.gif)
Sentencing (The Wire episode)
Encyclopedia
"Sentencing" is the thirteenth episode and finale of the first season of the HBO original series, The Wire
. The episode was written by David Simon
and Ed Burns
and was directed by Tim Van Patten
. It originally aired on September 8, 2002.
.
The song playing in the background of the scene in which Bodie's crew are walking down to confront a rival dealer's crew is Witness (1 Hope) by Roots Manuva.
awakens in her hospital bed to find detectives Bunk Moreland
and Ray Cole waiting to talk to her to ask for her help identifying her shooters. Bunk shows her photo arrays and she is able to pick out Little Man but not Wee-Bey Brice
. She says she could not see the second shooter because he was outside in the dark. Bunk tells her that they have DNA evidence linking the discarded hoodies to Wee-Bey, a page from Wee-Bey to Stringer, and Little Man's prints on a soda can found near the payphone used for the page. Bunk tells her that the downside is the lack of guns or eyewitnesses. Bunk tells her an ID will play easier at trial but Greggs insists that sometimes things have to play hard.
Detective Thomas "Herc" Hauk phones in to say that he has found all of the Barksdale dealers he had warrants for apart from Wee-Bey. Ronnie Mo is one of the dealers being loaded into the prisoner transport. Prez updates the detail's notice board to reflect Herc's arrests. Lieutenant Cedric Daniels
worries that their case is about to be shut down unless they can provide new leads. Detective Jimmy McNulty
suggests they go behind their superiors' backs to take the case federal. ASA Rhonda Pearlman
calls and tells McNulty that D'Angelo Barksdale
is being represented by a public defender. The detail realizes the rift between D'Angelo and his family and move to interview him.
Avon Barksdale
and Stringer Bell
meet their lawyer, Maurice Levy
, in a parking garage. Avon suggests that there have been too many arrests for a single informant and Levy agrees that a wiretap or other surveillance is more likely. He asks when Avon spoke to D'Angelo about the New Jersey drug run and Avon realizes it was a mistake to have used the office at the club. Stringer says that they must bail out their people despite the downside of showing a lot of cash because otherwise they risk making enemies. Levy hands Avon a phone message from Wee-Bey and asks him about D'Angelo's state of mind. Avon insists that D'Angelo can be trusted, as he is family. Levy suggests that they should consider a structured plea where they give up their own people to avoid sentencing.
McNulty and Bunk discuss Greggs's recovery. Bunk urges McNulty to visit her, telling him that it is about her and not him. Bunk relates the story of Greggs refusing to deviate from the facts and McNulty calls her "real police". Pearlman frostily delivers a tape recorder for McNulty, but has a smile for Bunk. Bunk asks McNulty about their feud and McNulty says he does not know what he has done.
Stringer and Avon relocate to their funeral home business. Avon is initially unsure, but when he sees pallbearers playing dice in the alley outside he reconsiders. Stringer is still paranoid about listening devices. Brianna arrives and they move the discussion outside. Avon asks Brianna to visit their supplier Roberto to get more product and to talk D'Angelo around. When he says that he is sorry for sending D'Angelo alone and promises to make it up to his nephew, Brianna insists that he will.
Pearlman meets with D'Angelo and his lawyer. They discuss a deal based on D'Angelo admitting his involvement and giving them information about murders. McNulty shows D'Angelo photographs of the bodies of Nakeesha Lyles and Wallace
. D'Angelo cannot look at the pictures. They also have a photograph of Orlando. McNulty plays a tape of Poot Carr
discussing Wallace's drug habit. Next they give D'Angelo a picture of Brandon Wright's body. D'Angelo admits his and Wallace's involvement in identifying Brandon and the link to Stringer. He also relates his recent discussion with Stringer and Avon about Wallace and his guilt over not doing more to protect him. McNulty shows him photos of Wee-Bey and Little Man as the shooters in Orlando's murder. He gives up Wee-Bey's hiding place in Philadelphia. Finally they show him a photograph of Deirdre Kresson and Bunk taps on the desk. Contrary to the tale he told to his subordinates, D'Angelo says that he was not responsible for the murder and that his uncle "played him" over her killing. He says that he delivered cocaine to Deirdre and Wee-Bey drove him. Deirdre told him that she was going to put the cocaine "on ice" which prompts Bunk to say "refrigerator". D'Angelo says that Wee-Bey was the one tapping on the window and shot Deirdre when she moved from the fridge to look out of the window. D'Angelo finishes by telling them that he was born into the drug business. His grandfather was Butch Stanford, and his whole family is involved. He says that he felt more free in jail than at home. He asks for a chance at a fresh start.
Daniels discusses their progress on the phone with Pearlman and excitedly tells his wife, Marla, the news. She hopes that this will square things with Deputy Commissioner Ervin Burrell
. Daniels tells her of his plans to reach out to the FBI. He wants to avoid Burrell because he knows about an old FBI investigation into the Daniels' excess funds. He guesses that Burrell does not want to use the information because of the bad publicity it would generate. Pearlman and McNulty discuss their success on the way back to Baltimore. Pearlman calls it a career case and agrees that they should take it federal. When McNulty starts to apologize, she immediately initiates sex in the middle of the police headquarters garage.
Detective Lester Freamon
visits a retired colleague from the pawnshop unit, Roy Brown, now working for a phone company. He is there with Bunk to try to track down Wee-Bey in Philadelphia by tracing numbers that have called Levy's office from the city. When Freamon mentions their request is connected to Greggs's shooting, Brown is eager to help.
Stringer receives the delivery of a new package of narcotics and learns that there were no problems with the delivery. He meets with one of the few remaining lieutenants and instructs him on how to prepare the drugs and spread the word that their business is open once again.
Later, McNulty meets with Special Agent Terrence "Fitz" Fitzhugh to discuss bringing in the FBI. Fitz is reluctant because the Bureau is not looking for drug cases and he is dubious of Daniels's involvement, knowing that the FBI has investigated him for possible corruption. McNulty vouches for Daniels, saying that he has shown heart in running the Barksdale case. Fitz organizes the meeting and his supervisor, Amanda Reese, is impressed with the case, but says the Bureau is focused on terrorism and corruption. Daniels tells them that there are aspects of political corruption involved also, which prompts them to take the case to the US attorney's office.
In the pit, Bodie organizes the dealers to chase off an independent crew led by a dealer named "Onion". Detectives Ellis Carver
and Herc watch from their car, and Carver tells Herc that they will never win because the dealers face beatings over failure, while lackadaisical or incompetent cops can expect pensions.
McNulty finally visits Greggs' bedside and finds Cheryl sitting with her. Greggs asks about the Barksdale case and McNulty begins to tell her about D'Angelo. Cheryl angrily leaves the room and Greggs tells McNulty that Cheryl wants her to quit. She asks for his advice and he agrees with Cheryl that the case is not worth her injury. She chastises McNulty for waiting so long to visit and, near to tears, he admits that he felt somehow responsible for her shooting. She tells him that the only choice she regrets is not putting enough tape on her gun. He apologizes to her and she asks him to visit Bubbles
.
McNulty delivers money to Bubbles from Greggs to help in his fresh start, but finds that Bubbles is using again. Bubbles tries to return some but cannot resist taking it all. He asks McNulty not to tell Greggs that he is using.
Later at the detail, Herc receives notification that he is no longer in line for the sergeant promotion and that Carver has been moved up the list. He is depressed and feels his brutality complaints will keep him from making sergeant, but congratulates Carver anyway.
Brown from the phone company calls the detail with the number for Freamon.
Freamon, Daniels, and McNulty meet with the FBI and the First Deputy US Attorney. Freamon explains the Barksdales' property scam: they have been buying property based on the advice of the politicians they have bribed in areas set for redevelopment and then selling it on at a higher price. The FBI hopes to use the drug dealers as cooperatorative witnesses to target the politicians. McNulty is enraged that they would consider letting Bell and Barksdale reduce their sentences. Daniels ends the meeting, saying they are moving in different directions. McNulty cannot restrain himself and accuses the FBI agents of being empty suits who are ignoring the death of West Baltimore.
Brianna visits D'Angelo in prison. D'Angelo complains that his treatment is not right. Brianna tells him that Avon would take the majority of the punishment if D'Angelo was able to step up and take over. D'Angelo admits that he does not think he will ever be ready to do that. He tells his mother that he has a chance to get out. Brianna tells him that hurting Avon will hurt the whole family, including D'Angelo's son. She tells him that his charge is part of "the game" and without "the game" his family would be destitute. She questions how he is going to start over without his family.
The detail prepares to travel to Philadelphia to arrest Wee-Bey.
Daniels calls Carver into his office and accuses him of acting as Burrell's insider in the unit. Daniels noticed that Burrell was unable to anticipate his actions when Carver was away for training. Carver admits his involvement and says he felt unable to refuse Burrell because of his rank. Daniels warns Carver that once he is a sergeant, people will look up to him, and that if he continues to act in this way he will influence the men under his command to do the same. He ends by saying that Carver must decide whether it is about him or the work.
After the meeting he gives Prez his gun and badge back, but Prez is reluctant to leave the office and Daniels dryly jokes about his light trigger pull. When they reach Philadelphia, a member of the detail sets off Wee-Bey's car alarm to draw him out and make a clean arrest.
Major William Rawls
meets with McNulty and congratulates him for the case. He reveals that the First Deputy US Attorney phoned Burrell to complain about McNulty's behavior in their meeting, tipping Burrell to the fact that the detail had tried to take the case federal. Rawls tells McNulty he wants to see him land okay and asks where he does not want to go—the very question that Freamon had previously warned McNulty about.
Pearlman has a celebratory lunch with her colleague Ilene Nathan. Her mood is broken when she finds out that Levy is now representing D'Angelo. She later meets with Levy to discuss the case. He tells them that the dealers will largely plead guilty for fixed sentences. Avon will likely see a short sentence for attempted possession. Levy offers Wee-Bey to admit to several murders to avoid the death penalty, but insists he acted alone. In terms of asset forfeiture, he offers only the assets linked to the detail's case, leaving out most of the property and the funeral parlor.
At the court hearing, Pearlman presents Avon's guilty plea in exchange for a sentence of seven years. D'Angelo is also present as a defendant. Stringer and Brianna are in the court as spectators, as is McNulty, who cannot bring himself to stay. Pearlman next makes the case against Ronald "Ronnie Mo" Watkins, asking for a fifteen year minimum sentence for conspiracy to distribute narcotics.
Stringer congratulates McNulty on his way out of the courtroom, repeating the phrase that McNulty had muttered to Stringer after D'Angelo's exoneration in the first episode: "Nicely done". Phelan also congratulates McNulty, who is now completely despondent. Finally, Pearlman brings the case against D'Angelo and McNulty returns to the court. D'Angelo's sentence is the maximum allowable: twenty years.
Daniels bumps into Cantrell, now a major, having received the promotion that Daniels had been in line for. Cantrell offers Daniels a move into his new district. Back at the narcotics division Herc is holding an induction for two new detectives. Daniels is amused that his attitude has changed and that he now hopes to make big cases using intelligent investigative techniques. Rawls introduces Freamon to his homicide unit.
Bodie organizes trade in the towers through his new subordinate "Puddin", bemoaning Roc Roc's slowness with his "re-up". Poot oversees the trade in the pit and repeats the speech D'Angelo once gave Wallace about keeping the cash and drug transactions separate to a new dealer named Dink.
Meanwhile Bunk, Ed Norris, and ASA Nathan interview Wee-Bey. Bunk states that they have linked the same weapon to the murders of Deirdre Kresson, Taureen Boyd, and Roland Leggett. Brandon Wright and John Bailey have also been linked to Wee-Bey. Wee-Bey refuses to give up any information on Avon and Stringer. His lawyer recommends he give up all of his crimes to avoid being prosecuted for them later. He admits to killing Little Man and tells Bunk where to find the body. He also admits to killing Nakeesha Lyles and claims to have killed William Gant in an effort to protect Bird. Bunk reports Wee-Bey's confessions to McNulty and the two discuss his false confession about William Gant. McNulty and Bunk know that Wee-Bey's story does not match the facts of the case. As the convicted Barksdale dealers file out of the court room, McNulty once more asks, "What the fuck did I do?", again in reference to Bridge on the River Kwai from his conversation with Bunk in the first episode.
The season ends with a montage showing: Bubbles and Johnny back on the hustle and Santangelo on patrol in the Western; Burrell promoting Carver; Prez clearing the details board; Greggs gazing wistfully at a car chase from her hospital window; Freamon and Bunk delivering a bottle of whiskey to McNulty at his new post with the marine unit; Stringer overseeing the counting of his profits at the funeral parlor; prolific drug trade throughout the whole of Baltimore. Finally we find Omar, in the South Bronx, NY, holding up another dealer and telling him that it is "all in the game".
The Futon Critic named it the best episode of 2002, saying the "season finale was one of those episodes where afterward you shut the television off and sit there for a few minutes stunned by what you just watched" and that it is "By far and away the best new series of 2002, David Simon's drama literally reinvented how a cop series could be done in the same way Stephen Bocho did a decade ago with NYPD Blue
... About as good as television can possibly get."
Reviewers have commented that the show's novelistic structure and non-cliffhanger conclusion of the storyline would make it difficult for a second season to satisfy the audience. Creators David Simon and Ed Burns commented as early as the airing of the premiere of the pilot episode that they felt the show could continue by investigating a different set of criminals or a different kind of crime and retain some, but not all, of the starring cast.
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 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...
and 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 Tim Van Patten
Tim Van Patten
Tim Van Patten is an American television director, actor, screenwriter, and producer. As a director, Van Patten has directed episodes of The Sopranos, The Wire, Deadwood, Boardwalk Empire, Rome, The Pacific, Game of Thrones, Ed, and Sex and the City. Van Patten is perhaps best known for portraying...
. It originally aired on September 8, 2002.
Title reference
The title refers to the sentencing of the Barksdale crew members arrested as well as to the fates of the officers from the detail.Epigraph
This traditional saying is spoken by Omar while holding up a drug dealer. It refers to everything that happens in the drug trade, the ups and downs, murderers and saviors, dealers and junkies, lawyers and vigilantes, police and politicians, and everything in-between and ties them together as part of the same institution.Music
The song playing over the episode's closing montage is "Step by Step" by Jesse WinchesterJesse Winchester
Jesse Winchester is a musician and songwriter who was born and raised in the southern United States. To avoid the Vietnam War draft he moved to Canada in 1967, which is where and when he began his career as a solo artist. His highest charting recordings were of his own tunes, "Yankee Lady" in 1970...
.
The song playing in the background of the scene in which Bodie's crew are walking down to confront a rival dealer's crew is Witness (1 Hope) by Roots Manuva.
Guest stars
- Peter GeretyPeter GeretyPeter Gerety is an American actor.Gerety began acting while a student at Boston University, participating in productions at the Charles Playhouse. In 1965, he joined the Trinity Square Repertory Company, a resident theater company in Providence, Rhode Island where he appeared in over 125...
as Judge Daniel Phelan - Seth GilliamSeth GilliamSeth 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 CarverEllis CarverEllis 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... - Domenick LombardozziDomenick LombardozziDomenico "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 - Leo FitzpatrickLeo FitzpatrickLeonardo Aurellio Randy "Leo" Fitzpatrick is an American actor.-Biography:Leo Fitzpatrick was born in West Orange, New Jersey. He was discovered at age 14 by director Larry Clark at Washington Square Park in New York City, skateboarding. Fitzpatrick was trying to perform certain skating tricks,...
as Johnny - J. D. WilliamsJ. D. WilliamsDarnell "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" BroadusBodie BroadusPreston "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... - Clarke PetersClarke PetersClarke 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 FreamonLester FreamonLester 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... - Jim True-FrostJim True-FrostJim 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 - Hassan JohnsonHassan JohnsonHassan 'Iniko' Johnson is an American actor/producer from Staten Island, NY, born November 19, 1976. His most noted performance was appearing on the HBO program The Wire as Roland Wee-Bey Brice. His first acting role was in the 1995 Spike Lee film Clockers. He also had a significant role in the...
as Roland "Wee-Bey" BriceWee-Bey BriceRoland "Wee-Bey" Brice is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Hassan Johnson. Wee-Bey was the Barksdale Organization's most trusted soldier before being sentenced to life imprisonment for multiple homicides.... - Michael K. WilliamsMichael K. WilliamsMichael Kenneth Williams is an American actor known for his portrayal of Omar Little on the HBO drama series The Wire, and of Albert "Chalky" White on HBO's Boardwalk Empire.-Early life and career:...
as Omar LittleOmar LittleOmar Devone Little is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, portrayed by Michael K. Williams. Omar is a renowned stick-up man who lives by a strict moral code and never deviates from his rules, foremost of which is that he never robs or menaces people who are not involved in "the game".... - Tray ChaneyTray ChaneyTray 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" CarrPoot CarrMalik "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... - Wendy GranthamWendy GranthamWendy 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 - Michael B. JordanMichael B. JordanMichael 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 WallaceWallace (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... - Delaney WilliamsDelaney WilliamsDelaney Williams is an American actor from Washington, D.C. He appears on the HBO drama The Wire as a recurring guest star playing homicide sergeant Jay Landsman. He also had a small role on HBO's mini-series The Corner which brought him to the attention of the producers, who worked on The prior to...
as Sergeant Jay LandsmanJay Landsman (The Wire)Jay Landsman is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Delaney Williams.-Policing method:Landsman's role in the police department is that of a supervisory detective sergeant who doesn't participate in much investigation work... - Maria Broom as Marla Daniels
- Michael KostroffMichael KostroffMichael 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 LevyMaurice 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... - Melanie Nicholls-King as Cheryl
- Michael Salconi as Officer Michael Santangelo
- Jarvis George as Ronnie Mo
- Michael HyattMichael HyattMichael 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 - Curtis Montez as Sterling
- Edward NorrisEd NorrisEdward T. Norris is an American radio host and former law enforcement officer in Maryland. His talk show, the Ed Norris Show, airs on WJZ-FM in Baltimore, Maryland. Norris, a 20-year veteran of the New York Police Department, served as police commissioner for Baltimore from 2000 to late 2002...
as Detective Ed Norris - Benay Berger as FBI Supervisor Amanda Reese
- Doug Olear as FBI Special Agent Terrance "Fitz" Fitzhugh
- Susan Rome as Assistant State's Attorney Ilene Nathan
- Stephen F. Schmidt as Wee-Bey's attorney
Uncredited appearances
- Kirk Penberthy FBI Special Agent Arnold D. Paulette
- Toni LewisToni LewisToni Lewis is an actress best known for playing Terri Stivers on Homicide: Life on the Street. The role led to her receiving a nomination for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series...
as Assistant United States Attorney Nadiva Bryant - Pete Burris as Federal Judge
- Terrence Currier as Roy Brown
- Robert F. ColesberryRobert F. ColesberryRobert F. "Bob" Colesberry, Jr. was an American film and television producer and first assistant director notable for his work as a producer on the Emmy Award winning miniseries The Corner, the Peabody Award winning television series The Wire for HBO, and the Oscar-nominated movie Mississippi...
as Detective Ray Cole - Dave Trovato as Major Cantrell
- De'Rodd Hearns as Puddin
- Perry Blackmon as Perry
Writing
This is the only episode of The Wire to use the "written by" credit, all other episodes use the teleplay and story credits.Plot
Kima GreggsKima 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...
awakens in her hospital bed to find detectives Bunk Moreland
Bunk Moreland
William "Bunk" Moreland is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Wendell Pierce. Bunk's character is based on a retired Baltimore City Police Detective named Rick Requer and nicknamed "the Bunk", an officer who joined the force in 1964 as a Western District patrolman who...
and Ray Cole waiting to talk to her to ask for her help identifying her shooters. Bunk shows her photo arrays and she is able to pick out Little Man but not Wee-Bey Brice
Wee-Bey Brice
Roland "Wee-Bey" Brice is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Hassan Johnson. Wee-Bey was the Barksdale Organization's most trusted soldier before being sentenced to life imprisonment for multiple homicides....
. She says she could not see the second shooter because he was outside in the dark. Bunk tells her that they have DNA evidence linking the discarded hoodies to Wee-Bey, a page from Wee-Bey to Stringer, and Little Man's prints on a soda can found near the payphone used for the page. Bunk tells her that the downside is the lack of guns or eyewitnesses. Bunk tells her an ID will play easier at trial but Greggs insists that sometimes things have to play hard.
Detective Thomas "Herc" Hauk phones in to say that he has found all of the Barksdale dealers he had warrants for apart from Wee-Bey. Ronnie Mo is one of the dealers being loaded into the prisoner transport. Prez updates the detail's notice board to reflect Herc's arrests. Lieutenant 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...
worries that their case is about to be shut down unless they can provide new leads. Detective 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...
suggests they go behind their superiors' backs to take the case federal. 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...
calls and tells McNulty that 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...
is being represented by a public defender. The detail realizes the rift between D'Angelo and his family and move to interview him.
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 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...
meet 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...
, in a parking garage. Avon suggests that there have been too many arrests for a single informant and Levy agrees that a wiretap or other surveillance is more likely. He asks when Avon spoke to D'Angelo about the New Jersey drug run and Avon realizes it was a mistake to have used the office at the club. Stringer says that they must bail out their people despite the downside of showing a lot of cash because otherwise they risk making enemies. Levy hands Avon a phone message from Wee-Bey and asks him about D'Angelo's state of mind. Avon insists that D'Angelo can be trusted, as he is family. Levy suggests that they should consider a structured plea where they give up their own people to avoid sentencing.
McNulty and Bunk discuss Greggs's recovery. Bunk urges McNulty to visit her, telling him that it is about her and not him. Bunk relates the story of Greggs refusing to deviate from the facts and McNulty calls her "real police". Pearlman frostily delivers a tape recorder for McNulty, but has a smile for Bunk. Bunk asks McNulty about their feud and McNulty says he does not know what he has done.
Stringer and Avon relocate to their funeral home business. Avon is initially unsure, but when he sees pallbearers playing dice in the alley outside he reconsiders. Stringer is still paranoid about listening devices. Brianna arrives and they move the discussion outside. Avon asks Brianna to visit their supplier Roberto to get more product and to talk D'Angelo around. When he says that he is sorry for sending D'Angelo alone and promises to make it up to his nephew, Brianna insists that he will.
Pearlman meets with D'Angelo and his lawyer. They discuss a deal based on D'Angelo admitting his involvement and giving them information about murders. McNulty shows D'Angelo photographs of the bodies of Nakeesha Lyles and 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...
. D'Angelo cannot look at the pictures. They also have a photograph of Orlando. McNulty plays a tape of 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...
discussing Wallace's drug habit. Next they give D'Angelo a picture of Brandon Wright's body. D'Angelo admits his and Wallace's involvement in identifying Brandon and the link to Stringer. He also relates his recent discussion with Stringer and Avon about Wallace and his guilt over not doing more to protect him. McNulty shows him photos of Wee-Bey and Little Man as the shooters in Orlando's murder. He gives up Wee-Bey's hiding place in Philadelphia. Finally they show him a photograph of Deirdre Kresson and Bunk taps on the desk. Contrary to the tale he told to his subordinates, D'Angelo says that he was not responsible for the murder and that his uncle "played him" over her killing. He says that he delivered cocaine to Deirdre and Wee-Bey drove him. Deirdre told him that she was going to put the cocaine "on ice" which prompts Bunk to say "refrigerator". D'Angelo says that Wee-Bey was the one tapping on the window and shot Deirdre when she moved from the fridge to look out of the window. D'Angelo finishes by telling them that he was born into the drug business. His grandfather was Butch Stanford, and his whole family is involved. He says that he felt more free in jail than at home. He asks for a chance at a fresh start.
Daniels discusses their progress on the phone with Pearlman and excitedly tells his wife, Marla, the news. She hopes that this will square things with Deputy Commissioner Ervin 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...
. Daniels tells her of his plans to reach out to the FBI. He wants to avoid Burrell because he knows about an old FBI investigation into the Daniels' excess funds. He guesses that Burrell does not want to use the information because of the bad publicity it would generate. Pearlman and McNulty discuss their success on the way back to Baltimore. Pearlman calls it a career case and agrees that they should take it federal. When McNulty starts to apologize, she immediately initiates sex in the middle of the police headquarters garage.
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...
visits a retired colleague from the pawnshop unit, Roy Brown, now working for a phone company. He is there with Bunk to try to track down Wee-Bey in Philadelphia by tracing numbers that have called Levy's office from the city. When Freamon mentions their request is connected to Greggs's shooting, Brown is eager to help.
Stringer receives the delivery of a new package of narcotics and learns that there were no problems with the delivery. He meets with one of the few remaining lieutenants and instructs him on how to prepare the drugs and spread the word that their business is open once again.
Later, McNulty meets with Special Agent Terrence "Fitz" Fitzhugh to discuss bringing in the FBI. Fitz is reluctant because the Bureau is not looking for drug cases and he is dubious of Daniels's involvement, knowing that the FBI has investigated him for possible corruption. McNulty vouches for Daniels, saying that he has shown heart in running the Barksdale case. Fitz organizes the meeting and his supervisor, Amanda Reese, is impressed with the case, but says the Bureau is focused on terrorism and corruption. Daniels tells them that there are aspects of political corruption involved also, which prompts them to take the case to the US attorney's office.
In the pit, Bodie organizes the dealers to chase off an independent crew led by a dealer named "Onion". Detectives 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...
and Herc watch from their car, and Carver tells Herc that they will never win because the dealers face beatings over failure, while lackadaisical or incompetent cops can expect pensions.
McNulty finally visits Greggs' bedside and finds Cheryl sitting with her. Greggs asks about the Barksdale case and McNulty begins to tell her about D'Angelo. Cheryl angrily leaves the room and Greggs tells McNulty that Cheryl wants her to quit. She asks for his advice and he agrees with Cheryl that the case is not worth her injury. She chastises McNulty for waiting so long to visit and, near to tears, he admits that he felt somehow responsible for her shooting. She tells him that the only choice she regrets is not putting enough tape on her gun. He apologizes to her and she asks him to visit Bubbles
Bubbles (The Wire)
Reginald "Bubbles" Cousins is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Andre Royo. Bubbles is a recovering heroin addict. His real name is not revealed until a fourth-season episode when he is called "Mr. Cousins" and in the fifth-season premiere when he is called "Reginald"...
.
McNulty delivers money to Bubbles from Greggs to help in his fresh start, but finds that Bubbles is using again. Bubbles tries to return some but cannot resist taking it all. He asks McNulty not to tell Greggs that he is using.
Later at the detail, Herc receives notification that he is no longer in line for the sergeant promotion and that Carver has been moved up the list. He is depressed and feels his brutality complaints will keep him from making sergeant, but congratulates Carver anyway.
Brown from the phone company calls the detail with the number for Freamon.
Freamon, Daniels, and McNulty meet with the FBI and the First Deputy US Attorney. Freamon explains the Barksdales' property scam: they have been buying property based on the advice of the politicians they have bribed in areas set for redevelopment and then selling it on at a higher price. The FBI hopes to use the drug dealers as cooperatorative witnesses to target the politicians. McNulty is enraged that they would consider letting Bell and Barksdale reduce their sentences. Daniels ends the meeting, saying they are moving in different directions. McNulty cannot restrain himself and accuses the FBI agents of being empty suits who are ignoring the death of West Baltimore.
Brianna visits D'Angelo in prison. D'Angelo complains that his treatment is not right. Brianna tells him that Avon would take the majority of the punishment if D'Angelo was able to step up and take over. D'Angelo admits that he does not think he will ever be ready to do that. He tells his mother that he has a chance to get out. Brianna tells him that hurting Avon will hurt the whole family, including D'Angelo's son. She tells him that his charge is part of "the game" and without "the game" his family would be destitute. She questions how he is going to start over without his family.
The detail prepares to travel to Philadelphia to arrest Wee-Bey.
Daniels calls Carver into his office and accuses him of acting as Burrell's insider in the unit. Daniels noticed that Burrell was unable to anticipate his actions when Carver was away for training. Carver admits his involvement and says he felt unable to refuse Burrell because of his rank. Daniels warns Carver that once he is a sergeant, people will look up to him, and that if he continues to act in this way he will influence the men under his command to do the same. He ends by saying that Carver must decide whether it is about him or the work.
After the meeting he gives Prez his gun and badge back, but Prez is reluctant to leave the office and Daniels dryly jokes about his light trigger pull. When they reach Philadelphia, a member of the detail sets off Wee-Bey's car alarm to draw him out and make a clean arrest.
Major William Rawls
William Rawls
William A. "Bill" Rawls is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor John Doman. Over the course of the series he ascends to the rank of Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.-Season 1:...
meets with McNulty and congratulates him for the case. He reveals that the First Deputy US Attorney phoned Burrell to complain about McNulty's behavior in their meeting, tipping Burrell to the fact that the detail had tried to take the case federal. Rawls tells McNulty he wants to see him land okay and asks where he does not want to go—the very question that Freamon had previously warned McNulty about.
Pearlman has a celebratory lunch with her colleague Ilene Nathan. Her mood is broken when she finds out that Levy is now representing D'Angelo. She later meets with Levy to discuss the case. He tells them that the dealers will largely plead guilty for fixed sentences. Avon will likely see a short sentence for attempted possession. Levy offers Wee-Bey to admit to several murders to avoid the death penalty, but insists he acted alone. In terms of asset forfeiture, he offers only the assets linked to the detail's case, leaving out most of the property and the funeral parlor.
At the court hearing, Pearlman presents Avon's guilty plea in exchange for a sentence of seven years. D'Angelo is also present as a defendant. Stringer and Brianna are in the court as spectators, as is McNulty, who cannot bring himself to stay. Pearlman next makes the case against Ronald "Ronnie Mo" Watkins, asking for a fifteen year minimum sentence for conspiracy to distribute narcotics.
Stringer congratulates McNulty on his way out of the courtroom, repeating the phrase that McNulty had muttered to Stringer after D'Angelo's exoneration in the first episode: "Nicely done". Phelan also congratulates McNulty, who is now completely despondent. Finally, Pearlman brings the case against D'Angelo and McNulty returns to the court. D'Angelo's sentence is the maximum allowable: twenty years.
Daniels bumps into Cantrell, now a major, having received the promotion that Daniels had been in line for. Cantrell offers Daniels a move into his new district. Back at the narcotics division Herc is holding an induction for two new detectives. Daniels is amused that his attitude has changed and that he now hopes to make big cases using intelligent investigative techniques. Rawls introduces Freamon to his homicide unit.
Bodie organizes trade in the towers through his new subordinate "Puddin", bemoaning Roc Roc's slowness with his "re-up". Poot oversees the trade in the pit and repeats the speech D'Angelo once gave Wallace about keeping the cash and drug transactions separate to a new dealer named Dink.
Meanwhile Bunk, Ed Norris, and ASA Nathan interview Wee-Bey. Bunk states that they have linked the same weapon to the murders of Deirdre Kresson, Taureen Boyd, and Roland Leggett. Brandon Wright and John Bailey have also been linked to Wee-Bey. Wee-Bey refuses to give up any information on Avon and Stringer. His lawyer recommends he give up all of his crimes to avoid being prosecuted for them later. He admits to killing Little Man and tells Bunk where to find the body. He also admits to killing Nakeesha Lyles and claims to have killed William Gant in an effort to protect Bird. Bunk reports Wee-Bey's confessions to McNulty and the two discuss his false confession about William Gant. McNulty and Bunk know that Wee-Bey's story does not match the facts of the case. As the convicted Barksdale dealers file out of the court room, McNulty once more asks, "What the fuck did I do?", again in reference to Bridge on the River Kwai from his conversation with Bunk in the first episode.
The season ends with a montage showing: Bubbles and Johnny back on the hustle and Santangelo on patrol in the Western; Burrell promoting Carver; Prez clearing the details board; Greggs gazing wistfully at a car chase from her hospital window; Freamon and Bunk delivering a bottle of whiskey to McNulty at his new post with the marine unit; Stringer overseeing the counting of his profits at the funeral parlor; prolific drug trade throughout the whole of Baltimore. Finally we find Omar, in the South Bronx, NY, holding up another dealer and telling him that it is "all in the game".
Reception
When previewing the episode the St. Petersburg Times called it the conclusion to one of the "freshest, most innovative, most entertaining series" of the summer. They predicted low ratings based on the show's defiance of what experts thought viewers were looking for – the episode relies heavily on viewers having seen the rest of the series due to the heavily serialized nature of the show. The article states that the show's deliberate pace leads to a satisfying pay-off. The article praised the starring cast including Dominic West (Jimmy McNulty), Sonja Sohn (Kima Greggs), Wood Harris (Avon Barksdale) and Larry Gilliard Jr (D'Angelo Barksdale).The Futon Critic named it the best episode of 2002, saying the "season finale was one of those episodes where afterward you shut the television off and sit there for a few minutes stunned by what you just watched" and that it is "By far and away the best new series of 2002, David Simon's drama literally reinvented how a cop series could be done in the same way Stephen Bocho did a decade ago with NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
... About as good as television can possibly get."
Reviewers have commented that the show's novelistic structure and non-cliffhanger conclusion of the storyline would make it difficult for a second season to satisfy the audience. Creators David Simon and Ed Burns commented as early as the airing of the premiere of the pilot episode that they felt the show could continue by investigating a different set of criminals or a different kind of crime and retain some, but not all, of the starring cast.