Marla Daniels

From The Wire

Marla Daniels is the estranged wife of Colonel Cedric Daniels and a city council member.

[edit] Biography

Marla always had ambitions for her husband to progress in the police force and his failure to do so contributed to the demise of their relationship. As their marriage fell apart, she decided to run for City Council, and is currently Councilwoman from the 11th District of Baltimore.

Cedric seems a likely candidate to receive a promotion when he is assigned to run the controversial Barksdale detail. Throughout the first season, Marla advised Cedric to build the case his superiors were demanding (quick and simple, low-level busts), but he is pushed to more elaborate investigative work by the detectives he commanded. He also meets a driver for Senator Clay Davis while attending a function she drags him to, which turns out to be important for the investigation.

Cedric is banished to evidence control after upsetting his superiors, and Marla convinces him to leave the department and become a lawyer. Cedric is ready to do so until he got a second chance to do the kind of investigative work he wanted in the new Sobotka detail. Marla greets his decision to stay with the police with worry and skepticism, and eventually they separate.

Marla runs for City Council in season three; Cedric appears publicly in uniform as a content husband to support her. Marla had the support and guidance of State Delegate Odell Watkins, but was running against Eunetta Perkins, an old ally of Mayor Clarence Royce. Because of this, her husband's promotion to major is being held up by Royce. She eventually seeks a reconciliation with Cedric, but he declines as he had become involved with Rhonda Pearlman. As a way of appeasing Watkins, the Mayor eventually lends her his support and allows Cedric's promotion to pass.

Even with the Mayor's support, Marla is having trouble overcoming her entrenched rival at the beginning of season four. She attends the funeral of a witness murdered in the district alongside Watkins and learns that Tommy Carcetti is supportive of her campaign, despite her being part of Royce's ticket. Watkins switches to Carcetti's ticket at the last minute, and Marla comes with him, and she wins the election. ^[1]

[edit] Behind the scenes

Marla Daniels is played by Maria Broom.

[edit] Appearances

Season one

• "The Detail"
• "One Arrest"
• "Lessons"
• "Sentencing"

Season two

• "Collateral Damage"
• "Backwash"
• "Port in a Storm"

Season three

• "Time After Time"
• "Amsterdam"
• "Homecoming"
• "Slapstick"
• "Mission Accomplished"

Season four

• "Home Rooms"
• "Refugees"

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