In preparation for ending The Wire this winter, HBO is telling us more about how the show began. A series of prequels showing the characters earlier in life have hit the Internet, and they'll also be available On Demand starting Dec. 15.

Like the Big Love back stories from earlier this year, these prequels don't reveal anything about specific plot lines. Instead, they're just little glimpses into how the characters came to be who they are. One of the three shows Prop Joe as a kid practicing his political skills in the schoolyard; another shows Bunk and McNulty getting hammered together during McNulty's first day in homicide. But my favorite is the one with young Omar, a chilling clip that combines a surprising amount of compassion with his already well-honed gangster side.

To check out the prequels, just read more

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