The Wire is an American television drama set and produced in Baltimore, Maryland. Created, produced, and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon, the series is broadcast by the premium cable network HBO in the United States. The Wire premiered on June 2, 2002, with 50 episodes airing over the course of its first four seasons. The fifth and final season, which encompasses 10 episodes, premiered on January 6, 2008.
The plot of the first season centers on the ongoing struggles between police units and drug-dealing gangs on the west side of the city, and is told from both points of view. Subsequent seasons have focused on other facets of the city. The large cast consists mainly of character actors who are little known for their other roles. Simon has said that despite its presentation as a crime drama, the show is “really about the American city, and about how we live together. It’s about how institutions have an effect on individuals, and how…whether you’re a cop, a longshoreman, a drug dealer, a politician, a judge [or] lawyer, you are ultimately compromised and must contend with whatever institution you’ve committed to.
From the Wikipedia entry on The Wire.
The Wire is a show that is strangely addictive. I really enjoyed how the Barksdale investigation encompassed the first few seasons. This is something that never really happens in TV. The same investigation spanning three seasons? Anyway, the fifth season still uses elements from the first season. I think it’s a great show. I also enjoy how in the fifth season, Simon plans on featuring the media and how it impacts the city.
Omar’s story comes to an end. He’s shot down in the head by the most unlikely killer. Leander manages to crack the code that Omar has been with the cell phone images. Kima doesn’t like what McNulty is doing. It’s wrong. McNulty didn’t realize what she would do with this information.
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
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McNulty is briefing the brass on the serial killer.
Dukie is still looking for a job. He can’t find one. They won’t hire him because he’s too young.
McNulty briefs Carver on his case. He doesn’t get into details, but says that he needs a few men to run down some leads for Lester’s case on Marlo. Carver knows that he’s blowing smoke up his ass, but for once, he gets to do some real police work with his guys.
Carcetti has to do some drastic cuts in order to pay for all this police work. He avoided laying off the teachers. At least for this quarter. Some other guy is going to run for governor, so he’s got to play nice with his black constituents, otherwise support will go to that candidate.
Carver briefs his guys. They are happy to be working again.
Gus isn’t happy about Scott. He talks with the other reporters. Gus walks in. A guy from Scott’s story is at the paper to talk. The man tells Gus that he’s a liar.
Michael Lee briefs Chris and Snoop.
The cops are in their nice car. Omar comes up and gives them a tip. They drive off after it. The cops nab the dopers while Omar watches from a distance. He’s holding a shotgun. They run away. He takes their stash and throws it down the sewer. Omar walks up to the fourth boarded up house on the street and asks for their stash. He dumps it down the sewer.
Bunk needs McNulty’s resources and asks him. McNulty finds it funny. A kid who was torturing cats walks up to Omar as he buys some smokes in the convenience store and shoots him in the head. He’s dead.
Gus arranges a little discussion between Scott and the witness Mr. Hanning that he interviewed for a story. He’s the vet that was featured a while ago. Scott dismisses him. Hanning remembers that they had chocolate milk that day, not coffee. Gus says that they will check out his story. If Scott is at fault, they will have to print a retraction.
Bunk arrives on the scene of Omar’s murder. The witness says that a kid walked in and killed him. Bunk lifts a murder list off Omar. It has the names of Marlo, Chris, Monk, Cheese, Snoop, O-Dog, Cherry and Vincent. Sevino’s is crossed out.
Leander briefs the surveillance teams.
Marlo tells Chris and Snoop that Omar is dead. They are dumbfounded.
Kima and McNulty are at Quantico getting a profile from the Bureau. They give them the profile. It fits with McNulty. It’s kind of funny. High functioning alcoholism and problem with relationships, those are McNutty trademarks.
The reporter that was with Bubbles got some good stuff during their time together. Gus is happy. The reporter wants to write something about Bubbles, but it doesn’t fit with the homeless track. Gus tells him to take a few weeks and hang with him to see if there is something there.
Carcetti meets with the Congressman. The Congressman says that to not run the other candidate, who would just eat up the votes, he will have to pay a lot more than his word.
McNulty comes home and finds a Dear John letter. Beebe is gone for a few days with the kids.
Bunk’s evidence leads him to Chris Partlow. He’s happy.
Lester tries to sell the Clay Davis case to the feds. They won’t take the case. The trial transformed Davis into a new Martin Luther King Jr. They don’t want it.
Bunk brings Omar’s list to McNulty. He wants a little time. He gets a few days. McNulty gets blackmailed into accepting another demand for OT, this time for a cop who wants to play golf at a plush club.
Dukie gets a little job helping a junk man. It’s the only one he can find.
Kima is working hard and McNutts has to tell her the truth about his case. Kima doesn’t like it, just like Bunk.
Carcetti is in talks with Nareese and Clay Davis. He’s got to endorse a mayoral candidate for Nareese and give Clay Davis two seats on the liquor board.
McNulty briefs Lester about Kima and Bunk’s new evidence. Leander is onto something. He lost the people he was tailing.
Carcetti is heading a candlelight vigil about the homeless situation.
Lester gives Davis a warning.
Gus calls in Scott. He was covering the candlelight vigil. His quote is made up and Gus calls him on it. It comes from a homeless woman who doesn’t want to be named. He talks with Gus’ boss, who comes straight over to see him. Gus leaves when he wants to discuss it. He says that he isn’t comfortable with the anonymous quote. They have a sourcing policy at the Sun and he knows it.
Carcetti arrives home. Congressman Upshaw wants have of anything that he gets for Baltimore for his district.
Beebe
Leander realized that when he took out the ABC book that they were using that mapbook as a cipher for their messages. The second hand was always on 34, so that was the page. Longitude A to K are the hours. The latitude is given by five minute intervals. They code it by the grid square. Everything is less than half an hour apart. Lester guesses that they meet within an hour or so. Marlo is whole selling on the East side through Cheese. He had the West side. He’s got the whole city. Kima walks in pissed. She can’t work with this.
Beebe has a talk with McNulty. He tells her that there is no serial killer. He made it all up. He comes clean to her.
Beebe tells him that he had no right to do this.
A morgue attendant exchanges Omar’s tag for that of a fat white guy.
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