Baltimore homicide detective Jimmy McNulty gets into hot water and winds up assigned to a detail of narcotics outcasts investigating drug lord Avon Barksdale. Meanwhile, Avon's nephew D'Angelo, fresh off beating a murder rap, is demoted upon his return to the gang.

McNulty feels the heat when a witness who testified against D'Angelo is found murdered. Meanwhile, Greggs is given the lay of the land regarding Avon Barksdale's key players, and Herc, Carver and Prez find big-time trouble at the towers.

The early-morning 'field interviews' by Herc, Carver and Prez result in a minor riot, a boy losing an eye, and some bad publicity for the department. On the other side of the law, D'Angelo teaches Wallace and Bodie how to play the game... of chess.

Greggs and McNulty try to get Hardcase to turn informant as those caught in the raid are charged. Meanwhile, McNulty takes Bubbles on a cultural field trip, Herc and Carver try to track down Bodie, and Barksdale places a bounty on the head of rival gang leader Omar.

McNulty's detail finally gets 'clone' pagers to track Barksdale and his gang, but nobody can crack the codes used by the callers. Meanwhile, Bell instructs D'Angelo on how to school his lookouts while simultaneously flushing out a possible snitch.

When Rawls looks to make a premature arrest for three murders that are linked to D'Angelo and Barksdale, McNulty and Greggs argue for a delay in order to preserve the valuable wiretap gains they have made. Meanwhile, Wallace and D'Angelo struggle with their consciences.

Tipped off by the wire, Greggs, Herc, Carver and Freamon make a bust, but the incident makes Avon and Stringer suspicious, leading them to close shop in the pit. Meanwhile, Bunk and McNulty look for another witness in the Gant slaying and hunt a new suspect.

An unlikely source gives McNulty the tag of a car driven by Stringer Bell. Meanwhile, Greggs and Carver bust a congressional aide carrying dirty cash but are forced to let him go. Later, Omar justifies his reputation as a 'loose cannon'.

Barksdale plays an expensive game of one-upmanship with an east-side rival. Meanwhile, Herc and Carver take some cash off of Wee-Bey's hands, and Omar resurfaces with a bang.

With Wallace in custody, McNulty and Daniels try to figure out what to do with him in the months before he testifies. Meanwhile, Sydnor and Carver track down one of Barksdale's stash houses, and Prez shows off his 'gift for the paper trail'.

The police turn up the heat on tracking down Savino, Wee-Bey and Little Man. Meanwhile, Burrell orders Daniels to hit drug dealers for results that will impress the press; Barksdale sees his ranks thinning after the hit on Orlando, and Bubbles tries to stay sober.

The low-rise pay phones are out of service so McNulty and Daniels try to keep pace by tapping Barksdale's office. Meanwhile, Bodie gets some new responsibilities from Stringer, Freamon gives Shardene a 'new look', and D'Angelo goes to NYC on an errand for his uncle.

It transpires that every crew has weak links… including Avon Barksdale's. With the heat turned up in the high-rises, Daniels and McNulty turn to a higher authority in an effort to crack the case wide open.

E1 • Time After Time

A wave of urban reform brings down the notorious Franklin Terrace public housing towers, forcing the Barksdale drug crew to find a new home on the streets of West Baltimore.

56m • 2004

A wave of urban reform brings down the notorious Franklin Terrace public housing towers, forcing the Barksdale drug crew to find a new home on the streets of West Baltimore.

E2 • All Due Respect

Omar continues his strikes on Barksdale stash houses, while Bodie faces a critical test against Marlo. Elsewhere, as the wire on Proposition Joe continues to yield little, a restless McNulty launches his own reinvestigation into the suicide of D'Angelo Barksdale.

56m • 2004

Omar continues his strikes on Barksdale stash houses, while Bodie faces a critical test against Marlo. Elsewhere, as the wire on Proposition Joe continues to yield little, a restless McNulty launches his own reinvestigation into the suicide of D'Angelo Barksdale.

E3 • Dead Soldiers

Colvin feels the sting of Burrell and Rawls during a Comstat assessment of his district's felony numbers. Meanwhile, a blown wiretap forces Daniels' detail to turn to a new target, and Proposition Joe warns Stringer Bell that the police have been tapping phones.

56m • 2004

Colvin feels the sting of Burrell and Rawls during a Comstat assessment of his district's felony numbers. Meanwhile, a blown wiretap forces Daniels' detail to turn to a new target, and Proposition Joe warns Stringer Bell that the police have been tapping phones.

E4 • Amsterdam

West Baltimore residents get some straight talk at a community meeting from Major Colvin. Elsewhere, Bubbles finds gainful employment, Stringer lunches uptown, and Bunk dangles the promise of immunity to a group of corner boys... in exchange for some help.

56m • 2004

West Baltimore residents get some straight talk at a community meeting from Major Colvin. Elsewhere, Bubbles finds gainful employment, Stringer lunches uptown, and Bunk dangles the promise of immunity to a group of corner boys... in exchange for some help.

E5 • Straight And True

Frustrated in his reform efforts, Colvin arms himself with intelligence and delivers a message to the next level of corner management. Meanwhile, McNulty sees Stringer Bell's legitimate business dealings as a sign that he is now unreachable as a drug target.

56m • 2004

Frustrated in his reform efforts, Colvin arms himself with intelligence and delivers a message to the next level of corner management. Meanwhile, McNulty sees Stringer Bell's legitimate business dealings as a sign that he is now unreachable as a drug target.

E6 • Homecoming

Stringer Bell gets a lesson in construction management while Bunk uses shoe-leather to catch up with Omar and deliver a message. Elsewhere, Colvin unleashes the troops on the corner boys, and Avon sends Cutty and Slim Charles up against Marlo.

55m • 2004

Stringer Bell gets a lesson in construction management while Bunk uses shoe-leather to catch up with Omar and deliver a message. Elsewhere, Colvin unleashes the troops on the corner boys, and Avon sends Cutty and Slim Charles up against Marlo.

E7 • Back Burners

Stringer Bell learns from Donette that she's told Brianna about McNulty's visit and that Brianna is likely to talk to him. Meanwhile, Daniels blows up over the real reason The Detail was reassigned to the Western District, and Herc discovers a blast from the past.

53m • 2004

Stringer Bell learns from Donette that she's told Brianna about McNulty's visit and that Brianna is likely to talk to him. Meanwhile, Daniels blows up over the real reason The Detail was reassigned to the Western District, and Herc discovers a blast from the past.

E8 • Moral Midgetry

With Amsterdam running full-tilt, Carver and Truck discover there really is no honour among thieves. Elsewhere, Prez impresses the detail with what he's found out from Bodie's cell phone - information that sends McNulty and Greggs on a road trip.

56m • 2004

With Amsterdam running full-tilt, Carver and Truck discover there really is no honour among thieves. Elsewhere, Prez impresses the detail with what he's found out from Bodie's cell phone - information that sends McNulty and Greggs on a road trip.

E9 • Slapstick

Responding to an officer's call for help, McNulty and Prez turn down the wrong alley, with unanticipated results. Meanwhile, under orders, a Barksdale crew violates the unspoken Sunday truce with gunplay, increasing discontent among the New Day Co-op members.

56m • 2004

Responding to an officer's call for help, McNulty and Prez turn down the wrong alley, with unanticipated results. Meanwhile, under orders, a Barksdale crew violates the unspoken Sunday truce with gunplay, increasing discontent among the New Day Co-op members.

E10 • Reformation

Brother Mouzone returns to Baltimore on a mission of revenge and casts a wide net in his search for Omar, who has his own plan for vengeance. Elsewhere, Colvin puts off a reporter inquiring about Amsterdam, whilst Burrell delivers news to City Hall.

56m • 2004

Brother Mouzone returns to Baltimore on a mission of revenge and casts a wide net in his search for Omar, who has his own plan for vengeance. Elsewhere, Colvin puts off a reporter inquiring about Amsterdam, whilst Burrell delivers news to City Hall.

E11 • Middle Ground

The wire begins to yield information about the Barksdale organisation, though finding links to the top proves elusive. Meanwhile, Stringer and Avon reminisce about how far they've come, with each harbouring plans for the future.

56m • 2004

The wire begins to yield information about the Barksdale organisation, though finding links to the top proves elusive. Meanwhile, Stringer and Avon reminisce about how far they've come, with each harbouring plans for the future.

E12 • Mission Accomplished

A reticent Avon readies his troops for a seemingly endless war against Marlo. Meanwhile, as the detail works towards the top rungs of the Barksdale organisation, McNulty reassesses his pursuit of Stringer Bell.

1h 1m • 2004

A reticent Avon readies his troops for a seemingly endless war against Marlo. Meanwhile, as the detail works towards the top rungs of the Barksdale organisation, McNulty reassesses his pursuit of Stringer Bell.

McNulty, reassigned to the marine unit, sticks City Homicide with the body he fishes out of the harbour. Nick negotiates a deal to steal a container from the docks but The Greeks end up reneging on the deal, leaving Russell to discover the bodies of 13 women in the aban

Rawls tries to pawn off the shipyard investigation to another jurisdiction after McNulty sends it his way. Valcheck goes after Sobotka and his union with a little help from above. Bunk, Freamon and Russell end up having to track a container ship to Philadelphia.

Bunk and Freamon chase their crime scene, a container ship, to Philly, where none of the crew finds it useful to speak English. Elsewhere, Lieutenant Cedric Daniels, disgusted with his exile to the evidence control unit, lets it be known he's going to leave.

Sobotka reprimands his nephew Nick for stealing the cameras and orders him to bring the cargo back before it's too late. Meanwhile, McNulty is on a self-assigned moral mission to identify his floater, but his old partner, Bunk, says they have a more pressing matter.

Ziggy loses his prized Camaro to drug dealers who aren't buying his alibis about not paying up. Meanwhile, unable to dump the homicide investigation on other police agencies, Colonel Rawls decides to lay the blame on Bunk if the cases go unsolved.

Trying to let go of work and return to his marriage, McNulty gives up on identifying his Jane Doe. Elsewhere, in their investigation of Sobotka, the detectives discover a pattern and explain the connection to Daniels, but he's still not convinced.

Sobotka gives his lobbyist abuse over the status of port legislation. Russell then tells Sobotka the investigation is over but a port computer is cloned and when a container goes missing, the detectives follow.

McNulty is back to his old self, on a drunken binge. Meanwhile, urged by fellow stevedores to fight Maui, Ziggy is again humiliated, but has a moment of redemption later at the bar. Elsewhere, Bunk is worried about McNulty so he asks Daniels and Rawls for their help.

Bodie's effort to improve sales ends disastrously, forcing Bell to rethink his strategy. Meanwhile, Ziggy pulls Johnny Fifty into a new caper that should have the Greeks paying off big, and McNulty, undercover and outnumbered, awaits 'rescue'.

Bodie is unhappy that Proposition Joe's people are slinging on his turf, but business flows until a new face from New York arrives... so Stringer Bell looks for an unlikely solution to the problem. Meanwhile, The Detail uses satellite technology to its advantage.

With the clock ticking, The Detail makes a desperate move and Daniels furiously rebukes Landsman for dropping the ball. Meanwhile, Nick's deceit is out in the open, and Sobotka is overwhelmed by bad news.

The Detail has a setback and needs a new co-operator, whilst Russell and Bunk visit Philly, looking for evidence. Elsewhere, Brother Mouzone talks with Stringer Bell regarding their agreement, leaving Bell to deal with Avon Barksdale.