Completed SeriesHBO

The Wire

Crime dramaPolice proceduralSocial commentary

Premiered 20025 Seasons • 57 Episodes

The Wire is a critically acclaimed HBO series that presents a multifaceted exploration of the city of Baltimore through the perspectives of both the police and those involved in the drug trade. The show begins by focusing on a special police unit attempting to dismantle the Barksdale drug organization, depicting the difficulties in setting up wiretaps and overcoming institutional obstacles. As the series progresses, it expands to explore different facets of the city’s urban life, including the working-class struggles of dockworkers, political corruption within city government, the struggles of the public school system, and the challenges faced by local media. Throughout its five seasons, The Wire intricately traces the interconnectedness of societal institutions and their effects on individuals, blurring conventional lines between good and evil in a post-industrial American city setting.

Episode Guide

1Season 1

The Target

A new police investigation into a West Baltimore drug empire begins, exposing the city's drug trade.

Jun 2, 2002

The Detail

The special police detail pursues leads and gathers evidence to infiltrate the drug organization.

Jun 9, 2002

The Buys

The investigation seeks to concretely identify the elusive Avon Barksdale and his organization.

Jun 16, 2002

Old Cases

The detail moves to secure a wiretap to gain deeper insight into the drug organization.

Jun 23, 2002

The Pager

A wiretap provides the detail with critical surveillance to track the drug operation.

Jun 30, 2002

The Wire

The police use intercepted communications to gain insight into the drug trade.

Jul 7, 2002

One Arrest

A critical arrest raises the stakes for both the police and the drug organization.

Jul 14, 2002

Lessons

The investigation deepens as new informants and threats emerge.

Jul 21, 2002

Game Day

Rival drug factions escalate conflicts in a tense turf war.

Jul 28, 2002

The Cost

The investigation confronts difficult consequences as a young dealer’s fate hangs in the balance.

Aug 4, 2002

2Season 2

Ebb Tide

The season introduces new characters and sets the stage for an investigation centered around Baltimore's docks.

Jun 1, 2003

Collateral Damage

The investigation deepens as new team members are assigned and tensions rise in the drug trade.

Jun 8, 2003

Hot Shots

Ziggy’s actions complicate family dynamics while the investigation continues into the docks’ affairs.

Jun 15, 2003

Hard Cases

Team members face challenges in the investigation while key characters struggle with personal and political conflicts.

Jun 22, 2003

Undertow

The investigation reveals new criminal activity while relationships and loyalties are tested.

Jun 29, 2003

All Prologue

Tensions rise as characters work to secure their interests amid mounting pressure.

Jul 6, 2003

Backwash

After a shocking event, the investigation and criminal enterprises both face new obstacles.

Jul 13, 2003

Duck and Cover

As consequences mount for key characters, the investigation pushes forward amid growing obstacles.

Jul 20, 2003

Stray Rounds

The city’s violence escalates while the investigation and personal dramas reach critical points.

Jul 27, 2003

Storm Warnings

The investigation nears a turning point as alliances and tensions build toward a climax.

Aug 3, 2003

Bad Dreams

With the investigation culminates, key characters confront the consequences of their actions.

Aug 10, 2003

Port in a Storm

The investigation concludes amidst personal and professional upheaval, setting the stage for future challenges.

Aug 17, 2003

3Season 3

Time After Time

The police detail intensifies their investigation while new experiments with policing tactics begin.

Sep 19, 2004

All Due Respect

Tensions rise among the police and the drug organizations as power plays unfold.

Sep 26, 2004

Dead Soldiers

The investigation deepens, and political ambitions sharpen amid growing conflict.

Oct 3, 2004

Hamsterdam

A new radical policing experiment challenges the status quo in Baltimore's drug war.

Oct 10, 2004

Straight and True

The police tighten their investigation as conflicts between drug factions deepen.

Oct 17, 2004

Homecoming

Personal struggles rise as institutional pressures challenge the task force.

Oct 24, 2004

Back Burners

Rising tensions force the police to make difficult strategic choices.

Oct 31, 2004

Moral Midgetry

The drug war escalates amid internal betrayals and political fallout.

Nov 7, 2004

Slapstick

Personal risks and policing experiments reach critical points.

Nov 14, 2004

Reformation

Order begins to unravel both on the streets and in the seats of power.

Nov 21, 2004

Middle Ground

Alliances shift suddenly as major breakthroughs and betrayals occur.

Dec 5, 2004

Mission Accomplished

The season concludes with major changes in Baltimore’s drugs and law enforcement spheres.

Dec 12, 2004

4Season 4

Boys of Summer

New investigations and power struggles unfold as the police unit and city officials adjust to changing dynamics.

Sep 10, 2006

Soft Eyes

Investigation pressures mount with shifting alliances both in law enforcement and on the streets.

Sep 17, 2006

Home Rooms

Political and street-level tensions build as key characters maneuver to maintain control.

Sep 24, 2006

Refugees

New social experiments and political battles shake the foundations of Baltimore.

Oct 1, 2006

Alliances

Various alliances form and strain on the street and in city hall as control shifts.

Oct 8, 2006

Margin of Error

Street tensions and school challenges put characters at critical crossroads.

Oct 15, 2006

Unto Others

Pressure mounts on Baltimore’s youth and leaders in a season of change.

Oct 22, 2006

Corner Boys

The city’s street life and police work reveal deeper challenges to stability.

Nov 5, 2006

Know Your Place

Returning faces and political battles shift Baltimore's fragile balance.

Nov 12, 2006

Misgivings

Tensions rise within Baltimore's institutions as power dynamics shift.

Nov 19, 2006

A New Day

New challenges arise for Baltimore's leaders and street factions alike.

Nov 26, 2006

That's Got His Own

Critical decisions and events set the stage for an uncertain Baltimore.

Dec 3, 2006

Final Grades

The season concludes with major changes in Baltimore's youth, police, and politics.

Dec 10, 2006

5Season 5

More with Less

The season opens with the Baltimore Sun newsroom and police dealing with new challenges in a city gripped by crime and budget cuts.

Jan 6, 2008

Unconfirmed Reports

The pressures of crime reportage and police investigation intensify as new developments complicate the city’s underworld.

Jan 13, 2008

Not for Attribution

Investigations deepen on both sides of the law, highlighting the difficulties of uncovering truth in a city full of secrets.

Jan 20, 2008

Transitions

Power struggles and media influence shape the evolving landscape of Baltimore’s street and institutional battles.

Jan 27, 2008

React Quotes

Marlo’s drug empire grows deeper ties, while McNulty’s personal and professional challenges escalate.

Feb 3, 2008

The Dickensian Aspect

Characters face new pressures from all sides, reshaping alliances and strategies in Baltimore.

Feb 10, 2008

Took

Investigations and tensions increase as characters pursue justice, power, and truth.

Feb 17, 2008

Clarifications

Truth and deception collide as investigations unravel in both the newsroom and police department.

Feb 24, 2008

Late Editions

The campaign against crime intensifies as the police and media confront escalating challenges.

Mar 2, 2008

–30–

The final episode wraps up major storylines with resolutions and reflections on Baltimore’s ongoing issues.

Mar 9, 2008