The Wire & Social Problems Part IV

Prez shows his new talent as a code cracker on the wire. Rawls seeks to bring McNulty down because he is not helping the stats The squad now needs to capture the stash without revealing the wiretap

(this is why they let Stinkum get away, so they can tape his call to Stringer)

Greggs rescues Johnny from drug court Johnny and Bubbles attend Narcotics Anonymous, where Waylon is

introduced. Waylon’s speech greatly affects Bubbles (however, he doesn’t go clean).

Avon now has his suspicions that he is dealing with smarter cops than usual

Stringer orders the destruction of the project pay phones. Omar helps Greggs and McNulty find Bird, one of Avon’s “muscle” men.

The cops use forensics to match Bird’s gun to three murders (Deirdre, Gant, and Denise)

Orlando approaches D’Angelo about going into business together since Brandon’s murder, Wallace is in hiding, getting high McNulty finds out that Rawls is “after his badge,” and he is distraught

because his job means a lot to him.

McNulty uses his kids to spy on Stringer in a grocery store. The Barksdale detail continues surveillance of the projects to

determine which phones are being used. The wiretap reveals its first evidence of a connection between drugs

and politics. The detail arrests an aide to a Senator, who was carrying 20K in

campaign contributions from Avon. Burrell insists that the money be returned and the aide set free.

Over lunch with Wee-Bey and friends, D’Angelo mentions Orlando’s offer. Later, Wee-Bey tells Avon of Orlando’s deal.

D’Angelo goes to a wild party, which ends with a stripper from Orlando’s unconscious

Omar kills Stinkum, and the cops are angry because it casts doubt on Omar’s credibility as a witness in Bird’s trial.

Avon increases the bounty on Omar’s head. D’Angelo wants out of the Game. Greggs and Freeman decide to “turn” a citizen witness for the case.

They chose Shardene.

Stringer continues to advise Avon to hold back on Omar and issue a false truce.

Wallace wants out of the game. He claims he wants to return to school. Later, Poot catches him buying drugs.

Herc and Carver intercept Wee-Bey’s cash pick up. They let Wee-Bey go but take the 22K

Freeman instructs Sydnor and Prez on how to unearth the ownership of Barksdale’s front companies. They also check to see if Barksdale is supporting any candidates.

Bubbles continues to show attempts to get clean, and visits his sister. Daniels blames Herc and Carver for stealing the 22k, even though

they didn’t. Omar robs Barksdale’s stash again, this time with no casualties. Game day: basketball match. Eastside vs. Westside. Eastside wins. Greggs and Freeman show Shardene the dead stripper from the

party, and she decides to help the cops. She also leaves D’Angelo. The cops try to get a visual on Avon at the b’ball match Omar has a proposition for the Eastside drug lord Proposition Joe.

Omar fails at shooting Avon, since Wee-Bey shows up just in time.

A wounded Omar meets Stringer wearing a wire in order to discuss a “truce”. Stringer does not implicate himself or Barksdale.

Omar leaves for NYC The Judge is being punished for his role in the Barksdale

investigation by excluding him from campaign funds. Bubbles sincerely tries to go straight, and asks Greggs for

money to help. The detail investigates a house with security cameras Orlando is busted by a Narc; his plea bargain involves being

part of a buy-and-bust. Wallace spills everything to McNulty. The detail discusses how

to protect him from Barksdale, and he is sent to his grandmother’s house.

The buy-and-bust goes terribly wrong; Kima is shot and Orlando is killed.

An undercover operation by narcotics detectives to catch unsuspecting drug dealers

"Buy busts, lieutenant. It's what I asked you for, months ago. It's what we do, successfully, time and again, to make these cases." –Burrell

It is what they do best, considering the police merely respond to events instead of rooting out the problem. The police do not prevent social problems, they can only react to them.

"I just don't wanna play. Don't wanna play no more." -Wallace