The Wire (TV Series)

Middle Ground (2004)

Idris Elba: Russell 'Stringer' Bell

Photos 

Quotes 

• [Omar and Brother Mouzone have Stringer cornered, their guns turned on him] 

  Stringer Bell : I ain't strapped. Look, man. I ain't involved. I ain't involved in that gangster bullshit no more.

  [both gunmen are silent, Stringer is breathing hard from running] 

  Stringer Bell : What y'all niggers want, man? Huh? Money?

  [however, he just gets more silence] 

  Stringer Bell : IS THAT IT? Cause if it is, man, I can be a better friend to y'all alive.

  Omar : You still don't get it, do you? This ain't about your money, bro. Your boy gave you up. That's right. And we ain't had to torture his ass neither!

  [Stringer is silent, realizing that Omar now knows he had his lover Brandon tortured and killed. He then looks to Brother Mouzone, and with him there - realizes he now knows he tried to have him killed, and that both men have come for retribution] 

  Stringer Bell : [regrettably]  Seems like I can't say nothing to change y'all minds.

  [long silence] 

  Stringer Bell : Well, get on with it, motherfu...

  [Omar and Mouzone shoot him to death] 

• Stringer Bell : We ain't gotta dream no more, man. We got real shit. Real estate we can touch.

• Stringer Bell : Where Avon at?

  Slim Charles : He'll be along shortly.

  Stringer Bell : That's good, 'cause I came to see you anyway.

  Slim Charles : What you need?

  Stringer Bell : I need you to hit somebody.

  Slim Charles : Who we hittin'?

  Stringer Bell : Clay Davis.

  Slim Charles : THE Clay Davis? Downtown Clay Davis?

  Stringer Bell : That s'posed to mean somethin' to me, man? That nigga need to be got.

  Slim Charles : Shit, String, murder ain't no thing, but this here is some assassination shit, man.

  Stringer Bell : Look, I tell you to get somebody, you gettin' him. I ain't askin'.

  Slim Charles : Damn, String, I don't know...

  Stringer Bell : [cutting him off]  Nigga, I gotta remind you who the fuck you work for?

  [Avon, who has been watching from a side room, steps in] 

  Avon Barksdale : Ayo. I think Slim gonna have to sit this one out, boss. So you finna go hit a state senator now, huh? Yo, you kill a downtown nigga like that, the whole world gonna stand up and take notice. I'm talkin' 'bout the state police, federals... all of that! You need a "Day of the Jackal"-type muthafucka, basically, to do some shit like that, not a rumble-tumble nigga like Slim!

  Stringer Bell : That nigga took our money, man.

  Avon Barksdale : I seen it comin'.

  Stringer Bell : Well, he gotta go.

  Avon Barksdale : Naw, you a fuckin' businessman, you wanna handle it like that! You don't wanna get all gangsta-wild with it and shit, right? What I tell you about playin' them fuckin' away games?

  [Stringer looks at Slim, but he won't look him in the eye; Stringer gets up to leave] 

  Avon Barksdale : Yeah. They saw your ghetto ass comin' from miles away, nigga! You got a fuckin' beef with them? That shit is on YOU!

  [Stringer stares at Avon for a moment, then walks out]