WIRE, THE: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED {SEASON THREE FINALE} (TV)
Summary
One in this dramatic series about the police and the criminals they target. This is the twelfth and final episode of the series' third season, which focuses on the nexus between Baltimore's election-year politics and the Barksdale drug enterprise.
Moreland investigates Bell's murder, and watches with McNulty and Greggs as the corpse is photographed. Avon and the rest of the Barksdale gang mourn the loss of Bell and plan to wage more war on Stanfield, although Avon says that he was killed due to "unrelated matters." Avon is deeply frustrated and simply wants the “war” to end, but Slim Charles believes that they must continue fighting, even if it is based on the lie that Stanfield killed Bell. Carcetti and D'Agostino discuss Colvin’s plan, and Carcetti contemplates allowing it to continue. Royce discusses the project with his own advisers, and Parker leaves the meeting in disgust. McNulty and Moreland check out Bell's lavish apartment, and McNulty is surprised that Bell was well-read and cultured. Little retrieves Dante from Brother Mouzone, who gives Little his gun for disposal. Colvin meets with McNulty, explaining that he has been given a leave of absence since his superiors found out about his “experiment.” He gives McNulty the location of Avon’s safe house, as raiding it could represent a major step in taking down the Barksdales once and for all. Wise shows his students old boxing matches on tape and tries to educate them. McNulty discovers a stash of discarded cell phone chips at Bell’s apartment and deduces that Bell switched them out periodically to avoid getting his phone traced. McNulty gives Freamon the location of the safe house, and Freamon realizes that Colvin is responsible for the tip.
Marla begins campaigning in earnest for the city council seat. While on duty in Hamsterdam, Carver is approached by Weeks for money, but Carver refuses. Moreland and McNulty discuss the Bell case; McNulty does not believe that Little was the killer, instead blaming Stanfield. They drink together and express dismay at the state of chaos on the streets. Pryzbylewski talks with Freamon, discussing the review board’s decision to indict him for shooting Waggoner. Freamon encourages him to fight, although Pryzbylewski wonders aloud if he is cut out for police work. At a division meeting, McNulty claims that Bell was the source who revealed Avon’s safe house. Daniels elects to continue wiretapping the Barksdale phones while simultaneously securing a warrant for the safe house. Television news sources arrive at Hamsterdam to report on the drug-selling experiments there. Royce watches the footage and believes that he made a mistake in not shutting them down earlier. Burrell threatens to go to the media with a story claiming that the Hamsterdam situation was caused by intense internal pressure to keep crime rates down, and that the mayor kept the area functioning despite Burrell’s advice to the contrary. He offers instead to “take the hit” and represent the office in any potential hearings, serving as a buffer between the mayor and the city council, at a price of extending his position as commissioner for five years. Royce agrees to the deal and Rawls institutes a brutal crackdown on Hamsterdam.
Slim Charles finds Stanfield and phones his location to the Barksdales, telling them to “soldier up.” Freamon traces the call and responds. Avon is asked for approval to go after Stanfield, and he dismissively gives it. Rawls orders bulldozers into Hamsterdam to remove all evidence of drug activity there. During the crackdown, the body of Weeks is discovered and Rawls orders it to be removed, unwilling to allow television reporters to see it. Daniels leads the operation to apprehend the Barksdales as they ready their weapons to go after Stanfield. The police knock on the funeral home's door and Avon and his men realize what's ahead. The police apprehend everyone inside, and Perry claims that all of the weapons belong to him. McNulty shows Avon the search warrant, which lists Bell as the source of the information. Burrell and Rawls upbraid Colvin for his actions and demote him to the rank of lieutenant before firing him to lessen his pension, despite contractual stipulations.
The federal government comes down on Royce, threatening to withhold millions in funding per year as a consequence for allowing the free zones. Watkins tries to get Royce to fire Burrell, but he claims that it would be politically inconvenient to do so. He tells Watkins that he is supporting Marla’s bid for a city council seat and that her rival, Eunetta Perkins, has “had her day.” Colvin is officially relieved of duty and leaves. Daniels learns from Burrell that he has just been promoted to the rank of major at the mayor’s behest. McNulty thanks Colvin for his tip and says that he is “good police.” Daniels and Pearlman go out to dinner together; she expresses concern about being seen in public but Daniels believes that Marla will now win her seat with the mayor’s support. McNulty visits Russell and admits that, in light of the Barksdale bust, he is feeling empty and unfulfilled. She invites him inside, and he expresses interest in meeting her children.
Burrell testifies before the city council about Colvin’s actions and takes full responsibility for the mayor’s office. He and Rawls claim that they did not act immediately due to the immediate need to resolve the wiretap case. Carcetti is not persuaded by their explanation and gives a speech about how the impoverished citizens of West Baltimore are the true victims of the entire incident; he urges the administration to confront the problems of the city head-on. His speech is met with applause from the assembled audience. However, Gray realizes that Carcetti is attempting to use the matter to launch a mayoral bid. McNulty gets himself transferred to Western, which he remarks “feels like home,” and happily begins anew as a beat cop. Little throws his weapons into the river. Avon sees Brianna at his trial, but she leaves after he looks at her; Avon soon thereafter sees Stanfield observing him. Bubbles picks among rubble from Hamsterdam's bulldozed homes as Colvin looks on, and the two of them speculate on whether life is now better or worse for Baltimore's citizens.
This selection from the Alan Gerry Cable Collection has been made available by the Gerry Foundation, Inc.
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: December 19, 2004 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:03:16
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:86831
- GENRE: Drama, police/private detective
- SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Drama; TV - Drama, police/private detective; LGBT Collection - Drama
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV series, 2002-2008
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- David Simon … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Robert F. Colesberry … Executive Producer
- Nina Kostroff Noble … Executive Producer
- Joe Chappelle … Co-Executive Producer
- Ed Burns … Producer, Writer
- George Pelecanos … Producer
- Karen L. Thorson … Producer
- Leslie Jacobowitz … Associate Producer
- Simon Egleton … Associate Producer
- Ernest Dickerson … Director
- William F. Zorzi … Writer
- Dominic West … Cast, Jimmy McNulty
- John Doman … Cast, William Rawls
- Idris Elba … Cast, Russell "Stringer" Bell
- Frankie Faison … Cast, Ervin Burrell
- Aidan Gillen … Cast, Tommy Carcetti
- Wood Harris … Cast, Avon Barksdale
- Deirdre Lovejoy … Cast, Rhonda "Ronnie" Pearlman
- Clarke Peters … Cast, Lester Freamon
- Wendell Pierce … Cast, William "Bunk" Moreland
- Lance Reddick … Cast, Cedric Daniels
- Andre Royo … Cast, Reginald "Bubbles" Cousins
- Sonja Sohn … Cast, Shakima Greggs
- Jim True-Frost … Cast, Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski
- Robert Wisdom … Cast, Howard "Bunny" Colvin
- Seth Gilliam … Cast, Ellis Carver
- Domenick Lombardozzi … Cast, Thomas "Herc" Hauk
- J.D. Williams … Cast, Preston "Bodie" Broadus
- Michael K. Williams … Cast, Omar Little
- Corey Parker Robinson … Cast, Leander Sydnor
- Glynn Turman … Cast, Clarence Royce
- Amy Ryan … Cast, Beatrice "Beadie" Russell
- Chad L. Coleman … Cast, Dennis "Cutty" Wise
- Jamie Hector … Cast, Marlo Stanfield
- Leo Fitzpatrick … Cast, Johnny Weeks
- Michael Hyatt … Cast, Brianna Barksdale
- Maria Broom … Cast, Marla Daniels
- Michael Potts … Cast, Brother Mouzone
- Anwan Glover … Cast, Slim Charles
- Christopher Mann … Cast, Anthony Gray
- Cleo Reginald Pizana … Cast, Coleman Parker
- Frederick Strother … Cast, Odell Watkins
- Maria Broom … Cast, Marla Daniels
- Shamyl Brown … Cast, Donette
- Brandy Burre … Cast, Theresa D'Agostino
- Richard Burton … Cast, Sean "Shamrock" McGinty
- Dravon James … Cast, Grace Sampson
- Michael Willis … Cast, Andy Krawczyk
- Justin Burley … Cast, Justin
- Brandon Fobbs … Cast, Fruit
- DeAndre McCullough … Cast, Lamar
- Felicia Pearson … Cast, Felicia "Snoop" Pearson
- Ernest Waddell … Cast, Dante
- Brian Anthony Wilson … Cast, Vernon Holley
- Gbenga Akkinagbe … Cast, Chris Partlow
- Mia Arnice Chambers … Cast, Squeak
- Norris Davis … Cast, Vinson
- Melvin Jackson Jr. … Cast, Bernard
- Melvin T. Russell … Cast, Jamal
- William Zielinski … Cast, Gene
- Edward Green … Cast, Spider
- Michael Kostroff … Cast, Maurice Levy
- Jay Landsman … Cast, Dennis Mello
- Marty Lodge … Cast, Banisky
- Ryan Sands … Cast, Lloyd "Truck" Garrick
- Gregory L. Williams … Cast, Michael Crutchfield
- Megan Anderson … Cast, Jen Carcetti
- Tray Chaney … Cast, Malik "Poot" Carr
- Richard DeAngelis … Cast, Raymond Foerster
- Derren M. Fuentes … Cast, Lieutenant Torret
- Tony D. Head … Cast, Bobby Reed
- Reid Sasser … Cast, Director of National Drug Control Policy