The worst episodes of The Wire
Ranked by viewer rating, lows first. Lit marks on the season rail place this list across the run. Vote on a placement to back it or contest it.
- 01
"Ain't never gonna be what it was." – Little Big RoyJimmy McNulty is sidelined to harbor patrol. He discovers a corpse in the harbor and pays back Colonel Rawls by proving City Homicide bear responsibility for the investigation.Major Valchek feels slighted when the boss of a local stevedore union named Frank Sobotka donates a more impressive gift to a local Polish church. Sobotka meets with other union leaders and learns that a crucial pier is still in a state of disrepair. Sobotka instructs his nephew Nick to see The Greek regarding payment for a clandestine container that he is smuggling through the port. Later, Port Police Officer "Beadie" Russell stumbles across The Greek's container and discovers the bodies of over a dozen young women inside.
- 02
Homicide detective Jimmy McNulty observes the murder trial of a mid-level drug dealer, D'Angelo Barksdale, and sees the prosecution's star witness recant her testimony. McNulty recognises drug king-pin Stringer Bell in the court room and believes he has manipulated the proceedings, so he circumvents the chain-of-command by talking to the judge, Daniel Phelan, who then places pressure on the police department to investigate the Barksdale drug-dealing organization, which, McNulty claims, has gotten away with ten murders in the last year. D'Angelo is welcomed home by his uncle, Barksdale patriarch, Avon, who is frustrated with him for placing himself in a situation where the police could charge him. Nevertheless, Avon allows him to return to work, but in what D'Angelo sees as a demotion, he is moved to a low-rise housing project known as "the pit." Meanwhile, homeless drug addict Bubbles, acts as mentor to another addict, Johnny Weeks, in an ill-conceived scam with severe consequences.
- 03
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.
- 04
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.
- 05
The witness who testified against D'Angelo is killed and the Barksdale organization is suspected. In light of Phelan's pressure, a detail is formed to investigate their activity in the towers and the pit. However, the detail's lieutenant, Cedric Daniels, is concerned with the quality of the team assigned by Deputy Ops. Ervin Burrell, while McNulty is concerned with the department's plan for the investigation, believing the approach of "buy busts" won't get them anywhere near the high-ranking members of the organization. The operation begins with Daniels' protégé Kima Greggs using Bubbles to identify who's who on the street. Meanwhile, McNulty and his partner, Bunk, try an unusual interrogation approach with D'Angelo, while Burrell tries to keep the death of the witness out of the press. Later, Daniels' suspicions about his team prove correct when an unauthorized late night foray into the towers by Herc, Carver and Prez goes awry.
- 06
"The king stay the king." - D'AngeloAfter early morning "field interviews" conducted by Herc, Carver and Prez lead to a minor riot and bad publicity for the police, Daniels gets called in by the Deputy Commissioner. McNulty sends Mahone and Polk to the terrace to get a photo of Avon Barksdale. They come up short but soft- spoken Freamon comes through with an old photo from Barksdale's boxing days. McNulty and Greggs visit FBI agent Fitzhugh to try and obtain some surveillance equipment. D'Angelo delivers the daily count to Stringer Bell who in turn, gives D'Angelo a bonus. Later, while Bodie and D'Angelo wait for the new supply to arrive, D'Angelo offers to get food. While he's gone Bodie, Stinkum and the crew go to retrieve the new supply only renegade dealer Omar and his crew get there and steal the drugs for themselves. The next day D'Angelo gets chewed out by Wee Bey -- a Barksdale enforcer -- for not being around when the incident happened. After getting chided by his superiors, Lieutenant Daniels mobilizes the team to raid "The Pit". Bodie hits one of the detectives while getting arrested and the rest of the officers proceed to beat Bodie. McNulty secretly meets with agent Fitzhugh who tells him to watch out for Lieutenant Daniels -- who might be on the take.
- 07
"They used to make steel there, no?" – Spiros VondasZiggy's inability to move a package of drugs costs him his Camaro and nearly his life as he falls foul of East side dealers. Seeing his cousin in danger, Nick attempts to parley with one of the dealers but discovers that they have torched Ziggy's car. Daniels sends his detail out for some hand-to-hands as they half-heartedly step up their investigation of the docks. Officer Russell gets information from an old boyfriend who indicates that the union computer may be useful in tracking containers. Sobotka's frustration with the Greeks begins to grow as he is once again denied a meeting with their boss, remaining defiant even when his payment for smuggling each container is tripled. Donette visits D'Angelo and tells him that he is being supported; D'Angelo remains cynical. The Barksdale family's drug trade continues to falter because of supply problems.
- 08
"Don't worry, kid. You're still on the clock." – HorsefaceRawls attempts to persuade Daniels to take the Jane Doe homicides but is unsuccessful. Lester Freamon and Russell continue to study the docks' traffic using their cloned computer, and suspect irregularities in containers handled by "Horseface". They track a container back to the Greeks' warehouse. They watch the warehouse and see Sergei Malatov meeting with Proposition Joe. Stringer discusses a business deal with Proposition Joe to revitalize the Barksdale organization, but Avon turns it down flat. D'Angelo's funeral brings together the Barksdale Organization.
- 09
"If I hear the music, I'm gonna dance." – GreggsD'Angelo confronts Avon about the bad package and washes his hands of the business. Avon brokers a deal to give up the prison officer for a reduction in his sentence. Valchek specifically requests Lieutenant Daniels for the Sobotka investigation. Daniels negotiates with Burrell and secures the promise of his own major crimes unit after the Sobotka investigation ends. Sobotka chastises his son and nephew about their unauthorized smuggling deal with the Greeks; he defends his own illicit deals as a means toward regenerating the ailing dockyard. Ziggy continues to enjoy his new-found wealth. McNulty takes a personal interest in the murdered women and is pressured to find Omar for Bunk Moreland.
- 10
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.
- 11
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.
- 12
Mystified by Omar's disappearance, Marlo and Chris ramp up their efforts to locate their nemesis. After a sparsely attended waterfront ceremony, Carcetti fires away at a larger press event--and recasts himself as a champion for the homeless.
- 13
"What they need is a union." – RussellNick is concerned over how he is to provide for his girlfriend and their daughter. He joins his errant cousin Ziggy and other dock workers to steal containers for Spiros Vondas and The Greek. Avon confers with Stringer Bell about troubles with their drug supply and D'Angelo's growing distance. Frank Sobotka attempts to court political favor in order to fulfill his hopes for the regeneration of the docks. Omar Little signs up some new partners in crime. At the request of Wee-Bey, Avon deals with an abusive prison officer who also deals drugs to inmates. His methods horrify D'Angelo.
- 14
"How come they don't fly away?" – ZiggyMcNulty deals with the disappointment of his failed reconciliation with his wife by returning to his old drinking and womanizing habits while falling further into depression. The detail closes in on Sergei Malatov when they track his cell phone through his truck rental paperwork. Concerned about the union's finances, Sobotka decides to pay the bills and discovers that his cell phone account was flagged so as to not have service disconnected. Becoming paranoid, he smuggles a container without contraband to see the results, and his suspicions solidify when the police pull the container over. Frank and Nick visit the diner to meet with The Greek; The Greek tells him to deliver more disappeared but clean containers to the shut down warehouse as suspicions mount about possible interest from the police. With his business faltering, Bodie moves his crew into new territory.
- 15
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.
- 16
To monitor the pulse on the street, Carcetti makes the rounds with members of the force. While Proposition Joe shows off his vocal range, Chris shows Snoop how to expose, and dispose of, New York infiltrators. Colvin uses "corner" logic in class. A newly sober McNulty attends an Irish cop wake - with a not-so-sober Bunk. Michael is dismayed by the unexpected return of a missing family member.
- 17
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.
- 18
Avon Barksdale Avon becomes more and more suspicious, he orders Wee-Bey to change phone lines in his apartment and promotes Stinkum to manage a new territory. He gets word that one of Omar's crew members has been "got". Stringer Bell warns D'Angelo that a snitch may be in his camp. The detectives get their affidavit approved for a cloned pager but they are puzzled when the numbers they receive are not regular Baltimore phone numbers.. Herc and Carver catch up with Bodie and attempt to interrogate him.
- 19
"They can chew you up, but they gotta spit you out." – McNultyOfficer Russell is assigned the murders of the thirteen women discovered in the cargo container. McNulty offers to help and again ensures that the case goes back to Rawls' homicide department. Valchek strikes a deal with Acting Commissioner Burrell—in return for supporting Burrell in his aspirations for promotion, Valchek demands Burrell set up a detail to investigate Sobotka and his union. Sobotka, angry at not being informed of the container's contents, considers cutting his ties with The Greek and demands a meeting. "Horseface"complains of sudden police pressure to Sobotka and the two come up with a plan to further embarrass Valchek. In prison, Avon Barksdale's relationship with his nephew D'Angelo begins to sour. Bodie Broadus finds that the new shipment of drugs for the Barksdale Organization is missing.
- 20
"The world is a smaller place now." – The GreekThe detail is dismayed at the lack of activity from their subjects and realizes that they must be changing their operating procedure. Nick moves higher in the underworld when Vondas allows him to wholesale drugs on their behalf. On the new drug corner they commandeered from their rivals Bodie and crew are involved in a shootout that kills a child. Rawls greets Major Howard "Bunny" Colvin at the scene of the shooting; Colvin disapproves of Rawls' counter-strategy of large-scale strike operations through the Western District. Stringer meets with Proposition Joe behind Avon's back to discuss turning over some West side territory in exchange for a cut of the Greeks' drugs. Avon complicates Stringer's attempted betrayal by hiring feared hit man Brother Mouzone to drive off rival dealers.
- 21
After the notorious Franklin Terrace public housing towers are razed, the Barksdale drug crew searches for a new home on the streets of West Baltimore. McNulty and the detail look to make a case against Stringer Bell with a wiretap on a drug ring run by his ally, Proposition Joe. Daniels' promotion is derailed by City Hall due to his estranged wife's political ambitions.
- 22
In the Season Four premiere, four boys from West Baltimore play out their summer vacation in the streets. Meanwhile, Marlo has solved the problem that baffled Stringer Bell: how to maintain discipline--read: murders--without getting police attention.
- 23
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.
- 24
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.
- 25
Bodie wakes up from his injuries in a Washington, D.C. juvenile detention center and manages to escape just before Herc and Carver arrive to interrogate him. Avon discusses the loss of the pit's stash with his enforcers and marks Omar and his crew for death. McNulty and his partner from homicide Bunk Moreland investigate an old murder that may be related to D'Angelo.
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