The Wireis one of the greatest TV shows ever made, and its best episodes still hold up as all-time masterpieces of the medium.David Simonused his experiences as a crime reporter in Baltimore to craft a journalistic study of the crooked system.The Wireused the city as a microcosm of America, and remains one ofHBO’s crowning achievements.
10Boys Of Summer
Season 4, Episode 1
Each season ofThe Wirefocused on a new part of Baltimore with a new cast of characters, so each season premiere felt like the pilot episode of a new show. The first episode of season 4, “Boys of Summer,” set up the show’s best installment: its harrowing examination of the public school system.
The season 4 premiereintroduces us to a bunch of bright-eyed kids who will grow up to become the Omars and the Avons of the world. These characters are instantly endearing, their interpersonal dynamics are clear as day (and universally relatable), and you don’t want anything bad to happen to them — but know that, since this isThe Wire, it will.
Season 2, Episode 11
The Wire’s second season was divisive, because it abandoned everything fans loved about season 1 and essentially became a brand-new show. It left behind the housing projects and all the familiar faces there and instead moved to the docks to chronicle the death of the working class. But this turned out to be a whole fascinating drama of its own.
The final shot of Frank reluctantly approaching the Key Bridge for a meeting he won’t survive is a haunting image.
The penultimate episode, “Bad Dreams,”epitomizes what makes season 2 so great. When Frank visits Ziggy in prison, we see who they really are: a frightened kid desperate for his dad’s approval, and an overwhelmed father who failed to keep his son safe. The final shot of Frank reluctantly approaching the Key Bridge for a meeting he won’t survive is a haunting image.
8Late Editions
Season 5, Episode 9
Season 5 isThe Wire’s most controversial season, because the story of a fabricated serial killer felt a bit too sensationalist and plotty for this usually realistic show. But in its last couple of episodes, it moves past that season arc and focuses on concluding the entire saga.
The penultimate episode, “Late Editions,” starts to show that the next generation of characters — who seemed to have a fighting chance of overcoming their dire circumstances and leading fulfilling lives — will take the place of their predecessors. Michael becomes the new Omar, Duquan becomes the new Bubbles, and Marlo becomes the new Stringer. It’sa powerful lesson to end on.
7Sentencing
Season 1, Episode 13
In its first season,The Wirewas all about the futility of fighting the drug trade in Baltimore, and the finale hammered that message home beautifully. In “Sentencing,” after we’ve spent the whole season watching the cops painstakingly build a case against the Barksdale Organization, they’re finally ready to pounce and make some arrests.
They manage to get Avon, Wee-Bey, and D’Angelo behind bars, but it’s ultimately a pointless endeavor. The missing dealers are promptly replaced, the flow of illegal drugs isn’t slowed down for a second, and Stringer is seen counting his ample profits. This isThe Wirein a nutshell:the system is so broken that even when you succeed, you fail.
6All Prologue
Season 2, Episode 6
The season 2 episode “All Prologue”exemplifiesThe Wireat its lightest and at its darkest. The episode sees Omar taking the stand, wearing a colorful tie on top of his usual attire as a silent protest against the dress code, and turning his courtroom testimony into a standup comedy routine — he has the jury in stitches.
Omar’s charismatic testimony offers a funny, lighthearted contrast to D’Angelo’s prison storyline. Although he got mixed up in some bad things, D’Angelo wasn’t a bad person; he was always shown to have a conscience. So, it was really difficult to watch him get strangled to death, especially with how horrifyingly drawn-out it is.
5Mission Accomplished
Season 3, Episode 12
The Wire’s season 3 finale focuses on the aftermath of Stringer’s death. After Stringer is gunned down by Omar and Brother Mouzone, McNulty has an existential crisis. He spent years building a case against Stringer and gathering evidence on him, only for him to be murdered in cold blood, and for McNulty to realize he didn’t know Stringer at all.
McNulty begins to wonder if it was even worth it, and we as the audience start to wonder the same thing.
McNulty begins to wonder if it was even worth it, and we as the audience start to wonder the same thing. The title “Mission Accomplished” feels ironic because,like in allThe Wire’s season finales, nothing has been accomplished. Hamsterdam is demolished, the case against Stringer gets thrown out, and the wheels keep on turning.
4The Hunt
Season 1, Episode 11
Season 1’s “The Hunt” opens with the chaotic aftermath of Kima being shot, andit only gets more intense from there. Rawls proactively takes control of the crime scene, Lester sends Herc and Carver back to the rooftops, Lester finds prints on a drinks can, and the shooting is discussed over the wire. 56 minutes go by in a flash.
56 minutes go by in a flash.
But the episode also has plenty of smaller character moments that are really touching, like Rawls showing a more sympathetic side to his closest professional rival, McNulty. It also has some of the show’s signature subtle social commentary; the hospital staff reveal racist undertones when they speak to the detective instead of Daniels. It’sa stellar episode all around.
3-30-
Season 5, Episode 10
The Wireculminated inone of the greatest series finales in TV history. It didn’t provide any closure, because that wouldn’t be realistic, and it’s not the show’s style to indulge in manufactured drama and familiar tropes. Instead, it leans into the idea that the cycle will continue. Despite the best efforts of everyone involved, the institutional problems will persist.
The closing montage, in which McNulty looks out at his city and we see glimpses of where everyone ends up, encapsulates the thesis of the series.
The closing montage, in which McNulty looks out at his city and we see glimpses of where everyone ends up, encapsulates the thesis of the series.A character like Bubbleswill escape the grasp of addiction and get a happy ending, but a character like Duquan will take his place. The corruption and class system that perpetuate this stuff will remain.
2Middle Ground
Season 3, Episode 11
The Greek tragedy of Avon and Stringer’s brotherhood came to a tragic conclusion in season 3’s “Middle Ground.” This episode sees the wiretap finally yielding some results and the culmination of the Hamsterdam storyline, butwhat makes it one of the show’s best episodes is its focus on Avon and Stringer. They reflect on their past ahead of an uncertain future.
The Greek tragedy of Avon and Stringer’s brotherhood came to a tragic conclusion in season 3’s “Middle Ground.”
Avon and Stringer’s nostalgic reminiscence about their early criminal activities, draped in the implication that they both know the other has betrayed them, is one ofThe Wire’s greatest scenes.Stringer’s death sceneis beautifully poetic, as he’s cornered by two of his enemies in the building site where he hoped to get out of the game and go legit.
1Final Grades
Season 4, Episode 13
Season 4 isthe best season ofThe Wire— it goes into a public school to show how wayward kids are turned into criminals by the system — and its finale episode, “Final Grades,” sticks the landing perfectly.It provides a fitting conclusion to every character arc in the season, ranging from heartwarming to heartbreaking, as we see where all these kids end up.
All five seasons ofThe Wireare streaming on HBO Max.
Some characters get a hopeful ending, like Namond being adopted by Bunny Colvin, while others are doomed to a more tragic ending, like Michael becoming a trigger-happy protégé of Chris and Snoop. This episode representsThe Wireat its best: a profound, philosophical epic poem disguised as a fiercely realistic, almost documentary-like crime drama.
