Its_da_Jackeeettttttt, you are so right with the Wire characters transforming into other variations of other characters.

Duquan became the new Bubbles (which actually made me cry because he was a sweet kid that was smart, but never got the right support). Bubbles became free

Kima became the new Lester

Carcetti became Gov. and Nyreese Campbell became the new Carcetti/Royce, mayor incumbent.

Mike became Omar

Slim became the new Avon(or other Kingpin), though more even keeled.

The Greeks continue to win as we still didn't even get their name after 5 years lol.

What we can learn from the Wire is that pawns want to become Kings, be it on the Street, City Hall, Docks, Police Department, and in that attempt you may get taken out in more ways than one.

The Wire layers so many dramatic ironies, it isn't even funny. One of my favorite ironies is that Stringer Bell, for all of his plotting and scheming, is undone by his lack of finesse for politics and his contempt for the drug trade by treating it like an excel spreadsheet. Avon, "Since when do we buy corners". He was too smart for the streets, but not wise enough to hang with the developers and creeps at City Hall. However, Marlo, ends up getting the keys to the city after his entire organization is destroyed and gaining more power in a year than Avon and Stringer could ever hope to dream of, let alone actually attain.

The most upsetting irony is that good attempts to thwart evil, but ends up getting destroyed in the process, BPD vs The Stansfields, Omar vs Marlo, City Hall Politics, The School System, The Dock Workers...

David Simon summed it up conclusively, and one of his characters Marlo said it best Avon, "The game is the game"