom for no reason, my life in chaos until my granny took me in. He stayed drunk for alot of my teenage years and all of my 20s. My sister had 2 kids and he finally got sober. He is doing well now, almost 5 years clean. These scenes always hit me hard.
Man I need to go to a meeting again. I've been clean 3 and a half years but sometimes I get the feeling that the people in my life don't understand the struggle it's been. They're supportive, and I would have never gotten clean if my parents didn't throw me in the car and drive my ass 2 hours to an inpatient rehab center and paid for my stay, but they've never dealt with addiction like I have. They can sympathize but not empathize about my situation. I want to celebrate my clean time with those that have been through it. I'm over here crying watching this video.
Bubbles is such a great character. I feel like he is one of the main forces of the show that reiterates that all is not hopeless. I feel like The Wire deals so much with the cycles of corruption within the system of the United States and the victims of said system. Bubbles is a light in the show. He makes it clear that while the cycles of the system may be beyond saving in its current state, individual growth remains possible and a way to impact those around you. Very impactful scene.
usually dont cry from a show or movie or anything really, this speech made me tear up. dude went through the worst out of anyone in the show but came out happy by the ending.
I still come back to this when I feel a stronger urge. It helps to be reminded from somewhere outside my inner voice that I won't have the "feel good" I'm promised by the malfunctioning brain. There's nothing but regret where addiction pulls. Actually, I first found out about this show when Chris Avellone said he'd want to make an RPG out of it. Don't know about that, but the show is a real something. Worth a rewatch, too.
In a show full of real and sad moments, this might be one of the realest, saddest one of them all. The "I was wanting to feel that way again" diatribe is just so true-to-life. _The_ _Wire_ was great at speaking truth to power on the subject of drug addiction, among other things. In America we have a tendency to neglect and stigmatize people who have problems like that. All the broken, abused people at the bottom of society are alternately ignored and treated with seething contempt, which you can see with the last forty years of "hard on crime" policing towards drug offenses. The archetype of the "debased, hedonistic junkie" is almost a stock character in American media, where having a chemical addiction is synonymous with being a bad person. With Bubble, Waylon, and all the other addict characters, there's so much more going on than them just being moral failures whose very existence offends all the upstanding "normal folk." It's a complex, humanizing portrayal of addicts as people with problems. Shows like _The_ _Wire_ are more important now because the general American perception of drug abuse is still myopic and callous. More people than ever before are OD'ing on fentanyl and there still hasn't been a sufficient, nationwide response to helping any of the affected. I know there's been an increased interest in harm reduction and needle exchange sites have been set up in cities like Pittsburgh, but there's still a long way to go. People aren't comfortable talking about this sort of thing and so it's festered away beneath the surface and become a national health crisis. Although it's the pharmaceutical executives, DEA administrators, and "family values"-type politicians are ultimately responsible for this mess, the general public has permitted them to do so for too long. We look the other way while they personally benefit from keeping the war drugs going forever and shutting down any attempts at reform, much to the detriment of everybody in north America. The tax money that goes to honoring Daryl Gates' memory would be much better spent financing a nationwide decriminalization program, or at least distributing clean needles at clinics to cut down on needle-sharing.
I loved the dope feind Bubbles. He was always funny. But his journey. Being treated like an insect, ignored, robbed and beaten. Yet he always cared about others. At the end, he won.
I lost a friend to suicide a few years ago. All people tell me is that you’ll move on and it’ll get better but it never does. When bubbles said “ain’t no shame in holding onto grief, as long as you make room for others”, I was moved to tears. Personally it was the single most powerful thing over ever heard. It’s okay to be in pain sometimes
It’s heinous that no actors on the wire got nominated for an Emmy. Bubbles, Omar, bunk, Avon, Stringer, boadie, and Mcnulty all had fantastic performances
What I find so impressive about this scene is how understated it is. I mean, there was a *lot* of buildup to this moment for Bubbles, he had a ton of scenes with Waylon where he grappled intensely with talking about Sherrod at a meeting in front of people like this. And I don’t know about anyone else, but thought this meant that he was going to come clean about his role in Sherrod’s death, and it was making that confession in some form in a public setting that was causing him so much pain and shame. So I was almost shocked when we got to this scene, and it played out extremely differently from how I thought. No big emotional confession where he came clean at the meeting about what happened with Sherrod. Then I got to thinking about what Bubbles was really truly struggling with, here. He had no issues with owning up to being responsible for Sherrod’s death - he WANTED to be punished for that and even tried to hang himself out of guilt! So contrition obviously wasn’t the issue for Bubs, and wasn’t what he was struggling with. The way he talks about Sherrod here, he does his absolute best to link it to the truly *positive* things in his life - his family, his sobriety. And I think the really truly hard thing for him is to talk about Sherrod without falling into that trap of overwhelming despair and grief. He’s trying to find a way to allow himself to feel OK with the fact that he might be able to actually have a good life, because it’s the last thing Bubbles feels he deserves. Trying to reconcile Sherrod’s death and his own potential for happiness. Survivor’s guilt is a rough thing.
been in recovery since 1991, had great years up to may 2012... since then, man o man its bin a real struggle.... but i endure.this show is simply the greatest TV show of all time, I miss it so much..thank god for utube
The story of Bubbles in The Wire is a story that anyone can take heart from, no matter what their affliction may be. No matter how shitty things get in your life, there's always a way out, and a way to do better for yourself. How Andre Royo didnt win any awards for his performances as Bubbles, is unbelievable. Probably my favourite character in the show. The Wire is the best tv series of all time. No doubt about that in my mind.
I felt so bad for bubs he was trying to survive but sharrod took the drugs and he was so guilty he almost killed himself he was never a bad dude he just had problems I was glad he was able to get clean in the end
i’ve seen the entire series four times through. every time by season 5, i am so aware i am approaching this scene again. and each time, i cry when i see it.
"Ain't no shame in holding on to grief, as long as you make room for other things too." Bubbles
That line deserved to be the episode's epigraph.
I know EXACTLY how he feels...Grief is a terrible burden and you feel so guilty if you 'forget' the person you miss for even a second.
Absolutely heart-wrenching and beautiful.
"It's a thin line between heaven and here"
Yeah, My Brother OD'd...
But I "Haven't hit my bottom" yet myself...
This scene is really depressing but obviously great...
Love Bubbles
Most soldiers end up dead or in jail. Most addicts end up dead or in jail. Cutty is meant to be the one rare example of a soldier who got out, and Bubbles is the one rare addict who got out.
+Colonel Hart It's nice to see those that 'got out', like Dennis, or Bubbles, or Poot. Too bad Omar didn't make it out too...
+connorthesaucejones he did make it out. Je died trying to avenge Butchies death. But I guesa your technically right becayse Butchie died because of Omars robberies
you forgot poot
Does Namond count? Or nah?
@Eddie LM There is no when lol Eveybody knows poot got a job in the end
I'm glad Bubbles got to have a happy ending, he deserved it.
I wouldn't quite say happy end, he will have to live with some fcktup memories and regrets, as well as a lifetime of fighting addiction, regardless if he stays clean
mskcrc fair enough
lengua muerta Maybe not happy ending but rather a new beginning. Peace
connorthesaucejones dukie though 😔
love
"Aint no shame in holding on to grief. So long as you make room for other things too."
Some of the wisest words ever spoken on The Wire
Also when Poot says to Bodie, "World going one way...people going the other."
@@malikjohnson4772 - Also when Carver says, "You can't even call this a war (war on drugs). Wars end."
@@mijreed and let us never forget the wise words of Herc......"I'm fucked in the ass with a pineapple on this one" XD
@@bomamba9402 hahaha
Can’t argue, but two of my other favorite pearls of wisdom from this masterpiece:
“Nothing cost more than ‘free’”
- The Deacon
“Conscious do cost”
- Butchie
The only guy who gets a happy ending is the guy who endured the worst, what a show.
Don't forget about Naymond. Also, Poot's story arc kind of ended on a bit of a positive, if not, somewhat humorous note.
And Daniels and Pearlman for sure came out okay.
+Capcoor
Daniels? I'm not sure. He smiles in the last montage doing the lawyer thing, but he loved to be police. Even back in Season 2 he considered walking away, but when Valchek put the Major Crime Unit back together, there was no way in hell he wasn't going to be its commander.
+VIMaggotVIBrainzVI But Namond never got too deep. Remember when Michael beats the shit out of Kenard; in that scene, Namond knew he wasn't meant to be a soldier. Bubbles, Cutty... they got deep.
mskcrc Yeah, I forgot about Cutty. Lord knows he went through a lot of shit both in and out of prison before he made it out the game a survivor.
we followed this man for 5 years and know what it meant for him to be at that dinner table.
Hell yeah.
That's right johnathan blow
This guy should have won some major awards for portraying Bubbles.
The actor told a story that one time while standing on the streets of Baltimore filming a scene a real addict came up to him and handed him a vial of heroin, saying that "it looks like you need this more than me." The actor said he considered that his "street Oscar."
@@EbonAvatar Wow. Guess they really got his characterization perfectly.
@@EbonAvatar We used to call them dope angels. They are few and far between (absolutely no one gives away free heroin), but in your biggest hour of need sometimes they just seem to appear out of nowhere.
When I was a big junkie I actually did that once after I just copped at like 1 am. Dude sitting on the bus stop bench in the Tenderloin, SF, dope sick as all hell. I legitimately felt bad for him because every junkie knows how that feels. So I sat down, gave him a decent shots worth and fixed with him. Chatted a little bit and talked about who had the best dope in the city, and then left. Never saw him again after that.
Imagine not only having to sleep on a city bench, but not even being able to sleep because your bones feel like they want to jump out of your skin. Not to mention being literally sick. Heroin addiction is absolute hell.
Thank fuck today I have a roof over my head, a warm bed, a car... When you go from spending your money on dope to spending it on nothing, it's crazy how much money you can save. But tangents aside..
@@getmeoutofsanfrancisco9917 very interesting story, thanks for sharing that. I hope that other man had some brighter days ahead of him. And I'm glad to hear that you are doing better as well!
Andre Royo deserved an Emmy. Out of ALL the five seasons, and ALL the great performances that go overlooked. Simply incredible, there are no other words.
I agree if anyone on the Wire deserved an Emmy it was him first.
He got his "Street Oscar". A junkie handed him some heroin saying he looked like he needed it. Fuck the Emmy's, if they can't see the greatness in this it's cause they only want the trivial and the fakes. Andre´s "Street Oscar" proves more than anything that he played the role to its fullest!
@@baverfjant hahaha that's a great fuckin story, nice.
Yea that shit is bullshit he does.
According to people commenting on youtube, every actor and every TV show displayed here is the best ever and deserves an award... :D
No show will ever touch The Wire, shit was too real damn
Of course...almost all the characters are based on real people, or the direct experience of the the writers.
The wire and sopranos are the two greatest shows ever 1a 1b
Breaking Bad, The Wire, and Sopranos. S Tier shows. I think we can all agree on that...
Bojack Horseman touches it. Perfect blend of comedy, pathos, character and story development, and social commentary.
@@JimmySteller I wrote Bojack off when I’d first seen it but it increasingly gets better as the season progress.
“My people couldn’t make it here tonight. I left a trail of fire behind me. Time will make it right with them I guess. The same thing getting me right with myself.” -this really hits me. Such good writing.
I hope my peoples know i’m trying
The Wire, while gritty, is never full blown nihilistic. Bubble's character perfectly exemplifies that there is room for light in the intrinsic darkness of Baltimore.
I love that about the show, it never went with nihilism, hell it might even be quite optimistic with portrayals like Bubbles, Namon, Daniels, even Lester and McNulty get much happier endings that you would expect.
The real antagonist of The Wire is the system. It's a political system that demands an instant reduction in crime without the careful planning and work it takes to fix the underlying issue of poverty. A school system that cares more about test scores than it does about educating and socializing children. A police system that cares more about number of arrests and "dope of the table" than it does about the welfare of the community it polices. A press that cares more about sensationalizing stories than they do about providing accurate information to the public about what's going on in their Neighborhoods.
The Wire is about a bunch of systems all working together, all propping each other up and crushing everyone underneath them.
@@PeterEhik Well said. I would go even further and say that the real antagonist of the show is “destiny”, “god” or even life itself. There’s a reason why the Wire has been labeled as a Greek tragedy. There are so many forces that drive the mortal’s lives, of which they are unaware of. A lot of storylines and characters depict the arbitrary nature of the universe. I specially love the ending, in which it shows how the universe recycles itself and new villains and heroes emerge: life just goes on, uncaring of the individual, just focusing on the survival of the species as a whole.
Definitely! Cutty and Namond show that also I think :)
He never finds light within Baltimore, more so within himself
The human spirit will persevere
he was the heart and soul of The Wire
Wallace was the heart
pump kool-aid
Bubs was the heart
Omar was the soul
Nah Bodie was the heart
For sure
This is the best scene I've ever seen regarding AA/NA meetings. They got the coffee down, they got the desperation of those attending. If you watch this clip and don't understand or relate. Thank God for you.
I was just thinking the same thing. I've spent a lot of time in those rooms.
+americanlt100 Steve Earle, who played Bubbles's sponsor Waylon, said they used real NA members as extras for the meeting scene in the first season. He is a recovering addict in real life, and said filming was like being in a meeting all day, and was great. He has 20 years. I am sure there are NA or AA folks among the writers of The Wire. Not in recovery myself, but been to a few meetings with family and seems real to me.
Goddamn..
americanlt100 ikr
Apparently the clapping is a California thing... haven't heard of it in other places. The clapping after every share, that is.
Bubbles' progression is one of the most well acted and enjoyable journeys in tv history. I was so happy to see him get a clean, happy ending. But it also crushed me to see Dukie fall into the same life. I enjoyed the parallel between characters like Wee-Bey/Chris, and Omar/Michael. But Bubs/Dukie crushed me.
I found it so fitting and gratifying to see how Michael essentially broke away and became the next Omar.
LHOOQ 2 I had mixed feelings about that. At least he didn't become a soulless assassin without a conscience for some kingpin.
But Omars lifestyle is hardly a walk in the park either. And the shootouts, robberies and murders that go with it poison the community even further. I don't know, I just think at the very beginning Michael showed some potential to be a civillian, but he lost that and became angry at the world.
Internet Guy the world failed him, how could he not be?
Internet Guy I would too.
exactly, the world failed these kids
I don't think there's ever been a more powerful scene in any television show ever than this one right here. For years, Bubbles just seemed to go from bad to worse. His situation seemed hopeless. But, David Simon proves he's not a complete pessimist here, giving Bubbles the perfect exit out of this treacherous world that he built for himself. This was the most uplifting moment on the show. They earned this.
well said.
Eziokilla9595 Bubbles's story is based on a guy Simon wrote on while he was a journalist
Eziokilla9595 well said, sir
I'm 39 and have cried maybe four times since I was 12, but I'm not at all ashamed to admit that this scene brought tears to my eyes.
I dont know if I would say he built it for himself
This is the most powerful scene in the entire series. Never has a tv characters journey touched me in a way that Bubbles did.
Me too!
In Bubbles I always saw a good man living a bad life. I'm happy his character ended up a better man.
Olle Rönn Yeah, Bubbles always had a really great heart & he is very caring to others.
Landesman was instrumental. One act of wisdom - letting him go - rippled to save Bubbles and his family. All the pieces matter.
"aint no shame in holdin on to grief... long as you make room for other things too" amazing. goddamn amazing. amazing writing and amazing acting.
Same line stuck with me.
That last sigh shows you he's letting go of a big chunk pain he's been holding onto inside. So beautifully real. Greatest show ever.
A quick word about grief: as a former Hospice Grief Group facilitator I saw people who did well when they allowed themselves to feel grief. We had people come in who had people they cared for die over the years and they forced it out of their heads with substance use, sex or workaholism. There came a point where they couldn't hide from it any longer.
The ones who were laughing at the end of a 1 1/2 hour session were the ones who were crying in the middle. The ones who didn't cry and feel anger didn't laugh either. People don't shut down 1 emotion; They shut them all down into a muted muffle of feelings: they are always there but stuck inside.
Allow that flow of feelings and that's where people find life again.
Find a place where people understand that feelings are neccessary. Many people don't understand that because they, in their entirety, are not socially acceptable. But when you do find a place where people are willing to listen to ALL OF IT that's where life is.
This was so beautiful to read, thanks for sharing!
This show is fucking incredible.
2:33 "Not so bad like it was" with a little thankful nod to Waylon. The subtlety of this show always gets me.
Masterpiece of a show
Another masterful performance. I've left a lot of comments on various The Wire videos on YT. Comments about the incredible quality of acting of which no show in history can match, or even come close. It occurs to me that if any major movie star like Cruise, Nicholson, Blanchett or Deniro gave a performance like this one by the relatively unknown actor Andre Royo who we know as "Bubbles", they'd be given Oscar consideration if not a win for best actor. Yet in The Wire we see this quality of realism in acting time and time again. I know in many cases its "not acting" because some are "real people", but it IS acting, because they know the camera is rolling and have lines to say. Therefore, its acting. For all the acclaim The Wire has received, I still think its under rated.
Where's your CZcams channel. I'd love to watch ot
The Wire has this weird underdog status. Especially considering it was only nominated for lyk a single Emmy slot and won other awards a lot of people haven't even heard about!!!
@@michaelotis223 It may be an 'underdog' in many respects, but I'm far from alone in considering the the best television show ever made. Some have come close, and have won FAR more awards (Breaking Bad, Mad Men) but none have achieved what The Wire managed.
I tear up every time I watch this scene. There’s nobody I rooted for harder in this show than Bubbles. That final scene where he finally gets to walk up the steps to eat at the table is just beautiful.
Bubs was a great example of the complexity that was written into so many characters in The Wire. Such brilliance.
I still remember watching season 4 and his attempted suicide at the end of the season, almost breaking down in tears. At the end of season 5, I shed tears of joy for Bubs. Amazing show.
Dear lord I pray that my little brother has his happy ending eventually.
Raven Rogers same
Raven Rogers I hope he’s better
🙏
It can happen, my mother did.
Not everything is about you. NO one cares
I wonder if Bubs ever handled his business with ol' girl that shot her shot with him on this episode. LOL!
I hope so 😁
I like to think that he did. Shit anything's possible when you clean.
Obligated!
I met Andre Royo at the nike store in Chicago. Told him I loved his work and he said thanks shook my hand and continued to try on his Jordan's
This scene has given me the strength to refrain from smoking since November 13th 2011. Thank you Andre.
"The character of "Bubbles", played by Andre Royo, was largely based on a real Baltimore drug addict and police informant who went by that name. The real Bubbles, who would slur his speech much more than the fictional character, first started working with the cops near the early 1960's after being arrested for a burglary. He spent the next few decades as an informant, leading to the arrest of several hundred felons and getting paid at least $50 for each one caught. His near-photographic memory and ability to blend into the scene made him one of the best in the city. Eventually he would start using the hat method portrayed on the series, where he acted as if he was selling hats and would place one of a certain color on the head of those the police should arrest. " - IMDb
he was called possum
@@bhaskarphukan3889 yes possum was the real person name
@greenmean1 Minnie pearl,the comedian ?
Man if this scene didn't cause you to shed a tear, I don't know what will.
tyu3456 made me tear up
Truth.
Bubbles' friendship with Sherrod was a beautiful thing. What show, there was just so much going on at so many levels.
This is the first time I saw this scene since I stopped drinking..Got teary eyed, because I know the things he is talking about. So long as you are drinking, you avoid these type of feelings. After you stop drinking you end up accessing deeper feelings like this, so you can heal and move on.
Congratulations on your recovery! Keep going! #Salute
@@giantkiller56 Thank you!!
I will not drink with you today! Congrats friend
Good on you man.
Congrats brother! 👊
Obviously, the actor playing Bubbles was and still is fantastic! I just want to take a moment to say how good Steve Earle was too in this role... I can't believe he did this good of an acting job considering he is a musician. Wow!
He's great in Treme too. Practically the same character, though.
The dude playing slim Charles is a musician as well, the cast is chock full of brilliant amateurs
@@lylejames965 method man too, he was hilarious!
I dunno, I thought Earle's acting kinda stood out as forced and unprofessional. I'm not trying to bash the guy, not at all, he's a singer not an actor, and I understand Simon's reason for using a lot of non-professionals in the cast. For the most part they brought a lot to the show, but Steve Earle - I thought - was a weak point.
For all the heartbreak in this show, it was worth watching just to get to the end of Bubbles' arc. He got out of the game.
Andre Royo deserved an Emmy for this role.
I know this is only a TV show but, damn, this scene always gets to me. Having sheer joy that Bubs made it out and really hoping Dukie found this kind of recovery.
I love when he finishes saying "... as long as you make move for other things too", and he breaths deeply and all people around him say "It's alright", "It's ok". I think that is part of what David Simon means having a community, sort of.
my favorite character in the series, I felt so bad for him when that one guy kept taking his money and no cop would help him
"so you're gonna rob me now huh?" that scumbag of a police.. bubbs was such an endearing character, always shown to be of service to others or at least caring for people he chooses to "school" as much as he cares for himself. i realised how fond of him ive become when he walked into hamsterdam, saw johnny in one of the houses, and as he bid goodbye he paused seemingly to deliberate whether to go in and join johnny, i muttered "please bubbs do not go in. do not go in" and he left.
First viewing, I was too engrossed with the plot and this specific performance (and the tears) to notice this detail.
Second viewing, that quick shot at 0:29 stands out to me so much. He offers his birth name, celebrates his new sobriety, and then notices the staircase. It's reminiscent of the landing at the top of the stairs in his sister's house that we'll see him climb later in the finale montage, and you can see him think of all this as he then moves to talk about his family immediately after the shot.
It's also a crucial part of what gives him the strength to finally tell Sherrod's story.
Bubbles is a character who has found what to live for, and realizes what he needs to do to make things right and to live a better life.
I anticipate the third, fourth, and fifth viewing will bring tears too.
Oh no doubt. I'm at 10+ and this moment never fails. Bubs is just an amazing character.
Bubbles getting clean & staying clean, celebrating all what recovery can offer was one of the most heartwarming sub plots in any show I ever saw. So REAL!
I like to think after the end of season 5 Bubbles got a degree, became a successful salesmen and opened a Bubbles Depot
I want him to sponsor Dukie.
A shopping cart full of wares in EVERY neighborhood.
He became a lawyer
The real life Bubbles founded the Bubbles hair salon chain.
@@erikseidler133 Real life Bubs died of AIDS before this show even started.
What sort of monster keeps cutting onions in here every time I get to 2:44...
Ain't no monster. Ain't nothing to be ashamed of either.
the game
This show has been one of the only shows that has genuinely made me cry
This entire series should be required viewing for every American. The storytelling is Biblical in scope, yet always feels modern.
As a recovering addict I was a mess through this scene cause it was so REAL!
I'm so proud of you. Keep going
Keep going, my man! Proud of you, sir.
PRESS ON
Same brother same
The Wire is art
Bubbles, one of the most underappreciated characters in this show.
Jake Krebs Actually he's really highly rated by fans
so happy for bubbles. managed to turn his life around.
+Toonhaze He could also die on those streets. And although he's a smarter guy than Bubbles overall, I doubt he would ever have the street knowledge to make it out alive.
Also, Bubbles at least had his sister he could rely on when he tried to get clean. Dukie has no one
"Thank you for listening. Thanks for letting me share."
The creators of the wire speaking to you directly now. Beautiful moment, he becomes the centre shot - in front of the church windows like he is a preacher. Pure craftmanship.
This scene always makes me sob. Bubbles fought the good fight, he finished the race, he kept the faith.
coming from a family of addicts, some in AA, some not. My dad being an alcoholic for long stretches of my life, been thrown out at 16 by my step mom for no reason, my life in chaos until my granny took me in. He stayed drunk for alot of my teenage years and all of my 20s. My sister had 2 kids and he finally got sober. He is doing well now, almost 5 years clean. These scenes always hit me hard.
what a monologue. Absolutely Shakespearean, both in terms of writing and acting. We'll never see anything like this on TV again.
No, I agree, we will not.
This is easily one if not the best performance I've ever seen from anyone in any show.
Man I need to go to a meeting again. I've been clean 3 and a half years but sometimes I get the feeling that the people in my life don't understand the struggle it's been. They're supportive, and I would have never gotten clean if my parents didn't throw me in the car and drive my ass 2 hours to an inpatient rehab center and paid for my stay, but they've never dealt with addiction like I have. They can sympathize but not empathize about my situation. I want to celebrate my clean time with those that have been through it. I'm over here crying watching this video.
Bubbles is such a great character. I feel like he is one of the main forces of the show that reiterates that all is not hopeless. I feel like The Wire deals so much with the cycles of corruption within the system of the United States and the victims of said system. Bubbles is a light in the show. He makes it clear that while the cycles of the system may be beyond saving in its current state, individual growth remains possible and a way to impact those around you. Very impactful scene.
Perfect writing and perfect acting in a perfect symbiosis. Best scene in TV history.
Bubble was the performance of a life-time
usually dont cry from a show or movie or anything really, this speech made me tear up. dude went through the worst out of anyone in the show but came out happy by the ending.
"Ain't no shame in holding onto grief, as long as you make room for other things too"
One of Bubbles best lines
Damn I don’t remember this at all. I gotta rewatch this entire series. Ever since Michael K died, I’ve been seeing these clips.
His character was so important to this show.
This scene touched the hell outta me.
I still come back to this when I feel a stronger urge. It helps to be reminded from somewhere outside my inner voice that I won't have the "feel good" I'm promised by the malfunctioning brain. There's nothing but regret where addiction pulls.
Actually, I first found out about this show when Chris Avellone said he'd want to make an RPG out of it. Don't know about that, but the show is a real something. Worth a rewatch, too.
Worth endless rewatches
After all these years, this scene still chokes me up. I'm SOOO happy Bubs got to have his redemption. There is hope for all.
In a show full of real and sad moments, this might be one of the realest, saddest one of them all. The "I was wanting to feel that way again" diatribe is just so true-to-life. _The_ _Wire_ was great at speaking truth to power on the subject of drug addiction, among other things. In America we have a tendency to neglect and stigmatize people who have problems like that. All the broken, abused people at the bottom of society are alternately ignored and treated with seething contempt, which you can see with the last forty years of "hard on crime" policing towards drug offenses. The archetype of the "debased, hedonistic junkie" is almost a stock character in American media, where having a chemical addiction is synonymous with being a bad person. With Bubble, Waylon, and all the other addict characters, there's so much more going on than them just being moral failures whose very existence offends all the upstanding "normal folk." It's a complex, humanizing portrayal of addicts as people with problems.
Shows like _The_ _Wire_ are more important now because the general American perception of drug abuse is still myopic and callous. More people than ever before are OD'ing on fentanyl and there still hasn't been a sufficient, nationwide response to helping any of the affected. I know there's been an increased interest in harm reduction and needle exchange sites have been set up in cities like Pittsburgh, but there's still a long way to go. People aren't comfortable talking about this sort of thing and so it's festered away beneath the surface and become a national health crisis. Although it's the pharmaceutical executives, DEA administrators, and "family values"-type politicians are ultimately responsible for this mess, the general public has permitted them to do so for too long. We look the other way while they personally benefit from keeping the war drugs going forever and shutting down any attempts at reform, much to the detriment of everybody in north America. The tax money that goes to honoring Daryl Gates' memory would be much better spent financing a nationwide decriminalization program, or at least distributing clean needles at clinics to cut down on needle-sharing.
The Wire is the only show to humanise junkies. No jesse pinkman doesn't count
How did this guy not win MULTIPLE Emmys??? Criminal!!
I loved the dope feind Bubbles. He was always funny. But his journey. Being treated like an insect, ignored, robbed and beaten. Yet he always cared about others. At the end, he won.
Bubbles was the heart and soul of The Wire
If the Wire was made today Andre Royo would've cleaned up at the Emmy and a Golden Globes, makes Jessie Pinkman look like a high school actor.
"Thank you for listening, thank you for letting me share." Sometimes that's the best thing you can do.
This is one of my top 3 moments of the entire show. Powerful and beautiful!
I teared up when he started speaking about Sherrod🥺
The soul of The Wire. Man can act.
I lost a friend to suicide a few years ago. All people tell me is that you’ll move on and it’ll get better but it never does. When bubbles said “ain’t no shame in holding onto grief, as long as you make room for others”, I was moved to tears. Personally it was the single most powerful thing over ever heard. It’s okay to be in pain sometimes
this is the most powerful thing ive ever seen
It’s heinous that no actors on the wire got nominated for an Emmy. Bubbles, Omar, bunk, Avon, Stringer, boadie, and Mcnulty all had fantastic performances
I've watched this so many times, touching monologue, from an excellent show, The Wire.
God I love this show. I came back and have probably watched this scene about 20 times now. I just love this scene so much, it’s so real.
What I find so impressive about this scene is how understated it is. I mean, there was a *lot* of buildup to this moment for Bubbles, he had a ton of scenes with Waylon where he grappled intensely with talking about Sherrod at a meeting in front of people like this. And I don’t know about anyone else, but thought this meant that he was going to come clean about his role in Sherrod’s death, and it was making that confession in some form in a public setting that was causing him so much pain and shame.
So I was almost shocked when we got to this scene, and it played out extremely differently from how I thought. No big emotional confession where he came clean at the meeting about what happened with Sherrod.
Then I got to thinking about what Bubbles was really truly struggling with, here. He had no issues with owning up to being responsible for Sherrod’s death - he WANTED to be punished for that and even tried to hang himself out of guilt! So contrition obviously wasn’t the issue for Bubs, and wasn’t what he was struggling with.
The way he talks about Sherrod here, he does his absolute best to link it to the truly *positive* things in his life - his family, his sobriety. And I think the really truly hard thing for him is to talk about Sherrod without falling into that trap of overwhelming despair and grief. He’s trying to find a way to allow himself to feel OK with the fact that he might be able to actually have a good life, because it’s the last thing Bubbles feels he deserves. Trying to reconcile Sherrod’s death and his own potential for happiness. Survivor’s guilt is a rough thing.
Bubbles had one of the most engaging character arcs in the entire series.
Everyone says Omar or Stringer but Bubbles was always my favorite character
best actor in the show.
super underrated
been in recovery since 1991, had great years up to may 2012... since then, man o man its bin a real struggle.... but i endure.this show is simply the greatest TV show of all time, I miss it so much..thank god for utube
The best episode of all time
Incredible scene. Still gets me.
this always wrecks me
every time.
I quoted this to my mother yesterday. Every year she gets sad over the death of my grandmother. God bless the writers and Andre Royo!
The story of Bubbles in The Wire is a story that anyone can take heart from, no matter what their affliction may be. No matter how shitty things get in your life, there's always a way out, and a way to do better for yourself. How Andre Royo didnt win any awards for his performances as Bubbles, is unbelievable. Probably my favourite character in the show.
The Wire is the best tv series of all time. No doubt about that in my mind.
How is there not a CZcams montage of bubbles development/best scenes throughout the whole show
I felt so bad for bubs he was trying to survive but sharrod took the drugs and he was so guilty he almost killed himself he was never a bad dude he just had problems I was glad he was able to get clean in the end
I like he breathes the hurt out in the end of his speech.
The best arc of the show.
Lmao bubbs killed me everytime he said "obliged" hahahaha
Quite possible, the most emotional thing iv seen on tv or film
I'm so glad they showed Bubbles all cleaned up after seeing him dirty and downhearted the whole show. really great.
"Much obliged" god he's so cute
i’ve seen the entire series four times through. every time by season 5, i am so aware i am approaching this scene again. and each time, i cry when i see it.
He played his character to the "T"
One of the most underrated characters from the series
What an actor. Seriously.
This show is the greatest there has ever been. The writing, the acting, the storylines, the directing, unbelievable quality.
Yeah but it doesn't hold a candle to NCIS: Albuquerque !