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Time After Time (The Wire episode)
Encyclopedia
"Time After Time" is the first episode of the third season of the HBO original series, The Wire
. The episode was written by David Simon
from a story by David Simon & Ed Burns
and was directed by Ed Bianchi
. It originally aired on September 19, 2004.
sequence rather than during the main episode itself.
In reality, in the year 2000, Baltimore's murder rate dropped to below 300 for the first time in a decade. Observers credited this to the new commissioner's dedication to wire-tapping and high-end police work. This commissioner was Ed Norris
, who plays a homicide detective by the same name on The Wire. In the year 2003 (the last full year prior to the airing of this episode), there were 270 murders; though this is low for Baltimore, as suggested in the episode, it is more than five times the national rate in the same year. 2004 and 2005 were also around the same amount.
Lt. Mello, as played by real-life former detective Jay Landsman
, ends his morning announcements by saying "Don't get captured". According to Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets
, Landsman used to frequently end his speeches with this pronouncement when he was a sergeant with Homicide.
, Robert Wisdom
, Seth Gilliam
, Domenick Lombardozzi
, Jim True-Frost
, Corey Parker Robinson
, J. D. Williams
, and Michael K. Williams
are all new additions to the opening credits this season. Aidan Gillen is new to the series while the other actors have all previously appeared as guest stars. Robert Wisdom first appeared as Howard "Bunny" Colvin in a guest starring role in the second season episode "Stray Rounds
". Corey Parker Robinson had a recurring role as Leander Sydnor
in the first season but did not appear in the second season. Jim True-Frost (Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski), Seth Gilliam (Ellis Carver
), Domenick Lombardozzi (Thomas "Herc" Hauk), J. D. Williams and Michael K. Williams all had significant recurring roles in the first two seasons. Although credited, Michael K. Williams does not appear in this episode.
and Leander Sydnor
take up a surveillance post in a vacant building and observe drug lieutenant Melvin "Cheese" Wagstaff
. At the detail office, Lester Freamon
, Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski and new addition Officer Caroline Massey man a wiretap. When a drug dealer calls to arrange a meeting with Cheese about a bet, Massey is the most skilled at interpreting the slang used. Sydnor observes that Cheese does not use a phone, instead conducting his business face to face and receiving his telephone messages through his number two. Freamon states that they have been working the investigation for three months and have still not heard Cheese's voice.
Freamon and Kima Greggs
relieve McNulty and Sydnor in the evening. When McNulty returns to the office, ASA Rhonda Pearlman
and Lieutenant Cedric Daniels
are discussing giving up on the wiretaps. McNulty believes they must continue and will eventually reach Proposition Joe
and Stringer Bell
; he heatedly asserts that Bell is their target and that all other objectives are secondary. Daniels insists they need a break in the case to justify continued use of the wiretaps.
McNulty, Greggs and Freamon observe a dealer named Drac who is far less disciplined on the phone than Cheese and his people. Drac openly mentions drugs and McNulty wishes that he reported to someone more important. Freamon states that Drac is supplied by Lavelle Mann, one of Proposition Joe's soldiers. Sydnor has been developing a connection with Mann through undercover work for some time. They plan to arrest Mann in the hope that Drac will be promoted and give them more information on the organization through his careless talk on the wire. Drac is likely to get the position because Proposition Joe is his uncle.
Daniels takes the plan to Acting Commissioner Ervin Burrell
, who is reluctant to fund more wiretaps. Burrell reports that while he has sent Daniels' promotion to the mayor, the mayor is now holding it up because Daniels' wife Marla is set to challenge one of the mayor's allies in an upcoming election. Burrell tells Daniels that the mayor will not make him a commander until he knows where Marla stands politically.
McNulty goes to an Orioles
game with his old partner Bunk Moreland
. He meets his estranged wife Elena to take his children for the second half. Elena has a new boyfriend who, through connections at his work, manages to get better seats than the detectives, but shows little interest in the game. Meanwhile, Detective Ed Norris works a shooting scene and gets a call about another murder. He tells the homicide unit to call Bunk in to work the case and Bunk is forced to leave the game.
The following day Daniels marshals his men for the hand-to-hand on Mann. Sydnor is the undercover officer. Pearlman notices that Daniels has been living out of his office. Once out in the field Greggs and McNulty make a clean arrest and Sydnor maintains his cover. Drac immediately starts talking about a possible promotion on the wiretap. Unfortunately for the detail the promotion goes to Cheese instead of Drac.
McNulty continues to fight for the future of the case but Daniels sees no further potential. Freamon chastises McNulty for his confrontational attitude towards Daniels. At midnight, the shifts change and Prez arrives to find McNulty reviewing old files from the Barksdale investigation. As Massey leaves, McNulty explains his research to her as a way to avoid making the same mistakes again ("You don't look at what you did before, you're gonna do the same shit over").
marshals his new squad and plans a sting on a corner drug dealing operation. Thomas "Herc" Hauk prepares himself by playing "Theme From Shaft
". Carver orders his men to let the runner go, expecting him to be a decoy. When a runner named Tyrell picks up a bag Carver changes his mind and starts a pursuit. The real stash remains with the dealers. They lose Tyrell in alleyways and call in backup. Carver stands atop his car and delivers a speech insisting that they will catch Tyrell eventually.
Major Colvin greets two new officers to his district, Aaron Castor and Brian Baker. He gives them a tried and tested speech about knowing their location as the key to survival and provides them with compasses. Carver and Herc have finally caught Tyrell and brought him in. Colvin asks them if they have any drug charges, learns that they were forced to charge Tyrell with fleeing and eluding, and criticizes their use of resources.
Lieutenant Mello hosts a meeting with the Western district officers as they start their shift. He asks them to stop throwing beer cans onto the roof of their precinct building as it has been noticed by media helicopters. He closes the meeting with his catchphrase "don't get captured". Colvin checks in with Mello and tells him he is going out into the district. On his way he checks in with Carver's squad and is disappointed to see they have brought in more street dealers on loitering charges with no leads into their distributors. Out in his district Colvin is even more disgusted when one of Marlo's young drug dealers, Justin, approaches him despite his being in uniform.
, Poot Carr
and Puddin reminisce about their days working in and living around the 221 tower just before it is demolished. Later, Stringer chairs an organization meeting at the funeral home (pictured) to discuss their new direction now that their main territory is lost. Shamrock oversees the meeting and ensures that it conforms to Robert's Rules of Order
. Bodie suggests that they need to take new territory by force and Poot agrees. Stringer criticizes Bodie over his actions the previous year in taking over territory and bringing police attention to them. Slim Charles, his new chief enforcer, is dubious of their ability to operate without territory. Stringer believes that product is now the key to his operation. He suggests that they supply other dealers with their product rather than battle over territory. When Slim Charles and Poot remain openly dubious Stringer becomes angry and urges them to think like grown men.
Wee-Bey Brice
talks to a prisoner named Dennis "Cutty" Wise who is about to be paroled after serving fourteen years. Cutty was once a legendary soldier in the drug trade. As Avon Barksdale
walks across a baseball game in the exercise yard to talk to them, play stops to allow him to pass. Avon asks Cutty for help securing new territory and gives him a number to call when he is released for a coming home gift. Avon worries that prison might have broken Cutty but Wee-Bey believes he is strong.
Once on the outside Cutty phones the number Avon gave him. He arranges a meeting and Shamrock arrives and gives him directions to a package of narcotics and tells him to wait for some "real work". Cutty watches one of Marlo Stanfield
's crews plying their trade. He approaches the dealer, Fruit, and strikes a deal to work the package he has been given for a share of the profit. When Cutty returns later that night Fruit tells him his stash was stolen. Cutty asks him for a crime report number and Fruit pulls a gun to drive him away.
and Johnny push a new haul of junk metal down the street. They lose control of the cart and it crashes into the car of Marlo's driver. He threatens them with a weapon but when Marlo urges him to hurry up he lets them go, taking their trousers as punishment.
After buying new pants they are short of cash for drugs and cannot get enough for both of them. Bubbles bemoans their situation as they bed down for the night while Johnny holds out hope for the next day.
leads the demolition of the West side's high rise housing projects. He makes a speech claiming that the destruction of the towers will be good for the community and is a sign of his administration's commitment to reform. The speech is well received but as the dust cloud envelops the audience the applause falters.
Councilmen Tommy Carcetti
and Tony Gray preside over a police department review meeting. They grill Acting Commissioner Burrell and Deputy Commissioner William Rawls
about increased violent crime in the eastern part of the city and learn that they have reassigned the flex squad and other local units to patrol at high crime rate times of day. Marla Daniels has the ear of state delegate Odell Watkins as they observe the meeting. Afterwards Carcetti, the chairman of the review board, asks Burrell out to lunch. Gray comments on the presence of Watkins and Carcetti asks if he recognized Daniels.
At their lunch Carcetti regales Burrell with political tales of hardnosed Baltimore Democrats from the first district. Carcetti offers Burrell help if the mayor shorts him on funding and support as he can use the crime review subcomittee that he chairs to help Burrell. Burrell tells Carcetti that he believes in chain of command and is loyal to Royce. Burrell later tells fellow African American
officer Major Reed on the audacity of Carcetti's approach, asking: "What can a white councilman give me that a black mayor can't?"
Rawls holds a ComStat
meeting and berates Eastern District Major Marvin Taylor for treating a spate of robberies in his district as separate incidents. Colvin expresses sympathy for Taylor to Lieutenant Mello who then points out "better him than us" implying that the Western District is next in line to get berated at a comstat Meeting. At the next subcomittee meeting Carcetti has filled the room with press. Burrell meets with the mayor and his chief of staff Coleman Parker about Carcetti's actions. Parker speculates that Carcetti is preparing for a run at the mayor's seat as Carcetti's district is getting its share of funds and representation in Baltimore politics and his ambitions are exceeding his district's needs. Royce scoffs at the idea claiming "Not my chair, not in this town! If the man came off any whiter, he'd be see-through." Royce believes that Carcetti has no chance of winning the mayoral election given the fact that with Baltimore's African American
majority, Carcetti is likely to lose on the basis of his race alone. Parker, however, points out that crime rates that have risen under Royce's administration and claims that Carcetti will exploit the figures as his campaign foundation. Burrell then asks if there is any way to call Carcetti off.
Parker then claims that Royce's administration is not able to negotiate favors with people from Carcetti's district, a majority white ethnic section of Baltimore which has a history for voting against Baltimore's African American politicians. Out of options, they pressure Burrell to have the department reduce violent crime citywide by 5% or more in each district and keep murders under 275 for the year. Burrell agrees as a means of preventing Carcetti from continuing to draw negative media coverage of the department.
At the next ComStat meeting Burrell tells his men to cut the felony rate by 5% and reduce the murder rate to 275. Raymond Foerster, now colonel in charge of the criminal investigation division including the homicide unit, is dismayed at the directive. Rawls then claims that there will be no excuses given to the commanders, observing that if Baltimore had New York City's population, it would see 4,000 murders annually. Major Colvin, the western district commander, realizing how the commanders have been encouraged to water down their crime figures then states "you can reclassify an agg assault, unfound a robbery
, but how do you make a body disappear?" questioning how to "juke the stats" with murder victims. Rawls is visibly angry. Burrell responds with a threat of replacing district commanders who cannot provide the numbers they need. Major Valchek
asks Colvin what got into him, surprised and amused that he would stand up to Rawls and he tells him that he is nearing retirement and there is little they can do to ruin his career.
Daniels attends a meeting at his home with Marla's political contacts including Watkins. Once they have left Marla thanks him and he returns to sleep at the office.
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...
from a story by David Simon & 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 Ed Bianchi
Ed Bianchi
Edward Bianchi is an American television director and producer. Bianchi was a producer on the HBO original series, Deadwood.-Career:...
. It originally aired on September 19, 2004.
Title reference
The title refers to the cyclical process of initiating reform, change and return to the status quo.Epigraph
Bodie says this referring to Poot's repetitive behavior with women but it also refers to the season's theme of reform through explaining entrenched behavior. McNulty alludes to this theme later in the episode when he examined the files for the original Barksdale investigation and the port case, remarking to another detective, "If you don't look at what you did before, you do the same shit all over." This is the first time in which the epigraph's quote is said during the cold openCold open
A cold open in a television program or movie is the technique of jumping directly into a story at the beginning or opening of the show, before the title sequence or opening credits are shown...
sequence rather than during the main episode itself.
Non-fiction elements
Howard "Bunny" Colvin describes rookie officer Aaron Castor's uncle Lloyd Castor as "good police." According to the DVD commentary on this episode, this is a reference to an actual Baltimore police officer by that name.In reality, in the year 2000, Baltimore's murder rate dropped to below 300 for the first time in a decade. Observers credited this to the new commissioner's dedication to wire-tapping and high-end police work. This commissioner was Ed Norris
Ed Norris
Edward 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...
, who plays a homicide detective by the same name on The Wire. In the year 2003 (the last full year prior to the airing of this episode), there were 270 murders; though this is low for Baltimore, as suggested in the episode, it is more than five times the national rate in the same year. 2004 and 2005 were also around the same amount.
Lt. Mello, as played by real-life former detective Jay Landsman
Jay Landsman
The book was later developed into the television series Homicide: Life on the Street. He was the inspiration for the fictional character John Munch on that show and a character named Jay Landsman on the television series The Wire, created by Simon. Landsman portrayed himself in a brief appearance...
, ends his morning announcements by saying "Don't get captured". According to Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets
Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets
Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets is a 1991 book written by Baltimore Sun reporter David Simon describing a year spent with detectives from the Baltimore Police Department homicide squad...
, Landsman used to frequently end his speeches with this pronouncement when he was a sergeant with Homicide.
Symbolism
When the mayor announces the demolition of The Towers, everyone in the crowd is pleased that they are finally being destroyed. Their optimism is set back when they quickly realize the physical consequences of the loss. This is symbolic of this season's theme of reform and its consequences that may not be immediately visible on the surface.Starring cast
Aidan GillenAidan Gillen
Aidan Gillen is an Irish stage and screen actor and television presenter. He is known in Ireland for his role in Love/Hate, in the UK for his role in Queer as Folk and in the US for his role in HBO's television series The Wire in which he plays Tommy Carcetti and for his role in Game of Thrones as...
, Robert Wisdom
Robert Wisdom
Robert Wisdom is an American actor. He is a graduate of Columbia University.-Biography:Wisdom was born in Washington, D.C. to Jamaican parents. He appeared in four of the five seasons of HBO program The Wire as Howard "Bunny" Colvin...
, 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....
, 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:...
, 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:...
, 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...
, 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...
, and Michael K. Williams
Michael K. Williams
Michael 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:...
are all new additions to the opening credits this season. Aidan Gillen is new to the series while the other actors have all previously appeared as guest stars. Robert Wisdom first appeared as Howard "Bunny" Colvin in a guest starring role in the second season episode "Stray Rounds
Stray Rounds (The Wire episode)
"Stray Rounds" is the ninth episode of the second season of the HBO original series, The Wire. The episode was written by David Simon from a story by David Simon & Ed Burns and was directed by Tim Van Patten...
". Corey Parker Robinson had a recurring role as 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:...
in the first season but did not appear in the second season. Jim True-Frost (Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski), Seth Gilliam (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...
), Domenick Lombardozzi (Thomas "Herc" Hauk), J. D. Williams and Michael K. Williams all had significant recurring roles in the first two seasons. Although credited, Michael K. Williams does not appear in this episode.
Guest stars
- Glynn TurmanGlynn TurmanGlynn Russell Turman is an American stage, television, and film actor as well as a writer, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as high school student Leroy "Preach" Jackson in the 1975 coming-of-age film Cooley High, math professor and retired Army colonel Bradford...
as Mayor Clarence RoyceClarence RoyceClarence V. Royce is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by Glynn Turman-Biography:Mayor of Baltimore Clarence V. Royce is a deft political figure and is fixated on remaining in power. Royce is the incumbent Mayor of Baltimore who was elected into office in 1998 and is in the... - Callie ThorneCallie ThorneCalliope "Callie" Thorne is an American actress known for her current role as Dr. Dani Santino on the USA Network series Necessary Roughness...
as Elena McNulty - Chad L. Coleman as Dennis "Cutty" Wise
- Jamie HectorJamie HectorJamie Hector is an Haitian-American actor who is known for his portrayal of Marlo Stanfield on the critically acclaimed HBO series The Wire.- Biography :...
as Marlo StanfieldMarlo StanfieldMarlo "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... - 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... - 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.... - 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 Melvin "Cheese" Wagstaff - Maria Broom as Marla Daniels
- 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 - Joilet F. Harris as Officer Caroline Massey
- Al Brown as Major Stanislaus Valchek
- Jay LandsmanJay LandsmanThe book was later developed into the television series Homicide: Life on the Street. He was the inspiration for the fictional character John Munch on that show and a character named Jay Landsman on the television series The Wire, created by Simon. Landsman portrayed himself in a brief appearance...
as Lieutenant Dennis Mello - Ed 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 Ed Norris - Richard BurtonRichard Burton (Baltimore)Richard Burton is a Baltimore, Maryland, city council employee and runs the "Believe" campaign. He was a rapper before becoming involved in Martin O'Malley's first Mayoral campaign after meeting him in 1998....
as Shaun "Shamrock" McGinty - Brandon FobbsBrandon FobbsBrandon Fobbs is an American actor.He had a recurring role on HBO television series The Wire as Fruit. He also appeared in Pride and This Christmas and The Devil's Tomb.-External links:...
as Fruit - 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 Charles - De'Rodd Hearns as Puddin
- DeJuan Anderson as Bunk Junior
- Anthony Cordova as Sean McNulty
- Eric G. Ryan as Michael McNulty
- Tony D. Head as Major Bobby Reed
- Benjamin BuschBenjamin BuschBenjamin B. Busch is an American actor, writer, film maker, photographer, and former United States Marine Corps officer. He is best known for his portrayal of Anthony Colicchio on the HBO original series The Wire.-Biography:...
as Officer Anthony Colicchio - Christopher Mann as Councilman Tony Gray
- Frederick Strother as State Delegate Odell Watkins
- Cleo Reginald Pizana as Chief of Staff Coleman Parker
Uncredited appearances
- Justin Burley as Justin
- Lee E. Cox as Aaron Castor
- Richard DeAngelis as Colonel Raymond Foerster
- Nakia Dillard as Lambert
- Mustafa Harris as Lavell Mann
- Derek HortonDerek HortonDerek Horton, born 24 June 1956, is an artist, writer, publisher and teacher. He worked in the jewelry trade, then as a wood machinist, and as a lorry driver, before becoming involved in community arts and urban adventure playgrounds in the 1970s...
as Brian Baker - Barnett Lloyd as Major Marvin Taylor
- Robert Neal MarshallRobert Neal Marshall-Personal life:Robert Neal Marshall was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but grew up in New York City and Englewood, New Jersey. His mother is Broadway and television actress turned photographer Bette Marshall and his father by adoption in 1977 is Entertainment Law attorney Paul G. Marshall. His...
as Comstat Police Major - Keith Moyer as Junk Man
- Rick Otto as Kenneth Dozerman
- Melvin T Russell as Jamal
- Ryan Sands as Truck
- Rico Sterling as Tyrell
- Addison Switzer as Country
- Rico Whelchel as Rico
- Jonathan D. Wray as Tank
- Unknown as Dennis Carpenter (Elena's boyfriend)
- Unknown as Drac
- Unknown as Boo
- Unknown as Tote
Major case unit
Detectives 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...
and 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:...
take up a surveillance post in a vacant building and observe drug lieutenant Melvin "Cheese" Wagstaff
Cheese Wagstaff
Calvin "Cheese" Wagstaff is a fictional character on the HBO television series The Wire. He is portrayed by hip hop recording artist Method Man. He is a crew chief for his uncle Proposition Joe's drug organization and later works for the Stanfield Organization after betraying his uncle and...
. At the detail office, 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...
, Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski and new addition Officer Caroline Massey man a wiretap. When a drug dealer calls to arrange a meeting with Cheese about a bet, Massey is the most skilled at interpreting the slang used. Sydnor observes that Cheese does not use a phone, instead conducting his business face to face and receiving his telephone messages through his number two. Freamon states that they have been working the investigation for three months and have still not heard Cheese's voice.
Freamon and 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...
relieve McNulty and Sydnor in the evening. When McNulty returns to the office, 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...
and 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...
are discussing giving up on the wiretaps. McNulty believes they must continue and will eventually reach 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...
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...
; he heatedly asserts that Bell is their target and that all other objectives are secondary. Daniels insists they need a break in the case to justify continued use of the wiretaps.
McNulty, Greggs and Freamon observe a dealer named Drac who is far less disciplined on the phone than Cheese and his people. Drac openly mentions drugs and McNulty wishes that he reported to someone more important. Freamon states that Drac is supplied by Lavelle Mann, one of Proposition Joe's soldiers. Sydnor has been developing a connection with Mann through undercover work for some time. They plan to arrest Mann in the hope that Drac will be promoted and give them more information on the organization through his careless talk on the wire. Drac is likely to get the position because Proposition Joe is his uncle.
Daniels takes the plan to Acting 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...
, who is reluctant to fund more wiretaps. Burrell reports that while he has sent Daniels' promotion to the mayor, the mayor is now holding it up because Daniels' wife Marla is set to challenge one of the mayor's allies in an upcoming election. Burrell tells Daniels that the mayor will not make him a commander until he knows where Marla stands politically.
McNulty goes to an Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
game with his old partner 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...
. He meets his estranged wife Elena to take his children for the second half. Elena has a new boyfriend who, through connections at his work, manages to get better seats than the detectives, but shows little interest in the game. Meanwhile, Detective Ed Norris works a shooting scene and gets a call about another murder. He tells the homicide unit to call Bunk in to work the case and Bunk is forced to leave the game.
The following day Daniels marshals his men for the hand-to-hand on Mann. Sydnor is the undercover officer. Pearlman notices that Daniels has been living out of his office. Once out in the field Greggs and McNulty make a clean arrest and Sydnor maintains his cover. Drac immediately starts talking about a possible promotion on the wiretap. Unfortunately for the detail the promotion goes to Cheese instead of Drac.
McNulty continues to fight for the future of the case but Daniels sees no further potential. Freamon chastises McNulty for his confrontational attitude towards Daniels. At midnight, the shifts change and Prez arrives to find McNulty reviewing old files from the Barksdale investigation. As Massey leaves, McNulty explains his research to her as a way to avoid making the same mistakes again ("You don't look at what you did before, you're gonna do the same shit over").
Western District
Sergeant Ellis CarverEllis 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...
marshals his new squad and plans a sting on a corner drug dealing operation. Thomas "Herc" Hauk prepares himself by playing "Theme From Shaft
Theme from Shaft
"Theme from Shaft", written and recorded by Isaac Hayes in 1971, is the soul and funk-styled theme song to the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film, Shaft...
". Carver orders his men to let the runner go, expecting him to be a decoy. When a runner named Tyrell picks up a bag Carver changes his mind and starts a pursuit. The real stash remains with the dealers. They lose Tyrell in alleyways and call in backup. Carver stands atop his car and delivers a speech insisting that they will catch Tyrell eventually.
Major Colvin greets two new officers to his district, Aaron Castor and Brian Baker. He gives them a tried and tested speech about knowing their location as the key to survival and provides them with compasses. Carver and Herc have finally caught Tyrell and brought him in. Colvin asks them if they have any drug charges, learns that they were forced to charge Tyrell with fleeing and eluding, and criticizes their use of resources.
Lieutenant Mello hosts a meeting with the Western district officers as they start their shift. He asks them to stop throwing beer cans onto the roof of their precinct building as it has been noticed by media helicopters. He closes the meeting with his catchphrase "don't get captured". Colvin checks in with Mello and tells him he is going out into the district. On his way he checks in with Carver's squad and is disappointed to see they have brought in more street dealers on loitering charges with no leads into their distributors. Out in his district Colvin is even more disgusted when one of Marlo's young drug dealers, Justin, approaches him despite his being in uniform.
Barksdale organization
Bodie BroadusBodie 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...
and Puddin reminisce about their days working in and living around the 221 tower just before it is demolished. Later, Stringer chairs an organization meeting at the funeral home (pictured) to discuss their new direction now that their main territory is lost. Shamrock oversees the meeting and ensures that it conforms to Robert's Rules of Order
Robert's Rules of Order
Robert's Rules of Order is the short title of a book containing rules of order intended to be adopted as a parliamentary authority for use by a deliberative assembly written by Brig. Gen...
. Bodie suggests that they need to take new territory by force and Poot agrees. Stringer criticizes Bodie over his actions the previous year in taking over territory and bringing police attention to them. Slim Charles, his new chief enforcer, is dubious of their ability to operate without territory. Stringer believes that product is now the key to his operation. He suggests that they supply other dealers with their product rather than battle over territory. When Slim Charles and Poot remain openly dubious Stringer becomes angry and urges them to think like grown men.
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....
talks to a prisoner named Dennis "Cutty" Wise who is about to be paroled after serving fourteen years. Cutty was once a legendary soldier in the drug trade. As 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...
walks across a baseball game in the exercise yard to talk to them, play stops to allow him to pass. Avon asks Cutty for help securing new territory and gives him a number to call when he is released for a coming home gift. Avon worries that prison might have broken Cutty but Wee-Bey believes he is strong.
Once on the outside Cutty phones the number Avon gave him. He arranges a meeting and Shamrock arrives and gives him directions to a package of narcotics and tells him to wait for some "real work". Cutty watches one of Marlo Stanfield
Marlo 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...
's crews plying their trade. He approaches the dealer, Fruit, and strikes a deal to work the package he has been given for a share of the profit. When Cutty returns later that night Fruit tells him his stash was stolen. Cutty asks him for a crime report number and Fruit pulls a gun to drive him away.
Bubbles
BubblesBubbles (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"...
and Johnny push a new haul of junk metal down the street. They lose control of the cart and it crashes into the car of Marlo's driver. He threatens them with a weapon but when Marlo urges him to hurry up he lets them go, taking their trousers as punishment.
After buying new pants they are short of cash for drugs and cannot get enough for both of them. Bubbles bemoans their situation as they bed down for the night while Johnny holds out hope for the next day.
Politics
Mayor Clarence RoyceClarence Royce
Clarence V. Royce is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by Glynn Turman-Biography:Mayor of Baltimore Clarence V. Royce is a deft political figure and is fixated on remaining in power. Royce is the incumbent Mayor of Baltimore who was elected into office in 1998 and is in the...
leads the demolition of the West side's high rise housing projects. He makes a speech claiming that the destruction of the towers will be good for the community and is a sign of his administration's commitment to reform. The speech is well received but as the dust cloud envelops the audience the applause falters.
Councilmen 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...
and Tony Gray preside over a police department review meeting. They grill Acting Commissioner Burrell and Deputy Commissioner 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:...
about increased violent crime in the eastern part of the city and learn that they have reassigned the flex squad and other local units to patrol at high crime rate times of day. Marla Daniels has the ear of state delegate Odell Watkins as they observe the meeting. Afterwards Carcetti, the chairman of the review board, asks Burrell out to lunch. Gray comments on the presence of Watkins and Carcetti asks if he recognized Daniels.
At their lunch Carcetti regales Burrell with political tales of hardnosed Baltimore Democrats from the first district. Carcetti offers Burrell help if the mayor shorts him on funding and support as he can use the crime review subcomittee that he chairs to help Burrell. Burrell tells Carcetti that he believes in chain of command and is loyal to Royce. Burrell later tells fellow African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
officer Major Reed on the audacity of Carcetti's approach, asking: "What can a white councilman give me that a black mayor can't?"
Rawls holds a ComStat
CompStat
CompStat—or COMPSTAT— is the name given to the New York City Police Department's accountability process and has since been replicated in many other departments...
meeting and berates Eastern District Major Marvin Taylor for treating a spate of robberies in his district as separate incidents. Colvin expresses sympathy for Taylor to Lieutenant Mello who then points out "better him than us" implying that the Western District is next in line to get berated at a comstat Meeting. At the next subcomittee meeting Carcetti has filled the room with press. Burrell meets with the mayor and his chief of staff Coleman Parker about Carcetti's actions. Parker speculates that Carcetti is preparing for a run at the mayor's seat as Carcetti's district is getting its share of funds and representation in Baltimore politics and his ambitions are exceeding his district's needs. Royce scoffs at the idea claiming "Not my chair, not in this town! If the man came off any whiter, he'd be see-through." Royce believes that Carcetti has no chance of winning the mayoral election given the fact that with Baltimore's African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
majority, Carcetti is likely to lose on the basis of his race alone. Parker, however, points out that crime rates that have risen under Royce's administration and claims that Carcetti will exploit the figures as his campaign foundation. Burrell then asks if there is any way to call Carcetti off.
Parker then claims that Royce's administration is not able to negotiate favors with people from Carcetti's district, a majority white ethnic section of Baltimore which has a history for voting against Baltimore's African American politicians. Out of options, they pressure Burrell to have the department reduce violent crime citywide by 5% or more in each district and keep murders under 275 for the year. Burrell agrees as a means of preventing Carcetti from continuing to draw negative media coverage of the department.
At the next ComStat meeting Burrell tells his men to cut the felony rate by 5% and reduce the murder rate to 275. Raymond Foerster, now colonel in charge of the criminal investigation division including the homicide unit, is dismayed at the directive. Rawls then claims that there will be no excuses given to the commanders, observing that if Baltimore had New York City's population, it would see 4,000 murders annually. Major Colvin, the western district commander, realizing how the commanders have been encouraged to water down their crime figures then states "you can reclassify an agg assault, unfound a robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
, but how do you make a body disappear?" questioning how to "juke the stats" with murder victims. Rawls is visibly angry. Burrell responds with a threat of replacing district commanders who cannot provide the numbers they need. Major Valchek
Stanislaus 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...
asks Colvin what got into him, surprised and amused that he would stand up to Rawls and he tells him that he is nearing retirement and there is little they can do to ruin his career.
Daniels attends a meeting at his home with Marla's political contacts including Watkins. Once they have left Marla thanks him and he returns to sleep at the office.
Police department
- Off. Caroline Massey: Veteran Western district officer with an ear for street slang who has joined the major case unit.
- Anthony Colicchio, Dozerman, Lambert and Truck: Drug enforcement unit officers working in Sergeant Carver's squad in the Western district.
- Patrolmen Castor and Baker: African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
Rookie Western district beat officers whom Major Colvin criticizes over their sense of direction whom he then forces to carry compasses. - Major Marvin Taylor: Baltimore Eastern District commander.
- This is the first episode in which William RawlsWilliam RawlsWilliam 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:...
appears as Deputy Commissioner of Operations aka Deputy Ops.
Politicians
- Clarence RoyceClarence RoyceClarence V. Royce is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by Glynn Turman-Biography:Mayor of Baltimore Clarence V. Royce is a deft political figure and is fixated on remaining in power. Royce is the incumbent Mayor of Baltimore who was elected into office in 1998 and is in the...
: Longstanding Mayor of Baltimore who is more concerned with keeping power than effecting change. - Tommy CarcettiTommy CarcettiThomas 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...
: Ambitious city councilman lining up for a run at the mayors seat. - Anthony Gray: Councilman and friend and colleague to Tommy Carcetti.
- State Delegate Odell Watkins: Maryland politician and chief supporter of Marla Daniels.
- Chief of Staff Coleman Parker: Mayor Royce's chief of staff and trusted adviser.
Drug dealers
- Marlo StanfieldMarlo StanfieldMarlo "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...
: Up and coming, ruthless, Westside drug kingpin. - Tote: Volatile lieutenant in the Stanfield Organization.
- Fruit: Kangol hat wearing Stanfield crew chief.
- Justin: Dopey young Stanfield drug dealer with a sideways cap.
- Jamal: Laconic second in Fruit's crew.
- Boo: Asthmatic drug dealer in Fruit's crew.
- Dennis "Cutty" Wise: Recently paroled former enforcer in Barksdale organization trying to stay straight.
- Slim Charles: Primary enforcer in the Barksdale organization.
- Drac: Nephew of Proposition Joe and an undisciplined crew chief in his organization.
- Lavelle Mann: Trusted lieutenant to Proposition Joe.