Best Episodes Of The Wire

Over the last decade, television has undergone a drastic change thanks to the decline of television programming and the sudden rise of streaming services, which have dominated the entertainment industry ever since their inception. However, many point to the golden age of television emerging in the 2000s, years before Netflix, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime Video dominated the landscape, with shows like The Wire revolutionizing the medium.

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HBO’s very own The Wire, an in-depth focus on the Baltimore drug trade through the lens of both the streets and the authorities, brought forward injustice, corruption, and power that opened the door for shows like Breaking Bad and other classic criminal shows to flourish, with The Wire and The Sopranos leading the way during its time. Throughout its five seasons, The Wire‘s evolving story beats and cast of characters produced many iconic hours of television and specific episodes that elevated the harrowing crime drama to the status the show holds today in television history.

7

Season 1, Episode 10: The Cost

Wallace Goes Into Protection, And Greggs Gets Shot While Undercover In Shocking Cliffhanger

While Cedric Daniels’ detail continues their riveting wiretap investigation into Avon Barksdale and his operations, their case gets new ground with the confession of the Michael B. Jordan-portrayed Wallace, after admitting to being a witness to a murder pertaining to the Barksdale crew, resulting in the downbeat Wallace being sent into protection.

The showdown between Stringer Bell and a wire-tapped Omar brought two of The Wire‘s most prominent players face to face. However, the episode’s stunning cliffhanger of an undercover Kima Greggs getting shot up solidified the show as must-watch TV, as one of the show’s fan favorites falls victim to an assassination attempt, highlighting the dangers and risks that come with the job for the determined Narcotics Unit.

6

Season 5, Episode 9: Late Editions

Marlo And His Crew Fall As Michael Becomes The Next Omar

The Wire‘s penultimate episode threw up many curveballs and surprises, establishing a strong end to a detailed and layered season. In the jam-packed hour of television, a Lester Freamon-led investigation leads to Marlo and his crew’s downfall, with Marlo’s famed “my name is my name” rant while in jail becoming one of the series’ most iconic scenes. The former drug addict Bubbles delivers a rousing speech about his journey in rehab, showing tremendous character growth from where the character first began, even despite his traumatic past.

After murdering Snoop, Michael goes his separate ways with Dukie and his younger brother Bug, with the emotional and heartbreaking sendoff marking the end of a genuine childhood friendship as both Michael and Dukie head toward dark and ominous futures.

5

Season 4, Episode 12: That’s Got His Own

Namond Wants Out Of The Street Life While Randy Suffers From A Lie

In an episode that sees Carcetti maneuver with the help of Rawls’ suggestion, much of the episode results in sorrow as the group of boys in focus throughout much of the season slowly start to entangle themselves in dire straits. Michael’s elevation within Marlo’s crew makes him move closer to criminal life and further away from his friends. At the same time, Namond cracks under the pressure of living up to his father Wee-Bey’s reputation and his mother’s abusive behavior.

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While devastating to see Michael and Namond start to descend down a troubled path, the episode’s true devastation lies with Bubbles, whose laced heroin vial gets used by Sherrod, a young teenager Bubbles looks out for, with Sherrod’s sudden death causing Bubbles to capitulate. As Bubbles deals with his irresponsible actions, the accusations of Randy being a snitch cause his foster home to get firebombed, leaving the innocent Randy stranded. Randy’s unfortunate situation and Carver’s anguish when he arrives to find a burned Randy at the hospital packs an emotional punch that paints a picture of the realities of the game and growing up within its parameters.

4

Season 3, Episode 12: Mission Accomplished

Hamsterdam Is Abolished As Avon Gets Locked Up, Leaving Marlo To Secure Victory In The War

The Hamsterdam project, commissioned by Bunny Colvin, saw all drug-dealing activities moved to a specific block to result in crime-free areas that would benefit the community. Despite Colvin’s initiative, the legalization of the drug trade led to a major scandal in the Baltimore police force, with individuals aiming to pin the scheme to gain political points and secure their future. Carcetti, among others, takes full advantage of the situation, propelling his standing in the city, with the episode further showcasing the dark side of politics that made The Wire so captivating.

While Colvin’s police career is effectively dead and buried, his tip from before Stringer died leads to Avon and his crew being taken down, allowing the young and merciless Marlo to effectively win the war without eliminating Avon and Stringer. Despite the season finale ending on a sour note for many characters, romance blossoms for Daniels and Jimmy McNulty, showing that not all hope is lost as the episode perfectly brought things to a close in the action-packed season.

3

Season 4, Episode 13: Final Grades

The Friendship Group At The Center Of The Season Drifts Apart In Saddening Sendoff

Season 4 of The Wire has been widely regarded as one of television’s most praised seasons, much in part due to its examination of a group of disadvantaged school children who each embark on their complex journeys throughout the season. At the culmination of the season, Namond, Randy, Michael, and Dukie each go their separate ways, becoming victims to their surroundings, with only Namond going on to find happiness and a promising future as Colvin adopts the troubled teenager with Wee-Bey’s approval.

Unfortunately for Namond’s friends, each falls to the wayside as the good-hearted Dukie and Randy become products of their environments, while Michael becomes a cold-blooded killer devoid of emotion. The tragic episode illustrates the harsh realities kind souls can end up in, as systematic failures that result in poverty and the oppression of marginalized communities trickle down from the decisions of high society, forever causing strife and pain that makes the season finale even more emotional and visceral.

2

Season 5, Episode 10: -30-

Series Finale That Wraps Up Loose Ends In Satisfying Way

The Wire‘s finale may lack the suspense and nail-biting drama of other shows. However, the episode rounds up all existing storylines, leaving the show with a successful and satisfactory ending that leaves the city of Baltimore as its lasting legacy. Despite their enthusiasm, McNulty and Lester’s extreme measures in the framed homeless murder scandal catch up to them, leading to the end of their policing duties, with the detectives’ illegal activities being an atypical move by the eccentric duo.

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The Baltimore Sun arc introduced in the final season wrapped up with the corrupt journalist Scott Templeton winning a Pulitzer Prize despite his nonsensical coverage of the highly publicized murder spree McNulty fabricated. The episode’s starring sequence, however, focuses on the freshly released Marlo, who fails to adapt to high-society life in Baltimore, with his final act in The Wire showcasing the characters’ true nature at heart as the gangster life still calls out to the cold and calculated kingpin.

1

Season 3, Episode 11: Middle Ground

The Downfall Of Stringer Bell And The Hamsterdam Project

Despite being business savvy in the streets, even Stringer fails to foresee the wrath that would eventually end his life, as his best friend Avon gives his partner up, resulting in Omar and Brother Mouzone executing the kingpin in a brutal takedown. In a story with a lot of moving parts that sees the Hamsterdam project start to be unraveled, Stringer’s transition from top-rate gangster to real estate owner starts to crumble, with his association with the selfish senator Clay Davis leading to Stringer being taken for a ride.

While Stringer attempted to eliminate Davis, McNulty set up a wiretap that gained evidence of his plans just before Mouzone and Omar took Stringer out. As Cutty’s gym gets underway, signifying a new life for the former gangster, his former comrade Stringer endures a downfall while trying to set up new horizons for himself, with his excruciating final moments being a scene for the ages.

The Wire

Release Date

2002 – 2007

Network

HBO Max, BBC

Showrunner

David Simon

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