By Curt Schleier

If there is anything positive about the writers’ strike, it’s that viewers in search of something fresh will sample THE WIRE.  Once they do they finally will recognize what many of us have been saying the last four years – it is one of the best shows on the tube.

This week tensions continue to rise on all fronts.  Marlo Stanfield (Jamie Hector) dispatched two of his assassins, Chris Partlow (Gbenga Akinnagbe) and Snoop (Felicia Pearson), to visit a confidante of Omar Little (Michael K. Williams).  Charismatic and ruthless Omar has disappeared, but he’s not forgotten – at least by Omar. Though tortured, Omar’s friend refuses to divulge his whereabouts, so Chris and Snoop kill him; they make it seem as though fellow drug dealer Proposition Joe (Robert F. Chew) did the deed. 

Marlo wants to bring Omar out of hiding, and if Omar comes back and does Proposition Joe so much the better.  Joe is chairman of the co-op, sort of a board of directors for Baltimore’s drug dealers.  The board is supposed to mediate disputes and divide territories.  It’s obvious to Joe that Marlo wants to take on additional territory, but he is unaware that it is his own nephew who is helping Marlo.  Still, Joe thinks he’s safe because of his relationships with the Greeks, who supply the drugs. 


But Marlo has insinuated himself with the Greeks.  He brought them briefcases full of money and suggested that he’d be a good insurance policy to have in the even something happened to Joe.  And of course something does happen to Joe.

Meanwhile, Omar returns from the Caribbean isle where he and his lover lived and he’s looking for revenge.  He finds out that Proposition Joe was not responsible for his friend’s death and starts to stalk Marlo’s people.  Clearly more fireworks are in the air.

McNulty (Dominic West) continues his devious plan to force the city to investigate the deaths of 22 drug dealers.  For financial reasons and because the murder of almost two dozen black drug dealers hasn’t created any political pressure, the investigation was stopped and the major crimes unit handling the case disbanded.

To get the unit back, he manipulates evidence and the dead bodies of white homeless men to make it seem as though a serial killer is on the loose.  His partner, Bunk Moreland (Wendell Pierce) is against it.  But, surprisingly – or, maybe not so surprisingly – Det. Lester Freamon (Clarke Peters) signs on.  Like McNulty, he is upset about the lack of action on the 22 deaths.  He’s (rightly) convinced that Marlo’s crew is involved, and figures solving the killings will put a crimp into the drug traffic that’s strangling the city.


The problem is that it turns out no one cares about white homeless people either.  A story about this new serial killer that should have generated front page coverage is buried somewhere in the Baltimore Sun’s metro section. 

Meanwhile, Mayor Carcetti (Aiden Gillen) finally gets to put Commissioner Burrell (Frankie R. Faison) out to pasture.  Deputy Commissioner Rawls (John Doman) takes over briefly, but the heir apparent is Maj. Cedric Daniels (Lance Reddick) a well intentioned cop.  So maybe there is some hope for Baltimore, after all.