(This image is from a The Wire-centric art project by Blake Hicks. It is amazing.)

I’ll admit to only having seen two episodes of Fringe, but from what I gather, it’s decent-ish in a major network sort of way. (Analysis!) Of course, we all appreciate the show’s casting of Lance Reddick in a major role. Actually, I always appreciate it when an alumnus from The Wire gets work, even when it’s Herc  in 24 (as an NYPD beat cop who apprehends Jack Bauer and subsequently gets a right clobbering), or Marlo Stanfield in the terrible/terrific Jericho (as some sort of Army officer bumming around in rural Kansas).

Now, Fringe has cast Andre Royo as a cab driver in a guest role. It’s not much, sure, but here we have Bubbs and Cedric Daniels on the same show. Ideally, this show will slowly begin to bring on more and more actors from David Simon’s magnum opus, until eventually, the show basically becomes Season 6 of The Wire without the audience realizing it. Compelling plot points that the show never had the chance to expand upon: Poot getting disillusioned with the Foot Locker institution, Lamar’s quest to find rare back issues of Harper’s Weekly for Brother Mouzone, Marlo basically turning into Carl Johnson from GTA: San Andreas, and the Baltimore Sun’s Clark Johnson stomping around the newsroom and being mildly annoyed by everything.

Last month, Variety reported that British actor Idris Elba (best known as Stringer Bell from HBO’s “The Wire”) would be joining the cast of “The Office” for a six-episode stint as a foil for Steve Carell’s Michael Scott.  But will the corporate Stringer Bell make Michael quit his job?  One person on the Internet says, “Maybe.”  From Zap2it:

Promoted to Jan’s old job at corporate — despite Michael’s insistence that the position belongs to him — the new boss man will usher an unprecedented level of discomfort into Dunder Mifflin. And, well, word on the street is Elba’s character isn’t just causing that drama in New York City. No, on the contrary, he’s moving in on Scranton…

I’m hearing Michael might even have a Jerry Maguire moment on his way out, and one loyal (and pretty major) employee may follow him through the door.

Oh yeah: possible spoiler alert.  I always forget that.

This is a solid casting decision.  I want to support NBC’s decision to bring another actor from “The Wire” to “The Office” (Amy Ryan played Michael’s love interest this past fall).  In fact, they should bring more actors from “The Wire” onto the show.  And move Dunder-Mifflin to Baltimore.  And start selling drugs instead of paper.  And call it “The Wire.”