Season 1 poster
13 episodes

The Wire - Season 1

First aired Jun 2, 2002Season 1

On the drug-infested streets of West Baltimore, there are good guys and there are bad guys. Sometimes you need more than a badge to tell them apart. Season 1 follows a single sprawling drug and murder investigation in Baltimore — one that culminates in a complex series of dangerous wiretaps and surveillance.

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Reviews

Community reviews for The Wire, shown here with its season details.

t

tmdb40011370

10.0

Without doubt, this is the finest, most complete TV drama ever! I know other people will say I am not even close, but for me it really is, and that includes watching Breaking Bad and The Sopranos! Years ago I watched "The Corner", which was like a prequel to The Wire, and it not only saddened me as to how people live and are dependent on drugs, but it also intrigued me. So much so that I went on to watch The Wire. What I loved about the show is how it views the misery of drugs from different perspectives. In season 1 it focuses on the on-going battle between the street-corner dealers and the police; season 2 focuses on drug distribution; season 3 the possibility of a drug amnesty; season 4 and school kids and their choices between education, employment and drug dealers; season 5 the media take on drugs. There is a certain feeling of helplessness running through this show, as you quickly realise that despite the extreme law enforcement the war on drugs is long gone. But because of the exceptionally good writing throughout you keep on hoping that something can be done to rid the city/state/country of this cancer. Unlike other drama shows, this feels so real even today, and one does wonder if governments and law enforcement departments are just peeing in the wind when it comes to winning the fight on drugs.

M

Mr.Charlie

Good but not Great 3.5/5 2 series I was told I have to watch by many were GOT n The Wire. I have to say I'm at the end of Season 4 of The Wire and its just... well, OK. I'm not sure why so many people seem to praise this show so much when nobody seemed to care when it was on, rating weren't anything to talk about not to mention it never won a single Emmy. IDK it seems like all it takes is for someone to talk up the show n everyone new jumps on the bandwagon. I'm definitely expecting a lot more from GOT which is why I saved it for last. 🤞

Episodes

The Target still

Episode 1

The Target

7.4
Jun 2, 200263 min90 votes

"... when it's not your turn." - McNulty. Baltimore homicide detective Jimmy McNulty gets into hot water and winds up assigned to a detail of narcotics outcasts charged with investigating drug lord Avon Barksdale and his powerful operation in Franklin Terrace. Meanwhile, Avon's nephew D'Angelo is fresh off beating a murder rap, but he finds himself demoted upon his return to the gang.

The Detail still

Episode 2

The Detail

7.9
Jun 9, 200258 min68 votes

"You cannot lose if you do not play." - Marla Daniels. 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 Buys still

Episode 3

The Buys

7.8
Jun 16, 200256 min66 votes

"The king stay the king." - D'Angelo. 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 (chess) and later impresses Bell with his 'take' from the low-rises.

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Episode 4

Old Cases

7.8
Jun 23, 200260 min63 votes

"It's a thin line 'tween heaven and here." - Bubbles. Greggs and McNulty try to get Hardcase to turn informant as arraignment begins for those caught in the raid. Barksdale places a bounty on the head of rival gang leader Omar. Meanwhile, McNulty takes Bubbles on a cultural field trip, and Herc and Carver try to track down Bodie.

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Episode 5

The Pager

7.9
Jun 30, 200260 min62 votes

"..a little slow, a little late." - Avon Barksdale. 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. Later, Carver and Herc find Bodie, but their interrogation doesn't turn up results.

The Wire still

Episode 6

The Wire

8.2
Jul 7, 200260 min58 votes

"..and all the pieces matter." - Freamon. When Rawls looks to make a premature arrest for three murders that are linked to D'Angelo and Avon Barksdale, McNulty and Greggs must argue for a delay in order to preserve the valuable wiretap gains they have made. Meanwhile, Wallace and D'Angelo struggle with their consciences after Avon pays them blood money.

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Episode 7

One Arrest

8.3
Jul 21, 200260 min52 votes

"A man must have a code." - Bunk. 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 suspect known as 'Mr. Bird.'

Lessons still

Episode 8

Lessons

8.0
Jul 28, 200257 min54 votes

"Come at the king, you best not miss." - Omar. 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. Omar earns his 'loose cannon' moniker.

Game Day still

Episode 9

Game Day

8.4
Aug 4, 200257 min53 votes

"Maybe we won." - Herc. 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.

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Episode 10

The Cost

8.4
Aug 11, 200256 min54 votes

"And then he dropped the bracelets..." - Greggs. With Wallace in custody, McNulty and Daniels try to figure out what to do with him in the months before he testifies. Sydnor and Carver track down one of Barksdale's stash houses, and Prez shows off his 'gift for the paper trail.' McNulty's estranged wife Elena takes desperate measures after learning that he had their kids follow Stringer Bell.

The Hunt still

Episode 11

The Hunt

8.6
Aug 18, 200257 min49 votes

"Dope on the damn table." - Daniels. The police turn up the heat on tracking down Savino, Wee-Bey and Little Man. Burrell orders Daniels to hit drug dealers for results that will impress the press. Barksdale sees his ranks thinning after the hit on Orlando. Bubbles tries to stay sober while scoping out the projects for McNulty; and Freamon determines there's a rat in the detail.

Cleaning Up still

Episode 12

Cleaning Up

8.4
Sep 1, 200257 min52 votes

"This is me, yo, right here." - Wallace. The low-rise pay phones are out of service, so McNulty and Daniels try to keep pace by tapping Barksdale's office. Bodie gets new responsibilities from Stringer; Freamon gives Shardene a 'new look'; and D'Angelo goes to NYC on an errand for his uncle. With the detail's future hanging in the balance, Daniels faces off against Burrell and his political allies.

Sentencing still

Episode 13

Sentencing

8.7
Sep 8, 200266 min52 votes

"all in the game..." - Traditional West Baltimore. 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. Season finale.