Cheryl, The Wire

Last Modified: May 30, 2017

Cheryl (Melanie Nicholls-King) The Wire / HBO

Show: The Wire

TV: Cable / Network: HBO

Character Status: Recurring

Endgame: Female

Orientation: Lesbian

Show Status: Over

Tropes: All Lesbians have Kids

Introduced in: 2006-2007 / Final season: 2007-2008

Appeared in seasons: 2002-2003, 2003-2004, 2004-2005, 2006-2007, 2007-2008

Cheryl (Melanie Nicholls-King)

On crime drama The Wire, Cheryl was the live-in partner of police officer Shakima “Kima” Greggs, it was implied that the two had been together for some time and they enjoyed a happy domestic life during the first season. After Kima suffered from a near-fatal gun injury at the end of the first season, Cheryl convinced her to take a desk job.

Over the course of the second and third season the couple struggled with Kima’s high risk job, problems with alcohol, infidelity, and Cheryl’s desire to start a family. Cheryl became pregnant by artificial insemination and they had a baby, Elijah. However, Kima decided she did not want to be a parent and moved out, leaving Cheryl a single mother.

Cheryl returned for very brief appearances in season four, and later again season five, when Kima wanted to reconnect with Elijah. Kima came to visit them at home where Cheryl was living with her new partner, a lawyer named Nancine. Kima and Cheryl parted on good terms and started sharing custody of Elijah.

Appearances:

15 episodes.

Female love interests:

Shakima "Kima" Greggs (Sonja Sohn, lesbian, regular, 60 episodes)
Nancine Nance Owens (Brandi L. Davis, unknown, uncredited, 1 episode)

Relationship story arc with a woman: Yes

No male love interests

Relationship story arc with a man: No

Male love interest after being identified as a lesbian? No

Filter Relationship Arc:

Female (Regular)

Storyline during sweeps? No

[1] A relationship story arc is defined as explicit, developed on screen, and lasting more than 3 episodes. It is listed as questionable or subtext if romance is only implied, mentioned instead of shown on screen, part of a dream sequence, or otherwise not explicit for the viewer.
[2] Sweeps episodes air in February, May, July and November, the periods when advertising rates are set. A character is marked as "sweeps" when there is a very limited number of episodes that address their sexuality, all air during sweeps period, and the storyline is otherwise ignore/dropped.