1The Target
During the trial of D'Angelo Barksdale, a mid-level dealer accused of murder, the prosecution's star witness recants her testimony, resulting in a not guilty verdict. After the trial, Detective McNulty explains to Judge Phelan how he suspects the Barksdale crew for a line of related murders. After the judge contacts McNulty's superiors about this revelation, McNulty is taken to task for his indiscretion. Meanwhile, D'Angelo's free to return to work, but discovers he's been demoted to street level deals.
2The Detail
The witness who testified against D'Angelo winds up being a murder case for Detective "Bunk" Moreland. However, McNulty informs Bunk that, since the victim testified against D'Angelo, Avon Barksdale probably ordered this murder. McNulty and Bunk pick up D'Angelo for questioning and convince him to write an "apology" to the victim's family. Just as he's about to start, D'Angelo's attorney arrives and makes him leave.
3The Buys
After early morning "field interviews" conducted by Herc, Carver, and Prez lead to a minor riot and bad publicity for the police, the Deputy Commissioner calls in Daniels. 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 get surveillance equipment from McNulty's FBI contact.
4Old Cases
Bodie manages to slip through security and escape from lockup. Meanwhile, Herc and Carver continue their renegade ways by traveling to Marlboro to find Bodie and beat him into giving up information on the case. Once they get there, Herc has a change of attitude after meeting Bodie's Grandmother. Furious at being robbed of his product during the "re-up," Avon Barksdale instructs Stinkum, Wee-Bey, and Stringer to double the existing reward for anyone who eliminates Omar and his crew.
5The Pager
When Avon becomes more and more suspicious, he orders Wee-Bey to change phone lines in his apartment. He also promotes Stinkum to manage a new territory and he gets word that one of Omar's crewmembers has been "got". Stringer warns D'Angelo that a snitch may be in his camp and D'Angelo should tighten up his crew by withholding their pay. While talking with Orlando, D'Angelo learns of Stinkum's promotion.
6The Wire
Brandon's bloodied body is discovered in a lot that's coincidentally located next to Poot and Wallace's house. Wallace reports this to D'Angelo, and also expresses how seeing Brandon's body has started to bother him. D'Angelo tells Wallace to simply get over it, but Wallace is still unsure. Wallace gets further unsettled after Avon rewards D'Angelo and him with extra cash for their parts in getting Brandon taken care of.
7One Arrest
Greggs, Carver, Herc, and Sydnor grab the runner holding the re-up stash for the pit. Now that the cops have their stash, a furious Avon questions D'Angelo about a snitch being in the pit. D'Angelo denies the allegation but Stringer tells D'Angelo and his crew to use pay phones a block away now, and not to use the same phone twice. Afterwards, they snatch out the existing pit pay phones. This, of course, disconnects the detectives' wiretap.
8Lessons
McNulty has his sons play the game of "front and follow" with Stringer Bell as the target, and they get Bell's license plate number for their efforts. Greggs and Carver bust a driver picking up a large amount of cash from the towers, only they're forced to return the money on orders from the Deputy Commissioner. Avon finds out about Orlando's inquiries to branch out into "dirty" business, and makes it clear to Orlando that that's not the plan.
9Game Day
Freamon gets Sydnor and Prez started on Barksdale's money trail. They discover the usual ties to dummy companies, but they also find large sums of political contributions. Herc and Carver bust Wee-Bey holding $22,000, but only $15,000 is reported. Lieutenant Daniels discovers the discrepancy and orders them to find the money before the morning roll call. Omar's mission takes him to Proposition Joe where he promptly offers another recently stolen Barksdale stash to Joe in exchange for Barksdale's pager number.
10The Cost
After being clean for three days, Bubbles gets strong advice from former addict Walon and a promise of extra help from Detective Greggs. When Omar's murder attempt on Barksdale fails, Stringer lays down the new law to Barksdale -- no phone use, no more money runs, a new pager number and anyone that needs Barksdale talks to Stringer first. They also send word to Omar that a truce will be offered.
11The Hunt
While Greggs' life hangs in a delicate balance, the officers deal with the shock in different ways. Herc, Carver, and Sydnor get back on the case after Freamon puts the incident into perspective. After seeing McNulty close to the breaking point, Rawls instructs McNulty not to have any guilt over Greggs' shooting because he's not ultimately responsible. Daniels is ordered by the Deputy Commissioner to raid all the locations to appease the Commissioner's desire for "dope on the table."
12Cleaning Up
After Barksdale's supply gets confiscated in the bust, Stringer hands down new rules to the crews. Barksdale and Stringer meet with Levy to discuss next steps, which include the elimination of any and all persons that can connect Barksdale to the drugs. Wallace returns to the pit and asks to get put back on. However, Stringer has other plans for Wallace and asks Bodie to step up for the job.
13Sentencing
Greggs musters the strength to finger "Little Man" as one of the shooters. Daniels and McNulty go to the feds with damning evidence about some Baltimore politicians tied to Barksdale, thinking they finally have him, but the feds only want the politicians and not Barksdale. D'Angelo can't swing a deal, and cops to a possession charge and 20 years of hard time. Business resumes in the pit with Bodie and Poot carrying the torch, using some of D'Angelo's wisdom and tactics.
1Ebb Tide
Detective Jimmy McNulty finds the body of a woman floating in the water while carrying out his new assignment of Harbor Patrol. Major Valchek has his gift to a local parish trumped by Frank Sobotka, his rival in the local stevedores union. And on the waterfront, a shipping container destined for 'The Greek' bakes in the sun with perishable cargo.
2Collateral Damage
Major Valchek gets back at Sobotka for the church gift fiasco, and a feud begins. Avon Barksdale continues to run his empire from a prison cell. On the waterfront, Port Police Officer Beatrice Russell gets stuck investigating the contraband in the The Greek's container. McNulty lends a hand with the investigation.
3Hot Shots
Lt Cedric Daniels lets it be known he is going to leave the department. McNulty pursues the identity of the Jane Doe found floating in the harbor. A pair of young longshoremen, Frank Sobotka's son Ziggy and nephew Nick, heist a container and sell its contents, digital cameras, to men working for The Greek.
4Hard Cases
McNulty goes on a self-assigned moral mission to identify his floater, but his old partner, Bunk, says they have more pressing matter at hand: finding Omar to testify against a Barksdale trigger man in one of last year's murders. To placate Valchek, Burrell asks Daniels to lead the detail investigating Sobotka, and Daniels agrees.
5Undertow
Weak product in the pit has Bodie getting heat. 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 to find out how cargo disappears from the docks.
6All Prologue
Trying to let go of police work and return to his marriage, McNulty gives up on identifying his Jane Doe. The detectives look into Sobotka and his money. For his union, Sobotka tries to play the political game. D'Angelo wants to live life outside of Barksdale's umbrella and Bell brings in outside help for the problem.
7Backwash
Greggs and Prez tap into the circuit of Russian prostitutes. With two sets of evidence, the detail goes to Pearlman who tells them neither crime merits a wiretap, but a drug connection could give the case legs. Rawls can't persuade Daniels to take the murders, but new evidence does. Though discord grows in Barksdale's empire, Bell tries to hold it together.
8Duck and Cover
McNulty goes on a drunken binge of legendary proportions. Fellow stevedores convince Ziggy to fight Maui. Bunk, seeing McNulty's desperation, talks Daniels into asking for him. Daniels does so and Rawls, who has no choice, agrees. After some labor, the wiretap is up, just in time to catch another disappearing container.
9Stray Rounds
Bodie's disastrous sales efforts result in a tongue lashing from Stringer Bell. Ziggy pulls Johnny Fifty into a new caper that makes the Greeks pay big money. McNulty goes undercover in a brothel. As Valchek fumes over the change of targets and Burrell pulls the rug from beneath him, Daniels and Pearlman maintain their composure.
10Storm Warnings
The detail uses satellite technology to its advantage. Bodie is unhappy that Proposition Joe's people are selling on his turf. Valchek 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. Greggs considers motherhood and Prez makes a major blunder.
11Bad Dreams
The detail makes a desperate move. 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 Vonda's boss. Nick hopes to repair relations with the Greeks and Sobotka is forced to make a difficult choice.
12Port in a Storm
The detail has a setback. Russell and Bunk revisit Philly, looking for evidence. Brother Mouzone talks with Stringer Bell regarding their agreement, leaving Bell to contend with Avon Barksdale. McNulty and Greggs return to the Westside, where they discover new connections. Herc and Carver feel disrespected by fellow officers. Nick tries to come to terms with the Greeks, and himself.
1Time After Time
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. Daniel's promotion is derailed by City Hall due to his estranged wife's political ambitions.
2All Due Respect
Omar continues his bold strikes on the heavily guarded Barksdale stash houses. McNulty launches his own investigation into last year's prison suicide of D'Angelo Barksdale. On the streets the bloodbath continues, prompting Burrell and Rawls to jack up the heat on their district commanders. The street violence also presents Daniels with a tough decision. A beleaguered Cutty tries to get his life back on track.
3Dead Soldiers
The brutality at police headquarters continues over the perceived failure of department commanders to reign in the city's crime stats. Another hit by Omar on the Barksdale stash houses goes terribly wrong. Proposition Joe summons Stringer Bell to a meeting and tells him that the cops have screwed up. Daniels reassigns his detail after the wire on Stringer Bell goes dead.
4Hamsterdam
Greggs and McNulty recruit Bubbles to gather street intelligence on the Barksdale gang. Cutty seeks out the Barksdale gang after he looses his taste for the straight life. Bunk feels the pressure to find Dozerman's gun. Daniels worries that Avon Barksdale, having cut a prison deal, will be paroled. Stringer Bell tries to make amends with Donette.
5Straight and True
Johnny pressures Bubbles to stop snitching for the detail. Cutty lies to his grandmother about going straight. McNulty realizes pursuing Barksdale and Bell is a loosing cause, so he turns his attention to nailing Kintel Williamson. Colvin's free drug dealing zone, now known in the streets as Hamsterdam, scores a small victory. Avon Barksdale emerges from prison to a warm welcome from Stringer Bell.
6Homecoming
Major Colvin instructs his men to use brute force to get the message out to street dealers about his free zone. Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell discover that real estate development has its own pitfalls. McNulty and Greggs ask Daniels to let them renew the Bell and Barksdale investigation. On Barksdale's orders, Cutty plans to take back corners from Marlo's crew.
7Back Burners
Daniels goes ballistic when the detail gets reassigned to the Western District. Stringer Bell learns from Donette that Brianna is thinking about talking to McNulty. Bunk receives a gift wrapped surprise. A single cell phone allows Freamon to begin mapping out a communications network for the Barksdale organization. Marlo dispatches a drive-by on a Barksdale drug corner.
8Moral Midgetry
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. 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.
9Slapstick
Responding to an officer's call for help, McNulty and Prez turn up the wrong alley with unanticipated results. Cutty is surprised to find help from within Baltimore's power structure for his proposed boxing gym. Omar decides to go it alone against Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell. Bubbles is wired up and sent into Amsterdam
10Reformation
Brother Mouzone returns to Baltimore on a mission of revenge and casts a wide net in his search for Omar. Colvin manages to put off a Sun reporter inquiring about Amsterdam. Pearlman and Daniels plead their case for a new kind of wiretap. Stringer Bell falls out of the loop with Avon Barksdale, while Marlo raises the stakes against the Barksdale gang.
11Middle Ground
The wire begins to yield information about the Barksdale organization. Stringer and Avon reminisce on how far they have come. 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. Bubbles considers a new partner.
12Mission Accomplished
Avon readies his troops for a seemingly endless war against Marlo. The detail works towards the top rungs of the Barksdale organization with the information garnered from the wire. While Royce continues to grapple with Amsterdam, Burrell offers a deal to minimize the fallout. Carcetti's political plans become obvious to his friend and fellow councilman Tony Gray. Bubbles offers his view of the world. McNulty changes tack.
5Alliances
The ensuing negative attention turns Royce against Burrell, who takes the heat while Rawls comes to the rescue. At school, Prez's reward/punishment program meets with mixed results, and Colvin looks to restore order by separating disruptive "corner" kids from more attentive "stoop" ones. Chris tries to enlist Michael into Marlo's ranks, spooking Randy along the way. Dukie debunks Randy's "special dead" theory.
8Corner Boys
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.
11A New Day
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. Randy gets the cold shoulder at school. 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.
1More with Less
HomicideBunk Moreland interviews DeShawn Fredericks; a suspect in the murder of someone named Pookie. Bunk and his colleagues Detectives Ed Norris and Michael Crutchfield and their supervisor Sergeant Jay Landsman manipulate Fredericks into thinking his accomplice Monell is co-operating with them and eventually into confessing. Bunk and his colleagues demonstrate their techniques in manipulating a suspect to a junior detective in the unit. Bunk claims that their most ambitious lies are most readily believed while Norris states that Americans will believe what they are told.Stanfield OrganizationDetectives Kima Greggs and Leander Sydnor watch as Marlo Stanfields guards prepare one of the drug dealers he supplies for a meeting. The guards confiscate the dealers electronic equipment including his phone and music player. The detectives are impressed with Stanfields thoroughness and remain too far removed to hear the content of the discussion. Jimmy McNulty and Kenneth Dozerman observe Stanfields courtyard from a rooftop. Dozerman complains to McNulty about the department withholding their pay and also retells a story he heard about McNulty allowing a prostitute to perform a sex act on him while undercover with a vice operation.The dealer tries to negotiate a more favourable split with Stanfield because he is unable to pay his workers. Stanfield refuses to negotiate and retains the sixty to forty percent split already in place with a threat of violence from Chris Partlow, Snoop and his other enforcers. O-Dog ushers the dealer away. Stanfield next relays a message to a runner to organize a meeting with Chris. The runner passes the message on to a moped rider. The unit tails the moped to Chris Partlow using alternating surveillance from Sydnor and Greggs in a van and Lester Freamon in a car. Greggs remarks that they have been doing the same thing for a long time. The detective marvel at the precautions Stanfield is taking. After conferring with the messenger Chris sends Michael Lee to check on his corner. The detectives tail Chris to his meeting with Stanfield. McNulty declines to follow Stanfield as they already know where he is going.At the meeting Stanfield tells Partlow that his negotiation was successful and that his enforcers will not need to act against the dealer. They talk about the continued surveillance and Stanfield spots Sydnor and Greggs van. He tells Partlow that their lookouts saw McNulty climb onto the roof of Booker T Washington earlier that day. After the meeting Freamon suggests continuing the surveillance but Greggs suggests that they should call it a day as they are not even being paid for their overtime.Back at the unit office Freamon suggests that Stanfields people may become lazy as they are re-using meeting places and that they will have a case against them eventually despite their precautions. Dozerman complains about the lack of overtime pay and the other detectives agree. Freamon suggests going to a bar and Greggs complains that she cant afford it but agrees when he offers to pay. Lieutenant Jimmy Asher continues to work on his beach house and states that he is out of the loop when it comes to the pay issues.At the bar McNulty complains that he was happy in patrol and that he was lured back to the Major Case Unit with false promises of a new day for the department. Greggs tells him that he was bored but he insists that he was content. Freamon complains that the inter-departmental politics prevented him from building a case against Stanfield when he was still using cell phones. McNulty takes this as more evidence that the powers that be are incapable of doing the right thing and that Stanfield now requires constant surveillance that is made difficult by budgetary constraints. Bunk arrives an McNulty asks him for a drink but he is facing the same problems with pay as the rest of the detectives. Freamon jokes that they could rob a liquor store but that the inebriated McNulty would be the weak link in their team.Michael visits his corner and finds that his crew (including Spider, Marcus and Kenard) will not report their count to Dukie, who is supposed to be in charge. Michael sends Dukie to their home to meet Bug from school. Dukie tells Michael that he is not the same as him. Spider tells Michael that their count is fine and that they have no respect for Dukie. At home Michael plays Connect 4 with Bug and discusses paying Dukie to look after Bug rather than working with his crew. He suggests that Spider could take over as the crew chief. Dukie suggests that he would be like a nanny or a housewife and Michael tells him that he can do what he wants until Bug gets home from school.The next day Stanfield stages a liaison with a woman at a hotel and fools the detetectives following him. Partlow instructs the woman to wait in a room while Stanfield attends a meeting with the New Day Co-Op. He tells Partlow to take care of his task and that Monk will pick him up after the meeting.The drug traffickers of the Co-Op discuss problems with the redevelopment of East Baltimore by Johns Hopkins moving the ghetto areas out into Baltimore county. Stanfield suggests that the territory should belong to whoever claims it. Proposition Joe claims that the new territory should be reserved for those who are losing trade in East Baltimore. Stanfield points out that this includes Joe. Joe admits that it would include him but also others like Hungry Man, Parker and Ghost while Stanfield will be unaffected by the redevelopment.Stanfield continues to antagonise Joe by asking if he will assign one of his lieutenants to develop the new territory. Joe tells him that how he runs his organization is not Co-Op business. Stanfield presses on regardless even offering Slim Charles a job working the new territory for the Stanfield Organization. Slim Charles declines and one of the other traffickers admonishes Stanfield for his comments. Slim Charles warns that they have to watch Marlo. Cheese sits silently at Joe's left hand throughout the exchange.Partlow visits the court house, still being followed by McNulty. He interrupts Cedric Daniels, Rhonda Pearlman and Rupert Bond to ask for directions to the criminal clerks office. Partlow retrieves the file on Sergei Malatov and takes the photo of him. He recognises an unconcerned McNulty on his way out of the office. McNutly also looks at the file and remembers Malatov from his time on the Sobotka detail. The file shows that Malatov plead guilty to murder charges and was sentenced to life imprisonment. McNulty asks Sydnor if he recalls Malatov and Sydnor responds that he was not part of the Port investigation.McNulty again spends the evening drinking and flirting with women in bars. He phones home to tell his partner Beadie Russell that he will be late and when she notices that he is slurring his speech he denies being drunk. Later that night, Russell is unable to sleep and goes to turn her porch light off but refuses to give up hope and puts it back on for him.Police DepartmentIn the Western District Sergeant Ellis Carver gives a briefing to the officers because he is acting as sergeant in charge. Carver tries a down-to-earth approach to set his men at ease. Truck jokes about Carvers career aspirations. Dissent quickly arises when Carver begins the briefing. Bob Brown and other officers raise several issues with regard to the withholding of their pay and Brown goes to leave the briefing. Carver shouts his men down and orders Brown to his seat. Carver then reminds them of their duty as professionals but when he announces that the department will not be servicing vehicles until further notice unrest erupts again and Brown walks out.Carver discusses his difficulties with Mello but they are interrupted by officer Castor reporting a problem in the parking lot. Castor refers to Mello as Major he has taken up Daniels position as Western District Commander. Carver and Mello look on as Brown argues with officer King from the overnight shift about the state of the vehicle he is handing over and the argument turns into a fight. Mello sees no reason to break up the fight as morale is already as low as possible.Carver, Colicchio and Dozerman meet Herc for drinks. They complain about the state of the department. Carver remarks that Herc left the department at the right time and Herc shows of his new business suit. Herc tells his old colleagues that he has more work than he can handle as an investigator for defence attorneys. He asks them to check on a name for him in exchange for a round of drinks. Herc later meets with Maurice Levy and gives him the information his friends retrieved. He tells Levy that he only had to buy a round of drinks in exchange and Levy tells him that he could have spent less by using his expense account. Levy is surprised to see a story about his client Naresse Campbell on the front page of the Baltimore Sun.PoliticsBurrell and Rawls meet with Mayor Carcetti and his advisors Michael Steintorf and Norman Wilson. Carcetti is looking for a further decrease in spending but Burrell reports that they have already cut back on vehicle maintenance as far as possible and Rawls adds that they are withholding pay from their men. Carcetti asks about the crime statistics and Rawls says that it will be impossible to deliver the decline Carcetti promised in his campaign with their budget cuts. Carcetti asks the department to wait for the money he has promised them as he needs all available funds for the schools. Steintorf asks for other areas where the department budget can be trimmed and Rawls suggests stopping the prolonged investigation into the vacant murders as they are still not close to an arrest. The potential public relations ramifications concern the politicians but Rawls suggests that they can characterised it as temporarily suspending the investigation on hold pending further information. Burrell suggests that they need to lift the cap on secondary employment to bolster morale and prevent officers leaving the department and Carcetti reluctantly agrees. He once again asks them to be patient and to do their best with the little he is able to give.Carcetti asks Wilson for his thoughts and Wilson tells him that he should have accepted the Governors assistance with the school budget deficit last year despite the cost to Carcetti in personal political capital. Steintorf rejects the suggestion as it would have prevented Carcetti becoming Governor. Wilson suggests that Carcetti has no hopes of progressing if he continues to withhold funds from the police department and renege on his campaign promises. Carcetti asks Wilson if he feels better having vented his frustration and Wilson agrees that he does, and turns the question around, Carcetti shakes his head.Burrell and Rawls meet with Daniels and tell him that the Major Case Unit is to be shut down due to budgetary issues. He asks about the wisdom of stopping the investigation into the vacant murders and complains that Carcetti has broken his promises to the department. Daniels mentions that Carcetti made personal commitments to him and his superiors encourage him to use his influence if possible. Burrell also tells Daniels that they have had to take back all department vehicles from officers ranked Colonel and below.Carcetti and Campbell meet with a representative from the US Attorneys office to discuss their problem with drug violence that could be helped by imposing federal statutes on the offenders. The federal agencies are still prioritising political corruption and counter terrorism and Carcetti recalls them refusing his request for help with the vacant murders for the same reason. The representative suggests that they could offer a team of FBI agents for the vacant murders if the Clay Davis investigation was taken federal but that States Attorney Bond is keeping the case local. Campbell is outraged that the federal agencies will allow murders to continue as a bargaining tool. Carcetti suggests that partisan politics are the motivation and the representative suggests that Carcetti is burning bridges to protect Davis for the same reason they are both democrats. Carcetti is enraged and refuses the deal alienating the representative in the process.Wilson enters and asks if the meeting went well. Carcetti believes the US Attorney wants the case to embarrass democrats and help the Republican Governor win another term. Wilson asks if Bond is keeping the case local to help the democratic party and Campbell tells him that Bond is keeping the case to generate political capital for himself, perhaps hoping to one day run for Mayor. Carcetti remarks that this would make Bond a rival for Campbells own Mayoral ambitions and that either outcome would be bad for her a federal case would hurt her partys reputation and could involve Davis co-operating to build a case against the Royce administration, which once included her, while a local case would enhance Bonds standing. She tells Carcetti not to worry about her and asks what he plans to do having cut himself off from federal assistance when they are in dire need of help and he simply blames them.Daniels and Pearlman meet with States Attorney Rupert Bond and relay the news about the closure of the Major Crimes Unit. They suggest trying to reason with Carcetti to retain the Stanfield detail. Bond is more concerned about the Clay Davis case and Pearlman explains that she needs Freamon for the case to go ahead. Bond agrees to accompany them to the meeting with Carcetti. Pearlman and Daniels share a public embrace after he leaves.Carcetti does not have time for the meeting and Bond and Daniels instead have a discussion with him in the corridor. He refuses to revoke the order to dispand Major Crimes because of the financial pressure they are under. Bond responds that the Davis investigation will be compromised and Carcetti allows them to keep two detectives for that investigation only. Daniels is outraged that a corrupt politician is more important than all of the vacant murder victims. Daniels briefs the Major Crimes Unit on their fate. They are angry that their work is not seen as important. Daniels tells them that he appealed to the Mayor personally and that funds are reserved for patrol and crime suppression. Sydnor reminds Daniels that their surveillance of Stanfield has limited his activity. Daniels offers the possibility of reviving the investigation in the future and Freamon remarks that they will have to wait another year. Daniels sympathises that he was also promised change in the department. Daniels gives the detectives new assignments: McNulty and Greggs will return to Homicide; Dozerman will be temporarily assigned to tactical; Asher will move to the Northern Division; finally Freamon and Sydnor will be assigned to the States Attorneys office for the Davis case. Daniels promises to reunite the unit when the funds are available and apologises. As Daniels leaves McNulty remarks that he wonders what it would feel like to work for a real police department.When McNulty and Greggs report to Landsmans squad McNulty is dejected and insists that the new detective relinquish his desk as it was once his. Landsman refers to McNulty as the prodigal son.Baltimore SunAt the Baltimore Sun city desk editor Augustus Gus Haynes discusses foreign bureau closures and potential cut backs in the staff at the paper with his colleagues. They determine that the paper will first offer to buy out some of its staff and will then begin making junior staffers redundant. The senior reporters joke that it will be a shame to lose the attractive but inept young writers. They joke that they would like to some day work for a real newspaper.Haynes encourages Fletch, one of his young reporters, to begin writing early instead of waiting for calls so he will not miss another deadline. He talks to political reporter Jeff Price about a forthcoming council meeting. They discuss a possible vote on homeless ordinance but Price suggests that council president Naresse Campbell might send the vote back to committee. Haynes notices his colleagues watching a fire from a window. He tells them to call Twig the police reporter and berates them for standing around and watching. He asks Jay, the rewrite man, about a story on the associate press about cutbacks on city bus lines. His colleagues tell him the story was broken by the daily record and is being covered by the State desk. Haynes is disappointed that the Record beat them to a story. He notices that it is 2 oclock calls for budget lines from his reporters. Haynes gets a call to say that they have no photograph for a race track story and decides to send Swag, a photographer to the fire.Haynes attends an editorial meeting supervised by Klebinow. Phelps, the state desk editor, reports cut backs on the MTA routes and Klebinow senses that the story will affect many people. The staff downplay the story as the cutbacks have been suggested before and the story was broken by the Daily Record. The staff explain that the story would have been covered by their transpo reporter but they have not had that position since the last round of buy outs. Klebinow claims that the staff should still have picked up the story and that cut backs at the paper are not an excuse for missing stories he states that they simply have to do more with less. Haynes points out that despite Klebinows claims that they have more resources than the Daily Record they are still without a transpo reporter.Managing editor James Whiting joins the meeting and Klebinow asks Haynes for the major stories from the city desk he lists a story from Warren Castle about the Sates Attorney complaining about a decline in quality casework by the city police, Prices story on the council meeting and homeless vote, a fatal road traffic collision, two overnight murders and the rowhouse fire. Rebecca from regional affairs reports a story on a Johns Hopkins press conference, and on University of Maryland not making its desegregation goals. Whiting objects to the story as he is a personal friend of Gene Robbins, the Dean of Journalism, and has been told that the reputation with black faculty and students is much improved. Haynes questions Whiting about Robbins race, also pretending to forget Robbins name. Whiting dismisses the question as he thinks race is beside the point. Whiting tells Klebinow to shelve the story until more reporting on how the University is perceived can be done. After the meeting Rebcca asks Haynes why he antagonised Whiting and he explains that he believes that a healthy newsroom is dependant on speaking your mind and argument.Haynes corrects a semantic error in Alma Guttierezs writing about the fire. Jay, the rewrite man, explains that at The Baltimore Sun God still resides in the details and bemoans the junior reporters. Guttierez checks a dictionary and concedes her error. Her colleague Scott Templeton asks her what she is working on and remarks that Baltimore is a bad city for news as few stories go national. Guttierez reminds him of the vacant murders story a year ago and he reminds her that it is still unsolved.Haynes is disgusted to find a burnt doll inserted into the photographs of the fire and the state desk editor remarks that it is a trademark of Carlisle, the photographer. Haynes complains to Swag and refuses to use the photograph. Haynes jokes that Carlisles car trunk will be full of a collection of charred dolls.Price attends the council meeting and reports back to Haynes he plans to lead with a story on Carcetti asking Campbell to redraft the bill as he does not want to appear to be running the homeless out of the down town area. Haynes reviews the agenda from the council meeting and finds something that interests him. The council is buying property from drug trafficker Ricardo Fatface Rick Hendrix and selling him better property for less than its value as part of their redevelopment efforts. Haynes instructs Price to check their records and the council records on the vote and then changes his mind and sends him back to the council meeting to observe the vote, find out who sponsored the proposal and get a quote. He asks Guttierez to go to the property, a strip club named Desperado and get a quote from Hendrix he tells her to threaten him with using his photo on the front page until he co-operates. He assigns Templeton to do the background research on the story and Templeton is disappointed to have the least glamorous role.Haynes watches over Jays shoulder as he edits the story. Klebinow and another editor check with Haynes about its potential and he suggests that it is front page material. He tells Klebinow that Hendrix will net a million dollars of city money and have better property than he started with on the transaction. They ask why the council is acting so favourably towards Hendrix and Haynes explains that they are still checking campaign donation records but already have forty thousand dollars worth of contributions from either Hendrix or people using the address of the Desperado club. Klebinow asks why the story was not in Haynes budget lines report and Haynes credits Price with finding the story in the council agenda. Klebinow agrees to give the story space on the front page.Price calls in having received a quote from Council President Naresse Campbell and she asks to speak to Haynes off the record. She tells him that the transaction is above board Haynes asks why they are giving Hendrix a profit on the deal and if Campbell made it clear to the council that Hendrix was a campaign donor. During the conversation Haynes inflates the donation figure to sixty thousand dollars and Campbell does not correct him so he assigns Templeton to keep looking for more donations.Pleased with the story Haynes takes his team to a bar. He congratulates Guttierez on getting a quote from Hendrix. Templeton complains that she should get more than a contributing line for her efforts but she is satisfied. He tells her that he hopes to move on to the New York Times or the Washington Post but she tells him that the Baltimore Sun is still a pretty good paper. The next day the reporters are proud to see their work on the front page. Templeton asks Haynes for the reaction piece on their story and Haynes tells him that Price has it but asks him to stay eager. Haynes again makes his afternoon appeal for budget lines on stories from his reporters.BubblesRecovering drug addict Reginald Bubbles Cousins sits quietly in his sisters basement. When she has to go to work she insists that he leave because he has betrayed her trust in the past by pawning her appliances while she was out. Bubbles ask to stay but she refuses to change her rules. Bubbles spends the night walking the streets surrounded by the temptation of drug dealers and old associates. Bubbles returns home in the morning and then goes to work peddling the Baltimore Sun to commuters. His customers include Naresse Campbell who is livid to see the story on the front page.
