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Jay Landsman (The Wire)
Encyclopedia
Jay Landsman is a fictional character
on the HBO drama The Wire
, played by actor Delaney Williams
.
find a hospitalized detective's missing firearm in Season 3
and when a dead state's witness becomes an electoral issue in Season 4
. Throughout the series, he is shown as a commander attempting to strike a balance between loyalty to subordinates and superiors, most often favoring the latter. Landsman has only been called to solve a few murders on his own as a supervisor. He is generally respectful of criminal suspects with the exception of his participation in the beating of Bird. Landsman is generally jovial and provides a degree of comic relief
in the series. He also possesses a shrewd understanding of the subtle politics in the chain of command
, almost always successfully acting in self preservation and self promotion without making many enemies. He states that clearly to McNulty, during the first episode of season 2, by saying its all about self-preservation and it is too bad that McNulty never learned that. Overall, under Landsman's supervision, the homicide unit ends up often clearing many of the more challenging "whodunit
" homicides occurring in Baltimore city proving him to be a effective sergeant within the department. However, he can be mildly bullying and tends to derive his good humor from schadenfreude
though he is not generally malicious.
He has the duty of ministering in the informal "detective wakes" held in honor of the deceased at Kavanaugh's, the bar frequented by many in the department. Wakes take place in Season 3
(for Ray Cole), Season 4
(for Raymond Foerster) and Season 5
(for the ostracized, but still-living Jimmy McNulty).
. Landsman's squad consists of several of the shows characters - in season one it comprised Detectives Jimmy McNulty
, Bunk Moreland
, Michael Santangelo, Ray Cole, Ed Norris and Vernon Holley. Landsman finds the misfortune of the cops in his unit a constant source of amusement but is also protective of them at times. He is loyal to Rawls and also doggedly pursues the high case clearance rates that Rawls aims for but is realistic about the capabilities of his detectives.
When McNulty went around the chain of command and incurred Rawls's wrath by being detailed to another unit Landsman appeared unsympathetic. He insisted that McNulty's work looking at old homicide cases for the detail be put to his advantage to make up for losing a detective. To this end, he insisted that McNulty look into the Deirdre Kresson murder case; McNulty was reluctant because the case appeared unrelated. Landsman was sure a link would be found and his intuition later proved correct. However, Landsman did argue McNulty's case with Rawls and managed to get Rawls to agree that McNulty could return to homicide with a clean slate if the investigation was wrapped up quickly. Despite Landsman's best efforts McNulty remained out of favour with Rawls because he refused to end the case he was working on prematurely.
Landsman always maintained a black and twisted humour about the work of his squad. When Rawls gave Detective Santangelo an ultimatum of clearing a "whodunit" case by days end Landsman recommended a psychic to Santangelo. He claimed that the woman, Madame LaRue, was especially gifted in "matters of death investigation". Santangelo took this advice by burying a doll in a grave awaking later that night to be given evidence in the murder that had occurred. When "Sanny" saw that he had been given information regarding an open homicide, he thanked Landsman who then told him that the Gypsy routine was a joke and that it had been Bunk and McNulty who saved his career.
Landsman's squad handled the case of the killing of Wendell "Orlando" Blocker and wounding of detective Kima Greggs
and he was personally involved in the investigation.
Landsman's squad was altered as Rawls transferred Santangelo and McNulty out of the unit because they had displeased him by working with the Barksdale detail. Lester Freamon
returned to homicide after a thirteen year (and four month) absence and joined Landsman's squad.
When Rawls was forced to take on the multiple homicide case of fourteen unidentified dead women he entrusted it to Landsman. Landsman gave the case to Freamon and Bunk telling them they were his best detectives. When his detectives started working with Cedric Daniels
on the Sobotka detail Landsman saw the potential to offload the responsibility of the case but Daniels initially refused.
Landsman was responsible for the interrogation of Chester "Ziggy" Sobotka after he killed George "Double G" Glekas. Although Ziggy quickly confessed Landsman failed to inform Daniels' specialised detail about the murder in time for them to become involved. Daniels was irate with Landsman for his lack of forethought when it allowed his targets to dispose of evidence at the Glekas crime scene.
look for the gun pressuring him intensely until Bunk wrote a ten page report stating how unproductive the investigation became. Bunk claimed that he had more important things to do as he was a murder investigator and the city's homicide rate was rising, and Landsman appeared to give Bunk his blessing to work murders instead. Landsman delivers the eulogy at the Detective's Wake held for Ray Cole after his sudden death.
Landsman later appeared following the death of officer Derrick Waggoner, an African American
plainclothes officer accidentally killed by Detective Pryzbylewski who had mistaken him for a criminal. Landsman was personally angry at the death referring to it as a "clusterfuck" as the officer murdered was a six and a half year veteran who was 16th on the current sergeant's list with two commendations while Prez was known for his incompetence and still in the department all due to his father in law Stan Valchek
, the Southeastern district commander.
who uses it against the current mayor in a key debate.
Landsman's squad is boosted by the return of Lester Freamon and the addition of Kima Greggs
when a new unit commander drives them out of the major case unit. Landsman and his detectives constantly tease Greggs when she first joins the unit. Political pressure forces Landsman to assign Greggs to the witness murder instead of Norris. When this information is leaked to the press Landsman attends a press conference with Greggs and Norris to diffuse the story by claiming that they were working it together. Greggs feels used by her superiors and this creates friction between her and Landsman. Landsman is forced to intercede in the investigation a second time when Norris threatens to break the case on the eve of the election. Rawls tells him that whatever the outcome of the case one of the candidates will be put out and it is better to leave it pending until after the election. Landsman is told to reassign Greggs and Norris to polling station duty for the day to prevent progress in their investigation.
After the election, Greggs solves the Braddock case which tends to provide less leads than were initially given and she gains Landsman's respect in the process. Landsman then is seen delivering the eulogy for Colonel Foerester whom he claimed had a miraculous career serving 39 years without a trace of bitterness or hostility, a rarity in the Baltimore Police Department. Landsman is then seen criticizing Detective Moreland
for reversing one of Detective Holley's clearances as he is against cases going from "black to red". Following Foerester's death, Cedric Daniels
is named C.I.D. colonel and allocates more resource to the investigative divisions to allow for more quality investigations at the orders of Mayor elect Tommy Carcetti
. Landsman then witnesses Detective Lester Freamon
discovering dead bodies in abandoned houses and is initially against their discovery for the purpose of raising the city's homicide rate. When more bodies are discovered, Landsman realizes the squad will be unable to maintain an acceptable clearance rate and becomes less concerned about the department's numbers. Landsman finally sees Bubbles
turn himself in for murder of a teenager and after hearing that the death was accidental decides not to press homicide charges sending him to a psychiatric unit at Bayview instead.
. The character is often given dialogue that the writers recall the real Landsman using. Delaney Williams was chosen for the part because of the creators' experience of working with him in small roles on Homicide and The Corner. The real Jay Landsman can also be seen on The Wire in the role of Dennis Mello, first in an uncredited appearance in the season 2 episode "Stray Rounds", and later as a regular cast member. The real Landsman was the inspiration for detective John Munch
, a character from Homicide: Life on the Street
and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
, who also made an appearance on The Wire.
Among the discrepancies between the character on The Wire and the real Jay Landsman, the most prominent is their physique: the real Landsman was the least overweight sergeant in the homicide squad, while The Wires version is one of the more heavyset officers on the force, often referred to as "Fat Man."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the HBO drama The Wire
The Wire (TV series)
The Wire is an American television drama series set and produced in and around Baltimore, Maryland. Created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon, the series was broadcast by the premium cable network HBO in the United States...
, played by actor Delaney Williams
Delaney Williams
Delaney Williams is an American actor from Washington, D.C. He appears on the HBO drama The Wire as a recurring guest star playing homicide sergeant Jay Landsman. He also had a small role on HBO's mini-series The Corner which brought him to the attention of the producers, who worked on The prior to...
.
Policing method
Landsman's role in the police department is that of a supervisory detective sergeant who doesn't participate in much investigation work. Landsman generally acts in the best interests of his subordinates especially those who give him the necessary clearances (closed cases). As a supervisor, Landsman acts on behalf of the wishes of his superior officers even though in some cases, he does not necessarily agree with specific commands. Examples of this are when he is ordered to have Bunk MorelandBunk Moreland
William "Bunk" Moreland is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Wendell Pierce. Bunk's character is based on a retired Baltimore City Police Detective named Rick Requer and nicknamed "the Bunk", an officer who joined the force in 1964 as a Western District patrolman who...
find a hospitalized detective's missing firearm in Season 3
The Wire (season 3)
The third season of the television series The Wire commenced airing in the United States on September 19, 2004, concluded on December 19, 2004, and contained 12 episodes...
and when a dead state's witness becomes an electoral issue in Season 4
The Wire (season 4)
The fourth season of the television series The Wire commenced airing in the United States on September 10, 2006, concluded on December 10, 2006, and contained 13 episodes...
. Throughout the series, he is shown as a commander attempting to strike a balance between loyalty to subordinates and superiors, most often favoring the latter. Landsman has only been called to solve a few murders on his own as a supervisor. He is generally respectful of criminal suspects with the exception of his participation in the beating of Bird. Landsman is generally jovial and provides a degree of comic relief
Comic relief
Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.-Definition:...
in the series. He also possesses a shrewd understanding of the subtle politics in the chain of command
Chain of Command
Chain of Command may refer to:* Chain of command, in a military context, the line of authority and responsibility along which orders are passed* "Chain of Command" , the fifth episode of the first season of Beast Wars...
, almost always successfully acting in self preservation and self promotion without making many enemies. He states that clearly to McNulty, during the first episode of season 2, by saying its all about self-preservation and it is too bad that McNulty never learned that. Overall, under Landsman's supervision, the homicide unit ends up often clearing many of the more challenging "whodunit
Whodunit
A whodunit or whodunnit is a complex, plot-driven variety of the detective story in which the puzzle is the main feature of interest. The reader or viewer is provided with clues from which the identity of the perpetrator of the crime may be deduced before the solution is revealed in the final...
" homicides occurring in Baltimore city proving him to be a effective sergeant within the department. However, he can be mildly bullying and tends to derive his good humor from schadenfreude
Schadenfreude
Schadenfreude is pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others. This German word is used as a loanword in English and some other languages, and has been calqued in Danish and Norwegian as skadefryd and Swedish as skadeglädje....
though he is not generally malicious.
He has the duty of ministering in the informal "detective wakes" held in honor of the deceased at Kavanaugh's, the bar frequented by many in the department. Wakes take place in Season 3
The Wire (season 3)
The third season of the television series The Wire commenced airing in the United States on September 19, 2004, concluded on December 19, 2004, and contained 12 episodes...
(for Ray Cole), Season 4
The Wire (season 4)
The fourth season of the television series The Wire commenced airing in the United States on September 10, 2006, concluded on December 10, 2006, and contained 13 episodes...
(for Raymond Foerster) and Season 5
The Wire (season 5)
The fifth season of the television series The Wire commenced airing in the United States on January 6, 2008, and concluded on March 9, 2008; it contained 10 episodes...
(for the ostracized, but still-living Jimmy McNulty).
Season 1
Landsman is a squad sergeant in the homicide division of the Baltimore police department. His commanding officer was originally William RawlsWilliam 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 he ascends to the rank of Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.-Season 1:...
. Landsman's squad consists of several of the shows characters - in season one it comprised Detectives Jimmy McNulty
Jimmy McNulty
Detective James "Jimmy" McNulty is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by British actor Dominic West. McNulty is an Irish American detective in the Baltimore Police Department...
, Bunk Moreland
Bunk Moreland
William "Bunk" Moreland is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Wendell Pierce. Bunk's character is based on a retired Baltimore City Police Detective named Rick Requer and nicknamed "the Bunk", an officer who joined the force in 1964 as a Western District patrolman who...
, Michael Santangelo, Ray Cole, Ed Norris and Vernon Holley. Landsman finds the misfortune of the cops in his unit a constant source of amusement but is also protective of them at times. He is loyal to Rawls and also doggedly pursues the high case clearance rates that Rawls aims for but is realistic about the capabilities of his detectives.
When McNulty went around the chain of command and incurred Rawls's wrath by being detailed to another unit Landsman appeared unsympathetic. He insisted that McNulty's work looking at old homicide cases for the detail be put to his advantage to make up for losing a detective. To this end, he insisted that McNulty look into the Deirdre Kresson murder case; McNulty was reluctant because the case appeared unrelated. Landsman was sure a link would be found and his intuition later proved correct. However, Landsman did argue McNulty's case with Rawls and managed to get Rawls to agree that McNulty could return to homicide with a clean slate if the investigation was wrapped up quickly. Despite Landsman's best efforts McNulty remained out of favour with Rawls because he refused to end the case he was working on prematurely.
Landsman always maintained a black and twisted humour about the work of his squad. When Rawls gave Detective Santangelo an ultimatum of clearing a "whodunit" case by days end Landsman recommended a psychic to Santangelo. He claimed that the woman, Madame LaRue, was especially gifted in "matters of death investigation". Santangelo took this advice by burying a doll in a grave awaking later that night to be given evidence in the murder that had occurred. When "Sanny" saw that he had been given information regarding an open homicide, he thanked Landsman who then told him that the Gypsy routine was a joke and that it had been Bunk and McNulty who saved his career.
Landsman's squad handled the case of the killing of Wendell "Orlando" Blocker and wounding of detective Kima Greggs
Kima Greggs
Detective Shakima "Kima" Greggs is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actress Sonja Sohn. Greggs is a police detective in the Baltimore Police Department who is a dedicated officer and capable detective with some off-the-job issues. Openly lesbian, she has had problems...
and he was personally involved in the investigation.
Season 2
Initial suspicions are confirmed when Landsman admits to McNulty it was him who informed Rawls as to where he didn't want to be re-stationed. He learned of this while being present when McNulty discussed it early in season one.Landsman's squad was altered as Rawls transferred Santangelo and McNulty out of the unit because they had displeased him by working with the Barksdale detail. Lester Freamon
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...
returned to homicide after a thirteen year (and four month) absence and joined Landsman's squad.
When Rawls was forced to take on the multiple homicide case of fourteen unidentified dead women he entrusted it to Landsman. Landsman gave the case to Freamon and Bunk telling them they were his best detectives. When his detectives started working with Cedric Daniels
Cedric Daniels
Cedric Daniels is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Lance Reddick. He is a well regarded officer in the department whose focus is on good police work and quality arrests...
on the Sobotka detail Landsman saw the potential to offload the responsibility of the case but Daniels initially refused.
Landsman was responsible for the interrogation of Chester "Ziggy" Sobotka after he killed George "Double G" Glekas. Although Ziggy quickly confessed Landsman failed to inform Daniels' specialised detail about the murder in time for them to become involved. Daniels was irate with Landsman for his lack of forethought when it allowed his targets to dispose of evidence at the Glekas crime scene.
Season 3
Landsman appeared as a commanding detective of homicide again this season mainly associated with finding the service weapon of Officer Dozerman whose gun was stolen in a failed undercover buy. He had Bunk MorelandBunk Moreland
William "Bunk" Moreland is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Wendell Pierce. Bunk's character is based on a retired Baltimore City Police Detective named Rick Requer and nicknamed "the Bunk", an officer who joined the force in 1964 as a Western District patrolman who...
look for the gun pressuring him intensely until Bunk wrote a ten page report stating how unproductive the investigation became. Bunk claimed that he had more important things to do as he was a murder investigator and the city's homicide rate was rising, and Landsman appeared to give Bunk his blessing to work murders instead. Landsman delivers the eulogy at the Detective's Wake held for Ray Cole after his sudden death.
Landsman later appeared following the death of officer Derrick Waggoner, an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
plainclothes officer accidentally killed by Detective Pryzbylewski who had mistaken him for a criminal. Landsman was personally angry at the death referring to it as a "clusterfuck" as the officer murdered was a six and a half year veteran who was 16th on the current sergeant's list with two commendations while Prez was known for his incompetence and still in the department all due to his father in law Stan Valchek
Stanislaus 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 Southeastern district, home to many of the remaining white ethnic neighborhoods in Baltimore...
, the Southeastern district commander.
Season 4
Landsman is not above getting involved in politics. When his detective Ed Norris informs him that he is investigating the murder of a state's witness Landsman passes the knowledge on to Major Valchek in secret. Valchek leaks the information to Tommy CarcettiTommy Carcetti
Thomas J. "Tommy" Carcetti is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by Irish actor Aidan Gillen. Carcetti is an ambitious Baltimore politician who rises from a seat on the city council to the office of the Mayor of Baltimore, and to the office of the Governor of Maryland by the...
who uses it against the current mayor in a key debate.
Landsman's squad is boosted by the return of Lester Freamon and the addition of Kima Greggs
Kima Greggs
Detective Shakima "Kima" Greggs is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actress Sonja Sohn. Greggs is a police detective in the Baltimore Police Department who is a dedicated officer and capable detective with some off-the-job issues. Openly lesbian, she has had problems...
when a new unit commander drives them out of the major case unit. Landsman and his detectives constantly tease Greggs when she first joins the unit. Political pressure forces Landsman to assign Greggs to the witness murder instead of Norris. When this information is leaked to the press Landsman attends a press conference with Greggs and Norris to diffuse the story by claiming that they were working it together. Greggs feels used by her superiors and this creates friction between her and Landsman. Landsman is forced to intercede in the investigation a second time when Norris threatens to break the case on the eve of the election. Rawls tells him that whatever the outcome of the case one of the candidates will be put out and it is better to leave it pending until after the election. Landsman is told to reassign Greggs and Norris to polling station duty for the day to prevent progress in their investigation.
After the election, Greggs solves the Braddock case which tends to provide less leads than were initially given and she gains Landsman's respect in the process. Landsman then is seen delivering the eulogy for Colonel Foerester whom he claimed had a miraculous career serving 39 years without a trace of bitterness or hostility, a rarity in the Baltimore Police Department. Landsman is then seen criticizing Detective Moreland
Bunk Moreland
William "Bunk" Moreland is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Wendell Pierce. Bunk's character is based on a retired Baltimore City Police Detective named Rick Requer and nicknamed "the Bunk", an officer who joined the force in 1964 as a Western District patrolman who...
for reversing one of Detective Holley's clearances as he is against cases going from "black to red". Following Foerester's death, Cedric Daniels
Cedric Daniels
Cedric Daniels is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Lance Reddick. He is a well regarded officer in the department whose focus is on good police work and quality arrests...
is named C.I.D. colonel and allocates more resource to the investigative divisions to allow for more quality investigations at the orders of Mayor elect Tommy Carcetti
Tommy Carcetti
Thomas J. "Tommy" Carcetti is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by Irish actor Aidan Gillen. Carcetti is an ambitious Baltimore politician who rises from a seat on the city council to the office of the Mayor of Baltimore, and to the office of the Governor of Maryland by the...
. Landsman then witnesses Detective Lester Freamon
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...
discovering dead bodies in abandoned houses and is initially against their discovery for the purpose of raising the city's homicide rate. When more bodies are discovered, Landsman realizes the squad will be unable to maintain an acceptable clearance rate and becomes less concerned about the department's numbers. Landsman finally sees Bubbles
Bubbles (The Wire)
Reginald "Bubbles" Cousins is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Andre Royo. Bubbles is a recovering heroin addict. His real name is not revealed until a fourth-season episode when he is called "Mr. Cousins" and in the fifth-season premiere when he is called "Reginald"...
turn himself in for murder of a teenager and after hearing that the death was accidental decides not to press homicide charges sending him to a psychiatric unit at Bayview instead.
Season 5
After Jimmy McNulty is forced out of the police department Landsman delivers a speech at the wake in McNulty's honor. He cites his insubordination and personality flaws but also says that McNulty is the best detective he has ever had and is sorry for losing him. He fakes breaking out in tears at the end.Origins
The character is based on and named after a real homicide detective sergeant whom David Simon had met while researching the book Homicide: A Year on the Killing StreetsHomicide: A Year on the Killing Streets
Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets is a 1991 book written by Baltimore Sun reporter David Simon describing a year spent with detectives from the Baltimore Police Department homicide squad...
. The character is often given dialogue that the writers recall the real Landsman using. Delaney Williams was chosen for the part because of the creators' experience of working with him in small roles on Homicide and The Corner. The real Jay Landsman can also be seen on The Wire in the role of Dennis Mello, first in an uncredited appearance in the season 2 episode "Stray Rounds", and later as a regular cast member. The real Landsman was the inspiration for detective John Munch
John Munch
Sergeant John Munch is a fictional character played by actor Richard Belzer. Munch first appeared on Homicide: Life on the Street. Upon that series' cancellation, the character was transplanted to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the first spin-off of the Law & Order franchise...
, a character from Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street is an American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons on NBC from 1993 to 1999, and was succeeded by a TV movie, which also acted as the de-facto series finale...
and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
, who also made an appearance on The Wire.
Among the discrepancies between the character on The Wire and the real Jay Landsman, the most prominent is their physique: the real Landsman was the least overweight sergeant in the homicide squad, while The Wires version is one of the more heavyset officers on the force, often referred to as "Fat Man."