As a launching-off point, check out the editorial written by five Wire writers trying to answer the question, “what should we do?” on the eve of the series ending in 2008.

“…the life of kings.” – H.L. Mencken
Daniels tells Carcetti that McNulty fabricated the serial killer. Fearing for his campaign, Carcetti orders a cover-up and Daniels is angry but accepts the orders for the sake of the careers of those peripherally involved. Freamon learns that Levy is involved with leaking courthouse documents to drug dealers and tells Pearlman. McNulty and Freamon decide to retire when Pearlman warns them that they are going to be re-assigned to dead-end units. Levy realizes the Stanfield investigation relied upon an illegal wiretap. As part of the cover-up, Pearlman negotiates a deal with Levy; Levy will escape charges for the leak, Stanfield’s charges will be suspended and he will go free but be forced to leave the drug game, while the others in custody will plead guilty to the charges. Stanfield sells the connection to The Greeks back to the Co-Op and plans to become a business man. Daniels refuses to falsify statistics to help Carcetti’s election campaign. Campbell brings up his past to blackmail him into compliance but Daniels instead elects to stand down and begins a new career as a defense attorney. For their part in the cover-up Pearlman and Rawls are rewarded with promotions; Pearlman becomes a judge and Rawls is made State Police Superintendant. Michael becomes a stick-up artist. Dukie begins using heroin. Carcetti goes on to become Governor, Campbell replaces him as Mayor and promotes Valchek to commissioner.

Deceased:

Cheese Wagstaff

Episode #58: “Clarifications”

“A lie ain’t a side of a story. It’s just a lie.” – Terry Hanning
Partlow keeps word of Omar attacking Stanfield’s name from Stanfield. Omar’s mission is ended when he is surprised and killed by a young drug dealer named Kenard. The Iraq veteran comes forward to complain that Templeton fabricated details of their discussion and Haynes is shocked that Templeton’s misconduct involves even this story; Haynes misses the story of Omar’s death. Bunk finally gets a murder warrant on Partlow with a little assistance from McNulty. McNulty asks Carver to provide a surveillance team for Freamon using the serial killer funding and with the extra manpower Sydnor breaks the communications code. McNulty cannot stand to see Greggs spending time on the serial killer case and he admits inventing the killer. Russell warns McNulty that she will leave him if his behavior continues and McNulty comes clean to her too. Dukie finds work with street vendors who collect and sell scrap metal. Carcetti fends off a challenge for the democratic nomination from Prince George’s county and is forced to make promises to Davis, Campbell, and a congressman from the county.

Deceased:

Omar Little

Episode #59: “Late Editions”
“Deserve got nuthin’ to do with it.” – Snoop
Freamon tracks Partlow to a Stanfield resupply and makes multiple arrests including Partlow, Stanfield, and Cheese. Carcetti holds a press conference to celebrate the arrests. Stanfield is suspicious of an informant and orders Snoop to kill Michael. Michael realizes the danger, murders Snoop, and goes into hiding. Suddenly homeless, Dukie moves in with the street vendors. Stanfield learns that Omar used his name on the street and is enraged. Greggs goes to Daniels about McNulty’s actions. Bubbles celebrates a sobriety anniversary and reporter Mike Fletcher writes a profile about him. Haynes launches a more thorough investigation into Templeton’s lies.

Deceased:

Felicia “Snoop” Pearson

Episode #56: “The Dickensian Aspect”

“If you have a problem with this, I understand completely.” – Freamon
Omar hides and tends to his injured leg overnight and then resumes robbing the Stanfield organization. Stanfield assumes control of the New Day Co-Op, telling the members that Omar was responsible for Stewart’s death. Stanfield promotes Cheese, raises the price of narcotics, and suspends further meetings. The police find sealed courthouse documents in Stewart’s house and realize there is a leak somewhere. Freamon enlists Leander Sydnor to man the wiretap and realizes that Stanfield is communicating with picture messages and McNulty abducts and photographs a homeless man in order to provide probable cause for picture intercepts. Templeton writes a follow-up story about a homeless Iraq veteran and draws the praise of his superiors, for once including Haynes. Bunk remains frustrated with McNulty’s scheme and begins to make progress working his old cases the traditional way. Carcetti delivers a rousing speech about the serial killer and decides to spin homelessness into a core campaign issue.

Episode #57: “Took”

“They don’t teach it in law school.” – Pearlman
Freamon and McNulty stage a call from the killer to Templeton and send him the photographs to get the picture intercept equipment they need. Carcetti authorizes resources for the investigation and McNulty finally has the funds he hoped for. Bunk interviews Michael about the vacant murders but learns nothing. Omar attacks more of Stanfield’s people and damages his reputation on the street at every opportunity. After a spectacular courtroom performance Davis is acquitted of the corruption charges. Kima Greggs reconnects with her ex-girlfriend’s son. Haynes investigates his suspicions about Templeton and learns that Templeton has lied about his reporting.

Deceased:

Savino

Episode #54: “Transitions”

“Buyer’s market out there.” – Templeton
Freamon and McNulty draw more attention to their fake serial killer by sensationalizing the murders. McNulty’s compulsive behaviour jeopardizes his relationship with Beadie Russell. Campbell learns of Daniels’ history but convinces Burrell to leave quietly with the promise of a comfortable replacement position. Sergeant Ellis Carver puts his principles first in the Western District and his former partner Herc is shamed by his integrity. Stanfield convinces The Greeks to consider him an insurance policy and continues to assimilate Stewart’s contacts including Maurice Levy. Omar returns to Baltimore and quickly learns that Stanfield was responsible for Butchie’s death. Stewart prepares to leave town fearing reprisal from Omar but is once again betrayed by Cheese and murdered by Partlow as Stanfield watches.

New Character:

Officer Oscar Requer

Deceased:

Hungry Man
Proposition Joe

Episode #55: “React Quotes”

“Just ’cause they’re in the street doesn’t mean that they lack opinions.” – Haynes
Stanfield takes over as The Greeks’ Baltimore distributor and is given a phone and a code to use to contact them. Stanfield gives the number to Levy and Herc steals it and passes it on to the police department. Freamon appeals to Daniels for a wiretap but is unsuccessful. McNulty leaks further details of his invented serial killer to the press and the story gains momentum. When Templeton stages a phone call from the serial killer McNulty uses it as probable cause for a wiretap. Freamon sets up on Stanfield’s phone while the homicide unit believe they are manning another, disconnected, wiretap of the killers phone. Dukie struggles with bullying and searches for a new path. Bubbles learns that he is HIV negative. State’s Attorney Bond announces the Davis corruption case. Campbell convinces Davis to protect his fellow politicians and he embarks on a publicity campaign suggesting that his race has motivated the charges. Partlow sets up an ambush for Omar which he narrowly escapes by jumping from a balcony.

Deceased:

Donnie

Episode #52: “Unconfirmed Reports”

“This ain’t Aruba, bitch.” – Bunk
Reporter Scott Templeton submits an unverifiable story about a boy attending the opening day of the Baltimore Orioles baseball season. Haynes is dubious but is forced to run the story by his senior editors. The withdrawal of the police investigation emboldens Marlo Stanfield and he orders several murders and tries to contact international drug trafficking organization “The Greeks”. Detective Lester Freamon continues to observe Stanfield even though he has been assigned to the Clay Davis corruption case. Bubbles takes a job at a soup kitchen. McNulty becomes increasingly frustrated in the underfunded homicide unit and takes the drastic step of faking a homicide with the intention of drawing funds to the department by creating the illusion of a serial killer.

Deceased:

June Bug

Episode #53: “Not For Attribution”

“They’re dead where it doesn’t count.” – Fletcher
Stanfield turns to “Proposition Joe” Stewart for help cleaning and laundering money while Stewart remains unaware that Stanfield is trying to usurp his connection to The Greeks. Stanfield also places a bounty on information leading him to Omar Little. Cheese gives Stanfield the whereabout’s of Omar’s advisor Butchie. Chris Partlow and Snoop torture and kill Butchie to lure Omar from retirement. Stanislaus Valchek leaks unmodified statistics from the police department to Carcetti and tells him that commissioner Ervin Burrell is falsifying the numbers giving Carcetti the political ammunition he needs to fire Burrell. Carcetti leaks a story heralding Cedric Daniels as a potential replacement. Daniels is worried that Burrell will reveal his shady past after Templeton invents a quote implicating Daniels in Burrell’s departure. McNulty continues to work on his serial killer plan despite warnings from his partner Bunk Moreland. Bunk enlists Freamon to talk to McNulty but is dumbfounded when Freamon offers to help with the plan.

Deceased:

Butchie

It is essential that you look through these sources for potential research that relates to your projects. However, note that until we’ve finished the series, many essays will reveal crucial plot points from season 5, so tread lightly for spoilers or plan to start digging in on May 4.

If you find other sources that are helpful, please post links or citations to them in the comment thread here.

Episode #51: “More With Less”

“The bigger the lie, the more they believe.” – Bunk
The Stanfield Organization continues to operate despite a year of surveillance by the Major Crimes Unit. Education budget deficits and ambitions to become Governor leave Mayor Carcetti forced to make funding cuts. His broken promises to the police department destroy morale and cause the closure of the Major Crimes Unit. Detective Jimmy McNulty is sent back to homicide and returns to his old habits of drinking and infidelity. Similar cutbacks in the Baltimore Sun newsroom make it increasingly difficult for city desk editor Gus Haynes to do his job but he is still able to break a major story linking city council president Nerese Campbell and drug dealer Fat-Face Rick. Bubbles is recovering from his heroin addiction but is struggling to come to terms with his role in Sherrod’s death. Michael Lee continues to work as a Stanfield enforcer and provides a home for his younger brother and friend Duquan “Dukie” Weems.

New Characters

Gus Haynes
Scott Templeton
Alma Gutierrez
James Whiting
Thomas Klebanow
Steven Luxenberg
Tim Phelps
Jay Spry
Roger Twigg
Mike Fletcher
Rebecca Corbett
Detective Christeson

Episode #49: “That’s Got His Own”

“That all it is to it?” – Bubbles
Prez is rankled by Dukie’s social promotion to high school after having become close to him. Omar orchestrates the theft of the Co-Op’s shipment. Michael trains as an enforcer in the Stanfield Organization and violently alienates Cutty and Namond. Randy is kept home for his own protection but an arson attack on his home leaves his foster mother horribly burned. Herc is suspended for his loss of the camera. Freamon’s discovery of bodies in vacant houses damages the homicide unit’s annual clearance rate. Daniels realizes the statistics can be blamed on Royce so Carcetti approves a city wide search. Carcetti faces a massive school budget deficit and is forced to go the the governor for assistance. Bubbles prepares a lethal vial of narcotics for his tormentor but Sherrod takes it unwittingly and dies.

New Character:

Michael Steintorf (Carcetti’s chief of staff)

Deceased:

Sherrod

Episode #50: “Final Grades”

“If animal trapped call 410-844-6286.” – Baltimore, traditional
Bubbles attempts suicide after confessing his part in Sherrod’s death and is taken to rehab. Freamon begins to build his investigation and has Chris and Snoop brought in for DNA samples. Bodie reaches breaking point over Marlo’s murder of his people and turns to McNulty. Bodie is later killed on his corner after the meeting is observed. McNulty decides to rejoin the Major Crimes Unit. Proposition Joe is forced to reveal his supplier to Marlo to reassure the Co-Op after Omar’s robbery. Marlo meets with Spiros Vondas who vouches for Joe. Omar brazenly sells the stolen drugs back to the Co-Op. Carcetti rejects the Governor’s offer of assistance with the schools as it would cost his career too much in the future. Despite Carver’s efforts to prevent it, Randy is reluctantly returned to a group home. Colvin’s special class is shut down by the education board. However, he persuades Namond’s parents to let Namond live with him in order to keep him away from drug dealing. Michael commits his first murder and is given Bodie’s corner to run; Dukie is unable to settle in high school and joins his crew.

Deceased:

Bodie