Cedric Daniels
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Cedric Daniels is a fictional character on the
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drama ''
The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American Crime fiction, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created and primarily written by the American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered o ...
'', portrayed by Lance Reddick. Daniels is well-regarded in the Baltimore Police Department for making his subordinates focus on decent police work and quality arrests. He occasionally has disagreements with higher-ranking officers but for the most part performs well, and has thereby gained a reputation as both a reliable commander and an above-average investigator within the force, in stark contrast to some of his superiors and peers, most of whom display varying degrees of corruption and unreliability. Daniels was investigated by the
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
for corruption prior to the start of the series. By the end of the series, he rises through the ranks to
police commissioner A police commissioner is the head of a police department, responsible for overseeing its operations and ensuring the effective enforcement of laws and maintenance of public order. They develop and implement policies, manage budgets, and coordinate ...
but resigns after refusing a political request to manipulate crime statistics. As a result, he starts a new career as a criminal defense
lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...
.


Biography


Season 1

Daniels was the lieutenant of the Baltimore Police Department's Narcotics Unit, and the shift commander for detectives Kima Greggs,
Ellis Carver Ellis Carver is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Seth Gilliam. Carver is a former Sergeant of the Baltimore Police Department's Western District Drug Enforcement Unit. While initially matched to the simple-mind ...
, and
Thomas "Herc" Hauk Thomas "Herc" Hauk is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by Domenick Lombardozzi. The series introduces Herc as a detective in the Baltimore Police Department's Narcotics Unit, begrudgingly detailed to the initial Barksd ...
. His commanding officer is Major Raymond Foerster. When
Jimmy McNulty James McNulty is a fictional character and the protagonist of the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by Dominic West. McNulty is an Irish-American detective in the Baltimore Police Department. While talented in his profession, McNulty's conceited ...
prompts Judge Daniel Phelan to start asking questions about the Barksdale Organization, Daniels is unable to give Foerster much information on Avon Barksdale, who has managed to operate under the radar until then. Soon afterward, Daniels is given command of the Barksdale detail and appoints Greggs as lead detective. Daniels meets with Deputy Commissioner Ervin Burrell, who tells him the case should be made with buy busts in a fast, straightforward investigation. Daniels discusses the new assignment with his wife Marla and promises to run the investigation per the wishes of the higher-ups. Marla's own ambitions drive her to pursue a career in politics, and Daniels attends political fundraisers with her. At one such function, Daniels finds himself hiding with the politicians' drivers in the kitchen. There, he meets
State Senator A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. History There are typically fewer state senators than there ...
Clay Davis' driver Damian "Day-Day" Price, later discovered to be a bag man involved with the Barksdales. Daniels has a difficult relationship with the insubordinate McNulty, who is informed by his
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
contact that Daniels has $200,000 more in
liquid asset Liquid capital or fluid capital is the part of a firm's assets that it holds as money. It includes cash balances, bank deposits, and money market The money market is a component of the economy that provides short-term funds. The money marke ...
s than his salary warrants; it is later implied that these were picked up during Daniels' tenure in the Eastern District. Daniels initially tries to follow Burrell's advice that the operation should be fast and simple, and shoots down McNulty's suggestions to mount a surveillance operation. Daniels also has difficulties with several other detectives deliberately assigned to the detail because they are considered the worst in the department: Patrick Mahon is injured by
Bodie Broadus Preston "Bodie" Broadus is a fictional character on the HBO drama series ''The Wire'', played by actor J. D. Williams. Bodie is initially a rough, low-level drug dealer, but matures throughout the series and slowly rises through the ranks. Bodie ...
during a raid and takes early retirement, after which Mahon's partner Augustus Polk takes to drinking and misses several days' work. However, in contrast,
Lester Freamon Lester Freamon is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Clarke Peters. Freamon is a detective in the Baltimore Police Department's Major Crimes Unit. He is a wise, methodical detective whose intelligence and experie ...
proves to be quietly capable and a huge asset to Daniels' detail. Another problematic assignee to the detail is
Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Jim True-Frost. Pryzbylewski is a detective of Polish heritage in the Baltimore Police Department. Initially seen as incompetent and rash, he pr ...
, a trigger happy detective who had once shot up his own patrol car. Daniels is able to convince Prez's commanding officer, Lieutenant Walter Cantrell, to balance taking Prez out of his hands by assigning him the promising
Leander Sydnor Leander Sydnor is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Corey Parker Robinson. Sydnor is a young, married Baltimore Police detective who is a member of the Barksdale detail and later works in the Major Crimes Unit. ...
. Prez attends an unsanctioned, drunken late-night raid on the Barksdale tower operations with Herc and Carver, during which Prez seriously injures a young boy. Daniels defends Prez to his superiors and gains the respect of his father-in-law, Major
Stan Valchek Stanislaus "Stan" Valchek is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Al Brown. Biography Valchek is the Polish-American commander of the Baltimore Police Department in the Southeastern district, home to many of the ...
. Under Daniels' supervision, both Prez and Sydnor become valuable assets to the detail. Elsewhere, Daniels suspects Herc and Carver of skimming seized drug money. He leniently gives them one day to return the money rather than immediately turning them in. As the investigation progresses, Daniels' attitude towards the case changes, and he risks his career several times in order to protect it. For example, when Major
William Rawls William A. "Bill" Rawls is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actor John Doman. Over the course of the series, Rawls ascends through the higher ranks of the Baltimore Police Department, eventually becoming Deputy Commi ...
wants to issue a murder warrant for
D'Angelo Barksdale D'Angelo "Dee" Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by Larry Gilliard Jr. D'Angelo is the nephew of Avon Barksdale and a lieutenant in his drug dealing organization which controls most of the trade in West Bal ...
based on flimsy evidence, Daniels resorts to bypassing the
chain of command A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group. Military chain of command In a military context, the chain of command is the line of authority and responsibility along which orders ...
and persuading Burrell to delay the warrants. Freamon uncovers the Barksdales' campaign contributions to Baltimore political figures, leading Daniels' team to arrest Day-Day. However, rather than seize the Barksdale money in Day-Day's possession, Daniels is forced to return the funds with no further investigation, to avoid raising Davis' ire. Burrell tries to shut the detail down and threatens to reveal the source of Daniels' liquid assets, but Daniels calls his bluff and points out that doing so would bring bad press to the BPD. Daniels also is able to determine that Burrell is using Carver as a
mole Mole (or Molé) may refer to: Animals * Mole (animal) or "true mole" * Golden mole, southern African mammals * Marsupial mole Marsupial moles, the Notoryctidae family, are two species of highly specialized marsupial mammals that are found i ...
. The Barksdale investigation ends with the arrests of Avon and D'Angelo, along with soldier
Wee-Bey Brice Roland "Wee-Bey" Brice is a fictional character in the HBO drama ''The Wire'' played by Hassan Johnson. Wee-Bey is a trusted soldier and third-in-command of the Barksdale Organization. Character storyline Wee-Bey dropped out of school in sixth g ...
and several other members of the organization. Convictions are secured against all participants, and Wee-Bey confesses to several unsolved murders to prevent fallout from reaching other members of the organization. Daniels is left unsatisfied because Avon is convicted for minor offenses, and Avon's right-hand man,
Stringer Bell Russell "Stringer" Bell is a fictional character in ''The Wire'', played by Idris Elba. In the criminal world of early 2000s Baltimore, Bell serves as drug kingpin Avon Barksdale's second-in-command and assumes direct control of the Barksdale O ...
, escapes uncharged. Much better results are within Daniels' grasp when his team convinces D'Angelo to testify against the organization. However, D'Angelo's mother
Brianna Brianna, Breanna, Briana, and Bryanna are feminine given names. Brianna is a feminine English language form of the masculine Irish language name Brian as "Briana" is the original spelling. The name is a relatively modern one and was occasionally us ...
talks him out of it, and he ends up taking a 20-year sentence for his family. At the end of the first season, Daniels is passed over for promotion to major in favor of Cantrell. However, he has won the respect of his unit for his dedication to their cases, which surpasses that of their other commanding officers.


Season 2

As punishment for defying Burrell, Daniels is reassigned to evidence control. Daniels contemplates quitting to become a lawyer, but reconsiders when Valchek insists that he be given command of a special detail to investigate
stevedore A dockworker (also called a longshoreman, stevedore, docker, wharfman, lumper or wharfie) is a waterfront manual laborer who loads and unloads ships. As a result of the intermodal shipping container revolution, the required number of dockwork ...
union leader
Frank Sobotka Francis "Frank" Sobotka is a fictional character in of the HBO drama ''The Wire (TV series), The Wire'', played by the actor Chris Bauer. Plot Frank is a respected Polish-American treasurer for the International Brotherhood of Stevedores at t ...
. Daniels realizes Valchek had asked for him personally in exchange for offering Burrell political support, and uses this fact to leverage several promises from Burrell. Daniels insists on picking his own detectives and forces Burrell to agree that he become commander of a permanent unit if the investigation is successful. The new detail initially consists of Prez, Greggs and Herc. At Herc's insistence, Daniels allows Carver the chance to rejoin the team despite his previous treachery. Daniels campaigns for McNulty and Freamon to rejoin the team, but Rawls refuses to reverse his punitive transfer of McNulty to the marine unit. Daniels's detail works closely with
Bunk Moreland William "Bunk" Moreland is a fictional character in ''The Wire'', played by Wendell Pierce. Bunk's character is based on a retired Baltimore detective named Oscar "The Bunk" Requer. He is portrayed as a generally competent, if profane and curmud ...
, who is investigating the discovery of fourteen
Jane Doe John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used in the British, Canadian, and American legal systems, when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law ...
s at the
Port of Baltimore The Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore is a Port, shipping port along the tidal basins of the three branches of the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, on the upper northwest shore of the Chesapeake Bay. It is the nation's la ...
, and Officer
Beadie Russell Beatrice "Beadie" Russell is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actress Amy Ryan. She was featured prominently in the second season, after she discovered thirteen corpses in a container on the Baltimore docks. Charac ...
, detailed to Bunk's investigation from the Port Authority. Russell blossoms into a capable investigator with Daniels's team and is instrumental in coming up with the idea of cloning the port's computers to monitor
smuggling Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations. More broadly, soc ...
. Daniels finally persuades Rawls to let McNulty return by agreeing to take on Rawls's murders from the docks. Meanwhile, Daniels has tensions with Marla due to his career decisions. Eventually, they begin to sleep in different rooms of their home. The detail links Sobotka's union to a smuggling operation run by a mysterious figure called "
The Greek The Greek is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American Crime fiction, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created and primarily written by the American author and former police repo ...
". Sobotka's son
Ziggy Ziggy is a masculine given name, often a diminutive form (hypocorism) of Zigmunt and other names. It is also a nickname. Notable people with the name include: Nickname or hypocorism * Ezekiel Ansah (born 1989), National Football League play ...
is arrested for killing the Greek's
fence A fence is a structure that encloses an area, typically outdoors, and is usually constructed from posts that are connected by boards, wire, rails or net (textile), netting. A fence differs from a wall in not having a solid foundation along its ...
, George "Double G" Glekas, and his nephew
Nick Nick may refer to: People and fictional characters * Nick (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Désirée Nick, German actress and writer Places * Nick, Hungary, a village * Nick, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland, a ...
is proven to be involved in drug dealing. Daniels' detail is not informed of Ziggy's arrest until after he gives a signed confession to Sergeant
Jay Landsman Jay C. Landsman is an American retired homicide detective and actor. He was featured in David Simon's 1991 book about the Baltimore homicide unit '' Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets''. According to the book, Landsman was the last of his f ...
, giving the Greek time to clear out his warehouse. Valchek becomes disillusioned with Daniels when he learns that he has shifted his focus away from Sobotka and insults the detail in a heated meeting. Daniels is forced once again to defend Prez after he punches Valchek. Daniels quickly collects statements from everyone present and convinces Valchek that it would be best to accept Prez's apology. Sobotka is arrested along with several other people identified by the detail. It is only after they attempt to arrest Double G that they learn he was murdered by Ziggy. To protect his family, Daniels's team convince Sobotka to act as an informant on the Greek and arranged for him to return with a lawyer the next day. However, Sobotka is murdered before his testimony can be taken, and the Greek evades arrest. The investigation is disappointing for the detail, but is deemed a tremendous success for the BPD. Bunk and Freamon secure evidence that solves the Jane Doe homicides, but no conviction is made since the suspect was killed by the Greek. However, "White" Mike McArdle,
Sergei Malatov Sergei "Serge" Malatov ( Ukrainian: Сергій Малатов) is a fictional character on the HBO drama series ''The Wire'', played by Chris Ashworth. He acts as a driver and enforcer for The Greek. He is Ukrainian, although Americans often ...
and Eton Ben-Eleazer are arrested, putting Daniels in the department's good graces once again.


Season 3

Burrell follows through with his promise and lets Daniels form a permanent Major Case Unit, consisting of McNulty, Greggs, Freamon, Prez, Sydnor, and a new recruit, Caroline Massey. The detail returns to investigating the Barksdales and their association with
Proposition Joe Joseph Stewart, better known as "Proposition Joe" or "Prop Joe", is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by Robert F. Chew. Joe is an Eastside drug lord who prefers a peaceful solution to business disputes when possible. H ...
, an East Baltimore drug kingpin with links to the Greek. Cedric separates from Marla, partly because of her dissatisfaction with his career path, which Cedric blames on her own political climbing. Nonetheless, he continues to support her, attending functions in uniform and acting the part of a devoted husband. Cedric starts a relationship with
State's Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...
Rhonda Pearlman Rhonda Pearlman is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actress Deirdre Lovejoy. Pearlman has been the legal system liaison for all of Lieutenant Cedric Daniels' investigations on the show. Later in the series, she begin ...
, but is skeptical about making it public while Marla runs for
Baltimore City Council The Baltimore City Council is the legislative branch that governs the City of Baltimore. It has 14 members elected by district and a president elected at-large; all serve four-year terms. The council holds regular meetings on alternate Monday ev ...
; he claims that it will look bad for Marla's political career to have him leave her for a white woman. Daniels gets commended several times by several senior figures throughout the BPD due to his good police work, including Burrell, Rawls, and Major
Howard "Bunny" Colvin Howard "Bunny" Colvin is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Robert Wisdom. Colvin is a wise and able police major in the Baltimore's Western District, alienated by the careerism and bureaucracy rampant in the Ba ...
, amongst others. This, however, is not enough for Daniels, whose promotion to major is being held up due to Marla's political conflicts. Daniels also feels that Burrell is purposefully holding him back due to past incidents. Daniels becomes even more angered when McNulty goes around the chain of command to Colvin, and has the MCU shift its focus back to the Barksdales. Daniels makes it clear that McNulty is done with the MCU after Stringer is arrested. Stringer is murdered before he can be apprehended, but Avon is rearrested on weapons charges. When Colvin is forced to retire from the BPD due to his "Hamsterdam" experiment, Daniels is promoted to Colvin's old post as major for the Western District, as
Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
Clarence Royce Clarence V. Royce is a fictional character in the HBO series ''The Wire'' played by Glynn Turman. Season 3 Clarence V. Royce is the Mayor of Baltimore whose first appearance is at the demolition of the Franklin Terrace housing projects as a mea ...
throws support behind Marla.


Season 4

Daniels tries to convince McNulty, now a patrolman in the Western, to return to detective work with no success. He realizes that McNulty is better off with his new rank on a personal level. Greggs meets with Daniels to discuss a transfer after Rawls appoints the abrasive Lieutenant Charles Marimow to head the MCU. Daniels suggests a move to Homicide, and successfully meets with Rawls to facilitate the transfer. Elsewhere, after finding out that his student
Randy Wagstaff Randy Wagstaff is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by Maestro Harrell. Randy is an enterprising student who is dependent on social services. During season 4, he was an 8th grade pupil at Edward Tilghman Middle School an ...
knows information about Curtis “Lex” Anderson's murder, Prez – now a schoolteacher – meets with Daniels, who suggests that Prez consult with Carver over the matter. Following the mayoral election, Daniels attends a COMSTAT meeting and tells Burrell and Rawls that the homicide rate in the Western has dropped while other
felony A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "''félonie''") to describe an offense that r ...
rates have risen. Mayor-elect
Tommy Carcetti Thomas J. "Tommy" Carcetti ( ) is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by Aidan Gillen. Carcetti is an ambitious and venal Baltimore politician who begins the series with a seat on the city council. Biography Season 3 To ...
observes the meeting and is impressed that Daniels prioritizes quality felony arrests over statistical reductions in crime. Carcetti learns that he is more respected than most other commanding officers in the BPD. Daniels is invited to lunch with Carcetti and takes his offer to be appointed commander of the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) under Rawls. Burrell realizes that the new mayor intends to promote Daniels to commissioner at his own expense. Burrell and Davis convince city council president
Nerese Campbell The following are politicians, family members, and assistants administrating the politics of Baltimore on ''The Wire''. Maryland State politicians Clay Davis * Played by: Isiah Whitlock, Jr. * Appears in: :Season one: " One Arrest"; " The Cost ...
to oppose Daniels, hinting that they plan to revisit the previous corruption allegations against him. As CID colonel, Daniels clears Herc of a
racial profiling Racial profiling or ethnic profiling is the offender profiling, selective enforcement or selective prosecution based on race or ethnicity, rather than individual suspicion or evidence. This practice involves discrimination against minority pop ...
incident and assists Freamon in building a case against
Marlo Stanfield Marlo Stanfield is a fictional character on the HBO television drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Jamie Hector. Stanfield is a young, ambitious, intelligent and ruthless gangster and head of the eponymous Stanfield Organization in the Baltimor ...
. Freamon discovers evidence of dead bodies in vacant
row houses A terrace, terraced house ( UK), or townhouse ( US) is a type of medium-density housing which first started in 16th century Europe with a row of joined houses sharing side walls. In the United States and Canada these are sometimes known as row ...
and asks Daniels for more manpower for a citywide search. The city's homicide rate increases dramatically with the discovery of 22 concealed bodies. Daniels transfers McNulty back into the MCU, with the unit again refocused on Stanfield. Rawls comes to believe that Daniels will be moved up the ladder while Burrell and Davis conspire to keep Daniels from getting the commissioner's post.


Season 5

Daniels is outraged when Carcetti closes the MCU due to budgetary problems, leaving the investigations into Davis, Stanfield, and the vacant murders unresolved. He and Pearlman arrange a meeting with Carcetti and State's Attorney
Rupert Bond Law enforcement is an integral part of the HBO drama series ''The Wire''. The show has numerous characters in this field and their roles range from those enforcing the law at street level up to those setting laws citywide. The Baltimore City Police ...
, leading to the mayor approving a two-man detail for the Davis case. Daniels is further angered that Davis has been given priority over the vacant murders. He reluctantly reassigns McNulty and Greggs to homicide, while putting Freamon and Sydnor on the Davis detail. Carcetti finally accrues the political capital he needs to fire Burrell when the commissioner delivers false crime statistics. The mayor plans to temporarily promote Rawls to acting commissioner, with Daniels serving as Deputy Commissioner of Operations to prepare him to permanently take over the post. Carcetti leaks the story to ''
The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news. Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...
'' to gauge reaction to Daniels. However, the story runs with a quote, invented by reporter
Scott Templeton M. Scott Templeton is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Tom McCarthy. The actor joined the starring cast as the series' fifth season began. Biography Templeton is a young reporter who allows his extreme ambiti ...
, falsely implicating Daniels in causing Burrell's departure. Daniels meets with Marla to discuss Burrell's potential reaction to the story, and both become worried that he will reveal evidence of corruption from Daniels's past. Marla persuades Daniels to approach Burrell and promise not to take his post. Burrell gives Daniels the silent treatment. Campbell convinces Burrell to leave quietly in exchange for a comfortable replacement position. Carcetti holds a press conference to announce the promotions. Daniels is promoted to commissioner after the homeless killings and the vacant murders are solved, but resigns from the position over threats from Campbell and his refusal to "juke the stats". His last act as commissioner is to confer a set of promotions, including that of Carver to lieutenant. In the final flash-forward montage, Daniels is shown practicing as a criminal defense lawyer before Pearlman, who
recuse Recusal is the legal process by which a judge, juror, or other adjudicator steps aside from participating in a case due to potential bias, conflict of interest, or appearance of impropriety. This practice is fundamental to ensuring fairness and ...
s herself as a newly commissioned judge.


Production


Casting

Lance Reddick was cast in the role after auditioning for the parts of Bunk Moreland and Bubbles. He was told that they were looking for "a name" to fill the Daniels role. Reddick has described the character as serious, intense and committed. Although a number of actors are credited in every episode regardless of their appearance, Daniels appears in more episodes of the show than any other character (58 out of 60), and is also the last original character to miss an episode.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Daniels, Cedric African-American characters in television Fictional American lawyers The Wire characters Fictional Baltimore Police Department detectives Fictional police lieutenants Fictional majors Fictional colonels Television characters introduced in 2002 American male characters in television University of Baltimore School of Law alumni