The Wire

Ebb Tide

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Steve Shill<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Ed Burns<br><b>Teleplay by</b> Ed Burns</p><p>&quot;They used to make steel there, no?&quot; - Vondas<br><br>Jimmy McNulty has been demoted and reassigned to the Baltimore Police Harbor unit as Colonel Rawls' revenge. On this dread detail, the big excitement of the day is a yacht with a dead motor, adrift while a corporate party moves into high gear. McNulty is depressed about his new assignment, even as his new partner Diggins tells him: &quot;In a couple of months, you're gonna realize the bosses did you a favor, McNulty. This is the sweetest detail in the whole damn department if you give it a chance.&quot;<br><br>Major Valchek listens with boredom as Prez, his son-in-law, speaks with enthusiasm of his desire to work in narcotics. Prez mentions the Barksdale case, and how he found it to be a fascinating investigation. Ignoring him, Valchek replies that Prez will take the sergeant's exam. &quot;And because I have Tony LoBianco's ear... you will score high and be ranked exactly sixteenth on the list.&quot; But Prez has no interest in making rank and would prefer to work good cases. Irritated, Valchek tells him that he has managed to &quot;take some of the stink&quot; off himself, and that if he would just do as he is told he might actually have a career in the department.<br><br>At police headquarters, Bunk encounters Daniels, who's been reassigned as a clerk in the evidence room, his payment for defying Deputy Commissioner Burrell over the Barksdale investigation. &quot;I heard they posted you down here, but, I mean, damn, these motherfuckers don't play, do they?&quot; Bunk tries to pull evidence for the upcoming Bird murder trial, but it seems to have gone missing. Together, they take the room apart, searching for it.<br><br>Bodie, who's never been outside Baltimore, travels to Philadelphia to pick up fresh drugs with a new Barksdale lieutenant named Dragon. Unaware they're followed by Stringer Bell's soldiers, the pair sticks carefully to the plan and picks up a rental car in which the drugs are supposedly stashed. But when they take it to a chop shop to retrieve the drugs, the car is practically dismantled and the drugs still can't be found. Terrified, Bodie and Dragon go back to Baltimore and tell Stringer the bad news. He sweats them badly before revealing that it was a test: he knows they're being honest because he was watching them the whole time.<br><br>At Baltimore's Seagirt Marine Terminal cargo docks, Frank Sobotka, secretary-treasurer of the longshoreman's union of checkers — the men who oversee the loading and unloading of cargo ships — argues with colleagues Nathanial &quot;Nat&quot; Coxson, Horseface and La-La about the merits of dredging the Baltimore shipping canal. Business is down terribly at the terminal, the checkers are struggling to survive and Coxson is adamant that dredging the canal won't necessarily bring new business to the port. Instead, he says, they should throw their efforts into rebuilding the grain pier, threatening Sobotka. &quot;You keep on with the canal shit and I'ma go to the district council. My people need somethin' real.&quot;<br><br>Sobotka's nephew Nick, a young checker with too little seniority to get regular work, arrives at the docks hoping in vain for his first day of work in two weeks. His uncle tells him to go see The Greek, who has &quot;a number&quot; for Sobotka. &quot;He's got one on the way,&quot; Nick's uncle says, referring to an arriving cargo ship on which The Greek has contraband he needs help sliding by the authorities.<br><br>Bunk visits his former partner McNulty at the dock. With the Gant murder trial coming up, the ADA Ilene Nathan needs to review evidence. Omar, who agreed to testify in the case as an eye-witness against Barksdale's killing machine Bird, is no where to be found, and Bunk needs McNulty's help finding him.<br><br>Sobotka visits St. Casimir's Catholic Church in his neighborhood to see Father Jerome who shows off the stained-glass window Sobotka and his longshoremen recently donated to the church, a window depicting laborers in the port. The stained glass hangs in a prized spot, the nave, and the priest is grateful. Sobotka is there on business, however. Wearing his union hat, he tells Father Jerome that he needs &quot;some face time with the Senator. We got nothing but problems, Father. We need to see something happen with the canal, and the granary pier has been down for a year now.&quot; Father Jerome tells him to come to Sunday's early mass and he'll introduce him to the Senator.<br><br>Nick and his cousin Ziggy, Frank Sobotka's son, visit The Greek in a shabby diner. Ziggy is a bit of a wild card, running his mouth off when he shouldn't. Nick, always watching after his cousin, lays down the law to Ziggy before the meeting: &quot;You say a word Ziggy, I swear I'll kill ya.&quot;<br><br>Later that day, the pace picks up on the water when McNulty pulls the dead body of a pretty young girl from the frigid harbor.<br><br>Not long after Sobotka goes to the church to see Father Jerome, Major Valchek drops in, three cops in tow, carrying yet another stained-glass window that Valchek himself wants to donate to St. Casimir's. Nervously, Father Jerome shows Valchek Sobotka's stained glass already hanging and offers a different, less desirable spot to display Valchek's window. Valchek promises to match whatever donations the union has coughed up, but leaves furious when he realizes he's been outbid.<br><br>Avon, beginning his seven year prison sentence, receives Stringer Bell in the visitation room. Stringer is running the drug business in Avon's absence. Avon is hanging tough, telling Stringer: &quot;You come in here, you get your mind right, you only do two days. The day you come in...&quot; and, says Stringer, finishing his sentence: &quot;the day you get out.&quot;<br><br>At the diner, Nick confers with Spiros Vondas, The Greeks' number two man, and his Russian colleague Sergei Malatov, a driver and muscleman. Vondas gives Nick a paper with the number for an incoming cargo container. The container — or can, as the longshoremen call it — is arriving that day on the ship Atlantic Light. Sobotka and his union pals can make the container &quot;disappear&quot; from the port's records and Vondas can get hold of it without running it through customs. &quot;Same deal, same rate,&quot; Vondas says to Nick.<br><br>Visiting his old unit at police headquarters, McNulty learns that Rawls has conned Baltimore County law enforcement into handling the case of the dead girl he pulled from the harbor. Rawls convinced them it's theirs based on the location at which McNulty found it, McNulty learns. He also learns that the body was in fact dead before it hit the water. &quot;Blunt trauma to the head,&quot; Detective Cole, who's been assigned to handle the case, tells him.<br><br>Stringer Bell spars with a new lawyer representing a now indicted drug supplier who had been the major source for Barksdale's drugs. Wary that Avon may have implicated the dealer to lighten his own sentence, Stringer learns the dealer is unwilling to do further business with the Barksdale operation. This is bad news, because drugs are in scarce supply, and Stringer must cut them heavily to extend the supply. The junkies have noticed, naturally, and are either complaining or taking their business elsewhere.<br><br>McNulty studies wind and tide charts of the day he found the dead body in the harbor and calculates that in fact the body was in Rawl's territory when it entered the water. No question, it should by rights be handled by Rawl's unit. Hoping to repay his boss for his current plight, McNulty faxes his calculations to the Baltimore County Police, who are only too glad to hand the case back to Rawls.<br><br>At the dock, Marine Police Officer Beatrice &quot;Beadie&quot; Russell is making her cursory rounds. The Atlantic Light has docked and is being unloaded, and the container Spiros wants is sitting on the dock, awaiting removal. Sobotka wants it gone quickly and is nervous because Serge, sent by The Greek to pick it up, is deep in conversation on his cell phone. When Serge suddenly leaves without the cargo container, Sobotka is incredulous — and not a little bit worried. In fact, it is Russell who notices the locks on the container are loose, opens it up and goes inside. When she encounters a false rear wall in the back, she investigates further and finds the bodies of 13 young women, apparently suffocated, inside a tiny compartment of the container.</p></div>

Collateral Damage

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Ed Bianchi<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Ed Burns<br><b>Teleplay by</b> David Simon</p><p>&quot;They can chew you up but they gotta spit you back out.&quot; - McNulty<br><br>At the cargo terminal, with no apparent evidence of foul play, the death of the 13 women is ruled an accident. &quot;No need to open an investigation on this,&quot; says a Port Authority cop. &quot;No crime. All you got here, Officer Russell, is a lot of paperwork.&quot;<br><br>Sobotka is enraged by the 13 deaths and at the diner demands an explanation from Vondas. Vondas tells him it's all a big mistake, but Sobotka demands advance notice the next time people are shipped through his port on a container.<br><br>Brianna visits her brother Avon in prison and tells him times are tough in the drug business. With their supplier spooked and little supply available elsewhere, &quot;We hangin' on to the projects with table scraps,&quot; she tells him. &quot;Ain't you got no one else for us?&quot; Avon tells her to have Stringer fly to Atlanta to visit a drug connection there named Vargus. Brianna is angry with Avon for not watching out for 'DAngelo, incarcerated in another section of the same prison serving his 20-year sentence. Avon promises to look out for 'DAngelo, and tells her to pressure Donette, the mother of 'DAngelo's son, to stop ignoring 'DAngelo and come to the prison to visit him.<br><br>McNulty brings Bunk some blue crabs — one of the few perks of his new assignment — and they feast in an interrogation room at police headquarters. Bunk learns that McNulty spent three hours running the wind and tide numbers, just to prove the floater should be assigned to Rawls' homicide unit. Bunk also tells him that the 13 bodies at the cargo terminal are not considered a crime.<br><br>Carver blankets the illegally parked cars outside the union hall with tickets. Confronted by an angry Sobotka, who asks why the sudden change in attitude toward cars that are always parked illegally, Carver explains it's at the request of Valchek, who, angry about the stained glass, has given orders to harass the union officials. Later, Valchek himself shows up at the hall, asking Sobotka if he's &quot;gettin' the message.&quot; Valchek explains why he's angry but manages only to enrage Sobotka. Sobotka replies by insulting Valcheck, now making their war personal.<br><br>At the prison, a corrections officer named Dwight Tilghman tosses Wee-Bey's cell, tearing apart his girlie mags and breaking his aquarium. Wee-Bey learns that Tilghman is angry because Wee-Bey killed Tilghman's cousin on the outside. When Wee-Bey reports the situation to Avon, Avon doesn't even remember the murder: &quot;You need a damn scorecard to keep up with your lethal ass,&quot; he says, reassuring Wee-Bey that he'll speak to Tilghman and call him off. Tilghman, however, brushes off Avon when he tries to have a word with the guard.<br><br>McNulty visits the customs shed where Russell is processing the 13 bodies and begins to poke around. He wonders aloud if there might be a connection between his &quot;floater&quot; and the 13 bodies, no missing-persons reports have been filed since the body was found in the water. Inspecting the container in which the women died, he discovers that the air pipe had been purposely hammered shut, which means the deaths are no accident. He also learns that the cargo container had 14 bedrolls and only 13 bodies. Russell matches a picture of the young woman to some items from the evidence of the missing woman #14 and McNulty confirms that it is his floater.<br><br>Valchek, still angry over Sobotka's harsh words, learns that the union has hired a high-priced lobbyist who's been spreading money around to politicians, in an attempt to revitalize the port. How can they afford this with a dirt-poor union and only 1,500 guys left, Valchek wonders. His conclusion: Sobotka is into some dirt. Valchek pays a call on Deputy Commissioner Burrell, who is in line to be Police Commissioner soon if the city council votes him in. Knowing that Burrell's having problems with the first district councilman, Valchek says he can take care of it, but he wants a favor in exchange. He wants Burrell to have Rawls appoint a six-man detail to look into the activities of Sobotka.<br><br>Worried about his clearance rate, Rawls resists — mightily — taking on the 13 murders but ultimately can't avoid them. Now he's even angrier with McNulty, since it was McNulty's detective work that turned the &quot;accident&quot; into a crime. Later, McNulty and Bunk do some serious drinking, McNulty downing 14 shots, &quot;one for each of the bodies,&quot; he says. &quot;Eleven more years of whatever bullshit they can find and then I put in my papers and I walk,&quot; McNulty says. &quot;Fuck it, they can chew you up but they gotta spit you back out.&quot;<br><br>Later that night, he visits Pearlman, who always takes him in. In the morning, however, she presses him for the meaning of their relationship. But she becomes upset when he tells her that if his wife would take him back, he'd be gone.<br><br>Valchek gets his detail, but the unit is made up of useless cops, with Prez being the one exception. Valchek, not realizing he's been given humps, visits them in their new detail office and tells them to get to work on Sobotka.<br><br>Meanwhile, 'DAngelo has begun to use heroin in prison. Avon arrives to speak with him one evening and, realizing what Dee is doing to himself, tells him, &quot;We have to talk.&quot;<br><br>At police headquarters, Horseface, dressed in a suit and tie, hot-wires a surveillance van and drives it off police property, saluting the unsuspecting cops as he goes. It's payback time for Valchek, and at the cargo terminal, the longshoremen drive the van into a cargo container and ship it around to a series of domestic and international ports.<br><br>Freamon and Bunk, assigned to the 14 murders, learn that the Atlantic Light has left Baltimore headed for Philly and chase the ship there to interview the crew. They are preceded, however, by Serge, who kidnaps the ship's engineer and takes him away. Freamon and Bunk arrive later, unaware of what's happened, and are stonewalled at every turn as they try to interview a crew that can suddenly speak no English.<br><br>Serge brings the engineer to Baltimore, where after being beaten, he finally reveals that he raped one of the 14 women in the container. When she resisted, he killed her, and since the other girls were witnesses, they all had to die. The Greek orders Vondas to kill him, saying, &quot;There will be more girls.&quot;</p></div>

Hot Shots

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Elodie Keene<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Ed Burns<br><b>Teleplay by</b> David Simon</p><p>&quot;What they need is a union.&quot; - Russell</p><p>Omar is stationed outside the apartment building where drug dealer Darnell lives, awaiting Darnell's little brother. Omar has established that Darnell's kid brother leaves the building twice a day with a laundry basket in which the day's drug earnings are stashed. Omar plans to take out the kid and steal the cash. &quot;We don't have to blast our way to the top floor, we just wait,&quot; Omar explains to Dante, his lover. Astonishingly, before his eyes, two black women - Kimmy and Tosha - who've been lounging around the doorway, spring into action, drawing guns and making off with the cash. &quot;That's something you don't see everyday,&quot; Omar says.</p><p>Omar follows Kimmy and Tosha and confronts them in an abandoned building where they've gone to count the money. Rather than steal it from them, however, he teams up with them. Later, they stake out another drug dealer and their plan to pull a heist goes off without a hitch.</p><p>Nick gets his hair cut by his girlfriend Aimee, who wants to move in together. Nick protests that he doesn't have the money to get a place, but says that as soon as he does, it can happen. Later, at the cargo pier, Nick and Ziggy are again without work, and none too happy about it. &quot;I can't keep waking up in the morning not knowing if I'm gonna get paid,&quot; says Nick. &quot;I got a kid. I got a girl who wants to get married.&quot; When Ziggy again tries to interest him in dealing some drugs to make some cash, however, Nick says no.</p><p>At the evidence control unit, McNulty, carrying the very weak bag of evidence against Bird in the Gant case, runs into Daniels. As they discuss their mutually regretful fates, Daniels tells McNulty that with his twenty-two years in the force and his law degree, he's resigning, putting in his papers immediately.</p><p>Valchek finally discovers that his van - stolen by Horseface - has gone missing. &quot;Are you telling me that a fully equipped, $120,000 surveillance van assigned to this district cannot be located?&quot; he asks. Shortly thereafter, he receives an anonymous photo in the mail of the van, taken by longshoremen at the port in Wilmington, Delaware.</p><p>McNulty returns his kids to his wife's house after a visit, hoping she'll invite him in, but she crushes him by telling him to expect a separation agreement from her lawyer in the mail. &quot;It's to protect both of us,&quot; she tells him. Back at the office, the medical examiner tells McNulty that based on dental work, he's determined that at least some of the girls are Eastern European. And one of them had breast enhancements in Budapest, which he deduced from the serial numbers on the implants. McNulty is puzzled by the deaths of the women, considering their potential earning power in the U.S. In a meeting with the INS, he also learns that there are 50,000 undocumented girls working in the States. &quot;They need a whole new agency just to police 'em,&quot; says Bunk. &quot;What they need is a union,&quot; responds Russell.</p><p>At St. Casmir's Church, the union's lobbyist throws a party to put the touch on state legislators. Sobotka's lobbyist instructs him as to how his time and money are best spent. &quot;The guys you need to be working are the guys who wouldn't have shown up if we hadn't been throwing money at them.&quot;</p><p>Prez and his wife attend a family dinner celebrating Valchek's wedding anniversary, but all Valchek is interested in discussing is the case against Sobotka. The Major is disappointed to learn that the investigation is moving very slowly. Prez explains that the unit is not doing wire taps, not pulling phone logs, DMV records, political campaign contributions, as they had in the Barksdale case. When he tells Valchek that the Barksdale investigation would have been a major case had Burrell not stopped it, Valchek seems to hear - and comprehend Burrell's role - for the first time. Meanwhile, pictures of the missing surveillance van continue to arrive periodically, mocking Valchek as it makes its way from port to port.</p><p>Stringer drops by Donette's apartment and tells her she needs to take her son to visit 'DAngelo in jail. Sparks fly however, and the two are soon in bed together. Meanwhile, Avon visits 'DAngelo in the prison library, trying to win his affection once again. When Dee remains hostile, Avon tells him if he's cool, 'DAngelo won't be doing but a piece of his 20 years. &quot;You need to trust. You need to get your head right.&quot; &quot;My head is where I want it to be,&quot; 'DAngelo responds coldly.</p><p>Nick and Ziggy conspire to steal a container from the docks, and take it to a secondhand appliance store run by George &quot;Double G&quot; Glekas, where they try to sell him 400 digital cameras they've stolen. Glekas later visits Spiros and asks if Nick is to be trusted. When Spiros says yes, Glekas seals the deal for the cameras.</p><p>Valchek visits the Detail Room to learn how the investigation is progressing, but finds his squad playing poker and wasting time. He leaves, angry, and shows up at City Hall, where Burrell is lobbying the city council members who will vote soon on a new police commissioner. &quot;You gave me humps,&quot; he tells Burrell of his detail. &quot;They couldn't catch the clap in a Mexican cathouse with a fistful of fifties.&quot; He threatens Burrell that if he doesn't give him a real detail, with real police and a real unit commander, he's going to &quot;bust up the vote for you.&quot; Valchek tells Burrell he wants Daniels pulled out of the evidence room to run the unit.</p><p>Stringer and Avon, knowing that the prison guard Tilghman is dealing dope to prisoners, arrange for Tilghman's supplier to give him strychnine instead of heroin. Avon warns his nephew to stay away from drugs. Heading his uncle's previous warnings to lay off the dope, 'DAngelo passes on a hit the same night the hot shots are passed out to the inmates. He hears unholy screams through the prison, and then seeing the bodies carried away, Dee is suddenly aware of the coincidence of the hot shots and his uncle's warning.</p></div>

Hard Cases

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Elodie Keene<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Joy Lusco Kecken<br><b>Teleplay by</b> Joy Lusco Kecken</p><p>&quot;If I hear music, I'm gonna dance.&quot; - Greggs<br><br>An angry Sobotka meets his nephew Nick by the harbor, telling him his theft of the cameras is further jeopardizing the port's diminished cargo business. Nick says it's too late; the cameras have been fenced. And Nick explains that he can't survive with the little bit of legitimate work he's getting at the dock. &quot;I'm on my ass. I can't get by on five days a month.&quot; Sobotka tells him if he needs money, &quot;you come to me.&quot;<br><br>At the prison, five people have died after ingesting the strychnine hot shots. Avon and Stringer's scheme progresses when they have real dope planted in Tilghman's car. Avon, with help from his attorney Maury Levy, tells the assistant warden he has &quot;inside&quot; information, naming Tilghman as the cause of the deaths. When Tilghman's car is searched and drugs are found, he is arrested. Two problems solved: Tilghman will no longer harass Wee-Bey and Avon cuts a deal to shorten his term in exchange for &quot;cooperation.&quot;<br><br>Burrell meets with Daniels in his office, offering to clean the slate and put him in charge of a detail to do Valchek's bidding. When Daniels tells him he's resigning, Burrell promises him a major's slot if he'll stay. Realizing Burrell is under pressure from Valchek, Daniels bargains hard, agreeing to stay and take the assignment with two provisos: Burrell will let him pick his people and — should the unit actually mount a case against Sobotka — Burrell will make the squad a permanent, major case unit. Burrell, over a barrel, agrees.<br><br>At home, McNulty's voicemail brings news that the state attorney Ilene Nathan is going to throw out the murder charges against Bird unless McNulty can produce Omar immediately.<br><br>Russell, at the Port with Bunk, explains what checkers do and how, through computer sleight of hand, they can get a container off the dock without anyone knowing. And, she warns, because they're all loyal union members, there's no chance any longshoreman can ever be flipped and serve as a police informant. Bunk schools her that a police is only as good as his, or her, informants.<br><br>'DAngelo and Avon have another angry confrontation in prison when Avon tries to talk sense to 'DAngelo and Dee is too angry to listen. &quot;Play or you gonna get played,&quot; Avon warns him. &quot;I don't want no part of what you doing no more,&quot; 'DAngelo responds, sensing that Avon is behind the prison's heroin deaths. &quot;So you can just leave me the fuck out of that, whatever it is.&quot;<br><br>McNulty, under pressure to find Omar, leaves another message on the burned-out white van Omar used to drive and then canvasses drug dealers in West Baltimore, looking for his man. Eventually, finding Bubbles and Johnny, he convinces Bubbles to help him find Omar.<br><br>At the projects, dope is still in short supply, and Stringer continues to dilute what product he has rather than lose more customers. Ziggy, after being warned by Nick not to flash the money they earned in their camera heist, shows up for a rare day of work wearing a $2,000 Italian leather coat.<br><br>Vondas meets with Nick and Ziggy at the waterfront diner and says he needs chemicals: ethanol, hydrochloric acid. &quot;We need 30, 40 thousand liters,&quot; he says. When Nick investigates, he learns that chemicals come through a different pier nearby called Fairfield, and also that one of the checkers they work with has a brother who works at Fairfield and that he might help them. Meanwhile Nick tells Aimee that he's received a couple thousand in back pay and that they can now afford to set up house together.<br><br>Daniels visits Rawls, who approves the cops for the detail: Freamon, Greggs, and Hauk. Everyone, that is, but McNulty: &quot;Nothing that even resembles that sonofabitch... He quits or he drowns,&quot; Rawls says. Daniels visits Greggs and pressures her to join up, too, telling her she can work &quot;inside.&quot; &quot;If I hear the music, I'm gonna dance,&quot; Greggs tells him, and agrees to join the detail.<br><br>At the funeral home that serves as the new headquarters for the Barksdale gang, Shamrock arrives and directs Bell's attention to the TV, which is broadcasting a press conference about the Tilghman bust. Bell, who is continuing to study economics at the University of Baltimore, flicks it off. &quot;I got a mid-term. I got to study.&quot;<br><br>Bunk and Russell visit the cargo terminal to bring Horseface downtown for questioning, but when he demands to talk to his shop steward and requests a union lawyer, they are unable to take him. Later, they drop in at the Clement Street Bar, which is in full longshoreman swing, sending the message that since it was determined the girls were murdered, they are not going away any time soon. Stunned, Sobotka escapes to the bathroom, where the reality of what he's been involved with eats away at him.</p></div>

Undertow

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Steve Shill<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Ed Burns<br><b>Teleplay by</b> Ed Burns</p><p>&quot;They used to make steel there, no?&quot; - Vondas</p><p>Ziggy attempts to collect money from a white drug dealer named Frog he's been supplying, but Frog won't pay, saying the stash was hit. Frustrated but too soft-hearted to get tough with the dealer, Ziggy leaves, only to be surrounded suddenly by Cheese and his gang. Ziggy owes Cheese for the package he was fronted, and since he hasn't paid up, Cheese drags him from his car, slaps him around and take his leather coat. Cheese warns he'd better pay up by Friday or he'll be dead on Saturday. The dealer takes off in Ziggy's car, leaving him stranded on the corner.<br><br>Daniels continues to assemble the old gang, surprising Carver by offering him a spot even though he spied on Daniels for Burrell on the last detail. &quot;If I caught him once, he might be the last sonofabitch to try it twice,&quot; Daniels says. When Rawls tells Freamon he's being taken off the 14 murders and assigned to the detail, Freamon is skeptical: &quot;Colonel, respectfully, did you just fuck me over without giving me even half a chance to clear this case?&quot; he asks Rawls. Rawls's reply: &quot;Let's be clear Detective Freamon. When I fuck you over, you'll know it.&quot;<br><br>At the Detail Room, his squad mostly assembled, Daniels explains why they're back together and that it's Sobotka they're after. He asks them to figure out where the longshoremen cop dope on a Saturday night and set up some hand-to-hand buys. When Freamon arrives, he explains that Sobotka has been a focus of the homicide investigation of the dead girls in the container.<br><br>Donette finally visits 'DAngelo in prison and tells him that Avon plans to set him up running a club when he's out of prison. 'DAngelo isn't buying, however, and tells Donette, &quot;They playing you with 'we family.' And 'it's about love.' That's how they do. When they got no more use for you, that family shit disappears, it just about biz.&quot; Later, she tells Stringer of the encounter and 'DAngelo's rebuff. &quot;He off the damn hook,&quot; she says.<br><br>Back at The Pit, Poot, now in charge, watches two of his runners accost a junkie who has dissed their dope. Bodie, nearby, returns quickly, angry over the commotion. &quot;Fiend badmouthing our shit,&quot; the soldiers say by way of explaining their behavior. Bodie realizes he needs to discuss the quality problem with Stringer Bell.<br><br>Ziggy shows up bruised and beaten at the Clement Street Bar and tells Nick his predicament. Ziggy wants to borrow $2,700 to get Cheese off his back but Nick says he's given his cash to Aimee for a security deposit and furniture for a new apartment and can't help him out. Nick and a checker named La La visit Cheese to tell him that if he'll give the car back, they can sell it for $3,000 and Ziggy can pay him. Cheese walks them around the corner where Ziggy's car has been set afire.<br><br>Greggs comes to Valchek to ask for a surveillance van just as the Major is opening a letter from California with another picture of the missing van on tour. He lifts a clean print from the picture, and tells Greggs there's no van available.<br><br>At the University of Baltimore, Stringer is commended by his economics professor for a recent paper. After class, he asks the professor what the options are for a businessman who has an inferior product in an aggressive marketplace.<br><br>Bunk and Russell and two other detectives hand out six grand jury subpoenas at the cargo terminal. When they appear before the grand jury, however, the longshoremen reveal nothing. &quot;I've almost got one of them ready to swear that the docks are actually near the water,&quot; says a frustrated prosecutor.<br><br>Bubbles tracks down McNulty and gives him a phone number for Omar, who promptly agrees to show up for the trial. In a vacant house near a drug corner, Greggs and Carver set up surveillance on white dealers, Frog and Dirt.<br><br>At the diner, Nick tells Vondas and Serge of the grand jury subpoenas, and reassures them that there's no need for worry. Horseface is the only person who knows about their illicit dealings, &quot;and he's a rock.&quot; Nick tells them that Sobotka wants to meet with The Greek, and that, until things cool down, no contraband can move through his dock. When Vondas inquires again about the chemicals, Nick demands to know who wants them, but gets no answer. Later, The Greek tells Vondas he doesn't want to meet with Sobotka, but that he'll double his fee to pay for lawyers.<br><br>When Vondas passes this message on to Sobotka, Sobotka replies that he's done doing The Greek's dirty business. &quot;I got a union to run,&quot; he says. Vondas looks across the water to the huge industrial plant now largely abandoned and reminds Sobotka of his union's growing vulnerability. &quot;They used to make steel there, no?&quot; he asks.<br><br>Frustrated with the investigation, Russell visits Maui, a checker she used to date. She explores the idea of his becoming a confidential informant for her, he refuses, but does tell her that if she wants to understand how containers come and go on the docks, she needs to crack the computer system.<br><br>Stringer visits Avon in prison and tells him the dope from Atlanta is weak and getting weaker, and that they are barely holding on to the towers, but he's planning to try to repackage the product under a new name. When Stringer inquires about 'DAngelo, Avon responds &quot;Boy gonna find his own way.&quot; But with both Avon and Stringer worried about the load 'DAngelo is carrying, Stringer suggests putting some property in his name perhaps, so 'DAngelo can see there's a plan to take care of him.<br><br>At the Detail Office, Bunk and Russell ask Daniels for a computer so they can run a trace on the missing containers in the port administration database. Freamon pushes Daniels to take on the 14 murders from their Detail Room, since Freamon is convinced the cases are intertwined. Daniels reluctantly tells them they can work the murders on the side, so long as ultimate responsibility remains with Rawls' homicide unit. &quot;Unless,&quot; he adds, &quot;you find a suspect.&quot;<br><br>Nick and Ziggy go to the library to use the Internet to look up the chemicals Vondas has asked them to get. They soon figure out that it's not bombs he's interested in making but drugs, since the chemicals he wants are all used to process cocaine. Later, Nick sees Vondas at the diner, who gives him numbers for three more containers Vondas wants retrieved. &quot;Tell your uncle,&quot; Vondas says, &quot;there's three times his usual fee there, for each one.&quot; Nick also tells Vondas that the chemicals he wants are on the Fairfield pier and that Nick will get them. Vondas realizes how smart Nick is and that he might be worth more to them.<br><br>When Nick tells his uncle that Vondas wants three more containers &quot;disappeared,&quot; Sobotka responds, &quot;I told that motherfucker we were done.&quot; But when Nick tells him the fee is tripled, Sobotka changes his mind.</p></div>

All Prologue

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Steve Shill<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Ed Burns<br><b>Teleplay by</b> David Simon</p><p>&quot;It don't matter that some fool say he different...&quot; - 'DAngelo<br><br>Omar on the stand during Bird's murder trial is a prosecutor's nightmare. &quot;I rob drug dealers,&quot; he says when asked his occupation. Asked how he survives in such a dangerous profession, he tells the court: &quot;Day at a time, I suppose.&quot; He does identify Bird as the shooter in the Gant murder, however, and even manages to get a rise out of Bird by implying he's too stupid to dispose of his gun after a murder. Under cross-examination, Maurice Levy calls Omar a parasite living off of the culture of drugs, to which Omar responds: &quot;Just like you man. I got the shotgun, you got the briefcase.&quot; The statement impresses a stunned courtroom.<br><br>Updating Daniels, Freamon says that Sobotka is living within his means, and that while the union is poor, it appears to have spread as much as $70,000 around to politicians who can help revitalize the docks. That money, however, does not show up on the union's books, and the wiretaps police have run don't reveal any dirt so far. The hand-to-hand buys are ongoing but seem to lead nowhere. Russell suggests that maybe it's the checkers who generate income for the union. &quot;They monitor what comes in and out of the port... Like with that can full of dead girls.&quot;<br><br>Nick appeals to Vondas for help in resolving Ziggy's problem with Cheese, who has now doubled the amount Ziggy owes him. &quot;Look, we ain't got the muscle to talk to this guy... But I was hoping maybe you do.&quot; suggests Nick, who also tells Vondas that the chemicals he wants are now available. Vondas sends Serge with Nick to talk to Proposition Joe, Cheese's boss. Serge explains the nature of the conflict between Ziggy and Cheese. Proposition Joe isn't happy about it but at Serge's request he pays Nick the bluebook value on Ziggy's car, and Nick assures Cheese that Ziggy will pay Cheese the $2,700 he owes him.<br><br>McNulty visits his wife at her real estate office and finally makes some headway when she agrees to go on a date with him on Friday night. &quot;You pay the sitter,&quot; she says. When they go to dinner, McNulty drinks only wine and tells Elena that he's not drinking so much anymore. She says she's still angry with him but when McNulty asks for a chance to reunite with her, she invites him to bed instead.<br><br>Greggs visits Shardene, the former stripper from Orlando's, now living with Freamon and going to nursing school. Greggs wants to know about the Russian girls in another club in which Shardene worked. Shardene says they're hard to get to know because the guys running them keep them on a short leash, but she gives Greggs the name of a friend who still works at the club, called Nightshift, who can provide more information.<br><br>When Greggs talks to the stripper, she learns that the last batch of Russian women arrived six months ago and that they live under the watchful eye of handlers, who are with them all the time. If they get too close to their customers, they're immediately moved to a different city, Greggs learns.<br><br>Sobotka reports good news to union members for a change, assuring them that not only is there money in the transportation budget to rebuild the grain pier but that a bond issue to pay for maintenance dredging on the main shipping channel-although not the canal-is in the works. A refurbished grain pier alone might bring a couple hundred more ships to the docks next year, Sobotka says, but warns that a developer friend of Valchek may try to derail the project so he can build condos along the waterfront.<br><br>At the Detail Office, Russell, using information supplied by the checker Maui, is perusing the union's computer records for the cargo ship Atlantic Light. She shows Bunk and Daniels a computer simulation of the ship being unloaded, watching as the container with the dead women &quot;disappears&quot; from computer records. They realize there are probably hundreds of other instances in which this has happened, and that in order to establish patterns and learn what the patterns reveal, they must dig deep into the cargo operation's computer records.<br><br>Bird is convicted for first-degree murder in the Gant case. State's Attorney Ilene Nathan is so pleased, she gives Omar a &quot;get out of jail free card&quot; for anything up to aggravated assault, she says, in exchange for his cooperation.<br><br>'DAngelo, in a book discussion group at the prison, muses about F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jay Gatsby. &quot;It don't matter some fool say he different. What you do is what makes you different,&quot; he says. Later, when his mother comes to visit, again trying to convince him not to resist Avon's efforts to help him, he warns her to &quot;tell Avon and Stringer and Donnette and all of them to leave me be.&quot;<br><br>At the Clement Street bar, the longshoremen are drunk and reminiscing once again. When Nick hands Ziggy the cash for his car, Ziggy buys everyone a round and lights a cigarette with a $100 bill. Later, he goes for a walk with Sobotka, who is curious about where the money came from and angry that Ziggy would waste a hundred dollar bill in a bar full of poor, mostly under-employed working men.<br><br>In the Detail Office, Russell and Freamon have discovered through long nights of labor that 22 containers have disappeared off the cargo docks in recent months, all of them with Horseface working as the checker. They have further established that only containers from the shipping line Talco go missing. They again push Daniels to take on the case of the dead girls, but Daniels resists. &quot;I'm trying to get a major case squad going,&quot; he tells them. &quot;I come outta here with all those open files, it doesn't smell as sweet.&quot; He does allow them to put a tap on Horseface, to watch the docks and clone the cargo operation's computer.<br><br>Nick and another stevedore meet Vondas with two semis full of the chemicals Vondas wants. When Vondas offers to pay them either in cash or in heroin, Nick takes half in cash and half in drugs.<br><br>Fed up with 'DAngelo's hostility to Avon and worried that D might yet flip on them, Stringer, unbeknownst to Avon, has 'DAngelo killed in the prison library. The deed is performed so by a con named Mugs, who garrotes 'DAngelo with a leather strap, then ties it to a doorknob so it appears he committed suicide.</p></div>

Backwash

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Thomas J. Wright<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Rafael Alvarez<br><b>Teleplay by</b> Rafael Alvarez</p><p>&quot;Don't worry kid, y'er still on the clock.&quot; - Horseface<br><br>Bodie buys flowers for 'DAngelo's funeral, explaining to the florist that his friend &quot;hung himself, string himself up over at The Cut&quot; — slang for the prison. He asks for an arrangement of flowers in the shape of The Fremont Towers, with the numbers 221 signifying the address that was Dee's turf.<br><br>At police headquarters, Russell and Bunk explain to Sgt. Landsman that they've cloned a computer and can now track cargo as it comes off ships at the cargo terminal. When Landsman learns that Daniels now has a detail, he wonders aloud if Daniels will take the murders. &quot;He's no fool,&quot; says Bunk. As for the investigation into the docks, Bunk says the detail needs to change its tactics to appear to back away: &quot;If we're gonna set up on 'em, they need to think we ain't a problem no more.&quot;<br><br>Nick visits the drug dealer Frog, who still owes Ziggy for his supply. Frog resists the split Nick offers for the heroin he and Ziggy have scored. Exasperated, Nick tells him, &quot;I don't work without no fucking contract, and I don't stand around all day listening to horseshit excuses like my cousin Ziggy, who, by the way, is still owed money by you.&quot; Frog pays up and Nick gives Ziggy the money he's owed.<br><br>Stringer meets with the man who arranged 'DAngelo's murder and pays him for the dirty work. The man asks Stringer if Avon is aware of what really went down, and Stringer says no, offering this advice: &quot;I wouldn't let any of this mess end up in Avon's ear.&quot; In prison, Wee-Bey visits a distraught Avon, whose prime rib dinner sits uneaten before him. Consoling Avon, Wee-Bey offers advice about 'DAngelo: &quot;You know the boy almost rolled on you the one time. He get to thinking he can't do the years, he might coulda rolled again.&quot; Maybe, Wee-Bey suggests, 'DAngelo's death might have been for the best. Stringer visits 'DAngelo's mom, Brianna, bringing the weeping woman food and false sympathy.<br><br>Herc and Carver visit a spy store to buy a wireless bug. Learning that it costs $1,250, they ask if they can take it for a test run, intending to see what they can glean from it and return it to the store. The owner lets them but not before putting a security deposit on Carver's credit card. They place the bug in a tennis ball and leave it on the street near the spot where the dealer Frog plies his trade. The bug works beautifully, picking up conversations clearly until Nick arrives to talk with Frog, who, noticing the tennis ball, picks it up absent-mindedly, bounces it a few times and throws it. It lands in the street and is run over and destroyed by a truck.<br><br>Ruing the loss of the wireless mike, Carver and Herc suddenly realize that, having run Nick's license plate through DMV, Nick's last name is the same as Frank Sobotka, whom the detail is assigned to bust. They also conspire to attribute the information they learned from the bug to a confidential informant to get back the lost money.<br><br>In an effort to ease fears at the cargo dock, Russell turns up in her old police car, back in uniform, telling Sobotka that the investigation is over but that she's been transferred to the Fairfield terminal because of terrorism fears.<br><br>Prez and Greggs stake out the club in West Baltimore where the Russian girls work. They see a gaggle of ladies come out of the club and get into a car with two thuggish chaperones, and they follow the working girls to a high-end apartment building.<br><br>At the docks, Nick gives the numbers of the containers Vondas wants to Sobotka and Horseface, who asks, &quot;Nothing alive in these?&quot; Sobotka tells him to go back into the container stacks once they're offloaded and bang on them to make sure. &quot;I trust these Greek fucks with nothing,&quot; Sobotka says.<br><br>At 'DAngelo's funeral, Proposition Joe makes a proposition to Stringer. &quot;Y'all got the best territory but no kinda product. I got the best product, but could stand a little more territory. So you see where this thing needs to go.&quot; Stringer says he'll talk to Avon but when he does, Avon is dead set against the idea, reasoning that if Proposition Joe gets a toe in the door, he'll soon try to take over the Towers' drug trade.<br><br>Nick, trying to explain his newfound money, tells Aimee she can now look for a two-bedroom apartment because he has a new job working as a warehouse foreman. They can also pay down their truck and even have enough left over to get a nice place in the county.<br><br>At the union headquarters, the lobbyist tells Sobotka that revenue shortfalls are precluding any money in the budget for canal dredging. Sobotka is furious and insults the lobbyist, but gives him a shoebox full of cash, insisting that the union wants the grain pier rebuilt and the canal dredged, and that the lobbyist had better take care of it.When the latest Talco ship arrives, Russell and Freamon observe the unloading process on their computer, while Greggs is on the scene posing as a utility worker in a hardhat. Greggs watches as Serge takes a &quot;disappeared&quot; container to the Pyramid Warehouse, and then later she sees Proposition Joe arrive at the warehouse, to be greeted by Serge.<br><br>At the detail office, Freamon tries to convince Pearlman they need more taps, since they've established that on two occasions when Horseface worked a Talco ship, he got a call from Sobotka the day before. &quot;That's a pretty good argument for a conspiracy case,&quot; says Freamon. Pearlman points out, however, that &quot;you can tap a phone if a guy's selling drugs, but not if he's selling women.&quot; Freamon again presses Daniels to take the murder case for the detail, explaining that Sobotka is involved in some nasty business. &quot;Burrell will be pissed if we get into some union shit, but how can you live with yourself if you let it pass?&quot; he asks Daniels.<br><br>Convinced at last, Daniels goes to Rawls and bargains to take the homicides, but only if Rawls agrees to give him exactly what he needs to solve them. The more difficult conversation comes when Daniels tries to explain his change of heart to his wife Marla. She is now fed up with her husband, who can't seem to understand how to play this game to win.<br><br>McNulty, sitting on the steps of Elena's house while his kids play in the yard, tells her he cares about her, but she remains leery of him. &quot;You give me some time, Jimmy, and I might get to the point where I want you to be happy. But how the hell do I trust you?&quot;</p></div>

Duck and Cover

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Dan Attias<br><b>Written by</b> David Simon &amp; Edward Burns<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; George P. Pelecanos<br><b>Teleplay by</b> George P. Pelecanos</p><p>&quot;How come they don't fly away?&quot; - Ziggy<br><br>McNulty is wasted after a night of drinking and from a bar calls Elena, who hangs up on him. Barely able to sit behind the wheel, he leaves the bar to drive home and sideswipes a bridge abutment while making a turn. Undaunted, he backs up to try the turn again, to improve on his technique, but crashes his car even harder, damaging the front end severely. Nursing a bleeding hand, he goes to a nearby restaurant, and proceeds to pick up a waitress, spending the rest of the night having wild sex at her apartment.<br><br>At the detail office, Daniels informs his team that he — and they — are officially &quot;on the hook&quot; for the 14 homicides, pleading with them to bring in the case. Bunk Moreland is sent to the detail, much to his own dismay, as part of the agreement between Rawls and Daniels. Looking for probable cause to justify a tap on the warehouse phone, Freamon reports that the phone company shows calls from the warehouse to Proposition Joe, White Mike and other big eastside drug traffickers. They also now have Herc and Carver's discovery of Nick Sobotka. Pearlman is convinced that they have probable cause to justify a tap on Sergei Malatov's cell phone as well as the warehouse.<br><br>Herc and Carver, claiming information from a CI — in actuality from the $1,250 wireless mike that is now ruined — have tracked Nick Sobotka's drug activity and traced him to his parents' home in South Baltimore. In order to get back the money lost on the mike, they need to register an actual person, so they visit Herc's cousin Bernard and persuade him to pretend that he is the CI who provided them with details of Nick's drug dealing.<br><br>At the low rise, because of a shortage of good dope, Puddin notes that business is &quot;slower than a white man in slippers.&quot; &quot;Word is out,&quot; says Bodie, &quot;we be sellin' dogshit up in here.&quot; Later, they are not happy when they observe drug dealers from another part of town serving customers on their real estate.<br><br>Sobotka, at the union hall, becomes suspicious when he calls his wireless carrier to reassure them that his overdue cell phone bill will soon be paid. He learns from the customer service rep that his account has been &quot;flagged,&quot; meaning &quot;Do not disconnect for non-payment.&quot; Horseface suggests that he's &quot;been touched by an angel.&quot;<br><br>McNulty, depressed by his marine-squad assignment and even more so by Elena's cold shoulder, tells Bunk that he &quot;needs to get off that boat. I need to do a case.&quot; When Bunk carries this message to Daniels, the Lieutenant agrees to ask Rawls if McNulty can be reassigned to his detail. And in meeting later, Daniels reminds Rawls that he'd promised anything if Daniels would take on the 14 murders. Rawls still resists. &quot;Jesus, Lieutenant, When I said anything, I meant I'd let you have a kiss. Feel my tits or somethin', y'know. But not this.&quot; But McNulty finally gets the phone call he's been waiting for.<br><br>Nick, in a new truck he's bought with his drug earnings, meets Ziggy to give him his share of the money they earned from their dock heist. Ziggy wants to be more deeply involved in Nick's drug dealing, and is hurt and angry when Nick rebuffs him, impetuously throwing the wad of bills Nick's just given him out the window of the truck. Later, when Nick calls Serge to discuss a deal, the call is overheard at the detail room on the newly installed tap. &quot;Not as careful as Barksdale's people,&quot; observes Prez. &quot;White boys,&quot; says Freamon. &quot;What can you expect.&quot;<br><br>Having followed the Russian prostitutes from the club where they work to an apartment building, the detail deduces that &quot;the people running the girls and the people running the drugs are the same crew,&quot; and that the apartment house is in reality a brothel. McNulty's first task back from the boat is to talk his way into the brothel. Surveillance there reveals a customer who is shuttled back to a distant parking lot by one of the thugs, and after the thug departs, McNulty confronts the customer — a well-dressed man — and prevails upon him to reveal how one gains entrance to the brothel.<br><br>At the detail room, Russell and Freamon, glued to their cloned cargo computer, observe a container off-loaded onto a truck driven by Serge, after which it disappears from the computer's records. Through the tap on Serge's phone, they confirm that the container is on the move, and Herc and Carver, sitting outside the port in an unmarked car, follow. Moments later, Sobotka encounters two port authority cops making their innocent rounds and asks when Russell is coming back from the Fairfield piers. His suspicions are further aroused when they tell him that she's not on the piers as she told Sobotka, but has been detailed to the city police.<br><br>Horseface dismisses Sobotka's concerns, telling him &quot;Yer paranoid, Frank.&quot; Nevertheless, Sobotka tells Horseface, who is unloading a ship, to &quot;disappear&quot; a clean can, e.g. one with no contraband in it, to see if there's any reaction by observers. Watching the clean container disappear back in the detail room, Daniels suddenly realizes he has no one at the dock to follow this container and orders McNulty to race over and track it to its destination. As McNulty flies into action, Russell calls the port authority cops and has them stop the truck with the clean container long enough to give McNulty time to arrive. From a distance, Sobotka observes the &quot;clean&quot; can being stopped and his paranoia grows. He calls Vondas at the diner, warning him that the wrong container is coming his way as a test, and demanding that a meeting with The Greek be arranged.<br><br>When the clean can arrives at George &quot;Double-G&quot; Glekas' used appliance store, he is puzzled and angry upon opening it and discovering Barbie Doll knockoffs. George calls Vondas to complain, and is told to get rid of the stuff. &quot;Overhearing this in the detail room, Daniels and Freamon mistakenly believe their taps have led them to the boss man, Vondas. In a celebratory mood, McNulty invites Freamon and Russell out for a drink: &quot;A good day. You guys wanna go for a taste or two?&quot; Freamon declines, but McNulty and Russell head to her house. While McNulty has ideas, he finds the domesticity of Russell's home life and kids off-putting, and leaves before any sparks fly.<br><br>At the Towers, Bodie organizes his crew to arrive at the disputed corner at 7 a.m., in order to beat their rivals to the spot. They bring guns and bats and when the other dealer finally shows, he threatens Bodie: &quot;You gon' see me in your sleep.&quot; The other gang leaves, but Bodie knows they'll be back.<br><br>Sobotka and Nick visit the diner to meet with The Greek. Vondas tries to persuade them to meet with him, but Sobotka is angry and adamant, and only when he begins to leave does The Greek appear. Sobotka explains the reasons for his paranoia and advises that The Greek shut down the warehouse. Instead, The Greek tells him to deliver more disappeared but clean containers there, &quot;to show them there is nothing to hide.&quot; When Sobotka demands that he be paid the regular rate for disappearing the clean cans, The Greek is at first reluctant, but then agrees to pay after Nick is insistent. But he urges Sobotka to lighten up: &quot;Spend some on a little something you can touch. A new car, a new coat... It's why we get up in the morning.&quot; Sobotka appears to hear, but he does not comprehend.</p></div>

Stray Rounds

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Tim Van Patten<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Ed Burns<br><b>Teleplay by</b> David Simon</p><p>&quot;The world is a smaller place now.&quot; - The Greek<br><br>On the new drug corner they commandeered from their rivals, Bodie and crew sell their repackaged dope, newly named WMD. In an apartment overlooking the scene, a young mother readies her children for school, but soon hits the floor when the rival gang shows up and shooting begins. Both gangs fire wildly, dispersing only when police sirens are heard. Upstairs, the mother discovers that one of her kids has been killed getting ready for school.<br><br>In the detail office, Freamon, Bunk, McNulty and Russell are forlorn. The people they've been monitoring seem spooked. In a matter of two days, the warehouse thugs have gone from speaking in barely guarded language about drug sales to offering no information whatsoever. And surveillance of the warehouse has turned up no traffic entering or leaving it, either. Furthermore, Russell observes, Sobotka hasn't used his cell phone lately.<br><br>At the scene of the shootout, an army of cops collect gun casings and Col. Rawls exchanges theories with Major Howard &quot;Bunny&quot; Colvin, the Western District Commander, about who was involved. Stringer, meeting with Bodie, says he must now shut down the entire operation until the cops calm down. &quot;They gonna knock heads behind this. They got to,&quot; says Bell, before instructing Bodie that any gun fired in the battle needs to disappear. &quot;Not just storm drains, neither,&quot; he says, telling Bodie to throw the chrome in the harbor. Following orders, Bodie throws the guns off a bridge, but they land on a barge passing under at the moment, and are recovered by the police.<br><br>At the diner, Nick meets with Spiros and Eton, wanting to buy more dope from them. They tell him they are laying low temporarily, but give him the number of White Mike, another dealer whom it turns out Nick went to high school with. After Nick leaves, they ponder how much the police know and if they're still on the case. &quot;If they were onto the truck,&quot; Spiros says, as if to convince himself that things are safe, &quot;they would have searched it, no?&quot;<br><br>As the police round up drug dealers across West Baltimore, Stringer meets with Proposition Joe and tells him that if they were in business together, this wouldn't be happening. &quot;I'm out there sellin' the real, my boys ain't scuffling, and they ain't up on someone else's corner starting shit.&quot; They agree to go into business together, in spite of Avon's warning not to do so.<br><br>Meanwhile, traffic at the warehouse and on the warehouse phone is minimal. Spiros and Eton have another problem, too. The Columbians to whom they sold the chemicals Nick helped them land are claiming the quality was not good are reneging on the payment they'd promised. &quot;These Columbians, Spiros,&quot; says Eton. &quot;They are men without honor.&quot;<br><br>Ziggy, flush with the success of his camera heist, revisits Glekas at his appliance store and promises to deliver brand new luxury cars without his cousin Nick. Glekas is interested but concerned he'll have trouble unloading new cars without titles. In Baltimore, maybe,&quot; says Ziggy. &quot;But where you come from? I'll be you got family in some place that don't give two fucks about whether an American car got title on it.&quot;<br><br>Daniels expresses concern that Serge has no police record that can be found, and asks McNulty if he'll visit his FBI pal Fitzhugh and see if he can help. Freamon asks to try to get a check on Glekas, too. When McNulty visits Fitz, nothing turns up on Serge but he finds that Glekas had a brush with the FBI's San Diego Field Office a while back. Calling Agent Koutris in that office, Fitz is told that the Glekas business was of little consequence and no charges were brought. However, when Koutris hangs up, he immediately calls The Greek to let him know the FBI is interested suddenly in Glekas.<br><br>When the cargo ship they've been waiting for comes in, Freamon and Russell are on it, and the container soon &quot;disappears&quot; from the tracking software. Herc and Carver, alerted that the container may be coming to the warehouse they're watching, see it arrive, with Serge at the wheel.<br><br>At police headquarters, Detectives Cole and Norris sweat Bodie. Bodie registers surprise when they bring the guns his crew supposedly tossed in the water into the interrogation room, but the cops screw up when they tell Bodie they even have his fingerprints on the gun. Bodie had carefully wiped them off before throwing the guns away. And when he asks them which gun is his, they answer incorrectly.<br><br>The Greek, Vondas, Eton, George and the Russian Madam meet for dinner in a restaurant, and The Greek tells George that the FBI was making inquiries about him. Vondas is upbeat, however, noting that they've been running clean containers from the dock and no one has stopped them, no one has followed them, nothing. &quot;Then back to business,&quot; The Greek decrees. Later, when Eton conveys this news to Serge, Bunk and Russell are listening in the detail office. They also pick up the number of Eton's new phone and immediately ask Pearlman for an affidavit to tap it.<br><br>Later, The Greek meets with Koutris, who tipped him to the Glekas inquiry, to return the favor. He gives the agent the number of a container destined for the Columbians that sits on the dock in Baltimore and contains $50 million in cocaine.<br><br>Meanwhile, McNulty, dressed in a suit, armed with a fake British accent and wired for sound, arrives at the Russian brothel. It is assumed he is there for sex, so there is no discussion of the subject — or of money — just the presentation of girls. McNulty chooses two and repairs to a bedroom, where they begin to disrobe and remove his clothing. He is so undone by their aggressiveness that he can't remember the code he's supposed to utter to bring in his squad for the bust. Finally it comes to him, and arrests are made all around.<br><br>Sobotka at his union hall drinks champagne with Horseface and Nat Coxson, celebrating the new state budget, which has $4.5 million allocated for projects that will positively affect the longshoremen. In the midst of the party, though, FBI agents and others cops arrive to open the container with the cocaine. Koutris has a career-making bust on his hands.<br><br>Stringer Bell asks Brianna to weigh in with Avon about the decision Stringer has made to let Proposition Joe deal drugs in three of the Towers. &quot;We got weak product and we holdin' prime real estate with no muscle. I ain't got Wee-Bey, or Stink, or Bird — and the wolves are at the door.&quot;<br><br>Burrell, now police commissioner, watches the press conference of the cocaine bust on TV with Valchek, Daniels, Rawls and Pearlman. Valchek tells Daniels that if something like that could be pinned on Sobotka, he would die happy. When he asks what they can charge Sobotka with, Daniels tells him, &quot;We're not at that point.&quot; Daniels explains that they're working on a smuggling operation that involves both drugs and women. Rawls wants to know if they're any closer to solving the murders, and Daniels says that if the same people who are running the brothel are also importing the girls, then they are in fact much closer. Valchek is interested only in Sobotka, however, and when Pearlman tells him that the case is bigger than Sobotka, Valchek goes ballistic, turning on Burrell: &quot;So now that the votes are in and you're moving all your damn golfing trophies upstairs to the commissioner's office, you're gonna freeze me out, huh?&quot; he says and stomps out.<br><br>Brianna reports back to Stringer that Avon is still adamantly opposed to bringing in Proposition Joe. Avon assures her he's looking for better product and meanwhile is bringing in muscle from New York to keep out rival dealers, a man named Brother Mouzone. Amazed, Stringer takes this news to Proposition Joe, who is none too happy to hear it, either. Stringer reassures him that their deal is still on, and that they must deal with this problem together. Proposition Joe says, &quot;You think I'm going to send any of my people up against Brother? Sheeeet.&quot;<br><br>At the projects, where for a change drug activity is at a standstill, a man dressed as a Black Muslim emerges from a car and surveys the scene. Brother Mouzone has arrived.</p></div>

Storm Warnings

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Rob Bailey<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Ed Burns<br><b>Teleplay by</b> Ed Burns</p><p>&quot;It pays to go with the union card everytime.&quot; - Ziggy<br><br>At the Towers, the joint is jumping, with dealers and junkies crawling all over the courtyard for the first time in months. So Bodie is puzzled when Stringer stops by to tell him that henceforth, dealers from the east side of Baltimore will be working three buildings formerly controlled by the Barksdale crew. Bodie is instructed to be courteous to them and let them do their work. Puzzled, he questions Stringer, who explains that this is part of an agreement that's brought good-quality dope back to the neighborhood.<br><br>In the detail room, the crew waits for Vondas to get to work again with his cell phone, which is tapped. McNulty shows the detail a laptop into which the multiple GPS devices they've attached are feeding signals. With the tap of a button, the vehicles of any of the prime targets in the investigation can be tracked at that moment, as well as any of their travels for the previous seven days.<br><br>Major Valchek, still stinging from his meeting with Burrell and still obsessed with nailing Sobotka, calls in the FBI on the detail's case, because one of the agency's specialties is union racketeering. &quot;That's exactly what I want to hear,&quot; says Valchek. &quot;This case needs closure and in my heart of hearts I know you're the kind of bastards to put Sobotka where he needs to be.&quot; Valchek also asks them to pursue the surveillance van Sobotka stole from police property, and he gives them the fingerprints he lifted from the pictures and the photos of the van in its various ports of call. Later, the FBI agents show up at the Detail Office, where they tell a shocked Daniels, &quot;Major Valchek said you'd be expecting us.&quot;<br><br>Ziggy, moving ahead with his plot to steal cars from the marine terminal and sell them to Glekas, works with Johnny Fifty, who cuts a huge hole in the storm fence surrounding the parking lot. When Johnny Fifty finishes, Ziggy tells him: &quot;Nicely done. I always say it pays to go with the union card every time.&quot; But the holes are simply a diversion to draw suspicion away from the longshoremen. Instead of driving the cars out of the lot through the holes, Ziggy drives each one onto the docks and into a shipping container.<br><br>Folding laundry in her basement apartment, Aimee spots something sitting on the duct work and pulls it down. It's a wad of cash, nearly $4,000, and when she asks Nick where it came from, he tells her several unconvincing stories about its origins.<br><br>Back at the Towers, Brother Mouzone is confronted by Cheese. Mouzone tells Cheese that he's there to represent the interests of Mr. Barksdale, and asks Cheese to remove himself from the premises. Cheese, puzzled, begins to explain that he's got permission to be selling there when Mouzone pulls out a pistol and shoots him in the shoulder. Stunned, Cheese departs at once.<br><br>At the U.S. Attorney's office, Pearlman meets with FBI squad supervisor Amanda Reese and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadiva Bryant to discuss the FBI's pursuit of the case Daniels' detail has developed against the union. Bryant sees it as a RICO case and Pearlman agrees. Driving the FBI's interest in the post 9/11 world is a desire to wipe out union corruption at the waterfront, where the U.S. is perhaps most vulnerable to terrorist intrusions. Daniels points out that the case is bigger than the union, and is reminded that nevertheless, the FBI is interested in the union's activities and that they can work together only if he can accept that fact.<br><br>Ziggy meanwhile, arrives at Glekas's store to collect the money owed him for the car heist. Ziggy tells Glekas that the cars sailed two hours ago on the Caspia and gives him the bill of lading. Glekas hands him his payment, but it's half what he had promised, and when Ziggy protests, Glekas laughs at him. Enraged, Ziggy takes the money and leaves, but once outside, he stews. Instead of leaving, he returns to the store with his Glock and first shoots the clerk who works for Glekas, then Glekas himself. Once he is down, Ziggy finishes Glekas off and turns to leave. Out front, he sits in his car trying to light a cigarette but is shaking too violently to do so. Instead he begins to cry as the police arrive.<br><br>Greggs returns home after a long day of work. Kima and her lover, Cheryl, now pregnant, spar good naturedly.<br><br>On the FBI front, Fitz reports that the agency has people in Le Havre, the origin of the container with the dead girls, and is also looking into 110 other containers that disappeared off of Talco ships. &quot;We might be assholes,&quot; Fitz says, &quot;but on the upside, there's an awful lot of us.&quot; Meanwhile, in Washington, FBI agent Koutris, who tipped The Greek earlier, learns that the investigation has expanded, and again calls The Greek to let him know the Feds are on him. Using text messaging, The Greeks tries to shut his entire operation down immediately.<br><br>Nick arrives at Sobotka's office and tells him Ziggy is in jail for murdering Double G the night before. Sobotka is shocked and appalled, and curses at Nick for not being with Ziggy. &quot;You're his fuckin' cousin,&quot; says Sobotka, to which Nick responds: &quot;You're his father.&quot;<br><br>In the detail office, Valchek shows up unexpectedly and berates the FBI for letting him down. When Daniels tries to intercede, Valchek shuts him up, too. &quot;I gave you all this,&quot; says Valchek. &quot;Good digs, people, anythin' you needed. And what did you give me? Right up the fuckin' ass, Lieutenant.&quot; Valchek orders Prez to get his things and leave with him, and when Prez hesitates, Valchek yells at him: &quot;Move, shitbird!&quot; Whereupon Prez decks his father-in-law with a right hook. Valchek leaves and Prez puts his gun on the table and walks into Daniels' office.<br><br>McNulty, in an unmarked boat off the coast, sees Vondas and Eton talking on shore, and then observes as each throws his cell phone into the water. He also observes Vondas sending a text message shutting down the operation. Vondas tells Eton to go to Glekas's store and to the warehouse and remove any evidence that's still there, everything the police didn't take.<br><br>McNulty pursues the phone companies to see if they can figure out what the text message says, since he knows the exact time and location from which it was sent. Sure enough, they track it down, but when they get it, it must be translated. Finally, the message comes back to them that the Greeks have shut down their operations.<br><br><img src="&quot;http://www.hbo.com/img/core_template/spacer.gif&quot;" border="&quot;0&quot;" alt="&quot;&quot;" width="&quot;20&quot;" height="&quot;2&quot;"></p></div>

Bad Dreams

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Ernest Dickerson<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; George P. Pelecanos<br><b>Teleplay by</b> George P. Pelecanos</p><p>&quot;I need to get clean.&quot; - Sobotka<br><br>At 6 a.m. sharp, the police action begins. The cops storm Glekas's appliance store but find the place utterly cleaned out, with only a bloodstain where Glekas died left behind. The cops also burst into Nick's row house, rousting his parents and Aimee from their beds, although Nick is nowhere to be found. They do find a large stash of both heroin and cash, handcuff Aimee and toss the rest of the house. The cops also nab Serge and Eton at their houses and White Mike and the Russian madam at theirs. Sobotka, emerging from his house, is followed but not arrested, Valchek having sent word that he wants to perform that chore personally. After finding his son accused of murder in the morning paper, Sobotka tellingly drives to the union hall, not the jail where Ziggy is incarcerated.<br><br>Nick, having drunk himself into a stupor with his old school chum Prissy, wakes up in her bed, hung over and filled with dread. Arriving home, he finds his mother and father — consumed by shame and anger — barely able to speak to him, although his father does inform him that the cops want him. At the union hall, smug and happy, Valchek arrests Sobotka. &quot;Big man on the docks,&quot; Valchek says to him. &quot;Don't look so big now, do ya?&quot; A few moments later, Sobotka is taken for his perp walk, cameras firing and reporters shouting questions.<br><br>At the detail office, Daniels finally learns that Glekas was shot the day before and storms over to Landsman's office at homicide, demanding to know why the detail wasn't notified. &quot;Lemme ask you, who exactly am I working all these dead girls for?&quot; Daniels says. &quot;The homicide unit, right? The same homicide unit that can't put two and two together and pick up a phone, leaving me to read it a day and a half later in the Baltimore Sun.&quot; Landsman, chastened, can muster only a lame &quot;Sorry, Lieutentant. My bad.&quot; He recognizes that the moment has been lost. The offices and warehouse the Greeks used have been sanitized.<br><br>The Feds read Sobotka the charges they've lodged: Racketeering, wire fraud, conspiracy to import heroin, conspiracy to violate Federal customs statutes, white slavery... When Sobotka asks them what they want, they tell him full cooperation. &quot;Name names and come clean. You help yourself and your union.&quot; Their mention of the union, however, infuriates Sobotka: &quot;Twenty-five years we been dyin' slow down there. Dry-docks rustin', piers standin' empty. My friends and their kids. Like we got the cancer. No lifeline got throwed, all that time. Nuthin' from nobody... And now you wanna help us. Help me. Where the fuck were you?&quot;<br><br>Except for White Mike, the rest of the suspects are hostile and silent. He, however, is ready to chirp, especially after McNulty plays him a compelling audio tape that in court will nail him as a drug dealer. The problem is, as a low-level outsider, Mike's knowledge of the Greeks and their organization is limited.<br><br>After his detention hearing, Sobotka's lawyers want to talk, but Sobotka shakes them off. &quot;Not now.&quot; I need to get clean,&quot; he tells them, heading finally to jail to visit his son. When he sees Ziggy and asks what happened to him, Ziggy tells the truth: &quot;I dunno. Got tired of bein' the punch line to every joke.&quot; Ziggy is bitter toward both his father, whom he says has more affection for the union than he does for Ziggy, and his mother, who zones out on Nembutal. He also reveals to Sobotka that he's known for years that Frank is not his real father.<br><br>Proposition Joe meanwhile arranges a meeting between Omar and Stringer. Stringer has decided to defy Avon and have Brother Mouzone offed so that he can uphold his deal to cede territory to Proposition Joe in exchange for quality dope. Convincing Omar that Brother Mouzone had in fact murdered Omar's lover Brandon, Stringer then tells Omar where Mouzone can be found. Taking the bait, Omar shoots Mouzone, wounding but not killing him. Bleeding badly, Mouzone convinces Omar that he had nothing to do with Brandon's killing, and, believing him, Omar calls an ambulance instead of shooting Mouzone.<br><br>After his talk with Ziggy, Sobotka decides to put in a day of hard labor for the first time in a long time. He volunteers for stevedore work at the union hiring hall, and spends the day loading ships and securing the loads to the decks.<br><br>For the moment, the detail lets Vondas remain at large, tailing him in the hopes he'll lead them to the head of his operation. When Daniels asks Fitzhugh for a quality surveillance team to stay on Vondas, who's being followed by the inexperienced Russell, Fitz reminds him that the Feds are interested only in the union guys, &quot;which means my field office is pretty much over this case.&quot;<br><br>Russell, warming to the job, tracks Vondas subtly and reports in that he's gone to a hotel room downtown. &quot;She wasn't much when we started,&quot; admires Bunk. &quot;Now she's got game,&quot; McNulty finishes his thought. When Vondas leaves the hotel with his lawyer, however, The Greek trails behind, and neither Russell nor any of the more seasoned cops pick up on his presence. Worse, they manage to lose Vondas altogether.<br><br>Russell is outraged when she hears Pearlman and Daniels discussing possible immunity for White Mike on his drug charges, and volunteers to speak with Sobotka to see if she can flip him to learn the same information. He accepts, agreeing to meet with Daniels and Pearlman, ready to spill his guts. Pearlman, playing by the book, stops him however, and tells him to return in the morning with a lawyer at his side.<br><br>At dinner, The Greek and Vondas discuss how to keep Sobotka on the ranch. The most obvious way, they decide, is to pressure the young clerk Ziggy shot in Glekas's store to change his story and tell the cops that Ziggy fired in self-defense. Vondas feels certain that Sobotka, able suddenly to spring his son from jail, would be less inclined to talk to the police. And of Nick, whom Vondas has grown fond, Vondas says don't worry. When he meets Nick later and tells him of the plan to pressure the clerk, he asks to meet with Sobotka in person, to be sure of his cooperation. &quot;We only ask loyalty,&quot; Vondas says, handing Nick a slip of paper with a location where he and Sobotka should meet.<br><br>When Nick sees his uncle, Sobotka is bitter and says he intends to blow the whistle on the Greeks. Nick urges him to reconsider, telling Sobotka of the Greek's scheme to lift some of Ziggy's weight by leaning on the clerk to change his story. Intrigued, Sobotka agrees to meet with Vondas, but forbids Nick to come with him.<br><br>FBI agent Fitzhugh's report detailing Sobotka's plan to flip the next morning in exchange for leniency for Ziggy and Nick reaches FBI agent Koutris, who again tips The Greek to the imminent danger. As Sobotka makes his way to the lonely spot under the Key Bridge for his meeting with Vondas, the FBI agent Koutris sends a message to The Greek and warns him of Sobotka's intention to tell the police what he knows. With Sobotka in sight, The Greek tells Vondas that the union leader must not leave their meeting alive.</p></div>

Port in a Storm

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Robert F. Colesberry<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon<br><b>Teleplay by</b> David Simon &amp; Ed Burns</p><p>&quot;Business. Always business.&quot; - The Greek<br><br>At the cargo terminal, stevedores and checkers gathering at dawn for a day of work notice a police launch idling in the harbor, a policeman struggling with another floater. About the same time, Nick knocks on his uncle Frank Sobotka's door and learns he never returned home the previous evening. Fearing the worst, he races to the desolate spot under the Key Bridge where Sobotka was to meet Vondas and The Greek the evening before and finds Sobotka's truck parked and locked. At the dock, the longshoremen — including Sobotka's colleagues Ott, Maui, Moonshot, Little Big Roy — meet the police launch. Nick arrives at the same moment and sees, as the policemen lift off a body — Frank Sobotka — stabbed, throat slashed and blue from 18 hours in the water.<br><br>Stringer Bell visits Brother Mouzone in the hospital, inquiring of his recovery. Telling Mouzone that &quot;we got your back&quot; and &quot;whoever did this, we find 'em,&quot; Stringer finds Mouzone even colder and more remote than usual. &quot;I appreciate the offer,&quot; Mouzoune says, &quot;but that won't be necessary. Inform Mr. Barksdale that any obligation he feels might have with regards to this incident, it's absolved, along with our agreement.&quot; Stringer, unable too resist asking if Mouzone knows who shot him, is dismissed with a curt &quot;Thank you for your concern.&quot;<br><br>Nick, consumed with grief and guilt, is watched over by Horseface and others at his uncle's office. When he grows angry however and tries to leave, vowing to &quot;kill 'em, all of 'em. Fucking Greek bastards,&quot; Coxson and La-La stop him, reminding him of Ziggy's fate. Instead, with his father, he turns himself in at police headquarters.<br><br>Omar, visiting Butchie at the ghetto bar, tells him that, incited by Stringer, he shot Brother Mouzone, whom Stringer said had killed Brandon. He didn't actually kill Mouzone, Omar explains, because Mouzone seemed genuinely puzzled when Omar accused him of killing Brandon. Butchie confirms Omar's insight, explaining that Mouzone works his evil &quot;mostly up north — New York and Philly.&quot; Omar, realizing he's been played by Stringer, is furious with himself. &quot;I'm going at Stringer,&quot; he vows, and when Butchie gives him Stringer's phone number, he's off.<br><br>In Valchek's office, Daniels explains that the night before, Sobotka had agreed to spill the beans on the Greeks. &quot;So he lays down with gangsters, gets up with his throat cut. I almost feel sorry for the sonofabitch,&quot; Valchek says in a rare moment of sympthy. When the conversation turns to the contretemps with Prez, Valchek says he intends to bring charges against his son-in-law. Daniels, at his cunning best, explains all the witnesses to the incident — FBI agents and his own detail — wrote up reports on what they saw, and included the fact that Valchek incited Prez, a subordinate officer. Valchek backs down and demands a slap-on-the-wrist punishment for Prez. Daniels smiles secretly, having saved his man.<br><br>In Burrell's office with Rawls, Daniels and the FBI's Reese and Fitzhugh, Pearlman explains that Sobotka was planning to cooperate with police before he was killed. Burrell wonders if they have a leak in the squad. Daniels trusts his people, he says, and Pearlman has everything under lock and key at the courthouse. Only Fitzhugh seems uncertain, but he says nothing. Daniels explains that all the suspects in the case have been picked up except for the number two man — Vondas — who's still at large because they are &quot;hoping he'll lead us to number one.&quot; He admits, however, that Vondas has eluded his tail at the moment. But when he's picked up, Pearlman says, they have a solid case of racketeering, drugs and prostitution against him. As for the union, Reese explains, with Sobotka dead, the FBI has an inconsequential case against a subordinate or two of his. But, she adds, &quot;the important thing... was to make a public example. Either the union jettisons the current leadership, or we have enough to get that local decertified.&quot; Rawls remains obsessed with the 14 unsolved murders on his hands. &quot;When, oh when, do we get to that bit of business?&quot; he asks.<br><br>Vondas, the detail learns, has dumped his Mercedes in a parking garage, abandoned his home as well as cell phone calls and text messages. They do not realize that he is visiting The Greek at a hotel in downtown Baltimore to discuss how much effort should be put into killing Nick, who, having realized they've killed his uncle, is more inclined to spill his guts to the police. &quot;I am thinking there is nothing to be done at this point,&quot; The Greek responds. They also discuss the 150 kilos of heroin soon to arrive at the cargo dock, and decide to let it remain there. &quot;Lambs go to slaughter,&quot; The Greek says. &quot;A man — he learns when to walk away.&quot; They also discuss providing good legal help for Eton, Serge and the Russian madam, all in police custody, so no one will flip.<br><br>Ushered into the detail office, Nick marvels at the bulletin board and its detail on the whole case. &quot;You guys are on all of it, huh?&quot; he says. He tells Pearlman, Freamon and Bunk not to bother with a lawyer for him. &quot;They killed my uncle. I don't need to talk to no one but you people,&quot; he says. He knows the Greeks killed Sobotka, he says, because Sobotka met with them the previous evening, after having told Nick of his intention to finger them. Nick felt he had convinced Sobotka to change his mind by revealing the Greeks' plan to bring pressure on the clerk in Glekas's store to change his story. If Ziggy could claim self-defense, he'd walk, Nick says. And Sobotka, apparently agreeing with him, had left to meet with the Greeks.<br><br>Nick also explains to the cops that the longshoremen really weren't aware of the girls who died in the container. &quot;We were paid by the can,&quot; he says, &quot;to creep the shit off the docks. That's all.&quot; He also exonerates Sobotka in any drug dealing, admitting that he did that on his own. Bunk explains to Nick that Sobotka had cut a deal to make things easier on Nick and on Ziggy before he was killed, and the police are willing to extend that deal to Nick. &quot;You can walk with a suspended sentence on the drug counts if you testify against the Greeks and their people.&quot;<br><br>Nick pounces on the offer and ticks off what he knows of the operation, fingering Vondas (&quot;He told me an' Frank what cans to disappear, and when it got to me an' the drugs, he was the one who hooked that up.&quot;); Eton (&quot;their drug guy&quot;); Glekas (&quot;in charge of stolen shit&quot;); and Serge (&quot;he drove for them&quot;). The only lie he tells, trying to save one of his own, is that Horseface is clean. He also tells them it was Serge who went to Philly and killed the Atlantic Light seaman because he was responsible for the death of the girls. And he I'Ds a photo of The Greek, marking their primary target for the first time. Realizing Nick is a prime target now for the Greeks, the police pick up his girlfriend Aimee and his daughter and sequester the three of them in a motel room.<br><br>Freamon provides the second reminder to Fitz that the leaks in the investigation seemed to develop only after the FBI became involved. Troubled, Fitz calls the San Diego Field Office and is speechless when he learns that Agent Koutris is no longer there, and in fact was transferred to the D.C. counterterrorism unit more than a year ago.<br><br>Stringer visits Avon in prison and tells him Mouzone was ambushed in his motel room and that Mouzone is going home once he recovers from his wounds. Avon is irritated when Stringer tells him he asked Mouzone who shot him. &quot;How you gonna ask a soldier like Mouzone a question like that? Either he gonna say, or he gonna go to work on it. But either way, you ain't askin' such shit.&quot; Their relationship is more fragile than ever, but Avon concedes to the alliance with Proposition Joe, and they part nevertheless with knuckles to the window once again.<br><br>At the cargo dock in Philly, Bunk and Freamon find security video of Serge driving his car onto the docks and kidnapping the seaman from the Atlantic Light weeks earlier. Confronted with the evidence back at the interrogation room, Serge flips, fingering Vondas as the seaman's killer and explaining that he was murdered because he had killed the women in the container. The fourteen homicides solved at last, the cops press Serge for details on the whereabouts of Vondas and The Greek. He directs them to a downtown hotel room, but by the time the cops arrive, the two are gone, passing through customs at the airport. &quot;Business or pleasure on this trip,&quot; a customs inspector asks them. &quot;Business. Always business,&quot; The Greek replies, and boards the plane.<br><br>At a bar in Baltimore, the squad wraps up the case with a few drinks. Nick has copped to smuggling on the cargo docks and dealing drugs; Serge has cleared up the murder of the girls; White Mike is down for narcotics. The question is whether to bring Proposition Joe in, too, since they have enough to indict him. Greggs suggests they wait, revealing a surveillance photo of Stringer meeting with Proposition Joe. &quot;Major case squad would have some fun with that mess, dontcha think?&quot; she says. And Fitzhugh comes clean with Daniels, telling him that the leak was not in fact with the police squad but most likely through FBI agent Koutris, now with the 9/11 boys in D.C. &quot;I'm guessing Vondas or The Greek was an asset to them. Hooked up like that over who knows what.&quot;<br><br>It's left to Beadie Russell to sum it up: &quot;I mean we locked some people up, right? But Frank is still gonna be dead and the port is still screwed and the guy who killed the girls, he got killed anyway. And the girls — I mean the ones we locked up, they're probably back in Europe right now getting into another shipping container.&quot;<br><br><img src="&quot;http://www.hbo.com/img/core_template/spacer.gif&quot;" border="&quot;0&quot;" alt="&quot;&quot;" width="&quot;20&quot;" height="&quot;2&quot;"></p></div>

Time After Time

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by </b>Ed Bianchi<br><b>Written by</b> David Simon<br><b>Story by</b> Robert F. Colesberry &amp; David Simon</p><p>&quot;Don't matter how many times you get burnt, you just keep doin' the same.&quot; - Bodie<br><br>The Franklin Terrace housing project — the infamous Towers where the Barksdale drug gang operates — are razed, with a promise from Mayor Royce that low and moderate-priced housing will eventually replace them. Poot is upset, nonetheless: &quot;I'm kinda sad. Them towers be home to me,&quot; he tells Bodie, who derides his sentimentality. &quot;You gonna cry over a housing project?&quot; he asks. Poot responds that he has a lot of good memories growing up there, including losing his virginity to Chantay in 7th Grade. Bodie suggests that she gave Poot the clap — more than once. &quot;Don't matter how many times you get burnt,&quot; he says. &quot;You just keep doin' the same.&quot;<br><br>Lieut. Daniels' taskforce is still chasing drug dealers — notably Proposition Joe's drug enterprise, and Detectives McNulty and Sydnor are holed up in a vacant house in East Baltimore watching Prop Joe's soldier Cheese working the corner. Back at the Detail Office, Freamon, Prez and Officer Caroline Massey listen in as one of Cheese's deputies — never Cheese himself — talks on his cell phone. &quot;Three months and we've yet to hear his [Cheese's] voice on a phone,&quot; notes Freamon with resignation. After six months of taps and no real case to make, Daniels is frustrated, too, and to McNulty's consternation, suggests they don't renew the wiretap order when it expires in two weeks.<br><br>At Barksdale funeral-home headquarters, Stringer Bell convenes his drug crew, running the meeting according to Roberts' Rules of Order. The dilemma they face is that their prime drug territory — the Towers — no longer exists. The crew focuses on new corners they want to take over, but Bell has a bigger plan. &quot;Game ain't about territory no more,&quot; he says. &quot;It' s about product.&quot; Pointing out fighting over street corners means dead bodies, and bodies bring the police, Bell unveils his plan to become the drug supplier to other drug operations in town. Because he has the best product, he's confident the idea will work.<br><br>Bubbles and Johnny continue to get high. Their latest scheme — heisting a cast-iron radiator for a few bucks, goes perilously awry when the grocery cart they're pushing the radiator in crashes into a Cadillac SUV that belongs to a crewmember of the Barksdale rival drug lord Marlo Stanfield. Marlo emerges as his soldier owner holds a gun to Johnny's head. &quot;Do it or don't,&quot; Marlo says indifferently, &quot;but I got someplace to be.&quot;<br><br>At City Hall, the City Council, specifically Councilman Tommy Carcetti — is raking new Police Commissioner Burrell and Deputy Commissioner Rawls over the coals because crime in Baltimore is up. After the meeting, Carcetti takes Burrell to lunch and makes him an offer. If Burrell will quietly let Carcetti know when the Mayor won't give Burrell what he needs to run the police force properly, Carcetti will deliver. &quot;I know you can't cross the Mayor publicly, but you come to me and I can use that subcommittee to give you what you need.&quot; Royce is offended, turns him down and leaves, telling Carcetti as he goes that he's loyal to his Mayor.<br><br>Avon, with only short time left on his prison sentence thanks to the deal he cut after naming the prison guard he framed in the tainted heroin matter, meets with Wee-Bey and Dennis &quot;Cutty&quot; Wise, from the old neighborhood. Cutty is due for release after 14 years in prison, and Avon wants to recruit him. He gives Cutty a number to call for help making a reentry, and tells him he can offer employment as a soldier in his operation. When Cutty leaves, noncommittal about his intentions, Barksdale speculates that &quot;the joint mighta broke him.&quot;<br><br>Daniels, in a meeting with Burrell, learns that the promotion Burrell promised is being held up by the Mayor. The reason: Daniels wife, from whom he is now estranged, wants to run for City Council, which means she'll be running against a friend of the Mayor's, Eunetta Perkins. &quot;The Mayor,&quot; says Burrell, &quot;is going to want to know who his friends are before he makes a new commander.&quot; Later, at Marla's request, Daniels goes home to keep up appearances while she meets with State Delegate Odell Watkins and other political advisors about her impending entry into politics. Her team wants to picture Daniels in his police uniform in her campaign literature, and Daniels — distraught about his estrangement from Marla — is more than willing to cooperate. &quot;All those years when you were all about my career, this is the least I can do,&quot; he tells her.<br><br>McNulty and Bunk take in an Orioles game at Camden Yard, where he's meeting his ex-wife Elena so she can pass the kids to him. He also sees her new boyfriend and is none too happy. Soon, Bunk's cell phone rings and he's called in to work on his day off because a raft of new cases has come in.<br><br>At City Hall, Carcetti repays Burrell for his rebuff by ripping the Commissioner for wasting money. In a meeting later with the Mayor and his Chief of Staff, they share their disdain for Carcetti. &quot;If the man came off any whiter, he'd be see through,&quot; says Mayor Royce. Burrell wants the Mayor to speak to Carcetti, to try and call him off, but the Chief of Staff explains that Carcetti is &quot;old First District. Not a lot of favors we can call in over that side of town.&quot; The Mayor does suggest that if Burrell can get the murder and felony rate down, that will take the wind out of Carcetti's sails.<br><br>At Comstat, Rawls and Burrell go on the warpath, ripping their commanders for their inability to stem the rising tide of crime. Rawls orders that felony cases must drop by 5 percent for the year, and murders must be kept under 275. &quot;Here's a fun fact,&quot; Rawls tells his commanders. &quot;If Baltimore had New York's population, we'd be clocking four thousand murders a year at this rate. So there is no excuse I want to hear. I don't care how you do it, just fucking do it.&quot; Major Bunny Colvin, 30 years on the force and six months from retirement, questions the wisdom of the new mandate: &quot;You can reclassify an agg assault and you can unfound a robbery. But how do you make a body disappear?&quot; Rawls and Burrell are infuriated, and Burrell warns Colvin: &quot;Anyone who can't bring the numbers we need will be replaced by someone who can.&quot;<br><br>Still chafing over the fact that the Detail never laid a glove on Stringer Bell, McNulty is unhappy, too, and clashes with Daniels over his unwillingness to authorize more wiretaps to go after Bell. Obsessed with the case, he pulls out the two year old Barksdale records and looks through them for new leads. When Massey observes the mess he's made, she asks him what in hell he's doing. &quot;You don't look at what you did before, you do the same shit all over,&quot; he replies.<br><br>Cutty, having made a half-hearted attempt to go straight after prison, calls the number Avon gave him and asks for help. Instead of cash, however, Avon's soldier gives him a package of heroin ready for sale. Cutty is nervous, and cuts a deal with a Marlo Stanfield soldier named Fruit to sell for the dope for him. But when Cutty comes back to collect his share of the proceeds, Fruit pulls a gun on him and tells him to get lost.<br><br>Major Colvin decides to &quot;ride the district&quot; and heads out in his car to take the temperature of the city. What he sees is not reassuring. Stopped at a red light, Colvin is incredulous when a young dealer pops his head in the car window and offers to sell the Major some heroin.</p></div>

All Due Respect

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Steve Shill<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Richard Price<br><b>Teleplay by</b> Richard Price</p><p>&quot;There's never been a paper bag.&quot; - Colvin<br><br>Omar makes a dramatic reappearance, disguised as an old man in a wheelchair just out of the V.A. hospital. With friend and partner in crime Kimmy, the two con their way into a Barksdale stash house, and in a heist that's almost too easy, make off with the drugs and the cash.<br><br>Stringer Bell visits Avon in jail, updating him on the neighborhood news. Avon is philosophical when he learns that the Towers are gone. &quot;All that battlin' we did to take them Towers and now we out in the street with the rest of 'em we beat.&quot; Stringer details his plan to deploy the troops across a variety of drug corners, with instructions to make their high-quality heroin available to other dealers at advantageous prices. &quot;You know, lay it out there like it's their lucky day. No threats. No flexin',&quot; explains Bell. Indeed, when Barksdale's drug crews fan out to new territory, pitching their scheme, they encounter a fair amount of skepticism from mid-level dealers.<br><br>Bodie, having appropriated a spot in the middle of the dealer Marlo's territory, seeks Marlo out to offer him good prices on better product, but runs into a stone wall. When Marlo finally shows up and Bodie approaches him, Marlo brushes him off. &quot;I need you to walk back there and pack up your people,&quot; Marlo warns him. &quot;I'm being a gentleman about it for the moment,&quot; he tells Bodie without once bothering to look at him.<br><br>Not convinced that 'DAngelo Barksdale's death in prison was in fact a suicide, McNulty probes the case further, with his focus still on bringing Stringer Bell to justice. In a visit with Doc Frazier of the Medical Examiner's office, the two of them examine autopsy photos of 'DAngelo. What they see is not convincing, and McNulty suspects 'DAngelo was murdered. Later, he pays a visit to Donette, fishing for clues as to who might have taken 'DAngelo out. Donette is openly hostile to him.<br><br>Carcetti, having failed in his effort to enlist Police Commissioner Burrell as an inside source in the Mayor's office and having humiliated him publicly as a consequence, leans on Major Valchek to broker a second meeting with the Commissioner, in the hopes that Burrell is finally ready to deal. &quot;I should tell him what?&quot; Valchek says to Carcetti. &quot;Make nice or invest heavily in petroleum jelly?&quot; Sure enough, when Carcetti and Burrell meet for a second time, Burrell gets the picture: he must cooperate with Carcetti or face further public flogging in Carcetti's committee hearings. Giving in, Burrell tells Carcetti he's having trouble getting out-of-service squad cars back on the street, which means beats on every shift go uncovered.<br><br>Sure enough, when the two meet again, an impressed Burrell reports that that 20 squad cars will be back in service by the end of the week. Burrell reveals to the Councilman that in spite of the fact that 70 cops are retiring by year's end, the Mayor has cancelled the Academy Class in which new recruits are inducted. Driving a wedge, Carcetti tells him bluntly: &quot;The Mayor fucked you. Cause I know that money was in the budget.&quot; Carcetti again suggests he can help.<br><br>In a vacant West Baltimore warehouse, a collection of local dealers including Prop Joe, Cheese and others gather for an evening of dogfights. Confident that his pit bull will win the match with a dog owned by the dealer Dazz, Cheese's cocky demeanor turns to shock as his dog goes down quickly. Cheese then shoots his dog rather than give him medical help, and grows even angrier when another dealer, Triage, points out a red rag on the floor that Dazz rubbed down his dog with before the match. Implying that some chemical may have been on the rag, Triage suggests that Cheese was gamed. A few days later, in response, Triage walks up to Dazz's soldier Jelly and with only one word, &quot;Woof,&quot; blows his brains out.<br><br>In the Detail Room, Greggs, Freamon, Prez and Caroline, listening in on the wire, overhear discussion of the two killings — Cheese's dog and Jelly — and draw the wrong conclusion. When they hear Cheese acknowledge that he &quot;ain't sleep since I capped his ass,&quot; they assume he's committed a murder. Greggs notes with excitement: &quot;Cheese is only a level below Proposition Joe. All of a sudden, this case has legs.&quot;<br><br>Because Rawls' pressure on his commanders is unrelenting, Daniels decides to make some arrests based on information from their wiretap. McNulty argues that the arrests will force them to reveal the tap's existence, and pushes Daniels to be patient to see what else the wire will bring. Cheese is arrested, nevertheless, and when Bunk and McNulty sweat him for details, their error finally becomes apparent. The only thing Cheese has killed is his dog. Bunk and McNulty are appalled at the mistake. &quot;We're charging his ass,&quot; says Bunk sarcastically. &quot;Improper disposal of an animal. Discharging a firearm in city limits,&quot; adds McNulty. &quot;Animal cruelty, if we wanna run wild with it,&quot; adds Bunk. And sure enough, the wire soon goes silent, and gloom overtakes the Detail.<br><br>Nursing their wounded pride over drinks later, McNulty tries to get Pearlman to go home with him. She ignores him, and after he leaves, Pearlman goes home with Daniels instead.<br><br>Relations are strained between Kima and Cheryl, who resents Gregg's long hours and her lack of nurturing instincts towards their new baby. One night when Greggs comes in late, the house is a wreck and Cheryl is asleep on their bed with the baby. Greggs heads back out into the night, visiting a lesbian bar.<br><br>A drug bust arranged by Carver's squad goes bad and Dozerman is shot and seriously wounded. Colvin sits bolt upright when he learns the news in the middle of the night. Carver, who sent Dozerman out solo, is wracked with guilt. &quot;Fucking solo cars. I shoulda teamed him. I fucked up.&quot; He is especially upset to learn that Dozerman's gun is missing, scooped up by one of the criminals who shot him. After Colvin visits the crime scene, he unburdens himself over a cup of coffee with a deacon from his church. &quot;Tonight is a good night. Why? Because my shot cop didn't die. And it hit me... This is what makes a good night on my watch: absence of a negative.&quot;<br><br>Later, as he addresses his troops, Colvin foreshadows the new scheme he's cooking up to contain the city's drug trafficking. Explaining that after the City Council years ago passed a law forbidding the consumption of alcohol in public places, cops spent an inordinate amount of time arresting men on street corners, since &quot;the corner is, was and always will be the poor man's lounge... But somewhere back in the '50s, there was a small moment of goddamn genius by some nameless smokehound who comes out of a cut-rate one day and on his way to the corner, slips that just-bought pint of elderberry into a paper bag. A great moment of civic compromise. That small wrinkled-ass paper bag allowed the corner boys to drink in peace while giving us permission to go do police work.<br><br>&quot;Dozerman got shot last night trying to buy three vials,&quot; Colvin continues. &quot;There's never been a paper bag for drugs. Until now.&quot; Herc and Carver hear him but don't yet understand the point he's making, and are irritated at his ambiguity.</p></div>

Dead Soldiers

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Rob Bailey<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Dennis Lehane<br><b>Teleplay by</b> Dennis Lehane</p><p>&quot;The gods will not save you.&quot; - Burrell<br><br>The brutality at Police Headquarters continues as Rawls and Commissioner Burrell terrorize Department Commanders over their failure to reign in the city's crime stats. After being raked over the coals in front of his peers, Major Marvin Taylor, the Eastern District Commander, is further humiliated as Burrell publicly relieves him of his duties and names Taylor's second in command to replace him.<br><br>Omar, along with his soldiers Dante, Tosha and Kimmy, case another Barksdale stash house, making plans to take it out. But when they return later to pull off the heist, things go terribly wrong. Barksdale soldiers in another part of the house are alerted to the robbery and open fire. In the fierce shootout that follows, Tosha is shot in the head and killed, accidentally by Dante, and one of Barksdale's team is killed. Bell is furious when he learns that Omar is still intent on pursuing revenge. Speaking of Tosha, he says, &quot;We're gonna cover that girl's wake, her funeral, everything.&quot; Back home, Omar apologizes to his soldiers, who are depressed and angry. &quot;Don't do nothing for me,&quot; Kimmy tells him sullenly.<br><br>The drug dealer who shot Officer Dozerman while doing a buy-and-bust is apprehended and-beaten by the police-makes a full confession. He also reveals that he sold Dozerman's gun to a street punk named Peanut. Sgt. Landsman orders Bunk to recover the gun, as a matter of principle. McNulty, overhearing Bunk's assignment, says: &quot;In one of the most heavily armed cities in the known, gun-loving world, what do these ignorant motherfuckers care about one got-dam semiauto, more of less?&quot;<br><br>Proposition Joe summons Stringer Bell to a meeting and tells him that the cops have screwed up. He explains to Bell that the cops believed Cheese was talking about killing a person when in fact he was talking about having killed his dog. &quot;They had the phones tapped?&quot; Bell asks. &quot;Don't matter to me none if they did,&quot; Prop Joe replies. &quot;Me and the people I keep close, we don't talk on the phone no how.&quot; The point is, however, that the cops are still listening.<br><br>Carcetti meets with a reporter from the Baltimore Sun and tells him that the Mayor, in a misguided attempt to save money, does not intend to fund a police academy class this year. Carcetti then calls Burrell to let him know he'll be getting a call from the reporter, and Burrell is furious. Calming the Commissioner down, Carcetti urges Burrell simply to inform the Mayor that someone has leaked the information to the press. Later, when Burrell meets with Mayor Royce, the Mayor is indeed annoyed about the leak and tells Burrell that he must take the heat when the story goes public. &quot;Tell the newspaper the academy class was delayed for some reason-lack of recruits, problems in your personnel division, whatever. Just keep it in your shop,&quot; Royce says to Burrell. That way the Mayor can step in and announce that there will in fact be an academy class, and he'll look like the hero. Burrell is none too happy about this, but in the end, as Carcetti reminds him, the goal of reinstating the academy class, is in fact, achieved.<br><br>In a meeting at the Mayor's office, Burrell blames the State's Attorney for the high crime rate, arguing that the police bring him cases that go nowhere. &quot;The cases are thin,&quot; the State's Attorney shoots back, and soon they bicker loudly, until the Mayor orders them to stop, warning that they'd both better shape up if they want to hold on to their jobs. The tension is thick until the Mayor's chief of staff observes: &quot;I don't think any of us wants to get a real job.&quot; When Burrell leaves, State Delegate Watkins urges the Mayor to fire Burrell, but Royce refuses, reminding Watkins that he believes in loyalty.<br><br>With their wire dead, Daniels reassigns his detail to a drug dealer named Kintel Williamson who is thought to be responsible for three killings in the last four months. Greggs complains loudly that all the work they've put in on Bell and Prop Joe will go to waste, but Daniels is firm. The biggest priority is bringing down the murder rate. McNulty misses this meeting because he's visiting the prison crime scene where 'DAngelo's &quot;suicide&quot; took place. At the prison, McNulty puts the belt around his neck that 'DAngelo used, but finds it won't tighten properly when he simulates the suicide, proving to him that 'DAngelo was murdered.<br><br>When McNulty reports this news to Freamon, Greggs and Pearlman, however, they are angry with him for not sticking with the Daniels' plan. &quot;Man took you off a boat, Jimmy,&quot; says Freamon. &quot;He wants to peel his unit off — his unit, Jimmy — and go after the target of his choice, it's his call.&quot;<br><br>Later, Greggs and McNulty go drinking at the railroad tracks, and Kima complains about her relationship with Cheryl. &quot;They know you're police when they hook up with you. And they know you're police when they move in. And they know you're police when they decide to start a family with you. And all that shit is just fine until one day it ain't no more. One day, it's 'You should have a regular job.' and 'You need to be home at five o'clock.'&quot;<br><br>The next day, McNulty learns that Homicide Detective Ray Cole has died while working out at the gym on a Stairmaster.<br><br>The other Police Commanders are busy minimizing crime stats by reclassifying their incident reports, but Major Colvin interrupts Mello and the Community Relations sergeant and orders them not to follow suit. When they warn him that Rawls will rip Colvin, he replies, &quot;Five months to my thirty, right? Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke.&quot; In fact, they cannot take a joke, and Rawls and Burrell are enraged when Colvin shows up at the next meeting with the only departmental felony report to show an increase in numbers. &quot;Sometimes the gods are uncooperative,&quot; Colvin offers by way of explanation. Burrell's response: &quot;If the gods are fucking you, you find a way to fuck them back. It's Baltimore gentlemen, the gods will not save you.&quot; After the meeting, when the other Commanders ask Colvin what he's going to do to get Rawls the stats he wants, Colvin again foreshadows the scheme he's hatching and replies slyly: &quot;I thought I might legalize drugs.&quot;<br><br>Marlo meets with his soldier Fruit and asks why his drug revenue is down so much. Fruit explains that the Barksdale dealers have taken up residence on his block and are stealing customers. Marlo tells him to do something about it. &quot;Take the young guns with you, give 'em a workout.&quot; Shortly thereafter, Fruit and his gang show up with bats and inflict serious damage on the Barksdale gang.<br><br>Cutty locates his old girlfriend Grace, who has gotten her act together and moved out of the neighborhood. She's married, drives a nice car and teaches school in another part of town. She is less than thrilled to see Cutty, a face from her past, but she is civil to him and even offers to introduce him to a friend who might help Cutty find a decent job.<br><br>In a meeting with the cops in his command, Colvin at last reveals the plan he's been hatching, a plan to take back the streets from the drug dealers. The idea is to warn the street level dealers that they can continue to sell drugs, but they must limit their activities to one of three areas of the city full of abandoned buildings. As long as they confine their dealing to these areas, the cops will let them be. But if they don't get with the program, they will be arrested and rearrested until they get the picture. The cops are outraged by the proposal, which in effect sanctions the illegal activity. But Colvin explains further: &quot;You need to take the long view here. Once we have them all comfortable, and all rounded up, once they've been there a bit and get used to putting their feet up, playing with the remote, then we move. Then we go back to being police. Look at it this way, gentlemen: would you rather shoot at fish in the ocean? Or gather 'em all up in a few small barrels and start emptying your clips then?&quot;<br><br>Carcetti, with his wife and kids, attends a Democrat fundraiser at the Knights of Columbus catering hall. Spotting an attractive woman, he sends his family home and makes a move, later ending up in the woman's room.<br><br>Meanwhile, at Kavanagh's Irish Pub, friends and fellow cops of the late Ray Cole gather to uphold a Baltimore police tradition: a final drink with their deceased friend. With Cole lying in state on a pool table, amidst much revelry and maudlin toasts, the cops bid him farewell. &quot;We're police,&quot; says Landsman, &quot;so no lies between us: He wasn't the greatest detective and he wasn't the worst. He put down some good cases and he dogged a few bad ones. But the motherfucker had his moments. Yes, he fucking did.&quot;<br><br>At another wake across town, Tosha's body awaits burial at a funeral home. The place is crawling with Barksdale soldiers, hoping Omar shows his face. Omar mourns from across the street, hidden in the shadows, smoking a cigarette.</p></div>

Amsterdam

West Baltimore residents get surprising straight talk at a community meeting from Major Colvin. Bubbles finds gainful employment; Stringer lunches uptown; and Bunk dangles the promise of immunity to a group of corner boys, in exchange for help. Greggs learns how Marlo takes care of business as Bubbles instructs her on the next big thing: disposable cell phones.

Straight and True

Frustrated in his grass-roots reform efforts, Colvin arms himself with intelligence from Daniels's detail and personally delivers a message to the next level of corner management. McNulty sees Stringer Bell's legitimate business dealings as a sign that he is now unreachable as a drug target. Bubbles shakes the tree for Johnny one more time.

Homecoming

Stringer Bell gets an education in construction management; Bunk uses shoe-leather to catch up with Omar and deliver a searing message; a frustrated Colvin unleashes the troops on the corner boys, ignoring his new edict; Avon sends Cutty and Slim Charles against Marlo; Bubbles refocuses the picture for Greggs.

Back Burners

Herc discovers a blast from the past, which he belatedly reveals to his ex-colleagues. Daniels blows a gasket over the real reason the detail was reassigned from an investigation in Pimlico to the Western District. Stringer Bell learns from Donette that she's told Brianna about McNulty's visit and that Brianna is likely to talk to him.

Moral Midgetry

With Amsterdam running full-tilt, Carver and Truck discover there really is no honor among thieves. Prez impresses the detail with what he's found out from Bodie's cell phone, information that sends McNulty and Greggs on a road trip. Colvin sees the benefits of his plan working but has overlooked the human toll, until the Deacon points out the deficiencies.

Slapstick

Responding to an officer's call for help, McNulty and Prez turn down the wrong alley, with unanticipated results. A Barksdale crew violates the unspoken Sunday truce with gunplay, increasing discontent among the New Day Co-op members. Stymied in his effort to open a gym, Cutty is surprised to find help from within Baltimore's power structure.

Reformation

Brother Mouzone returns to Baltimore on a mission of revenge and casts a wide net in his search for Omar, who has his own plan. Colvin manages, for now, to put off a 'Sun' reporter inquiring about Amsterdam. Carver learns how much he doesn't know about good policing, while Pearlman and Daniels plead their case for a new kind of wiretap to Judge Phelan.

Middle Ground

The wire begins to yield information about the Barksdale organization, though finding links to the top proves elusive. Stringer and Avon reflect on how far they've come, with each harboring plans for the future. Tipped by Burrell, Carcetti sees Amsterdam for himself and weighs the benefits against the political reality.

Mission Accomplished

In the Season Three finale, a reticent Avon readies his troops for a war against Marlo. Meanwhile, as the detail works towards the top rungs of the Barksdale organization, McNulty reassesses his pursuit of Stringer Bell and the path he's chosen for himself. While Royce continues to grapple with Amsterdam, Burrell offers a deal to minimize the fallout.

Boys of Summer

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Joe Chappelle<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Ed Burns<br><b>Teleplay by</b> David Simon</p><p>&quot;Lambs to the slaughter here.&quot; - Marcia Donnelly<br><br>Snoop pores over nail guns at a suburban home improvement superstore, and is quickly educated by a middle-aged sales assistant as to the finer points of the power tools. Despite some cultural differences, she emerges from the store with the Cadillac of nail guns (&quot;He mean Lexus, but he ain't know it,&quot; Snoop later assures Chris Partlow) having tipped the salesman generously for giving her a proper schooling. Waiting in the parking lot, Chris gets the report from his number two: &quot;F**k jus' nailin' up boards,&quot; Snoop tells him. &quot;We could kill a coupla mutha f**kers with this right here.&quot;<br><br>Meanwhile, in the Clinton Street offsite detail office, detectives Lester Freamon and Kima Greggs meet with Assistant State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman to review the members of the Marlo Stanfield organization who've been caught on the wire - most of them street level dealers who aren't dumping cell phones more often than every month, dealers that include Fruit among others. Freamon, for his part, is mildly disappointed in their target: Marlo Stanfield hasn't turned out to be as sharp or as fierce as they thought - no bodies that would suggest violence can be traced to the drug organization, and the group's liberal use of cellphones means that eventually, it will be relatively simple to build a conspiracy case. Marlo, Freamon reasons, is no Avon Barksdale. Nonetheless, they want another 30 days on the taps, as well as subpoenas for documents - the latter not for Stanfield, but to follow up on the Barksdale money trail. Why now, Pearlman wonders? Freamon tells her he couldn't back to researching the Barksdale finances because other casework intervened. She is put out by the timing: &quot;Four weeks before the Baltimore City primary you hand me a stack of drug money subpoenas that hit a dozen key political figures,&quot; Pearlman fumes. Freamon assures her the Lieutenant approves and feigns indifference to the coming election.<br><br>In the stretch run of that campaign, Councilman Tom Carcetti breakfasts with a former mayor and political mentor, who credits him with having gains some political profile by running citywide, but doubts that any white candidate can be elected mayor in the majority black city. Deputy campaign manager Norman Wilson cuts them off - Carcetti's behind schedule once again.<br><br>Greggs heads into Lt. Asher's office with a stack of mundane paperwork for his signature, burying the drug money subpoenas between a fan requisition and vehicle logs. Distracted by blueprints for his beach house, Asher signs them, no problem. Greggs delivers the signed stack to Freamon: &quot;Cake.&quot;<br><br>Bodie and Lex discuss Lex's troubles with his baby's mother while they supervise a corner crew of young slingers, including a young runner, Namond Brice, who's reading Don Diva magazine while on the job. As Lex carries on about his girl, Patrice, taking up with one of Marlo's guys - Fruit - Slim Charles pulls up, checking in on why things are so slow. Bodie complains that he has been forced off the Fayette Street because Marlo wanted that real estate and the new corner isn't prime. He is angry at being pushed off his old strip and would like to beef with Marlo's crew, but Slim Charles cautions him. &quot;Ain't like the old days,&quot; he says to Bodie. &quot;Nary a Barksdale left, so you on your own out here.&quot;<br><br>At City Hall, Herc and a fellow member of the mayor's security detail arrive with the mayoral SUV. Royce fields messages from his secretary as they head out, putting off a donor - developer Andy Krawcyzk, it seems - and playing games with Carcetti's people, who are demanding two debates. Royce sighs, &quot;That lost-ball-in-high-grass motherfucker Carcetti needs to get used to life in the wilderness.&quot; Meanwhile, Carcetti speaks to a listless crowd at a senior center, whereas Royce holds forth at a media-laden podium at a new harbor-front development site, after which he learns that the developer is being pressed to donate more to his campaign in exchange for some street access right-of-ways.<br><br>Back on the corner, Namond's friends - Randy, Michael and &quot;Dukie&quot; - try to lure Namond away to hunt pigeons. When Namond asks Bodie if he can cut out early for &quot;back-to-school stuff,&quot; Bodie tells him he shouldn't bother as he isn't much of a student. Nonetheless, with business slow, Bodie relents and pays Namond for a half day. He complains to Lex about Namond's work ethic, saying he only employs the boy out of respect for his father. He tells Namond to come early tomorrow: &quot;It ain't always gonna be this slow. Least I hope it ain't.&quot;<br><br>In a vacant, stripped rowhouse, Snoop and Chris - using a handgun with a silencer - shoot a begging man to death, promising him only that they will keep his death quick and clean. Snoop pours quicklime on the body which is then wrapped in a shower curtain. They exit with their box of tools.<br><br>While hunting pigeons, Randy explains to Namond that a white bird in particular might be a homer and worth as much as $400. As they try to catch the bird, Dukie throws a bug bomb - a bottle with bugs trapped inside - and the sound scares away the quarry. Namond and Dukie trade insults and then a few blows before Michael interposes. The boys all walk away from Dukie - save for Randy, to whom Dukie confides to Randy that the pigeon wasn't a homer - it didn't have a metal tag. Nemo's been letting Dukie clean out the coop. &quot;He's schoolin' me.&quot;<br><br>At the Middle School, assistant principal Marcia Donnelly is reviewing the teacher shortage with principal Claudell Withers when a newly assigned math teacher, Roland Pryzbylewski, arrives suited up and briefcase in hand, to claim his new profession. He hasn't received his certification yet, but staff shortages in the system mean he will be getting classes nonetheless. They are dubious about his qualifications until he tells them he used to be a city police. That, at least, bodes well in their minds.<br><br>Similarly, Major Cedric Daniels, now in command of the Western District, is going over staffing reports with Lt. Dennis Mello, when patrolman Jimmy McNulty knocks and is urged - not for the first time - to get out of a radio car and return to investigative duties, for which there is a desperate need in the district. McNulty declines, and Mello tells Daniels that McNulty is in the wrong place. For us, yes, Daniels concedes. But for McNulty, maybe not.<br><br>Back at Bodie's corner, plainclothes D.E.U. Sergeant Ellis Carver and Off. Anthony Colicchio pull up. Carver gives Bodie and the others a light teasing for not greeting him properly - and demonstrates his intimate knowledge of their activities - when McNulty arrives on the scene, greeting Bodie as &quot;Mr. Entrapment.&quot; &quot;You know how he beat the wiretap a year ago?&quot; McNulty tells the other police. &quot;Claimed entrapment because he was clocking in Bunny Colvin's Hamsterdam. I s**t you not.&quot; On his way back to his car, McNulty orders Bodie to shut down his operation and be gone in an hour. Carver waits for Bodie to say a proper farewell. &quot;A good evening to you, Sergeant Carver.&quot; When Colicchio, asks what that was all about, Carver teaches him: &quot;You bust every head, who you gonna talk to when the s**t happens?&quot;<br><br>Back at Carcetti's campaign headquarters, Tommy's staff rakes him for being behind on his schedule for the day, including his latest agenda item: dialing for dollars calls. He launches into a fake call, &quot;I don't give a flying f**k about what you think, or what your concerns are. Though I do care about what your cute little blonde wife thinks about so many things...&quot; His strategist, Teresa 'DAgostino, waits him out before giving it to him straight: &quot;You need thirty thousand dollars in the next three hours. No bulls**t, Tommy, you hit your number or die in this room.&quot; But Carcetti spends more time doodling and playing darts than making calls, sick as he is with having to ask supporters for money all the time. Eventually, and with reluctance, he begins to make the calls.<br><br>Outside a nightclub, Lex watches in darkness as Patrice, his baby's mother, gets cozy with her new man, Fruit. He surprises them as they leave, shoots Fruit in the head, then greets Patrice, who flees horrified. Lex saunters away, leaving Fruit dead on the pavement.<br><br>In the wiretap room, Caroline and Freamon hear the buzz about Fruit's murder and note that Fruit's phone has been inactive for the last couple hours. When Freamon joins homicide detectives Bunk Moreland and Ed Norris to review the details of the shooting, Norris asks him if this hurts Freamon's investigation, losing a guy they had wired. But Freamon notes they've got several wires at the street level and with or without Fruit, they are progressing. Bunk gives Freamon Fruit's cellphone as a consolation prize - he can pull other numbers off it - and they discuss the fact that Marlo, who seems to be the new power in West Baltimore, has been so quiet. Freamon finds it strange that Fruit is the first body to hit the pavement in months, &quot;and it's Marlo's boy who falls.&quot; Bunk agrees that it's suprising that someone holding as much real estate as Marlo wouldn't generate bodies.<br><br>When Marlo gets wind of the killing, he wants to know who the f**k Lex is. Tote and Chris tell him that he's working &quot;some rag-tag corner over Hilltop now,&quot; but that Fruit wasn't killed over drugs or turf, but over a girl. Disappointed in the bluster and lack of logic shown by some of his lieutenants, Marlo shares a look with Chris before rejecting their offer to kill everyone on Bodie's corner in retaliation. Why stack bodies when no one was actually trying to war with them, Marlo asks, adding: &quot;Just the boy Lex. He did one of ours, so he need to fall.&quot;<br><br>Once again pursuing the pigeons, Namond and Randy spy Dukie, who's been beat up by a rival gang, the Terrace Boys. Namond wants to hit back, but harder, and Randy gets an idea. It starts with Michael stealing a bike off a Terrace kid, setting the gang off after him, until they turn a corner and are ambushed by our boys - all of whom have armed themselves with balloons filled with their own urine. For a moment, it seems perfect until Namond wets himself with his own balloon and the rest of the boys panic, dumping their balloons and fleeing. As the Terrace boys give chase, Randy, Namond, Dukie and Michael do not come out on top.<br><br>En route to a meet-and-greet with an eastside community group, Carcetti gets news that Royce just made a $300,000 buy of television advertisements, then throws a fit listening to his weak radio spots. He can barely contain himself by the time he meets with local activist Victorine Simmons, but once he calms down and takes a tour of her drug-addled community, Carcetti is moved to actually help - even though Royce has instructed city agencies not to take constituent service calls from his challenger. Nonetheless, Carcetti - calling bureaucrats at him and pulling favors - finds a way to get it done. Later, on the campaign trail, Carcetti encounters his fellow Councilman and one-time friend, Tony Gray, who he tacetly allowed to challenge Royce before revealing his own intention to run, thereby using Gray to split the city's black vote. Carcetti tries to placate his old friend, but Gray bitterly tells him: &quot;F**k you, Tommy.&quot;<br><br>At an orientation session for the coming year, the Tilghman faculty revolt against the useless lessons of whatever theory-of-the-moment is being pushed by the school system for the coming year, just as the Western District officers, in similar fashion, interrupt their own useless lesson on terrorism response training with their own complaints: &quot;...if them terrorists do f**k-up the Western, could anybody even tell?&quot; Prez takes in the bitter cynicism of the veteran teachers, wondering what his future holds. McNulty, laughing at the roll-call room rebellion, is accosted by Bunk, who tries to squeeze McNulty for info on Lex - and plan a boy's night out with Jameson's and Glen Livet. Instead McNulty directs Bunk to Carver, who he says has learned the job, and offers an invite to dinner with Beadie and the kids, much to Bunk's dismay.<br><br>Carcetti grills Wilson on whether he can really get the black vote. &quot;Black folk been voting white for a long time,&quot; Wilson assures him. &quot;It's y'all that don't never vote black.&quot; But personally, he tells his boss in a ball-busting moment, he won't be voting for Carcetti. The deputy campaign manager admits he'll be voting for &quot;one of them bruthas.&quot; Carcetti manages to laugh.<br><br>Prez gets his new classroom: a battered room with desks and papers strewn everywhere. He loves it. Or perhaps, the idea of what he will soon make it.<br><br>Another slinger in Bodie's crew, Little Kevin, approaches Randy, asking him to run down to Bodie's corner with a message for Lex: &quot;Patrice say he should come up the playground after nine.&quot; For a few dollars, Randy is willing to run the errand.<br><br>When Lex shows up to see Patrice, he encounters Snoop, tries to flee, then turns to see Chris, gun pulled. Meanwhile, Carver and Bunk stake out Bodie's corner a short distance away, looking for Lex, but see no sign of him and Carver assures Bunk he will come back tomorrow to jack Lex when he returns to the corner. A short time later, Little Kevin tells a stunned Randy what his message to Lex triggered: &quot;Chris and Snoop, pow!&quot; then hands him another bill, telling him to &quot;just be cool.&quot;<br><br>'DAgostino delivers the latest poll numbers to her boss: &quot;Royce 35, you 26, Gray 20, 19 percent undecided.&quot; Carcetti starts yelling - he needs to be at thirty percent of the vote by this point, and he needs Tony Gray - his former friend on the council and the third man in the mayoral race - to be taking a larger bite out of Royce's lead by splitting the black vote. Convinced he can't win, he storms out.<br><br>Late night, Snoop and Chris use their new nail gun to secure an ad hoc mausoleum in a back alley. Contemplating his future, Carcetti gets a warning from a cop for drinking in Federal Hill park after curfew. And, as a siren goes by, Randy sitting up late on his front stoop, worried about Little Kevin's words, is ordered back inside by a foster mother who seems to parent him closely.</p></div>

Soft Eyes

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Christine Moore<br><b>Written by</b> David Mills<br><b>Story by</b> Ed Burns &amp; David Mills</p><p>&quot;I still wake up white in a city that ain't.&quot; - Carcetti<br><br>Confused about the morning schedule for the Mayor, officer Thomas &quot;Herc&quot; Hauk waits by the truck, loses patience and goes looking for Lieutenant Hoskins, who heads the security detail. Opening doors in his search for his supervisor, Herc is surprised to encounter Mayor Clarence Royce on the receiving end of a robust act of fellatio, courtesy of his secretary. Stunned like a cow with a sledgehammer, Herc stares at the sight for a moment before slamming shut the door. In that moment, the Mayor sees him.<br><br>Meanwhile, Assistant State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman meets with Detectives Lester Freamon and Leander Sydnor about the stack of Barksdale money-trail subpoenas to politically sensitive targets. Sydnor is having second thoughts about whether their pursuit of the money will blow back on them by antagonizing the powerful and politically connected elements in the city. Pearlman, too, is wishing she had run the subpoenas by her front office, alerting her bosses to the coming controversy and thereby protecting herself from retribution. Freamon quickly realizes that Pearlman has not forwarded signed subpoenas for two notable targets --developer Andrew Kracyzk and State Sen. Clay Davis. Pearlman responds that she is holding those until after the primary election. Freamon gets angry and points out that now -- with the election in play -- is the only window they have for seeing this pursuit of the Barksdale money trail through. Months ago, the powers that be would have taken down the unit and stifled the investigation. Months from now, with the election in the bag, they will do the same. But now, with the election ongoing and politicians being scrutinized, those in power will not dare to impede the subpeonas of the investigation itself. And that includes Pearlman's boss, State's Attorney Demper, who is among those running for reelection on the Democratic ticket. Pearlman recalls Freamon's earlier claim that he only recently was able to get back to the Barksdale money trail because other cases intervened, and she realizes that he lied to her. Freamon has timed this carefully.<br><br>In the Carcetti living room, Norman Wilson grows impatient making small talk with Jennifer Carcetti while waiting for Tommy, who is late to begin another campaigning day, and goes to fetch him. But Tommy's playing Battleship with his daughter and refuses to be rushed, insisting that since there's no way he can win the election, he may as well enjoy some quality time with his child.<br><br>The Edward J. Tilghman middle-school classroom Prez inherited is now unrecognizable: clean and orderly. Unfazed by hacking at dried bubblegum and scrubbing ink-stained desks, Prez has whipped his room into Prez-like obsessive-compulsive order. Meanwhile, it's visiting day at The Cut in Jessup, and Namond Brice and his mother, De'Londa, visit his father, Wee-Bey. Incarcerated on multiple life sentences for his role as an enforcer in the now-fallen Barksdale organization, Wee-Bey asks his son how his job is going with Bodie Broadus, and De'Londa jumps in, reporting that Namond skips work and wastes the money he does make. Wee-Bey presses Namond to be patient with his runner duties, but echoes Bodie's warning about his pony tail: &quot;Even the white police lookin' out from three blocks away gonna be able to spot you from every nigga out there.&quot;<br><br>Back in West Baltimore, Marlo Stanfield and Chris Partlow watch with pride as Marlo's lieutenant, Monk, hands out back-to-school-supply cash to a group of ecstatic kids to build goodwill for Marlo. &quot;Your name gonna ring out, man,&quot; says Monk, while out in the suburbs, as he unloads lawn mowing equipment at a job, Cutty talks trash Spanish with some of his coworkers. Their truck's driver, impressed, notes that Cutty could run his own crew and suggests they team up, but Cutty demurs, saying he has other obligations that matter more.<br><br>Returning to Bodie's corner, Namond tries to talk Bodie into hiring his friend Michael Lee. When Bodie resists, Namond suggests Michael assume Namond's position until he earns enough to pay for school stuff for himself and his little brother. Bodie agrees just as Bunk and Carver approach, looking for Lex. Eeluctant to talk to police, Bodie says nothing about what he knows about the murder of Fruit by Lex, or Lex's subsequent disappearance, but merely reports he hasn't seen Lex, and promises to call Carver if he does.<br><br>Driving Royce, Herc catches the Mayor's eye in the rear view, certain now he's doomed for what he witnessed, while Bubbles rattles across the streets and alleys of the westside, doing business with his store on wheels, &quot;Bubble Depo&quot; breaking in his young intern, Sherrod, as he makes a sale. When Sherrod miscalculates the total price of a sale, Bubbles is distressed. Later, he chastises Sherrod about his weak math skills and demands that he return to school to improve himself this fall.<br><br>Trying to convince Lex's mother that her son is in trouble, Bunk pleads for her cooperation, but she stonewalls him, while at the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) lodge, the police union president explains to Carcetti that he'd be their guy, except that Royce is ahead in the polls. &quot;We endorse you now, we're out in the cold.&quot; Carcetti understands the tough position he's in, but suggests perhaps his officers don't need to get too aggressive with extracurricular campaigning for anyone. The FOP president agrees. Norman gives Carcetti the rest of the night off to prep for the debate, but Carcetti is still convinced nothing matters at this point.<br><br>Spider's mother approaches Cutty at the gym to thank him for the interest he's taken in her son, coaching his boxing. She offers to cook him dinner (&quot;I throw down in the kitchen. Among other places.&quot;) but Cutty begs off, insisting that he needs time to train his fighters for upcoming bouts, and asking if she might just bring by a plate instead.<br><br>At Pearlman's, Rhonda and Daniels do paperwork in bed as she complains about how Lester manipulated her with his subpoena ploy. But Daniels just finds it funny. &quot;I'm just glad to see Lester doing it to somebody other than me.&quot; Pearlman is beside herself with worry over her standing in the state's attorney's office, but Daniels can't hold back his amusement and their candor with each other, which turns playful, indicates that their relationship has grown deeper.<br><br>Namond, Michael, Randy and their friends debate about which girls will have gotten phat over the summer and who'll they try to tap -- the usual adolescent bragging that ends when Monk approaches and starts peeling off $100s for back-to-school clothes, telling the boys to thank Marlo, who stands a distance away, enjoying his moment as streetcorner patron. Only Michael refuses the cash and Marlo crosses to ask Michael why he won't take his money. As Marlo shows some belligerence and turns insulting, Michael just stares him down. &quot;Ain't no thing shorty. We cool,&quot; Marlo says in response.<br><br>Herc seeks out Carver to get advice on how to handle his embarrassing situation with the Mayor, convinced he'll never make rank now. &quot;This is way beyond my pay grade,&quot; says Carver, thinking about who to consult.<br><br>On the eve of the mayoral candidates' debate, Wilson and Theresa 'DAgostino try to lead a distracted Carcetti through debate prep, but he's more concerned about minor personal matters. When they press him to focus, he reels off his strategy for when Royce comes at him on themes of race and crime, impressing them. &quot;Tomorrow night, I will kick his ass. But the next morning, I still wake up white in a city that ain't,&quot; Tommy says.<br><br>Namond asks Michael why he wouldn't take Marlo's money. &quot;Owin' niggas for s**t. It ain't me,&quot; Michael responds. They're interrupted by Donut, their sixth-grade companion, barely visible above the wheel of the stolen Cadillac Escalade he's attempting to drive. But as they're all debating where to take it, Carver and Herc drive by and, spotting the stolen car, begin a pursuit. The boys bail from the SUV and bolt into the alleys. Carver calls in the bailout and starts to give chase, then thinks the better of it; he knows most of the kids, Herc's overdressed, and they need to see Carver's contact about Herc's situation. Meanwhile, the Western District's Officer Walker catches Randy in an alley, and when the boy plays dumb about the stolen car, he confiscates the $200 cash Randy claims his foster mom gave him for school clothes. &quot;Tell her to come down to the Western [District] and I'll give it back to her.&quot;<br><br>Back at the Clinton Street detail office, as he fingers the signed subpoenas, Lester offers to serve them himself if Detectives Shakima Greggs and Sydnor don't want to catch any heat. But Greggs will not be cowed and Sydnor reluctantly follows. Gregg's first stop is Andrew Krawczyk at his waterfront development office; he asks for her name and unit and she gives him both, unwavering. Sydnor hits Clay Davis, and tries to defuse the situation by pretending to admire his office trophies and awards as Davis, outraged, demands his name. In for a penny, in for a pound: Sydnor refuses to back down from the moment and hands over his card. &quot;Major Crimes? Sheeeet,&quot; drawls the state senator.<br><br>While overseeing semi-automatic target practice for some young apprentices, Snoop, Monk and Marlo field a business call on Monk's cell phone from &quot;Andre,&quot; who, though impatient for a re-up, is put in his place by Marlo, who gets on Monk's cellphone to do so.<br><br>Meanwhile, Sherrod has been mulling it over and suggests to Bubbles he could go back to school to learn some math skills, just as Herc gets advice from the politically connected and astute Major Stanislaus Valchek, who has a different take on Herc's predicament. The Major would like to be in Herc's shoes: &quot;Kid, careers have been launched on a helluva lot less. Just shut up and play dumb.&quot;<br><br>Davis rants to the Mayor about his subpoena and the money laundering probe that is now apparently targeting him. &quot;You think I have time to ask a man why he givin' me money or where he gets his money come from?&quot; Royce says he doesn't want to know, and Davis asserts that he has been doing yeoman's work funding Royce and his ticket, and he warns him he needs to get his police department to back off. He storms out as Parker enters, announcing a similar complaining call from Krawczyk. Before he takes the call, Royce asks about Herc. He's mulling over whether to let him go or keep him close.<br><br>Finding the boys in their hangout behind a vacant factory, Carver warns Namond, Randy, Dukie and the boys that if any of them &quot;smile at a motor vehicle again,&quot; he'll be settling with them in the alleys, not at a JV hearing, and in doing so demonstrates his knowledge of their identities and activities.<br><br>Back in the homicide unit, Bunk tells Detectives Holley and Norris that in the confrontation with Lex's mother, he sensed a weird vibe from the woman, noting that it &quot;wasn't the usual way a mama lies.&quot; A call comes in and they debate who will take it. Holley, worried about his bad luck, demurs and Norris takes the call &quot;a body found in the street, no suspect and no witnesses.&quot; Holley and Bunk hi-five for not catching that case.<br><br>At the gym, yet another woman brings Cutty peach cobbler--even though she has no sons, she just appreciates what he's doing. Clearly, Cutty -- as a law-abiding single man working with youth -- is a fresh prize among the ladies of West Baltimore.<br><br>In the wiretap room of the detail office, Freamon, Greggs and Massey listen to the recording of Monk talking to Andre, intrigued. They make him as Old Face Andre, a mid-level dealer supplied by the Stanfield organization. They are also fascinated by the notion that they are listening to Marlo getting on Monk's phone to berate Andre -- indicating that he is less cautious about using cellphones himself and therefore vulnerable. They also wonder about the barrage of gunshots heard in the background -- notable given the lack of violence seen from Marlo's organization.<br><br>Police Commissioner Ervin Burrell and Deputy Commissioner for Operations William Rawls discuss the Mayor's angry response to the subpoenas, which has clearly rolled downhill at them. The Mayor wants no more surprises in this election season. Rawls guesses the subpoenas came from Lester Freamon; they can't shut his unit down now, due to how it would look if such a move became public, but Rawls suggests the unit get some &quot;proper supervision.&quot;<br><br>Meanwhile, Norris discovers that his seeming drug murder actually involves the death of a witness in a pending drug prosecution, meaning that the case has some priority and will result in overtime and a major investigation for Norris. But Landsman tells him to bury the witness angle in his initial reports because it's an election year then calls Major Valchek to report these developments. Valchek, in turn, shows up at Carcetti's with news of a murdered witness -- which Carcetti had apparently told him to keep a close watch for, should such a thing occur.<br><br>At school, Prez gets a briefing from the other teachers in his team, who agree on class rules double space papers, never assume, use the same headings on lab work, keep the windows closed to keep them drowsy, and for the troublemakers, call home. In the front office, Assistant Principal Marcia Donnelly asks a student to take a box of new school clothes to Dukie as a cleaned-up Bubbles shows up, claiming to be Sherrod's uncle so as to enroll him in class. As they pass in the office, Prez and Bubbles exchange an awkward glance of confused recognition.<br><br>Hitting a bag at the gym, Namond and Michael watch as yet another mother -- this one more attractive than the previous two -- brings Cutty some dinner and receives some attention in kind. Cutty's now-veteran fighters, Justin and Spider, interrupt to pick a fight over the use of the bag, and Cutty breaks up the scuffle. Cutty uses the opportunity to try to lure Michael into being officially trained, and though he seems intrigued, Michael stubbornly refuses.<br><br>During the Mayoral debate, Carcetti challenges the Mayor's claim that crime is down in Baltimore and reveals his bombshell: That a recent homicide victim was a key witness in a drug case. He blames the Mayor for refusing to spend the witness protection money that Carcetti himself secured from the Feds, reminding Royce that he wrote to the mayor last year, expressing his disappointment over the matter in a signed letter. As the Mayor responds haltingly, his aides, as well as Burrell and Rawls, watch grimly, while Carcetti's crowd beams. Rawls reminds Burrell that the Mayor wanted no more suprises coming out of the police department -- presumably that included news that a state's witness had been murdered.<br><br>Namond arrives home to find De'Londa has laid out a full array of new school clothes. He turns on the TV in his room. The debate is still on and some politician -- Tony Gray, as it happens -- is talking about schools and the relevance of education; Namond switches on his X-Box, and starts firing away.</p></div>

Home Rooms

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Seith Mann<br><b>Story by</b> Story by Ed Burns &amp; Richard Price<br><b>Teleplay by</b> Richard Price</p><p>&quot;Love the first day, man. Everybody all friendly an' shit.&quot; -- Namond Brice<br><br>Omar Little awakes to the sound of a garbage truck outside his window. Annoyed to discover there's no cereal, he blames his newest protégé Renaldo, still asleep, for letting the Honey Nut Cheerios box go light. In his silk pajamas, unarmed because the big gun won' stay in his waist, he heads out to the local grocery, then stops under a row house window on his way back, only to light a smoke, as cries of &quot;Omar comin''&quot; ring throughout the neighborhood. As Omar lights a Newport, a bag of vialed, ready-to-sling cocaine drops to his feet. Back at home, he dumps the bag on the breakfast table, then laments that he doesn't even want it. &quot;It ain't what you takin', it's who you takin' it from,&quot; he explains to Renaldo. &quot;How you expect to run with the wolves come night when you spend all day sportin' with puppies?&quot;<br><br>The Deacon drops by Howard &quot;Bunny&quot; Colvin's to feel him out about a job at University of Maryland's school of social work, which has landed a good-sized grant to look at repeat violent offenders. The Deacon has already sold the UM faculty on employing his friend, who carries some gravitas with the academics as the police commander who tried to legalize drugs in West Baltimore. But Colvin notes that the academics were the only ones who liked the idea and he says he's had his fill of do-gooders. Colvin insists he's happy at a hotel security job, making &quot;52, good bennies&quot; and getting a take home car.<br><br>Marlo Stanfield, Chris Partlow and Felecia &quot;Snoop&quot; Pearson pull up to Preseton &quot;Bodie&quot; Broadus's corner, where Bodie, Little Kevin, Michael Lee and others are working Bodie's package. It's clear that Bodie has made a little something out of the formerly moribund strip. Bodie tenses as they approach, but Chris assures him they are there to parley only. Marlo tells him he needs the corner now that it's developed. &quot;Two choices, you start takin' our package or you can step off.&quot; Marlo also has his eye on Michael, who earlier wouldn't take Marlo's handout of back-to-school money, but is now working a drug corner. &quot;He got some good signs on him,&quot; Marlo tells Chris.<br><br>Mayor Royce meets with State Delegate Watkins, his chief of staff, Coleman Parker, Police Commissioner Ervin Burrell and State's Attorney Demper to discuss the dead witness issue that Carcetti so effectively used in the campaign debate. Upset about Carcetti's eight point bump in the wake of that ambush, Royce takes the gloves off, telling his team to begin playing hardball, tearing up campaign signs and towing Carcetti's vehicles and telling campaign donors that they can't ride the fence and give to both him and his opponents. Then he tells Burrell and Demper to &quot;talk down that witness angle&quot; on the recent murder, and, if necessary, to get out in front and take the heat for the case. Most important, the mayor tells them, they need to prevent any further revelations on the case &quot;which reflects poorly on Royce's ability to protect state's witnesses and gives Carcetti a strong issue&quot; from coming out before the primary vote. Demper protests about having to take any blame at first. &quot;I'm running dead even with Bond right now,&quot; he says of his own re-election effort. &quot;How you gonna be running if I drop you from the ticket?&quot; Royce fires back. After Demper and Burrell exit, Watkins points out that Carcetti has a point about the Royce administration failing to claim matching funds that Carcetti had Watkins secure a year earlier during the previous legislative session in Annapolis. Royce explains that he will claim those funds after the primary, for the next fiscal year. To do so prior would have given Carcetti a campaign highlight.<br><br>Back on the corner, Michael doesn't rattle when some buyers try to scam him on some heroin sales and backs the older heads down. Bodie, impressed, tries to get Michael to work the after school rush hours, but Michael wants to quit now that he's repaid the money he needed for back-to-school supplies for himself and his younger brother. Besides, school's starting.<br><br>Kima Greggs surveys the street outside Old Face Andre's store, as Omar and Renaldo -unnoticed - survey her. Renaldo asks if Greggs is federal and Omar replies that she is city police and that he knows and likes her - up to a point. A school girl goes in the store, all dressed up and carrying a backpack - on the day before school starts - raising Omar's suspicions. He assumes that Greggs would notice such a detail as well. After the girl leaves - minus her backpack - Greggs heads into the store to buy some gum and check it out. She notices better security cameras outside the store than inside, as well as reinforced doors - indicative of a stash house rather than a viable grocery. As she drives away, Omar notes she needs more patience. But Greggs is off to report what she saw at Old Face Andre's to Freamon, who has been doing wiretap work ever since they picked up the call from Andre to Monk, a Stanfield lieutenant, a week prior - the one in which an irate Stanfield grabbed his lieutenant's phone and told Andre not to harry him. They consult the wiretap chart, trying to link Andre into the higher rungs of the Stanfield organization. &quot;We're getting close,&quot; says Greggs. Lt. Asher then leaves his office, saying he's been called downtown by Deputy Commissioner of Operations William Rawls. &quot;You guys aren't into any s**t are you?&quot; he asks on his way out. They deny it, of course.<br><br>At Police Headquarters, Deputy Commissioner Rawls Lt. briefs Charles Marimow on his new job - making sure he gets the Major Crimes unit back on the street where it belongs. No more movement on the subpoenas, which will not be answered until after the primary in any event. Asher arrives for his meeting with Rawls and is relieved of command of Major Crimes, transferred to the Telephone Reporting unit, and told he has done a fine job. Just fine.<br><br>It's the picture of domestic bliss at Beadie Russell's house, as Bunk arrives for dinner and McNulty introduces him to Beadie's kids, who are studying from the homeland security binders that McNulty liberated earlier at the Western. Afterward, Bunk lures McNulty out for drink at their old haunt of the railroad track, but McNulty nurses a single beer, much to Bunk's disappointment. Bunk presses him on whether he's really comfortable in his new life. &quot;Sometimes it is what it is,&quot; McNulty explains.<br><br>Bodie complains to Slim Charles about Marlo's latest pressure, noting that he could only make a go of the new strip because he was selling Slim's package of high-quality narcotics. On Marlo's weaker package, his profits will fall. Bodie wants to fight back, but he is alone now. Slim explains that the people he is working with now - Prop Joe and the New Day Co-op, of course - they aren't going to battle for any territory. Later back in a discount hotel meeting room, the Co-op crew, including Proposition Joe, Slim Charles and Fat-face Rick and others, meet to discuss how to handle Marlo's hegemony and that of the New York Boys on the eastside. Marlo is running off some of the independents supplied by the Co-op on the Westside, or forcing them to take their package. But the bigger problem is the recent emigrants from Brooklyn and the Bronx, setting up shop in East Baltimore and running various local crews off. The Co-op finds consensus: If they are going to bump with the New Yorkers, they need to stand together and Marlo, as young and violent as he is, would be an asset in that regard. It's noted that Marlo can &quot;make an inconvenient n***** disappear,&quot; and there is some discussion of how Marlo is hiding the bodies his organization drops. Proposition suggests its time to talk to Marlo again, to get him to cooperate, but Slim is skeptical he'll listen.<br><br>At his hotel security job, Colvin gets summoned to a room where a hotel patron has beaten a prostitute who lifted cash from his wallet. Colvin wants to arrest the assailant for assault, but the manager doesn't want any trouble for a customer who is instrumental in booking conventions into Baltimore. When Colvin cuffs him regardless, the manager has to remind him he's no longer a police officer: &quot;You work for us.&quot; Colvin relents and, ashamed to be doing what he is doing, leaves. The next day he tracks down Deacon to see about the social work grant he dismissed earlier.<br><br>The first day of school, Randy, Michael and Dukie head over to pick up Namond, with Michael keeping his younger brother, Bug, in tow and Randy giving his lunch to Dukie on the way. De'Londa Brice allows Michael and Randy into her home to collect Namond, but shuts the door in Dukie's face.<br><br>At morning roll call, Charles Marimow addresses his new unit, demanding to know where Officer Massey, who manned the wiretap overnight, is and why she is not present for the meeting. When the reason is given, it is insufficient. Marimow asserts his leadership and says he wants to be briefed on every action by the unit. Freamon, Greggs and Sydnor are not thrilled with the new boss.<br><br>At Tilghman Middle School, the first day begins in a rush of activity. Prez struggles to control his homeroom class. But the kids ignore his seating chart, steal his bus and hall passes and disrespect his authority. Fellow teacher Grace Sampson has to step in to restore order.<br><br>The Mayor calls a private meeting with Herc, inquiring about his career goals. Briefed about this very outcome by Major Valchek earlier, Herc feigns surprise as, Royce, after establishing Herc's loyalty, offers to make a call to push Herc's name to the top of the sergeant's list and then move him off the mayoral detail and back into another assignment. Herc expresses gratitude &quot;Don't mention it,&quot; Royce intones precisely.<br><br>In Prez's math class he attempts to lead them through a word problem but the kids knowingly interrupt and effectively destroy the lesson. One girl, Chiquan, refuses to sit near Dukie, complaining that he smells. Humiliated, Dukie says nothing. Chiquan provokes another girl, flashing the sun with a piece of jewelry to shine in the other girl's face. The teased girl goes for Chiquan, Prez tries to break it up and chaos breaks out until Grace arrives once again to help restore order.<br><br>Marimow comes down on the unit for all the time they're spending on Marlo Stanfield when there's no body count connected with the Stanfield organization. He lays down the law - no more long-term wire taps, no more subpoenas. He declares the Barksdale case closed immediately and says that when the fledgling Stanfield wiretaps come up for renewal, they will be terminated as well. Freamon argues it's up to a judge to decide when a wiretap comes down, but Marimow informs him the Deputy Commissioner for Operations will be talking to him about that very subject.<br><br>After using the disturbance to sneak out of class, Randy uses a string of different colored uniform shirts to mingle with different grades in the school cafeteria. He works the crowd, pitching his product: a backpack full of candy. Dukie watches with amusement, while he plays with a plastic battery-operated mini fan he's found inoperative in the street on the way to school.<br><br>Omar and Renaldo catch the next re-up at Old Face Andre's grocery, holding him up for the backpack the girl delivered. To distract Andre, Omar sent Renaldo into the store with a small-caliber handgun, knowing that Andre would be confident in the depth of his plexiglass. But while Andre is preparing to counter Renaldo, Omar slips past the security camera, enters the store and fires a shot high, through the plexiglass, using a large-caliber semi-auto. Renaldo gives up the package, and Omar to rub it in buys a pack of Newports and demands his change. As they leave, he references the look on Andre's face to Renaldo, saying, &quot;That's why we get up in the morning.&quot;<br><br>At the social work college on UM's Baltimore city campus, The Deacon brings Colvin to talk Professor David Parenti about a job as a field researcher - going out in the hood to find some corner boys to talk to for his study. He's looking for 18-to-21 year olds. Colvin thinks 18-21 a too late to be trying to influence behavior; by that time they are already lost to the game. &quot;So show him,&quot; says Deacon.<br><br>Carcetti shows up at the wake for the dead witness he used so effectively against Royce in the debate, checking with Wilson on his way in about the invited press. Clearly, they are planning to use the wake as a campaign event. He enters the funeral home, pays his respects to the boy's mother, launching into a speech before stopping himself. &quot;I'm just sorry for your loss.&quot; Seeing Watkins and Marla Daniels in the back of the room, he greets them both, then wishes Daniels luck with her race. &quot;The council sure could use you.&quot; Outside, he refuses to talk to reporters, much to Wilson's annoyance. But Carcetti considers appearances and implies that the real audience at this moment might be Watkins. Better to appear sincere at this moment, rather than calculating - he calculates.<br><br>Colvin gets Sgt. Carver to let him and the professor talk to an 18-year-old kid, Shawn, in the interview room. Shawn nearly attacks the professor for writing while he's talking, and after a tough few minutes in which Colvin quickly provokes the young man's rage, the professor has to concede that &quot;18-to-21 might be too seasoned.&quot; Carver suggests they try the local high school, but Colvin suggests they need to go even younger. He takes the professor to Tilghman Middle School and on encountering the 6th-to-8th graders, they sense that they are in the correct place to undertake their research.<br><br>Meanwhile, the exodus from the Major Crimes Unit is now on. Kima meets with her old mentor, Major Cedric Daniels, looking to get back under his new command in the Western District, but he says she's too good to go back to a district and that she needs to move laterally at worst. He offers to talk to people on her behalf. In the meantime, Freamon visits the Deputy Ops and is told by Rawls that he is a hell of an investigator - Rawls seems sincere in his praise - but that his investigation is at an end. Sending the subpoenas to politically sensitive targets has made it so; they can't stop the subpoenas, but they can get the unit that sent them by sending in &quot;my Trojan horse&quot; Charlie Marimow. Rawls anticipates that Freamon might go to the city judge who signed the wiretap order, seeking protection. Rawls references the fact that an earlier Deputy Ops once had to bury Freamon years ago for a similar action: &quot;You have a gift for martyrdom,&quot; Rawls tells him. &quot;But I wonder, are your disciples as keen for the cross?&quot; To protect his comrades, Freamon concedes defeat. Rawls then offers to let him land softly, transferring him back to C.I.D. homicide and telling Freamon that while it is hard to think it so now, he should consider this a favor.<br><br>Following this, Daniels approaches Rawls to plead for a Homicide assignment for Greggs. The only open spot was just filled, Rawls reports dryly, but, he adds, looking at the Homicide roster, &quot;Lemme see who I don't love no more.&quot;<br><br>Prez tries to get the class to tackle another math word problem, as the kids inject their jokes and commentary. Chiquan acts out a bit and the other girl, still angry at the earlier teasing, leaps up and slashes Chiquan across the face with a razor. As blood gushes from a screaming Chiquan, chaos erupts in the classroom. Prez is momentarily paralyzed with shock, but Grace Sampson arrives to disarm the angry girl and call for an ambulance. As Ms. Sampson tends to Chiquan, Dukie softly approaches the angry girl, producing his mini-fan, which he has repaired. He turns it on, blows it gently toward the girl, then leaves it on the floor for her. She ignores him, her eyes glazed and hands bloodstained, as Dukie watches her.</p></div>

Refugees

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Jim McKay<br><b>Story by</b> Ed Burns &amp; Dennis Lehane<br><b>Teleplay by</b> Dennis Lehane</p><p>&quot;No one wins. One side just loses more slowly.&quot; -- Prez<br><br>At an underground, all-night poker game at a westside skin joint, Marlo Stanfield is getting schooled by some old heads who know the game better than he does. Heading out into the early morning sunlight, he calls Chris Partlow before stopping at a corner grocery, where he buys a water and - upon being coldly eyed by the security guard -- brazenly pockets some lollipops and glares at the guard. The working man waits for Marlo's exit before confronting him outside. &quot;You think I dream of coming to work up in this s**t on a Sunday mornin'?...&quot; As Marlo ignores him, the guard gets more riled. &quot;I know what you are. And I ain't stepping to, but I am a man. And you just clip that s**t and act like you don't even know I'm there.&quot; &quot;I don't,' Marlo says, before going eyeball to eyeball with him. &quot;You want it to be one way...but it's the other way,&quot; he says coolly, before driving away with Chris.<br><br>At Dennis &quot;Cutty&quot; Wise's gym, the boys are talking about the bloody attack at school. Dukie Weems heard that the girl who wielded the razor in Prez's class had a father who killed three police and that her mother boils cats and serves 'em. Namond Brice mocks Dukie for such nonsense. Randy Wagstaff finally sets them straight: she's from a group home off Edmondson Avenue, and in those places, he tells them knowingly, you don't need to eat boiled cat to make you crazy.<br><br>Tipped off by The Deacon to a better paying job opportunity than his landscaping, Cutty shows up at Tilghman Middle School to see about a custodial job, only to learn from Assistant Principal Donnelly that what they really need is for him to mop up truants. Baltimore city can no longer afford actual truant officers or a anti-truancy program, so Donnelley has learned to keep a couple custodial positions unfilled at the beginning of the year for this contingency.<br><br>Still shaken by the attack in his classroom and believing that his students must be deeply shaken as well, Prez prepares a talk for the kids to help them come to terms with what happened. His wife tries to get him out of the house to take his mind off of events, but he's too wound.<br><br>Her first day in homicide, Shakima &quot;Kima&quot; Greggs runs into her fellow refugee from the Major Crimes Unit, Det. Lester Freamon, and her new boss Sgt. Jay Landsman assures her she'll get time to learn the basics, working nothing as a primary investigator for a few weeks. She gets a tour and stops to see William &quot;The Bunk&quot; Moreland in an interrogation room; he's lined up a witness to Fruit's murder, and the woman definitively identifies Lex as the shooter who murdered Fruit outside the downtown nightclub. Greggs picks up her first message: a call to a Mr. Lyon about something known as the methane probe protocols. Landsman and Freamon suggest she get right on it, then hang around and wait as she dials. An employee from the city zoo picks up, and when Greggs asks for &quot;Mr. Lyon,&quot; she chastises her: &quot;You sound a little old for this.&quot; The guys try to contain themselves: The hazing has begun.<br><br>At the rim shop, Old Face Andre is trying to buy time from Marlo, calling Omar a terrorist who &quot;blow up s**t just to,&quot; and carrying on about the government cutting Delta and the insurance companies and NASDAQ some slack in the wake of similar terrorist attacks because they know &quot;ain't nothing they could do.&quot; Marlo takes a shine to Andre's ring, and makes him hand it over before responding: &quot;Omar ain't no terrorist. He's just another nigger with a gun. And you ain't no Delta Airlines neither...So bring me what you owe and talk that global economy mess somewhere else.&quot;<br><br>After Andre leaves, Marlo tells Chris he needs a hundred and a half for another card game. &quot;Learnin' their ways require some patience.&quot; He assures Chris he's gonna take the old heads soon enough. &quot;Else maybe I get bored and send you to take 'em.&quot;<br><br>Looking thin and wan, clearly quite ill, C.I.D. commander Col. Ray Foerster meets with Commissioner Ervin I. Burrell and Deputy Commissioner William A. Rawls about the murdered state's witness, and finds himself suddenly defending veteran homicide Det. Ed Norris's ability to work the case. Burrell has another idea: give it to the &quot;fresh eyes&quot; of the rookie, Kima Greggs. When Foerster realizes what's really going on - that Burrell is trying to slow and impede a politically sensitive investigation, he asks to keep Norris on the probe but promises to prevent any more press leaks prior to the primary election. &quot;I resent the implication,&quot; Burrell responds, and Rawls gives Foerster a quick, subtle headshake: No argument on this. Foerster makes his appeal to Rawls later: &quot;This gets out, who do you think it's gonna land on? I got two years to make forty and a pension bump.&quot; Rawls concedes it's a bad call, but says it's the Commissioner's decision to make. &quot;He's the one over City Hall every day getting his ass chewed.&quot;<br><br>When Bubbles finds out Sherrod has been skipping the first days of school, he gives him an ultimatum: &quot;School or out the business.&quot; Given that Sherrod last attended the fifth grade, Bubbles asks Assistant Principal Donnelly to consider returning him to that level where he might be able to do the work. Donnelly explains that because of thin resources, Sherrod has to be &quot;socially promoted&quot; to eighth grade. Besides, she explains, putting older kids with the young ones isn't fair to the teachers - all the harder to maintain order.<br><br>Prez tries to talk to his class about the bloody attack, but they appear indifferent, cynical and disrespectful as always. Moreover, someone got wind that he was once a cop, and they want to know if he ever shot anyone, and what kind of gun he carried. He finally caves to their questions, admits he was once police, but insists the job wasn't about carrying a gun, &quot;it was about working with the community.&quot; The kids laugh, then mime popping off rounds. Chaos ensues. Prez tries to walk the aisles to get control, but Randy grabs his bag and slips out, followed by Sherrod, who has only moments before been dumped into Prez's class. Changing his shirt to the sixth grade color and using a stolen hall pass, Randy heads to the lower-grade lunch with a bookbag of snacks, ready to make sales. His classroom still in chaos, Prez tosses the notes from his speech, and catches sight of Sherrod outside, picking up discarded books from the blacktop.<br><br>Chris and Felicia &quot;Snoop&quot; Pearson do surveillance on the grocery store security guard, checking his hours. &quot;What he do again?&quot; Snoop asks. &quot;Talked back,&quot; says Chris. They then head to Hilltop and Bodie's corner to put the heat on Preston &quot;Bodie&quot; Broadus, and realizing he has no choice, Bodie agrees to take their package. When they ask about young Michael Lee's whereabouts, he tells them he's not a regular, just a kid working the corner long enough to pay off a debt. &quot;Why you asking?&quot; Bodie inquires. &quot;Never mind why,&quot; says Chris, letting Bodie know his low standing in the Stanfield organization. &quot;Why ain't in your repetoire no more.&quot;<br><br>Back in the sixth-grade lunch period, Randy's former teacher spots him and drags him back to the main office, where Donnelly accuses him of using hall passes to spray paint walls during classes. &quot;You know I don't.&quot; Randy protests. &quot;Then who is?&quot; she presses. He won't give, until she threatens to call his foster mom, Miss Anna. Randy caves as Cutty, watching from across the office while filling out paperwork, shakes his head sadly at the snitching.<br><br>Meanwhile, Howard &quot;Bunny&quot; Colvin pairs up with UM Sociology Professor David Parenti to pitch the pilot program to the school bureaucracy. Meeting with an area superintendent, Mrs. Conway, they find that she bristles defensively at first, worried that their program implies a negative critique of the school system. &quot;This isn't about the system,&quot; they assure her. They're just trying to get to the troubled kids who are about to fall out of the system altogether. She'll allow it, but with a caveat: &quot;Nothing that gets anyone upset...there's an election going on and we don't want to put our schools in the middle of that mess.&quot; Colvin, of all people, knows this score. &quot;No indeed,&quot; he replies.<br><br>Dets. Leander Sydnor and Off. Caroline Massey shut down the wire room, as Lt. Charlie Marimow, now firmly in control of the Major Case Squad and quite satisfied with himself, watches them head back on the street to pursue low-level arrests.<br><br>Armed with an arrest warrant, Bunk and Freamon wait for three marked units to answer their call for backup to search Lex's mother's house. They light up when they see one arriving officer is McNulty, who in turn, teases Freamon about having reached too far with his wiretap unit. Freamon explains that he tried to follow the money and McNulty shakes his head knowingly. When he offers to take the back, Freamon reminds him the man who takes the back buys the rounds.<br><br>Back or front, they come up empty except for Lex's distraught-looking mother, who's lit a shrine of candles on her mantle of photos. Noting this, Bunk presses her on whether her son is still alive, threatening to return often if she doesn't give up an answer. &quot;I don't know where my son is,&quot; she says through watery eyes. She is not only grieving; she is frightened as well.<br><br>At Marlo's pigeon coop, Proposition Joe makes a case for him to join the New Day Co-op - the consortium of citywide dealers. He lays out the benefits of &quot;standing together&quot;: good quality drugs always available at the best wholesale prices, lawyer and bondsmen on hand, shared information...and &quot;no one f**ks with you.&quot; &quot;No one f**ks with me now,&quot; Marlo shoots back, before thanking Joe for his time and sending him away.<br><br>At City Hall, mayoral Chief of Staff Coleman arker is pushing Royce to rally his base, concerned about the mayor's thinning lead in the primary race. He shows him campaign posters in African nationalist colors emblazoned with the slogan that the mayor &quot;makes US proud.&quot; Royce frowns: &quot;You want me to start wearing dashikis? Go all Marion Barry and sh**t?&quot; Parker says he also wants to put another $75,000 on the street in &quot;walk-around money&quot; on primary day. The Mayor tells him to call another game.<br><br>Running against Royce, Councilman Thomas &quot;Tommy&quot; Carcetti wants to meet with Royce's &quot;base&quot; as well - in the form of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance -- despite the fact that he hasn't been invited to their endorsement interviews with candidates and he'll never get their vote. His team thinks it's a waste of time, except Wilson, who agrees with the councilman that, done right, they'll respect him for it and, given that respect, they might be less than aggressive for Royce even after endorsing him. &quot;And if they don't, then at the least they get to see a beggin' ass white man on his knees. Always a feel-good moment for the folks.&quot;<br><br>At a community meeting in West Baltimore, Marla Daniels and her opponent in the 11th District council race, incumbent Councilwoman Eunetta Perkins, take questions from the residents, along with other district candidates. One complaint involves a halfway house for recovering addicts going up on one man's block. &quot;Not if I have anything to say about it,&quot; says Perkins. Daniels tries to point out the bigger picture: that the city's thousands of addicts need to live somewhere. &quot;Though not in white neighborhoods,&quot; Perkins interjects. Marla, suddenly on the defensive and showing her political inexperience, concedes her point, but adds, &quot;These are people - our brothers and sisters, our children, our friends, who are trying to change their lives...&quot; Meanwhile, watching from the sidelines, State Delegate Odell Watkins - Daniels' mentor and a power behind Royce, fumes as he spots a pamphlet: Mayor Royce ticketed up with Perkins, not Daniels - despite promises he made to Watkins earlier.<br><br>At a hotel suite downtown, Andy Krawczyk and six or seven other fat-cat developers join Mayor Royce in a card game, the second of the month. Privately, Krawcyzk commiserates with a colleague about how hard it is to feign losing hand after hand to the mayor when Royce plays cards so poorly. &quot;Texas Hold 'Em,&quot; the Mayor says, smiling as he deals. &quot;I begin to understand the popularity of this game... No limit.&quot;<br><br>Over drinks with Bunk, Freamon tries to put the pieces together on Marlo's missing bodies and the missing Lex, speculating about dumping grounds and the means of disposing of bodies, but Bunk is only interested in bodies of another sort: hitting on the women across the bar. As Freamon drones on about police work, a tanked-up Bunk watches the women walk out and begins bellowing for his old partner: &quot;Jimmy!&quot;<br><br>Snoop and Chris survey Michael's battered rowhouse, an old rummy sitting on the front stoop. They watch as Michael exits with Bug for school, and Snoop speculates they are just going to school so as to get out of their house every day. &quot;Make a good run at that boy, he'll be on a corner, no problem,&quot; Snoop says.<br><br>Bunk and Greggs arrive at a crime scene -- a body in a field. &quot;Soft eyes,' Bunk advises her, echoing the same advice given to Prez in a teacher's meeting a couple weeks earlier. &quot;You got soft eyes you can see the whole thing. You got hard eyes, you staring at the same tree, missing the forest.&quot; Greggs isn't impressed with his zen, but watches as they measure, order tests, use obscure technical terms - and fails to notice as Bunk slips a note inside the dead man's hand. When she takes her turn examining the corpse, she spots it, and they hand over tweezers. She unscrolls the paper: &quot;Tater killed me.&quot; The guys crack up. Burned again.<br><br>Colvin gets started on his research, observing classrooms that range from out of control to sternly subdued to genuinely attentive. He's almost plowed down by a kid rolling through the hall on a chair. &quot;You can tell the days by their faces,&quot; Grace Sampson explains to him later. &quot;The best day is Wednesday. That's the farthest they get from home, whatever's going on in the streets.&quot;<br><br>Out on his truancy rounds, Cutty learns what his job is really about. The school is only interested in having the kids show up for one day a month in September and October - the minimum attendance that assures each school will be funded for the fullest enrollment. Cutty is incredulous. &quot;Naw, naw man. School is school,&quot; he says to deaf ears. &quot;Which one of y'all still needs your September day?&quot; his round-up partner asks the kids in an abandoned lot. Cutty is disgusted.<br><br>At Blind Butchie's bar, Proposition Joe Stewart tries to clear the air with Omar, insisting he wasn't involved with Stringer Bell and Brother Mouzone in their play against him - he was merely the messanger. To set things right, he offers him a cut of a high-stakes card game on the west side. Omar suggests that Joe is trying to set him up and Joe denies it. Omar says he will watch the game and see if it is a legitimate target; if not, he promises to come back on Joe.<br><br>Marimow's stripped-down Major Crimes Unit gets two fresh new recruits: Off. Dozerman, now transferred to C.I.D. after being wounded in the line of duty last year, and the newly-minted Sergeant Thomas &quot;Herc&quot; Hauk. &quot;I see you just made sergeant after driving the Mayor around for less than three months...you must be a helluva driver,&quot; Marimow says to Herc dryly, before letting them both know that like Sydnor and Massey, they'll be on the street doing rip n' runs.<br><br>At the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, Carcetti makes his appeal to the all-black group. He voted for Royce twice but now he's disappointed and angry - mostly at the crime. &quot;Wherever I go, people want the same things, they need the same things, but they're just not getting them. I'm going to change that.&quot; He tells them he's not going to ask for their vote now, but that when he's mayor, &quot;my door is open to you, regardless of who you endorse.&quot; The ministers pointedly thank him for coming.<br><br>Sgt. Landsman, having gotten the order from Colonel Foerster, assigns Greggs her first case: primary on the investigation of the slain witness. Norris is being pulled off the politically controversial case. Greggs is as surprised as everyone else, thinking at first that this is more hazing.<br><br>On the way home from school, Namond says he heard someone's snitching on the wall taggers. &quot;Bam, bam,&quot; he says, giving a one-two punch, &quot;do that to whoever be snitching'.&quot; Randy keeps his head down. Michael takes Bug home and sits him down to do his homework, ignoring the rambling comments of his obviously drugged mother. Seeing that Bug is cared for, he leaves to go to Cutty's gym.<br><br>After school at Tilghman, school police deliver the latest on the slashed girl, Chiquan, to Prez and Donnelly: more than two hundred stitches, and the muscles in her face don't move right. As for her attacker, Laetitia, she'll go to a juvenile facility, &quot;only a little worse than her group home,&quot; Donnelly says. Chiquan wasn't HIV positive though, she tells a stunned Prez, who never even thought to worry about such a thing, &quot;if you're looking for a silver lining and all.&quot;<br><br>After using their nail gun to board up another vacant-rowhouse mausoleum, Snoop pulls out a rent-a-cop badge and shows Chris, smiling. &quot;Souvenir&quot; she explains, as he takes it from her and tosses it into a trash pile. The trouble with disappearing people is that nobody knows, she tells him, implying that this is doing nothing for her reputation. Chris shakes his head.<br><br>Bubbles waxes on about his lost innocence to Sherrod: &quot;Everything changes. You know. One minute the ice cream truck be the only thing you wanna hear...next thing, them touts callin' out the her-ron be the only thing you can hear.&quot; He notices Sherrod pretending to study an algebra text, telling Bubbles that the dictionary he has is a workbook to use with the text. &quot;It ain't no thing,&quot; Sherrod shrugs. Bubbles takes in the lie - and Sherrod's illiteracy -- and replies, &quot;I see that.&quot;<br><br>Cutty takes Michael and Justin to the armory fights, and as the boys admire the boxers, he offers tips about the skills of the men in the ring - and the discipline they've needed to get into fighting form. Michael seems ill at ease with Cutty and was quick to make sure that Justin would be attending as well before agreeing to even come to the fights. Now he offers an off-point comment to Justin about one of the fighters: 'Bet his woman's fine.&quot; Cutty is weary at the lack of attention to the sport itself.<br><br>Back at the underground card game with the old timers, Marlo is trumping Fowl George when Omar and Renaldo enter with the guard as hostage, armed for bear. &quot;That's my money,&quot; Marlo says, as the banker rounds it up for the stickup crew. &quot;Money ain't got no owners, only spenders,&quot; Omar tells him, admiring the ring Marlo took from Andre. It takes a pistol under his chin for Marlo to hand it over, but he finally does, with a threat: &quot;This ain't over.&quot; Omar, holding the trigger, reminds him, &quot;I can find your people a whole lot easier than they can find me.&quot; Marlo nods at the ring. &quot;Wear it in health.&quot;<br><br>After the fights, Cutty drops off Justin, then turns to Michael to get his address. Michael bolts out of the van with sudden urgency, passing on a ride home. Hiding behind a corner until Cutty drives away, Michael makes his own way down the street, walking home in the Baltimore night.</p></div>

Alliances

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> David Platt<br><b>Written by</b> Ed Burns<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Ed Burns</p><p>&quot;If you with us, you with us.&quot; - Chris Partlow<br><br>Late at night, outside an abandoned factory in West Baltimore, the young crew all sit together, contemplating mysteries: Michael Lee, Randy Wagstaff, Duquan &quot;Dukie&quot; Weems, Namond Brice, Donut and little Kenard. They've heard talk of the bodies in the vacant rowhouses and they've heard about who puts the bodies there: &quot;There's dead, then there special dead,&quot; intones Donut. Gunshots are heard in the neighborhood, followed by police sirens, but that's merely ordinary and the boys pay little heed. Instead, gravitating back to ghost stories, Namond floats a theory that Chris is turning the disappeared into zombies. &quot;Chris got the power. He tell 'em to come and they gotta come.&quot; Michael plays along with the gothic storytelling, adding that Marlo is probably using the undead for his own purposes: &quot;Prob'ly spies, man. Can't figure any other way Marlo knows so much.&quot; Scaring themselves with their musings, the boys - like the children they still are - spook themselves and flee in panic at the sudden sound of a kicked bottle and the stumbling arrival of a stray dope fiend.<br><br>Major Stanislaus Valchek tips off his First District political patron Tommy Carcetti on what's happening with the Braddock case - the one involving a slain state's witness, which was used so effectively by Carcetti against Royce in the mayoral debate. Detective Norris, a veteran, has been pulled from the investigation and replaced by a rookie detective. Along with his handlers, Theresa 'DAgostino and Norman Wilson, Carcetti contemplates the crude attempt to slow the murder probe. Too crude, they reason, for Royce. &quot;This one has Ervin Burrell written all over it,&quot; agrees Tommy, reasoning that Burrell is doing what he thinks he ought to for his political patron. Having already slapped Royce once with the Braddock case, Carcetti worries that going public a second time with the new revelation will backfire on Carcetti, or seem more of the same to the media. Instead, Wilson suggests they feed it to Tony Gray, which will not only keep them out of the line of fire, but will boost Gray's campaign at the expense of the Mayor's base. &quot;I'm a devious mother-f**ker once I get going,&quot; Wilson smiles.<br><br>At the Western District, Major Cedric Daniels meets with Lt. Charles Marimow and Assistant State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman to go over what's become of the prolonged wiretap efforts against Marlo Stanfield's organization - a handful of search warrants and planned street sweeps of various corners. Pearlman points out they're wasting a wiretap on street-level arrests but Marimow insists if the raids go right, they could catch Marlo or one of his people &quot;with dope on the table.&quot; Daniels and Pearlman doubt this and Pearlman tells Marimow she isn't about to litigate an entire wiretap for street-level arrests. Marimow is indifferent and leaves. Pearlman blames Freamon for their case being gutted - he overreached with his subpoenas probing the Barksdale money trail, bringing Marimow down on the unit.<br><br>Roland &quot;Prez&quot; Pryzbylewski tries to take control of his class with a new rule system - doing classwork and homework earns stickers and ultimately prizes, misbehaving earns detention. He illustrates his system by assigning Namond, who interrupts his explanation, to detention. When Namond objects that he didn’t yet know the rules, Prez agrees to his logic and removes his name - quickly adding another student's name Zenobia when she acts out moments later.<br><br>Over in the teacher's lounge, Howard &quot;Bunny&quot; Colvin and Professor David Parenti review with Grace Sampson how to proceed with their grant-funded pilot program. As Colvin sees it, there are two kinds of kids: stoop kids (who hang out near home and obey their parents) and corner kids (who don't and go down to the corners). When he suggests separating the groups so the stoop kids have a better chance at learning without disruptions, Grace and Parenti warn that &quot;tracking&quot; can suggest reduced expectations for certain students and is looked upon with disfavor by the school system and by the public. Bunny argues that by not separating the kids, everyone suffers. Grace agrees to the separation if he thinks it will truly help the corner kids, rather than merely warehousing them in a separate class.<br><br>Prez tries to help Michael in class but he just sits there, staring at his page blank, forcing Prez to give him detention. Suddenly Namond jumps up to watch Assistant Principal Marcia Donnelly overseeing a shakedown of bushes outside. When Prez can't reign in Namond with detention, he orders him to leave. Their argument escalates until Namond shouts at him: &quot;Get your police stick out the desk and beat me. You know you f**kin' want to.&quot; Storming out, the boy walks straight into Sampson, Colvin and Parenti; Colvin tags him as one of the corner kids for the program.<br><br>At Marlo Standfield's outdoor lair, Marlo and Chris Partlow talk about what to do about Omar. Marlo wants to put a price on his head and go on the hunt, but Chris urges him to find another way, without bounties. &quot;Barksdale turned this town upside down huntin' him and all he ended up lookin' was weak.&quot; Marlo comes around, admiring his lieutenant's logic.<br><br>Working a corner, Sherrod is trying to fend off a drug addict who is short money and insisting on a discount when Bubbles comes up asking why Sherrod's not in school. Before that question can be answered, the addict beats up Bubbles, looking for the extra $4 he needs for his purchase. He rips off Bubbles' shoe and finds a vial, which he takes instead. &quot;Don' need the four now, son,&quot; the addict says to Sherrod as he runs off, leaving Bubbles humiliated and bloody in the street.<br><br>If he's done nothing else, Carcetti and his insurgent campaign forces Mayor Clarence Royce to shave - exuding a more youthful, hungry appearance. But out on the campaign trail, Carcetti's the one showing real hunger, pressing the flesh in both black and white neighborhoods when Wilson gets a call to meet with Tony Gray's team in 20 minutes. At the closed-door meeting between Wilson, Councilman Gray and his campaign manager, Tony - still bitter over being used by Carcetti to split the black vote - shows that he sees that Carcetti hopes to use him now to slam Royce with the revelation about the obstruction of the Braddock case. So Wilson lays out the facts: Tony's not going to win, but if he uses the leak to bring his numbers up, he's in a better position for the next round of elections, if he wants to run for the state legislature or maybe try a congressional run. Gray sees his logic.<br><br>Prez presides over a packed classroom of detention detainees - indeed, it seems like his entire roll is staying after school, well-behaved for the first time all day, as he calls roll. They shower him with pleas to leave and promises of better behavior. He agrees to make an exception this one time and as they file out, Namond, Randy and Dukie enter. Namond apologizes and Prez accepts, urging him to work harder tomorrow, but Namond says he's been suspended by Mrs. Donnelly. Prez asks to see Dukie alone, but Dukie says Randy can stay as the teacher hands Dukie a bag of clean clothes and toiletries. Randy and Dukie then explain that Michael can't come to detention because he has to pick up his little brother, Bug, because their mother is &quot;on that stuff.&quot; Prez walks the kids out, asking them what they want to be when they grow up. The usual clichés about the NBA or NFL are quickly put aside and Randy explains he wants to own a store. Prez points out he'll need to know a lot of math to do that. When Prez realizes he's locked his keys in his car, the boys call Donut over. &quot;Donut's crazy with cars, he can open anything,&quot; explains Randy as Donut works his slim jim into their teacher's car and pops the lock.<br><br>Sherrod comes home to the squatter's pad and finds Bubbles recuperating from his beating in bed. As a token offering, Sherrod leaves vials by the bedside. His mentor chastises him for still working the corners, warning him that it'll use him up. He points out that the corners provide for no dignity, adding that if it was Sherrod being beat, there would have been little that Bubbles could have done. He tells him he can stay the night, but if Sherrod doesn't go back to school tomorrow &quot;this partnership need to be done.&quot; Looking over at the vials, Bubbles feels only shame.<br><br>Parker barges into an election strategy season in Royce's office and turns on the TV: Councilman Gray is talking about the &quot;unconscionable&quot; intervention of high-ranking police officials in the murder investigation of the witness. Meanwhile at Homicide, Dets. Norris and Greggs watch the same news reports with Gray bemoaning the replacement of a &quot;highly decorated veteran&quot; (Norris) for a rookie (Greggs). &quot;The f**k I ever do to him?&quot; asks Greggs, humiliated.<br><br>At their abandoned factory hangout, Namond, Randy, Michael and Dukie are killing time when Chris and Snoop appear - their very ghost story come to life - and asks Michael to take a walk. When he demurs, Chris orders the others to get lost. They do so, but not before Namond is quick to call both Chris and Snoop by name - a subtle indication that they are known to the boys in case they are thinking about hurting Michael. Namond and Dukie guide a scared Randy down the alley and they duck around a corner to keep watch. Chris tells Michael they've heard good things about him and are always in the market for a soldier, someone to make family. Michael begs off, saying he's got family already. &quot;We be around if you need something,&quot; says Chris, slapping a wad of cash in his hand. When Michael rejoins the guys, thanking Namond for &quot;good looking out,&quot; Randy babbles his fear, certain Chris is after him. He says nothing about his role in the death of Lex earlier, and Michael, amused at Randy's paranoia, teases him before assuring that &quot;it weren't even about you, Randy.&quot;<br><br>Royce rips Police Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell as Deputy Commissioner for Operations William Rawls and Mayoral Chief of Staff Coleman Parker watch, demanding to know how he could have screwed up so much: Hamsterdam, the politically charged subpoenas, then the leak about the witness murder and now the attempted scuttling of that investigation. Burrell defends himself saying the Mayor specifically asked him to slow down the investigation. Out of Burrell's eyeline, Rawls shakes his head tellingly - a gesture noticed by Royce and Parker both. Disgusted, Royce orders Burrell out and turns to Rawls, who assures Royce he tried to warn Burrell that his plan was a bad one - though in fact, he issued no such warning -- but he didn't warn City Hall because he's &quot;a loyal subordinate.&quot; Royce tells Rawls &quot;I need you to make this go away, Bill. I won't forget. Believe me.&quot; Rawls nods agreeably.<br><br>Chris tells Marlo that Slim Charles sent word that Proposition Joe wants a sit down. &quot;Slim says the fat man knew the card game was gonna get took.&quot; Hearing this, Marlo tells Chris to set it up. They're interrupted by Old Face Andre, who has clearly been summoned to Marlo's lair. Marlo tells Andre they have a plan: They're going to stage a robbery in his store, and he's to call the police and file a report fingering Omar for the crime. Andre doesn't like the plan - Omar will get right out and come back at him. &quot;He won't get out,&quot; assures Marlo. When Andre leaves, Chris questions him: &quot;A man can make bail on a robbery.&quot; Marlo has a solution: &quot;Make it no bail.&quot; Sensing his meaning, Chris laughs.<br><br>Lunchtime in Prez's classroom, and many of the kids choose to hang out in the new teacher's classroom rather than the cafeteria. Prez talks to Michael, telling him he needs to come to him with problems like not being able to come to detention. He excuses him and calls Dukie to his desk offering him some of his lunch and sending him to the cafeteria to get a drink to wash down the sandwich. When he leaves, Prez asks Crystal why Duquan isn't wearing any of his new wardrobes. &quot;His people take his clothes, sell it on the corners,&quot; she explains, adding that Dukie's situation is common knowledge at the school.<br><br>Meanwhile, Colvin and Parenti meet with Principal Withers and Donnelly to discuss their proposal: &quot;Different kids, different approaches.&quot; Withers gets called away to deal with a situation, but tells them if they want to jump in and help, that's all the OK they need. He dismisses the school system hierarchy and tells them thank you, as it's the only time they'll hear it said. Donnelly then emphasizes to Colvin and Parenti that they need protect Withers -- if anyone has a problem with their plan, he'll get the blame. They agree and get down to business. Of the 256 eighth graders, she guesses about 40 are hardcore corner kids and when they find that number an acceptable one, she dissuades them: Start with 10, she warns. Colvin is pleased to hear that one of them is Namond Brice.<br><br>Dets. Lester Freamon and William &quot;Bunk&quot; Moreland stroll Leakin Park, famed dumping ground of West Baltimore, looking for some of the bodies that Freamon believes Marlo ought to be dropping. But come up empty.<br><br>At the Western District, Marimow briefs his detail on the impending raids as Daniels and Pearlman listen in. Pearlman whispers that the addresses are a week old, so the raid will be a certain bust. As they're dismissed, Sgt. Ellis Carver complains to Sgt. Thomas &quot;Herc&quot; Hauk, who is subordinate to Marimow in the Major Crimes Unit, that &quot;warrants are one thing, but street sweeps of Marlo Stanfield's crews? Are you guys serious?&quot; Herc defends the raids and Carver shrugs it off, but asks why he's not out campaigning for his man Royce. &quot;He gets another four years, you're liable to be wearing the gold braid,&quot; Carver points out. Herc takes in this profundity. And back in the major's office, Pearlman laments the last crusade of the once-vaunted Major Crimes Unit, going out with a whimper. She's frustrated with this poor quality of casework, weary of the drug war itself. She tells Daniels that that she is ready for something new - that is, if Demper wins and forgives her for the untimely political subpoenas.<br><br>In homicide, Sgt. Jay Landsman breaks the news to Greggs that Norris is back on the dead witness case by order of Deputy Ops and she has to get the new story straight: Norris has been the primary all along and she's merely been assisting him. &quot;F**k you, fat man,&quot; she tells him, letting him know she's fed up with their games and humiliations. He shuts the door and lets her know what they're up against, then tells her to prepare for the further deceit of a press conference.<br><br>Randy confides to Dukie his fears about Chris taking him to the vacants like he took Lex and so many others and confides his role in Lex's disappearance. Dukie sets him straight that Chris isn't &quot;changing&quot; anyone into zombies in the vacants, he's killing them. Dukie confesses he saw Chris walk a boy into a house over on Calhoun, but begs Randy not to tell anyone. Secrets shared, they sit, fretful.<br><br>The police raids descend on various addresses and corners in search of the Stanfield organization. They come up with goose eggs on the warrants and minor arrests on the corners. Marimow, enraged, is convinced that Stanfield's people were tipped. He wants blood and demands to know where Marlo hangs out. Herc is clueless but Carver offers the outdoor lair he's seen him in: &quot;So no one can drop a microphone on him.&quot; Marimow asks Herc what they can do with that.<br><br>Royce tells State Delegate Odell Watkins that keeping Burrell was his biggest mistake, but Watkins points out that Royce did indeed tell the police commissioner to slow the Braddock investigation. Moreover, Watkins confronts the Mayor with two versions of Royce campaign literature - one pairing him with Eunetta Perkins in precincts where Perkins is strong, the other with Marla Daniels in other precincts. Royce promised Watkins he'd go with Marla. Royce pleads ignorance in the ruse, but Watkins doesn't buy it. He also knows about the mayor's fundraising card games with every developer and city contractor worth shaking down, and he's had it. &quot;I'm gonna sit what's left of this one out,&quot; he says, passing Parker on his way out. Parker tells Royce he better go after him; they can't afford to lose Watkins and his political organization so close to election day. When Royce, prideful and angry, won't give chase, Parker does. Lt. Hoskins, who heads the mayoral security detail, witnesses the dust up and places a call to Deputy Commissioner Rawls.<br><br>Herc and his running buddy, Officer Dozerman, pull up near Marlo's outdoor hang out in an undercover van and position a camera, with Det. Leandor Sydnor's assistance. As soon as they leave, a young hopper appears, checks out the camera and pulls a cell phone to report the news.<br><br>In the visiting room at M.C.I. Jessup, or &quot;The Cut&quot; as it's known in Maryland, DeLonda leaves for the ladies room so Wee-Bey and Namond can have some father-son time. Namond doesn't want to be lectured about school when Wee-Bey dropped out at 6th grade, so Wee-Bay backs off from such hypocrisy, though he urges his son to tread lightly if only to appease his mother. But when Namond scoffs at how Bodie buckled to Marlo's pressure, Wee-Bey warns that while Namond's spit and fire is admirable, it's a different world out there today. Loyalty is no longer prized and the old codes are being lost. Bodie had no choice.<br><br>As Snoop stands watch, Chris heads into Old Face Andre's store, shoots a delivery woman dead and pistol whips Andre ordering him: &quot;Say Omar.&quot;<br><br>Herc and Sydnor watch the camera feed as Marlo chats with his crew. Herc is excited by the set up, but ducks out leaving Sydnor to watch alone. Marlo then joins Chris in their SUV, telling him he hasn't decided how to handle the camera just yet. They head off to Marlo's sit-down with Proposition Joe.<br><br>Randy is approached by eighth-grader Monnel with an offer to earn some real money $5 to stand watch while he and his friend Paul get it on with a girl, Tiffanie, in the bathroom. That's a lot of candy sales, so Randy obliges.<br><br>At Royce campaign headquarters, Herc works the phone bank, making the hard sell for Royce votes as best he can - the political process being new to him.<br><br>In a Homicide interrogation room, a bloodied Andre fingers Omar for the murder. Meanwhile, having checked the sewers for bodies unsuccessfully, Freamon and The Bunk return to the unit and Bunk urges Lester to focus his mighty intellect on some real murders, giving up on the hypothetical ones.<br><br>While Carcetti and Wilson are going door-to-door pressing flesh in a rough section of East Baltimore, Rawls pulls up, surprising them. He announces that Watkins is breaking with Royce, and claims he's sided with the Mayor because he had to as a loyal subordinate. But he'd be happy to see some fresh blood in the city, and he'd like to have the chance to do some good in the police department. Carcetti and Wilson wait until he drives away, then race to their truck to speed off to see Watkins. &quot;And f**k them red lights, man!&quot; orders Wilson.<br><br>Proposition Joe Stewart and Marlo sit across from each other in a Christian Science reading room as Chris and Slim Charles stand by. Joe makes it clear he has a way of hearing about things before they come down - like the card game and a set of imminent grand jury indictments he shows Marlo, naming drug kingpin Charlie Burman and others. He might warn Burman what's coming; he might not - Burman is not a member of the New Day Co-op. Marlo asks if he's heard anything about the video camera aimed at him. &quot;Had no incentive to listen,&quot; says the fat man. &quot;You do now,&quot; replies Marlo, reaching out a hand to shake on it and embrace the collective.<br><br>Carcetti makes a case to Watkins for jumping to his side. Right now both Royce and Carcetti may need Watkins, but after the election, Carcetti will need him more. &quot;I'm a white mayor in a majority black city,&quot; he explains. &quot;If you support me, you will have a voice within my administration simply because I'm gonna need it.&quot; Watkins says he's heard Royce is ahead by seven points. Carcetti denies it, saying his latest poll shows him within four. Watkins takes this in, impressed with the opportunity.<br><br>Late night in a rear alley, Dukie leads Michael and Randy to the vacant house he spied Chris escorting one of his victims. Prying the plywood off the door, they creep inside, making their way to the decaying bodies in the back of the house. &quot;He dead,&quot; Dukie says, pulling away the plastic cover. &quot;They all is.&quot; As they file out, Dukie proves his point to Randy, who, still childlike in many ways, seems relieved to know that they are not, at least, zombie spies ready to haunt his dreams. &quot;There ain't no special dead,&quot; says Dukie. &quot;There's just dead.&quot;</p></div>

Margin of Error

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by </b>Dan Attias<br><b>Written by</b> Eric Overmyer<br><b>Story by</b> Ed Burns &amp; Eric Overmyer</p><p>&quot;Don't try this shit at home.&quot; - Norman Wilson<br><br>On the Sunday before the primary, the mayoral candidates attend their church of choice with their families and entourages. Mayor Clarence Royce heads to a black Baptist Church in East Baltimore, Councilman Tony Gray to St. Bernadine's Catholic Church in Edmondson Village, while Councilman Thomas &quot;Tommy&quot; Carcetti use the opportunity to travel to the church of a politically influential minister in West Baltimore, where an A.W.E. gospel choir is tearing it up. Randy Wagstaff and his foster mother, Miss Anna, head into a storefront Pentecostal church, while Bodie's boys, including Kevin, sling on the corner across the way. The Reverend Reid Franklin holds forth with an election day homily, preaching to his flock and Carcetti in particular about Moses as law-giver, and &quot;men of truth who fear God and hate covetousness.&quot; He asks the congregation to keep those standards in mind when they choose their city's leaders.<br><br>After services, Carcetti tells Reverend Franklin he hopes state Delegate Odell Watkins - now firmly in the Carcetti camp -- won't be the only one to break with the incumbent mayor. &quot;You're holding me to a high standard,&quot; he chides. &quot;Moses? I mean, Jesus, Reverend...&quot; Jennifer Carcetti winces at the small blasphemy. Unperturbed, the Reverend promises to keep an open mind - a sign that Carcetti is indeed making inroads among black voters - and shoots back: &quot;Moses will do for now. We'll save Jesus for your second term.&quot;<br><br>Across town in a surveillance van, Sgt. Thomas &quot;Herc&quot; Hauk watches for Marlo Stanfield and his lieutenants, spying through the camera hidden by the Major Crimes Unit in Marlo's outdoor lair. No signs of life. Hauk tells Detective Leandor Sydnor to call him when someone shows up, and departs.<br><br>Carcetti and aide-de-camp Norman Wilson work the crowd outside Baltimore's new African-American History Museum when Watkins, pressing the flesh for Carcetti, arrives with an attack flyer he has just been handed by a voter. The flyer screams: &quot;Carcetti Defended Notorious Slumlord.&quot; A last-minute smear campaign depicts the candidate getting a loathed local landlord off the hook during his days as a private sector lawyer. Tommy claims he never met the guy, much less represented him. &quot;They photo-shopped me.&quot; He isn't appeased by Bennett and Wilson's assurances that they have time to knock the false allegation down.<br><br>At their lair, Marlo and Chris arrive and stage a phone call for the hidden cameras, of which they are well aware. Monk takes a call and hands it to Marlo, who asks what time he can pick up &quot;the skinny girl from New York,&quot; insisting he's gonna take care of it himself. As Herc and Sydnor watch from the van, a lip reader translates. Herc decodes: The skinny girl is cocaine. Sydnor can't believe Marlo would go near a package himself, but Herc feels vindicated in his view of Marlo as a mope.<br><br>Back in the Carcetti war room, the team reviews the fake flyer and how to debunk it. Tommy is beside himself, convinced this will destroy his chances. His campaign staff assure him they'll take care of it.<br><br>Namond and De'Londa, dressed in their Sunday best, meet with Brianna Barksdale, who breaks the news there will be no more money coming their way on Wee-Bey's behalf. Outraged, De'Londa threatens Brianna, noting that Bey could get to speaking about her brother Avon - exposing Avon to even more prison time. &quot;I don't give a shit what happens to Avon,&quot; Brianna fires back, before telling Namond that she invited him to the meet for a specific purpose - to make it clear that his mother's been paid enough that he should have enough money going forward. Namond doesn't know what to believe.<br><br>Working the weekend shift two days before the primary election, Norris fills Greggs in on a message from a jailhouse snitch who wants to make a deal for the information they need to make the dead witness case. Norris wants to push it through before the election to shake things up - not knowing or caring whether it hurts the Mayor or Carcetti. &quot;I don't even vote. But it'll be fun to f**k with all them downtown suits.&quot; Not to mention the fact that an arrest in the controversial case could land Greggs on the 11 o'clock news, payback for what the politicians put her through.<br><br>At home, the Carcettis watch the late night news, exhausted by the campaign and wishing it was over. Even though they found the original photo in the local newspaper's morgue files and were able to prove that it was doctored, some damage has been done. And officially, the Royce campaign claims to know nothing about claiming the smear tactic or the origin of the slanderous fliers. Tommy Carcetti confides to his wife that he'd have been okay losing by fifteen points, but now that he has a shot, he can't take the idea of losing by two.<br><br>Back at home, De'Londa Brice tells Namond Brice he's now going to have to step up. He can't quit school, but he has to go ask Bodie for his own package. Namond asks his mother what Brianna meant about her being paid enough money. &quot;She's a lying bitch,&quot; De'Londa claims, as she calls Wee-Bey to break the news. Wee-Bey seems decidedly non-commital as De'Londa rails her outrage, indicating he has no plans to snitch on the Barksdales.<br><br>At roll call in the Western District, Lt. Dennis Mello announces the new arrests warrant for murder and a weapons charge for Omar Little. The cops know him well; they're glad someone finally got paper on him. But Off. Jimmy McNulty finds something strange. &quot;You ever know Omar to do a citizen?&quot; he asks Officer Tony Colicchio.<br><br>Early that same morning, Wilson finds Carcetti at campaign headquarters, where he's been poring over data trying to figure where he should go door-to-door in the waning hours of the campaign to pick up more votes. Wilson drags him off to do his radio shows, insisting he leave the campaign planning to the experts.<br><br>As the Tilghman Middle School students arrive for the day, Roland &quot;Prez&quot; Pryzkylewski intercepts Duquan &quot;Dukie&quot; Weems and takes him to the gym locker room, where he presents him with a locker, clean clothes, soap and a laundry bag. If Duquan gets to school early, he can shower and change and Prez will take the dirty clothes and wash them.<br><br>Deputy Commissioner for Operations William A. Rawls pays a visit to Homicide, surprising Sgt. Jay Landsman. He's heard about Norris making a move on the Braddock case to writ out a jail witness for an interview, and he's not happy with the &quot;let the chips fall where they may&quot; approach, given that a determination over whether the murder resulted from Braddock's witness status could risk either Royce or Carcetti holding a grudge if they win. And it turns out that city polling places still need to be covered by more uniformed officers. He tells Landsman to order Greggs and Norris to report for poll duty. &quot;They can pick up their writ and talk to their snitch on Wednesday,&quot; Rawls says.<br><br>As Grace Sampson hands out the list of the ten students being pulled for the University of Maryland study, the teachers are genuinely relieved to lose a few of their knuckleheads. Prez is trying to explain fractions to his math class when he's interrupted by Assistant Principal Marcia Donnelly, who pulls Namond, Darnell and Zenobia from class with no explanation, leading to lots of speculation about what kind of trouble they're in. Donnelly and Sampson round up the remaining students from other classes. As they are walked to their new classroom, Tiffany - now subjected to teasing over her bathroom trysts with the boys - is talking animatedly in the front office.<br><br>With Carcetti still wound up about the flyer, Wilson reports that state Senator Clay Davis wants to meet, likely to throw in with Carcetti. But of course, Davis won't come cheap. Tommy is dubious about Davis squeezing him and not coming through, but Wilson and Theresa 'DAgostino convince him the money is worth the gamble.<br><br>Settling into seats at a nice restaurant, Davis explains to Wilson and Carcetti that he can't offer a public endorsement so late in the game, but he can see to a push in a few of his organization's key precincts, and split some of his tickets and walk-around money between the Royce and Carcetti camps. He slips Carcetti a piece of paper with a figure on it and Tommy nods. Carcetti and Wilson beg off the sit down lunch - they're due on the campaign trail -- and Davis jokes they should just leave enough for his tab.<br><br>When RandyWagstaff is called to Donnelly's office, he at first denies he knows anything about Tiffany being in the bathroom with two boys, Monnel and Paul. But when he hears she claimed they raped her, he quickly and truthfully insists he was just a lookout -- and she went willingly. Donnelly warns him there will be an investigation and likely suspension, if not explusion. Maybe even criminal charges. As she dials Randy's foster mother, Randy begs her, offering all of the valuable information he has about other activities at Tilghman Middle - tagging, thieving, slashed tires. As nothing stops her, he makes a last ditch effort. &quot;I know about a murder,&quot; he says softly, recluctantly, finally getting her attention.<br><br>Grace Sampson and Howard &quot;Bunny&quot; Colvin explain the mandatory program to the ten chosen students, who are none too pleased to hear about it - Namond, well versed in the terminology of incarceration by his father, immediately declares the new class to be solitary. They've been removed from gen-pop and sent to the hole. Colvin agrees with the assessment. From Donnelly, Prez learns about Randy's situation, and pleads with the assistant principal to let him call someone he trusts at the police department. &quot;I don't want to see him get chewed up by the system.&quot; He pays a visit to Major Cedric Daniels, who suggests passing it to Sgt. Ellis Carver. Prez is dubious, but Daniels assures him Carver's come a long way.<br><br>At the Amtrak station, Herc stakes out the arriving New York train. When he spots Marlo approach a woman arriving on a southbound Metroliner - who Marlo clearly does not know and who is clearly confused - Herc sends the Amtrak police supervisor to make the collar so he can surprise him at the interview. He grabs both her and Marlo, confiscating her bag in the process. Marlo smiles to himself as he's dragged away. Herc looks on, proud. But minutes later, when the supervisor reports they'e both clean, Herc has no choice but to cut Marlo and the woman loose.<br><br>Brought into the school case, Carver pays a visit to Randy'shome to talk to Miss Anna, and as Randy listens from the other room, he explains to the foster mom that the boy was just an unwitting go-between on the possible homicide case. If he keeps his mouth shut and cooperates, they can keep him out of it. Miss Anna is distraught at the danger he could be in, not to mention his bad judgment in that matter, as well as the incident at school. Carver agrees, but assures her that &quot;rom what I can tell, he's not a bad kid.&quot;<br><br>When Election Day finally arrives, Dennis &quot;Cutty&quot; Wise gets up early and heads out for a jog, evading his latest conquest's questions about when he's coming back. As he runs through the poster-festooned streets, campaign workers herd people to the polls, and candidates cast their votes for the cameras. At Tilghman Middle, now a polling precinct, Miss Anna heads in to vote while Randy waits outside. Spider, handing out Carcetti ballots for pay, quickly bolts when he sees Cutty - who has been searching for him for weeks. The Precinct Captain then hires Randy to take Spider's place, giving him a crate of flyers and $50 to put one in every doorway in a Westside neighborhood. Miss Anna okays it, but orders him to come straight home after. So Randy sets out with the flyers, rounding up Dukie, Donut and Kenard to help, while Michael begs off to head to the gym.<br><br>Meanwhile, Greggs gives Norris hell for getting her stuck on polling detail, thanks to his plan to jerk around the politicians and get them both on the 11 o'clock news. Carcetti is meeting and greeting his public in his home district when he's accosted by an older supporter who says he knew his father, then starts in on what's happened to the city starting in on what's happened to the city since &quot;the moolies&quot; took over city government. In the wake of the racial epithet, Norman Wilson offers Carcetti a bitter smile. Carcetti is speechless as the man walks off.<br><br>De'Londa drags Namond to see Bodie Broadus, humiliating her son as she demands he be given his own package. Bodie can't say no. Meanwhile, Namond's friends are not far away, growing tired of their own new gig papering row houses with campaign literature, but Randy threatens not to pay them if they quit. When they realize he's already been paid and is holding their money, they demand instant gratification. Randy pays out the cash, but continues to finish the job on his own.<br><br>At the gym, Michael Lee works a bag as Cutty works yet another lady, showing her some moves. Namond comes in looking for the gang. He tells Michael he's got his own package from Bodie, and asks if Michael wants to go in on it. Michael refuses. He goes back to shadow boxing, as Cutty tries to engage him in conversation, asking why Spider hasn't been around. &quot;Why don't you ask his moms,&quot; he says, nodding towards the lady Cutty's been putting moves on. Clearly, Cutty also made time with Spider's mother. &quot;Ahh, I ain't no angel,&quot; Cutty says, smiling at his latest. &quot;No you ain't that,&quot; Michael responds, his distrust of Cutty on full display.<br><br>At Carcetti headquarters, they watch the TV as Clay Davis stands at a podium with Royce, fully endorsing the incumbent. They surmise that he probably shook the Mayor down for even more than the $20,000 they paid him. Wilson insists it was worth a shot, but Carcetti - wondering if Davis knows who the winner is likely to be and has backed Royce accordingly - shows that nerves are getting the better of him.<br><br>In a grocery, Omar Little spots a radio car outside. Cautious, he goes back to the beer refrigerator and slips his gun behind the forties. As soon as he exits, Officer Walker orders him against the wall and spotting his ring, pockets it. When Omar accuses him of not playing by the rules, Walker throws him to the pavement, just as McNulty, Colicchio and other cars pull up. The charge is robbery murder, McNulty tells him. Omar shows his surprise then tells McNulty he needs to make a quick call. McNulty looks to Walker - who has the collar - and Walker shrugs indifferently. McNulty dials the number that Omar offers then holds the phone for Omar to tell the voice on the other end that he's been arrested and is on the way to Central Booking. &quot;I'm on it,&quot; Butchie responds. Omar nods a quick thanks as he's tossed in the wagon. Something doesn't add up for McNulty.<br><br>As the early returns come in, the candidates watch from their respective hotel suites. Namond heads home with Bodie's package, telling his mother it's a piece of cake. In the privacy of his bedroom, he stares at the vialed coke package as if it's a bomb.<br><br>Omar's brought into the bullpen at Central Booking on Eager Street downtown, to the jeers of inmates - many having been robbed by him. For the first time in a long while, he looks genuinely fearful.<br><br>Tense with anticipation, Tommy and Jennifer Carcetti take a break and walk along the harbor boardwalk. He speaks about what could happen if Baltimore found the strength to turn itself around, to solve its problems. When his cell phone rings, Jennifer urges him to answer. He hangs up before giving her the news: &quot;Royce is conceding...we won.&quot; &quot;Are we happy about that,&quot; she asks wryly. Carcetti allows that he thinks so.<br><br>An hour later, still incredulous, Carcetti takes the podium at his campaign's hotel ballroom, thanking his team as he points out they still have a general election to win. &quot;Is there a Republican candidate for mayor in Baltimore?&quot; he asks to laughter, Baltimore being almost exclusively Democratic in voter registration. As Jennifer begs off the celebration to go home, Wilson approaches with an unrepentant, shameless Davis. &quot;Shouldn't you be dead to me?&quot; Carcetti asks Davis. &quot;You got off cheap,&quot; the senator laughs.<br><br>In his holding cell, Omar readies for a fight as the guard lets in two hulking new inmates. One of them pulls out a shank, as if ready to fight, before muttering, with a half-smile, &quot;Butchie sent us.&quot; Omar sighs relief, taking the weapon.<br><br>As the celebration winds down at the Carcetti suite, Theresa 'DAgostino and the victorious candidate are the last ones left. Pouring one more for the road, 'DAgostino - an old flame from their law school days -- goes in for her &quot;win bonus,&quot; kissing Carcetti deeply. He starts to respond, then pulls back. &quot;You suddenly feeling mayoral?&quot; she needles him. She's not convinced he's changed, she says, telling Carcetti that Wilson routinely saw him ogling women on the campaign trail. She tries again and he gives in, momentarily, then he stops them. &quot;Maybe you have learned something,&quot; 'DAgostino says on her way out. &quot;Write me a check.&quot; The episode closes on Carcetti, with his future suddenly unwritten.</p></div>

Unto Others

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Anthony Hemingway<br><b>Story by</b> Ed Burns &amp; William Zorzi<br><b>Teleplay by</b> William Zorzi</p><p>&quot;Aw yeah. That Golden Rule.&quot; -- Bunk<br><br>In his cell, Omar gets help from Donnie and Big Guy, who create a makeshift suit of armor by wrapping books around his midsection with an ace bandage and duct tape. All padded up, the three head out to the food line. A fight breaks out between two men in front of them, and as one drops, Omar takes a shank to the chest. When the weapon bends against his armor, Omar grabs the shocked attacker's arm and twists him into a lock, then slams his face against the wall. &quot;We could'a made a baby,&quot; he says demonically, licking the guy's ear before ramming his own weapon up the guy's rectum. The rest of the inmates flinch as the man collapses, screaming in pain.<br><br>&quot;How that for a message?&quot; Omar asks Donnie and the Big Guy back at his cell. Not bad, they tell him, except the price on his head is up to five figures. And the man paying the bounty? Some westside player named Marlo. Omar claims he's never heard of him, then asks for a phone to call a police -- a man who owes him a favor.<br><br>Still on a rush from his win, Carcetti meets with the ex-mayor for advice. &quot;National party has to take notice, young and pretty as you are,&quot; he tells the councilman. Tommy can't hide his excitement at the thought, but he has a burning question -- he wants to know why the old guy didn't run for a second term when it was his for the taking. The ex-mayor tells a tall tale about his first day on the job, about eating silver bowls full of sh*t from the unions, the blacks, and the Polacks. &quot;You sit there eating sh*t, all day long, day after day, year after year.&quot; When he realized this, he decided being a downtown lawyer and getting to see his family every night made for a fine life. Carcetti smiles politely.<br><br>Spider is working one of Marlo's corners, taking money from two addicts, when Cutty approaches, pressing him on where he's been. &quot;You ain't my f**kin' father,&quot; Spider snaps, turning away. Cutty tries to assure him that what happened between his mom and him should have nothing to do with him taking advantage of the gym. &quot;You one of my best, boy. If I thought I was gonna hurt you...&quot; &quot;Man, f**k you,&quot; Spider fires back, &quot;ain't nobody gonna hurt me.&quot; Cutty looks defeated.<br><br>The boys have taken to spending their lunch break in Prez's classroom, playing poker. Prez reminds them he said no gambling, but they try and assure him it's all for peanuts. He decides to use their card game as a math exercise, and gives them tips on figuring out their odds.<br><br>Now that the election is over, Greggs and Norris have permission to solve the Braddock case, and they bring in an inmate, Anthony Wardell, for questioning.<br><br>After kicking him out, Bubbles goes to the school looking for Sherrod, worried about his whereabouts. Asst Principal Donnelly tells him he hasn't been in class since he last brought him in. &quot;If you see him, tell him he can come home if he wants,&quot; Bubbles tells her.<br><br>Prez gets the idea use games that the kids understand -- like craps -- to teach them math skills and goes off in search of dice from the school's board games. Donnelly is alarmed at first, worried he's veering from the curriculum, but she gives him the key to a storage room -- where he's stunned to find a treasure trove of newer edition books, videotapes, VCRs, even a brand new computer.<br><br>Bunk meets with Omar in jail, who reminds him he's still holding prosecutor Ilene Nathan's card, an IOU for the police gun he helped locate awhile back. But Omar's get-out-of-jail free card was for a small felony or two -- not a &quot;taxpayer murder with an eyeball witness.&quot; Omar insists he's been set up, that Bunk knows he's never put a gun to anyone who wasn't in the game. Andre runs a package out of his stores, and resents &quot;folk like me.&quot; Bunk reminds him about the other murders he likely did, Stringer Bell among them. &quot;This one gets to court, you can tell a jury how wrong it is.&quot; Omar reminds him he's not likely to survive that long in jail. &quot;If I knew I'd be sharin' quarters with all these boys, I might not robbed so many of 'em,&quot; he confides. &quot;Aw yeah,&quot; Bunk says, &quot;that golden rule.&quot; Somebody else took down that delivery woman at Andre's store, Omar insists, and now Bunk's letting him walk. &quot;A man must have a code.&quot; Bunk is stopped by his own words thrown back at him.<br><br>As Namond works the corner, a rival gang hovers on a corner down the block, staring him down and placing a 9mm gun on a tire. They debate messing with him, but decide they just need to let him know they're taking over his turf. Among their runners is Sherrod, who hangs back.<br><br>On a bench in an abandoned park, Marlo tells Proposition Joe about the train station raid. He was hoping to flush out who was really after him, but no such luck. Joe tells him to steal the camera. If someone makes a stink about it -- it's local. If not, it's the Feds; they can afford to lose one.<br><br>Still searching the streets for Sherrod, Bubbles gets shaken down by Fiend again. &quot;Money or pills, I don't care which,&quot; the kid says, roughing him up. A cop pulls up, but instead of going after the violent offender, he warns Bubbles that he can't sell on the street without a license, then takes his DVDs, citing copyright infringement. &quot;You gonna rob me too?&quot; Bubbles says helplessly as the cop drives off.<br><br>At the gym, Cutty calls a timeout to talk to the boys, apologizes for &quot;welcoming the attentions&quot; of some of their female relatives. He was in jail for a long time, he explains, but &quot;I didn't mean no disrespect.&quot; He doesn't want to get in the way of them learning the sport and bettering themselves.<br><br>Bunk takes Omar's case to detectives Holley and Crutchfield, and asks them what they ran on the witness, Old Face Andre. Pissed he's getting up in their business, Crutchfield tells him to f**k off.<br><br>Outside Cutty's gym, the rival corner boys pull up to wait, snorting a vial as they pull a gun, and hand it to Sherrod. When Namond exits the gym, they send Sherrod to set him straight: &quot;You need to back off that spot,&quot; Sherrod says before shoving him. Namond drops his backpack and shoves back. &quot;The f**k you thinkin'?&quot; he says, loud enough for the gym to hear. The two go at it until Sherrod, wild eyed, pins Namond against a dumpster. Cutty steps out and intervenes, sending the rivals away and Namond back to the gym, where he gives him a warning about messing with someone who's high. Namond plays tough, pissed at Cutty for having to come to his defense. Cutty asks Michael what Namond is wrapped up in. He tells him it's not his business.<br><br>In Mayor Royce's office, Carcetti and his team meet with their former rival to talk about the transition, and the two share a few laughs about their worst campaign moments, including the witness story and slumlord photo. &quot;I'm halfway glad to get out,&quot; Royce says about his mayoral run, offering up Parker to help Carcetti with whatever he needs in the transition. Wilson is taking over for Theresa 'DAgostino, who's off to help the DCCC win back the red states. Carcetti assures them she got her win bonus.<br><br>In the surveillance van, Herc and Sydnor notice something's awry on the monitors -- close ups of pigeon wings. They check to see if their camera's been moved -- it's gone.<br><br>At a downtown law office, a nervous Pearlman meets with her new boss, newly-elected State Attorney Rupert Bond, and congratulates him on his win over Dempner. When Bond brings up the pre-election subpoenas, she begins to explain, apologetically. He interrupts: he wants to put her in charge of all homicide prosecutions. Ilene Nathan is moving up to second deputy. &quot;I admire your courage, if not your loyalty,&quot; he tells her. Pearlman can hardly believe it.<br><br>Donnelly visits Prez's classroom to let him know Randy is off the hook with the rape charge -- the girl now says it was consensual, and that Randy wasn't involved. As for the police interest, it's out of her hands. The kids in the class are more settled, but only Michael has diligently completed his homework. In another classroom, Colvin's pilot program kids are acting out again -- Namond tells the teacher to &quot;f**k off,&quot; and makes fun of another kid, Darnell, for his drinking problem.<br><br>In the courthouse, Greggs, Norris and ASA Ilene Nathan watch as a polygraph examiner wires up Anthony Wardell, the young dealer that the murdered Braddock was going to testify against. The man asks the kid a series of questions, and despite pissing him off (&quot;Are you female?&quot;), the machine shows little change. When it's over, the examiner tells Greggs, Norris and Nathan he can &quot;call it like you want it.&quot; &quot;F**k kinda science is that?&quot; snaps Greggs. &quot;I'm here for you, detective,&quot; the examiner explains. Norris tells her the polygraph is used as leverage -- to bring them in and mess with them. The kid's lawyer knows the game. He lets Wardell explain that Braddock's mom and his mom are like cousins, and he wouldn't have killed him for flipping -- he was only looking at three and a half years. Greggs looks almost convinced.<br><br>Bunk tells Ilene Nathan about the Omar situation, showing her the card she gave him. Omar claims he's being set up on this one, and is worried he'll be killed in prison. Nathan agrees to move him to a protective custody detention center, but her debt has been paid.<br><br>At Police Headquarters, Major Daniels presents crime statistics to the department's top brass, pointing out that while murders are down, all other violent crime is up. When Carcetti shows up to observe, they all stand at attention, then let Daniels continue. He outlines a new plan: his officers have spent too many years chasing stats, and not enough of them are sufficiently trained to investigate violent crimes properly. Burrell takes offense, but Daniels presses on as Carcetti takes it in.<br><br>Herc pleads with Carver to help him recover his camera -- he's worried Marimow is gonna burn him for losing something worth more than four grand. He's certain Marlo has it, but they combed the Westside looking for every pigeon coop. Carver suddenly remembers debriefing a kid who knew about a murder Marlo's people did. He meant to call Bunk on it -- he had a warrant on the guy who supposedly got killed. If Herc brings his boss a murder, Marimow will probably forgive the camera. Carver calls Bunk but gets Crutchfield, who crumples the message. &quot;F**k the Bunk.&quot;<br><br>When Herc finally questions Randy, the boy tells him about passing along the message from Little Kevin to Lex, and later being told by Kevin that Chris and Snoop killed Lex. He heard they turn people into zombies for Marlo. &quot;This is bulls**t,&quot; Herc says, trying to get Randy to say he saw the murder. Randy insists he didn't. They drop the boy off a block from his house, as he requests, so no one sees him with police, and Herc decides they need to go right at Marlo.<br><br>Carcetti decides to do a ridealong with a squad car, just in time to witness a fresh crime scene -- two men shot by police, one body to the hospital, the other on the street. Carcetti watches as Daniels arrives and takes over -- impressed with his command.<br><br>Still troubled by the fact no one heard a bullet in the Braddock murder, Greggs heads to the scene by herself, and using crime photos, she reenacts the possible bullet trajectories. Tracing their origins, she winds up deep in an alley, landing on Chlorox bottles set up for target practice near a row house, and a dresser riddled with bullet holes. From one hole, she plucks a .38 caliber slug. Hearing voices inside the nearest row house, she knocks on the back door, gun drawn: &quot;Baltimore Police.&quot;<br><br>When Asst. Principal Donnelly tells Cutty and his truancy round-up partner she needs kids for their October day, Cutty tells her the work is not for him. He'd be open to something where he'd be working with the kids, he tells her, but this elicits nothing but an exasperated look.<br><br>In a time-out room, an angry Namond sits, arms folded, as a social worker takes notes. Colvin tries to talk to him, but the boy lashes out, repeating &quot;f**k you&quot; as fiercely as he can. Colvin lets him know he's not going back with the others until he learns to behave, and he's not going home either -- there's no more suspension for him. He leaves to pay a visit to Parenti in the pilot program classroom, and as another student lashes out, he whispers, &quot;This might be harder than we thought.&quot; &quot;Fascinating, though,&quot; Parenti responds. &quot;Clinically speaking, I mean.&quot;<br><br>Prez's kids are tame by comparison, playing dice with monopoly money. Dukie is working at the new computer, smiling even, as Randy catches up on what he missed. When Grace Sampson appears in the doorway to observe the games, Prez explains: &quot;You trick 'em into thinking they aren't learning, and they do.&quot;<br><br>Bubbles finally finds Sherrod on his corner, scratching his skin and wiping his nose, eyelids heavy from the drugs wearing off. &quot;Been lookin' all over for you,&quot; Bubbles tells him, before trying to apologize. He warns him that the corner is going to run him down fast, and urges Sherrod to come home as soon as he gets paid: &quot;I'll see you in a few.&quot;<br><br>Greggs brings her find back to Norris: the .38 slug that matches the one found in the autopsy. &quot;You veteran crime fighters got a name for this here, right? Murder weapon or some s**t like that?&quot; She tells him where she found it. &quot;Our guy's dead from a stray?&quot; he says, incredulous. &quot;And this f**k Carcetti gets to be the mayor behind the stupidity. I f**king love this town.&quot;<br><br>Opening the door to his squatter's lair, Bubbles calls out hopefully for Sherrod. He looks around at the emptiness, then collapses on his own bedroll, realizing his surrogate son's not coming home.</p></div>

Corner Boys

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p class="&quot;&quot;"><b>Directed by</b> Agnieszka Holland<br><b>Story by</b> Ed Burns &amp; Richard Price<br><b>Teleplay by</b> Richard Price</p><p class="&quot;&quot;">&quot;We got our thing, but it's just part of the big thing.&quot; -Zenobia<br><br>Coming off his seeming breakthrough teaching gambling probabilities, Roland &quot;Prez&quot; Pryzbylewski is once again attempting a word problem in his math class at Tilghman Middle School, as the class largely ignores him. One boy, Taye, is telling Randy Wagstaff a joke, so Prez puts him on the spot for the answer. Taye illustrates his test smarts by calling out the correct response, then offers to demonstrate how he knew as he strides to the blackboard. &quot;Easy...five got the dinks,&quot; pointing out how Prez left multiple &quot;dinks&quot; of his chalk beside the right answer when he did the problem for the earlier class. Prez is dumbfounded as Taye returns to his seat, triumphant.<br><br>Sgt. Jay Landsman briefs his Homicide Unit shift that Mayor-nominee Thomas &quot;Tommy&quot; Carcetti will be &quot;fact-finding&quot; in the department. He also gives an impromptu eulogy for C.I.D. commander Raymond Foerster, who has lost his bout with cancer: &quot;The man served 39 years, obtaining the rank of colonel without leaving a trail of bitterness or betrayal. In this department, that's not a career - it's a miracle.&quot; Later, when detectives Shakima &quot;Kima&quot; Greggs and Michael Crutchfield observe Carcetti pouring himself the last of the coffee, Greggs - still smarting at having her rookie status mocked in the mayoral debate -- takes it upon herself to reprimand him. &quot;F**k that, you finish a pot, you make the next one.&quot; Carcetti sheepishly obliges.<br><br>As Dets. Thomas &quot;Herc&quot; Hauk and his boon companion Dozerman peruse an electronics catalogue, contemplating the high costs of most surveillance cameras, Lt. Charlie Marimow - the Major Crimes Unit commander -- confronts Herc for the bad train station roust of Marlo Stanfield and the innocent woman, who's now filing a harassment claim. Herc defends himself, saying the information was from a reliable informant. Marimow wants a name and when Herc balks, Marimow insists. &quot;Fuzzy Dunlop' Herc blurts, assuring Marimow that the guy's never been off. Marimow isn't pleased with Herc involving another agency and bringing discredit to his unit through the complaint, and threatens to bury him with his own report if anything comes of the gaffe. Marimow wonders if the newly-minted sergeant followed the election results: &quot;Your rabbi has left the building.&quot;<br><br>In Howard &quot;Bunny' Colvin and Professor David Parenti's project class, the students have settled down, finally realizing their tantrums won't get them suspended. The teacher asks if they feel like winners, since the word around school is that they've beat the system by having themselves removed from regular classes. Namond Brice responds they're &quot;players.&quot; &quot;Kingpins?' she asks. They tell her that's two or three years away; now, they're corner boys. She asks their dreams -where do they see themselves in 10 years? Several give the rote answer of the NBA; one says pediatric neurosurgeon, like that guy at Hopkins - a reference to noted African-American surgeon Ben Carson, whose name resounds throughout the city school system. When she asks how many wrote &quot;dead,&quot; Namond and three others raise their hands. Namond laughs, caught in another inner-city cliché: &quot;You saw that coming, huh?&quot; She chastises him for reading a magazine and he denies it's his, claiming someone left it in front of him. Colvin busts out laughing, suddenly seeing things clearly: The school's the system and the teachers are the cops, the corner boys just use school to practice getting over. He asks the kids to help them understand how they can teach them something useful, then gets them talking about what makes a good corner boy. Suddenly, the group comes alive with opinions: This is the world, after all, that they are learning for.<br><br>Staring up at the The Board at the homicide unit, Det. William &quot;Bunk&quot; Moreland points to the name of the dead delivery woman at Andre's store, trying to talk fellow detectives Crutchfield and Vernon Holley into revisiting Omar Little as the killer -- or at least revisiting the crime scene. When Carcetti approaches, trying to make small talk about the number of names on the board, Bunk steers the detectives off to an interrogation room to talk privately. Crutchfield angrily argues that even if Omar didn't do this one, his name pops up on lots of other cases, that an eyeball witness has identified Omar as the shooter - and further, that Bunk is out of line interposing in their casework. But once his partner's out of the room, Holley is pressed by Bunk to at least take another look.<br><br>Meanwhile, Carcetti continues to put a damper on the day's activities, despite assurances that he's &quot;not the hall monitor or anything.&quot; When he urges the detectives to do what they normally do, Greggs snipes: &quot;I wouldn't know what we normally do around her. I'm new and inexperienced.&quot; This prompts Carcetti to realize she's the rookie who was assigned to the Braddock case and who he mocked in the debate. He swallos that and tells them to do as they normally would. So Greggs reclines, Lester Freamon goes back to working his dollhouse miniatures, and Landsman flips open his skin magazine. &quot;This is your day?&quot; asks Carcetti. &quot;When we catch a body, it's different,&quot; explains Freamon.<br><br>Herc and Dozerman pull over Marlo Stanfield, asking for the camera back. Marlo asks for Herc's card and peers at it: &quot;City, huh?&quot; Herc makes him an offer: &quot;You do me one, I'll do you.&quot; Marlo says he'll keep an ear out for the camera, but you know how camera's are, like pigeons in the wind - a twist of knife knowing that Herc was probably staring at images of pigeons for a time after the camera disappeared and was dumped in a coop. Marlo drives off, leaving Herc to contemplate the moment. Dozerman then tries to convince Herc to come clean with Marimow about the camera, but Herc refuses. If he tells the truth now, he'll lose his stripes.<br><br>Walking home from school, Michael Lee quizzes Randy on how he got off so easy on the rape charge at school. The girl dropped it, Randy tells him, as Michael advises him that things go away if you keep your mouth shut. Randy complains Miss Anna has him on a short leash now. 'Shit, at least you got a leash,&quot; Michael laments.<br><br>At Kavanaugh's, Colonel Foerster's detectives wake is in full swing, pints poured as a packed crowd of police, prosecutors and law enforcement officials belts out the choruses of The Pogue's &quot;Body of An American&quot; while Foerster lays in repose on the pool table nearby. Already drunk, Bunk bolts outside to puke in the gutter, then nods acknowledgment to the waiting funeral home attendants. When he comes back, he finds McNulty drinking a club soda and lime. Bunk is disappointed that McNulty will not join him in his excesses.<br><br>In a homegoing of a different kind, late at night in East Baltimore, Chris and Snoop lay out some more New York boys in another row house mausoleum - chasing the out-of-towners off the Monument Street corners as Marlo agreed to do for Proposition Joe Stewart and the New Day Co-op. Snoop says a few words about the departed having wandered too far south.<br><br>In Prez's class the following day, he tries to enforce quiet during a quiz, but one of the girls blows up and storms out and Prez begins to sense that whatever advances he makes by teaching lessons informally don't necessarily translate to the regular curriculum. Meanwhile, Chris and Snoop lead some young soldiers through their own schooling on shooting -- when to take a head shot, and when to aim for the belly and below the belt to get around the vest. In these lessons for the world they know as real, the children of West Baltimore are adept, competent and confident.<br><br>At Prop Joe's second-hand appliance store, Marlo hands over Herc's card to Proposition Joe and Slim Charles. Proposition promises to check him out but in return, they ask Marlo to consider not losing the New York bodies in the vacants -- it defeats the purpose of sending a message if they just disappear. A little bit amused, Marlo tells them he'll get word to his people.<br><br>Suited up in a Kevlar vest, Carcetti spends his next day with the drug enforcement squads in the Eastern District, observing low-level buy-and-busts and other street-level arrests - up to and including an occasional entrapment or two.<br><br>In the project class, Colvin quizzes the kids about corner logic. They talk over each other, excited to explain and debate something they know about. When Colvin tries to quiet the din of voices, asking for one at a time, Namond tells Darnell to speak for them. Colvin and the teachers are impressed with the newfound focus and self-regulation.<br><br>Bunk and Holley visit Old Face Andre's store to review how the robbery-murder went down. As Andre warily recounts his story, once again implicating Omar, Bunk takes in the empty shelves, the steel reinforced rear door, the heavy-duty bullet proof glass cage, the fact that there is a high-end security camera at the store entrance pointed on the street outside, but the security camera inside the store is broken and defunct - a definite drug front. Andre tells his story and the Bunk finds the holes. He asks Andre to come downtown and clear a few things up and Andre refuses. After buying a bottle of Mylanta for his hangover, Bunk reiterates to an already converted Holley the holes in Andre's story.<br><br>After school, Namond brags about his new class to an incredulous Michael and Randy - it's like the kids are schooling the teachers, talking about &quot;bidness.&quot; Namond blows off going to the gym with Michael; he has to vial up the rest of his package so he can sell it off and re-up.<br><br>Proposition Joe calls the police department from a payphone to track down Herc, entertaining himself by using fake voices and names as he follows the trail with increasing surprise: from narcotics to the Mayor's office, and then to Major Crimes, where he's told Sgt. Hauk is on the street.<br><br>Chris Partlow comes up with a way to suss out the New York boys on the street - ask them a Baltimore question about local Baltimore club music. &quot;They don't know s**t 'bout that in New York,&quot; he explains. Turns out Felicia &quot;Snoop&quot; Pearson isn't much of a music person; she doesn't follow that &quot;Ninety-Two-Q s**t&quot; either, but she's willing to give it a try. She asks a corner kid who his favorite is on the local hip-hop station's Big Phat Morning show. When he says a name Chris hadn't mentioned, she puts a gun to his head. But Chris waves her back at the point of killing the man. The deejay mentioned is also on the show.<br><br>Carcetti complains to Deputy Commissioner for Operations William A. Rawls and Carcetti aide Norman Wilson about what he saw on his ride-along - entrapment for twenty dollars worth of drugs, and lots of manpower for a haul of three vials of coke. Rawls agrees, but says his hands are tied. He blames affirmative action, explaining it's a numbers game - a 20-percent hike in black officers to match the city's demographic which, due to affirmative action, has to be matched up the chain. Inexperienced people get promoted and are put in charge, he tells him. &quot;And he who owes his good fortune to the numbers? Abides in them.&quot; To show arrests are up, they have to make arrests - even those of a lesser quality. Implicitly, he is criticizing Burrell. Those are the orders currently, Rawls explains, but he suggests he'd be interested in having the opportunity to change things.<br><br>Walking in on Namond thinning out his remaining vials, stretching them for additional sales, De'Londa Brice lets him have it for bringing his work home. His father never brought it home; it's too dangerous if the cops come. &quot;That's what you have a lieutenant for,&quot; she chastises him.<br><br>After their meeting, Carcetti and Wilson tells Carcetti remark on Rawls' naked appeal to racial solidarity and willingness to use affirmative action as a scapegoat for the department's problems. Carcetti asks about Major Daniels, but Wilson doesn't know much, only that Daniels is black and doesn't have any obvious political sponsors.<br><br>Michael comes home to find empty kitchen cupboards -- his mother has sold off their food. When she tells him she has to go out, he only gives her $10 to score. She tries to hold the &quot;D.S.S. card&quot; over his head, threatening to take it back, but he isn't swayed: &quot;Next time, don't go selling the food outta our mouths,&quot; he shouts as she departs.<br><br>Back in the project class the following day, Namond is holding forth arrogantly, rationalizing the drug trade by noting societal disconnects. They are told not to hustle, lie, cheat, steal, he declares. But they're just doing the same thing as the government - &quot;Amron,&quot; steroids, booze and cigarettes, the real killers. It's hypocritical, Namond insists, and Colvin doesn't argue back. An argument is not the point. The fact that these adolescents are now fully involved in discussing their life, their society and their place in it - this is what matters to Colvin, Parenti and the class teacher. Colvin asks them to sit down and write the laws to being a corner boy, challenging them to do it together, as a group.<br><br>In the teacher's lounge, Prez vents about having to stick to the dry, No-Child-Left-Behind, test-based curriculum -- the kids aren't learning it. The teachers insist he has to; if their students don't pass the test in April, the school gets taken over by the state. &quot;Maybe they should,&quot; he replies. The teachers tell him to teach the test, not math: &quot;North Avenue is all about the 'leave no child behind' stuff getting spoon-fed.&quot; Grace suggests a middle ground: some of the state stuff, and some of his own methods. An older teacher finally speaks up: &quot;The first year isn't about the kids, it's about you surviving.&quot; Prez takes it all in and wonders how to proceed.<br><br>Herc, Dozerman and Western District D.E.U. plainclothesmen Tony Colicchio and &quot;Truck&quot; Carrick bust in on Marlo and his guys, who are just hanging out in Marlo's open-air lair. They toss the area as Marlo and his crew remain unfazed. &quot;Every day,&quot; Herc warns, until his camera comes home.<br><br>Pearlman enters Daniels' office in the Western District at the tail end of a phone call from Carcetti, who wants to meet Daniels to have a conversation about what works and what doesn't in the police department. &quot;You have the Mayor's ear now?&quot; she says, proudly. He wonders how honest he should be. He doesn't know the incoming mayor at all. What if Daniels criticizes Burrell and Rawls and then is hung out to dry? Pearlman acknowledges the risk, but urges him to fire away, both barrels.<br><br>At night on the street, Chris and Snoop use their Baltimore music litmus test to I.D. a transplant from New York City. They shoot him in the head, leaving him where he falls.<br><br>Michael comes home to find an excited Bug: his dad came home. He glares at his mother, then turns away in disgust as his younger brother's father brushes his face. &quot;Damn, You grew,&quot; his stepfather tells him. Later, Michael confronts his mother -- she promised he'd never come back. He was paroled early from his 12 years on a drug charge, she tells him, and he's changed. She tells Michael to give up the D.S.S. card. &quot;He gonna take care of all that for us.&quot;<br><br>Bunk and Holley show up at Old Face Andre's store with a summons for the Grand Jury.<br><br>Carcetti and Wilson meet with an emissary from the national Democratic Party and more transition team members. They discuss the future. It's acknowledged that they need to quickly produce something they can herald as a &quot;Baltimore Miracle.&quot; The D.N.C. official suggests a double-digit percent drop in crime and a downtown building project - something tangible that Carcetti can put his name to. When education is brought up, Wilson is adamant they stay away from the schools: &quot;Our last four administrations left us with an inner city system with inner city problems. We get involved, start talking s**t, It becomes our mess.&quot; Still, Carcetti is told, if he gets the crime down builds something nice, and keeps his boyish good looks, he may be running for governor in '08, taking back the statehouse from the Republican incumbent.<br><br>Prez tries to talk to a brooding Michael in class. When the boy won't open up, Prez offers to send him to see a school social worker and Michael pauses, thinking, but ultimately decides against it.<br><br>Colvin, Parenti and the project class teacher debate whether the kids' focus can be brought to bear on regular learning. The teacher points out they're not just dealing with corner issues, but problems like post-traumatic stress disorder, clinical depression, maybe even borderline psychosis in one case. These kids have suffered a lot of damage in life. They decide to let things play out for now, before forcing any other learning.<br><br>Namond applies some of the corner boy rules he and his classmates have been articulating to Kenard, the youngest kid in the Fayette Street crew. In the basement of Kenard's rowhouse, he hands over his remaining vials for his new lieutenant to store. Being under 13, Kenard is safe from a serious charge â€" safe from anyone but Namond or Marlo should he mess up, Namond says, falsely claiming Marlo as his patron. &quot;All's I get is a extra ten dollars?&quot; asks Kenard. Namond promises they can talk about that if Kenard performs well.<br><br>Bunk and Holley wait with Old Face Andre before his grand jury testimony, warning him about the time he can get for a perjury charge. Andre claims he was put on medication that made him groggy, and worked over by Holley when he was first interrogated - he didn't know what he was saying. As Andre shuffles off to the washroom - a witness who has now thoroughly impeached himself -- Holley angrily denounces Andre as a liar. Bunk dryly feigns surprise: &quot;You think?&quot;<br><br>Chris and Snoop are pulled over by Herc and Dozerman. They search the car, failing to discover the dashboard trap that holds their weapons, spotting only some lyme and the nail gun in the back of the truck. No weapon, no drugs. Nothing that they can use for a criminal charge. With the gangsters seated on a curb, Herc fires a nail from the gun into the asphalt near Snoop's leg. &quot;I want my f**king camera,&quot; he threatens, before tossing the gun back and leaving them.<br><br>Daniels and Carcetti meet over lunch and Daniels, upon hearing about Carcetti's day with the Eastern drug squads, guesses Carcetti found the street -level busts a waste of time, money, energy and, sometimes, talent. Carcetti reveals that Rawls claims he'll change all that if he's in command. Daniels shows his surprise for a moment, but refuses to &quot;go up the chain&quot; with his opinions, but does tell the mayor-to be that there was one unit doing good work: Major Crimes. Carcetti asks what happened to that unit, and Daniels replies: &quot;A good question.&quot; Carcetti asks if he'd object to replacing Foerster as C.I.D. commander under Rawls. When Daniels questions the &quot;under Rawls&quot; part of the formula, Carcetti affirms that he is not ready to do away with the current No. 2 in the department: &quot;He is the Deputy Ops, is he not?&quot; Daniels considers him, &quot;How for real are you?&quot; Carcetti tells the new Colonel they'll find that out together.<br><br>Dozerman tries to talk Herc into the two of them and Det. Leandor Sydnor kicking in for another camera, but Herc notes that a new camera would not have the same serial number as the one they lost. Desperate, Herc remembers that Randy told them a kid named Little Kevin was the one who told him to tell Lex to go up the alley, and then later told him that Lex had been killed. Maybe Little Kevin saw something.<br><br>De'Londa counts Namond's profits, and it comes up short in her opinion. When she finds out that Namond has been slinging on a weak strip, she storms out to set Bodie straight, over her son's embarrassed objections.<br><br>Police Commissioner Ervin I. Burrell comes to Rawls, unhappy with how Carcetti's running around, talking to people out of school within the department. He suggests to Rawls that they need to regroup. Rawls interrupts him to say that he's talked to Carcetti already. Burrell gets the picture: &quot;You're making your move.&quot; Rawls cannot deny it.<br><br>Michael shows up to retrieve Bug at the after school rec-center, but is told by Miss Ella Thompson, the rec center director, that Bug went home with his father. Michael bolts in a panic.<br><br>Landsman is handed a report by Holley as Bunk looks on. He yells at them both for unsolving a murder.<br><br>Michael runs home to find Bug doing math homework with his father, and orders the boy to come to him right away. Bug obliges, confused, and Michael eyes his stepfather with rage.<br><br>Snoop and Chris toss their guns into the harbor below the Hanover Street Bridge. To be safe, as an afterthought to Herc's car stop, Chris tosses the nail gun into the water too. Snoop can barely watch. Telling Chris that he owes her eight hundred for the tool.</p></div>

Know Your Place

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p class="&quot;&quot;"><b>Directed by</b> Alex Zakrzewski<br><b>Story by</b> Ed Burns &amp; Kia Corthron<br><b>Teleplay by</b> Kia Corthron</p><p class="&quot;&quot;">&quot;Might as well dump 'em, get another.&quot; - Proposition Joe<br><br>On his corner, Bodie Broadus listens to Little Kevin talking with other lookouts, touts and runners about Sponge Bob, and chides them for watching too many cartoons. But Bodie breaks into a smile when he sees Poot approaching, having been paroled after 15 months on his four-year sentence. Bodie updates him on the new boss, Marlo Stanfield. As they joke about Poot's penchant for chasing girls, Sgt. Thomas R. &quot;Herc&quot; Hauk and Det. Kenneth Dozerman pull up, forcing the crew to hit the bricks. Herc's looking for &quot;Little Kevin,&quot; but no one gives him up, so he orders the four smallest guys into the car and takes them downtown. Kevin, Poot and Bodie remain. &quot;These police out here knew how to flip it even just a little, my s**t'd be in handcuffs,&quot; says not-so-little Kevin.<br><br>Det. William &quot;Bunk&quot; Moreland greets Omar, who - with the murder of the delivery woman no longer charged to him - is released from custody in the Harford County Detention Center, north of Baltimore. But as Omar tries to figure who did do the murder, Bunk gets in his face, ordering him, &quot;No more f**kin bodies from you. No comebacks or get-evens on this. No more killing.&quot; Omar gives his word, but when Bunk suggests he get out of the city, offering to put him on a northbound Amtrak, Omar won't go for it. &quot;Baltimore all I know. Man gotta live what he know.&quot;<br><br>Mayor-Elect Thomas &quot;Tommy&quot; Carcetti heads a discussion with City Council President Nerese Campbell, his aide Norman Wilson, newly elected State's Attorney Rupert Bond and other city officials about his plans, and it quickly becomes clear that his goal of attacking crime with a new police commissioner will face some major hurdles from the budget process - and council president Campbell.<br><br>When the students arrive for class, Roland &quot;Prez&quot; Pryzbylewski has rearranged the desks into small groups and placed the kids in new seats; they grumble but acquiesce.<br><br>Proposition Joe Stewart pulls up to Marlo and Chris Partlow's car to report that Herc (whose business card Marlo provided) is assigned to Major Crimes - the guys responsible for bugging Barksdale and Stringer Bell. When Marlo says he changes his phone every two weeks, Prop Joe hands over a wire tap report that named Stringer, who was changing his phones every day. Marlo nods and Chris immediately tosses a cellphone out the SUV window.<br><br>In class, Prez has the students doing practical math exercises: measuring height and arm span to learn fractions, and Duquan &quot;Dukie&quot; Weems shows kids how to search the Internet. Typing in &quot;candy,&quot; Randy Wagstaff discovers he can get a better wholesale price on his products online, but Dukie points out the obstacle: the need for a credit card.<br><br>Carcetti's meetings continue with a presentation from the Baltimore Development Corp. President on waterfront development options. Tommy is lukewarm about the idea of a promenade with his name on it, but lights up at the idea of casinos and all the possible revenue that might result. He quickly backpeddles when Campbell objects to &quot;sucking paychecks out of my community.&quot; Tommy adjourns the meeting to meet in private with Campbell to press her on her opposition. She accuses him and Councilman Anthony &quot;Tony&quot; Gray of having &quot;jumped the line&quot; - she had a deal with Mayor Royce that he'd back her for mayor when the time came. He urges her to work with him; after all, in '08 he may be governor and as council president, she'd end up appointed to the mayoralty &quot;without so much as a campaign speech.&quot;<br><br>Bubbles has tracked down Det. Shakima &quot;Kima&quot; Greggs for some help busting the fiend who's continuing to beat him up for drugs and money. She tells him she's homicide now, not looking for drug information, but she grudgingly agrees to drive Bubbles around to try to find his nemesis.<br><br>Carcetti, Wilson and State Del. Odell Watkins review their options for getting rid of Police Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell in light of Campbell's opposition, since they won't be able to recruit a top-level black candidate to replace him without her agreeing to at least a $50,000 bump in the commissioner's salary. Wilson suggests they get Burrell to quit; if he leaves on his own, Campbell can't say anything.<br><br>Randy and Dukie try to talk Prez into using his credit card number to buy candy. He reluctantly agrees, but only if they give him cash up front. More important, he tells them he doesn't want them on the corner to get it. When a teacher realizes her car's been stolen, Prez shoots the boys a look; they shrug ignorance.<br><br>Meanwhile, Donut pulls up to Namond Brice's corner in a car with a Tilghman faculty bumper sticker. Bodie and Poot, who have their own corner adjacent, are instructing Namond on where to place his lookouts. Before handing over the package, Bodie warns Namond not to be sending his mother to speak for him. Embarrassed, Namond tries to explain he had nothing to do with that.<br><br>At Marlo's outdoor lair, Chris reports there's been no sign of Old Face Andre - his store's locked and he hasn't called for a re-up. Marlo worries that Omar may have been sprung, which means Andre could be backing up on his story to the police - and possibly implicating Chris in the murder of the delivery woman. Chris reports they've dropped five New York bodies; Marlo thinks that's enough to serve the Co-op's interest in driving the out-of-towners off Monument Street, and so, he gives him his marching orders: &quot;This s**t with Andre? Job one.&quot;<br><br>Having no luck in their search for the fiend, Greggs promises Bubbles she'll hook him up with Herc or Det. Leander Sydnor at Major Crimes and get him working their drug stuff in exchange for their help.<br><br>Renaldo and Omar stake out Andre's gated store. He may have promised Bunk not to kill a man, but Omar says he can still put a gun in Andre's face. &quot;That man got some explainin' to do.&quot;<br><br>Randy, accompanied by Dukie, buys his way into a dice game. He leaves later that night with a wad of cash, protected by a player who let him in, and then followed him on his every pass and made money, and who wants to know the boy's system. Randy explains it's all about the math and probabilities. &quot;Where you learn your game?&quot; asks the player. &quot;Edward Tilghman Middle,&quot; says Randy, with no small amount of pride.<br><br>Herc and Dozerman get reacquainted with Bubbles, and ask him about Little Kevin, who Bubbles confirms is Bodie's boy. Bubbles offers to give Kevin a new hat the next afternoon so they can ID their suspect, and Herc promises they'll take care of the fiend oppressing Bubbles as soon as they have Kevin.<br><br>Bug shows his brother Michael Lee his baking soda volcano project, but when Bug's father hovers, Michael sends Bug up to bed. &quot;Ain't got a forgiveness to your soul,&quot; the man says to Michael. &quot;F**k you!&quot; Michael fires back. His stepfather gives him a warning, &quot;You're big, but not big enough,&quot; before pressing him for the D.S.S. account card. Michael tells him there's nothing left from this month's check. &quot;Before the first of the month then,&quot; his stepfather says.<br><br>Greggs shows up at ex-girlfriend Cheryl's apartment and hands over an envelope of cash. With her homicide overtime, she can catch up on back monthly payments for Elijah. As she watches the boy playing in the living room, they're interrupted by a guest, a woman who announces she's &quot;home.&quot; Cheryl's new partner apologizes for the mess, and Cheryl explains they're expecting company, a celebration for her new roommate having passing the bar. Kima excuses herself, making an awkward exit.<br><br>Chris and Snoop bust into Andre's woman's bedroom, and fire a shot right beside her head. Terrified, she swears she doesn't know where Andre is. They believe her.<br><br>Presenting a wad of cash to Prez to pay for his candy order, Randy reports that the teacher's schoolings earned him the money. &quot;You shouldn't gamble,&quot; Prez says. &quot;I’m just saying, the math be right, Mr. P,&quot; he says proudly, ignoring the admonishment.<br><br>Crammed into a deli booth, Carcetti meets with Burrell to ask the police commissioner to resign. But Burrell shrewdly refuses: &quot;If you want me to go, you gonna have to s**tcan me.&quot;<br><br>In the project class, the kids are instructed to pick one of three tables, each with a scale model erector set. Whichever team puts its model together first wins dinner at a downtown restaurant of their choice. The instructions have been removed to make it more interesting. &quot;Yeah, it ain't like we follow the instructions anywhere else, right?&quot; quips Namond.<br><br>Old Face Andre looks for help from Proposition Joe, hoping that in exchange for the deed to his store, Joe could front him some cash to get out of town. Out of options, Andre is forced to accept the low ball offer: $2,000 and a safe ride north.<br><br>In the project class, Howard &quot;Bunny&quot; Colvin and the team observe the groups arguing over how to assemble their projects. But Namond manages to lead his team to a fairly successful Eiffel Tower - pocketing just a few extra parts before presenting the finished product to the teacher. When she questions him on the extra parts, he denies their existence. &quot;So who cook a good steak 'round here?&quot; he asks.<br><br>Carcetti and Wilson meet with Deputy Commissioner for Operations William A. Rawls to lay out how things will work once Carcetti takes office. Having refused to quit, Burrell will have to clear any new initiative through Rawls and all day-to-day administration goes through the Deputy Ops as well. Tommy confides he has to make Maj. Stanislaus Valchek the Deputy Commissioner of Administration as a political pay back, but asks him to make sure Valchek does no harm. And finally, he wants to bump Maj. Cedric Daniels up to colonel, giving him C.I.D. and &quot;carte blanche to fix the investigative units.&quot; Rawls balks a bit at Daniels' &quot;independent streak&quot; but agrees to all points. He does have one question for Carcetti and Wilson: Why keep Burrell as a puppet commissioner instead of firing him? They offer no answer.<br><br>Michael uses his mother's D.S.S. to make an ATM withdrawal - securing the last of this month's money - before joining Randy and Dukie. He asks Randy whether he's ever called social services on his mother, because he's thinking about it. Randy advises him against it, warning that once social services gets involved, they'll separate Michael and Bug, put them in group homes. Dukie suggests he talk to Prezbo, and Michael admits the teacher did suggest the school social worker. But Randy rules him out, declaring the school social worker to be an alcoholic. Dukie asks about Cutty but this sets Michael off : &quot;He's too friendly...like he some type of faggot or something...Everybody just too motherf**kin friendly!&quot; Dukie and Randy are surprised; Cutty doesn't seem to be remotely gay. But Michael storms off, leaving Dukie and Randy confused.<br><br>Herc and Dozerman watch a heavyset Little Kevin sporting his new red hat and realize they didn't get the joke about his nickname. &quot;They flipped it,&quot; Herc says, belatedly.<br><br>At a Tilghman Middle School staff meeting, Donnelly informs the teachers they all have to focus on teaching language arts test questions to prepare for the state exam. Prez can't believe the pointlessness of teaching test questions, and wonders how it will ever assess how much the kids are learning. Grace explains they're not really assessing the kids - if the scores go up, the school administration can say the schools are improving. Prez realizes he's been here before; they're &quot;juking&quot; stats, just like in the police department. &quot;Making robberies into larcenies. Making rapes disappear. You juke the stats and majors become colonels.&quot;<br><br>Sgt. Ellis Carver and plainclothes Off. Anthony Colicchio make a move on Namond's corner. As the boys scatter, they grab little Kenard. But Carver won't give chase to the others or book the eight-year-old. &quot;He isn't even bait,&quot; he says as he destroys the vials of drugs found in a nearby ground stash. Colicchio doesn't get the point of it all. &quot;I like to think that until the handcuffs actually fit, there's still talking to be done,&quot; Carver explains.<br><br>Colvin takes Namond's winning team for their steak dinner to Ruth's Chris in Baltimore's Inner Harbor - Zenobia Dawson, with her 3-hour hairdo, Darnell Tyson and Namond. They arrive open to the idea of a new experience, then proceed to argue about what &quot;rare&quot; means when it comes to ordering steak.<br><br>A jittery Bubbles stakes out his persecutor and makes his payphone call to Herc, leaving a message that he's holding fiend for the five minutes Herc promised it would take him to get to Riggs and Calhoun. Meanwhile, Herc is questioning Little Kevin about the murder of Lex, and when Dozerman gives him Bubbles' message, Herc says he'll deal with it tomorrow. Sydnor leaves the interrogation, disgusted - they have no leverage, no body, just the name Lex. Herc makes the mistake of asserting to Kevin that they have a witness to his involvement, and when Kevin invokes Randy's name, Herc compounds the mistake by failing to feign curiosity about the name. Meanwhile, Bubbles, seeing an unmarked car with a flashing light, assumes the cavalry has arrived, and taunts the fiend, only to have the car race past to some other call. The fiend beats him with a metal pipe, leaving Bubbles bloody in the street.<br><br>At the fancy steak house, Darnell , Zenobia and Namond are out of their element, having never experienced coat checks, recited specials or what to do with their napkins. After dinner, they're demoralized. Zenobia doesn't want to take a photo of the restaurant anymore, Darnell wants to go to Mickey 'Ds for a real meal and Namond blasts hip-hop on the radio, no longer interested in the Billie Holiday that was on Colvin's car radio earlier. Colvin drives off, the kids arguing. Chaos again.<br><br>On the eve of his promotion, Daniels enjoys leftovers and wine at ASA Rhonda Pearlman's house, as they toast their good fortune. &quot;Funny how it works,&quot; Daniels says. After all the years he tried to climb the ladder &quot;kissing ass, covering ass and doing what I'm told,&quot; he finally gets the big promotion when he says what he really thinks, while the subpoenas end up getting her promoted. &quot;Maybe we're turning a corner here,&quot; Daniels adds, hopeful, &quot;and it's not gonna be so unbelievably f**ked up anymore.&quot;<br><br>Prez leads his now-indifferent class through sample test questions. All enjoyment from learning - and teaching - effectively squashed, he spoon feeds them the verbatims of what they need to write on their No Child Left Behind mandated tests.<br><br>Marlo and Chris hand over payment for a package to Proposition Joe and Slim Charles, but Proposition notes they are $25,000 short. Marlo figures the New York bodies are $5,000 per head, the going rate for a professional hit, but Proposition reminds him that the spirit of the co-op means they all watch out for each other, and the price he gave included consideration for the N.Y. bodies. &quot;On the other hand,&quot; Slim Charles points out, &quot;we got something that you want an' it's coming back to you, free of charge.&quot;<br><br>&quot;It's a proud day for the Baltimore Police Department,&quot; Commissioner Burrell says from the podium before a seated crowd of colleagues and family, including a proud Pearlman, as he announces the promotions of Valchek and Daniels and several other newly minted police supervisors. The Commissioner pulls Rawls aside after, not realizing his Deputy Ops was prepped on Carcetti's promotions: &quot;Valchek we coulda guessed, but Daniels?&quot;<br><br>Colvin reports to Professor David Parenti about what the restaurant trip revealed, describing how the outing plummeting the kids from masters of the universe into fear and humiliation, without any awareness on their part. Parenti suggests maybe they were aware, but didn't want to acknowledge it. &quot;How do you get them to believe in themselves when they can't admit their feelings about who they are and what they're doing in this world?&quot; asks Colvin.<br><br>Prez, frustrated with the student evaluations and sample tests, comes to a decision. &quot;To hell with Donnelly and to hell with their statewide test scores,&quot; he says to Grace Sampson. &quot;I came here to teach, right?&quot; Grace looks at him, offering the trace of a smile.<br><br>Carver shows up at the gym to do some talking. He gives Namond, Kenard and Donut a warning: &quot;I see you out there a second time and everyone takes a beating and goes to Cheltenham.&quot; Dennis &quot;Cutty&quot; Wise fills Carver in on Namond's lineage, surprising Carver, who years ago locked up his father, Wee-Bey. &quot;Same blood, but not the same heart,&quot; says Cutty.<br><br>Thinking he's headed north, Old Face Andre is introduced to his real escorts: Chris and Snoop. He begs them not to do him in the vacants; his people won't know. But Chris just assures him, &quot;I got your back,&quot; as they lead him off to his death.<br><br>Staking out Marlo's lair from a nearby row house, Renaldo and Omar identify Marlo for the first time, and realize he's the dealer they robbed at the players' poker game. &quot;No wonder he don't like me,&quot; says Omar, amused.<br><br>Michael comes to Marlo looking for Chris: :&quot;I got a problem I can't bring to no one else.&quot; Marlo and Snoop sit and listen to Michael's dilemma as Omar watches, dismissing Michael as no one he need be concerned with: &quot;He's just a kid,&quot; he sighs.</p></div>

Misgivings

Acting on Clay Davis's advice, Burrell seeks to burnish his reputation by ordering the department to double street arrests. The mandate does not sit well with McNulty, who sets his sights instead on cracking a string of church robberies. Later, Davis shows he can play both sides of the political fence by making Carcetti an offer with long-term benefits for both.

A New Day

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by </b>Brad Anderson<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Ed Burns<br><b>Teleplay by</b> Ed Burns</p><p>&quot;You play in dirt, you get dirty.&quot; --McNulty<br><br>At a Korean-run carryout joint, Namond Brice flashes his wad of cash as he treats Michael Lee, Duquan &quot;Dukie&quot; Weems and Randy Wagstaff. When Dukie orders &quot;yakame with turkey grease&quot; Namond and Michael crack up and a defensive Dukie wants to know what's so funny - it's what his mom always orders. Michael gently explains that turkey grease &quot;makes the drunks, you know, throw up all that liquor they was drinkin' so they can get back to swilling that shit.&quot; As the boys, joined by Donut, chow down on Namond's largesse on some steps on the commercial strip, they discuss Little Kevin, and Randy is frightened to hear the word is he's dead, up in the vacants. Officer Eddie Walker walks by and runs the boys off of &quot;his Avenue,&quot; telling them to get back to where they belong. Fed up, the kids brainstorm how to send Walker a message, and when Michael gets confirmation from Donut that Walker goes to the club on Stockton - the after-hours joint that the Western police favor - he assures him he's &quot;got this one.&quot;<br><br>Concerned about Sgt. Thomas R. &quot;Herc&quot; Hauk's bad stop-and-search of the politically connected Minister, Reverend Frank Reid and the Minister himself pay a visit to Mayor Thomas &quot;Tommy&quot; Carcetti to lean on him about supporting a civilian review board for the police department - otherwise how can they trust any investigation of any complaint? Mayoral aide Norman Wilson points out to the men of the cloth that the Police Department has a black Commissioner and I.I.D. director, but Rev. Reid counters that they've heard Burrell's authority is being limited. Carcetti assures him he takes the problem seriously and asks them to trust the process. When they leave, Wilson and Carcetti ponder the rock and hard spot he's between: Even Royce - a black mayor - did not risk a rebellion among the rank-and-file by implementing civilian review. And on a smaller scale, if Carcetti moves overtly to have Sgt. Hauk fired, he pisses off the rank and file; if he doesn't, he pisses off the black political infrastructure.<br><br>At Edward Tilghman Middle School, Roland &quot;Prez&quot; Pryzbylewski continues to fight the good fight, overseeing practical math problems as he struggles to explain the area of a circle to Charlene Young and watches as a boy, Perry, is knocked in the testicles by a comrade using the tape measure. In the project class, Ms. Duquette quizzes the group on what takes courage outside of being on a corner. To illustrate bravery, she asks Namond to stand on a box and do a trust fall, relying on his classmates to catch him. Namond balks, but Howard &quot;Bunny&quot; Colvin eyes him and he reluctantly climbs up, warning: &quot;Y'all drop me, we gonna have more than words.&quot; He's exhilarated by the exercise, but when other volunteers are solicited, Albert bolts from the room with a string of profanity and a concerned Colvin follows on his heels. Later, in the lunchroom, Randy is shunned as he tries to ply his candy on the usually receptive kids. Word has even seeped to the lower grades of Tilghman is out that Randy's a snitch.<br><br>Parked at an intersection in a yellow cab, Omar and Renaldo debate whether they've lost Slim Charles' trail. It was at this same intersection where they lost the man on a previous run. Just as Renaldo is fed up with the tedium of their stake out, Slim's SUV drives by and they follow. They follow him back to Proposition Joe Stewart's appliance store, much to their surprise. Says Omar, &quot;on this caper, the more we learn, the less we know.&quot; When Renaldo begs for a bathroom break, Omar just hands him a roll of toilet paper and orders him to squat in the alley.<br><br>Colvin and Mrs. Rennert, a new social worker - the previous one has left the project in the wake of her expressed doubts about its merit - talk to a crying Albert, urging him to unburden himself. Finally he comes clean: &quot;I went home yesterday. My ma's on the couch, she dead.&quot; His grandmother made him come to school. Heartbroken, Colvin understands - the boy just wanted to be with his mother. The profound emotional neglect on some of these kids is stunning.<br><br>Assistant State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman and Col. Cedric Daniels address the homicide unit in their new capacities as head of the courthouse Violent Crimes Unit and the department's Criminal Investigation Division, respectively. Emphasizing they have a mandate for change under the new administration, the pair asks for feedback on how to improve things. They're bombarded with suggestions, from &quot;better witness protection&quot; and &quot;more proactive investigation&quot; to &quot;more scotch,&quot; &quot;loose women&quot; and above all, &quot;pay hike.&quot; Laughing at the spirit of optimism, Det. Shakima &quot;Kima&quot; Greggs notes to Sgt. Jay Landsman, &quot;Sounds like a new day, don't it? Department's finally gonna get what it needs. State's Attorney's office too.&quot; Landsman is non-committal, saying only that Daniels and Pearlman make a nice couple.<br><br>Meanwhile, Wilson hands over a decree from the Mayor to Deputy Commissioner for Operations William A. Rawls, ordering all police commanders to avoid mass arrests and emphasizing community-based and higher-end law enforcement. When Rawls asks hungrily why they don't just fire Commissioner Ervin Burrell, Wilson explains they don't have the political capital to do that just yet, using it as a segue to explain the delicate situation with Sgt. Hauk and the ministers. Rawls suggests that they let Col. Daniels handle it, since the sergeant is under his command now, and the ministers might be more inclined to accept the decision of a black commander.<br><br>The corner has taken its toll and Sherrod stumbles into Bubbles' garage late at night, admitting to having messed up the count on a package, and asking to be taken back in. Bubbles, pleased to have him, feeds him hotdogs and promises they'll find a way together to pay back the &quot;cheddar&quot; that Jo-Jo is claiming Sherrod owes.<br><br>Heading out on the payback caper that Michael has masterminded, Dukie, Namond and Randy are having second thoughts about taking on a police officer, but Michael is determined that they go through with the tasks they've drawn straws for. When Walker emerges from the club, Randy signals Dukie, who provokes Walker by keying his car. When Walker gives chase, Dukie leads him into an alley, where a masked Michael aims a gun at him: &quot;You the police like to f**k with a nigga,&quot; he says, firing a warning shot to impress Walker as to the seriousness of the moment. Just as Namond's about to toss a can of yellow paint on the officer, Michael spots a ring on Walker's finger - the same ring that Walker took off of Omar and Omar stole from Marlo Stanfield, who, in turn, took it from Old Face Andre. Risking exposure should Walker turn around, Michael pulls down his mask for a better look as he orders the man to hand the ring over. Walker does, and Namond finally tosses the paint: &quot;Payback,&quot; says Michael.<br><br>Daniels reviews the complaint against Sgt. Hauk, asking Rawls what's expected of him, given that he sees &quot;a lot of smoke, but I'm not feeling much in the way of fire.&quot; With no witnesses and no indication of racial or religious undertones or serious brutality, his punishment options are limited. Rawls tells him City Hall just wants him to &quot;do the right thing.&quot; Daniels - and even Rawls - are amused at the rarity of such a moment.<br><br>The next morning, Carcetti starts his day with a series of visits to city agencies. He reports an abandoned car that needs towing to Public Works, a leaking hydrant to Wastewater Management and a playground that needs cleaning up to Parks and Recreation - but gives no locations, forcing the agencies to spring into action citywide.<br><br>Meanwhile, as they enjoy a round of late fall golf, Commissioner Burrell and State Sen. R. Clayton &quot;Clay&quot; Davis discuss Daniels' decision on the Minister's complaint against Sgt. Hauk: sensitivity counseling and two weeks extra duty. Davis explains how and why the decision was put off onto Daniels, but tells Burrell it won't be enough for the ministers - something Burrell already knows. Burrell sees an opening for himself.<br><br>At Western District, Walker, in plainclothes, riles up some young cops with his report that he was attacked by three &quot;Bloods&quot; with shotguns: &quot;the paint supposed to be some kind of declaration of war...it's us against them.&quot; Ofc. James &quot;Jimmy&quot; McNulty, overhearing, gives Walker a doubtful glare: &quot;Yellow paint, a declaration of war?&quot;<br><br>At Tilghman, Colvin praises Namond's progress, suggesting he's doing so well he could go back to regular class. But this doesn't strike Namond as progress. &quot;The s**t they be teaching be deadly.&quot; More notably, Namond teases Colvin about his nickname and Colvin, too, responds playfully. A bond is forming between the two.<br><br>The Mayor meets with Wilson and the Budget Director, insisting he needs to find the funds for a 5 percent police raise. The Budget Director warns against using the rainy day fund because the national bond houses want at least 5 percent of the budget in reserve, but Wilson and Carcetti think it looks like rain.<br><br>Outside of school, some thugs confront Randy, who's walking home with Michael and Dukie, and accuse him of talking to the police. Randy denies it and they challenge Michael for standing with a snitch. Michael throws the first punch and Prez has to break up a serious melee that leaves Randy stunned and bloody on the ground.<br><br>The reunited team of Bubbles and Sherrod are having a banner day with the Bubble Depo, making sales and coming across a toppled lamppost, which Bubs figures will get them an easy $100 for the scrap aluminum.<br><br>At a westside subshopt, McNulty spots Bodie, taking cover from the cops who are shaking down the corners hard. McNulty explains that the response is due to Walker getting jumped. Bodie is amused at what happened to Walker. &quot;Walker's an asshole,&quot; McNulty admits, to Bodie's surprise. McNulty gets a call and has to rush out, but he leaves Bodie with a strange feeling of camaraderie between himself and this police.<br><br>As Prez attends to Randy's wounds, with Michael and Dukie standing by, Randy swears he only told the police what everybody knows that Lex went to the playground behind Fulton and everyone says he got killed, and that he heard about it from Lil Kevin. He asks Michael if he's a snitch for doing that much, and Michael responds that because Randy didn't give up any of his friends, he is not. But, Michael cautions, you shouldn't talk to police in general. Dukie reports that now people say Kevin's in the vacants with Lex. Prez tells Randy that Michael is right: If anyone tries to talk to him again, he's to say nothing.<br><br>At Police Headquarters, Deputy Commissioner Rawls hands out Carcetti's memo ordering quality police work over making stats to the department heads, including Daniels and Maj. Stanislaus Valchek. When the Chief of Patrol moans about how difficult it will be (&quot;Our people were raised on stats.&quot;), Rawls suggests he can replace him if he can't bend Patrol to the mission. As the meeting breaks, Daniels asks Rawls for permission to reconstitute Major Crimes, bring it under the Homicide umbrella, and shake up the personnel - as that unit was all about the high-end. Rawls tells him to go for it. When Daniels leaves, Valchek, who's heard the exchange, commends Rawls for approving an idea from the &quot;anointed fella.&quot; Seeing the look on Rawls' face, Valchek realizes with shock that this is the first time Rawls has been tipped to the idea that Daniel -- not Rawls -- is being seriously groomed for Commissioner. Now the delay in firing Burrell makes sense to Rawls. &quot;Jesus, Bill, it's Baltimore. You ain't one of the natives, are ya?&quot; Valchek reminds him.<br><br>Staking out the Holiday Inn, Renaldo reports that Slim Charles went in a big room with a sign that said New Day Co-op with Joe, Fat Face Rick and eight or nine others - at least one of whom Omar and Renaldo have robbed. Just then they spy Marlo arriving as well. Omar is excited: &quot;If it's what I think it is, our little clutch of chickens might be putting all their eggs up in one basket.&quot; Omar has, through much surveillance, figured out the connection between Proposition Joe, Marlo and many other Baltimore narcotics traffickers. He sees the outline of the Co-op.<br><br>As Michael and Namond check out gold chains, Namond warns his friend against wearing Walker's ring around his neck where the officer can spot it. He asks what's up with Michael, taking risks like that, especially pulling off the mask in Walker's presence, and starting the fight to defend Randy. Michael asks him back: Wouldn't you have stood tall for a friend? &quot;It's not that you do s**t, it's how you do it,&quot; worries Namond.<br><br>Daniels reports the good news about Major Crimes to Det. Lester Freamon, giving him carte blanche to pick his squad and supervisor. &quot;It's morning in Baltimore, Lester. Wake up and smell the coffee.&quot;<br><br>Prez intercepts Sgt. Ellis Carver on the Western District backlot, in a rage over how he handled Randy: &quot;I trusted you, trusted Daniels. My f**kin' mistake, huh?&quot; Carver gets him to explain what happened and angers when he hears Randy was beaten - he put the kid onto Det. William &quot;Bunk&quot; Moreland and Herc. He offers to put a plainclothes unit on Randy's house. Prez thinks that will only make things worse, but Carver assures him they'll be discreet and convinces Prez to accompany him while he gets to the bottom of what happened.<br><br>Late night, Freamon lets himself into the wiretap room at the Clinton Street detail office, frustrated by the signs that there's been no progress since he left - that the machines themselves have been removed or shut down. Curious, he goes into Lt. Charles Marimow's office and finds a box marked &quot;Barksdale Subpoena Returns.&quot; He goes through the folders, spotting Ed Bowers, Andrew Krawcyk, and Maurice Webber. Meanwhile, Mayor Carcetti attends a fundraiser for the Ella Thompson Fund, a part of the Parks and People Foundation of Baltimore that helps sponsor inner-city recreation programming, where he meets and greets these very men - who are rushing to ingratiate themselves to the new city administration. Freamon's pursuit of the Barksdale money has been renewed, and Marimow's days as commander of the MCU are numbered.<br><br>At home, Namond contemplates cutting off his ponytail, as De'Londa warns him she'll do it for him. It's why the police can target him so easily. But he's not yet willing to make the sacrifice.<br><br>As Freamon packs up his desk in the Homicide Unit, Bunk and Greggs heckle him about leaving so soon to return to the wiretap unit. Carver interrupts, looking for Bunk, asking what happened with Randy. But Bunk doesn't know anything about any kid witness in Lex's case. Carver, frustrated and embarrassed, tells him Herc was supposed to bring the kid to Bunk. Freamon can see something's wrong and asks what happened to the boy.<br><br>Assistant Principal Marcia Donnelly delivers the good news to five eighth graders, including Dukie, that they'll be promoted to ninth grade at the end of the marking period - an upward promotion of at-risk kids that helps the system's matriculation rates even if it dislocates students in the middle of an academic year. Dukie clearly doesn't view this as good news. Next she delivers a blow to Colvin: &quot;They pulled the pin on your program.&quot;<br><br>Mayor Carcetti addresses the Western District roll call, announcing the five percent salary bump he's scraped together, and his mandate to abandon quotas and stats in favor of quality police work. McNulty challenges him that they've heard empty promises before, and without educating the community and the bosses, who's to say they won't be back to juking stats as soon as the neighborhoods start complaining. &quot;If the old dogs can't handle the job, I'll find new ones who can,&quot; Carcetti vows. A good many of the troops are won over, but McNulty's not so sure. The FOP President warns Carcetti that his new popularity may be short lived if he doesn't handle the Sgt. Hauk situation just right.<br><br>Bunk and Freamon interrogate Herc in the wiretap room, as Bunk - playing the bad cop - lets him have it for not bringing Randy directly to him - and putting his paws in a murder case. He storms out, leaving Freamon to play good cop. Herc lays out his story from the beginning, including his search of Chris Partlow's and Snoop's Chevy Tahoe, and the nail gun he found which meant nothing to Herc, but is taken down - as all details are - by Freamon.<br><br>The Mayor grudgingly agrees to see Commissioner Burrell, who admits that overall policing strategies may not be his strong suit. But he does know that Col. Daniels' recommendation on how to handle Sgt. Hauk will not fly with the ministers, while conceding that Carcetti can't fire a white cop for stopping a black minister without losing the rank and file. His solution: Herc worked narcotics for six years, &quot;and in narcotics, there are no virgins.&quot; He hands over a hefty binder that contains the department's General Orders; there's sure to be grounds for firing a saint in there. Carcetti begins to see why Burrell has survived and thrived for so long.<br><br>Bubbles and Sherrod get attacked once again by the predatory fiend and their renewed teamwork doesn't help the situation and they both end up beaten and defeated.<br><br>Omar and Renaldo pay a visit to the appliance store, beating the outside lookout down, then holding a semi-automatic and a .50 caliber on Proposition Joe and his lieutenants, Cheese and Slim Charles. Omar reveals he knows about the New Day Co-op and Marlo's involvement, then makes his demand: he wants Marlo: Not to kill him, but to take what's his. Joe agrees to have his nephew Cheese make the drop on Marlo's next package and they'll alert Omar to the spot in advance. Omar agrees, but warns that if Prop Joe tries to put a twist in the plan, he'll make sure to tell Marlo he's the one who put Omar up to the card game heist. Before leaving, Omar asks for a service ticket for the antique clock he's dropping off for repair. In disbelief, Joe writes one up and they leave. Cheese can't believe Joe's really going to do this, but Proposition tells him it's the only way out. Omar knows too much and will only keep his secrets if he gets what he wants. Outside, while Slim Charles berates the beaten lookout in the background, Omar tells Renaldo he trusts Proposition Joe's fear, but now they're going to follow Cheese day and night.<br><br>Bunk and Freamon pay a visit to Prez's class to complain that Randy's foster mother won't let him talk, per his math teacher's advice. &quot;I'm siding with my kids,&quot; Prez insists when they press him. Lester sees the ethic involved andagrees to back off, but as they're leaving, Bunk asks for just a &quot;little something.&quot; Prez gives in, telling him only the address of the playground where Randy told Lex to meet a girl. &quot;That's all he did,&quot; Prez insists.<br><br>On the corner, Michael's mother approaches, asking for a price break on a fix and indicating that she is short the money. Namond relents and gives her drugs at a discount, knowing that in doing so there will be more money in Michael and Bug's house and that she is sure to cop somewhere in any event. Namond authorizes the charity, only to have little Kenard chastises him for his weakness. He doesn't see Michael's mother; he sees only a dope fiend.<br><br>Running late to an update from city bureaucrats, Carcetti is pleased with the reports: vehicles have been towed, new playground equipment installed, all hydrants fully capped, and 32 tons of waste pulled from alleys. But when the Budget Director remains to give his update, the news isn't so cheery: a $54 million deficit for the school system. Carcetti can't believe there's been no warning of this mess Royce left. &quot;How the f**k do we deal with that?&quot; asks the Mayor. So far, no one has any ideas. This could wreck their agenda.<br><br>Colvin, Professor David Parenti and Donnelly make an appeal for the project class before the Superintendent and Area Superintendents. Attendance is excellent and there have been no suspensions, plus they've helped the other classes function better by pulling the troublemakers and they hope to expand and cover the whole eighth grade in January. The Superintendent can see the benefits, but with the new administration and the sudden budget deficit, they're under too much scrutiny. &quot;If City Hall were to sign off on this, we could go forward,&quot; says the Area Superintendent. &quot;But now is not the time to rock any boats.&quot;<br><br>Back at his lair, Marlo remarks that he heard Chris took care of his puppy Michael's problem. But Marlo mentions that Michael stood tall for a snitching boy. Chris takes this in.<br><br>At the abandoned playground that Prez mentioned, Bunk and Lester look for clues. Using soft eyes, Freamon sees the large number of vacant houses that surround the playground on three sides. Freamon heads toward the rear of one vacant, examines the plywood that boards it up, so loosely affixed that he can pry it off with his hands. Bunk questions what he's doing but Lester plows on, down the row, noting that another plywood door is secured with machine-driven nails that will require a crowbar. &quot;This a tomb. Lex is in there,&quot; he explains to a dumbfounded Bunk, who steps back and finally sees it as well.</p></div>

That's Got His Own

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by </b>Joe Chappelle<br><b>Story by</b> Ed Burns &amp; George Pelecanos<br><b>Teleplay by</b> George Pelecanos</p><p>&quot;That all there is to it?&quot; -- Bubbles<br><br>Michael Lee runs down a back alley, looking over his shoulder, stumbling and regaining himself as he searches for an open door, somewhere to hide. Two shadowy figures chase him, pistols drawn, as he turns a corner, grabbing a rag so he can break a window, open a derelict warehouse door. The figures gain on him, and closer up they become clear - Felicia 'Snoop' Pearson and Chris Partlow. Inside the vacant and trashed warehouse, Michael tries to look for an exit on the other side. Trapped, he tries for a hiding spot instead. Chris and Snoop find the warehouse and catch up to him. Realizing there's only one place he can be, they corner him and take aim - firing several shots at the first sound. Michael ducks out and fires back, as Chris falls against a wall, holding his abdomen, red seeping out from his hand. Snoop screams a banshee wail as she drops to the ground next, also seemingly shot.<br><br>Michael steps over to Chris, who's drenched in sweat and bleeding red. &quot;What's next?&quot; Chris asks, breathing heavy. &quot;One to the head. I keep it quick,&quot; his protege responds. &quot;Not yet, motherf**ker,&quot; Snoop says, back up and smiling. &quot;You shoot live rounds like paint, boy, you gon' be the shit,&quot; she tells him. Michael smiles back - he's earned his stripes.<br><br>In one of Marlo Stanfield's mausoleums, Det. Lester Freamon stares at a badly decomposed body of Lex as crime lab technicians work the scene. He steps outside and motions to Det. William &quot;Bunk&quot; Moreland to examine the plywood of the house next door, then starts pulling at it, explaining his detective work to the arriving Sgt. Jay Landsman: the nails on the mausoleum came from a nail gun; every other house on the block has the ordinary screws that Baltimore's housing department uses. They keep looking for the unique nails and they'll find more bodies. Landsman gets sarcastic. &quot;Do you see a tool belt on me?... Three weeks left in the year, our unit clearance rate is under 50 percent. We do not go looking for bodies, especially moldering John Does. We don’t put red up on the board voluntarily.&quot; Freamon explains the bodies are Marlo's. &quot;Then they belong to him,&quot; Landsman responds, before pulling rank and giving him an order: &quot;You will not pull down any more f**king wood.&quot; Landsman stalks off and Freamon shows his frustration.<br><br>At an informal budget meeting, Mayor Thomas &quot;Tommy&quot; Carcetti goes ballistic over the $54 million school deficit. City Council President Nerese Campbell shifts the blame to the school board, while the Mayor's new chief of staff reminds her that the Council has oversight. As they argue over who is to blame for the disaster, and whether the cause is waste or fraud or embezzlement, the School Superintendent steps in, conceding that her system's accounting practices are a problem, but &quot;we're gonna find that most of the money was properly spent on programming.&quot; They debate their next move -- raising property taxes, cutting services, scaling back budgets, denying pay hikes to police and firefighters. &quot;How?&quot; Carcetti asks, his voice rising. &quot;I just ran a clean-up-the-streets campaign...and I just got done promising the world to every cop in the city.&quot; Campbell has the inevitable answer: &quot;Annapolis,&quot; she says, referring to the Governor's office and the possibility of a state bailout. &quot;You go beg his Republican ass.&quot;<br><br>Omar Little and Renaldo are now following Cheese, one of Proposition Joe Stewart's lieutenants, having gotten onto him after the earlier confrontation at Prop Joe's second-hand electronics store. Cheese has led them to a meet with Marlo and Marlo's lieutenants at their outdoor lair. Renaldo wonders if this is their big drug drop. Omar hopes not, because they haven't called him yet with the tip-off -- as promised -- &quot;and that would make me feel bad toward Prop Joe.&quot;<br><br>Marlo and his lieutenants greet Cheese as a runner hands him a book bag full of cash: 25 back to Joe for what they were short before - their claim to payment for their hired killings of the New York Boys having been denied -- and 150 to up their order to six, Marlo tells him. Cheese doesn't know if they'll have extra coming off the boat for six. &quot;Short someone else then,&quot; Marlo says bluntly. Cheese throws him a disposable cellphone. Marlo affirms he no longer uses cellphones. Cheese tells him they don't either and that he should merely look for a call from an eastside exchange, toss the phone and go for the meet. Watching the transaction from the row house, Omar decides to continue to follow Cheese.<br><br>Freamon and his new unit, including Sgt. Thomas R. &quot;Herc&quot; Hauk, Det. Leander Sydnor, and Det. Kenneth Dozerman, watch smugly as Lt. Charles F. Marimow packs his things - a victim of the same petty and political machinations that Marimow so often employed. The second the door shuts behind him, they bust out laughing. &quot;Sometimes,&quot; Freamon says, &quot;life gives you a moment.&quot; &quot;He's gonna do me and instead he gets done,&quot; Herc adds. &quot;I'm dipped in s**t here. I'm the luckiest motherf**ker you know.&quot; Freamon gets down to business and delivers the plan: Marlo is still the target. The bosses might not let Freamon go after the murders but they can't stop him from chasing the drugs. He assigns the team their orders - Sydnor on surveillance, Dozerman on the paper trail, Herc on the paper work to get the wiretap back up. As for Freamon, he's off to the missing persons unit downtown. Herc pulls Freamon aside and asks that he give the orders; Herc, after all, is the sergeant. Freamon stares at him for a moment before walking off.<br><br>Namond Brice is getting his hair braided on a corner - his ponytail replaced by less conspicuous cornrows - when little Kenard pays a visit to tell him their package was taken from Kenard's basement when the police kicked in his door. Namond wants to know how they knew where his stash was. &quot;Some snitch-ass bitch,&quot; Kenard tells him, claiming he's gonna find the informant.<br><br>Howard &quot;Bunny&quot; Colvin and the Deacon share a Polish sausage at one of Baltimore's last remaining Polack Johnny's restaurants, as Colvin unloads about the pilot program being denied approval to continue. They went all the way to the School Superintendent, who's too scared - given all the budget problems - to take any fresh complication to the Mayor. The Deacon mentions State Del. Odell Watkins. &quot;I was hoping you'd say that name,&quot; Colvin says, acknowledging that Watkins, having supported Carcetti in the election, has the new mayor's ear.<br><br>Bubbles meets with some old-time street sages at an A-rabbers' stable on the westside and gets a few tips on ridding Fiend from his life. One of them eventually recommends he lace his drugs with sodium cyanide, easy enough to get hold of if you know where to look. They caution him not to go overboard - one vial could kill every horse in the stable. &quot;That all there is to it?&quot; Bubbles asks. &quot;Ain't no thing to kill a nigger if he's already 'bout the business of killin' hisself,&quot; one of the men tells him. &quot;Police, they ain't gonna pay no never mind. You're the one that's got to live with it, is all.&quot;<br><br>In the Missing Person Unit, Freamon sifts through photos, mug shots and family shots of all the young black males - more than he expected. He pulls out Lex's photo and Little Kevin's mugshot as well, as the M.P.U. detective explains why he hasn't done any street work on any of them: They cut his department down to one detective five years ago. &quot;I barely keep up the paperwork.&quot; Freamon leaves with the photos and reports.<br><br>When Michael hears that Kenard's stash is gone, and asks a few follow-up questions, he realizes the scam and tells Namond the kid took it himself. &quot;And now you gotta step to him, put somethin' real behind them words.&quot;<br><br>Omar pays a visit to Blind Butchie's bar, explaining that he's rounding up soldiers, and Butchie offers up his own confederates - the very players who saved Omar when he was alone in the city detention center on his murder charge. Omar acknowledges Big Donnie, remarking that his 2255 federal post-conviction appeal must have worked out. Donnie affirms that this is so. Omar says, however, that he's planning to go &quot;subtle&quot; in his approach, and as if on cue, he gets a visit from an old friend, Kimmy, who he has called back into town for a chance at a big score.<br><br>Roland &quot;Prez&quot; Pryzbylewski stops by Randy Wagstaff's house to drop off his homework assignments - Randy is still not attending class for fear of being targeted and beaten as a snitch - and Miss Anna tells him she's thinking of moving the boy to another school for the next semester. Prez hopes it's not necessary. He leaves, but as he does, spots the plainclothes surveillance car on the way out, and realizes that if he can spot the protection detail, it's likely that the neighborhood can as well.<br><br>Carcetti and Wilson pay a visit to the State House, where they're made to wait an hour to meet with the Governor. An aide surfaces to say it will be longer, as the Mayor - humiliated - explains he has appointments. Wilson reads his boss a quote from the Washington Post, from the governor himself, about Baltimore's &quot;latest fiscal emergency&quot; calling into question not only the school system but &quot;local oversight of the system.&quot; &quot;Motherf**ker,&quot; Carcetti says. &quot;He's playing to the D.C. suburbs. The governor sees Tommy running against him in two years and is going to use any school bailout to damage Carcetti politically with voters statewide. Wilson agrees with Carcetti's assessment, saying of the governor: &quot;He ain't no fool.&quot;<br><br>At the Major Crimes Unit off-site office on Clinton Street, a confused Lieutenant Asher returns with his things, interrupting Herc and Freamon at work. The Lieutenant asks Freamon what the hell's going on, given that he's been transferred from Major Crimes to the Telephone Reporting Unit and back again - all in a few months time. Freamon just smiles and asks, &quot;How's the beach house?&quot; as the lieutenant heads to his office. Herc inquires as to Asher's identity and Freamon identifies the passive, do-nothing lieuenant as one of the department's most effective supervisors.<br><br>Prez makes an appeal to Assistant Principal Marcia Donnelly on behalf of Duquan &quot;Dukie&quot; Weems. Dukie's mid-year promotion to the ninth-grade may be helping the school system juke its matriculation rates, but it is disruptive to the child. Dukie is finally thriving where he is. Donnelly acknowledges that she is aware of all the extra attention Prez has given the boy. She guesses that Prez and his wife don't have kids. &quot;Have them,&quot; she advises him. &quot;For better or worse, they'll be yours for life.&quot; There's plenty of other kids coming up behind Dukie who will also need his help, she adds knowingly.<br><br>In the project classroom, the teacher, Ms. Duquette, tries to get the kids to focus on the upcoming statewide tests - as the system demands of all classes, but they don't see the point. &quot;You need to take the test so you can move on to the next level,&quot; Ms. Duquette explains. &quot;I ain't movin' nowhere but out this motherf**ker,&quot; Darnell Tyson responds. Namond thinks they got schemed, because now their class is just like the ones down the hall. Colvin leans into Parenti and concedes that the boy is right. &quot;The test material doesn't exactly speak to their world,&quot; Parenti affirms. &quot;Don't speak too loud to mine, either,&quot; says Colvin.<br><br>As Prez tries to teach math and percentages, the kids press him about why he got married. &quot;To build a life together,&quot; he says, &quot;family...to have intimacy.&quot; They razz him about &quot;getting some,&quot; and he gets flustered. &quot;Not just that. Intimacy can be a quiet conversation. Or fun. Like when you tickle your partner.&quot; &quot;Yo, tickle my nuts,&quot; one boy responds. Prez turns to face the blackboard and manages to suppress a laugh. Even in their effrontery, these kids have charmed him.<br><br>Ignoring Landsman's order, Det. Freamon pays a visit to Col. Cedric Daniels and Assistant State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman, the respective chiefs of the department's Criminal Investigation Division and the Violent Crimes Unit of the prosecutor's office. They are shocked to hear about the bodies - Freamon learns that Landsman has made no mention of the matter - and Daniels and Pearlman express further dismay at Freamon's estimate of how many they might find: a couple dozen, perhaps. Daniels questions whether they're likely to deploy half of Public Works to open thousands of vacant houses, only to raise the city's murder rate by 10 percent. Pearlman asks any direct links between these presumed bodies in vacant rowhouses and Marlo, and Freamon points to Lex as a known victim whose murder can be linked to the drug trafficker. Moreover, two missing persons can also be tied to Stanfield's organization through the earlier wiretaps that Freamon had up. Pearlman says the decision to begin opening up vacant houses is not for her office to make; prosecutors won't care until they see case files. Daniels agrees to run it upstairs and see what comes.<br><br>After an inordinate amount of time, Carcetti tells the Governor's aide he gets the point and leaves. &quot;I'm the mayor of a major American city for chrissakes,&quot; he says to Wilson on the way out. &quot;How much s**t do I have to eat from this guy?&quot; He scoffs as he re-reads a Washington Post quote the man delivered, &quot;'because those are my children in Baltimore too.' He's gonna bleed me for that money.&quot; On their way out of the State House, Carcetti gets the word from a state trooper at the security checkpoint - portrayed, notably, by Maryland's actual governor, Robert Ehrlich - that the governor is now ready to see him. Wilson takes a line from the Christmas carol playing through the halls to nudge Carcetti back up the stairs to the governor's suite: &quot;We won't go until we get some...&quot;<br><br>Bubbles is hard at work in his garage, a mad scientist dicing up powdery substances and loading three small vials, which he tucks in his coat's front pocket, same as always. When he catches up with Sherrod later, he sends the boy off into a different quadrant of the city with his own inventory for the first time, as he heads elsewhere to seek out the predatory dope fiend who has so tormented them.<br><br>Prez sits with a depressed Dukie by the computer, and tries to convince him he's ready for his promotion to Southwestern High School, adding that he can come back and use the computer and the showers and give him laundry any time. Dukie tries to show Prez how to use the computer, realizing he won't be back. After school, he catches up with Michael and Namond and tells them that Randy's foster mother is talking about taking their friend out of Tilghman, re-enrolling him elsewhere. When Dukie gets back to his own house, its contents are out on the street, an eviction notice on the door. Not again, Dukie says. Michael invites him to stay at his new home with Bug - the first suggestion that Michael and his brother are no longer living with their mother.<br><br>Daniels goes to Deputy Commissioner for Operations William A. Rawls with Freamon's theory about the bodies and the missing persons, and the suggestion that City Hall might look more kindly on the discovery if the bodies are brought in before the year's end - so that the bump in the murder rate will fall on Royce's watch, rather than in the first full year of Carcetti's new administration. &quot;I see you've thought this through - politically, I mean,&quot; he says. &quot;I'm learning as I go,&quot; Daniels responds. &quot;I bet you f**king are...&quot; says Rawls dryly, now conscious of Daniels' prospects for political advancement. Keep this conversation close, he orders Daniels. &quot;That's a direct order.&quot;<br><br>When Namond tells his mother Kenard took the drug stash, De'Londa goes off on him, angry he didn't make the kid &quot;feel pain.&quot; She belittles him for not measuring up to his father, and when Namond reminds her that the man is locked up, she smacks him. Shaken, he leaves the house, despite her protests.<br><br>Over beers, Freamon talks to Bunk and Off. James &quot;Jimmy&quot; McNulty about the bodies, how wrong it is to just let them lie there. McNulty suggests going over Landsman's head, and Bunk, not knowing Freamon already has, explains that his colleague &quot;don't fancy boats,&quot; referring to McNulty's harbor re-assignment after he ignored the chain of command two years prior. With a few beers in him, Freamon eyes the nail he saved and bets them ten bucks they can go find bodies at any boarded-up rowhouse with a similar one. Bunk takes the bet, if only to play with Freamon.<br><br>Namond takes Michael along to confront Kenard on his lie - Kenard's front door showed no sign of having been kicked in by police, and Namond wants to know where the package is. &quot;Package up my ass, Gump,&quot; the kid says. Namond hesitates a moment and Michael takes over, punching the little kid bloody with a fierceness Namond hadn't seen before. &quot;Go 'head Namond, get your package off this bitch and let's go.&quot; Namond looks sickened by the site of the battered Kenard. &quot;I ain't want it,&quot; he says, running off, leaving Michael with his victim.<br><br>In another vacant rowhouse, Freamon collects on his bet as he, Bunk and McNulty look over another decomposing body. They debate whether to call the crime lab, but Freamon says no bitterly; there are no bodies until the bosses say there are. There is talk that eventually, this will become a helluva case. McNulty warns that they should expect the inevitable: the brass will mess it up. &quot;Maybe not this time,&quot; Freamon says. &quot;Daniels is C.I.D. It's a new day downtown.&quot;<br><br>Having no luck scaring up his nemesis, the predatory fiend, Bubbles returns home to the garage. He sees Sherrod cocooned in his covers, and smiles proudly when he sees the cash the boy left for him.<br><br>When Sgt. Ellis Carver visits Randy Wagstaff at home, Miss Anna says they're going to wait a little longer before he returns to school. It'll blow over in a week or so, Carver assures them. Until then, he's got the plainclothes unit protecting the house, and Randy can call him any time. Randy now seems wary of Carver, but Miss Anna insists Carver stay for breakfast.<br><br>Bubbles awakes in the morning with a new idea - they made so much money hauling that felled aluminum lightpost two weeks ago that maybe they can go all Paul Bunyan and start knocking a few more streetlights down themselves - and he starts laying out a plan to Sherrod. When he gets no response, he finally looks around to see the boy's empty bedroll, then finds him lying on the floor, next to Bubbles' coat. Suddenly frantic, Bubbles kneels next to him and reaches for his hand, finding an empty vial. &quot;No, no, no, what'd you do, Sherrod?&quot; he pleads, shaking the boy and pumping his chest, tears pouring out of him.<br><br>In the Major Crimes Unit, the team is reporting to Freamon on their Marlo findings - no more cellphones; even the Stanfield organization lieutenants who were using burners months ago are now taking only face-to-face meets. Two Internal Investigation Division detectives interrupt, looking for a Sergeant Hauk and citing a missing surveillance camera - as well as some paperwork on a couple of informants. They also want to see Sydnor and Dozerman. &quot;Paperwork is all mine,&quot; Herc tells them. &quot;On the camera. On the informants. Me alone.&quot; Herc stands up manfully to take the weight for his mistakes. He departs with the I.I.D. men.<br><br>Rawls breaks the news to Carcetti about the bodies and recommends they pull them out now, so they're not on his watch, but can be credited instead to the previous mayor. &quot;Thoughtful,&quot; Carcetti says, before getting pissed. &quot;I don’t want any more stat games from your department...If there are bodies in there, they need to come out!&quot; Rawls looks chastened, until Carcetti puts a hand to his shoulder. &quot;But do it now. I don't wanna be finding more bodies come January.&quot; Clearly, Carcetti, while staking out some moral high ground, sees the political logic as well.<br><br>After his meeting with the Governor, the Mayor heads into another meeting with city officials where Wilson lays out their latest predicament: they can take state money for the school deficit crisis and avoid teacher layoffs and program cuts, but the state wants more control which will mean messing with teachers' contracts and tenure, and turning the powerful city teachers' union against Carcetti. If they don't take the money, they'll look like they're shorting the kids. Politically astute, Council President Campbell points out that the Governor is setting up the Mayor for a fight in two years - the D.C. suburbs aren't going to like that he used their money to bail out his city schools. As for what she'd do? Don't look at me, Campbell insists: &quot;If you take it, you're selling out the teachers, and that's my base. If you don't take it, you're selling out the kids. Either way, I'll probably rip you, and half the council will, too.&quot; She pauses for a beat. &quot;Just glad I'm not the mayor.&quot; Carcetti is almost amused.<br><br>Col. Daniels summons Freamon to tell him word from down the chain is to open up the houses. They discuss adding manpower to the unit, and he offers Freamon any two bodies he wants from C.I.D.. If he gets the wire back up, Freamon can have additional manpower beyond that. On his way out, Freamon stops by to visit Det. Shakima &quot;Kima&quot; Greggs, who's got her feet up on the desk, talking about a hot woman at a bar and clearly enjoying her new digs. &quot;How're you liking homicide?&quot; he asks. &quot;Love it. Why?&quot; Freamon shrugs and walks off, one of his choices already made.<br><br>At the appliance store, Slim Charles enters to tell Prop Joe the delivery is on its way. Joe picks up a cell phone to make his promised call to Omar. Watching from his cab, already well aware that Cheese is now on the move, Omar puts in a call to his own people.<br><br>Over at Dennis &quot;Cutty&quot; Wise's gym, Namond tries to talk to Michael, who is working a bag, but gets ignored. Aware of his lowered standing, he makes a show of his bravado, taunting Dukie by calling him names, using one of the same insults that Kenard hurled at him: &quot;Gump...dogs**t smellin' ass nigga.&quot; This gets Michael's attention: he turns and grabs Namond, throws him against a wall and begins smacking him. Cutty throws Michael out. Namond is left in tears. When the gym clears, Carver shows and he and Cutty both try to talk to Namond. &quot;I can't go home,&quot; he tells Carver. His mother expects him to be his father, and, he concedes now, &quot;that ain't in me.&quot; As for Michael, Namond references the brutal beating of Kenard and notes: &quot;He 'ain't Mike no more.&quot; Cutty tells Carver privately that Namond certainly can't stay at the gym. Moreover, he regrets shutting Michael out at the very point when that boy might need help the most. He goes looking for Michael, leaving Carver to contemplate Namond.<br><br>By a row of industrial buildings, Omar and Renaldo suit up in armor and load their guns, as Kimmy, the woman from Butchie's bar, arrives in a torn housedress and imitation fur coat ready for action. Omar is amused at her get-up, though Kimmy is less so. Not far away, Cheese and his driver walk towards a small warehouse, and watch as a two-ton truck pulls in slowly. Kimmy appears, walking unsteadily and waving to the driver of the truck. As two warehouse security guards step out, Cheese and the driver standing alongside, Kimmy walks boldly up to them, looking high and singing, and plying her trade. &quot;I'll suck your dick for fifteen,&quot; she says to one of the guards. They are dismissive and begin haggling with her, demanding that she leave.<br><br>Omar and Renaldo prepare their own side-winding approach as Kimmy keeps on it, and a van pulls in and parks - blocking the two-ton truck. Two Hispanic men get out, wearing coveralls and claiming they're painters, as Cheese and his people scream at them to leave. They play dumb and fumble with things behind the rear doors of the van. As Kimmy hikes her dress for the warehouse guards, Omar surprises one guard with a shotgun, Kimmy surprises the other with a holstered automatic from her thigh, and the Mexican painters emerge from the back of the with guns drawn, and Renaldo whistles from the roof, covering all of them with his weapon. Outmaneuvered, Cheese drops his pistol. When no one responds to Omar's request to open the truck, Kimmy shoots a guard in the ass. The Russian driver, cursing his confederates as &quot;amateurs,&quot; opens the rear of the truck.<br><br>Back downtown, the Deacon pays a visit to Odell Watkins, asking him if he remembers Bunny Colvin. &quot;Rogue police commander, tried to legalize drugs,&quot; Watkins says, as Colvin listens outside. Though Watkins seems reluctant to help such a man, The Deacon brings Colvin in to talk about &quot;another bright idea,&quot; as Colvin himself puts it.<br><br>Cutty goes looking for Michael and finds only his mother, who tells him Michael left and got his &quot;own spot,&quot; took his little brother with him, too. &quot;You find that boy, you let him know I need some help around here,&quot; she says bitterly as Cutty leaves.<br><br>Namond is back in Carver's office, waiting for Colvin to pick him up. Carver pulls the former cop aside to tell him what the boy's mother said when he called her about her son's status: &quot;'Put that bitch in baby booking...let him learn something.' She hung up before I could tell her there was no charge.&quot;<br><br>Up the block from Randy's house, a young thug from Tilghman calls 911 from a payphone and reports a cop being beaten and shot at a store elsewhere in West Baltimore. As the plainclothes car races off in response, two boys run by Randy's house and throw Molotov cocktails through the windows. Within seconds, the house fills with flames.<br><br>Prop Joe gets a visit from Cheese, who tells him about Omar's raid, his &quot;commando squads&quot; and how they cleaned them out, the entire shipment. Incredulous, Prop Joe asks about why no one fought back. Cheese insists it happened too quickly, noting that one of Omar's people pulled a weapon from her genitals. &quot;S*** was unseemly,&quot; he remarks. Prop Joe acknowledges that while he was willing to let Omar take off that portion of the shipment destined for Marlo, he didn't see Omar's larger play coming. The two worry what they're going to tell the CO-OP -- everyone's screwed out of this one. &quot;I say we go find this faggot,&quot; Cheese says. &quot;First thing they're gonna wonder about is us,&quot; Prop Joe tells him, worrying about how they'll prove to the co-op as a whole that they weren't in on it.<br><br>Cutty finds Michael on a corner hanging with Marlo's boys, including Monk. He tries to address the boy, but Michael brushes him off. &quot;This here ain't you,&quot; Cutty tells him. Monk warns the coach to step away, and Cutty regards him dismissively. Monk pulls a gun and shoots Cutty in the thigh, dropping him, then points it at Cutty's head. Michael steps in and gently pushes Monk's arm away, until Monk and the others step off. Michael tells Cutty he'll wait for the ambulance, as a Korean storeowner comes out. &quot;Go with your people,&quot; Cutty tells him, realizing that Michael has made his decision already. Michael pauses for a moment, then walks off into the night, leaving Cutty in the street bleeding.<br><br>Carver visits the University of Maryland hospital, where he checks in on the status of Miss Anna on a Burn Unit board: critical/stable condition, with second/third degree burns. He finds Randy in a family counseling room, tear tracks down his face, covered in cuts and minor burns. &quot;I'm sorry, son,&quot; Carver says. &quot;I'm gonna talk to social services. We'll get you some help.&quot; Randy refuses to look at him. When Carver turns to leave to begin making calls, Randy yells after him. &quot;You gonna help, huh? You gonna look out for me?&quot; He repeats himself, yelling louder, tears streaming, as a tormented Carver keeps walking.</p></div>

Final Grades

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Ernest Dickerson<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Ed Burns<br><b>Teleplay by</b> David Simon</p><p>&quot;If animal trapped call 410-844-6286&quot; -- Baltimore, traditional</p><p>It's the holiday season and Sgt. Jay Landsman arrives at the Homicide unit whistling Christmas carols, stopping short when he sees some unseasonable red-new names, including John Does, being added to the board. Det. Edward Norris informs him it's all from Det. Lester Freamon, up early, rooting through vacants. Furious about Freamon's crusade to &quot;make murders,&quot; Landsman turns his attention to a new case: Norris has a &quot;sack in the box&quot; - a guy who turned himself in for a murder, a guy claiming to have killed a fellow IV drug shooter with a &quot;hot shot.&quot; When Landsman joins Norris in the interrogation room, he finds Bubbles, sober but getting sick from withdrawal, begging to be locked up for poisoning Sherrod with cyanide. As they question him, Bubbles vomits all over both detectives. Landsman heads off to wipe the spew from his Christmas tie and shirt. When he and Norris return from cleaning up, they find Bubbles, hanging from his belt. They race to get him down; he's still alive.</p><p>In an alley outside of some vacants, a sign on the plywood door reads: &quot;If animal trapped call 844-6286.&quot; But these empty rowhouses are now swarming with cops, crime scene investigators and public works crews. Det. Shakima &quot;Kima&quot; Greggs and Freamon wonder how far the mausoleums stretch. &quot;Only one way to find out,&quot; says Freamon, dialing his cell. He reaches the C.I.D. commander, Col. Cedric Daniels, who's with Deputy Commissioner for Operations William A. Rawls, Police Commissioner Ervin Burrell and Assistant State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman at the staging area for the body bags - a gymnasium of a nearby empty and unused middle school. Rawls moans that it will take the labs a year to sift through the vaccumed and bagged dirt in the vacants in a search for trace evidence. When Daniels reports the prevailing suspicion is that the deaths are all related to the rise of Westside drug trafficker Marlo Stanfield, Burrell wants to know what his police department has on the target. Looking pointedly at Rawls, Daniels notes that they had wiretaps on Stanfield earlier, but they came down on those. Now it it may be too late -- Marlo may have changed his pattern by now. Rawls quietly eats the implied criticism of his political interference in the Major Crimes Unit and its casework. Seeing his opportunity, Daniels asks for manpower to search the thousands of vacant rowhouses in the city. Getting the okay, Daniels sets off to phone word to Freamon. Rawls warns Burrell that they're going to look bad with this case, and Daniels will be closer to &quot;the throne&quot; if he brings in the case. But Burrell's seemingly not worried. &quot;He's a long way from my chair. As are you.&quot; He chastises his deputy for making his showing his own ambition and disloyalty, noting that Rawls made his move too soon, warning, &quot;Don't you ever cross me like that again.&quot;</p><p>Landsman questions Bubbles as the paramedics, satisfied that all vital signs are normal, leave. Through fits and starts, Bubs explains that the tainted vial was for a guy who'd been beating on him, but Sherrod was dipping, something he knew even if it was unspoken. He blames himself for trying to help the kid, for taking him in and pretending to play at parenting: &quot;Like I ain't know who I am, right? Like I pretendin' I ain't been a dope fiend my whole damn life.&quot; He begs to be locked up, but Landsman, hearing how it went down, thinks it over, walks out into the squadroom, and tells Norris he wants to throw this one back. Norris warns Bubbles might go off a roof if they cut him loose, so Landsman suggests D-Ward at Bayview. &quot;Something with soft walls.&quot;</p><p>A quorum from the New Day Co-op confronts Proposition Joe Stewart and Slim Charles, as Marlo Stanfield and Chris Paltrow also look on. They don't want to pay twice for the same package, and they've decided Joe - being responsible for handling the shipment from the Greeks - needs to make this right. Joe explains that's not the nature of a Co-op: &quot;Share in the good, share in the bad.&quot; When the other dealers show their reluctance, Joe agrees to pay for the replacement shipment, but after that, he threatens, the drug connection will be his alone and they can find new suppliers if they won't stand together now. That wins the argument. Still, Marlo wants to &quot;talk&quot; to who was in charge of the stash, but Joe says it was his nephew - and he won't give up Cheese. Instead he offers his drug connection, whose people were also there when the shipment was stolen, so Marlo can hear from him directly how it went down. Marlo seems mollified by the offer.</p><p>Meanwhile, Omar Little and Renaldo have been dividing up the shipment they hijacked from the New Day Co-op, but even after splitting it with their accomplices, Kimmy and Mexican boys, they tell Butchie they have &quot;26 raw&quot; left. Omar's not a drug dealer, he points out; he's not set up to put this on the street. Butchie jokes that Omar can sell it back to Proposition Joe for 20 cents on the dollar, cracking himself up at the affront that would be. But Omar realizes it's not such a bad idea; in fact, the effrontery of it gives him some certain pleasure.</p><p>Sgt. Ellis Carver gets on the phone with the state Department of Social Services' child custody workers, trying to find a spot for Randy Wagstaff in foster care, as the boy waits nearby on his bench, slowly hiding some cash inside the binding of one of his schoolbooks. Social services tells him the boy's only option is a group home, since his foster mother's in the hospital indefinitely and there's a wait list for foster care.</p><p>Freamon sends Greggs to round up Sgt. Thomas R. &quot;Herc&quot; Hauk, who's suspended without pay. He was the one who found the nail gun in his search of Chris and Snoop's SUV, and they need his help on that point, as they try to recover the nail he fired during the car stop - as ballistics can match it to the others at the crime scenes, even if they don't recover the actual nail gun. But obsessed with his own problems, Herc won't stop talking, trying to figure why he's getting jammed up by I.I.D. when Daniels gave him a slap on the wrist earlier. He shows Greggs and Det. William &quot;Bunk&quot; Moreland the spot where he pulled over Chris Paltrow and Felicia &quot;Snoop&quot; Pearson to search their car and fired the nail gun into the asphalt by Snoop's leg. As Herc keeps talking, not helping, Greggs and Bunk search the road hoping to find the nail. But all they find is an empty hole, the nail long gone. Finally, in response to Herc's rant, Bunk asks what he did, exactly. When Herc explains about the camera and the lies told in which probable cause was attributed to a made-up informant, Bunk and Greggs shake their heads in disbelief. &quot;Son, they gonna beat on your white ass like it's a rented mule,&quot; Bunk tells him. Meanwhile, the patrol shifts in every Baltimore district mobilize to search every vacant displaying the kind of nails utilized by the bail gun, as the body count rises.</p><p>At the hospital, Dennis &quot;Cutty&quot; Wise is laid up with a fractured leg. The nurse, having looked at his past hospital records and knowing he has no insurance, assumes he's a gangster and - as a weary veteran of the drug wars herself - gives him hell for relying on the hospital to put him back together free of charge. Howard &quot;Bunny&quot; Colvin shows up and introduces himself -- Sgt. Carver suggested Cutty might be able to help him with Namond Brice. Cutty wants to know why Colvin cares, and Colvin admits that he has come to care about the youth.</p><p>Back by the vacants, a crowd has gathered as L'il Kevin's body is pulled from one of them, Bodie and Poot among those watching. Bodie starts to lose it, yelling about how wrong Marlo is to do all these killings. Poot tries to calm him down, but Bodie throws a fit, kicking and punching in the windows on a parked radio car. Det. James &quot;Jimmy&quot; McNulty sees Bodie go off, trying to explain to his fellow cops, &quot;That's his friend in the bag.&quot; But Bodie's gone too far. He's cuffed and dragged toward a jail wagon.</p><p>Mayor Thomas &quot;Tommy&quot; Carcetti and mayoral aide Norman Wilson watch the national TV news reports of the bodies being found. The only good news is that it's knocked the disastrous school deficit off the front pages. Both problems should be on former Mayor Royce, Carcetti complains, but it's the new administration that is going to have to deal with the fallout. They review his options on the school problem with his new Chief of Staff: if he takes the money from the Governor, then the D.C. suburbs won't vote for him for governor in two years because he took money from suburban taxpayers to pay for city schools. But if he doesn't take the money and makes it to Annapolis, he could help Baltimore then, his Chief of Staff points out. Wilson says the schools can't afford to get any worse, even if they can't fix them, noting that Carcetti is the mayor of Baltimore right now. He urges Tommy: &quot;Go back to Annapolis, eat his s**t.&quot;</p><p>Lonely for his friend, Duquan &quot;Dukie&quot; Weems walks by the dark shell of Miss Anna's row house, where there's no sign of life - including Randy.</p><p>At the appliance store, Proposition Joe, Slim Charles and Cheese review his handling of Marlo's suspicions. Cheese thinks he's putting their drug supply at risk by introducing the younger, volatile dealer to their connection, but Joe says he has no choice - he needs to reassure Marlo that Joe wasn't in on the heist. In the midst of their discussion, Omar shows up, surprising everyone with his nerve. He offers to sell them back their supply at 20 cents on the dollar. After his lieutenants threaten him, suggesting they might torture Omar and recover the drugs without paying any tribute, Omar replies by asking Joe whether he believes Omar will ever - even at the point of torture - give it up. Joe relents, realizing it's a better offer than having to replace the shipment at cost. As he's leaving, Omar remembers his repair slip, and Joe hands over his clock - ticking like new.</p><p>At home in front of the family Christmas tree, Carcetti reviews his options about the school deficit with his wife. &quot;I think you'll do the right thing,&quot; she says, leaving Tommy to wonder what that is.</p><p>Dukie lets himself into Michael Lee's new crib with his key. Following the sounds of rhythmic music, he finds Michael in his room having sex. He backs away, the few remaining shards of his childhood stripped away, and takes refuge on his bottom bunk, after tucking Bug into the top bunk.</p><p>At the staging area of the gymnasium, as the body count builds to seventeen cases, McNulty wanders in, looking for Pearlman to put her A.S.A. signature on case he wants dropped - Bodie's vandalism of the radio car. He's unable to restrain his curiosity about the vacants, firing off questions as Bunk and Freamon taunt him. &quot;If I was a police, I don't think I could hang back on it,&quot; Bunk says to Freamon, for McNulty's benefit.</p><p>Dukie arrives at his first day of Frederick Douglass High School, but as a group of bigger kids pushes by him aggressively, he loses his nerve, and turns back. Meanwhile back at Edward Tilghman Middle School, Roland &quot;Prez&quot; Pryzbylewski presides over his class as they take the statewide test, with some students working away, others indifferent and a few angrily defeated. Ms. Duquette watches as the project class pores over their exams, exhibiting the same range of effort and ability.</p><p>Back at the gym, Daniels and Pearlman quiz Freamon, Bunk and Greggs on their progress. They've identified the model of the nail gun. They also report coming up empty on finding the nail Herc fired into the street weeks earlier, though they ordered up a metal detector and searched the block. Freamon is hopeful they'll get lucky in the trace work - hairs, fibers, maybe a blood sample - at the vacants, but all agree the next investigative move is to write search warrants and hope to catch Chris or Snoop with the offending nail gun, a murder weapon or some other evidence. Pearlman wants to know what probable cause she can use for the warrant application. The detectives cite Herc's previous discovery of the nail gun and other tools in their SUV. There is no law against owning power tools, Pearlman notes. Bunk argues that they have a witness that links Chris and Snoop to the murders - a reference to Randy Wagstaff's previous statements. But unwilling to cross Prez on this point, Freamon corrects him, saying they have a source, not a witness - a distinction that means they won't ask the boy to testify in court and therefore can't cite him as backing for the warrant. Frustrated, Bunk asks for an hour and leaves with Greggs behind him.</p><p>Colvin pays another visit to Cutty in the hospital, who tells him he was able to get word to Namond's father, who will talk to Colvin. On his way out, Colvin sets the nurse straight on Cutty - he's not a gangster, he got shot trying to pull a kid off a corner.</p><p>Greggs and Bunk pay a last visit to Lex's mother, who's distraught that she couldn't even see her son's body because it was so decayed. Bunk points out that they did the best they could with the information they had - a pointed criticism of her unwillingness to help the investigation earlier. Finally she tells them what she's heard that Snoop and Chris killed her boy.</p><p>At the D.S.S. child services offices, Carver pleads with a bureaucrat to find a solution for Randy that doesn't involve a group home. In frustration, he offers to become the boy's foster parent himself. But even that won't work - the screening process is three-to-four months and Randt can't be in Carver's custody in the meantime. Randy has to go back in the system, as per the court order that put him there in the first place.</p><p>With Chris and Snoop cuffed on the curb, Bunk, Greggs and Freamon - now armed with a good warrant - search the SUV. No nail gun or lyme is found; none of the tools that Herc saw earlier. No weapons either, but unable to believe these two would be &quot;riding tame,&quot; Greggs roots around under the dash and finds a wire. Connecting it to the ignition wire, a secret drop box above the glove compartment pops open to reveal a pistol. &quot;Ain't even our car,&quot; says Snoop.</p><p>Meanwhile, Spiros &quot;Vondas&quot; Vondopoulos sits between Marlo and Prop Joe, backing Joe and assuring Marlo that the rip off wasn't a set up. Marlo asks Vondas how he can be sure, and Vondas says he talked to his own people - &quot;he looked into his soul,&quot; he says of his subordinate, indicating that he tortured the man to be sure. That settles Marlo, who accept Vondas's word, but tells his lieutenant Monk to put a tail on Vondas - not because the supplier is a problem, but to find out more about the man. Marlo tells Joe he'll get the $90,000 for his share to Joe in the morning and will hunt Omar once the heat from the investigation into the vacants calms down. Monk also tells him that Chris and Snoop have been popped on a gun charge and Marlo tells him to get the bail bondsman on it.</p><p>McNulty greets Bodie as he emerges from Central Booking, telling him he was the one who got him sprung and offering him lunch. They are glimpsed by Monk, arriving with the bondsman in tow. Vaguely curious, Bodie follows McNulty to his personal car. While Chris and Snoop are required to submit to blood and hair samples, per a court order obtained by Freamon and Greggs, along with the grand jury A.S.A., Bodie and McNulty enjoy lunch in the garden's of Northwest Baltimore's Cylburn Arboretum. Bodie insists he's no snitch, but McNulty gives him room to vent about the current state of his business, and being tired of being &quot;them little bitches on the chessboard.&quot; Bodie talks himself into stepping up to put an end to &quot;Marlo an' his kind.&quot; McNulty hears him out and acknowledges Bodie's integrity: &quot;You're a soldier.&quot; Able to serve up this level informant to Freamon, McNulty will be back in the game.</p><p>At the visiting room at Jessup, Colvin talks to Wee-Bey. After reminiscing about their old adversarial roles as corner boy and patrolman, Colvin gets to the point of his visit: he cares about Namond and thinks he has real potential, and he wants Wee-Bey to let him go so he can have the opportunity to go places and do things neither one of them could. The corners have changed; the old codes have fallen. Namond will not last on those corners nowadays. &quot;You askin' too much,&quot; says Wee-Bey. &quot;Yeah, but I'm asking,&quot; counters Colvin.</p><p>Monk tells Marlo and Chris that he saw Bodie getting into a car with a white guy when he got out of Central Booking. Assuming it's police, Marlo orders Chris to have his &quot;pup&quot; take care of it, &quot;get him started.&quot; Chris objects that Michael worked for Bodie, &quot;First time, best be someone he ain't know.&quot; Marlo agrees. He tells Chris that Omar, having stolen the shipment, is now selling it back to Proposition Joe at thirty cents on the dollar â€&quot; indicating that, unknown to Marlo, Joe is making an additional ten cents on the dollar above Omar's price.</p><p>Colvin returns to Tilghman, where Miss Duquette and Professor David Parenti have been waiting with Namond. He sends Namond outside and tells his colleagues that he suspects Wee-Bey will refuse to let Namond go, but they'll know tomorrow. Parenti informs him that tomorrow is a big day all-around: State Delegate Odell Watkins got them a half hour at the Mayor's office.</p><p>On his corner, Bodie's having a slow night, along with Poot and Spider, who is now working the corner. When Poot alerts him to Chris approaching, Bodie refuses to leave. &quot;This is my corner. I ain' runnin'.&quot; He fires at the cars Snoop and Chris are ducking behind, as Poot pleads with him to run. Unable to convince Bodie to flee, Poot finally runs for cover, passing a young hooded boy - O-Dog, one of Snoop and Chris's trainees - who creeps up to Bodie and shoots him in the head. Bodie falls to the ground and is finished with a second shot to the head. He lays there dead, as O-Dog jogs off to join his mentors.</p><p>Working late, Carver puts a jacket over Randy, who has fallen asleep on the bench reading a comic book.</p><p>At City Hall, Colvin gets nervous waiting, having second thoughts about being in the meeting with Parenti, given his involvement in the failed drug legalization project the previous year - a project that Carcetti condemned publicly to gain attention and position himself for his mayoral run. When Colvin offers to excuse himself from the meeting, the secretary informs him the Mayor won't be in their meeting anyway, he's in Annapolis - the first indication that they are already being marginalized.</p><p>Chris, Snoop and Marlo pay a visit to Michael in his new crib - which the Stanfield organization has clearly provided. Marlo suddenly recognizes the ring around Michael's neck - the one he last saw when he relinquished it to Omar during the robbery of the card game. Marlo asks where he got it. &quot;Took if from a nigga,&quot; says Michael, asking if he wants it, but Marlo, amused and fascinated, tells him to keep it. Marlo informs Michael they're giving him Bodie's corner, and that there's one &quot;other thing&quot; they have for him to do. Seeing Dukie getting Bug ready for school, Snoop asks Michael who it was they dropped for him. &quot;Bug's daddy,&quot; Michael says, coolly. Bug shows no reaction.</p><p>Carver spots McNulty in the hall at Western District, asking if he heard about Bodie - shot dead on his corner. McNulty rushes to confirm it on the 24-hour reports, as Carver gets called back into the drug enforcement unit offices by an angry Lt. Dennis Mello, the shift commander, who has discovered that despite his insistence, Randy has not yet been remanded to D.S.S. custody. Mello orders the sergeant to do so immediately, then stalks out. Citing the money he keeps in the schoolbook binding, Randy offers his $230 in cash to Carver, suggesting maybe they can pay someone for a foster spot. But Carver realizes they are out of options.</p><p>Back at the Mayor's office, Colvin and Parenti meet with the Mayor's Chief of Staff and mayoral aide Jerilee Bennett, who see their project as &quot;tracking, plain and simple&quot; and are concerned they aren't teaching the curriculum, thereby leaving some of the kids behind. &quot;As it is, we're leave 'em all behind. We just don't admit it,&quot; Colvin blurts out. When the meeting adjourns quickly - and it's clear that the pilot program is now doomed - Colvin is despondent, concerned he proved himself a liability in the meeting. &quot;Seems like every time I open my mouth in this town, I'm telling people what they don't wanna know.&quot; Parenti assures him it wasn't him, it's the process. And this time, they didn't listen. But he's still optimistic about the great research they did and the attention it will get from academics. &quot;Academics? What, they gonna study your study?&quot; Colvin asks incredulously. &quot;When do the s**t change?&quot;</p><p>At Jessup, Wee-Bey meets with De'Londa to tell her he wants her to let Namond go. She balks at first, but Wee-Bey reminds her of his own status and what he can have done to her, even from prison. He then says, with some pride: &quot;Man came down here to say my son can be anything he damn please.&quot; &quot;Except a soldier,&quot; she retorts. Wee-Bey, doing life without parole, asks her to look around at the Jessup visiting room: &quot;Who the f**k would wanna be that if they could be anything else, De'Londa?&quot; he demands. He'll stick with her, he tells her, but she has to let go of the boy.</p><p>Omar meets Renaldo and Butchie in a garage with a duffel bag of cash, and pays some out to Butchie for his pains. Butchie asks if Omar was followed, but Omar tells him Joe had to play it clean - and agree to giving up the money before getting back his drugs. Joe had to admit that Omar's word was better than his own, Omar muses. They lock up the garage with the stolen drugs inside, in the back of a van, and Omar dials, leaving word with Joe of the address. As they all depart, leaving the shipment to be picked up, Butchie warns Omar that when you steal this much, &quot;it ain't over.&quot;</p><p>Carcetti and Wilson burst into the office late night, back from Annapolis. Carcetti didn't take the money, he couldn't stand being made to beg for it - the Governor was going to call a press conference, showing Carcetti as a beggared supplicant. The Chief of Staff is pleased, but Wilson, thinking of the school system, is decidedly unhappy and leaves angrily.</p><p>McNulty grabs Poot on Bodie's corner, and making sure no one's watching, demands to know who killed Bodie. &quot;Y'all did,&quot; Poot says. Word was he'd been seen talking to police. Not wanting the same fate, Poot tells McNulty to boot him off the corner and McNulty, feeling both guilty and angry, does.</p><p>Outside Tilghman Middle, Dukie waits for Prez before school, and presents him with a gift - a desk set. When Prez asks where his book bag is, Dukie lies that he's stopping home to get it before he goes to class. Sensing the lie, Prez tells the boy to stop by anytime, let him know how things are. In the project class, Miss Duquette informs her charges that the program is over and they'll be returning to regular class. Zenobia doesn't want to return, others are of mixed emotions. Colvin asks Namond how he feels. &quot;This was alright...but maybe it's time,&quot; he says.</p><p>Beatrice &quot;Beadie&quot; Russell awakens to find McNulty up and thinking - even though he worked a late shift. He wants in on the investigation of the bodies in the vacants, he admits. He feels that he owes it to someone. She asks who and he references a kid who got killed. One of those in the vacants? No, they shot him down in street. McNulty thinks he may be different this time, he's changed - no more drinking and whoring. &quot;You are different,&quot; she confirms, as they make love.</p><p>Feeling like a failure, Carver delivers Randy to a group home. The boy assures Carver it's OK: &quot;You tried.&quot; But as he walks Randy inside and up the stairs to a room with bunk beds and older, feral looking kids, Carver feels even worse. He returns to his car and throws a tantrum born of frustration.</p><p>McNulty assures Col. Daniels he can handle returning to Major Crimes: &quot;I think I can do this and keep myself away from myself, if that makes sense.&quot; Reversing the language of their first argument four years earlier, when the detail was forming to work the Barksdale case, Daniels tells him they aren't going to get Marlo Stanfield on street rips, it'll be &quot;Either a wired C.I. or a Title Three.&quot; When McNulty starts to contradict him, Daniels shuts him down, throwing McNulty's words back at him. McNulty acquiesces: &quot;Chain of command, Colonel.&quot;</p><p>Reviewing preliminary results from the state exam, Prez is in disbelief that his classes could have improved on math and reading, with a significant percentage showing themselves to be proficient with the material. Grace explains that &quot;proficient&quot; means at least two grades below their level, and &quot;advanced&quot; means at or a year below grade-level - that's how the scoring shows they've made progress. Prez is embarrassed at his naivete, but Grace assures him he's doing fine. In his class, he welcomes Zenobia, Albert and Namond back and when the returning Albert starts the day with a wisecrack, Zenobia and Namond ignore him, and Prez - with a look that no first-year teacher can manage - shames Albert into better behavior. Clearly, Prez is becoming a teacher.</p><p>At the gym, the body count is up to twenty two. Daniels and Freamon update Pearlman: there are no ballistics matches to link the weapons seized from Chris' truck to the murders, no prints on the weapons. They're in for the long haul, says Freamon, already worrying about how they can get back up on a wiretap or some other proactive means of investigating the Stanfield crew. Freamon asks Daniels why he chose to stage the body recovery operation out of the Lemel Middle School gym and Daniels replied that he knew the school was in the area and not being used, having been closed earlier. Daniels remarks that he went to school here. &quot;Got a pretty good education, now that I think on it.&quot; He and Pearlman exit, leaving Freamon amid the bodies and a case that he will likely need months to bring home.</p><p>Having finally heard the news about Bubbles, Greggs brings Walon, Bubs' one-time N.A. sponsor, to Bayview Hospital to visit. He hasn't spoken to Bubs in a couple of years - since he was last on the wagon. &quot;But if he's up in D-Ward, he's clean as a motherf**k right now,&quot; he notes. They head inside, but Greggs isn't up for a one-on-one visit. She watches through the window as Walon enters the ward and Bubbles, ashamed and in pain, collapses in tears in his sponsor's arms.</p><p>Over drinks with Coleman Parker, Wilson confides he can't believe Carcetti's political ambition wouldn't allow him to take the state money for the sake of the schools and the kids. Parker chastises him for being so naive: &quot;They always disappoint,&quot; he says of politicians, before discussing what campaign he might sign up with next.</p><p>Walking up to a crowded drug corner, Michael takes down his first slinger with a gunshot straight to the forehead as Chris and Monk watch from the SUV. When he jumps in the car and they pull off, Chris knowingly tells him, &quot;You can look 'em in the eye now. No matter who he is or what he done - you look 'em in the eye.&quot;</p><p>As Paul Weller's version of Dr. John's classic &quot;Walk On Gilded Splinters&quot; plays, the coming days and weeks and months play out. Wee Bey says goodbye to Namond in the visiting room and hands him off to Colvin. McNulty returns to Major Crimes and goes to the board to contemplate the photograph of Marlo Stanfield. Herc stoically attends his I.I.D. hearing and listens to the charges arrayed against him. Marlo and Chris stake out Vondas and Proposition Joe, beginning to learn whatever they can about the source of Baltimore's best heroin and cocaine. A weary and disgusted Colvin leaves Professor Parenti's well-attended research presentation early. Saddled with nearly two dozen open murders, Bunk reviews evidence with Det. Michael Crutchfield and Norris while Landsman observes the growing list of red names on the board. Ever closer to the seat of power, Pearlman and Daniels lunch with Carcetti as State Sen. Clayton &quot;Clay&quot; Davis and Burrell - now ever more the political outsiders - look on. Prez sits in his car, watching Dukie working a corner with Poot, as Michael - now the man in charge - drives off in an SUV. Prez himself is forced to drive away when he is offered drugs by Kenard - now also working the corner for Michael, and no doubt unlikely to cheat Michael as he did Namond, given the beating he received. At the group home, Randy returns to his room to find graffiti marking him as a snitch on his bunk, as well as the binding of his textbook ripped open, the money gone. The older boys stalk in and glare at him and Randy resolves to get in at least one good punch before being beaten. Cutty, on crutches, is back to coaching at his boxing gym - with the hospital nurse now fully charmed and by his side. Carcetti wearies of budget meetings, where - without the state bailout - the dollars do not add up. Carver lectures ever younger kids outside the abandoned factory hangout before running them off, then spots the graffiti on the wall as he leaves: Namond, Michael, Randy, Dukie, Donut, Kenard and others, with the mockingly false phrase: &quot;Fayette Mafia Crew 4evah.&quot; In his new crib, Michael works on homework with Bug in a quiet, placid moment as, suddenly, we return to Michael being awakened from this dream-like reverie in the back of Chris's SUV - time to dump the gun. He hands if off to Monk, who opens the door and drops it into a storm drain before they drive off into night.</p><p>Early morning, on the Colvins' porch, Namond finishes both his breakfast and his homework assignment before school as Mrs. Colvin warns him he's going to be late. He goes inside and is told to go back out and retrieve his plate. As he does, an SUV rolls by, music blaring as the driver slows. Namond nods at Donut, who nods back before accelerating down the street, nearly getting broadsided as he runs a stop sign. Namond watches the SUV roll away, leaving behind a quiet Baltimore neighorhood that is his new home, in a new life.</p></div>

More With Less

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Joe Chappelle<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Ed Burns<br><b>Teleplay by</b> David Simon</p><p>&quot;The bigger the lie, the more they believe.&quot; -- Bunk<br><br>Det. William &quot;Bunk&quot; Moreland interviews a corner boy who's trying to remain silent. Bunk points out the futility of his silence — the kid's own running partner has already rolled in exchange for some lunch. Bunk opens the door to the interview room and signals to Det. Edward Norris, who in turn nods to Det. Michael Crutchfield who walks the corner boy's partner by the open door — just as he is handed a McDonald's bag. Meanwhile, a rookie cop has prepped three sheets of paper that say: True, True, False. Bunk verifies the order as they march the corner kid to the Xerox machine and duct tape his hand to the glass — explaining that it's a flawless lie detector test. &quot;Professor&quot; Sgt. Jay Landsman oversees the exam. Starting with easy questions (name and place of residence) the machine verifies his answers: True. But when Bunk asks the boy whether he and his friend Monnel shot Pookie, the boy denies it, and the machine reports its verdict, &quot;FALSE.&quot; Landsman swears the machine is never wrong, and the boy gives up the truth on the spot.<br><br>Dets. Shakima &quot;Kima&quot; Greggs and Leander Sydnor stake out Marlo's lair in the surveillance van while Dets. James &quot;Jimmy&quot; McNulty and Kenneth Dozerman watch from a nearby school roof. Bored, Dozerman mentions to McNulty a story he heard about a police report Jimmy wrote including details of being blown by a whore while on assignment. McNulty, asks Dozerman if he believes everything he reads.<br><br>The surveillance continues as Marlo and Snoop inform a dealer that the new split is sixty-forty. Realizing he has no choice, the dealer gives in. After the meet with the dealer, one of Marlo's new hires whispers something to a young boy who takes off on a Vespa, and Greggs and Sydnor radio Det. Lester Freamon, who picks up the boy's tail in his unmarked car.<br><br>At the roll call room in the Western District, Sgt. Ellis Carver in his S.I.C. uniform presides over an unruly group of officers, including Officers Lloyd &quot;Truck&quot; Carrick and Anthony Colicchio. The group complains about the lack of overtime and court pay, now five weeks overdue. Carver insists that promises previously made will eventually be kept. But when he returns to the readouts and informs them that everyone must make due with their vehicles in their current state of repair, the officers erupt again.<br><br>While Carver is reporting to Maj. Dennis Mello about the officers' discontent, they're called to the back lot, where a fight has broken out over a vehicle returned in disrepair. Carver feels he should break it up, but Mello is content to let the men exercise their frustration with their fists.<br><br>Freamon and Sydnor, who've been following the kid on the Vespa for a half hour, now watch as he waits for Chris Partlow with Michael Lee. Once the message is delivered to Partlow, the kid rides off, and Michael remains. Chris tells him to check on his corner, and he'll get word to him if the meet is on. As Lester climbs in his car to follow Partlow, he gets a radio call from McNulty: Marlo's on the move, but following him is pointless since they know where he's going.<br><br>Mayor Thomas &quot;Tommy&quot; Carcetti, his Chief of Staff Michael Steintorf and Norman Wilson meet with Police Commissioner Ervin H. Burell and Deputy Comm. for Operations William A. Rawls. The police can't provide a drop in crime stats with the budget cuts, and Carcetti can't provide more money — it's all going to schools. When asked where else they can trim, Rawls suggests the investigation into the murders in the vacants. Carcetti points out that headlines saying they're giving up on the murders won't look good. Rawls suggests suspending it temporarily — and lifting the ten-hour cap from secondary jobs so the rank and file can get their extra income elsewhere. Carcetti agrees. Once the meeting is over, Carcetti taunts Norman into saying what he's thinking: That he should have taken the money the Governor offered.<br><br>Chris meets up with Marlo, who tells him the dealer agreed to the 60/40 split so Chris's guys can stand down. They both know they're being watched, so they bid their goodbyes and head off. With no new developments, and no OT to show for their time, Greggs and Sydnor bug Lester to call it a day.<br><br>Duquan &quot;Dukie&quot; Weems is heading up Michael's new corner but his workers don't seem to want to answer to him, especially Spider. When Michael drops by, Dukie's inability to run his own corner is obvious. Michael sends him home to wait for Bug and takes over - checking the count with a now compliant Spider.<br><br>Back at the Detail office, McNulty, Dozerman, Greggs, Sydnor and Freamon file for the OT they know they won't be paid. When Greggs asks Lt. James Asher — busy with the model of his beach house — what he's heard about OT payouts, he shrugs, claiming he's not in the loop, which is no surprise to any of them. As they all head out, Lester offers to buy a round or two.<br><br>Col. Cedric Daniels gets the news from Burrell and Rawls that the vacants investigation is getting put on hold. He's also being relieved of his take-home vehicle.<br><br>At their new place, Michael tells Dukie he doesn't need to put in time on the corner to get paid; he's doing enough taking care of Bug. Dukie scoffs at being a nanny but Michael insists that it's a valuable duty and, before Bug gets home, Dukie's time is his own.<br><br>At the bar, McNulty, drunk, complains to Lester and Greggs about the OT cuts and lack of surveillance vans or cameras. Bunk shows up, and when the bartender won't accept their OT slips as pay, they debate knocking over a liquor store to pay their bar tabs.<br><br>In the &quot;smoking lounge&quot; on the loading dock outside the Baltimore Sun, City Editor Augustus &quot;Gus&quot; Haynes talks about layoff rumors with veteran police reporter Roger Twigg and City general assignment reporter Bill Zorzi. Haynes heads back to the newsroom and checks up on his reporters, nudging them to make the e-dot and double dot deadlines. He spots reporters Olesker and Lippman looking out the window at smoke and shames them into finding out what it is. He calls the photo desk to ask them to surprise him with a pretty picture of the fire as he returns to writing his budget lines for the deadline.<br><br>Carcetti meets with City Council President Nerese Campbell and the U.S. Attorney. The Mayor asks for help with resources for the vacants investigation. The US Attorney wants him to turn over the Clay Davis investigation to the Feds in exchange. Carcetti insists it's State's Attorney Bond's call — and Bond has decided to keep the case local. After the U.S. Attorney leaves, Campbell and Wilson chide Carcetti for getting caught up in the politics of who hangs Clay Davis — and for shutting out the Feds when they are in desperate need of help.<br><br>Watching Marlo, Greggs and Dozerman see him head into a Holiday Inn with a woman. &quot;P**sy call&quot; says Greggs. But inside, Marlo sends the girl to a room to watch TV while he goes to the conference room for a New Day Co-op meeting already in session, including Proposition Joe Stewart, Slim Charles, Calvin &quot;Cheese&quot; Wagstaff, Hungry Man and Fatface Rick. Prop Joe is lobbying for the eastside dealers, who are being displaced by Johns Hopkins' development, to have dibs on the new market along Route 40 and at Turner's Station. Marlo shakes things up with the suggestion that Prop Joe let Slim Charles have a stab at the new territory. Slim Charles declines and whispers to Prop Joe not to &quot;sleep on Marlo.&quot; Meanwhile, Marlo and Cheese exchange a look.<br><br>Bubbles sits alone in his sister's basement. She has to go to work and won't let him stay inside when she's not home. He tries to convince her to just lock him out of the main house, since he has nowhere to go. But she insists that he follow her rules and forces him to leave.<br><br>McNulty and Sydnor are on Partlow, who pays a visit to the Mitchell Courthouse.<br><br>Inside the Courthouse, State's Attorney Rupert Bond is confronted by A.S.A. Rhonda Pearlman and Daniels with the news that the plug's being pulled on the Major Crimes unit and their investigation into Marlo Stanfield and the vacants. Bond asks what this means for his Clay Davis investigation — if Lester Freamon's shipped back to Homicide, there is no case. Daniels has a few minutes with the Mayor and plans to ask to keep the Stanfield investigation going, Bond asks to join him. Meanwhile, Chris Partlow enters the courthouse and approaches the group unrecognized, asking them for directions to the criminal clerk's office.<br><br>Haynes, Phelps, Metro Editor Steven Luxenberg and a dozen other editors gather in Managing Editor Thomas Klebanow's office as he runs the metro budget meeting. Phelps and Luxenberg admit that they're chasing the Daily Record on the story on MTA cutbacks but blame their lack of a transportation reporter. Klebanow scolds their inability to do more with less. Haynes gives the City desk rundown. When Regional Affairs Editor Beth Corbett reports they have 15 inches on University of Maryland not making its desegregation goals, Executive Editor James C. Whiting III who has joined them, squashes the story based on a personal connection to U.M. Dean of Journalism Gene Robbins, who insists things have changed for the better. Haynes, obviously irritated by the blatant dismissal of a good story, attempts to protest Whiting's bias by mock-mispronouncing Robbins's name and mentioning off-handedly that he is white.<br><br>Partlow spots McNulty as he leaves the clerk's office. McNulty goes in after Partlow and sees what he's been looking at: the file for State of Maryland v. Sergei Malatov. Rejoining Sydnor in the car, McNulty tells him that Chris was looking up the Russian they locked up in the docks case several years back.<br><br>In the newsroom, Haynes calls Alma Gutierrez and gives her a lesson about the word &quot;evacuate.&quot; Rewrite man Spry explains: You can evacuate a building, but to evacuate a person is to give him an enema. At the desk next to Gutierrez, Scott Templeton, a metro general assignment reporter, complains about Baltimore as a news town, pointing out that hardly any stories go national from the city. She mentions the dead bodies in the vacants from last year, but he counters by reminding her that the case hasn't been solved.<br><br>Haynes spots an item at the end of the City Council agenda, a vote on a variance to change the zoning on two parcels of land in a real estate exchange. The owner of one of the parcels is Ricardo Hendrix, aka, Fat Face Rick. Haynes orders Price to find out if it's Campbell or Carcetti behind it and calls on Alma to head to Rick's property — a strip club called Desperado's — to insist that until she gets a comment from Rick as to why he's trading property with the city, they'll put his picture on the cover of the paper. Templeton is obviously put off when he's assigned to write background while Alma gets the choice assignment.<br><br>Daniels and Bond catch Carcetti on his way out of the building — unbeknownst to them, their meeting had been cancelled. The Mayor gives them two minutes on the spot. They make their plea to not shut down Major Crimes, but Carcetti insists there's no money. When Bond says it's the same unit investigating Clay Davis, the Mayor offers two men for Clay, the rest is shut down. As they watch the Mayor and Wilson go, Daniels bitterly notes: &quot;So one thieving politician trumps twenty-two dead bodies. Good to know.&quot;<br><br>At the bar, Carver, Dozerman and Colicchio bring Thomas R. &quot;Herc&quot; Hauk up to speed on the latest budget cutbacks. Herc, sporting an expensive suit, asks them to run some tags, promising to buy the next round now that he's making money in his new job as an investigator for a prominent defense attorney.<br><br>In the newsroom, Haynes brings Klebanow up to speed on the City Council dirt story - Fat Face Rick sells a building to the city for $1.2 million, and they sell him a better property to relocate his club five blocks away for $200k —' and so far they've found at least $40k of campaign donations to Campbell from Rick Hendrix and others at the same address. Klebanow gives it front page, below the fold. Haynes gets a call from Nerese, speaking off the record, who insists they need the property for redevelopment and it's in the city's interest to make Mr. Hendricks relocate. He asks her about the $60k donated to her campaign. When she doesn't object he knows there's at least $20k in contributions they haven't found yet.<br><br>McNulty, obviously inebriated, calls home to Beadie from the bar, telling her that he's working late and insisting that his slurred speech is just caused by fatigue.<br><br>At the newspaper bar, Haynes and the team celebrate a job well done. Gutierrez is happy with her contributing line and to be working for the Sun. But Templeton, obviously dissatisfied, has his sights set on the Times or the Post.<br><br>At home, Ofc. Beatrice &quot;Beadie&quot; Russell checks on her kids and looks out the door into the night, waiting for McNulty.<br><br>Daniels breaks the news to Freamon and his team about their investigation being shut down. Greggs and McNulty are back to Homicide. Dozerman is assigned to tactical for now. The Lt. is doing a 4-12 in the Northern and Freamon and Sydnor are assigned to State's Attorney's office for the Clay Davis investigation.<br><br>In the newsroom, everyone's impressed with the late-breaking page-one story. Templeton requests the reaction story, but Haynes has already assigned it. In a thinly veiled dismissal, he tells Templeton to stay hungry.<br><br>At his law office job, Herc proudly reports to his boss Maurice &quot;Maury&quot; Levy that he got the info run through his police buddies in exchange for buying a round at the bar. Levy educates him that as a prominent defense investigator, he should be buying all of the rounds: &quot;You need to learn a little something about the expense account.&quot;<br><br>Greggs and McNulty return to Homicide, and McNulty stares down a rookie sitting in his old desk until he finally takes the hint and moves. He slumps into his chair, miserable. &quot;The prodigal son,&quot; notes Landsman.</p></div>

Unconfirmed Reports

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Story by </b>David Simon &amp; William F. Zorzi<br><b>Teleplay by</b> William F. Zorzi<br><br>Walon conducts a Narcotics Anonymous meeting at a church, where an addict named Dee-Dee shares with the group. When she finishes with time left in the meeting, Walon calls on Bubbles to speak. He starts by cracking jokes but when he searches for something more meaningful to say, remains silent.<br><br>At the detail office on Clinton St., Detectives Leandor Sydnor and Lester Freamon review documents from the investigation of State Senator R. Clayton &quot;Clay&quot; Davis. The records show donations to daycare centers and basketball programs — but no community services appear to have taken place. Sydnor points out the obvious — Davis is stealing from his own non-profits — but Lester alludes to the bigger picture: the money on record hints at cash that's never even shown up on paper. The drug war is lost, Freamon adds; no amount of seized dope will make any difference. But to follow the profits and prove how they flow through Baltimore, making the entire city complicit — that would be a career case.<br><br>Beside two S.U.V.s in a vacant lot, Marlo Stanfield, Chris Partlow and Felicia &quot;Snoop&quot; Pearson discuss business. Chris has felt police surveillance slip away — no tails, helicopters or cameras. With Snoop eager to get back to work, Marlo gives his orders: Hit Webster Franklin's corners to force him onto their package, take out June Bug for mouthing off and find Omar. Chris, after assuring Marlo they'll handle everything, warns that Omar will come right back at them. Marlo brushes off the warning and asks if Chris has set up a meeting for him at Jessup Correctional Institution. Chris hands his boss a photo of the Russian, Sergei &quot;Serge&quot; Malatov, and assures him he's on the visiting list.<br><br>After Bubbles' N.A. meeting, Walon approaches him outside the church and asks why he clammed up in front of the group. Bubbles answers with a shrug, and Walon gently lectures him that while everyone laughs at their mistakes, a lot of substance exists between the jokes. &quot;I thought you might stand up and talk about Sherrod,&quot; Walon says. Bubbles turns to escape, but Walon grabs his arm, telling his friend he needs to let the boy's death go. Bubbles shoots back that he hasn't missed a meeting, but Walon isn't talking about showing up at a church — Bubbles needs to reconcile the way he feels.<br><br>At the homicide unit detectives James &quot;Jimmy&quot; McNulty, Shakima &quot;Kima&quot; Greggs and William &quot;Bunk&quot; Moreland kick back while Det. Michael Crutchfield reads the Baltimore Sun, pointing out that Mayor Thomas &quot;Tommy&quot; Carcetti has lifted the cap on secondary employment as a peace offering for their unpaid overtime. Crutchfield says he's already rounded up a lucrative security job at a jewelry shop, and Greggs remarks that guarding trinkets has taken priority over solving murders. Assistant State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman steps into the conversation, noticing that homicide has had a quiet night. McNulty, eager for a punching bag, jumps in to add that the bodies should start piling up now that the Stanfield investigation has been shelved. He blames Pearlman's office for letting the investigation collapse and allowing gun charges against Snoop and Chris to languish in court. Pearlman walks away, pointedly saying goodbye to the others, and when dispatch calls with a body, McNulty snatches the slip and stalks out.<br><br>In the parking garage, McNulty searches level after level, unable to find his unmarked car. When he finally locates it — on the top floor — he punches the gas only to hear the flap of a flat tire. Past his limit, he jumps out of the car and kicks in the door panel.<br><br>Carcetti, Chief of Staff Michael Steintorf, Norman Wilson and State Delegate Odell Watkins meet at City Hall. The discussion centers on Carcetti's gubernatorial strategy, which Steintorf suggests propping up with a rise in test scores among the city's third-graders. With the police budget gutted, Carcetti can't run on the crime rate, and he wonders about postponing the campaign for five years. Steintorf cautions him that five years in Baltimore might swallow any chance he has. He adds that Council President Nerese Campbell's recent real estate scandal makes Carcetti vulnerable — if voting him into the state house means handing the city over to a corrupt mayor, he can't expect much support. As the meeting wraps up and the mayor leaves, Watkins asks Steintorf whether Carcetti's running for governor two years into his mayoral term feels a little thin, but Steintorf tells him &quot;thin&quot; is business as usual.<br><br>City Editor Augustus &quot;Gus&quot; Haynes finishes a cigarette outside the Baltimore Sun and runs into Scott Templeton as the reporter returns with a story: Single mother of four dies from blue-crab allergy. Haynes gives him an &quot;attaboy&quot; before turning back to his smoking buddies and pointing out that the single mother of four is always catching a tough break.<br><br>In West Baltimore, McNulty finally arrives at his crime scene — via city bus. Ofc. Bobby Brown, waiting outside a row house, watches the detective step down to the curb and asks him why he didn't take a cab. McNulty replies that he'd never get reimbursed. Inside the house, Brown leads McNulty to the body: a 67-year-old woman who died in bed with a pillow over her face. It's probably natural, says Brown, stepping aside for McNulty, who guesses that she died in her sleep.<br><br>Back at the Sun offices, an editorial meeting is underway, and Executive Editor James C. Whiting III explains the education story he has in mind, telling the editors and reporters that he wants to illustrate how the school system has failed the city's children. Education reporter Scott Shane hesitates to defend the schools, but he notes that they're one of many institutions that have failed the kids. Haynes doesn't believe the story can be told without addressing parenting, drugs and economics, but Whiting worries about getting bogged down in details and prefers to boil the story down to something straightforward. Templeton sides with the boss, saying the story of one classroom doesn't need a lot of context. Haynes disagrees, but Whiting has made up his mind — and thinks Templeton might be the right reporter to lead the charge. After the meeting, Haynes and the rest of the newsroom clamp down on deadline, and reporter Suzanne Wooton walks by his desk. She says she forgot to add the numbers to a port story, so Haynes inputs the figures as she tells him: Overall cargo is down 12 percent, but roll-on, roll-off gained 6.4 percent. Wooton gives him the heads-up as Templeton and managing editor Thomas Klebanow sidle toward his desk. Klebanow says he wants Templeton to write the color copy for the next day's Orioles game, and Haynes responds with an unenthused, &quot;You're the boss.&quot;<br><br>Freamon, camped out in his car near a vacant lot on McCulloh Street, finally gets what he's been waiting for when two S.U.V.s pull in. Marlo, Chris and Snoop step into the night to converse, and Freamon sees the sloppy habits he knew would eventually materialize.<br><br>Haynes wakes up in his bed experiencing a moment of dread, and his wife asks what's wrong. He tells her to go back to sleep and picks up the phone to call in to the Sun. Rewrite man Jay Spry answers, and Haynes says he's worried he mixed up the numbers from Wooten's port story. Spry pulls the article back from the copy desk and reads the stats back to Haynes, who relaxes after hearing the correct data.<br><br>The next morning at the morgue, McNulty waits to meet with the medical examiner about his old woman from the row house, when he hears an argument break out between an assistant M.E. and two Baltimore County detectives he knows: Kevin Infante and Nancy Porter. Refusing to take a body on as a murder, Infante storms out, and Porter gives McNulty the details. The body of a man who died doing speedballs in his bathroom fell between the toilet and bathtub, suffering post-mortem injuries when the paramedics pulled him out using his neck for leverage. It looks like strangulation, Porter says, even though it's not. The two detectives go to breakfast, and when they finish, McNulty finds Freamon waiting outside to tell him about Marlo's repeated meetings in the McCulloh lot. McNulty tallies the resources needed to bring the kingpin down — a few weeks and some surveillance gear — but knows the tools are out of reach. Freamon suggests searching for an alternative source of funding.<br><br>Marlo arrives at Jessup Correctional Institution to meet with Sergei but receives a nasty surprise when he finds Avon Barksdale waiting to cut a deal. The incarcerated gangster says that he's an authority figure in the prison, explaining how he figures that Marlo plans to bypass Prop Joe's Co-Op and get the same product by dealing directly with Sergei's boss, Spiros &quot;Vondas&quot; Vondopoulos. Avon has &quot;nuthin' but love&quot; for west-side crews, he says, but his fee for putting people together comes in at $100k.<br><br>Templeton sifts through the Orioles home-opener crowds, searching for the hook to his color story, but the fans aren't giving the quotes he needs. People on the street brush him off; a spectator complains that steroids have ruined baseball … It appears the super fan he wants to feature doesn't exist.<br><br>Freamon and McNulty find the back door to their continued investigation of Marlo in a downtown Baltimore parking lot. FBI Special Agent Terrance Fitzhugh drives up in his government-issue Crown Victoria and asks the two detectives why they can't meet in his office like normal people. McNulty says he'd rather keep his name off the front-desk register. Fitzhugh, not surprised at McNulty's sneaking around, asks for the details, and they tell him about the suspended investigation into the body-filled vacants, promising a big headline if the Feds can stitch up the last bit of casework. Fitzhugh promises to run it up the flagpole.<br><br>When Templeton returns to the Sun offices after the game, he promises Haynes he got &quot;good stuff.&quot; A 13-year-old kid put in a wheelchair by a stray bullet couldn't afford a scalped ticket at the gate; unfortunately, no photographers were available to get art. Haynes starts asking questions to track the source down and get a shot, but the kid, afraid to get busted for skipping school, was sketchy about his background. Templeton gets to work writing the copy, and Haynes sends a rewritist to the clip file to see if she can track down an old story about the boy's injury.<br><br>At the detail office, Sydnor and Pearlman sit in front of a stack of subpoenas intended to establish financial accounts at Clay Davis's hearing. When Sydnor asks whether Davis sees the indictment coming, Pearlman replies that Clay Davis has been waiting for the other shoe to drop his whole life. In fact, across town at Police Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell's office, Davis has already shown up to call in a marker. But the commissioner can't help him — a Grand Jury is beyond his influence. Davis promises that he'll remember this lack of support. After he stomps out, Deputy Commissioner for Operations William A. Rawls enters with a stat report, its numbers massaged &quot;as much as we dare.&quot;<br><br>McNulty meets back up with Fitzhugh at the parking lot downtown, but the FBI agent arrives bearing bad news: the U.S. attorney won't touch the case as a matter of personal vengeance against City Hall. Fitzhugh says he'll find out what happened, but he tells McNulty to give up on any federal backup for his investigation.<br><br>In the Sun newsroom, Haynes still can't track down Templeton's 13-year-old source, and when he tells the reporter that he needs more than a nickname and description to run the story, Templeton resents the implication. Just as Haynes tries to explain that he's not implying anything, Whiting walks up and pats Templeton on the back for a job well done. When Haynes tests the waters before protesting further, Whiting overrules him.<br><br>That night in West Baltimore, Snoop, Monk and O-Dog stake out Webster Franklin's corner crew, getting ready to send a message. &quot;Let's get all West Coast wid it,&quot; O-Dog says, and as Snoop pulls up to the corner, he fires shots wildly out the window, hitting nothing. Snoop screeches to a halt, hops out of the truck and draws aim on a running silhouette, which she drops with one shot.<br><br>At a bar downtown, Bunk, McNulty and Freamon drink away the sting of their dismantled case and talk about how the &quot;misdemeanor homicides&quot; of dozens of young, black males catch less attention than one missing white girl in Aruba. Bunk turns to McNulty, &quot;This ain't Aruba, bitch.&quot; Still, McNulty muses, there must be some way to sort out the mess. Then his attention shifts to a young woman at the end of the bar ...<br><br>The next day, Chris, Snoop and Michael Lee, set up outside a house to murder June Bug, and Michael asks why Marlo put the order out. Snoop tells him people on the street say June Bug disrespected Marlo, and when Michael questions that justification for the killing, Snoop warns him to watch his mouth. Chris sends Michael around back to catch anyone who escapes, and Snoop sets off down the street to disable a series of police cameras. Out back, Michael hears gunshots and screams, and when the back door flies open, takes aim with his 9mm, only to see a young boy escaping. Michael lowers the weapon as the boy runs away.<br><br>At the homicide unit, McNulty sweats out his hangover with a compress on his face while Greggs points out that he's wearing the same clothes as the night before. Sgt. Jay Landsman interrupts — then compounds — McNulty's misery with a homicide call and, out of pity, sends Bunk along for the ride.<br><br>Marlo arrives back at Jessup to meet Sergei, but the Russian makes it clear he has no use for Marlo or the money the gangster added to his canteen account. Sergei has seen worse prisons; this is nothing. Marlo responds that Vondas might want to accept his money a bit more readily — and Sergei could take the credit for setting his boss up with the income. Sergei nods, and as the meet ends, Avon flashes a west-side gang sign at Marlo from across the room.<br><br>Bunk and McNulty arrive at the homicide scene, where the first-responding officer waits for them, babysitting the corpse of a homeless man whose life of drugs and booze mark the likely suspect in this &quot;homicide.&quot; But McNulty, still pickled in Jameson and carrying a pint in his pocket, has other plans. He sends the officer away, promising to wait for the crime lab, and once he's alone with Bunk, sets to constructing a murder scene. Bunk watches in horror as McNulty falsifies the signs of a struggle and then grabs the corpse by the neck, recreating the same postmortem strangulation marks he saw at the morgue. Bunk tells him repeatedly to stop, and once the job is done, refuses to take responsibility for any part of it. McNulty speaks for the first time as his friend leaves, &quot;There's a serial killer in Baltimore, Bunk. He preys on the weakest among us. He needs to be caught.&quot;</p></div>

Not for Attribution

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p class="&quot;&quot;"><b>Directed by</b> Joy Kecken &amp; Scott Kecken<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Chris Collins<br><b>Teleplay by</b> Chris Collins</p><p class="&quot;&quot;">&quot;They're dead where it doesn't count.&quot; - Fletcher<br><br>Det. William &quot;Bunk&quot; Moreland shows up early for his shift and finds Det. James &quot;Jimmy&quot; McNulty still drinking, having spent the night searching through unsolved murder files for a companion case to his fabricated homicide. Bunk warns him they'll both end up in jail and argues that Marlo's not worth it. McNulty insists Marlo's murder cases can't just go away because the mayor and the Police department can't find money to pay for the investigation — he came back to work this case because they promised it would be worked. Bunk threatens to go to Landsman, but when McNulty calls his bluff, Bunk backs down, telling McNulty to keep his name out of the case file.<br><br>Alma Gutierrez wakes up at 5 a.m. to buy a copy of the final edition of the Sun, eager to see her first front page story (the triple homicide). Unable to find the paper at an all-night drug store, she drives to the printing plant, only to discover her story's been cut down to 12 inches in the Metro section — below the fold.<br><br>Meanwhile, McNulty spots a victim with a red ribbon tied around his wrist along with a report of another unsolved homeless murder that was investigated by the deceased Det. Ray Cole. He heads to the all-night drug store for a spool of red ribbon. Back at the office, he snips some pieces and replicates the knots, dirties it up with his shoe and places it in an evidence envelope for Det. Cole's unsolved case file. Bunk watches an energized McNulty finish typing up his report and when he catches a glimpse of the finished product, orders McNulty into his &quot;office&quot; and chastises him again. McNulty proudly explains his plan: he found an open homicide with a red ribbon, wrote a red ribbon into Cole's open case and decided to add a ribbon to the original victim to create an instant serial killer. Bunk wants nothing to do with it.<br><br>Deputy Commissioner for Administration Stanislaus Valcheck gives Mayor Carcetti advance notice about the latest quarterly crime stats. Pointing to the 4-percent increase in crime for two quarters in a row, Valcheck suggests the mayor fire Police Commissioner Burrell and Deputy Ops Rawls and make Valcheck acting police commissioner until he retires. In the meantime, Cedric Daniels can be groomed for the commissioner's job. Carcetti promises to think about it and later shares a laugh with Norman Wilson about how City Council President Nerese Campbell and the ministers would deal with &quot;Commissioner Valchek.&quot; Still, the increase in crime poses a problem. Carcetti accepts that with the budget cut to the bone, he can't complain when the rate goes up. So as long as Burrell &quot;owns the numbers,&quot; the mayor will hold off on a leadership change.<br><br>At the Sun, Gutierrez is disappointed with City Editor Augustus &quot;Gus&quot; Haynes' explanation of why her story was gutted. Fellow reporter Michael Fletcher explains it: the victims lived in the wrong zip code.<br><br>At the medical examiner's, McNulty sneaks the ribbon onto the wrist of his victim. When the body gets to Assistant ME Diane Lerner, the detective receives the finding he was looking for: Cause of death is homicide by strangulation.<br><br>There's a commotion in the newsroom as Managing Editor Thomas Klebanow and Executive Editor James C. Whiting III round up the staff. Amidst speculation that they've been bought again, or perhaps earned a Pulitzer, the real news is announced: another round of cutbacks has been ordered by the owners in Chicago. Foreign bureaus in Beijing, Moscow, Jerusalem, Johannesburg and London will close, and there will be a fresh round of buyouts in the newsroom. Whiting gives the staff their marching orders: Do more with less.<br><br>When Police Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell and Deputy Commissioner for Operations William A. Rawls meet with the mayor, they present a different set of crime stats than those Valcheck reported. Their numbers show no drop in crime — but no significant increase either. Carcetti challenges Burrell, insisting he wants clean numbers, and Rawls watches silently as Burrell stands by the stats. When they leave, Carcetti and Wilson discuss how to replace Burrell, given that he faked the numbers. Knowing the ministers and Nerese Campbell won't accept the white Rawls as Police Commissioner, they decide Wilson should leak the news that the mayor is considering Daniels for the job, to feel out the reaction.<br><br>Marlo and Snoop arrive at Little Johnny's Diner on the waterfront with a briefcase full of cash. Explaining that &quot;the Russian&quot; sent him, Marlo hands the briefcase over to counterman Andreas and asks that his gift be passed along to Spiros &quot;Vondas&quot; Vondopoulos.<br><br>A.S.A. Rhonda Pearlman presents the case against Senator Clay Davis to the grand jury. Outside, Det. Leander Sydnor and the prosecutor get an earful from impatient witnesses (mostly bankers) waiting to testify, but remain unimpressed.<br><br>At the Homicide unit, McNulty talks loudly about the red ribbon he found on his victim, hoping Det. Frank Barlow will make the connection to his own open case Barlow is oblivious — much to McNulty's frustration and Bunk's satisfaction.<br><br>Unable to keep up with their increased cash flow, Marlo and Chris Partlow visit Proposition Joe Stewart to learn how to launder money.<br><br>Klebanow and Whiting call in Sun staff members one by one to discuss buyouts. Veteran police reporter Roger Twigg gets a choice — either the copy desk or the buyout — and decides he might as well get to work on the Great American Novel. When the managers call Gus in, they assure him that they need him there to transition the reconfigured team.<br><br>Sensing something is bothering his friend, Duquan &quot;Dukie&quot; Weems asks Michael Lee if he wants to talk. Michael confides that the last job he had to do with Chris Partlow (an attack on a family, during which Michael let a little boy escape) got to him. Dukie tries to talk Michael into spending a day at Six Flags with his little brother, Bug. Michael begs off at first — he has his corner to run — but he's tempted.<br><br>Partlow and Slim Charles wait impatiently while Marlo and Prop Joe meet with the Pastor inside an East Baltimore church. Inside, the Pastor and Prop Joe explain to Marlo how they clean money with good works projects -- financing hospitals and schoolhouses on the Islands that never actually get built.<br><br>A drunken McNulty picks up a woman at a downtown bar. Meanwhile, at another bar in another part of Baltimore, Wilson meets Haynes for a drink, leaking the information from a &quot;City Hall source&quot; that Carcetti is planning to fire Burrell and is looking at Daniels as a replacement. Haynes agrees to write a story that will test the reaction to Daniels.<br><br>Michael hires a driver to take Dukie, Bug and himself to Six Flags for a day of rides, games and flirting with girls.<br><br>Haynes assigns the Daniels story to reporter Scott Templeton, but when he asks what Templeton knows about Daniels, the reporter can't answer, while Roger Twigg reels off an in-depth bio. Knowing he's lost the opportunity, Templeton hands over the Daniels photo as Twigg takes over what may be his final story for the Sun. Haynes leaves Templeton with the task of feeding Twigg some react quotes.<br><br>Marlo meets with Vondas, who doesn't want dirty money — meaning bills that are literally unclean — from the street. He prefers the clean way Prop Joe delivers his money and sends Marlo away.<br><br>McNulty tries again to talk up his red ribbon case, and this time Barlow reacts, remembering he had a vagrant with a red ribbon, as Bunk watches with disgust.<br><br>When Marlo and Snoop ask Prop Joe to clean their money, Joe offers to do it free of charge because they're in the Co-op. Marlo tells Prop Joe and his nephew Cheese that he'd like it if they'd float the word that he's offering a $50k reward for information on Omar's whereabouts. Joe wants to let sleeping dogs lie, but Cheese is intrigued by how badly Marlo wants Omar.<br><br>McNulty and Barlow present the red ribbon cases to Landsman who doesn't care about a serial killer of vagrants. McNulty, determined to get some attention, calls Gutierrez at the Sun to tip her off to the story. They meet at a diner and he feeds her the details — suggesting there's a signature that indicates a serial killer.<br><br>Templeton hands in an incendiary react quote for Twigg's new Police Commissioner story, suggesting that Daniels has been badmouthing Burrell since the election. When Haynes asks who it is, Templeton demurs, preferring not to name his &quot;high ranking City Hall&quot; source. Haynes pushes, and Templeton finally says the source is Nerese Campbell but insists it is not-for-attribution.<br><br>At the Grand Jury room, Pearlman questions Senator Davis's driver, Day-Day, pressing him about how he was able to draw three salaries working three jobs at the same time.<br><br>Cheese comes to Chris Partlow with information about Butchie, suggesting he might know Omar's location. Cheese asks that Prop Joe not be told he was the one who provided the information, as he pockets his $50k from Chris.<br><br>When Michael returns from Six Flags to check on his corner, Monk gives him a hard time for leaving his post all day without telling anyone and warns him that Chris has already heard about his absence.<br><br>When Prop Joe presents an untrusting Marlo with the documentation for his new off-shore account, Marlo worries that he can't actually see his laundered money. Prop Joe urges Marlo to get a passport so he can take a trip and visit his money in person.<br><br>At the end of Twigg's shift, Twigg and Haynes drink and reminisce about what drew them to the newspaper business.<br><br>The story about Carcetti considering Daniels as Police Commissioner is front page news, and Rawls' phone goes unanswered as Burrell tries to reach him. Meanwhile Pearlman congratulates Daniels, who's upset by the unattributed quote implying he was gunning for the job.<br><br>When McNulty searches for the story about the killer of homeless men and finds it buried in the Metro section, he tosses the paper in disgust. Later, Landsman ridicules the placement that McNulty's &quot;Ripper&quot; story rated and tells him he can work his serial killer case for another day or two; then he's back in rotation.<br><br>Daniels meets with his ex-wife Marla, now a City Councilwoman, and she urges him to go to Burrell and tell him he's not behind the job shake-up. She warns that Burrell will come forward with the file he's got on them from the old days. Daniels wonders if he would, given he's sat it on for so long already, and suggests that an old assets investigation and &quot;loose talk&quot; couldn't do much damage anyway. But Marla warns that if it's about his own survival, Burrell will use the file and ruin everything they've both worked for. Taking Cedric's hand Marla reminds her ex-husband that they've already lost enough.<br><br>Snoop and Chris bust into Butchie's place, tie him up and torture him, trying to get him to talk about Omar. When Butchie won't give up any information, they kill him. Chris slaps Butchie's wounded worker, Big Guy, and tells him to make sure Omar hears everything that happened. Snoop wonders why they're doing this when it will just make Omar come after them, but Chris counters: &quot;Marlo wants Omar, what else you need to know?&quot;<br><br>Clay Davis comes to Carcetti for help with the Grand Jury case, offering to help the mayor get the ministers' support for Daniels as quid pro quo. But Carcetti and Chief of Staff Michael Steintorf point out that the story about Daniels as an ultimate replacement for Burrell has been out all day, and no one's called to complain. Carcetti sends Davis away to fend for himself.<br><br>Marlo arrives at a bank in St. Martin's to see his money.<br><br>McNulty explains his serial killer plan to Det. Lester Freamon, as Bunk paces. When Freamon tells him he &quot;f**ked up,&quot; Bunk is relieved that someone may finally talk some sense into McNulty. But Freamon means Jimmy didn't go far enough with his plan: It needs to be more sensational. He has to give the killer some twisted fantasies. Bunk leaves in disbelief as the two conspire about next steps — including killing again.<br><br>Enjoying his life of anonymity in an idyllic spot, Omar is interrupted from another pleasant day with news of Butchie's murder. His vacation is over.</p></div>

Transitions

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p class="&quot;&quot;"><b>Directed by</b> Dan Attias<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Ed Burns<br><b>Teleplay by</b> Ed Burns</p><p class="&quot;&quot;">&quot;Buyer's market out there.&quot; -- Templeton<br><br>While Michael Lee and his crew lounge on their corner, Ofcs. Anthony Colicchio and Lloyd &quot;Truck&quot; Carrick&quot; watch from theirs. Kenard shows up and makes a big show of stashing a paper bag under a row house step. Dumbfounded at the boy's stupidity, Colicchio and Truck go for the bust. When Colicchio discovers the bag is filled with dog excrement, he rounds the corner boys up anyway, causing a traffic jam. Sgt. Ellis Carver arrives on the scene and tries to ease the escalating tensions, but Colicchio loses his temper with an innocent motorist. As the detective beats the man up, the kids cheer.<br><br>At the Clinton Street detail office, Det. Leander Sydnor moans when he realizes the $80k withdrawal he's been tracing from State Senator Clay Davis's personal count isn't dirty — it's just a loan he's repaying from his mother-in-law. But Det. Lester Freamon says it's the break they've been looking for. &quot;Head shot,&quot; he calls it, on his way out....<br><br>Sitting across from Police Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell, Col. Cedric Daniels tries to convince him that he wasn't going after his job and will decline it if it's offered. Burrell stares at him, unresponsive.<br><br>Scott Templeton puts the finishing touches on his clip book before leaving for an interview at The Washington Post. Meanwhile Alma Gutierrez works to substantiate a rumor she picked up on her calls that Burrell might be fired today.<br><br>In search of another body for his serial killer case, Det. James &quot;Jimmy&quot; McNulty finds out from the morgue that a lot of homeless are being reported dead after midnight in the Southern district. He calls Freamon to find out who they know working the overnight shift in the Southern.<br><br>Proposition Joe buys a floral arrangement for Butchie's funeral, dictating a note that makes it clear Joe is a &quot;loyal friend.&quot; Slim Charles doubts that a nice note will keep Omar from coming after them. Prop Joe admits he suspects Cheese was the one who tipped Marlo off about Butchie, but he wants to wait and watch him closely to be certain.<br><br>Although he's impressed with the pristine bills that Marlo delivers, Vondas clarifies that by clean money, he also meant he didn't want any sloppy business coming in from the street. When Marlo makes it clear he won't take no for an answer, the Greek agrees he will consider a future relationship as an &quot;insurance policy&quot; against volatile times.<br><br>Freamon explains the &quot;head shot&quot; to State's Attorney Rupert Bond and A.S.A. Rhonda Pearlman. Since Clay Davis paid back the $80k his mother-in-law gave him for the down payment on his property, it falsifies the loan application (by making the gift a loan). Under federal law, the penalty is thirty years and a million dollar fine. But Bond doesn't want to turn Davis over to the Feds; he prefers to charge Davis with the four counts of stealing from his own charities — with the possibility of 10 years per count — and keep the case in his jurisdiction.<br><br>The editor at the Washington Post interviewing Templeton tells him his prose is a little over-wrought, and that he needs more seasoning. Frustrated, Templeton leaves without sitting in on the editorial meeting he had been so eager to observe when he arrived.<br><br>Mayor Thomas &quot;Tommy&quot; Carcetti, Norman Wilson, Chief of Staff Michael Steintorf, State Delegate Odell Watkins and Council President Nerese Campbell review the list of favors the mayor owes to the Ministers in exchange for firing Burrell. He wants to make Rawls acting commissioner for six months and promote Daniels to deputy ops, grooming him to take over the top post.<br><br>Burrell tries to hand over his file on Daniels to Nerese Campbell in order to discredit him, but she insists this isn't about Daniels. Burrell dug his own grave when he gave the mayor rigged crime statistics. She makes a deal with Burrell: If he goes quietly, she will see to it he's taken care of with a six-figure job in Washington. Still, she takes Daniels' file with her when she leaves.<br><br>As his parting gift to the Baltimore Sun, Police Reporter Roger Twigg makes a call when no one can get any traction on the Burrell rumor.<br><br>Michael Lee's mother bails him out (from Colicchio's round-up) and asks for some money in return. Disgusted, Michael refuses.<br><br>Freamon and McNulty track down Freamon's former patrol partner, Ofc. Oscar Requer, and they ask him to alert them next time he hears a report of a male homeless body with little or no decomposition. He agrees, no questions asked.<br><br>Omar returns, questioning Big Guy about what happened to Butchie. Learning Marlo was behind the murder, Omar vows revenge.<br><br>Det. William &quot;Bunk&quot; Moreland hands Sgt. Jay Landsman a written request for crime lab work on the bodies found in the vacants (a year later, most of the lab reports still aren't in). Once again, Landsman ignores the request. Frustrated, Bunk runs into McNulty, who cheerfully tells him he's looking for the thread in his homeless cases.<br><br>Carver reprimands Colicchio for his outburst on the street. The motorist he attacked was a substitute teacher trying to get to his after-school program. When Colicchio refuses to show any remorse, Carver writes him up, accepting that doing so makes him a rat.<br><br>Nerese brokers a deal with Carcetti to let Burrell out easy in exchange for his silence about any dirt on Daniels; they settle on a &quot;grip and grin&quot; at the press conference.<br><br>When Det. Kima Greggs watches the traumatized child witness to her double homicide withdraw completely from the psychologist, she calls Cheryl to schedule a visit with Elijah.<br><br>Clay Davis arrives in good humor to comply with his Grand Jury subpoena, but when Pearlman begins to lay out the money trail they have on him, he bristles and pleads the fifth.<br><br>At the New Day Co-op meeting, Hungry Man dresses down Cheese for overstepping his bounds, and Prop Joe apologizes on his nephew's behalf. As the group breaks up, Marlo comes to Prop Joe with a check from his off-shore account, asking for advice on what to do with it. Joe agrees to help him out.<br><br>Rawls visits Burrell as he packs up his office. Burrell warns his successor about the impossibility of the job, explaining that the mayor's office sends over a new priority every day. Rawls might think it will be different for him, but Burrell assures him it won't — not for him, and not for Daniels either.<br><br>Watching Carcetti's press conference announcing Burrell's departure, City Editor Augustus &quot;Gus&quot; Haynes translates the subtext for the newsroom full of reporters and editors. &quot;How much of that insight and analysis can we get in tomorrow's story?&quot; Managing Editor Thomas Klebanow asks. When a bitter Haynes spouts off that Twigg (who they bought out) was the one who could've worked the sources, Klebanow urges him to remain collegial and cut back on his profanity. When the next TV news segment shows video of Clay Davis talking to reporters outside the courthouse, the Sun staff scrambles to figure out why they don't have the story. Reporter Bill Zorzi, who has been covering the federal courthouse, catches the blame for missing the story, but he defends himself, pointing out it's a city court case. Haynes orders Zorzi and Templeton to play catch up on the story, wondering how anyone could stage a &quot;perp walk&quot; without calling the daily newspaper.<br><br>Freamon and McNulty wind their way through the maze of makeshift cardboard-box housing in a homeless Hooverville under the Hanover Street Bridge. McNulty would rather write up the report without going through the motions, but Freamon insists there's too much riding on it and they need to work it like a real case.<br><br>With a gun to Slim Charles's head, Omar demands to know where he can find Prop Joe. Slim Charles swears Joe had nothing to do with telling Marlo about Butchie and begs Omar to just &quot;finish it,&quot; but Omar seems to believe him and lets him live.<br><br>While Haynes and the night editor pore over Gutierrez's story about murdered homeless men, Executive Editor James C. Whiting and Klebanow give Templeton an &quot;atta-boy&quot; for his catch-up reporting on the Davis case. Pleased, Templeton tells Gutierrez the Baltimore Sun &quot;ain't so bad.&quot;<br><br>McNulty and Freamon get a tip-off call from Ofc. Requer about a DOA, but when McNulty arrives on the scene, he discovers the body is too far gone.<br><br>Chris Partlow walks a nervous Cheese down a dark alley to an empty garage where Snoop waits for him with Hungry Man gagged — a gift from Marlo. Chris warns that his boss expects a gift in return.<br><br>As Prop Joe continues to take Marlo under his wing, he introduces him to his lawyer (and counsel for many of their Co-op colleagues) Maurice Levy. When they enter the office, Thomas R. &quot;Herc&quot; Hauk sits reading the news of Burrell's resignation. Recognizing him, Marlo asks if he ever found his camera. A bitter Herc informs him it cost him his job. As Levy and Marlo adjourn to the conference room to talk, Prop Joe and Herc gossip about the news of Burrell, who was a year behind Prop Joe at Dunbar - and &quot;stone stupid.&quot;<br><br>Hanging out in a parking lot, Carver and Herc discuss the Colicchio situation. Herc says Colicchio is too proud to beg, even though he knows he was wrong, but Carver insists he can't let him off because he's learned that everything &quot;matters.&quot; As an example, Carver brings up what happened with Randy Wagstaff, chastising Herc for not following through on his promise to make sure Bunk debriefed the boy.<br><br>When McNulty stumbles in late, Ofc. Beatrice &quot;Beadie&quot; Russell&quot; confronts him about his recent drinking and carousing, but McNulty refuses to get into it. He gets a call about another body and takes off.<br><br>Omar and Donnie scope out Marlo's lair, plotting their strategy. Omar plans to go after Marlo's people first — starting with Monk.<br><br>Having found their perfect body, Freamon and McNulty set to work prepping the victim. Freamon reminds McNulty that serial killers start out with crude tactics and mature to become more ornate. As McNulty takes the set of false teeth Freamon has prepared and braces himself to leave bite marks on the body, they argue over who is more twisted.<br><br>At his East Baltimore row house, Prop Joe packs a bag while Cheese watches. Joe plans to get out of town while Omar's back, but as he turns to go, Marlo appears in the door. Prop Joe realizes Cheese has given him up. When Marlo informs him he has the blessing of the Greeks, Joe counters with a proposition: He will leave and they'll never hear from him again. But Marlo knows that Prop Joe couldn't change any more than he could. As Chris steps up, aiming the semi at the back of Joe's head, Marlo nods. &quot;Close your eyes. It won't hurt none.&quot;</p></div>

React Quotes

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Agnieszka Holland<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; David Mills<br><b>Teleplay by</b> David Mills</p><p>&quot;Just 'cause they're in the street, don't mean they lack for opinion.&quot; - Haynes<br><br>Marlo Stanfield and Chris Partlow meet Spiros &quot;Vondas&quot; Vondopoulos in Patterson Park to discuss their business following the death of Proposition Joe Stewart. Vondas laments that he liked Prop Joe and warns his new business partner that dependability means everything. Marlo and Chris will be his only contacts; no one else will know his name. Vondas then hands Marlo a cell phone, instructing him to use it for legitimate calls to show police he has nothing to hide. For business matters, however, Vondas pushes a few buttons on the device, teaching Marlo some new means of covert communication. Nodding, Marlo takes the phone and leaves with Chris, who declines his boss's invitation to celebrate the deal in Atlantic City. Omar is coming, Chris says.<br><br>At the homicide unit, Det. James &quot;Jimmy&quot; McNulty calls Alma Gutierrez at the Baltimore Sun to pass along the latest details regarding his fabricated serial killer. He dangles a sexual motive, but when Gutierrez starts asking questions, McNulty won't elaborate. Hanging up, she runs the story by City Editor Augustus &quot;Gus&quot; Haynes, who tells her to write up what she has before he rushes off to a budget meeting.<br><br>Duquan &quot;Dukie&quot; Weems walks Michael Lee's brother, Bug, home from school in West Baltimore, talking with the boy about his upcoming state tests. They pass Spider and Kenard, working Michael's corner with the rest of their crew, and Kenard tosses his drink, hitting Dukie in the back. Dukie smacks Kenard in the face, but Spider quickly steps up. Dukie swings at the bigger boy but then quickly falls under a barrage of Spider's punches.<br><br>Outside the courthouse, State's Attorney Rupert Bond reads a statement to the press, addressing the indictment of Sen. R. Clayton &quot;Clay&quot; Davis. From the crowd, A.S.A. Rhonda Pearlman watches her boss in action. Baltimore Sun reporter Bill Zorzi approaches her, irritated that she didn't notify the paper about Davis's &quot;perp walk.&quot; Pearlman says she called a reporter — who happens to have left the Sun months ago — and Zorzi leaves her with his card.<br><br>Michael leads Dukie to Dennis &quot;Cutty&quot; Wise's gym and offers to even the score with Spider for him, but Dukie declines, not wanting to look weaker than he already appears. Cutty shares a look with Michael as his former student turns to leave and then shifts his attention to Dukie's black eye, instructing the boy to strap on some gloves so he can appraise his skills.<br><br>At the Baltimore Sun's 4-o'clock meeting, Managing Editor Thomas Klebanow makes his choices for the front page. He turns to his staff for any suggestions, and Haynes speaks up about the homeless killings. Klebanow doesn't find the developments impressive enough for A-1 placement, but he tells Haynes to keep reporting and see where the story goes.<br><br>Marlo, Chris and Felicia &quot;Snoop&quot; Pearson meet with their attorney, Maurice &quot;Maury&quot; Levy, at his downtown office. As the lawyer looks over the details of Chris's and Snoop's postponed weapons prosecution, he tells them the charges are nothing to worry about. When Chris and Snoop leave the room, Marlo hands Levy a check drawn on his laundered account, telling the lawyer to contact him when he figures out what to do with the money. Marlo reads off his new cell number as Levy writes it down on a Rolodex card, and then he leaves. Thomas &quot;Herc&quot; Hauk walks in, complaining about how he hates Marlo. Levy, smiling, holds up the Rolodex card and tells Herc that before long, the firm will make a fortune litigating a wiretap case on Marlo's behalf. &quot;Joe gave him to us just in time,&quot; he tells the ex-cop.<br><br>Cutty watches, wincing, as a young boy works Dukie over in the ring. Later, as he closes down the gym, Cutty tells Dukie that learning to fight won't keep bullies away, and he asks the boy why he thinks he's become a target. Dukie shrugs. Cutty understands the situation, though, and tells Dukie that the rules of the street don't apply to the rest of the world. But when he asks the coach how to get to that place, Cutty has no answer.<br><br>In the newsroom, Gutierrez tells reporter Scott Templeton that she hit a roadblock with her reporting on the homeless murders. Templeton thinks it over, and joins Gutierrez to meet McNulty at a bar. Templeton tells the detective they need more &quot;juice&quot; to give the story legs. McNulty allows the pair to extract a few details from him, and when Templeton continues to push, gives up the mother lode: The killer has started biting his victims. Satisfied, Templeton throws down some money for the detective's tab before rushing off to make the second-edition deadline.<br><br>At a high-rise in Baltimore County, Omar and Butchie's man Donnie stake out Monk's condo from a car, planning their revenge for the blind man's murder.<br><br>On the way to work, McNulty sees his fake serial killer finally made the front page of the Sun. Back in the newsroom, Haynes puts his troops in order, placing Gutierrez on the police investigation and sending Templeton out to interview the homeless.<br><br>At City Hall, Mayor Thomas &quot;Tommy&quot; Carcetti and Norman Wilson grill Deputy Ops. Cedric Daniels about his strategy for investigating the serial killer. Daniels needs more resources, so Carcetti signs off on unlimited overtime for two detectives. When Daniels tries to ask for more support, Carcetti cuts him off. With the schools so under-funded that they're teetering on the edge of violating Federal law, the mayor can't spare a dime for more police work.<br><br>Herc visits his old partner, Sgt. Ellis Carver, at the Western District headquarters, handing him a slip of paper with Marlo's cell phone number on it. Herc won't divulge where he got the number, but he asks Carver to weigh this offering against his past transgressions — and remind Marlo about the missing surveillance camera after he's cuffed.<br><br>In her office, City Council President Nerese Campbell tries to mitigate Clay Davis's outrage over the corruption case. But when he threatens to implicate other party members in the scandal, she loses her patience and spells it out for him: All his connections and allies expect him to &quot;carry the water,&quot; and if he betrays their trust, he'll never work in Baltimore again. If he shoulders the burden quietly, however, he could benefit from the same gentle transition that former Police Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell experienced with a $12k raise for a cushy position. Thinking for a moment, Davis nods in agreement.<br><br>Marlo eats Chinese with Snoop, O-Dog and his old mentor Vinson at the rim shop, and Monk walks through the door. Vinson immediately notices the Kevlar vest beneath Monk's shirt and reprimands him — how will they lure Omar in if he can clearly see it's a trap? Chris enters in the midst of the conversation to inform Marlo that Omar sat outside Monk's apartment all night and will likely return.<br><br>Templeton scours the city for homeless people to interview, starting with a soup kitchen — where he finds more people are &quot;working poor,&quot; rather than homeless, and this is confirmed by the kitchen's founder Brendan Walsh. He hits the streets but among real homeless people he finds more mental illness than usable quotes.<br><br>At a secluded spot in the woods, Michael and Dukie stand in front of a row of bottles, each holding a 9mm semi-automatic. Michael quickly lectures Dukie on his stance and grip, and the inexperienced boy squeezes the trigger … but nothing happens. Michael, smiling, shows him how to rack the pistol and chamber a round, but when Dukie tries, the weapon jams. Michael hands him a revolver instead, and when he fires and misses his target, Michael tries to dissuade his friend from carrying a gun. No one will stop testing him, Michael says, shooting a bottle for emphasis, and you can't pull out a gun unless you're ready to use it. Defeated, Dukie complains that he can't shoot or fight, but Michael assures him that he has other skills.<br><br>McNulty types at his desk while Det. William &quot;Bunk&quot; Moreland frowns over the serial-killer coverage in the paper. Sgt. Jay Landsman approaches to deliver Det. Shakima &quot;Kima&quot; Greggs to McNulty as the city's response to his press campaign. McNulty expected more backup — surveillance vehicles, cameras — but all he gets is Greggs. Bunk, livid, drags McNulty into an interview room and chastises him for pulling working detectives off of real murders to further his lie. Afterwards, McNulty tells Greggs he'll cover her paperwork so she can work her own cases, though she has no idea why.<br><br>Carver visits Det. Lester Freamon at the detail office on Clinton Street to deliver Marlo's cell number, attributing its discovery to &quot;police work.&quot; After Carver leaves, Freamon calls the number, pretending to order takeout. Marlo answers and quickly hangs up, giving Freamon all the confirmation he needs.<br><br>That night, Clay Davis speaks with radio host Larry Young to deliver the message of his innocence to the masses. Young plays along, giving Davis the platform to rally his troops by announcing a speaking appearance for the next day.<br><br>With Marlo's number in hand, Freamon appeals to Daniels at Police Headquarters to supply the tools he needs to investigate the drug lord. Daniels has nothing to give, though, and when Freamon pushes back, his boss explodes with the frustration of the past few days. If a serial killer doesn't rate more than two detectives, he demands, then what's a phone number worth? Ashamed of his outburst, Daniels apologizes for not being able to help.<br><br>On deadline in the newsroom, Haynes rounds up the latest on the serial killer. Gutierrez hasn't received any case updates from the police, but reporter Mike Fletcher has put together profiles of the victims. Templeton returns late from his foray in the streets, offering up a heartbreaking story about a family of four living under the Hanover Street Bridge. But when Haynes asks for info on the source, Templeton lies, giving his editor the name of an incoherent homeless man he interviewed earlier. Haynes orders up 30 inches from Templeton, and when he sits at his desk to edit copy, state editor Tim Phelps muses that Clay Davis lucked out, having this serial killer to bump him off the front page in a single news cycle.<br><br>McNulty and Freamon meet up, searching for a way to parlay their manufactured murderer into a wire tap. The killer has to call someone, McNulty decides. A phone call from the serial killer would be enough probable cause to file for a court ordered wire tap — they'll just put Marlo's phone number on the actual tap. McNulty's phone rings — his ex-wife calling — but he ignores it, telling Freamon that they'll need another &quot;victim&quot; to set the next phase of the plan in motion.<br><br>When McNulty arrives at the home of his ex, Elena McNulty, she tells him the boys are upstairs. Sean and Michael McNulty hang out in their bedroom, and Jimmy apologizes to Sean for missing a play he performed in. Promising to see the boys next weekend, Jimmy heads downstairs, where Elena tells him that his girlfriend, Ofc. Beatrice &quot;Beadie&quot; Russell, called her to ask about him. McNulty doesn't want to hear it, but Elena warns him that his heavy drinking and late-night escapades are about to drive Beadie away.<br><br>Bubbles drops in on Walon at work and asks his sponsor to come along with him to the clinic. Bubs needs to get an HIV test, but he's afraid to do it alone. Walon goes with him, and after a nurse manages to draw blood from his damaged veins, they get the results after a short wait. Walon opens the envelope, and informs Bubs that the test was negative. He can't believe it, and tells Walon they must be wrong. Realizing that Bubs is looking for some sort of punishment, Walon tells him, &quot;Shame ain't worth as much as you think. Let it go.&quot;<br><br>Haynes wants Templeton to get to work on the school series, but the reporter pitches instead to do police ride-alongs to coincide with the serial killer case. Haynes agrees it's a good idea, but for Gutierrez. Wanting more, Templeton grabs his notebook and leaves the office to find a pay phone. Dialing his own cell phone from the booth, he keeps the line open and begins to take notes.<br><br>Beadie stops by Bunk's office, looking for some guidance about how she should handle Jimmy. Bunk tries to tell her that the pressure from the serial-killer case has driven his partner to drink, but she knows better than to buy an excuse like that — she just wants to know if there's an end in sight. Caught between loyalties, Bunk admits that he can't tell her what to do.<br><br>When McNulty makes it to work, Landsman tells him that his serial killer called the Baltimore Sun with a message. Surprised, McNulty leaves to meet with the editors and investigate. As Templeton provides his own fictitious details, McNulty realizes he's found his wire tap and eggs the reporter on, trying to lend validity to the story. By the time the conversation ends, even the skeptical Haynes believes the call was legitimate.<br><br>At police headquarters, McNulty watches Freamon hook up the illegal wiretap on Marlo. McNulty will report day after day of silence from his serial killer, but Lester will monitor Marlo's calls and accredit any leads he catches to a criminal informant.<br><br>Outside Monk's apartment, Omar and Donnie decide to make their move but after kicking in Monk's door, find that they've charged into a trap. Gunfire erupts as Chris, Snoop, O-Dog and Michael unload on them. After a few moments of trading fire, Omar dives behind a sofa and finds Donnie lying dead beside him. Out of ammo with the soldiers closing in on him, Omar bursts through a sliding glass door and onto the balcony, leaping from an easily fatal height. Snoop, Michael and Chris race onto the balcony and look down expecting to see his body, but Omar has disappeared.<br><br>Freamon monitors Marlo's phone from the detail office on Clinton Street, but when a call comes in, he hears a click, a strange hiss, then nothing. Miffed, he wonders how to solve this latest mystery.</p></div>

The Dickensian Aspect

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p class="&quot;&quot;"><b>Directed by</b> Seith Mann<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Ed Burns<br><b>Teleplay by</b> Ed Burns</p><p class="&quot;&quot;">&quot;If you have a problem with this, I understand completely.&quot; - Freamon<br><br>Chris Partlow and his crew search the area around Monk's condo for any sign of Omar Little, while Snoop checks local hospitals and Monk — posing as a detective — interviews the neighbors. Marlo Stanfield pulls up to the condo to meet Chris, who has nothing to show his boss, and surveys the high balcony where Omar leapt before disappearing. It doesn't seem possible, Marlo says.<br><br>At a Baltimore port, Mayor Thomas &quot;Tommy&quot; Carcetti cuts the ribbon for his New Westport Project with developer Andrew Krawczyk, following the Democratic National Committee's advice to &quot;put his name on something.&quot; As Carcetti's brief speech concludes, a group of longshoremen heckle Krawczyk, vilifying him for gutting the ports.<br><br>Back at the same high rise that Chris and his crew just finished searching, Omar fashions a makeshift crutch from a broomstick in a utility room. Hobbling out on his injured ankle, he finds the coast clear and slips away.<br><br>Det. James &quot;Jimmy&quot; McNulty sits with his feet propped on his desk at the homicide unit, reading the latest reports on his serial killer and explaining to Det. William &quot;Bunk&quot; Moreland how the reporter has started to make up his own story. McNulty's waiting for an afternoon press conference to inject his false investigation with funds. Bunk, however, has reopened the files on real murders and tells McNulty he's starting at square one with all the vacant cases — because he plans to actually do his job. McNulty shrugs off the insult and promises Bunk any cars, overtime or lab work he needs after the city releases funding for the serial killer search.<br><br>At the Baltimore Sun offices, reporters Scott Templeton and Alma Gutierrez read Templeton's story about the call he received from the serial killer. As Alma imagines that he handed the killer his business card, Executive Editor James C. Whiting III and Managing Editor Thomas Klebanow walk over to compliment Templeton on the story. When Klebanow asks the reporter what he has planned for the next day, Templeton pitches the first idea that comes to mind: A night spent with the homeless. Whiting likes it and leaves to speak to City Editor Augustus &quot;Gus&quot; Haynes. Klebanow also informs Templeton that national news outlets have picked up the story and requested interviews with him, which the reporter agrees to. After Klebanow leaves, Gutierrez admits that she wishes she'd kept the story to herself. Across the room, Whiting updates Haynes on Templeton's new assignment, and when the city editor remarks that Templeton has already taken the reins on the education project, Whiting kills the earlier plan. The &quot;Dickensian aspect&quot; of homelessness, he says, will take priority through the end of the year.<br><br>Det. Lester Freamon, needing help to keep up with his secret case against Marlo, talks to Det. Leander Sydnor at the detail office on Clinton Street. Trying to preface his message with an indictment of the department's politics, Freamon divulges the illegal wiretap he's running on Marlo. &quot;If you have a problem with this, I understand completely,&quot; he says, urging Sydnor to leave now if he has any doubts. After taking a few moments to think, Sydnor follows Freamon inside.<br><br>Bunk pores over a homicide file, and when Sgt. Jay Landsman and Det. Vernon Holley step up to his desk, he tells them he's curious about what Randy Wagstaff would have to tell him a year after his name came up in a murder file. But Landsman arrives bearing his own paperwork — a folder packed with sealed indictments and confidential transcripts that Holley found in Proposition Joe Stewart's shop. Bunk asks who they don't trust at the courthouse.<br><br>Freamon gets Sydnor up to speed on the wiretap, explaining that all the cell phone conversations sound routine, with no codes or suspicious numbers discussed. But, he's also logged five calls, each 30 or 40 seconds long, with no conversation whatsoever. Sydnor chews on this for a moment, but McNulty walks through the door, stopping in mid-sentence when he spots Sydnor. Freamon continues, though, telling McNulty he needs manpower to track Chris and Monk. McNulty asks whether Freamon has seen the newspaper — the city will have to throw money at the homeless murders. When Sydnor questions how that case relates to Marlo, Freamon says it's hard to explain.<br><br>As Carcetti prepares to address the media at police headquarters, he complains to Norman Wilson and Chief of Staff Michael Steintorf that this serial killer conference will blot out his development news from earlier that day. When the mayor steps up to the podium, he admonishes the press for skipping the ribbon-cutting ceremony and focusing on the negative. He then launches into a heartening, off-the-cuff speech declaring that those in power should be judged by how they care for the city's most vulnerable inhabitants. Promising that the killer will be stopped, Carcetti directs questions to Acting Commissioner William A. Rawls, who quickly allows Deputy Commissioner of Operations Cedric Daniels to provide detail on the department's tactics.<br><br>Bunk visits a group home in West Baltimore to interview Randy Wagstaff, who has toughened over the past year. The detective tries to use the threat of jail time for obstructing justice as leverage, but the boy has no intention of trusting the police again. Stalking out, Randy pushes a younger child on the steps and announces that the police are wasting their time trying to mine him for information.<br><br>As Rawls and Daniels leave the press conference, Rawls congratulates his subordinate on his performance, and the Deputy Ops. replies that he was just following the mayor's lead. Ready to discuss added support for the investigation, Daniels wilts when a dubious look from Rawls communicates the real message behind the pageantry: Solve the murders, just don't raise the cost. &quot;Don't look so shocked,&quot; Rawls tells him. &quot;You're running with the big dogs now.&quot;<br><br>McNulty and A.S.A Rhonda Pearlman meet Judge Daniel Phelan in his chambers, seeking a court order to tap Templeton's phone at the Baltimore Sun. The judge denies their request, not in any hurry to make enemies in the press, which irritates McNulty. As Pearlman and McNulty leave, they cross paths with Daniels, who hands Pearlman the file of leaked grand jury documents.<br><br>At the homicide unit, Det. Shakima &quot;Kima&quot; Greggs waits for Bunk in his cubicle holding the file to her triple murder and eyeing the sea of folders on his desk. When Bunk returns, she tells him that an informant has tied her triple back to Marlo, and Bunk shakes his head, griping that forensic work for 14 of the vacant cases still hasn't left the lab. Greggs asks him whether he intends to take &quot;no&quot; for an answer.<br><br>Bunk and Greggs arrive at the trace lab and interrogate the supervisor, who bemoans the budget cuts that have razed his department, too. When Bunk pushes further, the supervisor levels with him the truth: A temporary employee mishandled the evidence pulled from the vacants, and now the lab has no idea which scene the various samples came from.<br><br>McNulty walks a request for surveillance teams into Landsman's office, but the sergeant denies it — speeches and photos won't pay for an investigation.<br><br>Marlo meets with the Co-op for the first time since Prop Joe's death and pins Joe's murder on Omar. Marlo announces that he's taken over Joe's connection and has decided to end these meetings. After promoting Cheese and telling the Co-op members that the package's cost will rise, Marlo leaves.<br><br>At the Sun, right after Haynes explains to education reporter Scott Shane that his series has been scrapped in favor of the homeless issues, Templeton appears in a television interview, assuring the host that he has no fear of returning to the streets to report. Haynes shakes his head.<br><br>McNulty meets Freamon to tell him about the lack of surveillance support, noting that the bosses need another body to remind them how serious the situation has become. Freamon agrees, saying he'll call their man in the Southern District.<br><br>As Fatface Rick returns from the Co-op meeting, Omar jumps him, holding a beer bottle to the back of his head until he can get his hands on the gangster's gun. Omar tells Rick to let Marlo know that he's waiting in the streets for him, that he's saying Marlo lacks the heart to face him. Rick agrees to deliver the message and asks whether Omar killed Prop Joe. When the stick-up man laughs in response, Rick replies, &quot;Didn't think so.&quot;<br><br>At homicide, Bunk scrapes for new leads by running names from Greggs's casework through the database. The name &quot;Michael Lee&quot; turns up a homicide file — the boy's stepfather, Devar Manigault, who was beaten to death in the street. Bunk snatches his keys and leaves.<br><br>At Carcetti's office, Wilson and Steintorf agree that his performance at the previous day's press conference caught good play from the papers; homelessness could be a campaign issue. Thanks to the governor's cuts on medical and housing aid, the murders might just provide the political solution they've hoped for.<br><br>Bunk visits Michael Lee's mother at home, and she immediately suspects that he's investigating her son. But Bunk starts asking about her boyfriend Manigault's murder, calling it a crime of passion and suggesting that she's at its center. Michael's mother claims she knows nothing, but when Bunk threatens to drag her to women's detention, she tells him that she believes Michael, Chris and Felicia &quot;Snoop&quot; Pearson killed Manigault.<br><br>In the wiretap room Freamon and Sydnor match surveillance photos of Monk and his corner crew to mysteriously silent calls recorded at the same time. Pointing to Monk's cell phone, which the gangster looks at from too far a distance to read a text message, Freamon concludes that Marlo's organization has started using pictures to communicate.<br><br>McNulty, drunk, stands outside at night, ranting to a statue of General Armistead about his pathetic department, shouting out his justifications for fabricating a killer. His cell phone rings with a call from Ofc. Oscar Requer, tipping McNulty off to a fresh body. But, by the time the detective arrives at the scene, police and TV reporters have already set up around the corpse.<br><br>In West Baltimore, Omar hijacks an S.U.V. as it makes one of Marlo's cash pickups at a row house. Shooting one man in the knee with his shotgun, Omar scares the rest of the crew off. He picks up the cash, throws it in the S.U.V. and torches the vehicle, reminding the injured man at his feet to tell Marlo he destroyed the money. Omar points out that the buckshot in his leg might earn him some mercy from Marlo and tells him, &quot;He ain't man enough to come down to the street with Omar.&quot;<br><br>Templeton, spending his night with the homeless for the follow-up story, wanders the streets, searching for someone coherent enough to interview. Frightened by barking dogs and strange vagrants, Templeton still hasn't found anyone by the time a bakery truck swings by in the morning to give the homeless leftover doughnuts. Then, among the crowd waiting for food, he makes eye contact with a young man. Templeton buys him some milk to go with his doughnut, and the man opens up, telling the reporter how his tour in Iraq eventually landed him on the streets.<br><br>McNulty visits Freamon at the detail office, bearing the bad news that they won't be able to make any new bodies. Lester compounds the problem by telling McNulty about the picture messages, which will require new equipment — and more time — to capture and decode. McNulty leaves, but while waiting in traffic, a spastic homeless man grabs his attention, stumbling through traffic and obviously in bad shape. McNulty brings him back to the detail office, snaps a cell phone picture and lays out a plan for Freamon. He will drive the man to an out-of-town shelter and send a photo of him to Templeton along with a promise from the killer that no one will find any more bodies — only photos of the victims. Freamon, though somewhat aghast at McNulty's sick machinations, has found his probable cause for collecting cell phone photos.<br><br>When Templeton arrives at the Sun to work on his copy, Haynes asks him to make a few calls to follow up on the story he wrote about a single mother who died from a crab allergy. Through another reporter, Haynes heard that people in the neighborhood were saying that the dead woman's sister, who has a history of fraud, gambled away the scholarship money that his article had generated for the woman's children. It's not urgent, Haynes says, but he asks Templeton to look into it. Later, after Haynes praises the reporter's story about the Iraq veteran, Templeton assures his editor that his calls checked out. He says another woman in the neighborhood uses the surviving sister's name every time she gets arrested, ruining her reputation.<br><br>McNulty drives the homeless man (&quot;Mr. Bobbles&quot;) to a shelter in Richmond, VA, providing a faded I.D. from a dead homeless man whose body had stiffened too much to become a victim of the serial killer. The social worker there thanks McNulty for bringing the man in, and the detective leaves, feeling guilty.</p></div>

Took

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Dominic West<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Richard Price<br><b>Teleplay by</b> Richard Price</p><p>&quot;They don't teach it in law school.&quot; - Pearlman<br><br>Detective Lester Freamon and Detective James &quot;Jimmy&quot; McNulty huddle in the utility closet of the homicide unit. Freamon has rigged a phone wire to mask as Marlo's cell number and orders McNulty to stick to the script as he dials a number. When Scott Templeton answers his cell phone at the Baltimore Sun, McNulty reads from a scripted serial killer rant, accusing Templeton of making things up about him in his newspaper reports. A panicked Templeton, shocked to get an actual call, rushes to alert the other reporters and editors to what's going on and to get Det. McNulty on the phone.<br><br>Ignoring his buzzing cell phone, McNulty starts to enjoy his performance and, playing up a heavy Baltimore accent, he begins to ad lib. Meanwhile, in the wire tap listening room, Vernon Holley springs into action to trace the first call he's ever picked up on the serial killer tap.<br><br>In a tourist-heavy area of the Baltimore Harbor, Detective Leander Sydnor waits with a cell phone in one hand (the cell that the phone company paperwork has linked to the serial killer wire tap) and a police radio in the other. McNulty's serial killer warns Templeton that they won't even be able to find his victims any more, as Freamon sends two photos of McNulty's homeless foil, &quot;Mr. Bobbles,&quot; over the re-routed phone line. When Sydnor hears over the police radio that the call has been traced to the Inner Harbor, he switches off the cell, wraps it in foil, and pockets it. As the police swarm the area he shows his badge and pretends to help search for the serial killer's cell phone.<br><br>Back at the Baltimore Sun, Managing Editor Thomas Klebanow and Executive Editor James C. Whiting III gather around Templeton as he relays what the killer said. Just as they ask if the guy threatened him, Templeton receives an alert on his cell phone: the photo of a new apparent victim -- the homeless man that McNulty dumped in Richmond.<br><br>State Senator R. Clayton &quot;Clay&quot; Davis tries to talk defense attorney Billy Murphy into taking on his case without receiving his full fee up front. Davis offers $25k up front and $25k when Murphy seats a jury. Murphy insists on his full $200K fee, but Davis counters that he's giving him a great publicity opportunity going up against State's Attorney Rupert Bond. Charmed, Murphy tells Clay to save his silver-tongued salesmanship for the jury.<br><br>In the homicide unit, Sgt. Jay Landsman, Dets. Shakima &quot;Kima&quot; Greggs, Edward Norris, Holley and others review the wire recording while McNulty meets with Templeton and the editors at the Sun. Glad to put Templeton in the hot seat, McNulty asks if it sounded like the same guy. Templeton falters but then assures him it did; he just didn't remember the guy having such a heavy Baltimore accent the first time. Klebanow asks about whether it would hurt to publish the photos sent to the phone, but McNulty says it would help to have people looking for the man, who may already be dead. He warns them not to indicate where the cell phone call came from though. On his way out, McNulty urges Templeton not to worry; the killer's just using him. When Templeton says he resents that, McNulty eyes him and suggests he shouldn't since it's working out well for him. Haynes picks up on McNulty's innuendo and regards Templeton with suspicion.<br><br>Cherry and Savino find Manny dead and Vincent tied up. Vincent explains Omar ambushed them and left him alive to pass along a message to Marlo: Omar is waiting and Marlo's not man enough to come down in the street. Omar knew they held the stash without being told and flushed the entire four kilos of heroin.<br><br>McNulty and A.S.A. Rhonda Pearlman track down Judge Phelan with an amended wiretap order. Now that the serial killer has sent photos to the Sun reporter, they need a couple of computers to conduct surveillance. As the Judge signs off, he suggests they check the Governor's alibi — noting that a serial killer of the homeless is bad news for Carcetti's gubernatorial challenge because he was elected mayor on a law-and-order ticket. Meanwhile, Carcetti, who has been feeling good about the $80k in donations he's solicited for his gubernatorial primary campaign, throws a fit and demands to talk to Police Commissioner Rawls immediately when he hears the news about the serial killer's latest call to the Sun.<br><br>Det. William &quot;Bunk&quot; Moreland reviews the file on Michael Lee that he ordered from the state archives, when Landsman orders Bunk to join him upstairs at a meeting called by Deputy Commissioner for Operations Cedric Daniels about the serial killer case. Bunk, furious that McNulty's bogus killer is monopolizing so many resources, refuses to go. At the meeting, Daniels doles out the assignments to the detectives, strategizing how to attack the investigation now that the mayor has lifted all bans on OT for this case. Meanwhile, over at the Sun, Haynes divvies up reporting tasks on the hot story.<br><br>On Michael Lee's corner, Duquan &quot;Dukie&quot; Weems reads through the want ads, looking for a job he can do but Michael points out he's too young for a legit job and needs to take care of Bug after school. Just as Dukie is exhibiting his skills as an exotic dancer, Sgt. Ellis Carver and Ofc. Baker pull up and cuff Michael for a ride downtown.<br><br>Carcetti holds a press conference about the homeless slayings, promising he will bring the killer to justice.<br><br>Freamon disconnects the wire that had been rerouted to the serial killer's (Sydnor's) phone (the real wire is set to Marlo's cell phone). He informs Det. Frank Barlow that he'll be able to capture pictures and voice the next time the serial killer calls. McNulty tries to convince Landsman that Greggs can keep working her triple, but Landsman insists she be pulled off to work up the backgrounds of the slain homeless victims (per Daniels' orders). He commends McNulty for turning the tap back on paid police work and asks him what else he needs for his case. A disgusted Bunk chastises McNulty and Freamon for what they've created, but Lester insists they're just a week or two away from getting Marlo. Bunk calls the lab again for his tracework on the vacants cases as Carver delivers Michael Lee to the interview room. Bunk shows Michael the homicide photos of his dead step-father and notes that he doesn't even flinch when he identifies him. Bunk tries to get the boy to tell him who did it since whoever it was had to be full grown and more vicious than Michael, but Michael just stonewalls him.<br><br>In the parking lot, McNulty runs into a frustrated rookie, Detective Christeson, who complains he's close to solving a murder case if he could only get more help. McNulty offers to reassign a couple of detectives and cars from his serial murder case for the detective and write up the hours under his case.<br><br>Greggs walks through the circus of reporters gathered outside the modest home of the parents of one of the homeless victims. The parents admit that they'd given up on their son and knew he would probably die on the street, but they are still devastated and guilt-ridden by the reports of how he died at the hands of a serial killer.<br><br>Haynes argues with Klebanow and Whiting about Templeton's purple prose, but Klebanow says he'll edit the piece himself.<br><br>At home that night, Daniels and Pearlman watch the news, in disbelief over the media frenzy. Pearlman shoos him away so she can prepare to be Bond's second for the Davis case, which starts the next day.<br><br>McNulty complains to Freamon that things have spiraled out of control — now FBI behavioral profilers are doing a voice analysis of his fake call. McNulty is interrupted by a call from Landsman asking if he needs academy help canvassing the shelters. McNulty refuses, offering up Mr. Bobbles' name and last known address (from the ID he got off of the homeless guy he dumped in Richmond). Hanging up he tells Freamon the problem with making this a &quot;red ball&quot; is people are now treating it like a red ball. He begs Lester to finish off Marlo, and quickly.<br><br>Clay Davis enters the courthouse with Billy Murphy at his side, running the media gauntlet as the reporters eat up his proclamations of innocence and quotes from Aeschylus.<br><br>Norris comes to McNulty having heard what he did for the rookie, Christeson, and asks for similar treatment so that he can interview a witness for a rape-murder case he's been working. McNulty agrees as Bunk listens with disbelief.<br><br>After Freamon's detailed testimony of Clay Davis's finances, Billy Murphy passes up a cross-examination, to Pearlman and Freamon's surprise.<br><br>While serving patrons at the soup kitchen, Bubbles spots Sun reporter Mike Fletcher looking for a story about what it's like to be homeless. He brings him to a Hooverville to show him around, refusing Fletcher's twenty dollar bill and urging him to just write it like it feels.<br><br>Lester and Sydnor intercept a photo sent from Marlo's phone of a clock that reads 5:50, followed by a quick call to Monk. Sydnor guesses it's the time for a meet and heads out to watch Monk. When he hasn't moved for an hour and a half, Sydnor calls Freamon who tells him to come back.<br><br>When Bond questions Clay Davis's driver Day-Day about the $40K salary he received as executive director of a charity, Day-Day explains he didn't see any of the money, it all went back to Clay Davis (except for the occasional cash kick-back from his boss). Pearlman is pleased with the testimony, but then on his cross-examination, Murphy gets Day-Day to admit that he cashed the checks to give the money to Davis, which means there's no proof Davis received it. Further, Murphy establishes that Day-Day is getting immunity for testifying against Davis, undermining his credibility with the jury.<br><br>Det. Crutchfield comes to McNulty with another sob story about needing OT, and when McNulty relents, Crutchfield assures him he knows the drill, calling him &quot;boss.&quot; Greggs hands off reports from interviewing the homeless victims' families and notes it was rough to hear how upset the parents were about the details of how their son died. A guilt-ridden McNulty considers this impact for the first time.<br><br>Haynes rereads Templeton's published story and tosses the newspaper with disgust as he heads into the cop bar Kavanagh's for a drink. He spots Major Dennis Mello and checking out Templeton's cover for his food poisoning story, asks him, theoretically, if it's possible for a woman to go through the court system with a false ID. Mello says no, given the ID is linked to fingerprints — he tells Haynes someone's yanking his chain.<br><br>Omar grabs Savino on the street, shakes him down and shoots him.<br><br>Lester calls McNulty asking for more man hours and cars for surveillance to figure out what the clock code means. McNulty says they're giving him plenty of man hours, but now word is out around the office that he's giving out money and hours to people to work other cases. Lester warns him he's going to blow it. Lester needs seven or eight detectives and they consider whether there's anyone in the Districts they trust. Greggs calls McNulty in a rage, unable to assemble the children's IKEA furniture McNulty recommended she get for Elijah's overnight.<br><br>Omar shows up on Michael's corner and orders Michael to tell Marlo he'll kill all of his muscle until Marlo comes down to the street. Michael breathes a sigh of relief Omar that didn't recognize him from the shootout at Monk's condo.<br><br>On the stand, Davis charms the courtroom and jury with his testimony about how things really work in the poor neighborhoods he represents. He admits that all of the charity money did go into his bank account but insists he didn't keep a dime, it all went back out in cash, because that's how it works in his district: It is strictly cash and carry. People know where to find him so they approach him directly for help. He pulls at the heartstrings with the lists of requests he gets for Similac, burial costs, etc. as the courtroom erupts into applause.<br><br>Carcetti reviews the budget implications of trying to do more for the homeless. Chief of Staff Michael Steintorf warns him that if the serial killer investigation goes on for a month he'll be forced to lay off teachers — a disastrous move for a gubernatorial candidate in an election year.<br><br>Outside the courthouse, Bond and Pearlman stare in amazement wondering what just happened as Clay Davis makes his victory speech to the media hoards.<br><br>Regional Affairs Editor Rebecca Corbett and Haynes discuss Templeton's purple prose and Haynes confides that he gave Templeton a chance to own his mistake in the food-poisoning story, but Templeton came back with a lie about stolen identities. They wonder: If he'll lie to avoid a correction, would he lie to make a story better? Haynes admits he is haunted by Templeton's story about the boy in the wheelchair on baseball's opening day, but is reluctant to call a reporter a liar.<br><br>When Elijah can't sleep, Kima sits in the window with him bidding goodnight to everybody, starting with the Moon, stars, po—pos, fiends, hoppers, hustlers, and scammers. Goodnight to one and all. The Baltimore version of Goodnight Moon.</p></div>

Clarifications

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by</b> Anthony Hemingway<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Dennis Lehane<br><b>Teleplay by</b> Dennis Lehane</p><p>&quot;A lie ain't a side of a story. It's just a lie.&quot; - Terry Hanning<br><br>Det. James &quot;Jimmy&quot; McNulty presents a detailed report about the serial killer investigation to Mayor Thomas &quot;Tommy&quot; Carcetti, Norman Wilson, Commissioner William A. Rawls, Deputy Commissioner for Operations Cedric Daniels and other police commanders. McNulty asks for surveillance resources for several &quot;persons of interest&quot; and requests that Sgt. Ellis Carter run the surveillance team. When he points out they will need decent undercover cars, the Mayor orders them to go to Enterprise if they have to, he's sparing no expense. After Carcetti leaves, Rawls tells his team the bad news: They'll actually have to catch the serial killer. But the good news is the mayor finally needs a police department more than he needs a school system.<br><br>Duquan &quot;Dukie&quot; Weems stops in an athletic shoe store looking for a job, but the salesman, Poot, informs him the manager won't hire anyone under seventeen. Poot recognizes Dukie from hanging out with Namond on the corner and admits he got tired of that life. He encourages Dukie to hold out a while longer and come back when he's old enough.<br><br>McNulty fills Carver in on what he and Det. Lester Freamon really want him to do with his surveillance teams — watch Marlo Stanfield and his crew, not the serial killer suspects. McNulty explains that he's throwing people over to Freamon's investigation of Marlo and writing up the hours and paperwork under his serial killer case. Carver suspects they have an illegal wire tap, knowing he gave Freamon Marlo's cell phone number from Herc two weeks ago, but McNulty claims to know nothing about that. Carver finally agrees to the scheme and when he asks about how they'll get decent cars, he is stunned to hear they have been granted an open account at Enterprise car rental downtown.<br><br>Chief of Staff Michael Steintorf and the budget director review priorities with Carcetti about how to avoid cuts to school funding while giving the police department what they need to solve the serial killer case. Carcetti informs them he's speaking at a vigil for the homeless. Norman interrupts with the news that Maurice Dobey from &quot;P.G.&quot; (Prince George's) county is suggesting he may run for governor in the Democratic primary, and U.S. Congressman Albert Upshaw is threatening to back him. Though Dobey can't win, he could do damage to Carcetti's bid for the Statehouse, and Carcetti realizes he has to meet with Upshaw to try to put a stop to it.<br><br>Carver addresses his hand-picked surveillance team -- including Officers Kenneth Dozerman, Brian McLarney, Bobby Brown, Lloyd &quot;Truck&quot; Carrick -- all of whom are pleased with unlimited O.T. and the pristine rental cars.<br><br>On a cigarette break at the loading dock at the Baltimore Sun, City Editor Augustus &quot;Gus&quot; Haynes talks with Bill Zorzi and Jeff Price about whether Scott Templeton is hyping the serial killer story, but they decide it's real enough, which means they'll be writing homeless stories until the end of the year (the cut-off for Pulitzer submissions). Back inside, Haynes gets a call that there's a homeless vet in the lobby wanting to talk to Templeton's editor — the reporter won't take his calls so he's showed up in person.<br><br>Michael Lee relays Omar's message to Chris Partlow and Snoop: Omar is calling Marlo a coward for not coming down to fight him on the street. Michael is certain Marlo would want to know but Partlow and Snoop are insistent they don't want to bother him about it right now, vowing to take care of Omar themselves.<br><br>Dozerman and Truck are interrupted from admiring the state-of-the-art GPS in their rental car when Omar approaches (recognizing them as cops) and alerts them to where two corner boys have hidden their drugs. After the officers bust the two guys, Omar approaches, scaring off a group of young boys who know he's trouble. Young Kenard remains behind, watching Omar as he scares off the remaining corner boys and disposes of their drugs. Next, Omar identifies the safe house forcing the guys to turn over another stash, which he also dumps. He calls out Marlo again, shouting into the empty street.<br><br>Haynes goes to meet the homeless veteran Terry Hanning who indicts Templeton's story about him as full of lies. Haynes gets Templeton to sit down with the vet and Templeton insists his reporting was accurate. Haynes tries to determine whether Hanning could have been drinking or exaggerating, but the man insists he knows what it is to tell a story, and he would never embellish the details of a battle — it would be too disrespectful to his fellow Marines. Templeton insists to Haynes that the guy is off, but Haynes cuts him short and tells Templeton to track down some of the other men in the unit and find out what happened that day outside Fallujah. They will write a correction if it wasn't accurate.<br><br>Swallowing his pride, Det. William &quot;Bunk&quot; Moreland asks McNulty to sign his lab report request, finally giving into McNulty's scheme in order to expedite the lab work he's been waiting almost a year for.<br><br>Omar enters a convenience store to buy cigarettes when Kenard comes in and shoots him in the head, killing him. Dets. Norris and Crutchfield arrive at the scene and call Bunk, figuring he'd want to know about the murder, given his history with Omar. Bunk finds Omar's list of the top guys he was hunting down in Marlo Stanfield's operation.<br><br>Freamon and the surveillance team remain stumped by the clock code Marlo is sending and receiving on his cell phone. Leander explains to the team they are trying to identify the pattern of the meeting times.<br><br>Going over the resupply plan, Marlo informs a surprised Chris and Snoop that Omar is dead, killed by an unknown kid for no apparent reason.<br><br>Enroute to Quantico to hear the FBI profile of McNulty's faked serial killer phone call Det. Shakima &quot;Kima&quot; Greggs and McNulty discuss their respective relationships. When they hear the final report, McNulty is taken aback by the accurate psychological profile they lay out (of McNulty, who faked the voice of the killer).<br><br>Reporter Mike Fletcher tells Haynes he's interested in spending time with Bubbles to write a profile and Haynes grants him a couple of weeks to pursue it. Gutierrez gives Haynes the news of Omar's murder (not knowing who he is), and Haynes tells her to write up a fire and scratch the murder — there's no room.<br><br>Carcetti and Wilson meet with 4th District U.S. Congressman Albert Upshaw, asking what it will take to stop him from running Dobey in the primary. Carcetti promises that when he takes the statehouse, he will help his district, but Upshaw says it's going to cost the mayor more than his word.<br><br>McNulty is disturbed to arrive home to find Beadie and her children gone, and a note suggesting that this could be his future.<br><br>Bunk finally gets his lab work back on the DNA samples from Michael Lee's murdered stepfather and is pleased to find out there's a match for Chris Partlow.<br><br>Freamon meets with the US Attorney, trying to get them to take the Clay Davis case using the false loan evidence he'd gathered (the &quot;head shot&quot;). But the US Attorney refuses, furious that Bond kept the case for himself and not only lost it, but managed to turn Davis into a near-martyr for the black community.<br><br>Bunk tells McNulty Omar is dead and hands over Omar's handwritten list. He also reports he has positive DNA on Chris Partlow for the alley beating but acquiesces to McNulty's plea that he hold off on serving the murder warrant because Freamon claims he's close to taking down Marlo's entire operation.<br><br>Det. Frank Barlow blackmails McNulty into giving him a car and covering his weekend golf trip to Hilton Head, threatening to blow the whistle on his OT-distribution scheme.<br><br>When Freamon reports that Marlo just got a call, Sydnor checks in with the rest of the surveillance team and they discover that none of their subjects have picked up a phone. Freamon realizes there's another person in the network they don't know about.<br><br>Dukie helps a junk peddler load an empty refrigerator onto his cart, and the man offers to pay $10 if he helps him take the scrap to the weigh station. With no other job offers, Dukie agrees.<br><br>When Greggs readies to compare the FBI profile of the serial killer to a huge stack of files on known sex offenders, McNulty can't stand the guilt anymore and whisks her away to an interview room to fill her in on what he and Freamon have been doing. Greggs, stunned, insists to McNulty he can't be doing this.<br><br>Meeting with Carcetti and City Council President Nerese Campbell, Clay Davis disparages the idea of Dobey running for governor. Even Clay can't believe the dirty politics of playing the race card and pretending to run an African-American candidate who can't win, just to get payoffs. Carcetti says Upshaw wants too much to keep Dobey out of the race but admits he's still &quot;in negotiations.&quot; Nerese promises to do whatever she can to help Carcetti — if he endorses her for Mayor. Given that Bond lost his case against Clay Davis, she doesn't think he will make a viable mayoral contender. Clay promises his loyalty to Carcetti will only cost two seats on the liquor board.<br><br>McNulty checks in with Freamon and reports that Bunk has a murder warrant on Partlow, explaining that he's secured a few days' grace period to wrap up their investigation. McNulty hands over Omar's list, and Freamon notes Cheese Wagstaff's name — someone Freamon hadn't identified as being under Marlo's wing. McNulty also reports that he confided in Greggs, and Freamon gets angry.<br><br>Trying to find the location of a possible Marlo meet, Sydnor consults a Baltimore street map and going over the coordinates, he suddenly realizes that Marlo's clocks are a code for Baltimore map grid coordinates.<br><br>Carcetti gives a rousing speech at the vigil for the homeless.<br><br>At a bar, Freamon watches Clay Davis socializing with a lady friend in a booth. When Davis gets up to refresh their drinks, Freamon goes over to the woman and whispers to her, and she steps away as Freamon settles into the opposite booth. When Davis returns, Freamon greets him and informs the senator it was mostly Lester's evidence that Clay overcame at his trial; he wonders if Davis thinks he can do that again with a Federal jury. Lester hands over copies of the paper trail he has on Clay's illegal loan and tells him he will keep quiet in exchange for his help with information in the future.<br><br>At the Sun, Haynes, with the Metro Editor's support, tells Templeton he's cutting the lede to the story about the homeless vigil because it features an unnamed homeless woman. Templeton throws a fit at the implication that he's lying and storms back to his desk. Managing Editor Thomas Klebanow challenges Haynes's decision but Haynes packs up his things for the night, insisting on his way out the door that he's following the paper's sourcing policy.<br><br>Carcetti comes home and fills his wife, Jennifer, in on the day's political maneuverings in his bid for Governor.<br><br>Beadie and the kids return home and she informs him next time, she's not going anywhere — he is. McNulty confesses what's been going on, telling her about the invented serial killer case and admitting it's gotten out of hand. Taking it in, Beadie realizes he could go to jail. She tells a chagrined McNulty that he had no right to do this — it impacts her life too.<br><br>Sydnor explains the map code to Freamon, who's impressed with his protégé's detective work. Freamon deduces that because all the coordinates seem to be within a 30-40 minute drive, they must just assume that the meeting time is within an hour of getting the clock code. He realizes that one of the clocks indicates coordinates for East Baltimore — and deduces that Cheese Wagstaff must be Marlo's East side lieutenant. Greggs busts in and announces she's not okay with the scheme.<br><br>At the morgue, a technician notes that the names have been changed on two body bags —Omar's body bag is identified as a white male, heart attack victim, and vice versa. Amused, he switches the names back, correcting the mistake.</p></div>

Late Editions

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by </b>Joe Chappelle<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; George Pelecanos<br><b>Teleplay by</b> George Pelecanos</p><p>&quot;Deserve got nuthin' to do with it.&quot; - Snoop<br><br>Det. Leander Sydnor and his surveillance teams cover Marlo Stanfield and his crew while Det. Lester Freamon tracks their coded cell-phone images from the detail office on Clinton Street. When Freamon notices a meet scheduled at a new — and remote — location he guesses that he's on to Marlo's supplier. Pulling his teams off the street targets, he converges the resources on a warehouse near the marine terminals.<br><br>Snoop and O-Dog meet with Maurice &quot;Maury&quot; Levy in his law office to prepare O-Dog to take the rap for Snoop and Chris Partlow's weapons charges. With a lack of priors, the fall-man faces a few well-compensated years in prison, but he's not thrilled with the arrangement.<br><br>Freamon joins Sydnor and his surveillance force a few blocks away from a warehouse that Chris just entered. Freamon orders the men to wait and watch — if Chris feels the location is secure, they're likely to see Marlo's crew arrive to pick up the re-supply. Any Stanfield lieutenant who leaves the warehouse, Freamon says, presents a target flush with narcotics. Pull them over, seize the dope and collect their phones, the detective orders before leaving to come clean about his illegal investigation.<br><br>Inside the warehouse, Chris inspects the delivery: More than 100 kilos of raw heroin hidden inside new refrigerators. When the Greek deliverymen tell Chris he can count the packages, he leaves without a word.<br><br>At the Baltimore Sun, City Editor Augustus &quot;Gus&quot; Haynes welcomes the paper's London Bureau Chief, Robert Ruby, back to the states since his office was shut down. After a few minutes' complaining about their parent company, Gus asks Ruby to look into Scott Templeton's reporting — check its accuracy with a fresh set of eyes. Ruby warns him that chasing the reporter might cross Executive Editor James C. Whiting III, but the displaced bureau chief immediately heads to the library to order up the sum of Templeton's work.<br><br>Duquan &quot;Dukie&quot; Weems rides the Arabber's cart and stops off at the junkyard to steal metal. Dukie hustles over the barbed-wire fence, snagging his hand as his new boss urges him on. He passes as much scrap over the fence as he can and bails out.<br><br>Monk and Cheese arrive at the supply warehouse, offloading the product and quickly leaving. Sydnor and his officers split up to tail the lieutenants.<br><br>Chief of Staff Michael Steintorf visits Commissioner William A. Rawls and Deputy Commissioner of Operations Cedric Daniels at police headquarters. In desperate need of an immediate drop in crime to fuel Mayor Thomas &quot;Tommy&quot; Carcetti's gubernatorial run, Steintorf wants to see more cops on the street making arrests. Daniels explains that only quality police work can make a meaningful impact on crime, adding that Carcetti promised him that the statistic games would end during this administration. Steintorf says they'll keep their pledge for systemic reform, from Annapolis if need be, but unless the department becomes creative enough to effect a 10-percent drop in crime by the end of the quarter, Carcetti's ability to help will fade with his shot at the state house. As Steintorf leaves, Daniels steps outside to find Freamon pacing in the reception area.<br><br>Rushing through an explanation that his investigation of Marlo never ceased, Freamon tells Daniels that they're a few warrants away from locking up the whole organization. Before Daniels can catch up, Freamon's cell phone rings with a call from Sydnor. They've pulled Monk over on a traffic violation and found his vehicle loaded with dope. Lester hangs up and rattles off the list of warrants he'll need to search the warehouse and lock up the rest of Marlo's crew. Daniels smiles in the face of some real police work, picking up the phone to call A.S.A Rhonda Pearlman.<br><br>Across the city, police teams take down Marlo's crew, raiding the warehouse while others track down Cheese, Chris and Marlo. Snoop and O-Dog rush to Michael Lee's apartment, where the young soldier watches the bust go down on the news.<br><br>At police headquarters, Carcetti addresses the media, touting the $16 million in heroin seized, along with the Stanfield organization's ties to the rowhouse murders. Alma Gutierrez takes notes while Bill Zorzi quietly mocks the mayor in her ear. Laughing, she stands up to interview Daniels, but the deputy commissioner brushes her off with an empty quote about &quot;the good guys.&quot; When she asks for something more substantive, Daniels reminds her that the last time he appeared in the Sun, an anonymous source falsely identified him as a backstabber.<br><br>Cheese, Monk, Marlo and Chris sit at central booking, scrutinizing the documents that led to their arrests. Cheese points out that warrants were drawn up &quot;from information received&quot; — code for snitching as far as he's concerned. Marlo asks Chris if there's anyone in their shop who would inform the police, and when Michael's name comes up, Monk jumps on it. But, in his haste to lay their troubles on Michael, Monk slips up and mentions that Omar called out Marlo by name in the streets. The boss becomes livid, demanding to know what Omar said and ordering his lieutenants to spread word that he knew nothing about it. As for Michael, Marlo's not willing to take any risks.<br><br>At the homicide unit, Sgt. Jay Landsman steps up to Det. James &quot;Jimmy&quot; McNulty's desk, pointing to Det. William &quot;Bunk&quot; Moreland's murder charge on Chris and demanding the same sort of progress on McNulty's serial killer case. When Landsman leaves, Det. Shakima &quot;Kima&quot; Greggs asks McNulty how long he plans to waste manpower chasing his fake killer, and he promises the case will die down. Later that night, McNulty reiterates the concern about wasting resources to a drunken, celebratory Freamon, who assures him the brass will lose interest.<br><br>The next day, at a student debate competition, Namond Brice delivers a rousing speech about fighting AIDS in Africa while Howard &quot;Bunny&quot; Colvin and his wife look on with pride. Midway through Namond's delivery, Carcetti arrives and waits by the door, distracting Colvin. After the event, as Colvin and Namond walk to their car, the mayor breaks away from a Q&amp;A session with reporters to catch up with the former district commander. Carcetti apologizes that he couldn't do anything with Colvin's &quot;experiment&quot; legalizing drugs in the Western, but Colvin has little to say in return.<br><br>Levy visits Marlo in jail to discuss the case against him. While Levy expects the judge to deny bail for Marlo and Chris, the others' will post soon. More importantly, Levy and Marlo puzzle through the facts of the case, trying to ascertain who told the police about the re-supply. Only Snoop knew about it, and Marlo knows he can trust her implicitly.<br><br>At the homicide unit, Landsman sends McNulty out on a call for a dead homeless man. The detective protests, knowing the body can't provide any leads, but he has no choice. As McNulty leaves, Greggs sarcastically asks whether it's a waste of his time.<br><br>Haynes meets Council President Nerese Campbell for lunch at Werner's Deli. Under the guise of seeking information on the upcoming mayoral race but really trying to validate Templeton's facts, Haynes lets the interview drift toward the subject of Daniels and asks whether the deputy commissioner deserves a promotion after undercutting his boss. Campbell replies that's she'd wondered where that information came from, given Daniels' solid reputation. Haynes, with his suspicions confirmed that Templeton had fabricated an anonymous source, nods.<br><br>Haynes returns to the newsroom, and when he asks Templeton about the paperwork he requested to fact-check the reporter's homeless Marine story, Templeton says it will take at least three weeks. Haynes finds Metro Editor Steven Luxenberg and says he needs to get into Walter Reed to interview a veteran. After the hospital's national scandal, Luxenberg tells him, no one will speak to a journalist reporting on a story. But, if it's off the record, he can get Haynes in.<br><br>Thomas R. &quot;Herc&quot; Hauk joins Sgt. Ellis Carver and his men for a &quot;shift-change party&quot; on a dead-end street in West Baltimore. Herc asks his friend about the Stanfield bust, trying to find out whether the cell number he lifted from Levy's office found itself at the end of a Lester Freamon wiretap. Carver won't confirm anything, so the two old friends have a beer.<br><br>In his sister's basement, Bubbles talks to Sun reporter Mike Fletcher, bringing the writer up to speed on his personal history. His sister, Rae opens the kitchen door upstairs, and when Bubbles invites her to his Narcotics Anonymous anniversary, she remains noncommittal.<br><br>Freamon meets up with State Sen. R. Clayton &quot;Clay&quot; Davis at a bar to squeeze some incriminating details out of the corrupt politician. Brandishing the threat of a federal indictment, Freamon wants to know who brokers the laundered drug money in Baltimore. Davis says that the same defense attorneys who handle high-end drug cases — Levy included — have created a sideline dishing out illicit funds to capitalize developers and politicians. The lawyers take a cut on both ends, but they also protect their street-minded clients from corrupt businessmen like Davis. As the final payment to buy back his case, Davis informs Freamon that Levy sells sealed grand-jury documents, which a source inside the courthouse leaks to him. Davis doesn't have a name but figures Freamon could find one easily.<br><br>Snoop pulls up to Michael's corner and beckons him over, telling the soldier that she needs his help with a hit Marlo ordered. But, when she tells him not to bring a gun — that she has him covered — he grows suspicious.<br><br>Haynes interviews Sgt. Raymond Wiley, the Marine who lost his hands in the explosion Templeton wrote about, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. While a physical therapist works with Wiley's motorized prosthetic hands, the soldier tells Haynes that his comrades didn't engage in a firefight the day he was wounded. And his friend, Terry Hanning, didn't need to invent combat stories to impress Scott Templeton — he'd seen enough action to recount plenty of gunfights if he'd chosen to. The Sun must have lied, concludes an apologetic Wiley.<br><br>Greggs visits Carver at the D.E.U. office to tell him he made a mistake by allowing McNulty to falsify his records. Carver doesn't see the problem, but Greggs advises him to coach his officers to tell internal investigators that they had no idea their paperwork ended up on McNulty's desk. She asks Carver whether he was okay with speaking up about Colicchio's outburst, and when he answers in the affirmative, she nods and leaves, on her way to Daniels' office.<br><br>From the back seat of a hack's car, Michael watches Snoop and some Stanfield soldiers set up a trap for him. He pays the driver to rent his car for the night, and then returns to his corner to wait for Snoop to pick him up for the &quot;job.&quot; They drive toward the hit, but Michael asks her to pull over in an alley so he can pee. When she stops the vehicle, he pulls a gun from under his shirt and aims it at her head. Michael denies that he had anything to do with the arrests, but Snoop — level and unafraid — says the way he carries himself, questioning and apart, proves that he was never cut out to be one of them. Michael pulls the trigger, killing Snoop,and escapes down the alley.<br><br>Bubbles brings Fletcher along to his Narcotics Anonymous anniversary, where Walon reminds the reporter that anything said in the meeting must stay there. Bubbles watches for his sister to arrive, but she doesn't turn up. In front of the group, he shares a story about a particular day that he struggled to stay sober; then he talks about Sherrod, saying that he's learned it's alright to hang onto grief — as long as you make room for other things, too.<br><br>After Greggs blows the whistle on McNulty's manufactured serial killer, Daniels brings the news to Pearlman. Piecing together the rogue detective's methods, they drive to evidence control to test the serial killer's tapped number against Marlo's seized cell phone. Pearlman dials the number off of a court document, and after a brief moment, the phone rings, confirming their suspicions.<br><br>Michael storms into his apartment, gathering up Bug and Dukie and ushering them into his rented car. He drives his little brother to their aunt's house in Columbia. Narrowly managing to choke back his emotion, Michael says goodbye to Bug and sends him inside with a box full of cash. When he returns to Baltimore, where the entire Stanfield crew must be hunting him by now, Michael drops his friend off at the Arabber's stable, where addicts get high by the light of burning barrels.</p></div>

-30-

<div class='episode-body-left-aligned' style='text-align: left'><p><b>Directed by </b>Clark Johnson<br><b>Story by</b> David Simon &amp; Ed Burns<br><b>Teleplay by</b> David Simon</p><p>&quot;... the life of kings.&quot; - H.L. Mencken<br><br>At his city hall office, Mayor Thomas &quot;Tommy&quot; Carcetti and his staff learn about the fabrication behind Baltimore's serial killer from Deputy Commissioner for Operations Cedric Daniels, Assistant State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman and Acting Commissioner William A. Rawls. Momentarily speechless, Carcetti pieces together the lie's effects: Essentially negating every political victory he's scored during the election. The mayor warns Rawls and State's Attorney Rupert Bond that they'll have to take the hit if the fiasco goes public. Chief of Staff Michael Steintorf underscores the importance of keeping the situation secret until they can decide the best way to handle it; going public the wrong way could destroy careers, he says, looking pointedly at Pearlman.<br><br>Det. Lester Freamon pays a visit to a Grand Jury Prosecutor Gary DiPasquale at the courthouse — he's found the leak who's selling sealed indictments. Holding evidence that the prosecutor dumped three times his salary in Atlantic City over the past two years, Freamon advises him to come clean and trust in the mercy of a courthouse full of friends. When the prosecutor agrees to cooperate, Freamon pulls a tape recorder from his bag and tells his new informant to make a call.<br><br>Outside City hall, Daniels fumes over Carcetti's desire to cover up the scandal, telling Pearlman he's tempted to call Annapolis and blow the whistle. She blanches, saying that it would destroy her career and undo years of working her way up in the courthouse.<br><br>Baltimore Sun reporter Mike Fletcher stands at a downtown intersection, selling copies of the paper for Bubbles while the recovered addict reads the unpublished story Fletcher has written about him. Questioning whether the details about his sister and Sherrod are necessary — and not sure why anyone would want to read it — Bubbles can't decide whether he wants Fletcher to run the piece.<br><br>Carcetti and Steintorf meet with Bond and Rawls at City Hall, trying to figure out a way to deal with Freamon and McNulty through back channels. Bond sees the merits of the approach, but when Rawls remains tepid, Steintorf walks the acting commissioner into the hall for a chat. Losing the façade, Steintorf admits that Rawls has some political leverage with the mayor — Carcetti can't publicly blame Rawls without tarnishing Daniels, who the mayor has repeatedly endorsed — so Rawls figures he might barter for an extension to his 'acting' term. Steintorf sees the play coming, and suggests that Rawls come to Annapolis with Carcetti to work as the state police superintendent, a position more suited to his complexion. Rawls returns to the conference room, agreeing that they should keep the problem quiet.<br><br>Freamon catches Pearlman in the hall at the courthouse, and the detective explains that DiPasquale has been leaking records to high-powered defense attorneys. He hands her a cassette tape holding the corrupt prosecutor's call to Maurice Levy. Pearlman is glad to have the evidence, but she also eyeballs Freamon, dropping a pointed allusion that she knows the truth about his investigation.<br><br>Duquan &quot;Dukie&quot; Weems, looking ragged in dirty clothes, returns to his old middle school looking for Roland &quot;Prez&quot; Pryzbylewski. Assistant Principal Marcia Donnelly barely recognizes the young man, but she agrees to let him wait outside for Prez. When the teacher emerges, Dukie asks for a few hundred dollars, selling a suspicious story that he's trying to find a place to live and get his GED. Prez can tell the boy is lying, but promises to meet him in the parking lot to find a bank machine.<br><br>At the homicide unit, Sgt. Jay Landsman lays into Det. James &quot;Jimmy&quot; McNulty for letting the serial killer case go cold. McNulty, trying to unload the department resources he's been wasting, tells Landsman there just haven't been any new leads. As the conversation ends, Freamon arrives and pulls McNulty into an interview room. Nervous, Freamon tells his accomplice that Pearlman and Daniels have figured them out. But the two detectives wonder: Why haven't they been arrested yet?<br><br>City Editor Gus Haynes settles into his desk at the Baltimore Sun, and Regional Affairs Editor Rebecca Corbett points out one of Scott Templeton's stories about the Sun's homeless coverage causing a policy reversal. But she and Haynes recognize it as self-congratulatory hype for the public service Pulitzer. Fletcher comes over to get Haynes' take on his story about Bubbles, and after keeping the young reporter in suspense for a moment, Haynes dishes out compliments. But Fletcher still wants to wait for the go-ahead from his source.<br><br>Sitting at the bar, McNulty and Freamon nail down the mayor's motivation for keeping their manufactured killer under wraps. With the election and the highly publicized case against Marlo Stanfield complicating the situation, the two rogue detectives realize they have plenty to hold over their bosses' heads.<br><br>As Haynes edits copy, London Bureau Chief Robert Ruby walks up to deliver the research he's done on Scott Templeton's work. Exaggerations, fabricated quotes and sources — if someone re-reports the stories, they'll find all the holes. Haynes takes Ruby's file and places it in a drawer, unsure how to proceed.<br><br>Levy meets with Marlo Stanfield at the Baltimore City Jail to tell his client that the judge won't allow bail. More importantly, Levy says, they need to determine how the police cracked the clock code Marlo and his crew used. Knowing the police couldn't have deciphered the puzzle so quickly, Levy smells a wire tap — but it still doesn't add up. As Marlo leaves the meeting, he crosses paths with Cheese and tells him to hunt down Michael Lee once he gets out on bail.<br><br>McNulty, at home with Beatrice &quot;Beadie&quot; Russell and her kids, catches a call from Landsman about a man in a gray van who tried to abduct a homeless man. He arrives on the scene to find Templeton, who claims to have seen it happen outside the Sun offices. When Templeton leaves to check in with his desk, another homeless man wants to speak to McNulty. It turns out the man is an undercover detective, and he tells McNulty that Templeton's story is bogus — no man, no gray van. McNulty thanks him and goes home.<br><br>Bubbles, trying to decide whether he'll let Fletcher run his story, talks it over with Walon, who brings his friend some crabs from work. Walon suggests that Bubs may be afraid that people will find out he's a good person. Still conflicted, Bubs heads home to his sister's and gives her the crabs.<br><br>At the Sun, Haynes demands that Managing Editor Thomas Klebanow pull Templeton's story about the gray van. Templeton loses his temper and yells at Haynes, and Klebanow accuses the editor of letting his personal feelings cloud his judgment. As Haynes stalks out, telling Klebanow that he may win a Pulitzer with Templeton and then have to give it back, the accused reporter shouts at Haynes from across the office, swearing that all the facts are in his notes.<br><br>At the courthouse, Levy waits for Pearlman to discuss the Stanfield case. He suspects the police of running an illegal wiretap, and he promises Pearlman that he sees the weakness in her case and won't hesitate to exploit it in court. Leaving, he suggests they meet and talk.<br><br>In South Baltimore, Det. Shakima &quot;Kima&quot; Greggs and Det. William &quot;Bunk&quot; Moreland get a call for the serial killer — except this is a real murder. A copycat has picked up in the place of McNulty's lie. When McNulty arrives on the scene, Bunk guesses that the bosses will put him on the case, but McNulty surprises both of them when he says that Daniels and Pearlman know he invented the serial killer. Bunk, aghast that McNulty isn't in jail yet, lays the blame for this murder at his friend's feet. Across town in his office, Carcetti watches the news coverage of the murder, furious.<br><br>McNulty returns to the homicide unit, where Rawls and Daniels corner him in an interview room. McNulty admits to his conspiracy but swears he had nothing to do with the latest body. Rawls tells him that the mayor knows the whole story and advises him to solve this murder quickly and make the whole story go away — the longer it takes, the worse the payback will be. In the squad room, McNulty finds Bunk and Kima poring over the victim's possessions. When McNulty notices a handful of business cards, he rushes out, thinking he's solved the case. Tracking down a deranged homeless man he remembered seeing with a box full of business cards, McNulty also finds a spool of ribbon that matches the latest victim. Surrounded by police and reporters, McNulty has solved his own manufactured case.<br><br>At the Sun, Metro Editor Steven Luxenburg looks over Haynes' evidence against Templeton and warns the editor that making more noise could cost him his job. When Haynes steps back into the newsroom, Alma Gutierrez pulls him aside and hands him Templeton's notebook, which is completely empty. Haynes, taking a deep breath, accepts the notebook, grabs the research on Templeton's stories from his desk and walks into Executive Editor James C. Whiting III's office. As Whiting's reaction fades from collegiality to guardedness, Klebanow joins the discussion.<br><br>Pearlman meets Levy in his office, cutting to the chase by playing the damning tape of his conversation with the grand jury prosecutor. Both violating the law, they horse-trade their way to an agreement that Pearlman will shelve the case against him in exchange for guilty pleas from Chris Partlow and both Marlo's lieutenants. Marlo will get to walk, but if he shows up on the street again after the elections, Pearlman promises to reopen the case against him. Levy never finds out exactly why she can't bring her evidence to open court, but the deal proves Pearlman has something major to hide.<br><br>Bunk and McNulty interview their homeless suspect, who rambles on, confessing to killing every victim. When McNulty leaves the room, Landsman tells the detective that Templeton is waiting for him in the sergeant's office. McNulty walks in and closes the door behind him before losing his temper and telling Templeton that he knows about the lies because he started the whole charade himself. With that, he sends Templeton — shocked and confused — back to the Sun, knowing the reporter can't breathe a word of it to anyone. He returns to the interview room to work the homeless man, and when Daniels and Rawls show up to check on the progress, McNulty refuses to manipulate the mentally ill man into admitting to all six murders. Rawls is furious, but Bunk finally nods in approval.<br><br>Levy, after meeting with Marlo to explain the conditions of his release, tells Thomas R. &quot;Herc&quot; Hauk that the former detective has become a goldmine. Squeezing Herc on the cheek, Levy invites him to dinner at his house.<br><br>Carcetti calls a press conference to announce the homeless killer's arrest, and Rawls explains that he's been charged with the last two murders, though he's suspected of the rest. Because the suspect is mentally incapacitated and bound for a psychiatric facility, the redundant charges wouldn't matter. As the conference ends, Carcetti credits Daniels for the arrest as well as the Stanfield case and announces that he's promoting Daniels to commissioner.<br><br>At the homicide unit, Pearlman delivers the verdict to Freamon and McNulty: The bosses can't fire them without drawing unwanted attention, but she won't allow either of them near any police work that would end up in a courtroom. The detectives lament that Marlo and Levy both escaped prosecution, but they have no one to blame but themselves.<br><br>Steintorf visits Daniels in his office to congratulate him on his handling of the homeless debacle, but he also tells the soon-to-be commissioner that city hall needs to see a 10-percent drop in the crime stats. Daniels replies that the stats are clean and will stay clean — before and after the election. Steintorf leaves but makes his next stop at Council President Nerese Campbell's office. Explaining that Daniels won't play ball, Steintorf tells Campbell to find a solution if she wants Carcetti's office.<br><br>At the Baltimore City Jail, the remaining members of the Co-op — Fatface Rick, Slim Charles and Clinton &quot;Shorty&quot; Buise — discuss business with Marlo, who's auctioning off his drug connection. When Buise asks what Marlo will do next, he replies: &quot;Businessman.&quot;<br><br>At the Sun, Gutierrez walks out with Haynes after his meeting with the top editors. His speaking out has earned him a demotion to the copy desk, while Alma finds herself booted to a bureau office in Carroll County. Haynes assures her she'll write herself out of the setback in no time, but wonders why they demoted her when he never told Klebanow about the notebook, she replies that she brought it up herself, trying to back Haynes up.<br><br>A crowd of police gathers at Kavanaugh's bar for McNulty and Freamon's going-away party. With Landsman offering one of his inspired eulogies, McNulty lays on the pool table, smirking and listening. Freamon arrives, telling the crowd he's officially retired, and Landsman continues his speech, calling out McNulty's record for stirring up trouble, ignoring orders and generally bringing misery to the homicide unit. But he ends with a high compliment: &quot;If I was laying there dead on some Baltimore street corner, I'd want it to be you standing over me, catching the case. Because, brother, when you were good, you were the best we had.&quot;<br><br>Daniels' ex-wife, Marla, shows up at his office holding the file on his service — and apparent corruption — in the Eastern District, which Campbell delivered to her as a power play to buy Steintorf's cooked crime stats. Daniels says that caving to the pressure now means working under Campbell's thumb for the rest of his career. Marla asks him to resign for personal reasons, rather than taking both their careers down with him if the file emerges during his confirmation hearings.<br><br>McNulty and Freamon stand outside Kavanaugh's, and Greggs approaches, not sure if she's welcome at the party. Both detectives assure her they're not angry that she blew the whistle, and Freamon invites her inside for a drink. As they step inside, Freamon asks whether McNulty is coming, but he declines, telling them that he's going home.<br><br>In East Baltimore, Fatface Rick, Buise, Cheese, Slim Charles and a few others meet to talk over the finances of buying Marlo's connection. They're just a few hundred-thousand short of Marlo's $10 million asking price, and Cheese jumps in to add his money to the venture. Fatface Rick chastises Cheese for putting them in this position to begin with by moving on his uncle, Prop Joe, and when Cheese protests, Slim Charles pulls out a 9mm. &quot;You've done enough,&quot; Slim tells Cheese before shooting him in the head. &quot;For Joe.&quot;<br><br>Bubbles, sitting on a curb, reads a clipped copy of Fletcher's published story from the Baltimore Sun. When he finishes, he carefully folds it and puts it in his pocket.<br><br>As his final official act as police commissioner, Daniels promotes a handful of officers — including Sgt. Ellis Carver to lieutenant. Carver tells his mentor that he heard about the resignation on the radio and tells Daniels he wishes he could serve under him. Stepping down into the crowd, Carver finds Herc waiting to congratulate him.<br><br>McNulty drives down to the Richmond shelter where he left the serial killer's &quot;disappeared&quot; victim, Mr. Bobbles. The man has left the shelter, but McNulty asks the social worker where the homeless congregate.<br><br>At a downtown office party, Levy introduces Marlo to the real-estate elite of Baltimore, and developer Andrew Krawczyk, among others, pitches the upstart &quot;businessman&quot; with a bevy of investment opportunities. Pulling Marlo away, Levy explains the developers' power but warns the young man against dealing with them alone. &quot;Guys like that will bleed you,&quot; Levy tells him.<br><br>Later, on his way home through West Baltimore, a group of hoppers try to jump Marlo, but he fights them off easily, grinning when he catches a slash on the arm... At Vinson's rim shop, a handful of drug dealers handle their cash. Michael steps out of the darkness holding a shotgun and, blasting Vinson in the leg, grabs a bag full of cash and leaves... Det. Leandor Sydnor visits Judge Daniel Phelan in his chambers to apply back-channel pressure to an investigation, asking the judge to look into things but keep his name out of it... Freamon works at home on his miniatures... Herc buys rounds for a bar full of police... Templeton wins a Pulitzer... Dukie shoots up in a back alley with the Arabber... Carcetti wins the gubernatorial race... Fletcher takes over the Sun's city desk... Stanislaus Valchek takes over as commissioner... Daniels puts his law degree to use... Chris meets Wee-Bey in a prison yard... Rawls heads the state police... Fatface Rick and Slim Charles meet with the Greeks... Bubbles sits down to dinner with his sister...<br><br>McNulty drives up I-95 from Richmond with Mr. Bobbles in tow, looking to the Baltimore skyline. &quot;Let's go home,&quot; says the ex-police.</p></div>