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–30– (The Wire episode)
Encyclopedia
"–30–" is the tenth and final episode of the fifth season of the HBO original series, The Wire
, concluding both the season and the series
. With a running time of 93 minutes, it is also the longest episode of the series. The episode was written by series creator/executive producer David Simon
(teleplay/story
) and co-executive producer Ed Burns
(story). It was directed by Clark Johnson
, who also directed the pilot episode and stars on the show. It aired on March 9, 2008. The episode's writers were nominated for an Emmy Award
for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
.
is a journalistic
term that has been used to signify the end of a story.
bureau. The full quote reads "...as I look back over a misspent life, I find myself more and more convinced that I had more fun doing news reporting than in any other enterprise. It is really the life of kings."
version of Tom Waits's
"Way Down in the Hole
" plays over the episode's closing montage. This version of the song had previously been used as the theme music for the show's first season.
During the scene where McNulty plays a board game with Beadie Russell's children, the song that can be heard playing in the background is "Rich Woman
" by Alison Krauss
and Robert Plant
from their 2007 album Raising Sand
.
"The Body of an American" by The Pogues
is heard during McNulty's staged "detective's wake", making it the third time the song was used in the course of the show's run.
and Isiah Whitlock, Jr.
do not appear in this episode.
learning from the BPD brass that the "Red Ribbon Killer" was a fabrication, a revelation which renders him and his staff speechless. After some discussion, Carcetti and his advisers agree that revealing this information to the public would have disastrous effects on his upcoming bid for governor (due to the fact that Carcetti himself only recently restructured the department). In spite of protests from Pearlman
and Daniels
, it is agreed that the case should be wrapped up quietly and those responsible will be reassigned and kept out of the way in return for silence. Chief of Staff Steintorf sees Acting Commissioner Rawls
's leverage opportunities and offers him a position as Superintendent of the Maryland State Police
(a position that better suits Rawls racially) following Carcetti's election as governor, in return for his cooperation.
Though Daniels and Pearlman have been informed of the falsified serial killings, McNulty
and Freamon
continue to operate under the assumption that their plot has remained a secret. With the Stanfield crew behind bars, Freamon takes it upon himself to identify the drug kingpin's mole within the courthouse. It is revealed that Grand Jury Prosecutor Gary DiPasquale has a major gambling problem with annual losses three times larger than his salary and that he took out a third mortgage on his home. DiPasquale admits to leaking courthouse documents to drug defense attorneys as Freamon points out that through the course of asset investigations, DiPasquale was the only "bogey" in the courthouse. Freamon then tells DiPasquale to resign quietly to avoid criminal prosecution, but not before recording a telephone conversation with attorney Maurice Levy
whom DiPasquale admits has been paying him for the court documents.
Meanwhile, drug kingpin Marlo Stanfield
and his lieutenants remain imprisoned. Having been informed of Snoop's death, the group agree that Michael
was indeed an informant and decide that eliminating him is a top priority, although Chris appears to remain skeptical. Cheese
is the only member of the group able to post bail - Monk has violated parole, Chris
has been charged with murder, and Marlo himself is refused bail on the basis of his status as alleged kingpin and ability to intimidate witnesses and jurors. Marlo instructs Cheese to assemble the Stanfield crew's remaining muscle to hunt down Michael.
Freamon meets with Pearlman at the courthouse, where he provides her the identity of the mole and his recorded conversation with Maurice Levy. Pearlman, despite being happy to have such strong evidence against Levy, is still angry enough to reveal her and Daniels's knowledge of Freamon and McNulty's duplicity.
Dukie, having been left on the streets by Michael, returns to Edward J. Tilghman Middle School to visit his old teacher, Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski. Dukie asks Prez for money, claiming that if he had enough for an apartment, he could enroll in a GED program at the community college. Prez is skeptical and agrees to help Dukie, but with a warning: he'll visit the community college next week. If Dukie has indeed enrolled, their relationship will be intact, but if he hasn't, Prez muses, "I'll probably never see you again anyway, right?" Dukie agrees to the conditions, but takes the money back to the arabber
to spend on drugs anyway. Prez sees this and drives away, obviously disappointed.
Baltimore Sun journalist Scott Templeton
, desperate for more material to contribute to his aims for a Pulitzer Prize
, goes out on the streets to interview homeless people. After a few moments of standing around, he instead finds an inebriated homeless man and then phones in a 911 call
, claiming that the man is being kidnapped. When the police arrive, Templeton tells them that the man was being pulled into a van when he arrived; the man is so intoxicated that he can't confirm or deny Templeton's claims. McNulty is one of the police called to the scene, and after a few minutes, grows exasperated with Templeton's transparent lies and sends him away. Afterwards, an undercover police officer (dressed as a homeless person, stationed in the area by the city to keep an eye out for the killer) confirms McNulty's suspicions that Templeton was making the story up. Rather than charge Templeton for making a false statement, McNulty allows him to leave.
Freamon arrives back at headquarters and tells McNulty that Daniels and Pearlman know the truth about the "Red Ribbon Killer" and the illegal wiretap. McNulty wonders aloud why, if the Commissioner and City Hall already know, the two of them haven't already been fired and arrested. Freamon replies that Mayor Carcetti is desperate to save face after using the serial killer as an excuse to run on a platform of poverty and homelessness. Thinking about it, Lester says, "we've got almost as much on them as they do on us."
While Fletcher hawks newspapers on Bubbles's morning shift, Bubbles reads the article Fletcher has finished about him. Bubbles is touched that Fletcher finds his life story so inspiring, but at the same time, has reservations about revealing the details of his friend Sherrod's death to the world. Fletcher maintains that readers would find Bubbles's life story thought-provoking, but Bubbles remains unconvinced.
In the Sun's newsroom, Haynes
is adamant about refusing to print Templeton's falsified story about the attempted abduction. His superior Klebanow accuses him of having a personal vendetta. He moves Templeton's article to another editing desk, and warns Haynes that his attitude could cause problems for him down the line. Haynes outright accuses Scott Templeton of lying about the "abduction" which he claims took place, causing an outraged Scott to throw his notes.
Lawyer Maurice Levy goes through the Stanfield arrest warrants, convinced that something is amiss. Herc assures him that a wiretap is the most likely means by which Marlo was brought down, and Levy learns that the only four people who knew the group's meeting code were the four arrested. Considering the speed with which the code was broken (mere hours after their arrest), Levy is confident that the police used an illegal wiretap to decipher the code beforehand. He later tells Pearlman that he's aware of this discrepancy, making it clear that whatever fraud was present in the case will be aired in court.
Unfortunately for McNulty, another homeless man is found murdered, with a white ribbon tied around his wrists. McNulty, Bunk
, and Kima
arrive on scene, distraught that McNulty's entirely fictitious serial killer has inspired a copycat. Camera crews immediately begin to arrive on the scene as they argue, though it's fairly obvious that McNulty is now feeling great remorse for taking this course of action. As the incident appears on televisions across Baltimore, Mayor Carcetti is watching as well. "Did somebody not get the message?" he deadpans, exasperated.
Bubbles allows Walon to read the article Fletcher wrote, which leaves Walon with a smile. "This guy gets you," he explains to Bubbles, going on to say that the article didn't pull its punches and weighs him objectively, and in the end convinces Bubbles that it's not the negative aspects of the articles that he fears - indeed, Bubbles admits that since Sherrod's death he's been unwilling to call himself a fundamentally "good" person. Bubbles finally agrees to have the article printed.
Fletcher allows Haynes to read his article on Bubbles in the newsroom, and Haynes wholeheartedly approves. Afterwards, however, Alma
approaches him and reveals that the notebook Templeton had thrown during their earlier argument was empty, despite claims from Scott that it contained notes on all the details of the attempted kidnapping. Pushed over the edge, Haynes takes the file he's compiled on Templeton's indiscretions and confronts his superiors in their office.
State's Attorney Rupert Bond and Rhonda Pearlman are told by Carcetti's chief of staff to settle the Stanfield case out of court as quietly as possible, using whatever leverage they can to keep the illegal wiretaps from being brought to light. Pearlman meets with Maurice Levy in his office and plays the taped conversation given to her by Freamon. In it, Levy is incriminated by offering to purchase sealed court documents - an offense for which he could serve 10 to 12 years. Pearlman blackmails him into settling the Stanfield cases out of court; Chris Partlow will plead guilty to all of the murder charges in the vacant row houses and accept life imprisonment without parole, Monk and Cheese will plead guilty to possession with intent to sell and serve up to 20 years each, and the charges against Marlo will be abated under the agreement that he step out of the drug business permanently.
McNulty is berated by Daniels and Commissioner Rawls, equally upset about his fabrication of the murders and the new copycat killer. They encourage him to catch the copycat quickly, allowing the press to assume he's the original killer and clean up the whole mess; regardless, they explain, this will be the last case McNulty ever works.
Luckily McNulty proves himself again: Upon seeing that business cards were left on the body, McNulty instantly identifies the killer as a particular mentally ill homeless man with an obsession for calling cards.
The department charges the man with two of the six murders (both of which the man actually committed), and allows him to be sent to a psychiatric facility rather than put him on trial. The media and the public are led to believe that the "Red Ribbon Killer" has thus been caught.
In a press conference afterwards, Mayor Carcetti takes a great deal of credit for both the toppling of the Stanfield enterprise and the catching of the Red Ribbon Killer. Immediately afterwards he promotes Daniels to Commissioner, with Rawls serving as an adviser at City Hall.
Marlo, now prepared to "give up the crown," meets with the remaining members of the New Day Co-Op
to negotiate a price to sell his drug supply connection to The Greek
after his release from prison. He names his price at $10 million, which the Co-Op members can attempt to raise between them. The group agrees that this price beats their only alternative, which is to resume selling low-quality drugs from New York. Later the group meets in a parking lot, where Ricardo reminisces about the "old days" under Proposition Joe
's leadership, which causes Cheese (Proposition Joe's nephew) to pull a gun on him. Cheese acknowledges his role in his uncle's death, and is promptly shot in the head by Slim Charles. Though Clinton "Shorty" Buise complains that Cheese was going to contribute funds, Charles justifies his action by saying "that was for Joe." They all depart, leaving Cheese's body behind.
The BPD hold a mock wake for McNulty, as has been the tradition for detectives who died before their retirement (previously shown in episodes Dead Soldiers and Corner Boys
). Freamon, who has enough time in to take full retirement, attends with Shardene in tow. Several officers, including McNulty's sergeant Jay Landsman
, express genuine dismay at his permanent departure from the homicide department, acknowledging that McNulty was "real murder police," and the best detective in the department in spite of (or possibly because of) his character flaws. McNulty and Freamon make amends with Kima, who admits that she informed Daniels of their lies, with McNulty acknowledging that if she felt she had no other recourse, he trusted her judgment to do the right thing. McNulty heads home to his girlfriend Beadie Russell
, whom he seems to have reconciled with.
Shortly afterwards, Commissioner Daniels is told by mayor Carcetti's Chief of Staff Steintorf to manipulate the crime statistics to make it appear crime is dropping during the next two calendar quarters, an order which he flatly refuses. Daniels, fed up with the "numbers game" which he says caused the problems in the department in the first place, states that from now on all of his statistics will be clean, and real police work will resume. Steintorf is then told by City Council President Nerese Campbell that Daniels will juke the stats or resign as commissioner. Campbell sends Daniel's ex-wife, 11th District Councilwoman Marla Daniels, to him with the file threatening Daniels over his days as an Eastern District DEU sergeant. Daniels then agrees to step down for personal reasons and decides to make use of his law degree. His last act before departing is to award promotions within the department, amongst them being Ellis Carver
's promotion to lieutenant.
As the show winds to a conclusion, several cutaways show the fates of many of the series' major characters, many of which establish that the "next generation" has simply begun following the same path the main characters followed over the past five seasons:
Detective Leander Sydnor
approaches Judge Daniel Phelan to complain about the commissioner's incompetence, mirroring the diatribe from McNulty which began the first Barksdale investigation in the first episode of Season One
.
Marlo, attending a party held by friends of Maurice Levy, attempts to blend in and become a "legitimate businessman" much like Stringer Bell
. Unlike Stringer, but like Avon Barksdale
, he feels uncomfortable in such surroundings. Marlo departs quickly from the party and walks to a nearby corner, accosting two gang members. Despite the two being armed with a gun and a switchblade, Marlo beats them and they run away. The two, however, have no idea who Marlo is, and are telling stories about Omar when Marlo meets them. Marlo has lost the one thing he cares about: his street cred.
At Bodie Broadus
's old spot on the corner of Lanvale and Barclay, Spider appears to be in charge of his own crew.
Dukie and the arabber shoot heroin in a decrepit building, a scene reminiscent of Bubbles' relationships with Johnny Weeks and later Sherrod.
A menacing Michael Lee and a partner kick in the door to Vinson's rim shop, threatening him and his muscle with a shotgun. Michael demands the drug money the group is sorting, and when challenged, shoots Vinson in the kneecap. He and his partner depart, with Michael's mannerisms and attitude mirroring those of the fallen Omar Little
.
Chris Partlow and Wee-Bey Brice
, both incarcerated for life with no possibility of parole, converse on friendly terms in prison.
Ricardo Hendrix, Slim Charles, and the remaining members of the Co-Op meet with Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos
, who appears to give them an identical speech to the one he gave Marlo when agreeing to supply him. The Greek himself takes his usual position at the bar, listening to the conversation incognito.
Scott Templeton wins a Pulitzer Prize for his work on the "Red Ribbon Killer" case, while Gus Haynes is demoted and Alma Gutierrez is transferred to a less prominent bureau. Gus is able to smile, however, as he watches promising young protege Mike Fletcher step into the role of editor.
Daniels becomes a defense attorney, while Rhonda Pearlman becomes a judge. Mayor Thomas Carcetti becomes governor. Nerese Campbell becomes mayor and names Stan Valchek
Police Commissioner. Bill Rawls becomes Superintendent of the Maryland State Police, as promised by Carcetti. Bubbles, finally accepted by his sister, is able to have dinner with his family.
Jimmy McNulty, meanwhile, takes the time to locate the vagrant he displaced in episode six
while inventing the "Red Ribbon Killer", and drives him "back home" - to Baltimore.
The final shot is of the Baltimore skyline, with cars driving past on the highway in the foreground.
and David Simon
were nominated for an Emmy Award
in the category Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
for their work on the finale.
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...
, concluding both the season and the series
Series finale
A series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
. With a running time of 93 minutes, it is also the longest episode of the series. The episode was written by series creator/executive producer 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...
(teleplay/story
WGA screenwriting credit system
In the United States, screenwriting credit for motion pictures and television programs under its jurisdiction is determined by either the Writers Guild of America, East or the Writers Guild of America, West . Since 1941, the Guilds have been the final arbiter of who receives credit for writing a...
) and co-executive producer 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...
(story). It was directed by Clark Johnson
Clark Johnson
Clark Johnson , sometimes credited as Clark 'Slappy' Jackson, Clarque Johnson, and J. Clark Johnson, is an American actor and director who has worked in both television and film.-Early years:...
, who also directed the pilot episode and stars on the show. It aired on March 9, 2008. The episode's writers were nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
The Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series is awarded to one television episode each year at the Primetime Emmy Awards. Often regarded as the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an individual episode of television, the nominees and winners often reflect outstanding achievement in...
.
Title reference
–30––30–
–30– has been traditionally used by journalists to indicate the end of a story. There are many theories about how the usage came into being,e.g...
is a journalistic
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
term that has been used to signify the end of a story.
Epigraph
This is seen in the lobby of the Baltimore Sun, as an excerpt from a longer Mencken quote displayed on the wall when Alma talks with Gus after she has been demoted to the Carroll CountyCarroll County, Maryland
Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 167,134. It was named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton , signer of the American Declaration of Independence. Its county seat is Westminster....
bureau. The full quote reads "...as I look back over a misspent life, I find myself more and more convinced that I had more fun doing news reporting than in any other enterprise. It is really the life of kings."
Music
The Blind Boys of Alabama'sThe Blind Boys of Alabama
The Blind Boys of Alabama are a gospel group from Alabama that first formed at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind at Talladega, Alabama in 1939. The three main vocalists of the group and their drummer/percussionist are all blind....
version of Tom Waits's
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
"Way Down in the Hole
Way Down in the Hole
"Way Down in the Hole" is a song written by singer songwriter Tom Waits and was included on his 1987 album Franks Wild Years, which was later made into a stage production....
" plays over the episode's closing montage. This version of the song had previously been used as the theme music for the show's first season.
During the scene where McNulty plays a board game with Beadie Russell's children, the song that can be heard playing in the background is "Rich Woman
Rich Woman
Rich Woman is a song written by Dorothy LaBostrie and McKinley Millet and most notably recorded by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss on their 2007 album Raising Sand.It won the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals...
" by Alison Krauss
Alison Krauss
Alison Maria Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in...
and Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
from their 2007 album Raising Sand
Raising Sand
Raising Sand is a collaboration album by rock singer Robert Plant and bluegrass-country singer Alison Krauss. It was released on October 23, 2007 by Rounder Records...
.
"The Body of an American" by The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
is heard during McNulty's staged "detective's wake", making it the third time the song was used in the course of the show's run.
Starring cast
Although credited, Michael K. WilliamsMichael 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:...
and Isiah Whitlock, Jr.
Isiah Whitlock, Jr.
Isiah Whitlock Jr. is an American actor.He is most famous for his role on the HBO television series, The Wire as corrupt state senator Clay Davis. He also is notable for appearing in Spike Lee films She Hate Me and 25th Hour as Agent Amos Flood...
do not appear in this episode.
Guest stars
- 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 Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski - 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 - Amy RyanAmy RyanAmy Ryan is an American actress. She has been nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe for her performance in Gone Baby Gone and is also known for her roles in the HBO series The Wire, playing Port Authority Officer Beadie Russell; In Treatment, playing psychiatrist Adele Brousse; and The...
as Beatrice "Beadie" RussellBeadie RussellBeatrice "Beadie" Russell is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actress Amy Ryan. She was featured prominently in the second season, after she discovered thirteen corpses in a container on the Baltimore docks.... - 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:... - Bill RaymondBill RaymondBill Raymond is an actor who has appeared in film, television and theatre since the 1960s.-Life and career:He featured in the second and fifth seasons of the HBO drama The Wire as "The Greek", the mysterious head of an international criminal organization. Other TV appearances include Miami Vice,...
as The GreekThe Greek (The Wire)The Greek is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Bill Raymond. The Greek is the head of an international criminal organization involved in narcotics and human trafficking.... - 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... - Marlyne AfflackMarlyne AfflackMarlyne Nayokah Afflack is an American actress best known her role as Nerese Campbell on The Wire. She also played an attorney in the FX drama Damages and Thomasina, the efficient palace secretary and aide-de-camp, on the NBC series Kings...
as Nerese Campbell - Steve EarleSteve EarleStephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
as Walon - Ptolemy Slocum as Business Card Homeless Man
- Maria Broom as Marla Daniels
- 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 - 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 - 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" WagstaffCheese WagstaffCalvin "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... - Dion Graham as Rupert Bond
- Thomas J. McCarthy as Tim Phelps
- Robert Poletick as Steven Luxenberg
- Michael WillisMichael WillisMichael Willis, born October 4, 1949, is an American television and movie character actor. Willis' credits include movie roles in Pushing Tin and Men in Black, and several episodes of Law & Order....
as Andy Krawczyk - Donald Neal as Jay Spry
- Kara Quick as Rebecca Corbett
- Brandon Young as Mike Fletcher
- William F. ZorziWilliam F. ZorziWilliam F. Zorzi is an American journalist and screenwriter. He worked at The Baltimore Sun for almost twenty years and covered politics for the majority of his career. He has also written for the HBO television series The Wire.-Journalism:...
as Bill Zorzi - Al Brown as Stanislaus ValchekStanislaus ValchekStanislaus "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...
- 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 - Michael Salconi as Michael Santangelo
- Brian Anthony WilsonBrian Anthony WilsonBrian Anthony Wilson is an American film and television actor. He first appeared in the 1997 film The Postman as Woody....
as Vernon Holley - Megan Anderson as Jen Carcetti
- Benay Berger as Amanda Reese
- Eisa Davis as Bubbles' sister
- Tootsie DuvallTootsie DuvallTootsie Duvall is an American film, theatre and television actress.-Career:...
as Assistant Principal Marcia Donnelly - 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 - Bobby Brown as Bobby Brown
- Dennis Hill as Detective Christeson
- Doug Olear as Terrance "Fitz" Fitzhugh
- Rick Otto as Kenneth Dozerman
- Gregory L. Williams as Michael Crutchfield
- 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 - Dave Ettlin as Dave Ettlin
- Edward Green as Spider
- Kwame Patterson as Monk Metcalf
- Stephen SchnetzerStephen SchnetzerStephen Schnetzer is an American actor.After playing the role of Julie Olson Williams' brother, Steven Olson on the California-based serial Days of our Lives, he joined the cast of ABC soap opera One Life to Live as fitness expert Marcello Salta. He later played attorney Cass Winthrop on Another...
as Robert Ruby - Carl Schoettler as Carl Schoettler
- William Joseph Brookes as Lawrence Butler
- Sho "Swordsman" Brown as Phil Boy
- Norris Davis as Vinson
- Reggie A. Green as Arabber
- Joey Odoms as Corner boy
- Troj. Marquis Strickland as Ricardo "Fat Face Rick" Hendrix
- Connor Aikin as Jack Russell
- Sophia Ayoud as Cary Russell
- 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 - Clinton "Shorty" Buise as Clinton "Shorty" Buise
- Henry Carter as unknown
- Alan V. Poulson as Developer
- Dionne Audain as Social Worker
- Chris Kies as Petey the drunk
- Stephen Kinigopoulos as Officer
- Edward C. Lewis as unknown
- George Smith as unknown
- Jeff WincottJeff WincottJeffrey Howard Piero Wincott is a Canadian actor and athlete.-Personal life:Jeff is the elder brother of actor Michael Wincott....
as Johnny Weaver
Uncredited appearances
- David Simon as Sun staff member
- Rebecca Corbett as Sun staff member
Plot
The episode begins with mayor Tommy CarcettiTommy 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...
learning from the BPD brass that the "Red Ribbon Killer" was a fabrication, a revelation which renders him and his staff speechless. After some discussion, Carcetti and his advisers agree that revealing this information to the public would have disastrous effects on his upcoming bid for governor (due to the fact that Carcetti himself only recently restructured the department). In spite of protests from 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 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...
, it is agreed that the case should be wrapped up quietly and those responsible will be reassigned and kept out of the way in return for silence. Chief of Staff Steintorf sees Acting Commissioner 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:...
's leverage opportunities and offers him a position as Superintendent of the Maryland State Police
Maryland State Police
The Maryland State Police is the official state police force of the state of Maryland. The Maryland State Police is headquartered at 1201 Reisterstown Road in the Pikesville CDP in unincorporated Baltimore County.-Organizational structure:...
(a position that better suits Rawls racially) following Carcetti's election as governor, in return for his cooperation.
Though Daniels and Pearlman have been informed of the falsified serial killings, 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...
and 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...
continue to operate under the assumption that their plot has remained a secret. With the Stanfield crew behind bars, Freamon takes it upon himself to identify the drug kingpin's mole within the courthouse. It is revealed that Grand Jury Prosecutor Gary DiPasquale has a major gambling problem with annual losses three times larger than his salary and that he took out a third mortgage on his home. DiPasquale admits to leaking courthouse documents to drug defense attorneys as Freamon points out that through the course of asset investigations, DiPasquale was the only "bogey" in the courthouse. Freamon then tells DiPasquale to resign quietly to avoid criminal prosecution, but not before recording a telephone conversation with attorney 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...
whom DiPasquale admits has been paying him for the court documents.
Meanwhile, drug kingpin 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...
and his lieutenants remain imprisoned. Having been informed of Snoop's death, the group agree that Michael
Michael 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...
was indeed an informant and decide that eliminating him is a top priority, although Chris appears to remain skeptical. Cheese
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...
is the only member of the group able to post bail - Monk has violated parole, Chris
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...
has been charged with murder, and Marlo himself is refused bail on the basis of his status as alleged kingpin and ability to intimidate witnesses and jurors. Marlo instructs Cheese to assemble the Stanfield crew's remaining muscle to hunt down Michael.
Freamon meets with Pearlman at the courthouse, where he provides her the identity of the mole and his recorded conversation with Maurice Levy. Pearlman, despite being happy to have such strong evidence against Levy, is still angry enough to reveal her and Daniels's knowledge of Freamon and McNulty's duplicity.
Dukie, having been left on the streets by Michael, returns to Edward J. Tilghman Middle School to visit his old teacher, Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski. Dukie asks Prez for money, claiming that if he had enough for an apartment, he could enroll in a GED program at the community college. Prez is skeptical and agrees to help Dukie, but with a warning: he'll visit the community college next week. If Dukie has indeed enrolled, their relationship will be intact, but if he hasn't, Prez muses, "I'll probably never see you again anyway, right?" Dukie agrees to the conditions, but takes the money back to the arabber
Arabber
An arabber is a street merchant who sells fruits and vegetables from a colorful, horse-drawn cart. Once a common sight in American East Coast cities, only a handful of arabbers still walk the streets of Baltimore.-Arabbing:...
to spend on drugs anyway. Prez sees this and drives away, obviously disappointed.
Baltimore Sun journalist 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:...
, desperate for more material to contribute to his aims for a Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
, goes out on the streets to interview homeless people. After a few moments of standing around, he instead finds an inebriated homeless man and then phones in a 911 call
9-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
, claiming that the man is being kidnapped. When the police arrive, Templeton tells them that the man was being pulled into a van when he arrived; the man is so intoxicated that he can't confirm or deny Templeton's claims. McNulty is one of the police called to the scene, and after a few minutes, grows exasperated with Templeton's transparent lies and sends him away. Afterwards, an undercover police officer (dressed as a homeless person, stationed in the area by the city to keep an eye out for the killer) confirms McNulty's suspicions that Templeton was making the story up. Rather than charge Templeton for making a false statement, McNulty allows him to leave.
Freamon arrives back at headquarters and tells McNulty that Daniels and Pearlman know the truth about the "Red Ribbon Killer" and the illegal wiretap. McNulty wonders aloud why, if the Commissioner and City Hall already know, the two of them haven't already been fired and arrested. Freamon replies that Mayor Carcetti is desperate to save face after using the serial killer as an excuse to run on a platform of poverty and homelessness. Thinking about it, Lester says, "we've got almost as much on them as they do on us."
While Fletcher hawks newspapers on Bubbles's morning shift, Bubbles reads the article Fletcher has finished about him. Bubbles is touched that Fletcher finds his life story so inspiring, but at the same time, has reservations about revealing the details of his friend Sherrod's death to the world. Fletcher maintains that readers would find Bubbles's life story thought-provoking, but Bubbles remains unconvinced.
In the Sun's newsroom, Haynes
Augustus Haynes
Augustus "Gus" Haynes is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Clark Johnson, who is also a director for the series. Haynes is the dedicated and principled editor for the Baltimore Sun city desk.-Character depiction:...
is adamant about refusing to print Templeton's falsified story about the attempted abduction. His superior Klebanow accuses him of having a personal vendetta. He moves Templeton's article to another editing desk, and warns Haynes that his attitude could cause problems for him down the line. Haynes outright accuses Scott Templeton of lying about the "abduction" which he claims took place, causing an outraged Scott to throw his notes.
Lawyer Maurice Levy goes through the Stanfield arrest warrants, convinced that something is amiss. Herc assures him that a wiretap is the most likely means by which Marlo was brought down, and Levy learns that the only four people who knew the group's meeting code were the four arrested. Considering the speed with which the code was broken (mere hours after their arrest), Levy is confident that the police used an illegal wiretap to decipher the code beforehand. He later tells Pearlman that he's aware of this discrepancy, making it clear that whatever fraud was present in the case will be aired in court.
Unfortunately for McNulty, another homeless man is found murdered, with a white ribbon tied around his wrists. McNulty, Bunk
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 Kima
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...
arrive on scene, distraught that McNulty's entirely fictitious serial killer has inspired a copycat. Camera crews immediately begin to arrive on the scene as they argue, though it's fairly obvious that McNulty is now feeling great remorse for taking this course of action. As the incident appears on televisions across Baltimore, Mayor Carcetti is watching as well. "Did somebody not get the message?" he deadpans, exasperated.
Bubbles allows Walon to read the article Fletcher wrote, which leaves Walon with a smile. "This guy gets you," he explains to Bubbles, going on to say that the article didn't pull its punches and weighs him objectively, and in the end convinces Bubbles that it's not the negative aspects of the articles that he fears - indeed, Bubbles admits that since Sherrod's death he's been unwilling to call himself a fundamentally "good" person. Bubbles finally agrees to have the article printed.
Fletcher allows Haynes to read his article on Bubbles in the newsroom, and Haynes wholeheartedly approves. Afterwards, however, Alma
Alma 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:...
approaches him and reveals that the notebook Templeton had thrown during their earlier argument was empty, despite claims from Scott that it contained notes on all the details of the attempted kidnapping. Pushed over the edge, Haynes takes the file he's compiled on Templeton's indiscretions and confronts his superiors in their office.
State's Attorney Rupert Bond and Rhonda Pearlman are told by Carcetti's chief of staff to settle the Stanfield case out of court as quietly as possible, using whatever leverage they can to keep the illegal wiretaps from being brought to light. Pearlman meets with Maurice Levy in his office and plays the taped conversation given to her by Freamon. In it, Levy is incriminated by offering to purchase sealed court documents - an offense for which he could serve 10 to 12 years. Pearlman blackmails him into settling the Stanfield cases out of court; Chris Partlow will plead guilty to all of the murder charges in the vacant row houses and accept life imprisonment without parole, Monk and Cheese will plead guilty to possession with intent to sell and serve up to 20 years each, and the charges against Marlo will be abated under the agreement that he step out of the drug business permanently.
McNulty is berated by Daniels and Commissioner Rawls, equally upset about his fabrication of the murders and the new copycat killer. They encourage him to catch the copycat quickly, allowing the press to assume he's the original killer and clean up the whole mess; regardless, they explain, this will be the last case McNulty ever works.
Luckily McNulty proves himself again: Upon seeing that business cards were left on the body, McNulty instantly identifies the killer as a particular mentally ill homeless man with an obsession for calling cards.
The department charges the man with two of the six murders (both of which the man actually committed), and allows him to be sent to a psychiatric facility rather than put him on trial. The media and the public are led to believe that the "Red Ribbon Killer" has thus been caught.
In a press conference afterwards, Mayor Carcetti takes a great deal of credit for both the toppling of the Stanfield enterprise and the catching of the Red Ribbon Killer. Immediately afterwards he promotes Daniels to Commissioner, with Rawls serving as an adviser at City Hall.
Marlo, now prepared to "give up the crown," meets with the remaining members of the New Day Co-Op
New Day Co-Op
The New Day Co-Op is a fictional criminal organization on the HBO drama television series The Wire. The New Day Co-Op, commonly referred to as the Co-Op, is a democratic alliance of drug dealers formed in the interests of promoting business and reducing violence. There are at least a dozen members...
to negotiate a price to sell his drug supply connection to The Greek
The Greek (The Wire)
The Greek is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Bill Raymond. The Greek is the head of an international criminal organization involved in narcotics and human trafficking....
after his release from prison. He names his price at $10 million, which the Co-Op members can attempt to raise between them. The group agrees that this price beats their only alternative, which is to resume selling low-quality drugs from New York. Later the group meets in a parking lot, where Ricardo reminisces about the "old days" under 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...
's leadership, which causes Cheese (Proposition Joe's nephew) to pull a gun on him. Cheese acknowledges his role in his uncle's death, and is promptly shot in the head by Slim Charles. Though Clinton "Shorty" Buise complains that Cheese was going to contribute funds, Charles justifies his action by saying "that was for Joe." They all depart, leaving Cheese's body behind.
The BPD hold a mock wake for McNulty, as has been the tradition for detectives who died before their retirement (previously shown in episodes Dead Soldiers and Corner Boys
Corner Boys
"Corner Boys" is the eighth episode of the fourth season of the HBO original series The Wire. Written by Richard Price from a story by Ed Burns & Richard Price, and directed by Agnieszka Holland, it originally aired on November 5, 2006.-Title reference:...
). Freamon, who has enough time in to take full retirement, attends with Shardene in tow. Several officers, including McNulty's sergeant Jay Landsman
Jay 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...
, express genuine dismay at his permanent departure from the homicide department, acknowledging that McNulty was "real murder police," and the best detective in the department in spite of (or possibly because of) his character flaws. McNulty and Freamon make amends with Kima, who admits that she informed Daniels of their lies, with McNulty acknowledging that if she felt she had no other recourse, he trusted her judgment to do the right thing. McNulty heads home to his girlfriend Beadie Russell
Beadie Russell
Beatrice "Beadie" Russell is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actress Amy Ryan. She was featured prominently in the second season, after she discovered thirteen corpses in a container on the Baltimore docks....
, whom he seems to have reconciled with.
Shortly afterwards, Commissioner Daniels is told by mayor Carcetti's Chief of Staff Steintorf to manipulate the crime statistics to make it appear crime is dropping during the next two calendar quarters, an order which he flatly refuses. Daniels, fed up with the "numbers game" which he says caused the problems in the department in the first place, states that from now on all of his statistics will be clean, and real police work will resume. Steintorf is then told by City Council President Nerese Campbell that Daniels will juke the stats or resign as commissioner. Campbell sends Daniel's ex-wife, 11th District Councilwoman Marla Daniels, to him with the file threatening Daniels over his days as an Eastern District DEU sergeant. Daniels then agrees to step down for personal reasons and decides to make use of his law degree. His last act before departing is to award promotions within the department, amongst them being 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...
's promotion to lieutenant.
As the show winds to a conclusion, several cutaways show the fates of many of the series' major characters, many of which establish that the "next generation" has simply begun following the same path the main characters followed over the past five seasons:
Detective Leander Sydnor
Leander Sydnor
Leander Sydnor is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Corey Parker Robinson. Sydnor is a young, married Baltimore Police detective who was a member of the Barksdale detail and later worked in the Major Crimes Unit.-Season 1:...
approaches Judge Daniel Phelan to complain about the commissioner's incompetence, mirroring the diatribe from McNulty which began the first Barksdale investigation in the first episode of Season One
The Target (The Wire episode)
"The Target" is the pilot episode 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 Clark Johnson...
.
Marlo, attending a party held by friends of Maurice Levy, attempts to blend in and become a "legitimate businessman" much like 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...
. Unlike Stringer, but like 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...
, he feels uncomfortable in such surroundings. Marlo departs quickly from the party and walks to a nearby corner, accosting two gang members. Despite the two being armed with a gun and a switchblade, Marlo beats them and they run away. The two, however, have no idea who Marlo is, and are telling stories about Omar when Marlo meets them. Marlo has lost the one thing he cares about: his street cred.
At Bodie Broadus
Bodie Broadus
Preston "Bodie" Broadus is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor J. D. Williams. Bodie is initially a Barksdale organization drug dealer in "The Pit" who slowly rises through the ranks...
's old spot on the corner of Lanvale and Barclay, Spider appears to be in charge of his own crew.
Dukie and the arabber shoot heroin in a decrepit building, a scene reminiscent of Bubbles' relationships with Johnny Weeks and later Sherrod.
A menacing Michael Lee and a partner kick in the door to Vinson's rim shop, threatening him and his muscle with a shotgun. Michael demands the drug money the group is sorting, and when challenged, shoots Vinson in the kneecap. He and his partner depart, with Michael's mannerisms and attitude mirroring those of the fallen 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"....
.
Chris Partlow and 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....
, both incarcerated for life with no possibility of parole, converse on friendly terms in prison.
Ricardo Hendrix, Slim Charles, and the remaining members of the Co-Op meet with 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:...
, who appears to give them an identical speech to the one he gave Marlo when agreeing to supply him. The Greek himself takes his usual position at the bar, listening to the conversation incognito.
Scott Templeton wins a Pulitzer Prize for his work on the "Red Ribbon Killer" case, while Gus Haynes is demoted and Alma Gutierrez is transferred to a less prominent bureau. Gus is able to smile, however, as he watches promising young protege Mike Fletcher step into the role of editor.
Daniels becomes a defense attorney, while Rhonda Pearlman becomes a judge. Mayor Thomas Carcetti becomes governor. Nerese Campbell becomes mayor and names Stan 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...
Police Commissioner. Bill Rawls becomes Superintendent of the Maryland State Police, as promised by Carcetti. Bubbles, finally accepted by his sister, is able to have dinner with his family.
Jimmy McNulty, meanwhile, takes the time to locate the vagrant he displaced in episode six
The Dickensian Aspect
"The Dickensian Aspect" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of the HBO original series, The Wire. The episode was written by Ed Burns from a story by David Simon & Ed Burns and was directed by Seith Mann...
while inventing the "Red Ribbon Killer", and drives him "back home" - to Baltimore.
The final shot is of the Baltimore skyline, with cars driving past on the highway in the foreground.
Deceased
- Calvin "Cheese" WagstaffCheese WagstaffCalvin "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...
: Shot by Slim Charles
Reception
Writers Ed BurnsEd 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 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...
were nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in the category Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
The Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series is awarded to one television episode each year at the Primetime Emmy Awards. Often regarded as the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an individual episode of television, the nominees and winners often reflect outstanding achievement in...
for their work on the finale.