Cleaning Up (The Wire episode)
Encyclopedia
"Cleaning Up" is the twelfth episode of the first season of the HBO original series, The Wire
The WIRE
the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...

. The episode was written by George Pelecanos
George Pelecanos
George P. Pelecanos is a Greek-American author. Many of his works are in the genre of detective fiction and set primarily in his hometown of Washington, D.C. He is also a film and television producer and a television writer...

 from a story by David Simon
David Simon
David Simon is an American author, journalist, and a writer/producer of television series. He worked for the Baltimore Sun City Desk for twelve years. He wrote Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets and co-wrote The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood with Ed Burns...

 & Ed Burns
Ed Burns
Ed Burns is a producer, screenwriter, and novelist. He has worked closely with writing partner David Simon. They have collaborated on The Corner and The Wire . Burns is a former Baltimore police detective for the Homicide and Narcotics divisions, and a public school teacher...

 and was directed by Clement Virgo
Clement Virgo
Clément Virgo is a Canadian filmmaker of international acclaim. His latest feature, the boxing drama Poor Boy's Game, stars Danny Glover and Rossif Sutherland...

. It originally aired on September 1, 2002.

Title reference

The title refers to the cleaning up of loose ends performed by the Barksdale crew, as recommended by their lawyer Maurice Levy
Maurice Levy (The Wire)
Maurice "Maury" Levy is a fictional lawyer on the HBO drama The Wire, played by Michael Kostroff. He is a skilled defense attorney and was kept on retainer by the drug-trafficking Barksdale Organization, representing the organization's members at trials and advising Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell...

 (see picture) as well as that of the police forced to bring in the case in the wake of the effects of "The Hunt" that interfered with their case due to the resulting changes made by the Barksdale organization.

Epigraph

The epigraph is spoken by Wallace as he discusses his return to "the pit" with D'Angelo, explaining why he can not stay in the countryside, and why he can't move to another part of Baltimore. This is because everything that he is has been molded into his part of the drug dealing institution of "the pit", meaning that he is stuck in the life the institution forced him into.

Starring cast

Although credited, John Doman
John Doman
John Doman is an American actor best known for playing Deputy Police Commissioner William Rawls on HBO series The Wire from 2002 to 2008 and Colonel Edward Galson on Oz in 2001....

, Andre Royo
Andre Royo
Andre Royo is an American actor. He is best known for his role as "Bubbles" in The Wire , and has had guest starring appearances in Fringe, Party Down, and How To Make It In America.-Career:...

, and Sonja Sohn do not appear in this episode.

Guest stars

  1. Seth Gilliam
    Seth Gilliam
    Seth Gilliam is an American actor. He is known for his HBO television roles, first as corrections officer-turned-prisoner Clayton Hughes on Oz, and later as Baltimore police detective promoted to sergeant Ellis Carver on The Wire. On both of these series, he co-starred with Lance Reddick and J.D....

     as Detective Ellis Carver
    Ellis Carver
    Ellis Carver is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Seth Gilliam. Carver is an African American lieutenant and formerly in command of the Baltimore Police Department's Western District Drug Enforcement Unit...

  2. Domenick Lombardozzi
    Domenick Lombardozzi
    Domenico "Domenick" Lombardozzi is an American actor best known for his role as Thomas "Herc" Hauk on The Wire. Lombardozzi was inspired to act by the film State of Grace.-Filmography:...

     as Detective Thomas "Herc" Hauk
  3. Clarke Peters
    Clarke Peters
    Clarke Peters is an American actor, singer, writer and director best known for his role as Detective Lester Freamon on the HBO drama The Wire.-Early life:...

     as Detective Lester Freamon
    Lester Freamon
    Lester Freamon is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Clarke Peters. Freamon is a detective in the Baltimore Police Department's Major Crimes Unit...

  4. Jim True-Frost
    Jim True-Frost
    Jim True-Frost, born Jim True, is an American stage, television and screen actor. He is most known for his portrayal of Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski on all five seasons of the HBO program The Wire.-Biography:...

     as Detective Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski
  5. Michael B. Jordan
    Michael B. Jordan
    Michael Bakari Jordan is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as teenage drug dealer Wallace on the HBO drama television series The Wire, for his role as Reggie Montgomery in All My Children, as quarterback Vince Howard on the NBC television series Friday Night Lights, and since...

     as Wallace
    Wallace (The Wire)
    Wallace is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Michael B. Jordan. Wallace is a 16-year-old drug dealer for the Barksdale Organization, who works in the low-rise projects crew known as "The Pit" with his friends and fellow dealers Bodie Broadus and Poot Carr...

  6. Corey Parker Robinson
    Corey Parker Robinson
    Corey Parker Robinson is an American actor. He may be best known for appearing on the HBO program The Wire as Detective Leander Sydnor. He also appeared in Wire creator David Simon's earlier The Corner as R.C., a young drug dealer and in ER in episode 19 of Season 5 as student Antoine Bell...

     as Detective Leander Sydnor
    Leander Sydnor
    Leander Sydnor is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Corey Parker Robinson. Sydnor is a young, married Baltimore Police detective who was a member of the Barksdale detail and later worked in the Major Crimes Unit.-Season 1:...

  7. Wendy Grantham
    Wendy Grantham
    Wendy Grantham is an American actress and singer, best known for her role as the sweet-natured stripper Shardene Innes in the HBO crime series The Wire....

     as Shardene Innes
  8. J. D. Williams
    J. D. Williams
    Darnell "J.D." Williams is an American actor with starring roles in the HBO television programs Oz and The Wire, in which he appeared as Preston "Bodie" Broadus...

     as Preston "Boadie" Broadus
    Bodie Broadus
    Preston "Bodie" Broadus is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor J. D. Williams. Bodie is initially a Barksdale organization drug dealer in "The Pit" who slowly rises through the ranks...

  9. Tray Chaney
    Tray Chaney
    Tray Chaney is an American actor. He appeared on the HBO program The Wire as Poot Carr.Chaney began his entertainment career as a dancer at the age of four winning competitions at the Apollo Theater. He appeared in the 2003 music video "My Baby" by rap artist Bow Wow. He later appeared in The Wire...

     as Malik "Poot" Carr
    Poot Carr
    Malik "Poot" Carr is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Tray Chaney. Poot is a drug dealer in the Barksdale Organization who slowly rises through the ranks, but ends up serving time in prison as his institution collapses around him...

  10. Michael Hyatt
    Michael Hyatt
    Michael Hyatt is a British-born film and television actress. Before Hyatt's work in film and television, she enjoyed memorable performances on stages throughout the country, particularly in Ragtime on Broadway.-Early life:...

     as Brianna Barksdale
  11. Michael Kostroff
    Michael Kostroff
    Michael Kostroff is an American actor. He appeared on the HBO program The Wire as defense attorney Maurice Levy. Kostroff starred in the fifth season of the series and appeared in all four earlier seasons as a guest star.- Biography :...

     as Maurice Levy
    Maurice Levy (The Wire)
    Maurice "Maury" Levy is a fictional lawyer on the HBO drama The Wire, played by Michael Kostroff. He is a skilled defense attorney and was kept on retainer by the drug-trafficking Barksdale Organization, representing the organization's members at trials and advising Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell...

  12. Latonya Borsay as Orlando's Dancer
  13. Tony D. Head as Major Bobby Reed
  14. Michael Salconi as Detective Michael Santangelo
  15. Isiah Whitlock
    Isiah Whitlock, Jr.
    Isiah Whitlock Jr. is an American actor.He is most famous for his role on the HBO television series, The Wire as corrupt state senator Clay Davis. He also is notable for appearing in Spike Lee films She Hate Me and 25th Hour as Agent Amos Flood...

     as Senator Clay Davis
    Clay Davis
    State Senator R. Clayton "Clay" Davis is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Isiah Whitlock, Jr. Davis is a corrupt Maryland State Senator with a reputation for pocketing bribes...

  16. Ingrid Cornell as Nakeesha Lyles
  17. Jarvis George as Ronnie Mo
  18. Doug Roberts
    Doug Roberts (Actor)
    Doug Roberts is a film and television actor from the Baltimore, Maryland, area. He has worked with some of Baltimore's best known directors, including John Waters and Barry Levinson....

     as State's Attorney Steven Demper
  19. Giselle Watts as Darcia Wallace

Uncredited appearances

  • Derren M. Fuentes as QRT Leader Torret
  • Joe Gerrety as State Trooper

Clean up

Stringer Bell
Stringer Bell
Russell "Stringer" Bell is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by English actor Idris Elba. Bell served as drug kingpin Avon Barksdale's second in command, assuming direct control of the Barksdale Organization during Avon's imprisonment...

 visits the low-rise projects and collects the whole crew's pagers (including D'Angelo Barksdale
D'Angelo Barksdale
D'Angelo "D" Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire played by actor Larry Gilliard Jr. D'Angelo is the nephew of Avon Barksdale and a lieutenant in his drug dealing organization which controls most of the trade in West Baltimore...

, Bodie Broadus
Bodie Broadus
Preston "Bodie" Broadus is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor J. D. Williams. Bodie is initially a Barksdale organization drug dealer in "The Pit" who slowly rises through the ranks...

, Poot Carr
Poot Carr
Malik "Poot" Carr is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Tray Chaney. Poot is a drug dealer in the Barksdale Organization who slowly rises through the ranks, but ends up serving time in prison as his institution collapses around him...

, Manny, Cass and Sterling). He gives mobile phones and three numbers to Bodie and D'Angelo, instructing them that they can use the phones to organize meetings, but that all business talk will now be conducted face to face.

Avon Barksdale
Avon Barksdale
Avon Randolph Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire portrayed by actor Wood Harris. Avon is the dominant drug dealer of Baltimore's West Side, running the Barksdale Organization...

 and Stringer meet with their lawyer Maurice Levy
Maurice Levy (The Wire)
Maurice "Maury" Levy is a fictional lawyer on the HBO drama The Wire, played by Michael Kostroff. He is a skilled defense attorney and was kept on retainer by the drug-trafficking Barksdale Organization, representing the organization's members at trials and advising Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell...

. Levy tells them they need to clean up now that they know they are being investigated. He tells them to walk away from Orlando's club, as Orlando probably told the police about it before he died. Avon asks when the trouble started, and Stringer suggests that it was around the time of D'Angelo's trial. Levy suggests that Nakeesha Lyles, a female security guard that had planned to testify against D'Angelo Barksdale, may be a problem. After Levy departs, Stringer convinces Avon to insulate himself from their crew by passing all communication through him.

D'Angelo meets with Stringer and Avon at the club. Stringer asks him about Wallace
Wallace (The Wire)
Wallace is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Michael B. Jordan. Wallace is a 16-year-old drug dealer for the Barksdale Organization, who works in the low-rise projects crew known as "The Pit" with his friends and fellow dealers Bodie Broadus and Poot Carr...

 and D'Angelo tells them that he has left "the game". D'Angelo appeals to Avon to leave Wallace alone and then leaves. Back at the pit, Wallace returns from down south and asks for his old position back. Bodie tells Wallace that he would have to accept a demotion, but D'Angelo overrules him. D'Angelo takes Wallace aside and gives him advice on how to handle his return. D'Angelo's mother Brianna arrives with a lunch for him.

New approaches

Cedric Daniels
Cedric Daniels
Cedric Daniels is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Lance Reddick. He is a well regarded officer in the department whose focus is on good police work and quality arrests...

 visits his wounded detective, Kima Greggs
Kima Greggs
Detective Shakima "Kima" Greggs is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actress Sonja Sohn. Greggs is a police detective in the Baltimore Police Department who is a dedicated officer and capable detective with some off-the-job issues. Openly lesbian, she has had problems...

, and bumps into a drunken Jimmy McNulty
Jimmy McNulty
Detective James "Jimmy" McNulty is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by British actor Dominic West. McNulty is an Irish American detective in the Baltimore Police Department...

 outside of her room. He tells McNulty to go in and see Greggs or go back to work. McNulty confesses that he is wracked with guilt over his role in starting the investigation in which Greggs was shot. He says that the case does not mean anything. Daniels tells him that the case meant something to Greggs and that they must continue their work and find her shooters.

McNulty arrives at the detail office as Lester Freamon
Lester Freamon
Lester Freamon is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Clarke Peters. Freamon is a detective in the Baltimore Police Department's Major Crimes Unit...

 fits Shardene Innes with contact lenses. Freamon tells McNulty that their surveillance is faltering because the Barksdale organization is changing their operating procedure. He has sent Prez to Annapolis to chase the paper trail in campaign contributions. Freamon suggests that they have Shardene wear a wire in Avon's club.

Daniels meets with Deputy Commissioner Burrell
Ervin Burrell
Ervin Burrell is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Frankie Faison. Burrell was an officer in the Baltimore Police Department who ascended from Deputy Commissioner of Operations to Commissioner over the course of the show...

 and Major Bobby Reed to discuss his investigation. Burrell feels that the case is over now that the wiretaps have gone dead. Daniels argues that they still have time remaining on the court order, so they should keep up the surveillance. Burrell tells Daniels that he will not need so many men and orders Daniels to return detectives Santangelo and Sydnor
Leander Sydnor
Leander Sydnor is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Corey Parker Robinson. Sydnor is a young, married Baltimore Police detective who was a member of the Barksdale detail and later worked in the Major Crimes Unit.-Season 1:...

, but allows him to keep Freamon and Prez. Burrell gives this order with a smile, thinking he is letting Daniels keep only the most useless detectives on his detail, but Daniels is quietly satisfied as, unbeknownst to Burrell, both Freamon and Prez have revealed themselves to be valuable investigators.

ASA Rhonda Pearlman
Rhonda Pearlman
Rhonda Pearlman is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actress Deirdre Lovejoy. Pearlman has been the legal system liaison for all of Lieutenant Cedric Daniels' investigations on the show...

 meets with the State's Attorney, who is worried about the Barksdale investigation looking into campaign donations. He gives Pearlman evidence of returned contributions from unknown sources from his own offices to hand over to the detail. Pearlman is distressed that her investigation is worrying her superiors, as this reflects poorly on her, and she denies any knowledge of the detail's actions. As the records are public, no one had asked for her assistance.

Shardene attempts to infiltrate the office at the club while wearing a wire, but has little success in obtaining pertinent information. Later that night, beat officers find the body of Nakeesha Lyles. Bunk reports the murder to the Barksdale detail and they realize that Wallace may be in danger. Daniels scrambles to organize his men to locate Wallace. Freamon offers to let Shardene stay at his apartment, drawing a warning from Daniels to "Remember who you are." It has not gone unnoticed by the Barksdale detail that Freamon has developed a fondness for the young woman.

Daniels is called into a meeting with Burrell and Senator Clay Davis
Clay Davis
State Senator R. Clayton "Clay" Davis is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Isiah Whitlock, Jr. Davis is a corrupt Maryland State Senator with a reputation for pocketing bribes...

. Davis is concerned about the detail looking into his campaign finances and the involvement with his driver. Daniels refuses to apologize for the driver's arrest and tells the senator that if he is clean he has nothing to worry about. Davis tells him that he has no idea where his campaign contributions come from. Daniels leaves the meeting and Davis insists that Burrell needs to control him.

As Daniels arrives back at the office, Herc celebrates the results of his sergeant's exam. Carver was less successful and is away on in-service training. Police from the shore, whom Daniels had asked to check on Wallace at his grandmother's, phone in to report that Wallace left two days ago. Pearlman arrives at the detail to quiz Daniels about the investigation into campaign donations. Freamon trains Shardene in measuring her steps to map the inside of the club. Prez is quick to interpret her findings, again showing his aptitude for math. Using the measurements, the detail installs a camera in the wall of Avon's office from an adjacent vacant building.

Race for Wallace

Bodie reports to the towers after getting a call on his new phone. Stringer arrives and asks Bodie about Wallace. Bodie tells him that Wallace has returned. Stringer asks for Bodie's opinion of Wallace and Bodie tells him that Wallace is weak. Finally, Stringer orders Bodie to kill Wallace and checks that he has a gun. As Bodie leaves, Stringer calls him a soldier. After Bodie tells Poot about his task, Poot insists that Wallace is using narcotics and therefore not an informant. Bodie counters that if Wallace is using, then he is unreliable and has to go anyway. Finally, Bodie concludes that if they do not carry out Stringer's orders they would be out of the business, and Wallace's death is part of "the game".

McNulty and Daniels visit Wallace's old squat, but find it abandoned and devoid of the extension cords he was using to steal electricity. McNulty finds an address for Wallace's mother, Darcia Wallace, and he takes Daniels there to see if she knows his whereabouts. She is little help and is more concerned about her next drink than her son being in danger.

Wallace brings Chinese takeout for the young children he looks after. Later he goes out for a meal with Bodie and Poot. When they return home, the children have all left. Bodie and Poot corner Wallace in his bedroom and Bodie draws his weapon. He steels himself to shoot Wallace as he pleads for his life, but is unable to do so until prompted by Poot. After the first shot, Poot takes the weapon and finishes the task.

A new lead

The next day, Avon arrives to clear his office at Orlando's, and the detail is frustrated at once more being a step behind. Poot has his girlfriend report a dead animal in Wallace's apartment the next day so that the body will be found. Bunk investigates the scene and recognizes Wallace. Avon meets with D'Angelo as the office is emptied and asks him to drive to New York to receive their next package. He tells D'Angelo he wants him to do it because he is family and he feels he can trust him. With this information, Daniels and McNulty borrow a tracking device from the FBI and install it on D'Angelo's car as he changes his clothes.

D'Angelo is stopped by the New Jersey State Police
New Jersey State Police
The New Jersey State Police is the state police force for the state of New Jersey. It is a general-powers police agency with state wide jurisdiction when requested by the Governor, designated by Troop Sectors.-History:...

 and then brought in by the detail. McNulty and Daniels interrogate him without a lawyer. D'Angelo is wary, having been tricked by McNulty before. McNulty says that Wallace is dead, but D'Angelo does not believe him.

Brianna berates Avon for letting D'Angelo get arrested. Stringer and Levy visit D'Angelo and he asks about Wallace. Stringer cannot answer him and D'Angelo becomes enraged when he realizes McNulty was telling the truth. He refuses to let Levy represent him.

Daniels meets with Burrell to discuss this new development. Burrell suggests that this arrest is sufficient and that the case is over. Daniels thinks that D'Angelo will give them more if pressured. Burrell questions the relevance of Daniels' men looking into campaign finance and then threatens him with the FBI's report on his excess capital. Daniels refuses to back down and insists that he will continue with the case as long as he has time on the wiretap affidavit. He threatens Burrell by stating that he is willing to go down for the Eastern District allegations, claiming that it will eventually happen anyway but will result in bad press, which is the one thing, according to Daniels, that Burrell is most afraid of.

McNulty and Daniels watch the SWAT team prepare to arrest Avon. McNulty tells Daniels that they should make the arrest, and they go in together. Daniels cuffs Avon but McNulty lets Stringer go, telling him they will catch him later. At the office, Freamon, Prez, and Sydnor review the board. Freamon adds a newspaper article about a downtown business revitalization project being built in an area where the Barksdale organization has been amassing property. Sydnor tells them the case is the best work he has ever done, but he still feels that it is not finished.

At the low rises, the dealers' orange sofa stands unused.

First appearances

Brianna Barksdale: D'Angelo's mother and Avon's sister who is fully aware of their business.

Deceased

Wallace: Shot by Bodie Broadus
Bodie Broadus
Preston "Bodie" Broadus is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor J. D. Williams. Bodie is initially a Barksdale organization drug dealer in "The Pit" who slowly rises through the ranks...

 and Poot Carr
Poot Carr
Malik "Poot" Carr is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Tray Chaney. Poot is a drug dealer in the Barksdale Organization who slowly rises through the ranks, but ends up serving time in prison as his institution collapses around him...

.

Nakeesha Lyles: Killed by Barksdale Organization

Little Man: Killed by Wee Bey

Reception

The Futon Critic named it the fifth best episode of 2002, saying "You'd be hard pressed to find a harder to watch sequence than this one in 2002 as Poot and Bodie have to step up and get rid of the gentle and kind-hearted Wallace. I get the shivers just thinking about it."
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