The Wire, The Complete Series

In the pilot episode of this highly realistic drama series, Baltimore homicide detective Jimmy McNulty gets into hot water and winds up assigned to a detail of narcotics outcasts charged with investigating drug lord Avon Barksdale and his powerful operation in Franklin Terrace. Meanwhile, Avon's nephew D'Angelo is fresh off beating a murder rap, but he finds himself demoted upon his return to the gang.

McNulty feels the heat when a witness who testified against D'Angelo is found murdered. Meanwhile, Greggs is given the lay of the land regarding Avon Barksdale's key players, and Herc, Carver and Prez find big-time trouble at the towers.

The early-morning 'field interviews' by Herc, Carver and Prez result in a minor riot, a boy losing an eye and some bad publicity for the department. On the other side of the law, D'Angelo teaches Wallace and Bodie how to play the game (chess) and later impresses Bell with his 'take' from the low-rises.

Greggs and McNulty try to get Hardcase to turn informant as arraignment begins for those caught in the raid. Barksdale places a bounty on the head of rival gang leader Omar. Meanwhile, McNulty takes Bubbles on a cultural field trip, and Herc and Carver try to track down Bodie.

McNulty's detail finally gets 'clone' pagers to track Barksdale and his gang, but nobody can crack the codes used by the callers. Meanwhile, Bell instructs D'Angelo on how to school his lookouts while simultaneously flushing out a possible snitch. Later, Carver and Herc find Bodie, but their interrogation doesn't turn up results.

When Rawls looks to make a premature arrest for three murders that are linked to D'Angelo and Avon Barksdale, McNulty and Greggs must argue for a delay in order to preserve the valuable wiretap gains they have made. Meanwhile, Wallace and D'Angelo struggle with their consciences after Avon pays them blood money.

Tipped off by the wire, Greggs, Herc, Carver and Freamon make a bust, but the incident makes Avon and Stringer suspicious, leading them to close shop in the Pit. Meanwhile, Bunk and McNulty look for another witness in the Gant slaying and hunt a suspect known as 'Mr. Bird.'

An unlikely source gives McNulty the tag of a car driven by Stringer Bell. Meanwhile, Greggs and Carver bust a congressional aide carrying dirty cash, but are forced to let him go. Later, Omar earns his 'loose cannon' moniker.

Barksdale plays an expensive game of one-upmanship with an east-side rival. Meanwhile, Herc and Carver take some cash off of Wee-Bey's hands, and Omar resurfaces with a bang.

With Wallace in custody, McNulty and Daniels try to figure out what to do with him in the months before he testifies. Sydnor and Carver track down one of Barksdale's stash houses, and Prez shows off his 'gift for the paper trail.' McNulty's estranged wife Elena takes desperate measures after learning that he had their kids follow Stringer Bell. Orlando, who always wanted to be in the game, finds himself playing with fire.

The police turn up the heat on tracking down Savino, Wee-Bey and Little Man. Burrell orders Daniels to hit drug dealers for results that will impress the press. Barksdale sees his ranks thinning after the hit on Orlando. Bubbles tries to stay sober while scoping out the projects for McNulty; and Freamon determines there's a rat in the detail.

The low-rise pay phones are out of service, so McNulty and Daniels try to keep pace by tapping Barksdale's office. Bodie gets some new responsibilities from Stringer; Freamon gives Shardene a 'new look'; and D'Angelo goes to NYC on an errand for his uncle. With the detail's future hanging in the balance, Daniels faces off against Burrell and his political allies.

Season One finale. Every crew has weak links--including Avon Barksdale's. With the heat turned up in the high-rises, Daniels and McNulty turn to a higher authority in an effort to crack the case wide open.

In the Season Two premiere, Det. Jimmy McNulty--exiled to police-boat duty--finds the body of a woman floating in the Baltimore harbor. Bodie drives to Philly to make a connection for the Barksdale crew and Stringer Bell takes the train to New York to feel out the crew's reticent suppliers.

Major Valchek gets back at Sobotka for the church gift fiasco and a feud begins, and Valchek ups the ante by asking Deputy Commissioner Burrell for a detail to go after Sobotka. Avon Barksdale continues to run his empire from a prison cell--counseling his nephew D'Angelo and going after a guard who is harassing the organization's convicted hit-man, Wee-Bey. On the waterfront, port police officer Beatrice Russell gets stuck investigating the contraband found in The Greek's container. McNulty lends a hand with the investigation, albeit for vindictive reasons. Ultimately, Detectives Bunk Moreland and Lester Freamon are assigned to help Russell investigate the deaths.

Bunk and Freamon chase their crime scene, a container ship, to Philly, where none of the crew finds it useful to speak English. Lt. Cedric Daniels--disgusted with his exile to the evidence control unit--lets it be known he's going to leave the department. On orders from Barksdale, Bell finds a way to set up the correctional officer, Tilghman, who's been harassing Wee-Bey. McNulty pursues the identity of the Jane Doe found floating in the harbor. A pair of young longshoremen--Frank Sobotka's son Ziggy and his nephew Nick--heist a container of digital cameras and sell them to men working for The Greek. After an ominous visit from his uncle, Avon Barksdale, D'Angelo agrees to stop getting high in prison, a wise move in more ways than one.

Sobotka reprimands his nephew Nick for stealing the cameras and orders him to bring the cargo back--too late. McNulty is on a self-assigned moral mission to identify his floater, but his old partner, Bunk, says they have a more pressing matter at hand: to find Omar to testify against a Barksdale trigger man in one of last year's murders. To placate Valcheck, Burrell asks Daniels to lead the detail investigating Sobotka, and Daniels agrees. McNulty--on his second moral mission of the season--begins courting his estranged wife, promising a new day and a new Jimmy McNulty. Still holding onto a shred of hope, McNulty signs a separation agreement.

Ziggy loses his prized Camaro to drug dealers who aren't buying his alibis about not paying up. Unable to dump the homicide investigation on other police agencies, Col. Rawls measures Bunk for the blame, if the cases go unsolved. Weak product in the pit has Bodie getting heat from fiends and slingers alike. Homicide detectives hand out grand jury summonses to stevedores involved in the homicide case, and port police officer Beadie Russell works the lingering affections of an old boyfriend--also a stevedore--to find out how cargo disappears from the docks. Inside the detail, there is clamoring to have the ongoing homicide investigation folded into the investigation of Frank Sobotka and his band of union brothers.

Trying to let go of police work and return to his marriage, McNulty gives up on identifying his Jane Doe. In their investigation of Sobotka, the detectives discover a pattern in the computer and explain the connection to Daniels, but he still won't take the murders. Sobotka tries to play the political game on behalf of his union. Nick gets the chemicals that Vondas asked for and, as payment, accepts money and drugs--packaged for sale. D'Angelo wants to live life outside of Barksdale's umbrella, forcing Bell to bring in outside help for the problem.

Sobotka gives his lobbyist grief over the status of port legislation. Russell tells Sobotka the investigation is over, but a port computer is cloned, and when a container goes missing, the detectives follow. Simultaneously, Greggs and Prez tap into a circuit of Russian prostitutes. With two sets of evidence, the detail goes to Pearlman. Neither crime merits wiretap--but a drug connect could give the case legs. Rawls can't persuade Daniels to take the murders, but new evidence does. In the discordant Barksdale Empire, Bell tries to hold it together in the wake of a recent tragedy.

McNulty is back to his old self, on a drunken binge of legendary proportions. Urged by fellow stevedores to fight Maui, Ziggy is again humiliated, but has a moment later at the bar. Worried about McNulty, Bunk tries to get Daniels, and Rawls, to take him on. After some labor, the wiretap is up--just in time to catch another disappearing can. A suspicious Sobotka meets with The Greek and Vondas, and they decide to change up. Herc and Carver register their imaginary C.I. And with the package still weak, business dries up for Bodie and Poot.

Bodie's effort to improve sales ends disastrously, forcing Bell to rethink his strategy. Ziggy, duck in tow, pulls Johnny Fifty into a new caper that should have the Greeks paying off big. McNulty, undercover and outnumbered in the brothel, awaits 'rescue' by the detail. Daniels and Pearlman keep their composure as Valcheck fumes over the change of targets--and Burrell pulls the rug out beneath him. Meanwhile, the Greeks, feeling confident, get back to business.

The Detail uses satellite technology to its advantage. Bodie is unhappy that Proposition Joe's people are slinging on his turf, but business flows--until a new face from New York arrives. Stringer Bell looks to an unlikely solution to the problem. A frustrated Valcheck visits the FBI in an attempt to get real results on the docks. Ziggy's deal with Double-G goes bad in a big way. Nick lies to Aimee, Greggs considers the idea of motherhood, and Prez makes a major blunder. The Detail prepares for an action that they hope will give them the man on top.

With the clock ticking, the Detail makes a desperate move, and Daniels reams out Landsman for dropping the ball. Nick's deceit is in the open as Sobotka is overwhelmed by bad news. The Greeks confidently ease out of a brief encounter with the Detail, and Omar's suspicions are validated. The Detail hopes to find Vondas's boss, and Nick hopes to repair relations with the Greeks. Sobotka is forced to make a difficult choice.

In the Season Two finale, the Detail has a setback, and needs a new cooperator, while Russell and Bunk revisit Philly, looking for evidence. Brother Mouzone talks with Stringer Bell regarding their agreement, leaving Bell to contend with a dissatisfied Avon Barksdale. Bubbles and Johnny pull another caper and McNulty and Greggs return to the Westside, where they discover new connections. Herc and Carver feel disrespected by fellow officers, while Nick tries to come to terms with the Greeks--and himself. Omar and his crew have a new target and the Feds are less trustworthy than they seem.

In the Season Three premiere, a wave of urban reform brings down the notorious Franklin Terrace public housing towers, forcing the Barksdale drug crew to find a new home. Stringer Bell sets up shop using a new sales strategy as he awaits the return of Avon. McNulty, Greggs and the Detail look to make a case against Stringer with a wiretap on a drug ring run by his ally, Proposition Joe. Assigned to the Western District drug unit, Carver and Herc notch up the pressure on dealers. Burrell is caught in a power play by Councilman Tommy Carcetti. Mayor Clarence Royce, facing re-election next year, puts Burrell on notice that crime stats must come down. The order from on high has put police commanders in the hot seat during the new Comstat meetings. Daniels, too, is confronted by the reach of City Hall, as his promotion to major may be derailed. A rash of murders cuts short Bunk's day at the ballpark. On the eve of his parole, Cutty Wise is offered a new start on the outside by Avon.

Omar continues his bold strikes on Barksdale stash houses, now heavily guarded. Under orders from Stringer Bell, Bodie faces a critical test against Marlo. As the wire on Proposition Joe continues to yield little, a restless McNulty launches his own reinvestigation of last year's prison suicide of D'Angelo Barksdale. On the street, bodies continue to drop, prompting Burrell and Rawls to jack up the heat on their district commanders. The street violence also presents Daniels with the difficult decision of whether to help end a drug war in the Eastern. Cheese loses more than a little on his bet at a bloody dogfight and later is hauled downtown for questioning as a murder suspect by Bunk and McNulty. A beleaguered Cutty attempts to get on track, seeking employment outside the drug world. Carver, Herc and the Western drug unit take to the street undercover, but a hand-to-hand drug buy goes sour, prompting district commander Major 'Bunny' Colvin to question his thirty years on the force.

Colvin feels the sting of Burrell and Rawls during a Comstat assessment of his district's felony numbers; a blown wiretap forces Daniels's detail to turn to a new target; Proposition Joe cautions Stringer Bell that the police have been tapping phones. Carcetti continues to curry favor in Mayor Royce's inner circle with a scheme for jump-starting a police-academy class for Burrell. Omar and crew get more than they bargained for during a stick-up of a Barksdale stash house; Colvin has a new crime-reduction plan. Already awash in police work, Bunk is dispatched on a mission impossible. McNulty probes deeper into D'Angelo Barksdale's prison suicide, while Marlo suggests Fruit get his slumping sales numbers up with a persuasive visit to Bodie's crew. Cutty struggles to stay on the straight and narrow, still hopeful as he tries to reconnect with his long-ago girlfriend, while a group of colleagues gather to pay tribute and provide a proper sendoff to a friend at an old-time Irish wake.

West Baltimore residents get some 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 a little help. Greggs learns how Marlo takes care of business as Bubbles instructs her on the next big thing: disposable cell phones. Carcetti reveals his political ambitions and tries to enlist the help of an old acquaintance. The cops of the Western ride into the District for a roundup; Colvin delivers his plan to the corner boys, but they're not buying; and a frustrated Cutty opts to return to the game, welcomed back with open arms. McNulty reconnects with Stringer, but fails to connect with Pearlman, who's otherwise engaged.

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; Carcetti quietly seeks to fix the program for protecting state's witnesses after another one is killed; Omar struggles with dissention in the ranks; Stringer hard-sells his new business model to an underwhelmed Marlo. Greggs's surveillance gives McNulty reason to smile, and then he takes an interest in politics. Cutty flexes his muscle and continues to slide back into the life; and Avon returns from prison.

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; Donette receives Brianna's blessing of her hookup with Stringer and lets slip that McNulty visited about Dee. Daniels keeps up the front of marriage to Marla as she pursues a new career at City Hall; McNulty backdoors Daniels with a visit to Colvin; and Burrell hears from the mayor that he should take Baltimore's rising body count very personally.

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. Stringer Bell learns from Donette that she's told Brianna about McNulty's visit. Bubbles makes a sales call and finds Johnny during the long, strange trip. Omar grapples with guilt as Butchie points out its pitfalls. Greggs stumbles into Cheryl, forcing them to confront the realities of their relationship. Carver announces a new tax initiative to help the unemployed. After a traffic stop turns bad, Colvin is forced to explain Amsterdam to members of the detail. Bunk receives a gift-wrapped surprise. Councilman Carcetti confronts Mayor Royce after learning that nothing's been done about the witness protection issue. McNulty tracks Terri to Washington, where he discovers the ups and downs of a long-distance relationship. Marlo dispatches a drive-by on a Barksdale corner from the calm of his pigeon coop.

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. Stringer Bell fumes over the cost of being a developer, as state Senator Clay Davis attempts to cool him off with some easy money. Carcetti confronts a hurdle he must clear if he wants to run for higher office, while Marlo appears to take the bait set by the Barksdale crew. Cutty is shown the possibilities for the future with a tour of a working gym, while the Western District cops toss back a few and weigh the merits of Amsterdam and their loyalty to their commander. Brianna and McNulty sit down for a heart-to-heart, while Avon dispatches the troops to track Omar and wrestles with a revelation by Stringer.

Responding to an officer's call for help, McNulty and Prez turn down the wrong alley, with unanticipated results. Under orders, a Barksdale crew violates the unspoken Sunday truce with gunplay, increasing discontent. Stymied by the bureaucracy in his effort to open a gym, Cutty is surprised to find help from within Baltimore's power structure. Omar decides to go it alone against Avon and Stringer Bell, who are pressed by Brianna for some answers. Bubbles is wired up and sent into Amsterdam to help make the case against the Barksdale organization, while Pearlman and Daniels confront a cell-phone company over its foot-dragging on wiretap orders. Proposition Joe goes to Vinson in an effort to broker peace between Marlo and Avon, while a murder in Amsterdam presents new challenges and further divides the Western District troops and their allegiance to Colvin. Councilman Gray tells Carcetti he's running for mayor and offers him the council president's slot on his ticket.

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 for vengeance. Colvin manages, for now, to put off a 'Sun' reporter inquiring about Amsterdam, while Burrell delivers news to City Hall, and the reaction is surprisingly mixed. 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 Daniel Phelan. Carcetti is about to launch his campaign, but struggles with its effect on his friendship with Council colleague Tony Gray. Stringer falls out of the loop with Avon and is given an ultimatum by Prop Joe and New Day Co-op crews. Cutty's initial approach to teaching boxing ends up alienating the corner boys, while Marlo raises the stakes against the Barksdale gang. Bubbles provides Freamon with entree into an undercover cell-phone hustle.

The wire begins to yield information about the Barksdale organization, though finding links to the top proves elusive. Stringer and Avon reminisce about 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--an assessment that mirrors Mayor Royce's own struggle with his advisers. Cutty hits upon an unusual benefactor for his boxing gym and continues to reach out to the corner boys. McNulty and D'Agostino find each other again while, at work, McNulty finds the way to a key piece of the puzzle in an unlikely place. Awaiting his fate, Colvin works behind the scenes to shape the outcome of Amsterdam, while protecting his men from possible repercussions. With Johnny in the wind, Bubbles considers a new partner, while Omar and Brother Mouzone encounter each other suddenly.

In the Season Three finale, a reticent Avon readies his troops for a seemingly endless 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, even as Colvin's idea becomes public knowledge. Carcetti's ambition becomes obvious to his friend and fellow councilman Tony Gray, even as Gray has disclosed his own political plans. Cutty struggles to keep his young boxers off the corners, as he and Fruit cross paths once again. Bubbles offers his view of the world, both as it is and as it once was.

In the Season Four premiere, four boys from West Baltimore--Michael, Namond, Randy and Dukie--play out their summer vacation in the streets. Having failed to capture a potentially valuable homing pigeon, the boys are stirred to action when Dukie is beaten up, and Randy concocts a retaliation plan against the rival gang. The action is slower at Bodie's corner, giving young Namond an excuse to take off early. Meanwhile, Marlo has solved the problem that baffled Stringer Bell: how to maintain discipline--read: murders--without getting police attention. At the detail's office, Freamon and Sydnor press Pearlman to issue City Hall subpoenas. With the mayoral race heading into its final weeks, Mayor Royce and his primary challenger, Tommy Carcetti, hit different campaign trails. Carcetti's deputy campaign manager, Norman Wilson, and his campaign guru, Theresa D'Agostino, try to keep their candidate focused. Prez preps for a new career in higher education and McNulty turns down a promotion.

Herc's soft-duty job with the mayor takes an unexpectedly hard turn. Despite the potential damage to her career, Pearlman provides Freamon and Sydnor with subpoena ammunition for their 'grizzly bear' hunt in City Hall. Carcetti concentrates on games he can win; Namond gets some grooming advice from his father, Wee-Bey; Marlo plays Robin Hood with the neighborhood kids, though Michael isn't taking; Bubbles brings an apprentice into his mobile-emporium business; Cutty juggles his landscaping job with a volunteer gig as a boxing mentor, eyeing Michael as a pupil; Prez braces for his first day as a schoolteacher. At the televised mayoral debate, Carcetti drops a bombshell on the mayor.

With his lead dwindling in the polls, Royce resorts to extreme measures to stall Carcetti's momentum. At Bodie's corner, Michael proves adept as a runner, with both Bodie and Marlo taking notice. A re-up bodega is put under surveillance by Omar and Greggs, for different reasons. Rawls replaces Asher with a 'company man,' Charles Marimow, who pushes a new agenda on the detail, to Freamon and Greggs's dismay. A domesticated McNulty invites Bunk over for dinner, which ends with the two remembering the good old days at a familiar spot. Randy enjoys a productive first day at school, though Prez, the new teacher, isn't so fortunate. Herc reaps an unexpected benefit, courtesy of the mayor. Colvin contemplates trading his new job in the private sector for one that gets him back on the streets.

With Freamon and Greggs moved to Homicide, Herc and Dozerman join Marimow in the stripped-down Major Crimes Unit. Cutty gets a 'custodial' job at Tilghman School mopping up truants, but can't make headway in his efforts to mentor Michael. Bubbles gives Sherrod an ultimatum in an effort to get him back in school as a 'socially promoted' eighth-grader. Burrell finds a way to sabotage the state-witness murder investigation before the election, a plan that directly impacts Greggs. Prez's struggles in class continue; Bodie finds himself working for a new 'company'; Colvin pitches his pilot program to the school; Carcetti meets with a constituency he knows won't support him; Randy faces a dilemma after being busted for his candy scam; Marlo is schooled in poker; Royce antes up in a game he can't lose; and Proposition Joe plays Marlo in a high-stakes heist.

Valchek leaks details of the Braddock case to Carcetti, who contemplates how to best leak it to the press. The ensuing negative attention turns Royce against Burrell. At school, Prez's reward/punishment program meets with mixed results. Chris tries to enlist Michael into Marlo's ranks, spooking Randy along the way. At the detail, Marimow sets up a series of street-level 'rips' targeted at Marlo, but his subordinates--and Pearlman and Daniels--are skeptical. Later, Herc and Sydnor plant a hidden camera at Marlo's meeting place, with unexpected results. Burned by Omar, Marlo gets Chris and Old Face Andre to frame his nemesis. Bubbles's efforts to keep Sherrod in school only get him humiliated. Angered by Royce's double-dealing, State Delegate Watkins decides to sit out the campaign, sending Carcetti and Wilson rushing to make their pitch. Although Bunk and Freamon come up empty in their body-hunting search, Dukie knows where the 'special dead' might be hiding.

With Election Day approaching, the three mayoral candidates make last-minute appeals. Carcetti wrangles for votes as he responds to a potentially devastating smear. Norris and Greggs get a lead on the Braddock case, but end up being detoured. Following through on a promising video lead, Herc finds out just how elusive Marlo can be. With De'Londa's well running dry, Namond is asked to step into his father's shoes. Omar is fingered for murder, but McNulty and Bunk suspect a frame. At school, Colvin's special class gets its first enlistees; Prez solves Dukie's wardrobe woes; and Randy is called out on a serious transgression, forcing him to confess to another one. Cutty figures out why Spider, and Michael, might have been avoiding him. On Election Day, Carcetti is miffed when he learns that State Senator Clay Davis has been double-dipping; later, he contemplates breaking some old habits for the good of his career.

With a bounty on his head, Omar calls in a favor to Bunk. The election finally over, Royce and Carcetti make their peace, and contemplate their respective futures. At school, Prez 'tricks' his students into learning math; Namond finds that the old rules no longer apply; a disillusioned Cutty ponders his job future; and Randy is cleared to return to class. Marlo looks to 'smoke out' his pursuers, infuriating Herc, who begs Carver to help. Expecting the worst, Pearlman gets surprisingly good news from her new boss. Following some high-profile appearances, Daniels's star seems to be on the rise. Bubbles finds his rolling business, and relationship with Sherrod, sabotaged by both sides of the law. Finally, Greggs uses 'soft eyes' at an unsolved crime scene.

To monitor the pulse on the street, Carcetti makes the rounds with members of the force. With Marimow on his case, Herc resorts to strong-arm tactics to retrieve his pinched camera, but Marlo isn't impressed. While Proposition Joe shows off his vocal range, Chris shows Snoop how to expose, and dispose of, New York infiltrators. At school, Prez struggles to fit a test-practice mandate into his curriculum, and Colvin figures out a way to involve Namond and other 'corner boys' in problem-solving. Not buying into Old Face Andre's account of a homicide, Bunk tries to convert Holley and Crutchfield to his way of thinking. A newly sober McNulty attends an Irish cop's wake--with a not-so-sober Bunk. Daniels gains the mayor's confidence, while Rawls confirms Burrell's suspicions of collusion. Randy finds himself on a short leash; Dukie learns that computer skills breed popularity; and Michael is dismayed by the unexpected return of a missing family member.

Poot returns to the corner after a stint in prison--and is welcomed back by Herc and Dozerman. Carcetti engages in a testy budget battle with City Council President Campbell, rewards Daniels with a promotion, and hits a snag in his efforts to relieve Burrell of his duties. Bubbles fingers a witness for Herc, but the detective is slow to return the favor. While Prez is frustrated by the imposition of training for statewide tests in his curriculum, Colvin motivates his class by offering a dinner incentive to his student groups. Randy puts the math skills he's learned in class to work on the street; his success allows him to get Prez to bankroll his candy business. While Michael turns to Marlo for help with a problem, Old Face Andre turns to Proposition Joe for protection against Marlo.

Acting on Clay Davis's advice, Burrell seeks to burnish his reputation by ordering the department to double the number of 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. As the weather turns cold, school officials turn up the heat in Prez's classroom, and make it clear to Colvin that there are no exceptions to certain rules. After being apprehended, interrogated and released, Kevin is advised by Bodie to come clean about the incident to Marlo. Betrayed again by Herc, Bubbles decides to get even with the unwitting help of a local minister. Busted by Carver, Namond spends the night in the precinct, then is released to Colvin's home, where he proves an exemplary guest. Donut's latest joyride ends badly; Randy is stigmatized at school; Chris takes care of Michael's problem.

After flexing his muscles around the city, Carcetti faces his first dilemma when a group of ministers protests Herc's mistreatment of one of their own. Later, the mayor reverses Burrell's mass-arrest mandate. Michael and the boys enact an elaborate revenge plot on a mean cop. Namond makes a leap of faith; Colvin fights for the future of his class experiment; Pearlman and Daniels raise the curtain on 'a new day' in Homicide. Rawls passes the ball to Daniels on the Herc situation. Later, Daniels resurrects the Major Crimes unit, and returns Freamon to the detail room with new authority and freedom. Reunited with Sherrod, the Bubbles depot rides again. An irate Prez confronts Carver for putting Randy in danger, but learns that Herc was at fault for not delivering the boy to Bunk. Omar and Reynaldo pay a menacing visit to Proposition Joe, with their own proposition. Freamon has a revelation at a crime scene that promises to blow the lid off an unsolved mystery.

On the trail of missing bodies, Freamon turns to a higher authority after being rebuked by Landsman. Carcetti finds his erstwhile promises of prosperity undermined by the school debt, forcing him to contemplate groveling before the Governor in Annapolis. Colvin approaches a pair of familiar faces--Deacon and Watkins--to keep his experimental class funded. Bubbles considers taking extreme measures to rid himself of his nemesis. Prez is rankled by Dukie's academic promotion; Marimow gets his walking papers; Omar orchestrates another big sting; Namond and Cutty get a first-hand taste of the 'new' Michael; and Carver's promise to look out for Randy ends up looking empty.

In the Season Four finale, the bodies from the vacants pile up while Burrell offers his support to Daniels and admonishes Rawls for crossing him. A distraught Bubbles finds himself at his wit's end after his revenge plan backfires. Proposition Joe looks to the Co-op to defray shipment losses, but finds them not so cooperative. Attempting to get Namond off the corners, Colvin visits Cutty in the hospital to arrange a prison sit-down with Wee-Bey about the boy's future. Omar divides the spoils from his latest heist, then hatches an audacious new plan. Carcetti responds to the governor's school-budget offer; Carver tries to buy time for Randy; Dukie has trouble adjusting to his new peers; Marlo gives Michael new responsibilities on an old corner; Colvin and Parenti take their proposal to City Hall; Namond returns to gen pop; and McNulty looks to pay back an old debt he owes Bodie.

Season Five premiere. As McNulty and the detail continue staking out Marlo's crew, recently promoted Sergeant Carver is welcomed by a cauldron of discontent from officers coping with unpaid overtime. Though he wants to keep his campaign promise to lower crime, Mayor Carcetti is strapped by his commitment to schools, and faces some tough choices. Col Cedric Daniels is forced to reallocate his resources, retaining Freamon and Sydnor for the Clay Davis probe. Meanwhile, City Editor Haynes and the staff of a local newspaper are reeling from corporate cutbacks, losing key personnel from both the metro and international divisions. Still, with the help of reporters Gutierrez, Price and Templeton, Haynes is able to break a front-page story that links a politician to a co-op drug dealer. Proposition Joe, Marlo, Fatface Rick others meet in a hotel conference room to discuss divvying up drug frontiers across East Baltimore's county line.

Although he tells Sydnor the Davis investigation could be a 'career case,' Freamon keeps a wary eye out for Marlo, who takes care of some unfinished business and strikes a business deal with Barksdale. Carcetti throws the police a bone by removing the cap on secondary employment, sending the detectives into fantasy-job reveries. With an eye on the state house, Chief of Staff Steintorf tries to find good news for the mayor while blaming the Royce administration for the Campbell revelation. Davis turns to Burrell for help with his problem, but the commissioner's hands are tied. At the newspaper, Executive Editor Whiting outlines a Pulitzer-worthy series in broad strokes, trumping Haynes while liberating the ambitious Templeton. Fed up with broken-down cars and unsolved serial murders, McNulty decides to take matters into his own hands.

Carcetti's master plan for the police department is leaked to the press, sending the brass into a panic. Marlo turns to Proposition Joe to help with an enviable problem. Whiting and Klebanow drop a bombshell on the newspaper staff. Michael finds temporary respite from his life on the corner by taking Dukie and Bug on a trip. McNulty shares some inside info with Alma, but her subsequent story doesn't cause the splash either envisioned. Undaunted, McNulty looks for a new ally in Freamon.

Campbell tries to smooth out the transitions in the police department. The newspaper scrambles to confirm surprising news from City Hall, but lose out to the TV media in scooping a high-profile Grand Jury appearance. As Marlo tries to win favor with the Greeks, Proposition Joe pays his last respects to a fallen colleague, and prepares to make himself scarce in anticipation of a showdown. Freamon enlists the help of a past partner to help with the investigation.

Marlo forges an alliance with a drug connect, who shows him a new communications trick. McNulty's case gets increased attention from the newspaper, in large part thanks to the addition of Templeton to the reporting team. Dukie turns to Cutty and Michael to hone his self-defense skills; Clay Davis finds a new ally; Bond raises his public profile; Levy and Herc prepare for litigation; Elena confronts McNulty about his behavior; Bubbles fears new opportunities; Greggs gets some overtime work; Omar shows patience as Marlo throws out his bait.

Mystified by Omar's disappearance, Marlo and Chris ramp up their efforts to locate their nemesis. After attending a sparsely attended waterfront ceremony, Carcetti fires away at a larger press event--and recasts himself as a champion for the homeless. Bunk revisits some old leads in the rowhouse cases, but is frustrated in his attempts to get bloodwork from the crime lab. Templeton looks for a perfect follow-up to his latest, nationally covered story, which has replaced the city's educational crisis on the paper's priority list. After the detail gets more manpower, Freamon presses McNulty to get new surveillance equipment, but the resources aren't as deep as both hoped. Pearlman discovers new clues pointing to corruption in City Hall; Marlo makes new appointments at the latest co-op meeting; McNulty takes a peculiar interest in a homeless man.

An unexpected call puts Templeton back in the spotlight--and gets McNulty more attention than he expected. Bunk bucks at Landsman when ordered to help with the force's most recent red ball. Omar sends Marlo a message; Carcetti proves he's still an adept fundraiser; Carver gift-wraps a witness for Bunk; Bubbles shows a reporter the ropes; Freamon tries to crack a clock code; Greggs prepares for a visit from her son; Michael has a close call; Hayes can't shake his suspicions about Templeton. Assisted by the top-drawer lawyer Billy Murphy, 'cash and carry' Davis makes his day in court a memorable one.

Baltimore's renewed police commitment brings fresh recruits to Daniels and McNulty, starting with Carver. Facing a new political challenge, Carcetti is forced to make dangerous political deals. As the Pulitzer season winds down, Haynes approaches Templeton about his sources. Bunk returns a McNulty favor; little Kenard makes a big score; Dukie finds work; Fletcher continues his interview with Bubbles; Freamon presents his latest plan to a prosecutor; Sydnor uncovers the missing piece to a puzzle; McNulty comes clean.

With Steintorf ordering Rawls to initiate 'creative' remedies for the rising crime rate, Freamon's vigilance pays off with a promising lead, sending Sydnor and the department into overdrive. Although Daniels is originally delighted, a further probe with Pearlman reveals some troubling source information. McNulty, feeling betrayed, doesn't feel like sharing in Freamon's celebration; Michael is suspicious about his latest assignment; Haynes gets some fresh eyes to help with fact-checking; Namond's debating skills make Colvin proud; Davis points a finger at Levy and the courts; Bubbles recounts a recent temptation overcome.

In the series finale, Carcetti maps out a damage-control scenario with the police brass in the wake of a startling revelation from Pearlman and Daniels. Their choice: clean up the mess...or hide the dirt. With his leads predictably drying up, McNulty asks Landsman to pull police off the homeless case--until a fresh homicide ramps up the investigation. A frustrated Haynes finds his concerns about Templeton falling on increasingly deaf ears. Convinced he has the upper hand but caught in a legal quandary, Levy plays a cat-and-mouse game with Pearlman. Bubbles debates whether to greenlight a newspaper story about his life; Dukie seeks out an old mentor for a loan; Marlo oversees a new co-op order as he maps out his next move. As the officers stage an Irish wake for another dearly departed officer, the seeds of the future are sown throughout Baltimore.

1962, Baltimore. Crossed in school, a student shows off the brazen business acumen that will soon earn him the moniker 'Proposition Joe.'

1985, Baltimore. An adolescent Omar upstages two older boys, and exhibits a sense of maturity beyond his years, during a robbery.

2000, Baltimore. Bunk's initial coolness towards his new partner--'six-year wonder' Jimmy McNulty--is thawed after they find common ground.