Not for Attribution
Encyclopedia
"Not for Attribution" is the third episode of the fifth season of the HBO original series, The Wire
. The episode was written by Chris Collins
from a story by David Simon
& Chris Collins and was directed by Scott and Joy Kecken. It aired on January 20, 2008.
, refers to the fabricated quote produced by Sun writer Scott Templeton regarding Daniels' backstabbing Commissioner Burrell. The title also references other plot lines, including Cheese feeding information in confidence to Chris Partlow regarding Omar's associates, Norman Wilson leaking the Burrell story to the Sun, and Detective McNulty's attempt to create a homeless serial killer on the record.
, Domenick Lombardozzi
, and Michael Kostroff
do not appear in this episode.
Two real BPD officers, former Homicide Detective Donald Worden
and former Commissioner Leonard Hamm, appear in the episode's opening as midnight shift homicide detectives. Worden utters the first phrase of the episode: "Type quieter, asshole."
continues his efforts to create the illusion of a serial killer and draw attention and funding for the police department. He falsifies a connection between two old cases involving homeless victims and the corpse which he had earlier staged to appear as a strangulation murder. The plan fails when both the media and his superiors are uninterested. Bunk Moreland
remains outraged at McNulty’s plan and after several attempts to talk him out of it enlists the help of Lester Freamon
. This strategy backfires when Freamon makes suggestions to improve McNulty’s plan by sensationalizing the killer. In a deleted scene from this episode, Freamon mentions the old arrest of Monk Metcalf and an unnamed associate of his. Monk is addressed for the first and only time by his real name, Bernard.
leaks department statistics to Mayor Tommy Carcetti
that indicate a rising crime rate. When Commissioner Ervin Burrell
delivers manipulated statistics to Carcetti, the mayor finally has the political ammunition he needs to fire Burrell. He plans to replace Burrell with Cedric Daniels
but is worried that he will not be accepted by Burrell’s supporters. Carcetti has ex-reporter Norman Wilson leak news of the plan to Sun editor Gus Haynes to test the waters.
Rhonda Pearlman
begins presenting evidence before the grand jury in preparation for seeking an indictment against Clay Davis
on corruption charges. Business associates of Davis testify, under subpoena, before the grand jury. Meanwhile, Davis tries desperately, but without success, to convince his former allies to protect him.
is disappointed when her story on the Junebug triple homicide doesn’t make the front page.
The Baltimore Sun faces major budgetary cuts from its owners and copes by closing foreign bureaus and offering reporters "buy-outs" to leave their jobs. One reporter forced to accept a buy-out is crime beat veteran Roger Twigg. Twigg puts his institutional knowledge into play for a final time to deliver the commissioner story. Scott Templeton
is disappointed when Twigg is given the story and responds by producing a strongly worded "react" quote which implicates Daniels in deposing Burrell. Daniels is mortified by the quote and confides in his ex-wife Marla Daniels about his fears that Burrell will use information about corruption in Daniels' past to end his career.
is withdrawn following his involvement in the home invasion murders and Duquan "Dukie" Weems convinces him that the two of them should take Bug on a day trip to Six Flags America
in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. Michael hires a hack cab
to transport them to and from Six Flags. The three boys enjoy the rides and games at the park, winning stuffed animal prizes at one of the carnival-style booths. The two older boys also meet and flirt with similarly-aged girls from Fairfax County, Virginia, an affluent Washington suburb. Upon their return, Michael is reprimanded by Monk for leaving his drug dealing corner untended.
approaches Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos
with a monetary gift which is rejected because the bundled bills are "dirty". Stanfield seeks help from Proposition Joe
both in acquiring clean bills as well as in laundering his money through Caribbean-based charities. Stanfield also offers a bounty on anyone connected to Omar Little
. Joe accommodates Stanfield's financial requests but avoids helping him find Omar. Stanfield visits the Antilles
to check on his laundered money and gives a second, clean gift to The Greeks. Joe tells his nephew, Cheese, that he fears provoking Omar into returning to Baltimore. Cheese ignores his wishes and gives Chris Partlow
information on Omar's associate Butchie in secret for the $50,000 bounty.
Partlow and Snoop torture and kill Butchie, leaving a witness alive to ensure that word of their actions reaches Omar.
Butchie - tortured and killed by Chris Partlow.
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 Chris Collins
Chris Collins (writer)
Chris Collins is an American television writer and producer. He has worked on the HBO dramas The Sopranos and The Wire. He was an executive story editor for the Starz drama series Crash. He is a producer and writer for the FX series Sons of Anarchy.-Biography:Collins joined the crew of The Wire in...
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...
& Chris Collins and was directed by Scott and Joy Kecken. It aired on January 20, 2008.
Title reference
The title, which means off the recordOff the Record
"Off the record" is a term related to journalism sourcing; see Journalism sourcing#Using confidential information.Off the record may also refer to:- Music :* Off the Record , a 1977 album by Sweet...
, refers to the fabricated quote produced by Sun writer Scott Templeton regarding Daniels' backstabbing Commissioner Burrell. The title also references other plot lines, including Cheese feeding information in confidence to Chris Partlow regarding Omar's associates, Norman Wilson leaking the Burrell story to the Sun, and Detective McNulty's attempt to create a homeless serial killer on the record.
Epigraph
Fletcher is referring to decision-making on the newspaper concerning whose life (or death) is worthy of being covered in the increasingly shrinking amount of space the Baltimore Sun provides for information to local readers. The quote nicely aligns with the amount of determination the BPD exhibits in solving a crime, depending on the victim.Starring cast
Although credited, Seth GilliamSeth 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....
, 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:...
, and 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 :...
do not appear in this episode.
Guest stars
- Frankie FaisonFrankie FaisonFrankie Russel Faison , often credited as Frankie R. Faison, is an American actor.-Personal life:Faison was born in Newport News, Virginia, the son of Carmena and Edgar Faison. He studied drama at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, where he joined Theta Chi Fraternity...
as Ervin BurrellErvin BurrellErvin 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... - Paul Ben-VictorPaul Ben-VictorPaul Ben-Victor is an American actor.Ben-Victor was born Paul Friedman, in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Leah Kornfeld, a playwright, and Victor Friedman. Ben-Victor debuted on the small screen in 1987 in the made-for-TV movie Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife and on an episode of Cagney &...
as Spiros "Vondas" VondopoulosSpiros VondasSpiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire played by actor Paul Ben-Victor.-Biography:... - Robert F. ChewRobert F. ChewRobert F. Chew is an American actor from Baltimore, Maryland. He starred in the HBO television drama series The Wire as manipulative drug kingpin Proposition Joe on all five seasons of the show...
as Proposition JoeProposition JoeJoseph "Proposition Joe" Stewart is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire played by actor Robert F. Chew. Joe is an Eastside drug kingpin who preferred a peaceful solution to business disputes when possible... - S. Robert MorganS. Robert MorganS. Robert Morgan is an American television actor. He guest starred on Home Box Office drama series The Wire as Butchie from the second season until the show's fifth and final season. Morgan lost his sight in his twenties due to macular degeneration. Morgan is from Fort Washington, Maryland and...
as Butchie - 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 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... - David CostabileDavid CostabileDavid Costabile is an American actor. Born in Washington, D.C. He is best known for his recurring television roles on The Wire , Flight of the Conchords , Damages , and Breaking Bad...
as Thomas Klebanow - Sam FreedSam FreedSam Freed is an American actor who has performed on Broadway, television and in movies. His first major regular role on television was as Bob Barsky in the last three seasons of Kate & Allie. In the short-lived series Ferris Bueller, he played Bill Bueller, the father of the title character. He...
as James Whiting - Bruce Kikpatrick as Roger Twigg
- Maria Broom as Marla Daniels
- Al Brown as Stanislaus Valchek
- Donnell RawlingsDonnell RawlingsDonnell Rawlings is an American comedian and actor.-Career:Notable roles include appearing in Chappelle's Show, as well as making a guest appearance in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2 and a cameo appearance in the music video for Jim Jones' "We Fly High"...
as Damien "Day Day" Price - Anwan GloverAnwan GloverRalph Anwan Glover is an American actor and musician. He is one of the founding members of the Backyard Band, a go-go band, as well as appearing as gang member Slim Charles in the HBO series The Wire. He has also appeared in music videos, such as Boyz n da Hood's "Dem Boyz" among others, and has a...
as Slim CharlesSlim CharlesSlim Charles is a fictional member of the drug trade in the HBO drama The Wire, played by Anwan Glover. An enforcer for the Barksdale Organization and later the top lieutenant of kingpin Proposition Joe Stewart, he shows integrity, loyalty and competence throughout his career.The saga of the... - Method ManMethod ManClifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...
as Cheese - Felicia PearsonFelicia PearsonFelicia Pearson is an American actress, author, and rapper. She is best known for playing a character of the same name, Felicia "Snoop" Pearson, on The Wire. She wrote a memoir titled Grace After Midnight.-Biography:Pearson was born to two incarcerated drug addicts and raised in an East Baltimore...
as Snoop - Michael Stone Forrest as Frank Barlow
- Todd Scofield as Jeff Price
- Brandon Young as Mike Fletcher
- Lenny HammLeonard HammLeonard Hamm is a former police commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department who served as the head of the department from 2004-2007.-Biography:...
as Homicide Detective - Ramon Rodriquez as Renaldo
- Gregory L. Williams as Michael Crutchfield
- Donald Worden as Donald Worden
- Damon Henderson as Pastor
- Thuliso DingwallThuliso DingwallThuliso Dingwall is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Kenard on the television series The Wire. Dingwall is from Clinton, Maryland.-External links:...
as Kenard - Kwame Patterson as Monk
- Edward Green as Spider
- Keenon Brice as Bug
- Dominick Cicco as Andreas
- Sarah Desage as Bank Teller
- Michael Rivera as Renaldo’s friend
- Baye C. Harrell as Hack driver
- Kristian King Lewman as Assistant Medical Examiner Diane Lerner
- Eric Messner as Alma's Boyfriend
- Joey Perillo as Medical Examiner
- Tracey Teague as McNulty's date
- Vincent M. Ward as Butchie's Bodyguard
- John Brennon as Banker #2
- Gary D'AddarioGary D'AddarioGary D'Addario is a retired police commander, television technical advisor and actor from Baltimore, Maryland.D'Addario joined the Baltimore police department in 1967...
as Gary DiPasquale - Sarah Grace Hart as Six Flags girl #1
- Christine Lee as Store Clerk
- Jim Scopeletis as Banker #1
- Sophia Wang as Six flags girl #2
Two real BPD officers, former Homicide Detective Donald Worden
Donald Worden
Donald Worden is a retired Baltimore Police Department detective who was featured in David Simon's non-fiction book about the homicide unit, Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets....
and former Commissioner Leonard Hamm, appear in the episode's opening as midnight shift homicide detectives. Worden utters the first phrase of the episode: "Type quieter, asshole."
Uncredited appearances
- Robert Poletick as Steven Luxenberg
- Derrick Purvey as Big Guy
- Kara Quick as Rebecca Corbett
- Steve Luxenberg as Sun staff member
McNulty
Detective Jimmy McNultyJimmy 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...
continues his efforts to create the illusion of a serial killer and draw attention and funding for the police department. He falsifies a connection between two old cases involving homeless victims and the corpse which he had earlier staged to appear as a strangulation murder. The plan fails when both the media and his superiors are uninterested. 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...
remains outraged at McNulty’s plan and after several attempts to talk him out of it enlists the help of 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...
. This strategy backfires when Freamon makes suggestions to improve McNulty’s plan by sensationalizing the killer. In a deleted scene from this episode, Freamon mentions the old arrest of Monk Metcalf and an unnamed associate of his. Monk is addressed for the first and only time by his real name, Bernard.
Politics
Deputy Commissioner of Administration Stanislaus ValchekStanislaus Valchek
Stanislaus "Stan" Valchek is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Al Brown.-Biography:Valchek is the Polish-American commander of the Southeastern district, home to many of the remaining white ethnic neighborhoods in Baltimore...
leaks department statistics to Mayor Tommy Carcetti
Tommy Carcetti
Thomas J. "Tommy" Carcetti is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by Irish actor Aidan Gillen. Carcetti is an ambitious Baltimore politician who rises from a seat on the city council to the office of the Mayor of Baltimore, and to the office of the Governor of Maryland by the...
that indicate a rising crime rate. When 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...
delivers manipulated statistics to Carcetti, the mayor finally has the political ammunition he needs to fire Burrell. He plans to replace Burrell with 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...
but is worried that he will not be accepted by Burrell’s supporters. Carcetti has ex-reporter Norman Wilson leak news of the plan to Sun editor Gus Haynes to test the waters.
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...
begins presenting evidence before the grand jury in preparation for seeking an indictment against 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...
on corruption charges. Business associates of Davis testify, under subpoena, before the grand jury. Meanwhile, Davis tries desperately, but without success, to convince his former allies to protect him.
Baltimore Sun
Alma GutierrezAlma Gutierrez
Alma M. Gutierrez is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actress Michelle Paress. Gutierrez is a dedicated and idealistic young reporter on the city desk of The Baltimore Sun.-Biography:...
is disappointed when her story on the Junebug triple homicide doesn’t make the front page.
The Baltimore Sun faces major budgetary cuts from its owners and copes by closing foreign bureaus and offering reporters "buy-outs" to leave their jobs. One reporter forced to accept a buy-out is crime beat veteran Roger Twigg. Twigg puts his institutional knowledge into play for a final time to deliver the commissioner story. Scott Templeton
Scott Templeton
M. Scott Templeton is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Thomas McCarthy. The actor joined the starring cast as the series' fifth season began.-Biography:...
is disappointed when Twigg is given the story and responds by producing a strongly worded "react" quote which implicates Daniels in deposing Burrell. Daniels is mortified by the quote and confides in his ex-wife Marla Daniels about his fears that Burrell will use information about corruption in Daniels' past to end his career.
Michael
Michael LeeMichael Lee (The Wire)
Michael Lee is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by Tristan Wilds. He is a middle school pupil and is friends with Namond Brice, Randy Wagstaff and Duquan "Dukie" Weems. He is more soft-spoken than his friends, and appears to have a leadership role among his peers...
is withdrawn following his involvement in the home invasion murders and Duquan "Dukie" Weems convinces him that the two of them should take Bug on a day trip to Six Flags America
Six Flags America
Six Flags America is a family theme park and water park located in Mitchellville, Prince George's County, Maryland. It is situated east of Washington D.C. and southwest of Baltimore. The park covers , 131 of which is currently used for park operations...
in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. Michael hires a hack cab
Illegal taxicab operation
While most jurisdictions require taxicab operators to be licensed, many unlicensed cabs are in operation. Some of these are marked taxi vehicles , and others are personal vehicles used by an individual to offer unauthorized taxi-like services...
to transport them to and from Six Flags. The three boys enjoy the rides and games at the park, winning stuffed animal prizes at one of the carnival-style booths. The two older boys also meet and flirt with similarly-aged girls from Fairfax County, Virginia, an affluent Washington suburb. Upon their return, Michael is reprimanded by Monk for leaving his drug dealing corner untended.
Stanfield Organization
Marlo StanfieldMarlo Stanfield
Marlo "Black" Stanfield is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Jamie Hector. Stanfield is a young, ruthless and ambitious player in the Baltimore drug trade who gains control of West Baltimore and is the head of his own drug crew.-Character background and plot...
approaches Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos
Spiros Vondas
Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire played by actor Paul Ben-Victor.-Biography:...
with a monetary gift which is rejected because the bundled bills are "dirty". Stanfield seeks help from Proposition Joe
Proposition Joe
Joseph "Proposition Joe" Stewart is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire played by actor Robert F. Chew. Joe is an Eastside drug kingpin who preferred a peaceful solution to business disputes when possible...
both in acquiring clean bills as well as in laundering his money through Caribbean-based charities. Stanfield also offers a bounty on anyone connected to Omar Little
Omar Little
Omar 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"....
. Joe accommodates Stanfield's financial requests but avoids helping him find Omar. Stanfield visits the Antilles
Antilles
The Antilles islands form the greater part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. The Antilles are divided into two major groups: the "Greater Antilles" to the north and west, including the larger islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico; and the smaller "Lesser Antilles" on the...
to check on his laundered money and gives a second, clean gift to The Greeks. Joe tells his nephew, Cheese, that he fears provoking Omar into returning to Baltimore. Cheese ignores his wishes and gives Chris Partlow
Chris Partlow
Chris Partlow is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Gbenga Akinnagbe. Partlow is Marlo Stanfield's best friend, bodyguard, and second-in-command in his drug dealing operation. Despite his quiet demeanor, Partlow commits more on- and off-screen murders than any other...
information on Omar's associate Butchie in secret for the $50,000 bounty.
Partlow and Snoop torture and kill Butchie, leaving a witness alive to ensure that word of their actions reaches Omar.
Omar
The message sent by Chris and Snoop finds Omar in idyllic retirement with Renaldo in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and shatters his peace.Deceased
Butchie's bodyguard - shot in the head by Snoop Pearson.Butchie - tortured and killed by Chris Partlow.