Does Isiah Whitlock Jr. Say His Famous Line From The Wire In Cocaine Bear?

Some of the best films are the ones that deliver precisely what they say on the tin. In the case of Elizabeth Banks' "Cocaine Bear," there is indeed a bear, and he is wild on cocaine. From there begins a fantastic story that sees a host of characters stand toe-to-claw with a high-octane horror on four feet that is willing to take anyone on after inhaling a large amount of the drug. While seeing a bear snorting the white powder does apply an air of inevitable chaos, there's one other part of "Cocaine Bear" that some cinemagoers are hopeful to see, considering the cast involved.

Among the likes of Keri Russell, O'Shea Jackson, and the late Ray Liotta, fans of "The Wire" would've been happy to see the addition of Isiah Whitlock Jr., who played the crooked Senator Clay Davis in a staple of television history, "The Wire." A character that gained more prominence as he progressed through its five stellar seasons, one thing that refused to part ways from Whitlock was Clay's ability to turn a basic four-letter word into an immortalized variation with an extra four or five letters included. Gaining such a legacy with "sheeeeee-it," Whitlock's expert handling of the expletive made its way into other shows and movies he appeared in, becoming almost as anticipated as Schwarzenegger's "I'll be back." With that in mind, it's only worth finding out if his appearance in "Cocaine Bear" also comes with it. 

After the bear has been let loose to spill blood and plumes of white powder, it is with a heavy heart that we can confirm Whitlock doesn't add his classic trademark to "Cocaine Bear." Heartbreaking stuff. As critiqued by u/beaverteeth on the r/Movies subreddit, "I was disappointed that Isiah Whitlock Jr. said 's**t' a few times but never once said it like he did on 'The Wire.'" While it might have checked the boxes for fans who still stand by the legends of Omar Little (Michael K. Williams) and Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), it wasn't an essential addition to the film, and in the eyes of some viewers who acknowledged that Whitlock still delivered the goods in his performance regardless. u/GamingTaterTot gave props to Whitlock, saying, "I did enjoy his delivery of 'let's see what effect this has on it' for the bear."

So there we have it. Whitlock might drop his signature S-bomb but still provides an entertaining performance in a film that homes a bear hopped out of his mind on the happy-happy sniff-sniff powder. For those that feel Banks' movie may have been hindered by its lack of "sheeeee-it," well, you can always rewatch "The Wire" after you've seen "Cocaine Bear," making for the most bizarre double-bill ever. You're welcome.