1000 Best The Wire Quotes

[Laughs] I know, I know.
- Cost more than your first car, right?
- A hooptie, no doubt?
- Ohhh, we are so gonna need one of these.
[Laughs] Look at this, kima.
- Blue's clues juice box holder.
- If the kid can't hold on to a little old box without no help, we got problems.

- What now?
- There's more than one way to skin a case.

- well, you don't have to worry if you hold onto Jesus' hand we'll all be safe from Satan when the thunder rolls we just gotta keep the devil way down in the hole

- Still, it's good money for a few hours' work.
- No! Oh, no!
- No fucking way!
- We had a deal, motherfucker. A deal!
- You listen to me. It was my fucking ass out there on the line. Mine!
- And this, this piddling shit is the best that you come up with?
- You don't play me like that! You don't!

Off. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: What the fuck is that?
Asst. State's Atty. Rhonda Pearlman: It's a man's purse. European men like yourself sometimes carry one.
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: [mumbles] Hm. Them people ain't right over there.

[At the end of the meeting of drug dealers]
Russell: Adjourn your asses.

[Man] Goddamn bomb, y'all.
[2nd man] Blue-tops.
- Double shorts.
- In the hole, man.
- Got blue-tops. Looking for blues?
[Dealer] Red-tops.
- Two for 10.

[Bodie walks into a flower shop and looks around]
Florist: Somethin' in particular?
Preston: A funeral.
Florist: I'm sorry.
Preston: Nah, a funeral, you know?
Florist: No, no, I mean I'm sorry for your loss.
Preston: Oh. Yeah.
Florist: [pointing out an angel-shaped arrangement] That's a popular one.
[Bodie looks at it skeptically]
Florist: Well, who was it that passed? A relation?
Preston: No, we worked together.
Florist: I see. Professional relationship.
Preston: Yeah, professional. I mean, you know, we wasn't all that tight, but he was still my nigga, you know?
Florist: I think I'm on it. Follow me.
[he leads Bodie into a back room filled with arrangements in the shape of guns]
Preston: Hell yeah! See, this what I'm talkin' 'bout!
Florist: That gat-and-grip thing over there sells a lot. We can do that in white or red or pink carnations.
Preston: Pink?
Florist: [chuckling] Your boy was too fierce for the pink?
Preston: Nah, he wasn't all that, but damn, you know, when you stand with a nigga, you stand with him to the end, otherwise... otherwise you ain't nothin' yourself.
Florist: True that. How your boy fall?
[Bodie sighs]
Preston: Hung hisself. Over at the Cut, man, strung hisself up. Judge ran wild on his ass, gave him twenty. I guess he just couldn't handle all them years, you know? It's a weak-ass nigga when you think about it, but... ain't no reason to drag his name down no further, you know?
[Bodie looks around at the arrangements]
Preston: I tell you what. Lemme get somethin' in strong colors, right? Red, black, whatever. But make it look like one of them towers down on Franklin Terrace, you know? The high-rises, right?
Florist: You want the arrangement to look like a high-rise housing project?
Preston: Hell yeah. Yeah. And put the numbers "221" in big-ass numbers on the front. A'ight? He used to have that Fremont Tower for a while.
Florist: [writing on a notepad] Two-twenty-one. All right, anything else you want it to say?
Preston: Like what?
Florist: "Rest in Peace," "In Remembrance," something like that? Something that says how you feel about the loss.
[Bodie thinks for a moment]
Preston: Look, man, fuck it, all right? Just, uh...
[he pulls out a wad of cash and hands it to the florist]
Preston: Just make sure the towers look like they do, a'ight?
[the florist nods, and they bump fists]
Preston: A'ight. Thanks.

[Man] Get in the goal!
- Spread it out, spread it out. There you go.

- Kid, what apartment?
- Come on, kid, what's the apartment?
- 11-m.
- Ok, 11-m. Is that so hard?
- What's your dob? Come on, kid.
[Daniels] What?
- It's him.
- Who?

- No, just scar. His boy break, we gonna let him.
- But if he raise up, I'm on him.
- Damn, I wish bird was here.
- Bird be loving this shit right here.
- Which do remind me, we get up out of here, you need to drop that shit down a storm drain.
- Give me some time to go around the block and set up on the other side. All right?

- Thought y'all was in training.
- So what time you want us to be there tomorrow, coach?
- 3:30 would be good.
- Hope to see y'all then.
- All right.

- Go! Get up. Come on, man.
- Damn, Wallace.
- Damn, nothing!
- Y'all know what happens if you don't go to school?
- They're gonna be callin' and all y'all gonna end up in foster care.
- If y'all want foster care, climb your asses back into bed.
- Get outta my way, man.
- Damn, it's too early for this shit.

- you didn't tell me that thing.
- You told me something else.
- Iwrote what Mr. Hanning told me.
- Mr. Hanning...
- What if one of the guys, what if a marine who was there, he reads that shit that you made up?
- That's why I come down here today.
- What if one of the guys sees that?
- Man, get him outta my face.

- Jesus, bunny.
- What got into you?
- Another six months to my 30.
- I'm out the door on a major's pension.
- The hell they could do to me.
- Spider bags, red tops.

- We gonna make this money run in a few.
- Smile or something, nigger.
- Made that nigger's night.
- He deserved it, though.
- It's wee-bey. We got one.
- You think it's Omar?
- Nah.
- It's one of the young 'uns, I think.
- One down, two to go, right?
- Motherfuckers. Trying to Rob me, baby.

- you gotta keep the devil way down in the hole
- You gotta keep the devil way down in the hole way down way down in the hole

- but only where we say you can.
- Push them... hard.
- Get to it, people, and don't get captured.
[Carver] Hey. Stay right there.
- Get him up against the wall.
[Carver] Hey. Listen to what I'm telling you.

D'Angelo: I want what Wallace wanted. I want to start over. That's what I want. I don't care where. Anywhere. I don't give a fuck. I just want to go somewhere where I can breathe like regular folk. You give me that and I give you him.

- Don't try this shit at home.
- You know, there mightjust be a job for you in a carcetti administration.
- Press secretary, chief of staff.
- Oh, get in the fucking car.
- Duquan?
- Mr. Prez.
- Can you come with me, please?
- What'd I do?

- and to all the other ills that prey on those without shelter in our city, not tonight can you prey on them.
- And not tomorrow. Not any longer.
- Crowd: No!
- We will protect you!
- Thank you.

Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: You know why I respect you so much, Bunk?
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: Mm-mmm.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: It's not 'cause you're good police, 'cause, y'know, fuck that, right?
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: Mm. Fuck that, yeah.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: It's not 'cause when I came to homicide, you taught me all kinds of cool shit about . . . well, whatever.
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: Mm. Whatever.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: It's 'cause when it came time for you to fuck me . . . you were very gentle.
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: You damn right.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: See, 'cause you could have hauled me out of the garage and just bent me over the hood of a radio car, and . . . no, you were, you were very gentle.
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: I knew it was your first time. I wanted to make that shit special.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: It was, man. It fucking was.

Sergei: [on the phone] Did he have hands? Did he have a face? Yes? Then it wasn't us...
Sergei: [laughs, hangs up the phone] ... idiot.

- Grab the wall.
- Officer Walker.
- I ain't gonna be out here strapped.
- You gonna take that on a humble?
- You don't know there's rules to this game.
- Rules?
- Yeah.

- Business or pleasure for you?
- Business. Always business.
- What did you forget?
- Nothing important.

- I need a lab unit and a dpw crew with a jackhammer.
- 'A jackhammer?'
- Gonna keep a bit of road, kga.
- Alive. In the or.
- My people at the scene have heard this.
- It's a copy of the original.
- We brought a machine... where the fuck is...
- Sir.
- Here it is.

- What the fuck was that?
- Fiend saying death grip ain't all that.
- We're beating niggers over speaking the truth?
- I ain't hit him, the young'uns, yo.
- You can't tell these fools nothing.
- We stomping niggers over bullshit, man.
- Somebody got to pull stringer up on this.

- Motherfucker!
- Yo, motherfucker, trying to steal our shit.

- I put what I can on crazy-ass bunny Colvin.
- And I take the hit.
- And if carcetti or gray holds hearings,
- I'm the wall between them and you.
- In which case,
- I am your commissioner for the full five-year term.

- The wire is what gives us barksdale.
- It gives us the whole crew.
- Day by day, piece by piece.
- Buy-bust, lieutenant.
- It's what I asked you for months ago.
- It's what we do successfully time and again to make these cases.

- Hey, seller man, what you got?
- Got the long white ts for the young ones.
- You ain't got candles?
- I'm looking to buy candles and toilet paper for the shit-bucket too.
- You here tomorrow?
- I can't leave.
- I leave, somebody grab my stake.
- I'll be back tomorrow.

- For various reasons that I can't get into,
- I got to get it back somehow.
- Camera?
- Yeah. This fella marlo probably took it.
- I don't know if he hocked it...
- You bothering me about a camera?
- You supposed to have my back, remember?
- Five minutes, you told me.
- I know. I owe on the deal.
- It's Tyrone's, chicken wings.

- you can work my package.
- This is the shit you had out here last week. The dimes that moochie was slinging?
- The shit was good. Moochie sold out quick.
- All right.
- I'm saying, I'm gonna send my man around with the dollars.
- Keep it real, yo.
- Whatever.

- He has given us such excellent work that I think that now is as good a time as any to announce that we will be sending the deputy's name fon/vard to the city council for confirmation as Baltimore police commissioner.
- Acting commissioner rawls, to whom I am also extremely grateful, will serve in an advisory capacity pending new responsibilities at city hall.

- Deputy ops.
- No, this is Daniels. Cedric Daniels.
- He's now in the commissioner's office.
- Yes.

- but before I can get to that, you came to me with this.
- I mean, what the fuck?
- I gotta tell you, Lester,
- I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I can see why Daniels cringed every time you opened your fucking mouth.
- You're a supervisor's nightmare.
- I'm just following the thread.

- Shit.
- One-and-one.
- One more time with that toothpick,
- I'm going to stab his eye with it.

- Look, I won't ever disrespect your pencil again, I promise.
- Zenobia, it wasn't about the pencil.
- Please, Mr. P.
- Come on, Mr. P.
- Ok, ok, all right.
[Boy] All right.
- Just this one time, I'll make an exception.
- But next time, expect to stay the full hour.

- Ok. See you later.
- I go in there now, you know what that makes me?
- Some asshole politician who's running for office.
Norman Wilson: Watkins. 40th district.
- You call the reporters?
- All three channels and the sun.

Namond: Ayo, Kenard. Why you lie to me?
Kenard: Fuck you talkin' 'bout?
Namond: You said the police kicked your door in. I seen the door. They ain't kick shit in. How you gonna lie?
Kenard: Go on, man.
Namond: Yo, where the package at, man?
Kenard: Package up my ass, gump!
Namond: Yo, I'm 'bout to...
Kenard: You 'bout to? Go on, walk! Gump-ass muthafucka.
[Michael suddenly punches Kenard and begins savagely beating him]
Kenard: Nay... Nay...
Man: Yo! Look at that little nigga gettin' his ass beat! Hahaha!
[Michael gives Kenard one final punch, then drops him to the pavement]
Michael: You always talkin' too goddamn much. Go 'head, Nay. Get your pack off this bitch so we can go.
Namond: [in shock] I ain't want it... I ain't want it.
[he turns and runs away]

- You know what they say about the man who volunteers to take the back?
- He buys.
- B&o tavern, tonight at nine, son.
- I throw myself out after one.
- Shit.
- You don't believe me, ask bunk.
- True.

Det. Roland 'Prez' Pryzbylewski: [about a drugdealer giving out information through his wired phone] If that idiot worked for us, he'd be a deputy commissioner by now.

- The court wants its 60 days.
- If you take this wire down on Friday, you'll be in contempt of court on Monday.
- Understood?
- And all the best to Arlene and the kids.
- Yeah.
- Who's your daddy now?

- And you can't even tell me shit about who they was.
- One of them was named Omar.
- Omar?
- Omar, that's the name I heard.
- And they had a white Van.
- I saw the Van.
- What kind of Van?
- Five-o!

Sgt. Jay Landsman: Officer, uh...
Off. Beatrice 'Beadie' Russell: Russell.
Sgt. Jay Landsman: I am informed that you are detailed to this case as a liaison with the port police. I also understand that, uh... you are the only help that your department is sending.
Off. Beatrice 'Beadie' Russell: That so?
Sgt. Jay Landsman: Although there is some small charm to a woman in uniform, the fact remains we wear plainclothes in Homicide. Which is not to say that the clothes need be plain. For you I would suggest some pantsuits, perhaps, muted in color. Something to offset Detective Moreland's pinstriped lawyerly affectations, and the brash tweedy impertinence of Detective Freamon. Rawls is watchin' on this one. Let's at least pretend we got a fucking clue.
Detective: Tweedy impertinence? I like that.

- gotta watch your back well, I beg your pardon walk the straight and narrow track if you walk with Jesus he's gonna save your soul you gotta keep the devil way down in a hole

- Make sure the dock boys are playing straight.
- They are what I order?
- Yes.
- I got you the s series in the colors that you wanted.
- I got one parked outside. You wanna see?
- Outside? Now?
- I'm just taking her out for a spin, chief.
- I'll put her back tonight.

- Fish your wish, huh?
- Jumper, probably.
- This close to the bridge.
- Probably, yeah.
- Pretty, though.
- She is.
- I go in the men's room this morning.
- Guess who's puking his guts out.
- Bunk moreland.
- How'd you know?
- Useless fuck can't hold his liquor.

- Jesus, Larry... I think we gotta reach out to a criminal lawyer real quick.
- The union guys can't handle this mess, he'll have a bail hearing tomorrow.
- Do you have any details?
- I know nothing except he's locked up.
- I can't see him till ten.
- That's the only time?
- Visiting hours, yeah.
- Look, everything's gonna be fine.
- Uh-huh.

- And a couple of them whiteys.
- That'll work.
[Bubs] That'll work.
- Bubs just made another 25.
- Theresa d'agostino, please.
Woman: I'm sorry, but she's not in.
- Can I take a message?
- No, I'll call back.
- So how's that working?
- What?
- Your new ho.
- So far, so good.

- I don't even think on that car no more.
- You put it behind you, huh?
- Some can.
- I'm just saying, you wanna stay on the straight, ain't gonna be no big reward to it.
- This is it, right here.
- Prime that bitch three times.
- She'll start right up.

- you gotta keep the devil way down in the hole
- You gotta keep the devil way down in the hole way down way down in the hole

Thomas: Don't worry, kid. You're still on the clock.

- I tried talking about the way she was acting, but she wouldn't let it go.
- She had it out with him in his club in front of all the people.
- Avon has a club?
- Orlando's, titty bar.
- Does he own it?
- That's what diedre said.
- She said he owned a whole mess of stuff.

- When they ask you where you wanna go, and they are gonna ask you where you wanna go, do yourself a favor.
- Keep your mouth shut.
- I gotta take a tinkle, boy.
- I got it.
- All right.

Det. Lester Freamon: Seems that Stringer Bell is worse than a drug dealer . . .
Det. Roland 'Prez' Pryzbylewski: He's a developer.

- Hold it right there!
[Woman] Get the fuck off me!
[Police officer] Stop right there!
- Stop right there! Stop!
- Freeze! Freeze! Don't move!
- Hold it right there. Freeze.
[Radio] Outstanding, red team, outstanding.
- Give you a case of beer for that one.

- I at least have to be sure that the quote comes from...
- Nerese Campbell.
- She's not gonna slam the mayor's choice publicly, but not-for-attribution, that's her quote.
- You got nerese to say that, huh?
- Twigg's not the only guy with game around here.

Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell: Are you threatening me?
Maj. Howard 'Bunny' Colvin: I believe I am, sir. My apologies.

- in the bottom of the hole in the hole in the hole way down in the hole in the hole in the hole in the hole in the hole way down in the hole

[Omar and Brother Mouzone have Stringer cornered, their guns turned on him]
Stringer: I ain't strapped. Look, man. I ain't involved. I ain't involved in that gangster bullshit no more.
[both gunmen are silent, Stringer is breathing hard from running]
Stringer: What y'all niggers want, man? Huh? Money?
[however, he just gets more silence]
Stringer: IS THAT IT? Cause if it is, man, I can be a better friend to y'all alive.
Omar: You still don't get it, do you? This ain't about your money, bro. Your boy gave you up. That's right. And we ain't had to torture his ass neither!
[Stringer is silent, realizing that Omar now knows he had his lover Brandon tortured and killed. He then looks to Brother Mouzone, and with him there - realizes he now knows he tried to have him killed, and that both men have come for retribution]
Stringer: [regrettably] Seems like I can't say nothing to change y'all minds.
[long silence]
Stringer: Well, get on with it, motherfu...
[Omar and Mouzone shoot him to death]

- There goes the shuttle.
- What's he waiting on?
- Getting himself all steeled up to tell some tales.
- Lying to the wife's easy. It's looking your kid in the eye that's the hard part.

- If you fuck with a man's ride, you get his attention.
- Babycakes?
- Yo, yo, yo. Hold up!
- That motherfucker's gonna hear from my lawyer.
- This is some outrageous shit.
- You think?
- Fuck you all, you lying motherfuckers!
- Gentlemen.

- Just so he don't come back on my cousin.
- Anyway, thanks for being straight on this.
- Fool, if it wasn't for Sergei here, you and your cuz both would be cadaverous motherfuckers.
- I went through ins, customs, even the state department. Nothing.
- It's time, Jimmy.
- You did what you could, right?

- I put a clock radio in the trash can one day, trying to be cute, got caught.
- I didn't even need a clock radio.
- See, that's me, though. Born fuck-up.
- All right, you know what?
- $5 an hour, $30 on the day.
- That'll work. Right?

- Copy.
- 11-34.
- Subject and companion, blue suit, leaving the hotel any moment now.
[Bunk] Copy, we got the eyeball.
- The man with vondopoulos must be big.
- I mean, look at that expensive suit.
- Yeah, with them buttons and all.

Wallace: Shit, if it ain't up in the West Side, I don't know shit.
Wallace: [pointing to the neighborhood] Coz this shit? This is me, yo, right here.

- Hey.
- Little early for that, ain't it?

- Only problem is stump live in that rat hole, baby.
- So he ain't got to bring the cash out.
- See what I'm saying?
- Then we charge in, guns a-blazing.
- Steel door, right?
- Look, Dante, what's it gonna take for you to be convinced, man? I don't bag no babies.
- What you think?

- I'm not a regular, ok?
- I work for stringer.
- He pay you, don't he?
- Come on, buy me a drink.
- How much?
- 20.
- I drink slow.
- Maybe another time.

Stringer: We ain't gotta dream no more, man. We got real shit. Real estate we can touch.

- Rhondie?
- Rhondie, rhondie!
- Rhonda!

- You say you worked with this guy?
- "Three shots, no warnings."
- Is he scared of black people or something?
- Shit.
- The shit's gone too far.
- You're telling me.
- Yeah, I need the number to the newspaper, the sun.
- Yeah, the number for the reporters, the newsroom, yeah.

- But I thought I was wrong for the right reasons.
- There are different kinds of wrong.
- What're you doing here, bea?
- I'd like you to come in. Not in cuffs.
- Because you want to.
- I'm opening a door here, frank.

- You're not coming?
- Now, what you gonna see ain't pretty.
- But it's safe.
- I think you need to take this journey your own self.
- Yeah.
Man: Better deal on those yellow tops.
- Yellow tops right here.

- Baby, a standard trac phone with 200, maybe 400 minutes on it, gonna run you 150, 200 easy.
- I charge you an even 100.
- You clear 50 on each phone.
Bernard: That's if you got receipts.
- I gotta show receipts looking like they from different places, or I can't play.
- Can we accommodate the good man?
- Damn, you know I got the bingo tonight.

Det. Thomas 'Herc' Hauk: Hey. Yo!
Justin: Huh?
Det. Thomas 'Herc' Hauk: 'me axe you a question. Where do you guys get those hats with the bills over the ears like that? I go into all the city stores and the only ones I can find are the ones with the bills in the front.
Justin: Na, it's the same. Just turn it sideways on ya head.
Det. Thomas 'Herc' Hauk: Thanks. Thank you

- Officer tilghman. Officer tilghman,
- I was wondering if I could parlay with you.
- Barksdale, right?
- Yeah.
- I want to know if you can help me...
- No.
- Pardon me?
- I said no, motherfucker.
- Off the steps.

Maurice: Why should we believe your testimony then? Why believe anything you say?
Omar: That's up to y'all, really.

- I'll tell shardene you said hi.
- She must be doing good, to be out for so long.
- She must've landed a rich one, right?
- You her girl?
- Yeah.
- I wouldn't let mine come in here without me.
- These bitches in here are no joke.

- What support do I get?
- One fuckin' detective.
- They wanna play their simple-ass games, fine. But I gotta do what I gotta do.
- Excuse me.
- Mcnulty. Yeah, Oscar.
- Beautiful.
- Absolutely. Where? On my way.

- I don't know shit about no refrigerator.
- Like I said, I didn't go in.
- I turned around, started walking back to the truck and I heard this shot.
- Wee-bey came running back with this big-ass .45 he liked so much.
- Tells me how he was tapping on the window, real soft.
- She had to walk all the way up cos she couldn't see what was on the outside.
- And when she gets up to the window and looks out...

- In particular, I ain't all that kindly.
- So you're gonna take my check and run with my fucking campaign...
- Well, I do know who pays me.
- Yes, sir! Oh yes, sir, boss!
- Who are you gonna vote for?
- Royce? Tony gray?
- One of them brothers. [Sniggers]
- Yeah, yeah, yeah. [Laughs]

- Like what?
- Some police shit. I don't know.
- Something that looks good to carcetti, so he can say it was his idea to keep you.
- "Police shit"?
- Well, whatever it is y'all do for a living. Look...
- Just take care of your end and let your friends handle theirs.

- That how you see things, d'Angelo?
- Like your friend here?
- I'm here trying to outfit niggers with something to rile up some pussy.
- You don't want to know, bubbles used to get that pussy.
- I reckon pussy ain't worth what it used to be if you can do it without a proper brim.

- Shit, nigger, turn.
- Man got clubs.
- One day soon I'm walking out with a rolls, hear?
- Way you been going to school up here, son,
- I suspect you're gonna walk out of here with Morgan Freeman to drive it for you too.
- See y'all next time.

- to be state police superintendent.
- Because while you may be a shade too...
- White to run the Baltimore department, you're just about right for the msp.
- I have your word?
- And I have yours.

- Homicide, shea.
- This is Daniels, out at southeast.
- Yes, sir.
- Who caught the highlandtown murder the other night?
- Jay landsman, sir.
[Daniels] Landsman? I'll be right over.
- Go get the interviews started.

- Hi. May I take your coat?
- Sure.
- You, sir?
- Oh, no. I'm good.
- Yeah, me too.
- Ok, your table's ready.
- Follow me, please.

- Where avon at? I'll go to him.
- We beefing for corners right now.
- As soon as I speak to him,
- I'll get him to you, I promise.
- A cop shouldn't mess with a mother's pain.
- No one should.
- Mm-mm.

- So this is your last case.
- Work it.
- If you're half the detective you think you are, you'll put this one down fast and take us all off the hook.
- The longer this goes on, the worse the payback's gonna be.

- in the bottom of the hole in the hole in the hole way down in the hole in the hole in the hole in the hole in the hole way down in the hole

- I'm good.
- I'm trying to school you, boy, and you just don't wanna know.
- I'm cool. I'm good.
[Bubbles, outside] Whitey sale, whitey sale. One for three, three for five.
- Whitey sale.
- Whitey sale, whitey sale, whitey sale, here. One for three, three for five.

- When I get back to the tower,
- I'm gonna push them niggers.
- All right.
- Come here.
- Don't walk out of here like that.
- You family, all right?
- You know it's always love.
- Yeah.

[Man] Hey.
[2nd man] Hey, what's up?
- What's going on?
[2nd man] Yeah, what's up, dawg?

- "boy, I might have brung you into this world,
- "but you the one who gonna have to live in it."
- Well, ma, I'm still here.
- Me. You gotta let me live like I need to live.
- You tell avon, stringer, and donette, all of them, to leave me be.

- Shit. He got my fucking sleeve.
- Just calm down.
- We'll get something to clean this up, and maybe a soda or something.
- Get some sugar in you at least.
- I'm sorry.
- He settles down, I'll Miranda.
- Yeah.
- Fuck.

- There was nothing I could do, you know?
- It's like first I got beat, right, then I get this.
- What are these for?
- They say I got the bug.
- The bug?
- They checked me when I was in hospital.
- Are they sure?

Acting Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell: [about political corruption] In this state, there's a thin line between campaign posters and photo arrays.

- This thing with Lester...
- I feel like shit about it.
- Well, you'll get used to it.
[Man] We get out of the car, crowd parts like the red sea, victim's on the ground, bleeding, screaming,
- "I'm gonna kill that fucking bitch."
- But it's like nothing's really wrong with him...

- ain't nobody here on your waveband ain't nobody gonna lend you a helping hand and you start breaking down then you go to the sound but you hear that fast train ooh, fast train

- Stefanos.
- Have the boy go to eton.
- Tell him to come right away to the other place.
- You're not calling?
- No phones. No more phones.
- Adieu, my friend.

- Keep the cash. Write him a receipt.
- He wants to put a claim in with the city solicitor, he can.
- But they're gonna ask him where he got the pile.
- Uh-oh. The angel of death.
- Who's that?
- Major Reed, iid.
- Lieutenant, a word.

- No, I'm good.
- Come on, man.
- Take that skirt off and have a drink.
- Drink that.
- Man, don't play like that.
- Icicles, get 'em before they melt!
- Icicles!

- It's just for show until the election next year.
- A city police lieutenant looks good on her arm.
- Who even cares anymore?
- Everyone's either separated or divorcing for the second time.
- This is a favor. For her.
- It's hard to explain.

- I couldn't make it out the bathroom.
- Stand up when I talk to you, young man.
- I know your mother, Tyrell.
- She didn't raise any clowns, now, did she?
- No, ma'am.
- It's yours, major.

- What's wrong with bunk?
- Hard to say. Beneath that gruff veneer, he's actually very emotional.
- Looking for the theme in your homeless case?
- Well, wish me luck.
- I'm gonna try for an interview with my only wit.
- The home invasion?
- Hmm.

- And worse, as your prices drop, your product eventually loses consumer credibility.
- You know, the new ceo of worldcom was faced with this very problem.
- The company was linked to one of the largest fraud cases in history.
- So he proposed...
- To change the name?
- Exactly.

- Get in the damn car.
- If you want me in that car, look me up.
- And then I wanna talk to my shop steward and he can have an ibs lawyer go with me.
- Hey, dad, what...
- Jesus, pop, what was that for?
- Say cheese. You pull another stunt, I'll have your card. I don't care who your mother is!
- Get the fuck outta here!
- Kind of smart for a fat man, isn't he?
- All right, all right.

- Ain't no market at all. You ain't got shit to sell. Back your ass up for those that do.
- You know what?
- What?
- Get the fuck out of here, bitch!
- Get your ass outta here!
- See, that's why we can't win.
- Why not?
- They fuck up, they get beat.
- We fuck up, they give us pensions.
[Man] Close it! Get the fuck out of here!

- So you get out all right?
- Yeah. Hurt my ankle going round a corner but...
- But you got away, then?
[Man on radio] The lieutenant governor...
- I know, we're late...
- Ain't no thing. You did good here.
- Turn that bullshit off.

[Stewedores' Union members were testifying in front of the Grand Jury]
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: How did we do, Charlie?
Charlie: I almost got one to swear that the docks are actually near the water.

- Yo, where in leave it to beaver-land are you taking me?
- I'm late for something.
- I'll drop you after, on the way back downtown.
- What you late for?
- Soccer.
- Suck what?

- The us attorney's office, call it "the head shot."
[Rhonda] 30 years for something that every college kid does with a starter home.
- Daddy loans you money to qualify, a couple years later, you pay him back.
- 30 years.
- With leverage like that, this case needs to go federal.

- Hold up, string...
- No, that's a simple thing, my nigger.
- You drive the guns to the water.
- You look around, you ain't see anybody, you throw the guns... in the water.
- Splash.
- Now, get the fuck out of here, man.
- Exceptyou, young'UN.

Reginald: My name is . . . my name is . . . Reginald. Round the way, they call me Bubbles. I'm a drug addict. Celebrating my anniversary. My people couldn't make it here tonight. I left a trail of fire behind me. Time going to make it right, I guess.

Lt. Dennis Mello: [repeated line at end of role call] Don't get captured!

- I'd want it to be you standing over me, catching the case.
[Pretend cough] Bullshit.
- Because, brother, when you were good, you were the best we had.
- Hear, hear.
- Yeah!
- Shit, if you was lying there dead on some corner, it was probably Jimmy that done ya.
- Fuck you! If you caught the case, you'd be standing there pissing in my ear.

- What was she firing?
- Dirty bomb, with a red-top chaser.
- Damn. The bomb is the bomb.

Omar: That wasn't no attempt murder.
Maurice: What was it, Mr. Little?
Omar: I shot the boy Mike-Mike in his hind parts, that all.
[Jury laughs]
Omar: Fixed it up so he couldn't sit right.
[Judge chuckles]
Maurice: Why'd you shoot Mike-Mike in his, um, hind parts, Mr. Little?
Omar: Let's say we had a disagreement.
Maurice: A disagreement over?
Omar: Well, you see, Mike-Mike thought he should keep that cocaine he was slingin' and the money he was makin' from slingin' it. I thought otherwise.

- All due respect.
[Mello] Nothing but tumbleweeds.
- Get me some buses.
- Tomorrow we clean the corners.
- Put them all in one place and give them the news.
- And I'm not asking anymore.

- we just gotta keep the devil way down in the hole
- Down in the hole down in the hole you gotta help me keep the devil down in the hole

- Hold up, Tony.
- Look, man. We gotta talk. I feel bad about the way things have turned out but if you're elected then I'll do whatever I can to help you.
- And if I get in, I'm gonna need your help.
- I mean, it's not personal, Tony.
- Fuck you, Tommy.

- and we are pursuing the suspect with every means at our disposal.
- I have made clear to my police commanders that they have my full confidence and the authority to employ whatever resources they require.
- And let me be unequivocal.
- This man will be brought to justice.
- Thank you.
[Reporters] Mr. Mayor, Mr. Mayor!

- Freamon.
- Visual on stinkum.
- 'Yo, we lost four to five-0.'
- 'What?'
- 'we lost four.'
- 'Why the fuck are you telling me this?'
- 'I'll talk to you later.'

- Yeah, I'm holding.
- You did like we say, right?
- Yeah.
- Give him that.
- We're gonna need another 60 more.
- 60 more?
- You know how we do.
- So don't be crying, Bernard.

- Count this money, baby.
- What the fuck?
- Who's that?
- Wee-bey swinging me an emergency call.

Det. Ellis Carver: Word comes down this morning. We're supposed to ride past your union hall twice a day and paper the cars.
[i.e. put tickets on them]
Frank: You work for a gaping asshole!
Det. Ellis Carver: More than one, actually.

- I find it very, very easy to be true
- I find myself alone when each day's through yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you because you're mine, I walk the line

- Who's he?
- A friend.
- Is he gonna make it?
- You still working drugs?
- Downtown, yeah.
- I got something for you.

- Yeah, well, I guess, Mr. Mayor...
- There's nothing to be done.

- I got 20 on Mr. Rat. Anyone fade me?
- Uh-uh, uh-uh, uh-uh, uh-uh.
- Move along. Come on, come on, get there.
- 100 says it ain't over.
- Shit, I got to take easy money.
- What the fuck?
- Motherfucker!
- Sounds about over now, though.
- How did he know what the rat gonna do?
- Junk do know his varmints!

- Freamon.
- All right, bunk, take care.
- We tell Daniels.
- Fuck Daniels and his ass-kissing ambition.
- What other choice you got?
- We go to Daniels. If he fights, he fights.
- If he gives it up to rawls, then fuck it, we were never gonna do the case anyway.
- All right, come on.

State Sen. R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: I'm going to bring you along, String, but it ain't going to be an overnight thing. We spend this year dealing with the city, the next doing business with the state. However, year three, then we go for the gold. Then we go federal. Then we see the man with his hand on the faucet.
Russell: What faucet?
State Sen. R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: The hood faucet. The money faucet.

Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: How long you been in the pawn shop unit?
Det. Lester Freamon: Thirteen years and four months.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: Thirteen years?
Det. Lester Freamon: And four months.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: I gotta ask you, what exactly does a police officer assigned to the pawn shop unit do?
Det. Lester Freamon: You intake reports from registered pawn shops on all items valued over $50. Then you make an index card for that item. Then you file that index card. If someone wants to find out if something stolen has been pawned, we look to see if we have an index card. If we do, we do. If we don't, we don't.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: You did that for thirteen years?
Det. Lester Freamon: And four months.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: Why'd you ask out of homicide?
Det. Lester Freamon: Wasn't no "ask" about it.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: You got the boot?
Det. Lester Freamon: Uh-huh.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: What'd you do to piss 'em off?
Det. Lester Freamon: Police work.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: I think I need to buy you a drink.
Det. Lester Freamon: Just one?

[Man] We could take him now.
[Woman] Not enough profile.
[Valchek] Fucking feds.
- Be advised, target 27 is on the move.

- He must have done something to you.
- No, it's just business.

- It ain't much but it's been months since a boss has been able to find me.
- You still have some interest in marlo Stanfield, right?
- That's his cell.
- He stopped using cellphones.
- Ellis, how?
- Police work, detective. Police work.

- As sure as night is dark and day is light
- I keep you on my mind both day and night and happiness I've known proves that it's right because you're mine, I walk the line

Det. Shakima 'Kima' Greggs: Cool Lester Smooth... hey, what's happenin'?
Det. Lester Freamon: Same fuck-ups in the same shit detail, workin' out of the same shithouse kind of office. You people lack for personal growth, you know that?

- You charge her with the theft,
- I'll put the cuffs on her too.
- But you in the wagon, shitbird.
- This is not acceptable...
- No. He's goin' in a wagon.
- Mr. Colvin, I have to insist.
- 30 years a police officer,
- I never took cuffs off a right charge.
- Ain't about to start now.
- You're not a police officer, Mr. Colvin.
- You work for us.

- When you figure out what to do with that, holler at me.
- How do I do that?
- Hmm.
- 410-915-0909.
- Anything else?
- Nah, take me off your clock.

Roland: I don't get it. All this so we score higher on the state tests? If we're teaching the kids the test questions, what is it assessing in them?
Grace: Nothing. It assesses us. The test scores go up, they can say the schools are improving. The scores stay down, they can't.
Roland: Juking the stats.
Grace: Excuse me?
Roland: Making robberies into larcenies. Making rapes disappear. You juke the stats, and majors become colonels. I've been here before.
Grace: Wherever you go, there you are.

Bubbles: Little Squeak, off of Lanvale. Yeah, she used to boost for Turtle Wells' old mob. She lost a little bit of weight, too. I mean, looking a lot better than I remember. And I remember a lot about that girl.
Det. Shakima 'Kima' Greggs: Damn, Bubs, is there anybody West Side you don't know?
Bubbles: Just citizens and shit.

- I got to thinking on her.
- Your ass ain't got to be hard all the goddamn time.
- Soft link break the chain.
- What are you, a boy or a man?
- I'm a man.
- So what are we gonna do, man, go have some fun?

Kathleen: [Answering a call Kima has been asked to make to a Mr. Lyon] Hello, Kathleen O'Shea.
Det. Shakima 'Kima' Greggs: Yes, hello? I need to speak with Mr. Lyon about the protocols.
Kathleen: I beg your pardon?
Det. Shakima 'Kima' Greggs: Mr. Lyon, please.
Kathleen: You sound a little old for this, hon.
Det. Shakima 'Kima' Greggs: Excuse me?
Kathleen: Who is this?
Det. Shakima 'Kima' Greggs: This is Detective Greggs with the...
Kathleen: This is the Baltimore City Zoo.

- If this doesn't work, Jimmy, it's just back to usual.
- I'm out the door on pension anyway.
- Jimmy, I need more time.
- I need to be able to rely on you and your people to keep this close.
- Bosses don't know, huh?
- Fuck the bosses.

- That floater showing up in your dreams?
- No, it's not just her.
- Who am I, captain chesapeake?
- I need to get off that boat, bunk.
- I need to do a case.
- I mean, if I'm not gonna...
- If I'm no good for...

- You got to let these motherfuckers know who you are.
- You coming?
- I'm with you.
- Carv?
- What the hell?
- Let's do it.
- Come on.

- Robbie, I have fought and scratched and clawed for four months to get my clearance rate up above 50% and right now it stands at exactly 51 .6%.
- Do you know what my clearance rate will be if
- I take 13 whodunnits off your hands? 39.4%.
- Bill, like I told you...
- We did not get to be colonels by being complete fucking idiots, right?
- Robbie, you poor bastard, you look like you need a cup of coffee.

Det. Lester Freamon: You follow drugs, you get drug addicts and drug dealers. But you start to follow the money, and you don't know where the fuck it's gonna take you.

- Not after a letter like that.
- Good work.
- I have my moments.
- Nice suit, by the way.
- Thanks.
- I see you dress left.
[Foreman] Every day.

- But how the hell am I supposed to trust you?
[Boy] Mom, quick, it's a spider.
- It's a big, hairy one.
- Oh, my gosh.
- Come on, mom.
- It's a big hairy spider.
- Where?
- You mean the one that's on your leg!

- The dead men don't care.
- No one cares.
- But if it's gonna get the bosses to throw down enough coin to do police work...
- I'm out. I'm outta here.
- We got to give your killer a name.
- We have to kill again.

[Police radio] Speaking to officer at
- 5-baker-25 on the northern channel.
- 23-03 to kga.
- Have foxtrot meet me on six, Adam.
- Foxtrot, 10-4.
- 23-03 to foxtrot.
- Foxtrot, standing by.
- It's a black Mercedes, pulling out the lot.
- Copy that, we got the eyeball.

- Yeah, it's in the Van, in the garage in the back of 2249 polk street.
- The key gonna be in the cinderblock.
- You steal this much, and this ain't over.
- This ain't over.

[Man] Hey!
- Yo, up here!
- Help!

- I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
- I keep my eyes wide open all the time
- I keep the ends out for the tie that binds because you're mine, I walk the line

- Would you like a date tonight?
- No, not tonight.
- I'm back in town in a couple of nights.
- Have you been entertained by us before?
- No, first time for me.
- We can arrange whatever you like.
- What kind of a girl are you looking for?
- We have a variety for you to choose from when you arrive. When are you coming?

- Nothing. You see? [Laughs]
- Bug, you seen your daddy?
- Went to the store.
- Where you going?
- I'm gonna go look for him.
- You ain't gonna find him.
- Why not?
- Because he ain't coming back.

Dep. Comm.: What's this Sobotka to you?
Maj. Stanislaus 'Stan' Valchek: He's an asshole.

- Red tops, got them red tops.
- Yo, Johnny.

- Take this down to the cafeteria and get yourself something to drink from the machine.
- Thank you.

Omar: Hey, yo! Y'all need to open this door, man, before I huff and puff. C'mon, now, by the hairs of your chinny-chin-chin.
Terrell: Omar, you best roll out. We up in here with a Mac-10.
Omar: I thinks not, Terrell. I thinks not. Y'all might need to think this through and stop wasting my time. 'Cause Omar can come back tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day. And I will put a bullet in all y'all behind what happen right now, you heard?
[a garbage bag is dropped from the window and Omar inspects the contents]
Omar: Fair enough.

- This nigger from New York, from the olden days, bumpy something.
- He'd do shit like run up to a police station by hisself.
- No.
- You know, shit like that.
- Cops be like hiding, like,
- "yo, bumpy, we sorry, man, we sorry.
- "Please go away. Please, please."
- Woof.

- My guess is barksdale never touches a cellphone.
- Safe house might be our best shot.
- All right.
- We stay on the wires until this batch of burners goes dead, hoping we have barksdale.
- But meanwhile, we get a warrant for that safe house and wait on him there.

- Hey, fucknuts.
- What the fuck is wrong with you?
- Christ, Ziggy. What the... zig...
- Jesus, zig. What the fuck?

- I can't believe he wants us to knock.
- You can't qush guns, can you?
- What about if they open up on us?
- These guys are at war with another crew.
- We go charging in there, chances are we will get lit up.

- And I probably let her believe it just to keep peace.
- Now she wants to be the big deal.
- What do you want?
- I don't want to disappoint her anymore.
- And right now I'm more help showing up at some dinner in my ring and dress blues than being the not-even-divorced-yet husband with the white woman on his arm.

- simply because I'm gonna need it.
- Last poll that Clarence showed me, he was up by seven points.
- Bullshit. I'm within four.
- You won't be needing that.
- I know.
- Here?
- Yeah, here.

[Prez] Christ, I wish we had a tap on the port office phone.
- I just wanted to give you a heads-up.
- That last little item we sent out is wrong.
- I knew it was wrong when I let it go.
- Not on the phone, frank.
- Ok, but this time he needs to be there.
- In fact, he wants to be there to hear this shit.

- Shit.
- Are you fucking serious?
- Fuck, man.
- You keep walking away from jsa, we keep kicking your ass.
- I'm all right with that if you are.
- I ain't walking away from nowhere.
- Check my back pocket.

- Police jumping out the next.
- Something up at the pit?
- Maybe, yeah.
- What's up with my nephew?
- I don't know.
- He making that money out the hole, but...
- He might have a problem he don't know about.
- I'm on it.

- Y'all don't happen to know a fellow by the name of peanut, right?
- I didn't think so. Anyway, gentlemen, you know, one hand washes the other.
- You give me a good word on that gun and I can make almost any charge disappear.
- Any questions?
- Huh?
- Get them out.
- Shit, I had to try something.

Maurice: You are amoral, are you not? You are feeding off the violence and the despair of the drug trade. You are stealing from those who themselves are stealing the lifeblood from our city. You are a parasite who leeches off...
Omar: Just like you, man.
Maurice: ...the culture of drugs. Excuse me? What?
Omar: I got the shotgun, you got the briefcase. It's all in the game though, right?

- If anyone is suggesting that
- I've broken chain of command, that I've gone behind your back, that I've lobbied against you in any way, they're lying.
- I don't know who told the newspaper that, but they were lying when they said it.
- Yeah.
- Respectfully, sir, I don't know where this shit is coming from.

Joseph: Omar to one side holding a spade, and maybe Marlo to the other with a shovel, and just at this moment, I manage to crawl out my own damn grave. No way do I crawl back in.

Chester: Nicely done, nicely done. Like I always say, it pays to go with the union card every time.

Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: [during interrogation] No name, huh? Well, for now, we'll just call you Boris.
Sergei: [sighs] Boris. Why always Boris?

- World just keeps turning, right?
- You guys move on to something new.
- No one looks back.
- It's on me this time.
- Anyone?

- Paint pigments. They ship them in for the scl plant down at Fairfield.
- It's in there somewhere. Run it.

- You've got to be shitting me.
- Oh, shit!
- Get out of the way!
- Driving all crazy.
- Damn.

- Ten?
- You have your rice-a-roni profits.
- Michael, come on!
- You ain't gonna hold the dss card if you ain't gonna do right by me.
- You're gonna let me hold that card.
- You a hard child.

[Omar is walking down a dark alley at night, carrying his bag and whistling. Suddenly, he hears the click of a gun being cocked behind him]
Brother: [offscreen] That's far enough. Drop your laundry and turn slowly.
[Omar drops his bag]
Omar: So you gonna rob me now. I need to remind you who I am?
Brother: Omar, isn't it?
[Omar turns, revealing Brother Mouzone, pointing a pistol at him]
Brother: Pull it slowly, then toss it.
Omar: [slowly reaching for his own pistol] Oh, I WILL move slow. But I ain't tossin' nothin'... Bow Tie. So whatever you gonna do, you might as well go ahead and make it quick. I knew you'd come back.
Brother: I trust you didn't lose sleep over it.
Omar: Worryin' about you be like wonderin' if the sun gonna come up. Ain't about to wild out over it. What I wanna know is how you find me.
Brother: Your boy. He didn't give you up easy.
Omar: Ain't no sugar water runnin' through them veins. You kill him?
Brother: He's resting.
[Omar slowly pulls his gun out of his belt]
Brother: I see you favor a .45.
Omar: Tonight I do. And I keeps one in the chamber, in case you ponderin'. Nice show piece you got there.
Brother: Walther PPK, .380, double action.
Omar: [slowly raising his gun so Mouzone can see it] Hear them Walthers like to jump some.
Brother: As will you, with one in your elbow.
Omar: That gun ain't got enough firepower to make my joint useless. It definitely won't stop me from emptyin' out half my mag.
Brother: You might not hit me.
Omar: [chuckling] This range? And this caliber? Even if I miss, I can't miss.
Brother: I admire a man with confidence.
Brother: [slowly leveling his gun, aiming it at Mouzone's chest] I don't see no sweat on your brow neither, bruh.
[long pause as the two men silently regard each other from across the alley]
Brother: I suppose we could stand here all night.
Omar: 'Spose we could. Or settle this once and forever.
[another pause, then Mouzone releases the hammer on his gun and lowers it]
Brother: I want to ask you something... brother.
[Omar lowers his gun]
Omar: Omar listenin'.

- Set up anywhere inside where we got the white flags.
- I'm ready to roll out.
- You just got here. What's wrong?
- Ain't nobody around to buy.
- Good point.
- Man needs customers.
- I'm sayin'...
- No. I mean, you can't make me.
- I'm a sworn fuckin' police officer.

- and they'll shield you with their wings keep you close to the lord don't pay heed to temptation for his hands are so cold you gotta help me keep the devil
- Way down in the hole

- Well, Wilson briefed rawls, rawls briefed Daniels.
- It's carcetti doing pontius pilate, putting it on Daniels, who was a safe choice as far as the rank and file goes.
- But that won't be enough for the ministers, not by a long shot.
- Am I the only one that knows how to play this game?
- Let's go, get that hydrant sealed.

- Yo.
- Be ready, we're on it.
- Look at this pretty motherfucker.
- Too fucked up to drive home, mcnulty?

- What's this?
- Court order. We get blood and hair.
- 14 head hairs, 14 body hairs, two blood samples each.
- It's a lot of houses, a lot of deeds.
- Who knows what you left behind?

Maj. Stanislaus 'Stan' Valchek: [to Herc, laughing about the oral sex incident between Mayor Royce and his secretary] What I wouldn't give to be in your shoes right now! Kid, careers have been launched on a helluva lot less. Just shut up and play dumb.

- Hey.
- How come so quick?
- Stringer bell's given name.
- Russell.
- For now, Ahmed.
- We're on the top of the mountain.
Man: Red tops over here.
- Come get them, come get them.

- Why here?
- Why you wanna mix with they kind, man?
- They give me work.
- Who you talkin' to?
- I know what they be doin' in there, Duke.

Det. Roland 'Prez' Pryzbylewski: [reading from a fortune cookie] "A new friend makes himself known."
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: "Himself"? If it was "herself," then you'd have a fortune.
Det. Roland 'Prez' Pryzbylewski: Shit, I'm married. With lawn furniture, man.

Thomas: [Proposition Joe brought Marlo to Attorney Levy, & Levy has led Marlo into a conference room, leaving Prop Joe with Herc to read the newspaper] Carcetti finally dumps Burrell...
Joseph: Ervin was a year before me at Dunbar
Thomas: No shit
Joseph: He was in the glee club
Thomas: [after a pause, Herc looks up from his own section of the paper] You're killin' me. I gotta ask
Joseph: Stone stupid

- Everything I did, the cans I let through, the money we got went to keeping what we had.
- God damn it, frank!
- Don't let that excuse this. Not this.
- Uncle frank, with the big shoulders.
- "If it's broke, give it to my uncle.
- He can fix it."

- Boy will meet you outside when you ready to roll.
- I'm ready now.
- No, dog, not from me you don't.
- Later, butchie.
- Your man avon ain't got no flex.
- 'Fraid not.

- Rawls came to me.
- Asked if I would take the homicides.
- You should.
- Those girls in the can really suffocated.
- They really died in that fucking box.
- You pick this case up, you might eat those open murders.
- But you let it pass, you got to ask yourself how you want to live your day-to-day.

[sitting in a hot dog joint]
Howard: I never did understand why you stopped eating the pig.
Deacon: I ain't been in a Polock Johnny's since 1974, and if you knew what was good for you...
Howard: Look, I know what's _good._ I remember when you did, too. I never saw you going all Muslim on me.
Deacon: Ain't that. But I do believe that other faiths have got the pig figured better than us A.M.E.'s.

- Oh, my god.
- You see that quote from somebody about me stabbing burrell in the back?
- That's a damn lie.
- So what?
- You're going to be named commissioner.
- This is good news.
- How is this not good news?

- Thank you, very entertaining.
- Sit down. Get in your seats!
- Sit down, sit down.
- Kwaneese, sit down.
- Sit down, now.
- Yo, Mr. P, you ever choke somebody dead like...
- Yo, you ever get videoed?

- I know that your heart is heavy.
- I know.
- But them wolves is at that door.
- As long as them towers are still standing, I am, too.
- And I'll be damned if! Let everything we fought for go to shit.
- So I'll talk to him.

- They gone, marlo. Just say so.
- That what you think? Just do 'em all?
- Take their fucking corner too.
- What do I want with some off-brand hilltop corner?
- And why I need to be stacking bodies when there ain't no one trying to war with us?
- Just Lex.
- He did one of ours, so he got to fall.

- He's interested in you.
- But he doesn't mention no blowjob, and neither do you.
- Uh-uh. It just lays there like a bad pierogi on the plate, both of you pretending it ain't there.
- What if he screws me over?
- Bounces me to a midnight shift?
- He does that, you will talk.

- Get where?
- Excuse me.
- How the hell was I to know the mayor was gonna put the screws to you?
- You read the paper? I look like shit.
- Hey, you got your class.
- And probably scored points with Royce out of sheer loyalty, right?

- In the wind, but we're locking it down out there.
- So what's this I hear about the gun?
- Doze tried to return fire, he dropped his piece. Some fuck picks it up and books.
- I mean, I can't believe this shit.
- I'll take it.
- No.
- No, no, no.

Det. Lester Freamon: Drink with me, Jimmy! This is what you wanted, man!
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: Then why do I feel like shit?
Det. Lester Freamon: Postpartum depression.

Detective: Guy leaves two dozen bodies scattered all over the city, no one gives a fuck.
Detective: It's because who he dropped.
Detective: True that. You can go a long way in this country killin' black folk. Young males especially. Misdemeanor homicides.
Detective: If Marlo was killin' white women...
Detective: White children.
Detective: Tourists.
Detective: One white ex-cheerleader tourist missin' in Aruba.
Detective: Trouble is, this ain't Aruba, bitch.
Detective: You think that if 300 white people were killed in this city every year, they wouldn't send the 82nd Airborne? Negro, please.
Detective: There's gotta be some way to make 'em turn on the faucet.
Detective: Well, come on, Jimmy, you're the smartest boy in the room. You come up with somethin' in this broke-ass city.
[McNulty looks down the bar at a pair of women, then walks over to them and starts talking]
Detective: [leans over to Bunk] Isn't he married or some shit now?

- Submission slip says, "row bb, section 14, shelf 3, four, right rear." It says that.
- So?
- No such thing.
- Bb has 12 sections. This says 14.
- You see what I'm saying? No evidence.
[Radio] Winters kill off the weaker varieties of caterpillars...
- Fuckin'...
- That's of an entirely different breed...
- Fuck.

- Now?
- Yeah. Yeah.
- Somebody's hitting stringer's pager from tower court.
- Now?
- Now.
- What's up?

Lt. Dennis Mello: All right, listen up, you mutts, this is complicated. I mean, it isn't complicated if you went to college or, I don't know, your mothers actually stopped drinking for a minute while they was pregnant. But for Baltimore City Police, this is complicated.

- It's not funny, Cedric!
- Those subpoenas went out today!
- The front office is gonna go batshit!
- But you did it anyway.
- I'm sorry, but shit, I'm just glad to see
- Lester doing it to somebody other than me.

- As I wake up in the morning and get out of my bed
- I'm thinkin' 'bout the people
- I grew up with, long dead the brothers I grew up with, locked up
- I'm freestylin' off the top of my head you know it's swell, Patti LaBelle
- I like her but Regina belle is better...

- These four ain't workin' today.
- You wanna leave the papers, I'll make sure they get them and go downtown.
- Come on.
- Today?
- Now!

- Lieutenant.
- I saw the story in the paper.
- I want you to know I had nothing to do...

- I mean, shit, take me.
- What?
- Just having fun with you, man. [Laughs]
- Thanks for bringing me here, man, showing me around.
- Nah. Not about that.
- Sure?
- Just... write it like it feels.

- Re-up gonna be about a week or so late.
- My people are having to readjust to some shit.
- A week?
- No later than that, they say.
- How did it go with avon today?
- It's all good.

- A good man is hard to find in this town.
- 12 of them together, especially.
- An ID of both your shooters will play a whole lot easier come trial.
[Greggs] You know...
- Sometimes niggers just gotta play hard.

- So what does that say about me?
- About my life?
- Come on, man. You're talking about drugs.
- That's a force of nature, that's sweeping leaves on a windy day, whoever the hell you are.
- You fought the good fight.

Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: [to Omar, who just shot Stinkum] We're all grateful for the case you gave us on Bird. And we all have a certain admiration for your Do-It-Yourself nature...

- Ooh.
- Let me ask you something important.
- You like fake tits? I can't decide.
- Thus far, I'm undecided on fake tits.
- I thought I knew what papennork was, but what you all go through, to listen to someone else's phone calls...

[Tannoy] This is Ms. Donnelly.
- We had trouble with first bells, so expect the class change to ring in one minute.
- Students will walk, not run, to classes in an orderly manner.
- Ok... um...
- We'll, uh...
- We'll get to know each other a little later.

- What are you, a smart ass?
- Sorry. I didn't mean nothing.
- Don't I know you?
- I'm running for mayor.
- Tommy carcetti, first district.
- I'll come back through in about 20, councilman.
- Do me a favor and take it down the road.

- You asked to see me, sir?
- I did.

- I can keep you on salary till then.
- You know what? This ain't for me.
- I thank you for the opportunity, but it ain't so much to just bring a man for a day or two.
- I mean, if you had something where I was working with these kids...
- Anyway, thanks again.

- And now for the most important person in this room, does anybody have 24 hours or a sincere desire to live?
[Woman] Yeah! All right!

- Often in the same amounts?
- Often the exact amounts, sometimes slightly smaller amounts but always within a day of the initial deposit.
- Thank you, detective freamon.
- Your honor, no further questions.
- Cross-examination, Mr. Murphy.
- No questions, your honor.

- Maybe you don't need a quarter box for that.
- For what?
- Magic fingers.
- You know me.
[TV] ...With a singer-songwriter who's burnin' up the charts with a hit that he'll perform for us tonight...

- Fish gotta swim, you know what I'm saying?
- Like I said, bird was always showing that thing to everybody, talking about this deed and the next.
- I didn't pay him no mind until you all came and showed him some interest.
- Mr. Little, if you wouldn't mind waiting outside,
- I'd like a few words with officer mcnulty.

- Stabbed repeatedly.
- Torso, abdomen and they cut his throat to be sure.
- Single-edge blade. He fought, too.
- Defense wounds on both hands.
- Ligature on both legs.
- Weighed him down with something but it slipped off in the drink.
- One, two, three.

City: Whiting, Klebanow, Templeton... They snatch a Pulitzer or two, and they are up and gone from this place. For them, that's what this is all about. Me? I'm too fuckin' simple-minded for that.

Brother: You know what the most dangerous thing in America is, right? Nigga with a library card.

- Listen up.
- Western uniforms will meet us in the mount Claire parking lot.
- We start there, and we don't stop till we take the doors.
- I want their lookouts to have as little chance as possible.
- What's with you?
- My office.

- No fucking way, you rat-faced piece of shit, you fucked up the last two packages.
- Mikey, look, man, that wasn't me.
- You got money, you can buy a little weight.
- You got no money, go fuck yourself.
- Mike, I thought we was friends.
- Did you fuck up the last two packages?
- Sort of.
- Are you beat to shit?
- No.
- Take a walk, my friend.

Russell: You know, Avon, you gotta think about what we got in this game for, man. Huh? Was it the rep? Was it so our names could ring out on some fucking ghetto streetcorners, man? Naw, man. There's games beyond the fucking game.

- I get outta the legislature for Baltimore would go to pg county.
- You take that deal and Baltimore's out half of what you want to bring back to the schools.
- Yeah, but if I don't win, Jen,
- I bring back exactly nothing.
- Look.
- Carcetti on TV: And we are saying to this senseless killer, and to all the other ills...

[Man] Get outta the street!
- Bitch!
- Hey.
- Hey.
- What's up? What you need?
- Little late in the month for this shit, isn't it?
- What you mean?
- For my aunt, she hit the match four.
- You stealing from me, cass?

- You got friends in high places, Nicky.
- Four a pack for you.
- All right, cool.
[Man] Thank god for the Russian's cellphone.
- They might be laying off the warehouse, but he ain't changing.
Sergei 'Serge' Malatov: Did he have hands?
- Did he have a face?
- Yes? Then it wasn't us.

- They say on bal who they're sending up as acting commissioner?
- Say it ain't so.
- Ladies and gentlemen, as what may be my last official act as a Baltimore police officer, allow me to congratulate all of the promoted officers, their families, their fellow officers and their friends.

- You want it to be one way.
- What?
- You want it to be one way.
- I don't know...
- You want it to be one way.
- Man, stop.
- Stop saying that.
- But it's the other way.

- and one day in October.
- One day?
- After that, they don't lose the government money, so we done with it.
- Nah, man. School is school.
- Yeah, well, I'm just trying to school you, brother.
- All right, which one of y'all still need your September day?
- Get it over with now, we won't be messing with y'all later.

Brother: I see you favor a .45.
Omar: At night I do. And I keeps one in the chamber in case you ponderin'.

- It plays. Nationally, you're taking up the cause of the forgotten...
- And no one is ever in favor of homelessness...
- Statewide, you're going up against the fella who tore up the safety net.
- Homelessness.
- Huh.
- I'll be damned.

Zenobia: [quote after opening credits] We got our thing, but it's just part of the big thing.

- You wanna see if your man's creds are bona fide.
- Don't try to play me, bushy top.
- I didn't say male. I didn't say female.
- All right.
- I'll get surveillance going right away.
- Barksdale's name is on the papen/vork.
- No shit.
- Now, you get me a confirmation on that and call me back on the cell.
- Good luck tomorrow.
- Yeah, right.

- I'll fix that. But eventually these motherfuckers are gonna pay out enough for us to do marlo Stanfield. Just watch and learn.
- You've lost your fucking mind, Jimmy.
- Look at you.
- Half-lit every third night, dead drunk every second.
- Nut deep in random pussy. What little time you do spend sober and limp-dicked, you're working murders that don't even exist.

- that actually addresses itself to the corner kids.
- We pull kids out of classes - won't they be stigmatized?
- There's no stigma in being booted out of class every day?
- Question is, how do we identify the corner kids?
- That won't be a problem.
- Ok. Ok.

- 50 cent.
- 50 cent.
- Obliged.
- When did this break last night?
- Gus saw it on the council agenda around 9:30.
- It's a good fucking story.

- No?
- Starting tomorrow, I'm down at Fairfield.
- Fairfield.
- Yeah, bosses want another car patrolling the chemical plants.
- Because of terrorism, I guess.
- You're too pretty for the Fairfield piers, darling.
- You need to be uptown here with us.

[Man] Oh! You ain't gotta leave, huh?
- Shit is on.
- This what I'm talking about. Whoo!
- Drink that shit.
- I'm surprised avon be letting y'all get your heads up.
- Sometimes you got to.

- Listen, Nicky, you wanna go get to some place better, I'm with you.
- You wanna keep on like this, then I gotta rethink stuff.
- Do what you feel.
- I'm telling you, as soon as I start getting more hours, first thing I do is get my own place.
- You wanna move in with me, great.
- You don't want to, at least I did my goddamn best.

- Uh, donation for the program.
- Done.
- Good. Give me 30 from the line and get out of here.
- Yo, man, good job, baby.
- All right.
- And I assume there's another five right here, for making this happen?
- Ain't shit for free, right?

- All it cost me was a round of beers.
- They fucking love me in the department.
- I'm a fucking martyr is what I am.
- Pull over some black minister, piss him off and I lose my fucking job.
- One round?
- You, a prominent defense investigator, let these other guys buy a round of drinks ever?
- Kid, it's time you learned a little something about the expense account.

- If they're connected to the drug runners, you can knock off the brothel and then listen in on your wiretaps.
- Tickle the wire like that.
- Exactly.
- Pleasure boats, topless women.
- I'm telling you, now the weather's turned...
- I gotta roll, diggsy.
- Thanks.

- You deserve more than a contributing line for that.
- I don't know, a contrib line is cool.
- You can't go far on contrib lines.
- Where do you want to go?
- Times or post. Where else?
- I don't know. This is still a pretty good paper.

- to just start giving people up, whoever.
- Stringer bell. Avon barksdale.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
- Little prick turns on everybody and we break the case wide open.
- Cool.
- Right?

- All of them John does. That's just headless and handless in the mid-Atlantic region.
- Go nationwide, you'll be up over four dozen.
[Freamon] Fuck me.
- What can I tell you, kiddo?
- We are policing a culture in moral decline.
- So, you want to come get these?
- Or should I run them over to southeast?
- Run them over to southeast.
- Ok.

- Get in the boat first, then put the preserver on. It's easier that way.
- Yeah?
- Y'all trying to drown my ass for sure.
- Come on.
- Don't push me, man.

- Mr. Omar, you want ends on this?
- No, darling, I'm cool.

- Three...
- Four ya see there?
- Omar know what one it is.
- Look like all your muscle done up and indisposed now.
- So you might as well go ahead and drop it out, ya feel me?
- I'm obliged to walk up in there now.

- Yeah, you keep this job,
- I'm gonna gain some serious weight.
- Just the two?
- Just the two.
- You never heard of buying in bulk?
- You could be saving them people money.
- Better still, spending it on me.

- That's more than fair. Thanks.
- But it's better for me if I do something else.
- Detective.
- It's not you, it's me.
- But where...
- The western, I think.
- Yeah, the western feels like home.

- and she looks like she might tell me when my shit stinks, which is probably what I need.
- She's kind of like freamon with tits.
- So what, did you get her number?
- Nah, not exactly.
- What kind of detective am I if I can't track a white woman in Baltimore?
- There you go.

Randy: [Last lines]
Randy: [as Carver walks away]
Randy: You gonna help, huh? You gonna look out for me? You gonna look out for me, Sgt. Carver? You mean it? You gonna look out for me? You promise? You got my back, huh?

- Let me handle the business.
- You're getting paid, right?
- Fuck you! I'll play the game for myself.
- Take the money, zig.
- You don't think I can do it?
- Pick up the fucking money, Ziggy.
- I don't want it. You pick it up.
- You.
- Fuck you.

- We have certain fiscal issues that are of great concern to the new administration, and what you're proposing here is a radical shift in curricula.
- Meaning?
- If city hall were to sign off on this, we could go toward, but now is not the time to rock any boats.

Avon: The game is the fuckin' game. Period.
Russell: Same as it ever was.

- Let me understand. Y'all hang around the projects, white and black together, ties and jackets on, looking to help ladies with their shopping carts and whatever else.
- Police, right?
- Afraid so, ma'am.
- About the murder a while back, right?
- Maintenance man?

Joseph: So now you come over East Side and expect me to hide you. Why is it that every Baltimore nigger think that running the fuck away means crossing downtown? Shit, you should be in New York or Philly or some shit.

- I would love to throw a fuck into her.
- Red hair, freckles...
[Laughs] Don't you think, Jimmy?
- As in all matters before the court,
- I think whatever the judge thinks.
- Come on, Jimmy.
- Sit. Talk.

- Rod.
- Got it.
- Here. Hold on to that.
- Yeah. I know this one.

- I know that wasn't no court date. You already got the gun charge postponed twice.
- So what the fuck was that about?
- Remember that Russian we locked up for murder, part of the port case years back?
- I didn't work that case with you, man.
- So, no, I don't remember.
- Well, Chris partlow does.

- How were you able to...
- You nit, don't you see what he's done?
- He's iegalised drugs!
- Actually, I elected to ignore them.
- You lost your fucking mind.
- He's lost his fucking mind.
- You, in my office. Now!
- That's it, gentlemen.

- Bring her in the boat?
- Hell, no.
- She'll fall apart if we try to bring her in.
- What's the plan, then?
- We'll hook her real good.
- We'll tow her slowly over to the pier.
- What's she look like?
- What do you mean?
- How long you think she's been in?
- She's fresh.
- Legs are broke, though.
- Probably a jumper from the bridge.

State's Atty. Ilene Nathan: And what is your occupation?
Omar: Occupation?
State's Atty. Ilene Nathan: What exactly do you do for a living, Mr. Little?
Omar: I rip and run.
State's Atty. Ilene Nathan: You...?
Omar: I robs drug dealers!
[Jury laughs]

- You ain't gonna drink with me?
- I am if you want.
- Detective, if you think it needed doing...
- I guess it did.
- You coming?

- Call Andrews at DEA.
- See what they have on this mope.
- What about homicide?
- Homicide major was in the meeting.
- His people will be scrambling to get something, too.
- I doubt they'll be willing to share.
- Barksdale, avon.
- Got a dob?

- and now, he coming at Brianna with this bullshit?
- A complaint's not going to do anything.
- And the fact is, if the cops say her son might not be a suicide,
- Brianna's gonna hear this out, regardless.
- I suppose avon should know about it, though.
- Yeah, well, I'll handle that.

- All right, look, fuck y'all.
- I need a drink.
- Come on, we're almost through 2002.
- No.
- Tomorrow is another goddamn day, right?
- Yeah.

Man: Shit is on!
- Run with it, motherfuckers!
- I don't give a fuck!
- I'm right here!
- You ain't putting me up in one of them empty-ass houses, neither.
- Bodie, come on, man.

- 'Y'all got a tape?'
- 'Over there, man.'
- 'all right, let's see what we got here.' he's packing shit up.

- Maybe he blows the box. Maybe he passes.
- But he talks a bit either way, and you, detective, get to listen.
[Herc] The fuck am I looking at here?
- Birds... I think.
- You see that there?
- I think that's a wing flapping.

- Marvin Thompson? Short guy...
- What is your name, officer?
- Detective sydnor, sir.
- Major crimes?
- Shit.
- Enjoy your day, sir.
- Son, we're gonna see about this.

- Jesus.
- I'm sorry.
- It's all right, you just scared me.
- I, er...
- I work with kima.
- Kima, she...
- Kima's at work.
- What are you...?

- When you came downtown, the job changed.
- Down here, we make big cases, big hairy-bailed cases like this barksdale thing.
- All that mess you call police work down in the districts, all that fuck-somebody-up and rip-and-run bullshit. It won't play down here.
- You think I'm kidding.
- This is what makes cases, gentlemen. This!
- Remember that.

- Damn.
- All right, then. See you tomorrow.
- Everything ok?
- On two.
- Pick up. Pick up!
- Ed, you got to help me.
- I can't, not now.

- He's dropped here, so the dumpsters cover it from this side, but everyone over there with a window had a view.
- Merit badge for two good little scouts.
- Ma'am, you need some help with that?
- I'm all right.
- Please, it's our pleasure.

- Got your running shoes on? You're in.
- That's the faucet?
- As far as the federal money's concerned, he's everything.
- The faucet, the goose.
- What goose?
- The one that lays them golden eggs.

[Daniels] Anyone got him?
[Woman] '64-Charlie to central k.'
- 12-10.
- '12-10.i
- 12-10.
- You have him?
- Lieutenant, I don't even know what I'm looking for.

- Come here, you sweet bitch.
- Oh! Motherfu...
- Don't be grabbing my dick, faggot.
- I raised him on the radio.
- He's on his way in right now.
- Appreciate that, officer. Nice day.
- Summit silver 450.
- Top of the line, right here.
- Over there?

- He said that's what the college kids drank.
- But we did it up. Right here.
- Yeah.
- He stood up there, a bottle in each hand, screaming loud enough to wake the nuns.
- What the fuck did he say?

Patrolman: [Patrolman making his report to detectives at the scene of a homicide] Single wound, upper back, no casings, no witnesses and nothing on the canvas.
Det. Edward Norris: Dead when you got here?
Patrolman: Actually not. He was still conscious and coughin' blood when I pulled up
Det. Edward Norris: Did you ask who shot him?
Patrolman: Yeah, I asked who shot him. He said it was a guy with a gun
[Norris's partner laughs]

- Meanwhile, carcetti's gonna have to give Daniels six months in cid before he can bump him again, for appearances' sake.
- So we're buying time here.
- Enough for ervin to show the mayor who butters the bread.
- And for events to take the new-penny shine off Cedric Daniels.
- I happen to know he's less the Saint than he pretends to be.

- I know.
- Enjoy tonight. We'll talk later.
- Welcome home.
- What up, prop? How you doing, man?
- You iookin' fit.
- Hell, yeah,
- I've been working out.
- That's all you do.
- Might be a good place for a fat man to find his inner self.

Prosecutor: Mr. Little, how does a man rob drug dealers for eight or nine years, and live to tell about it?
Omar: Day at a time, I suppose.

- Those of you on the westside who need to re-up, holler at my man monk.
- He gonna handle supply over there.
- On the eastside, cheese.
- One more thing.
- Price of the brick going up.
- Thirty more.
- All right. Enough of this shit.

- Where's your book bag?
- Teacher ain't give no homework.
- That's the worst case of suicide
- I've ever seen.
- That's him.
- You see?
- That's him, right there.
- That's Omar's boy.

- Let's go.
- Where it at, man?
- Back there.
- So, what up, man, you don't value my time?
- Nigger, please.
- Hand me that screw gun and calm the fuck down.

[the deacon finds Cutty at his gym, getting ready to spar against Michael]
The: Your Sabbath best?
Dennis: You hang around, you can see me preach on some young'uns. Solemn left and sanctified right. Why you down here on a Sunday, Deacon?
The: You need to see Ms. Donnelly at Tilghman Middle. She's got some custodial work, you might call it. Union wage.
Dennis: Custodial?
The: See Ms. Donnelly tomorrow, she can explain it better than I can.
Dennis: Tell me somethin'. How is it you got so much wisdom about who should be where?
The: A good church man is always up in everybody's shit. That's how we do.

Slim: Don't matter who did what to who at this point. Fact is, we went to war, and now there ain't no going back. I mean, shit, it's what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it. If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie. But we gotta fight.

- Here, in the detail.
- In the beginning, when we started, burrell had me.
- I pipelined everything to that motherfucker.
- But now...
- He lost you.
- So now he's picked up someone else.
- That's how they do.

- You know, she want a key.
- She want a house, she want a car, she want some new clothes, a necklace, some pocket change, a trip to the shore, she want a credit card with her name on it.
- Ain't no such thing as free, right?
- When it come to pussy, there ain't no free.
- I gotta go.

Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: You ain't gonna play that country shit, right? I hate that country shit.

Wallace's: Eight?
Wallace: Damn Cyril look! Close your eyes. You workin' a ground stash. 20 tall pinks. Two fiends come up at you and ask for two each, another one cops three. Then Bodie hands you off ten more. But some white guy rolls up in a car, waves you down and pays for eight. How many vials you got left?
Wallace's: Fifteen?
Wallace: How the fuck you able to keep the count right and you not be able to do the book problem then?
Wallace's: Count be wrong they fuck you up.

- Can I talk to you for a second?
- Maybe later. I got to get ready for work.

- They got honey nut cheerios in here?
- Shit.
- Yo, back the fuck up, motherfucker!
- My man here saved my spot, yo.
- Shame we hadn't more time together.
- We could have made us a couple of babies.

- you gotta keep the devil way down in the hole
- You gotta keep the devil way down in the hole way down way down in the hole

[Terri] A lot can happen between now and election day.
- I've been ahead further than Royce is and lost.
- I can't win this.
- Tommy, where the fuck you going?
- I'm your ride home, man.
- The man can read a poll.

- You got problems?
- I stirred up some shit with this hamsterdam mess.
- That's 'cause you was behind that that made me come to you with this.
- Look like you and me both trying to make sense of this game.
- Speak your mind, Russell.

- Hi, mcnulty, city homicide.
- Is anyone expecting you?
- Yeah, special agent fitzhugh, squad five.
- He's expecting me, can I...?
- Not without an escort.
- All right.
- Agent fitzhugh to the front.

Det. Shakima 'Kima' Greggs: [recounting a memory] He says, "Here you go, rook." That's all he says. "Here you go, rook." And then he dropped the bracelets and walked away.

Det. Shakima 'Kima' Greggs: Fighting the war on drugs, one brutality case at a time.
Sgt. Ellis Carver: Girl, you can't even think of calling this shit a war.
Det. Thomas 'Herc' Hauk: Why not?
Sgt. Ellis Carver: Wars end.

- 'Sylvia!'
- 'yes, Mickey?'
[Mickey] 'How do you call your lover boy?'
[Sylvia] 'Come here, lover boy!'
- 'and if he doesn't answer?'
- 'Oh, lover boy.'
- 'and if he still doesn't answer?'
- 'I simply say...
- In the hole, y'all.

- Both of them?
- Yeah, that one's his valet.
- May I use your bathroom?
- Fuck, no. Get outta here.
- Bubs, one last question.
- How's product in the towers?
- It was shit, now it's right.

- Tend to go to that one pay phone in the courtyard a little too much.
- Jesus.
- He's lit at 9:00 in the morning?
- Or from the night before.
- Detective.
- Detective polk.

- Can you still read numbers?
- What's up?
- Your man think I brought bad merchandise?
- Then we can beat feet right now.
- Damn, Bernard, why you acting all CIA?
- We trying to make money here.
- If you had to answer to the people I do, you would be more cautious, too.
- I appreciate caution, cos I'm hanging out here, too.
- Give it a go. Use a cellphone.

- We call him Dennis. He's not new.
- Ok, how are you doin' with him?
- Mom says we can't talk to you about family stuff.
Sean 'Shamrock' McGinty: Dad, you going to the open house?
- Yeah, I'll try.
- I've been real busy at work, though.
- New case and all.
- Mom says you have to go, dad.
- All the other kids' fathers are gonna be there.

- Robert.
- Hey.
- Welcome home.
- Thanks.
- I need a global printout on everything under Scott Templeton's byline.
- All of it, every edition.
- Hey, I'm a fan.

- If anyone needs me,
- I'm down at missing persons, all right?
- Let's go.
- Lester?
- Yes?
- All this is cool...
- But can we do it so that the direction comes from me?
- I mean, I am the sergeant here.

- Where does it all go?
- The money. Where do all the money go?

[Lester] Where you at?
[Sydnor] On his ass.
- You guys got the eyeball.
[Sydnor] All good, Lester. It's all good.

- You've got a way to keep me on your side you give me cause for love that I can't hide for you I know I'd even try to turn the tide because you're mine, I walk the line

- I fucking told them.
- For more than four weeks the Baltimore police department surrendered areas to the drug trade.
- By tomorrow, the story goes national, and Washington reacts.
- Save the best questions for Tony gray.
- He needs to shine even more than you.

Det. Augustus Polk: Where are the fucking run sheets?
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: Behind the board. You all go for a taste?
Det. Patrick Mahon: Hey. We got your picture, don't you fuckin' worry, McNulty.
[he slaps an old Polaroid down on the desk. McNulty looks at it and holds it up; the photo is of an older white man]
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: [incredulously] This is Barksdale?
Det. Augustus Polk: [self-satisfied] Avon Barksdale.
Det. Shakima 'Kima' Greggs: [scoffing] I don't think so.
Det. Patrick Mahon: Read my lips: Avon fuckin' Barksdale. His name's on the form in the file.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: Well, excuse me for giving a shit, but I can't help but notice this is a middle-aged white man.
Det. Patrick Mahon: Hey, you want somethin' different, you give me another name. That's the only Avon Barksdale in the Housing Department files.
[he turns to Polk]
Det. Patrick Mahon: You got your smokes?
[to McNulty and Greggs]
Det. Patrick Mahon: Have a nice fuckin' day.
[they leave; Kima examines the photo and shrugs]
Det. Shakima 'Kima' Greggs: Maybe he's white.
[Kima and McNulty both burst out laughing]

- I want you to write me out a check for $4,000, the maximum allowed by law, and because we don't trust you to mail that check, we're gonna send over some dpw workers to beat the check out of you.
- All finished? You need $30,000...
- In the next three hours.
- No bullshit, Tommy.
- You hit your number or die in this room.

- I ain't done so much as touch your kneecap.
- Trying to treat her with respect, and this is the way you do me?
- Wait.
- Ok, man, I'm goin', I'm out of here.
- Why you do that?
- Did you take his money?
- No, I didn't take his money.

Freamon: Ain't none of y'all ever been in the military? How do you learn a thirty-inch quick time?
[Nobody speaks]
Freamon: Draft dodging peace freaks, huh?

- This is you, right here, right now, ok?
- You're burning a hole in that shirt, man.
- Fuck... you fucked me all up when I saw you walking through the door, sherrod.
- Oh, shit.
- What you think, huh?
- You know, I get half price for this.
- All right, but take your hat off, man.
- Don't burn them pimp steaks, huh?

- So this is me?
- This is you.

- Two guns, remember?
- Two?
- It's all good, kima, ease up.

- I can't promise you anything.
- Just come in. We'll start from there.
- You're better than them you got in bed with.

- Yeah, walk it off, motherfucker.
- Fucking old-school-ass bitch.

Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: The Bunk can't swim. I ain't too good at floatin' either.

[repeated line]
State Sen. R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: SHIIIIIT

- Our us attorney here, he only touches himself for political corruption.
- Ghetto drug stuffjust doesn't rate,
- I'm sorry to say.
- This shit always smells best in the car going home.
[Woman on radio] Unit 13.
- In the alley in the rear, east side,
- 800 north montford.
- That's five blocks, up and over.
- Go.

- Ain't nothing in here but a 24 and some crime scene photos, and this.
- "Tywanda called.
- Nfd, no last name, no address.
- "Claims your victim killed after being visited by a suspect named d."
- No further description.
- There's a callback number, though.
- So call.

- He got you, zig.
- Who got me?
- Mowee?
- Love child, never meant to be love child, born in poverty love child, never meant to be...

- No, fucker, we do not have a charge.
- We just got your money.
- You want it back, you can explain it to the state's attorney where you got it.
- Y'all enjoy your day now, you hear?
[Man rapping] As I wake up in the morning and get out of my bed
- I'm thinkin' 'bout the brothers...
Man: Give me three.
- The brothers I deal with, locked up

- Language arts position opened up here.
- I came over last year.
- Hey. What's up, coach?
- Hey.
- You come over for your boys?
- Some kind of program?
- Nah. Something else.
- Didn't work out really.
- Be well.

- No way.
[Kid] Big red, y'all. Big reds over here.

- Story's been out all day, and our phone isn't ringing.
- The ministers, nerese, the caucus, they're willing to live with Daniels, apparently.
- Thanks anyway.
- Thinking you can cut Clay loose, huh?
- Thinking I'm done.

- One of ours on the line.
- 'Got him.' ls carv still there?
- Hold a second.
- Carv, call for you!
- 'Hello?' you ain't gonna believe who I'm looking at.
- Again he walks off?
- Ding! Round three.

The: The world is a smaller place now. And the FBI cares very much about such things.

- then you gotta go sky up.
- Where you got your peoples at?
- New York, Jersey, Cleveland.
- All right. So, Philly? DC?
- You know what I'm saying?
- No profile, no connections, no noise.
- You feel me, right?
- All right. We gotta be careful.

- keep him in the hole in the hole down in the hole down in the hole keep him in the hole keep him in the...
- Down in the hole down in the hole keep him in the hole keep him in the...
- Down in the hole down in the hole

Brother: Is there an alley entrance?
Omar: Boarded up on both sides. We gonna have to go through the front.
Brother: That's a change for you, isn't it?

- And you know that my name ain't nowhere on what happened to your friend.
- I think what we're asking is reasonable under the circumstances.
- Until someone identifies the source of the tainted heroin, you could have another five overdoses tomorrow or the day after.
- Consider the offer.
- But the next time we talk, an assistant
- Attorney General has to be in the room.

- And some of them are going to be good police.
- Some of them will be stupid, a few will be pieces of shit.
- But all of them will take their cue from you.
- You show loyalty, they learn loyalty.
- Show them it's about the work, it will be.
- Show them some other kind of game, then that's the game they'll play.

- Jesus, fuck, he's really legit?
- Well, you real police.
- Now he's out in the open, why don't you pull him up and ask him?
- You need a few days, I'll stall Daniels.
- But after that, you come home with a case we can use or you swallow your goddamn pride and rejoin this unit.

- It wasn't me not to drink, or dog around either.
- A lot of things weren't me.
- I want another chance.
- How about a fuck for the road instead?
- Oh, god...
- God...

- I spoke to her about ten minutes ago.
- Yeah, well, they make you check your stuff.
- Cellphone, money, weapon.
- She'll call when she gets the message.
- Not at all.
- I need more, Jimmy.

- You heard about bodie?
- What about?
- Bodie, from up Payson.
- Yeah, yeah. What?
- Shot dead on his corner.
- Midnight shift caught it. Check the readout.
- Sergeant, get your ass in here.
- God damn it, sergeant, you're on the brink of insubordination.

- But fuck if I can figure out where it gets you in the end.
- But hey, I ain't part of your tribe.
- You're not serious? You can't...
- No.
- No, I'm a fucking joke.
- And so are you.
- Now get the fuck outta here.

- You on the list.
- Go on down there any time you want.
- No problem.
- That's the dude right there.
Marlo: A'ight.
Chris: Ya hear?
- Time for y'all to earn your pay, niggers.

- Just one more thing, though, man.
- I don't mean to be picking with you, especially not after you did all this shit for me, but, look, man, I've been locked down.
- You know what I mean?
- You know what?
- I gotta take this meet.
- I'm gonna get at you. Welcome home, man.

- Zig.
- What did frog say?
- "Here's a couple of hundred extra, make the little goof happy"?
- The packages were my thing, Nick.
- Fuck, if you ain't handle that better, too.
- Zig, we're making money.

Det. Thomas 'Herc' Hauk: It's like one of those nature shows. You mess with the environment, some species get fucked out of their habitat.
Sgt. Ellis Carver: Did you just use the word "habitat" in a sentence?
Det. Thomas 'Herc' Hauk: I did.

- Yeah, well, it's just a thought.
- Look, man, what's the percentage breakdown...
- Don't sleep on marlo.
- He up to some shit here.
Man: That was some prime real estate.
- It took me six years to build up them corners.

- 'and on election day, we are going to be out there
- 'pushing the vote in every precinct.' you ready?
- Come on, we'll get dinner first.
- Ain't so hungry.
- Come on.

- This guy's running his route every five days.
- That's a shitload of burners.
- I don't get it.
- They were so careful spreading out purchases up and down the three states, you'd think they'd also switch up rental agencies.
- Maybe the guy felt bad for us.
- You got a copier, right?

- Uh, there'll be a detective's wake this evening followed by viewings on Wednesday and a burial mass on Friday.
- The family suggests donations to the colonel's favorite charities.
- Addresses will be posted in the coffee room. All told.
- And, bunk, I just got your overtime for the week.
- Get in to my office and pull your pants down.

- then you walk away while it burns.
- I got nothing more to say to you. Nothing.
- And you...
- I'm surprised at you, girl.
- Daniels raised you from a pup.
[Mcnulty] Gotta get with bubs.

- You want to try to go federal with this?
- I am up for it.
- I get cross-designated as an ausa, and we can really run with it, you know?
- Career fucking case.
- Anyway...
- Ronnie, the thing at, um...
- Levy's the other day, I was, uh...
- I was...

- In the trap. You get it when we setup.
- A detective is here to see you.
- Greggs, I think she said.
- What? What's the matter?
- How you all even know if Walter behind everybody gettin' jacked?
- I mean, ain't y'all ever wonder if he even deserve any of this shit?
- Deserve got nuthin' to do with it.
- It's his time, that's all.

Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: All those mopes in bracelets and not one of them named Osama.

- Yeah, tomorrow'd be fine.
- Yeah. Sure.
Social: I'll be right back.
- I'm sorry. I just don't think...
- No, it's ok.
- Right now, he's too withdrawn to revisit the event.
[Kima] How do you come back from something like that?

- I thought you was gonna go shopping.
- We round-the-clock with surveillance.
- Uh... when do we get to the part where you do all kind of shit for me?
- When do we get to that part?
- So you past the point of lifting a grocery bag or two?
- You try being me like this.

- Foryourbank?
- That's for your pain, butch.
- I be my own bank now.
- Mm. They ain't follow you?
- Nah. Joe played it my way.
- He had to admit my word was better than his. You feel me?
- Let's go, then.

- Like I'm supposed to cry and shit?
- You got soft eyes, you can see the whole thing.
- You got hard eyes, you're staring at the same tree, missing the forest.
- Oh, zen shit.
- Soft eyes, grasshopper.

- Thanks for your time.
- Jesus Christ.
- He's slick.
- Apologizes for the short con and in the next breath, setting us up for the long.
- He and burrell are as thick as thieves.
- What is the long con?
- At least we know he's running one.

Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: And you know why I can tell you all this? Because, you lyin' motherfucker, you're as full of shit as I am. And you gotta live with it and play it out for as long as it goes, right? Trapped in the same lie. Only difference is I know why I did it. But fuck if I can figure out what it gets you, in the end. But, hey, I ain't part of your tribe.
Scott: You're not serious. You...
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: [interrupting] No. No, I'm a fucking joke. And so are you. Now get the fuck out of here.

- You think?
- In the poe homes, no fucking way.
- Hold up. Major wants to talk to you before you roll out.
- What about?
- Fuck should I know, I'm only your sergeant.
- Sit the fuck down, detective.
- Something wrong?
- Put your ass in the chair.

- First day of work was the day the paceco dropped a hatch cover on Charlie bannion.
- Had to clean up old Charlie with a shovel.
- Ever since then, new Charles.
- He's gonna lose the leg.
- Frank.
- Where's the money from?

Brother: Gentlemen!
Melvin: Whassup, my brother? Oh, what what what, uh, you slinging bean pies up in here or something? You with the Nation, homey? 'Cause either you a Muslim, or your mama need to stop laying your clothes out in the morning.
Brother: I'm here to represent the interests of a Mr. Barksdale. Are you familiar with Mr. Barksdale?
Melvin: Yeah, that name ring out, but so do mine.
Brother: And you are?
Melvin: Cheese, man.
Brother: Mr. Cheese. I see. And who do you work for, Mr. Cheese?
Melvin: Who I work for?
Brother: Am I correct in assuming that you are not employed by Mr. Barksdale?
Melvin: Hell, yeah.
Brother: Because if that is the case, then I have to insist that you leave.
Melvin: This nigger serious?
Brother: Let me be emphatic: You need to take your black ass across Charles Street where it belongs.

- Okay, new tax initiative, my brother.
- Say what?
- If you wanna sling in hamsterdam after today, you and every other knucklehead got to kick in 100 a week.
- So you trying to get paid?
- Not me, not for me.
- Get the cash up, I'll be back.
[Boy] Green tops! Green tops!
- Got the green tops.

- Dust the receiver, the coin return and the metal top.
- The can, too.

- Baltimore.
- I know Baltimore, but where?
- You know Turner station?
- Down past dundalk, near the point.
- The point. So, you're a country girl.
- You mean county.
- Where I'm from, the county is the country.
- Where was that?

- And a deposit slip dated 23 January, same year, to your personal account in the amount of $11,000.
- I come here to help, but y'all out for blood.
- I'm not answering no more questions.
- You are invoking your right against self-incrimination, sir?
- Damn right.
- Then we'll conclude this testimony.

- Yo, we short?
- No, we good. Got 60 left from 1,400.
- We on it, Mike.
- So why you ain't tell Duke?
- Huh?
- Why you fucking with Duke, nigger?
- I ain't fucking with nobody, man.
- He just acting like a bitch, that's all.
Man: Greenhouse gas is hot.

[Sergei warns Nick outside Prop Joe's shop before their meeting]
Sergei: Talk when I say. Not before.
[they walk in; Sergei spreads his arms when he sees Joe]
Sergei: Tovarich.
Proposition: Sergei. My nigga.
[he laughs, and they embrace]
Sergei: You're losing weight.
Proposition: Sheeeit!
Sergei: You're down to nothing. In this country, supermarkets are cathedrals. I worry for you, buddy.
Proposition: How your peoples, dawg?
Sergei: Same. Good.
Proposition: Hey, you talk to the man about that other thing, right? 'Cause I can get behind that bidness in a big way.
Sergei: We'll talk. Later. Now, another business.
Proposition: Right, right. This the man with the raggedy-ass Camaro.
Nickolas: Wasn't mine, it was my cousin's. Wasn't all that raggedy.
[Sergei gives Nick a disapproving look, then turns to Joe]
Sergei: Sorry. Nicky is with us. His cousin...
[he rolls his eyes and shakes his head, then shrugs]
Sergei: ... but family cannot be helped.
Proposition: Who you tellin'? I got muthafuckin' nephews and in-laws fuckin' all my shit up all the time, and it ain't like I can pop a cap in they ass and not hear about it Thanksgivin' time. For real, I'm livin' life with some burdensome niggas.
[he turns to Nick]
Proposition: So what the fuck?
[Sergei motions for Nick to sit; he does]
Proposition: You ain't pay my boy Cheese, and Cheese ain't payin' me, right? Now I ain't talkin' 'bout all the money in the world, but it ain't like Cheese be in a position out on that corner to let ya cuz exemplify shit, you feel? The man cut you some slack, and soon every fuckin'-up white boy be on his titty.
Nickolas: We wanna pay what we owe. Twenty-seven, anyway. And we're gonna have it soon enough.
Sergei: Your man doubled it, though.
Nickolas: He also burned the car. Now, the Blue Book on that Camaro is fifty-one.
Proposition: [in disbelief] Now, let me understand. You gonna come up in here havin' fucked up a package, askin' me to tell Cheese, who you fucked it up on, to pay you out twenty-four hundred dollars?
Nickolas: He gets to keep the Camaro.
Proposition: [to Sergei] Just how good a friend is this muthafucka to y'all?
[Sergei shrugs. Joe motions to one of his men, who counts out a stack of bills; Joe passes the money to Nick]
Proposition: The Cheese ain't gonna be happy havin' to pay me back, so I would advise y'all to give him some distance.
Nickolas: Just so he don't come back on my cousin.
[Sergei motions him out]
Nickolas: Anyway... thanks for bein' straight on this.
Proposition: Fool, if it wasn't for Sergei here, you and ya cuz both would be cadaverous muthafuckas.

- Get the fuck outta here.
- Why don't you sign this for me there,
- Mr. One-day man?
- God have mercy when they piss you, boy.
- You mean the god of my understanding?
- We gotta get you some clean piss, to take up into your probation office.
- Yo, bubs.
- Who the fuck do we know with clean piss?

- She trusts you.
- Yeah.
- Can't go to dinner without catching a page, huh? What now?
- Herjohn jumps in the shower.
- She rummages his wallet.
- He figures it out and beats on her till the people next door call the front desk.

Preston: This must be one o' them contrapment things!

- "and you ever remember me
- "and have thought to please my ghost...
- "Forgive some sinner,
- "and wink your eye at some homely girl."
- Fuck Henry mencken.
- I forgive you, Gus.

- You gonna act like this is news?
- I tell you this, I don't know shit about shit, but I do know this - anybody who spend time witnessing shit, you gonna get got.
- I know that sounds kinda harsh but that's the way things go around here...
- Officer.
- Let's roll.

- Tope, Gil, help me move this guy out of hamsterdam.
- I'll be first officer at the scene.
- It's my responsibility.
- Don't forget the casings.
- Make sure you call me.
- I will. Thank you.
- Take care.
- All right.
- Yes!

- Hold this.
- So where Fairfax at?
- Northern Virginia.
- How about you?
- I live up Baltimore.
- That's so cool.
- You two have your own place?
- Yeah, and bug.
- That's tight.

- It's for you.
- Daniels.
- Lieutenant, fitzhugh's calling for WITSEC and we're pulling in the girlfriend and kid.
- Ok, thanks.

- Believe me, we ain't short on papennork here either. Agent koutris?
- Not much to it. We pulled his chain in a stolen goods case I worked in '95, '96.
- He was just crumbs, so no charges.
- But I did an interview.
- The guy struck me as just a mope playing it slick.
- Yeah, I can send you what I got.
- All right. If you need it, let me know.

- Everybody is sayin' you threw down with him. Busted up the boy dimples, and them.
- Yo, you wouldn't have stood tall?
- That's not what I'm saying.
- It's not that you do shit, it's how you do it.
- Yo, look, I'm not trying to stand around and let no chump-ass niggers think I'm shook.
- I ain't.

- But the fucking hoodleheads ain't hearing it, so I getjumped.
- They're holding Princess for fuckin' ransom.
- And they're telling me if I don't have the money by Friday, they're gonna kill me.
- I need 2,700.
- So? You're a drug dealer, go sell some fuckin' drugs.
- You fucked up the package, didn't you, zig?

- in the bottom of the hole in the hole in the hole way down in the hole in the hole in the hole in the hole in the hole way down in the hole

- If it's accidental, then it's just about ids on these stowaways, right?
- Good enough for me, brother.
- No reason to open a full case folder that I can see.
- Wait, you cid guys are rolling out on this?
- No crime, no investigation.
- All you've got right here, officer Russell, is a lot of papen/vork.
- And then there was one.

- Yeah, let me get four trout on white, extra Mayo on one, hot sauce on two and the other with ketchup.
- And four orange sodas.

- Fucking solo cars.
- I should have teamed him. I fucked up.
- Dead-ass motherfucker's dead.
- If we catch up to him, he don't come in alive.
- Right?

Russell: If the man comin', make ready for the man.

- Shit!
- Let's get the fuck out of here.
[Groaning] Aw, shit.
- Come on, poot.
- Fuck!

Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: [about the wiring detail] Lester, are we still cops?
Freamon: Technically, I suppose so.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: OK, I was just checking.

- There's nothing under the nails that I can see.
- I think we can risk prints.

- And the other one was open.
- And yo, Dee, it fucks me up.
- It's like he's looking out, like he sees everything, you know?
- Don't think about it.
- Fuck!
- Yo.
- Let that shit go.
- Just... let it go.

- Uh-uh.
- You lie about combat because you weren't there.
- And Terry was. Two tours.
- He's got stories if he wants 'em.
- Just not on that day.
- He ain't lie, y'all did, sorry t'say.
- Kima, what the fuck are you taking about?

Spiros: [quote after opening credits] They used to make steel there, no?

Chris: Don't fret, boss. I got you covered. Quick and clean, I promise...

- Stony got that check.
- Slow down, fool.
- You need to spend that shit here.
- Death grip be the fucking bomb, yo.
- I ain't got no ends.
- Motherfucker said it ain't shit.
- No, I ain't say that.
- That's enough, yo, let that shit be.
- Fuck you all.
- Yeah, motherfucker?

- Thinking about getting clean... again.
- I was thinking I ain't got no other place to go, maybe...
- That's wrong, right?
- That ain't right, right? Sorry.
- I'm sorry.
- Wait.

- 'I'll be in touch, homes.'
- How careful is stringer bell?
- "I don't know no-one named barksdale."
- Shit.
- Still, we got him tied to the Brandon killing.
- That can be enough for one day's work.

- Late model Lincoln. You want the license?
- Yeah, give it.
- P-r-8-z-g-o-d.
- Yeah, he pulling out now, turning down gilmore.
- Dozerman, get me foxtrot.
- Good job, bubs. We're on it.
- Ladies, a cellphone?
- It's got, like, a half hour on it.
- No, thank you.

- you gotta keep the devil way down in the hole
- You gotta keep the devil way down in the hole way down way down in the hole

- It does.
- So you got to do colicchio, huh?
- Guess you think they had to do me.
- Yeah, probably.
- These guys are gonna talk shit about you for a while.
- But fuck 'em, carv. You do what needs done.

- What's the matter?
- You don't like being called Boris?
- Sergei.
- No way!
- Boris is way better. It's like the guy from the cartoon. Boris and Natasha?
- Bullwinkle, man. Rocky and bullwinkle?
- You want some coffee, pie?
- No, I'm good.
- Actually, what kind of pie you got?
- Hey, zig, shut the fuck up, huh?

- Keep pushing, we'll get a whiff of the money, too.
- I know you're serious about climbing that career ladder and I know how slippery it gets the higher you go, but for me,
- I don't want to go to no dance unless I can rub some tit.
- I appreciate your honesty.
- Good night, lieutenant.

[McNulty takes Bodie to lunch]
Preston: We still in the city?
Off. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: Cylburn Arboretum. Pimlico's right up the hill.
Preston: This is nice.
[pause]
Preston: I ain't no snitch.
Off. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: Didn't say you were.
Preston: Been doin' this a long time. I ain't never said nothin' to no cop.
[pause, then Bodie sighs and rubs his face]
Preston: I feel old. I been out there since I was 13. I ain't never fucked up a count, never stole off a package, never did some shit that I wasn't told to do. I been straight up. But what come back? Hm? You think if I get jammed up on some shit, they be like, "A'ight, yeah, Bodie been there, Bodie hang tough. We got his pay lawyer, we got a bail"? They want me to stand with 'em, right? So where the fuck are they at when they supposed to be standin' by us? I mean, when shit goes bad and there's hell to pay, where they at? This game is rigged, man. We like them little bitches on the chessboard.
Off. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: Pawns.
Preston: Yo, I'm not snitchin' on none of my boys. Not my corner, and not no Barksdale people, or what's left of 'em. But Marlo, this nigga, his kind, man, they... they gotta fall. They gotta.
Off. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: Well, for that to happen, somebody's gotta step up.
Preston: I'll do what I gotta. I don't give a fuck. Just don't ask me to live on my fuckin' knees, you know?
[McNulty is silent for a moment]
Off. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: You're a soldier, Bodie.
[Bodie gives a wistful half-smile without looking at McNulty]
Preston: Hell yeah.

- He went in.
- Why was he there?
- Where the fuck were you?
- Uncle frank, I didn't know.
- What didn't you know?
- What is Ziggy doing near the Greeks?
- I don't know.
- You don't know? You're supposed to.
- You're his fucking cousin!
- You're his father.

- '3-14, be advised, we have a signal 13.'
- '7820, rear odd-side.
- '3300 block of baker. Clear.'
- 'visual, rear even-side of wan/vick and longwood.'
- 'signal 13, signal 13. Officer down.'
- 'SUV, west on wannick, make the next right.'

- Yeah, let me think on it.
- Finally get some ends for us.
- You see what I'm saying?
[Tuts] Yeah.
- Most def.
- I'm out.
- Be good.
- Think on that.

- 'So, wait on black, yo?'
- What's white on black?
- Wait on black, right?
- Even I heard that shit.
- Black's code for stinkum.
- We picked that up once we got on his pager.
- There's gonna be a re-up of four g-packs in the low-rise court.
- Stinkum is on the re-up and it's gonna go down around noon.
- Are you sure about all that?

- Marlo? Can't say I know the man.
- He know you.
- Can you get me a phone call?
- I can do you one better than that.
- Who you calling?
- Police.
- The police?
- Man owe me a favor.

- You just fucked up. Way you looked at the bag, you know what's in there.
- That's you, right there, fucking up.

- you gotta keep the devil way down in the hole
- You gotta keep the devil way down in the hole way down way down in the hole

- Suppose a lonely fellow wants to meet a nice young lady in this town.
- How does he go about it?
- Uh... he'd dial that phone number.
- Dial the number. What else?
- Punch in those four numbers there.
- And?
- Ask for Eve.
- What?
- Ask for Eve.

- Hey, don't worry, Mr. P.
- We got you.
- Hey, donut!
- Yo, yeah.
- Donut's crazy with cars.
- He can open anything.
- Hey.
- What up, man?
- Yo, he locked his keys in there.
- It's ok, I can call AAA.
- Oh, no problem, chief.

- With three years left in his term, why would he leave?
- Councilman, what may not have been obvious to you on the public safety subcommittee is that the budget process is a carefully orchestrated ballet, a cooperative effort between the branches of government.
- Madam president, the nuances of that cooperative effort are beginning to come into focus for me.

- You take what you have, you build on it.
- It's all good. Just put it up on the calendar. We should meet.
- Yo, slim.
- You see them two niggers right there?
- They over there getting high in the middle of all this.
- Now where the fucking discipline at, yo?
- Fuck, toss them niggers.

- What the fuck?
- Didn't I say something about waiting for a fuckin' phone call?

- Get his legs.
- Aagh!

- Yo, I need y'all to hear this, man.
- It was my fault.
- You hear me?
- I'm sorry, yo.
- That don't do nothing for me.

Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: You turning the world upside down with your bullshit. How are you not in jail?
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: I don't know. The lie's so big, people can live with it, I guess.
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: Jesus fucking Christ, Jimmy. I told you. I fuckin' told you it was gonna come to this. You played with fire, didn't you? And now we're all getting burned.

- I'm not so sure.
- Customs seal probably just broke on the off-load, is all.
- When's bea coming back from Fairfield?
- Who, beadie? She's not down Fairfield.
- Don't you worry. Your girl will be back soon.
- Yeah?
- She's detailed. The city police.

- Let me get this into the computer for the boys overseas.
- Anything from that shithole of a diner?
- Herc and carver had nothing overnight.
- The feds took over this morning and it's still quiet.
- I'm going back on the water.
- One meet and we're on this guy.

- Yeah.
- Big boy picking up.
- Okay.
- 'You holler at me, right?'
- 'Where you at, man?'
- 'we on our way down.' first thing tomorrow, man.
- Yeah?
- It's him. Stay on it.

- Got good to me, what can I say?
- It's sad enough with the kids being orphaned.
- Photo was from bunk's desk.
- They're yours?
- Yeah, afraid so.
- Good thing they look like their mama.
- Huh!
- Maurice Levy just posted.
- He's by the elevators.

State Senator R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: ...and it's yo' people up in my shit! Not no feds, not no state people from Annapolis, it's muthafuckas from my own city!
Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell: My hands are tied here, Clayton. It's a new mayor, a new state's attorney.
State Senator R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: I'm out there doin' the Lord's work for you, Erv! You know it! Who got that pay raise through the council? Just enough for you to get that new patio, but not enough for that guy from Pittsburgh to take yo' place!
Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell: Look, I wish I could. You know I wish I could. But with Carcetti in, people are watchin'. I got eyes on me now.
State Senator R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: You the commissioner still, right?
Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell: Yeah, but it ain't like it was.
State Senator R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: Well, if you don't control it, who does?
Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell: On this, I gotta reach around Daniels. And he's Carcetti's boy. Look, this is a grand jury investigation, for God's sake. We could both be charged with, uh, "obstruction of justice."
State Senator R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: Oh, goddammit, Erv! I been there for you, carried water for you, and you do me like this?
Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell: Clay, I can't. Nobody could.
State Senator R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: You think I'm goin' down, don't you? Y-y-y-y-y-you think I'm done! All y'all ungrateful bitches thinkin' you can throw me out the boat!
Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell: Clay...
State Senator R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: A'ight! I'm gonna remember this moment, Erv. I'm gonna hold on to this moment. Yeah.
[he leaves]

- it's gonna come out.
- Either tomorrow or the next day.
- We should make a few arrests, make it look tactical.
- You know what happens if we start locking people up in hamsterdam?
- The whole rest of the district goes back to being a shithole.
- If rawls is gonna hand me my ass, at least give me a chance to tell the man my story first.

- Judy and Johnny just walked through the door like a queen with her king oh, what a birthday surprise
- Lane 4, you got a trucker's code and tag.
- Truck 795 manifest number.
[Man] Keep the papennork you got.
- Pick me a winner, Johnny.

- What's this?
- Your change. Or so says frank sobotka.
- Sure?
- It ain't mine, for Christ's sake.
- If you don't take it, someone else is gonna.
- Your pop's a good man, zig.

- Some titty mags, too, if you need.
- All right. I got you.
- I'm gonna hook you up, though, all right?
- Hey, boy. Told you I had something for you.
- There you go.
[Man] That's my good boy.

- You ain't gotta push me.
- Hands up.
- Let me see you got your hands up.
- Anything on you?
- Here he goes.
- Later, son. Step light.
- Yo, was that the stash? Fuck!
- Let's go, let's go!
- Cut him off on stricker.

- Did you get to see where the money went after you handed it off?
[Kima] No.
- Nothing but touts and runners here.
- But then again, you told us so.
- I didn't say that.
- But as a matter of fact...

- I did.
- I do.
- It was not the money that concerned me.
- You have been more than generous, and this is a gift of an honorable man, clearly.
- But, in accepting such a gift, we would give you the wrong impression.

- Television and radio stations...
- He's doubling back.
- 'Copy.'
- He's south on montford.

- Is that some fuckin' rule?
- You call, we haul. You clean?
- Yeah, of course I'm clean.
- Stupid-ass rookie didn't give me a chance to cop.
- This corner's indicted.
- You move over to Vincent street, or we come back with the bracelets.
[Police radio] Anybody available for complaint at...

[Clerk] The defendants can take a seat.
- The judge will be in shortly.
- Can I take the file?
- Here.
- Thank you.
- Excuse me, ma'am?

- You see, in these modern times, a man got to keep one eye on the ground, pick up what he find, feel me?
- There's money to be made if you know where to look.
- I hope you listening cos I'm trying to school you.
- _ uh?
- Uh-huh.
- Yeah, you don't want to know. You think you're brown, but you still green.

- councilman Thomas j. Carcetti has a narrow lead of 2%.
- Traditionally, those precincts that report latest tend to be from west Baltimore, which is expected to favor mayor Royce in the late going.
- How it go?
- Good. Nothin' to it.
- I'm countin' on you, na'.

Terry: A lie ain't a side of a story. It's just a lie.

Maurice: You are amoral, are you not? You are feeding off the violence and the despair of the drug trade. You're stealing from those who themselves are stealing the lifeblood from our city. You are a parasite who leeches off...
Omar: Just like you, man.
Maurice: ...the culture of drugs... Excuse me, what?
Omar: I got the shotgun, you got the briefcase. It's all in the game, though, right?

- Fucking Atlanta shit costs more and it's still not as good.
- Came in at 25.
- All we can do is sprinkle it and bag it.
- Gonna lose my money? I lose my money.
- Step on that motherfucker.
- How hard?
- Make it ten.
- It's shit now.
- I know.

- Y'know, I took a beatdown from them boys,
- I don't even throw a shadow on it.
- That was the day y'all bought me ice cream off the truck.
- You remember, Mike?
- I don't.

- Renaissance revival, late 19th century.
- Do you have a house for them?
- No, I just make them and sell them.
- That seems kind of sad.
- You should have a house for them.
- We can use the lieutenant's office.

- Northwest has been quiet for weeks.
- You're willing to backdoor your lieutenant?
- You ain't changed, Jimmy.
- Shit.
- It's always about your case, huh?
- Do what you can.
- Keep my name out of it.

Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: The things that make me right for this job, maybe they're the same things that make me wrong for everything else.

- Motherfucker, I am serious.
[Woman] Mr. Mcnulty, this is Dr. Halpern's office.
- You missed your cleaning on Tuesday.
- We haven't heard from you.
- Give us a call, please.
- Mcnulty, this is your dear friend ilene Nathan.
- I indicted this piece-of-shit case because you swore we had an eyeball wit...

[Mason] I'll get the school police.
- You all right?
- She was like...
- And then... she was like...
- Typical day?
- I wouldn't know. My first time.
- Your first time?
- Mrs. Donnelly oversees this project.

- Fucking a, right?
- Jane Doe no.5.
- Five... five...

- Walked up in there, told them I was on the corner, caught a stray.
- Police come talk to you?
- Just a roller, no homicide.
- Put it out there.
- Not just our people, either.
- I'm talking about any nigger who wants to step up. Put out the word.
- Ten on Omar or any motherfucker standing with Omar.
- Y'all niggers ain't got shit to do but be on this motherfuckin' hunt. Be on it.

Omar: Shoot, the way y'all looking at things, ain't no victim to even speak on.
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: Bullshit, boy. No victim? I just came from Tosha's people, remember? All this death, you don't think it ripples out? You don't even know what the fuck I'm talking about. I was a few years ahead of you at Edmondson, but I know you remember the neighborhood, how it was. We had some bad boys, for real. Wasn't about guns so much as knowing what to do with your hands. Those boys could really rack. My father had me on the straight, but like any young man, I wanted to be hard too, so I'd turn up at all the house parties where the tough boys hung. Shit, they knew I wasn't one of them. Them hard cases would come up to me and say, "Go home, schoolboy, you don't belong here." Didn't realize at the time what they were doing for me. As rough as that neighborhood could be, we had us a community. Nobody, no victim, who didn't matter. And now all we got is bodies, and predatory motherfuckers like you. And out where that girl fell, I saw kids acting like Omar, calling you by name, glorifying your ass. Makes me sick, motherfucker, how far we done fell.

- With what?
- Passing the bar.
- Guess I better be going.
- Thanks for coming past.
Elijah: Let's make a bed...
- Yeah.
- Nice meeting you.
- Elijah?
- Uh?
- Say bye to aunt kima.
- Bye.

- You found us.
- Wasn't easy.
- You asked for these guys?
- I asked for more manpower.
- Have a seat.

Howard: You know, we giving them a fine education. "It ain't even mine. It was just laying here when I came in." You know, this right here, the whole damn school, the way they carry themselves, it's training for the street. The building's the system. We the cops.
Zenobia: Yeah. You are. For sure.
Howard: Well, y'all, y'all come in here every day and practice getting over. Try running all different kind of games. It's practice for the corner, right? Ain't no real cops, ain't no real danger. But y'all _are_ getting something out of this. Betcha didn't even know that.

- Yeah, you need to go to prop Joe.
- I ain't gonna argue with you.
- You run it as you see fit.
- At least until I get home, you do.
- No doubt.
- Us, man.

Lt. Cedric Daniels: Lt. Cedric Daniels: Couple weeks from now, you're gonna be in some district somewhere with 11 or 12 uniforms looking to you for everything. And some of them are gonna be good police. Some of them are gonna be young and stupid. A few are gonna be pieces of shit. But all of them will take their cue from you. You show loyalty, they learn loyalty. You show them it's about the work, it'll be about the work. You show them some other kinda game, then that's the game they'll play. I came on in the Eastern, and there was a piece-of-shit lieutenant hoping to be a captain, piece-of-shit sergeants hoping to be lieutenants. Pretty soon we had piece-of-shit patrolmen trying to figure the job for themselves. And some of what happens then is hard as hell to live down. Comes a day you're gonna have to decide whether it's about you or about the work.

- You can have 734, 770 and 221.
- I keep the other three.
- How you gonna tell it to avon?
- It makes sense, don't it?
- He gonna hear something when it makes sense.
- Right?

- How am I supposed to know your people ain't in on it too?
- You know because Joe says and because I say.
- And you trust your people like that?
- I talked to my driver.
- I looked into his soul.

- Fits nice...
- It's all in the game.
- It was only a couple of dollars.
- It ain't the money.
- But we fucked him up bad.
- It's the message, d.
- You can't show no weakness.
- Still, I'm saying.
- What?

- is one or two names of Omar's people, you feel me?
- You sure you want us on marlo and Omar both?
- I mean, Omar ain't come back on us since we got his bitch.
- So maybe...
- Look, I'm home, Charles. I'm home.
- What's up?
- Taking care of business, string?
- Me too, man. Me, too.

- A victim, Jay. On the real side.
- Do tell.
- Second body in a double.
- Girl in her 20s, caught in a firefight.
- Takes one in the dome.
- But she's still dead in a zip code that does not fucking matter.
- And you still owe me a departmental issue nine.
- Find the fucking gun, bunk.

- Another 100 to you if this happens. But
- I need this camera quick or shit will fly.
- Look, man, it's not about the money for me right now.
- This motherfucker, he messing with my livelihood here.
- They're always coming back, always.
- He's like some Terminator and shit.
- I'm with you.
- I'll do all I can to help you with your problem, and you're gonna help me out with mine.

- Be advised that he didn't make it to chase.
- 11-71, what's your status?
[Mcnulty] 'He couldn't have gone past us.'
[carver] '11-71, nothing on this side.'
[herc] 'Must have went to ground.'
- Hold your positions. I'll take a look.

Omar: I damn near got that woman killed, yo. Y'all should've seen me in Sinai Hospital while they stitching her up, lying about why somebody wanna shoot me down the street. That woman think I work in a cafeteria.
Kimmy: Cafeteria?
Omar: At the airport, yeah.
Kimmy: The airport? Why the airport?
Omar: 'Cause I know she ain't gonna never go down there to go dining, that's why! Hey, yo, Kimmy, this ain't funny, yo! That woman raised me! And for as long as I been grown, once a month I been with her on a church Sunday, telling myself ain't no need to worry, 'cause ain't nobody in this city that lowdown to disrespect a Sunday morning!

[Herc] Police, open the damn door!
- Open the damn door.
[Carver] Open the door.
- What?
- Open the motherfucking door!

- I thought he did good.
- Imagine the mileage Maury Levy gets out of me putting that sociopath on the stand.
- You got to admit, it'll be different.
- Dress him up at least.
- I can't have him on the stand looking like that.
- Here's a voucher for court clothes.
- Anything with a tie.

- Say hey to beadie and the ankle-biters.
- Dinner?
- Located in high-rise structures, as well as residences are detailed alongside...
- Thanks, santy.
- This horseshit? You serious?
- Back to school for the kids.

- Thought you asleep.
- If you want...
- I could go to school some.
- I ain't been for a while, so I don't even know if I can.
- But if you want me to go...
- Ain't no thing.

- Jimmy, he makes more money off of that shit than you do off of this job.
- Don't let Lester fool you.
- He did already.
- Today in roll call, he showed something.
- Hey, he's natural police.
- He used to be homicide.
- Why did he leave?
- Ask him.
- This is the one, huh?
- Yup. Hasn't been rented since.

- Fuckity, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.
- Fucker oh, fuck.
- Fuck, fuck, fuck.
- Motherfucker.
- Fuckin' a.

- I thought you said these goddamn houses were vacant.
- We must have missed her.
- That's one more thing I gotta do, then.

- You don't even know what you're doing.
- Just sit there and shut up.
- Come over here and make me shut up, then.
- You piss me off 'cause you don't know what you're doing. You're too stupid.
- Hey, z, you do the top while I do the middle.
- Darnell, you got the leg parts, all right?
- Yeah, like that, like that.

[Boy] Five-0 creeping.
- It's midnight relief coming in.
- What the hell is all this?
- You don't look at what you did before, you do the same shit all over.
- I'm out of here.

- How should I pay you back?
- By showing a little respect.
- That all?
- Truth is, things have been rough around the way.
- With you doing so good, thought maybe you'd throw some ends my way.
- Seeing as how I was here for you.
- I ain't paying you to be my mother.

- Sarge, nobody answers at juvenile intake and we been calling.
- Clearly, they're not as dedicated as you two detectives.
- What time does the duty consultant get here?
- You missed the 8:00.
- You got another one around midnight.
- Midnight?
- You think if we left you the papennork, you could put him in the box until intake gets here?

- So the police won't scope me so easy.
- But now all they gotta do is be like,
- "yeah, go over there
- "and grab that little nigger with the braids."
- Damn, you later than a motherfucker.
- Been sittin' here watching money walk away.
- You about to have the day off.

- He talked to the judge?
- That's my understanding.
- So, if he comes over on this, watch your back.
- You need anything, you ask me.
- I'll give you all the help I can.
- But no surprises.
- Yes, sir.
- Keep me briefed.

- When you're alone, the going gets rough come back, come back, come back...
- Fuck me.
- I've had enough make me a queen...

- But mouzone not saying who did this.
- You asked him who it was?
- Yeah.
- Why?
- Why what?
- How you gonna ask a soldier like mouzone a question like that?
- Either he gonna say, or he gonna go and work it out.
- Either way, you ain't got to be asking him shit.

- Buy you a drink?
- Why the fuck you coming up behind me?
- I'm sorry.

Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: So Cheese. Who's your dog?
Melvin: Huh. You my dog.
[air kisses Bunk]
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: Heh heh heh, I just want to know who's your dog. Dog.
Melvin: What's this, some psychology? Huh? Yeah, OK, uhh... "Yo please, stop, stop! I'll tell you everything I know."
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: C'mon Cheese!
[shows Cheese some photos of murder victims]
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: Who's your dog?
Melvin: Oh hell no! Y'all a'int layin' no bodies on me man. Lawyer time!

- Who the fuck you talking to, man?
- It's donette, string. She been calling.
- No, put the phone down.
- Are you all feeling me on this?
[All] Yeah.
- He show up, we on him like a motherfucking...
- Like a 40-degree day.

- for as long as it takes you people to get the message.
- You hear me? We will take this door in the morning and at night, and toss your house until there isn't any furniture with four legs left, you hear me?
- Officer, my son turned himself in to the police last night.
- At southeastern.
- A detective was there at the time.

- Everyone in them walls know who avon is.
- Ain't nobody gonna do his nephew.
- All right?
- Now, as far as you and me go...
- I did you wrong by keeping you at arm's length but it ain't gonna be like that no more.

Man: Yeah.
- Yo, you talk to him?
- Fat man wanna parlay.
- All right, you good. Hook me up.
- Yeah, all right.

- Bubs' got some problems, but insincerity ain't one of them.
- Shame's some tricky shit, ain't it?
- Makes you feel like you want to change, and then beats you back down when you think you can't.
- When was the last time y'all talked?
- More than a couple of years, since he last got on the wagon, I think.
- If he's up in d ward, he's cleaner than a motherfucker right now.

- Where I find Omar?
[Breathing heavily] No...
- Where Omar at?
- You a tough old man.

- I gave my word on that.
- Fuck we doing back here then, papa?
- I can still put a gun in Andre's face, right?
- That man got some explaining to do.
- It's dead out here, yo.
- Tip on out.

- You want me in there with ya, believe me, othennise guys like that will bleed you.
- I want you to meet Tommy Flanagan before he leaves.
- Yeah, gimme a minute. I need to, um...
- Bathroom?
- Yeah.
- Down the hall to the right.
- Hey, watch that stuff.
- You'll put on weight.

- I mean, whoever did this had to be a full-grown and powerful individual - a fearsome individual.
- You see what I'm sayin'?
- You the murder police.
- How the fuck would I know?
- Is this spot good for a stand-up?
- Let's go with a wide shot on this.

- try to convince anyone on the street to move into the city shelters after dark.
- Can't you have police sit on locations where the homeless gather?
- And still answer the calls?
- Not without doubling up post units, which means overtime.
- Overtime, again.
- Blood in our veins, Mr. Mayor.

Sgt. Jay Landsman: [referring to McNulty and Bunk] Look at 'em, Cole. Don't it make your dick bust concrete to be in the same room with two noble, selfless public servants?

- Where are you going?
- Work.

- Now you know avon fought real hard for them towers.
- We took down the rayford brothers, big Dennis woodson, I mean...
- This shit is just business, string.
- Buy for a dollar, sell for two.
- That all it need be. You got the towers, I got what goes in them.
- Later for all that bullshit.
- I'll talk to avon.
- You do that. Do that.

- God damn it, Ziggy, you sick fuck!
- Get your dick out of my computer!
- Where are the first lot of detectives?
- Dead. To me, anyway.
- I shipped them humps back to burrell as fast as I could.

- Who got them?
- New Charles works for mutt.
- Yo, zig. You working today?
- No. Came here to have breakfast with you duper-faced fucks.
- Most important goddamn meal of the goddamn day, right?
- Set them up, Dolores, zig is thirsty.
- That's right, I'm thirsty.
- You know what?
- Bottoms up, you ugly whores.

- keep him in the hole in the hole down in the hole down in the hole keep him in the hole keep him in the...
- Down in the hole down in the hole keep him in the hole keep him in the...
- Down in the hole down in the hole

- That's supposed to make me feel better?
- Kima's out on the street doing her detective thing?
- All that hospital shit, all that rehab.
- All them promises.
- We talked about this.
- No, you talked.
- I didn't get a word in edgewise once you made up your mind.

- Got accounts at some of the banks down there.
- Donations come in as cash, cashier's checks come out.
- Tiny-ass Caribbean island don't truck with no subpoenas, no court orders, none of that.
- You pay ten on the dollar.
- Anything beyond that depends on your generosity, to save those who want to be saved.

- So, you never got a look at either of the gunmen?
- I told you, I saw only the one of them.
- He was black. Big, I thought.
- With a large weapon.
- Bnbg.
- Big negro, big gun.

- Trace lab ain't gonna have shit on the bunk.
- That shit. No fucking case file, detective.
- Where are your fucking shoes, man?
- Ma'am, you seen his shoes?
- Give me that pussy, and now you gonna take my shoes?
- Eh... that ain't right, shit.

- Ok, yeah.
- Thanks.
- You know ray Cole?
- Homicide, right?
- Collapsed in the gym at the central district this morning.
- On a fucking stairmaster.
- Well, how is he?
- A stairmaster.

Omar: About a year ago a boy named Brandon got got here in Baltimore. Stuck and burned before he passed.
Brother: The game is the game.
Omar: Indeed. But see, that boy was beautiful. Wasn't no need for you to do him the way y'all did. You feel me?
Brother: A year, you say?
Omar: About that.
Brother: You got some wrong information.
Omar: Man, you lyin' to live.
Brother: I'm at peace with my god. Do what you will.

- He'll be back from lunch any minute, zig.
- You hear me?
- He sees you on that thing, he's gonna break you down and sell you for parts.

- The white shirts will fuck it up somehow, you know it, Lester.
- Maybe not, this time. Daniels is cid.
- It's a new day downtown.
- I got it.
- Ooh. World is on its hole when Jimmy mcnulty is the most qualified to drive.
- Yeah, up is down, black is white... left is right.

- I came on in the eastern.
- A piece-of-shit lieutenant was hoping to be a captain, piece-of-shit sergeants hoping to be lieutenants.
- Pretty soon we had piece-of-shit patrolmen trying to figure the job for themselves.
- And some of what happens then is hard as hell to live down.
- Comes a day you're going to have to decide whether it's about you or about the work.

- Copy.
- I got no eyes at the port.
- Kima?
- She pulled up.
- I got it.
- The truck left. You won't make it.
- I'll call the mpa, delay the truck.
- Do it. Are you still here?
- Good call.

- Who's playing who?
- West against east.
- Baltimore?
- The projects, man.
- The bragging rights to the projects.
- The projects got a ball team?

Preston: [about Marlo] He's a cold motherfucker.
Malik: It's a cold world Bodie.
Preston: Thought you said it was getting warmer.
Malik: The world going one way, people another yo.

[epigraph]
D'Angelo: The king stay the king.

- "Tater killed me."
- Oh!
- Is it typed? 'Cause that would hold up a lot better in court.

- we still ain't picked up the mannitol.
- What the fuck?
- Yo, Vincent.
- Where you at?
- Manny? Manny?
- Shit.

- Animal cruelty, if you want to run wild with it.
- Go ahead, call me a cocksucker.
- You know you wanna.
- Excuse me?
- You know, I actually looked up the stats on Gus triandos.
- Power hitter, right?
- Fuck the both of you.

- Every day try to do a little for the statewide and keep a problem on the blackboard for Donnelly.
- If she comes to visit, she thinks you're on point.
- The rest of the time, do what you feel like you need to do.
- But be careful.
- You're still on your evaluation.
- The first year isn't about the kids, it's about you surviving.

- I know who was there.
- So you innocent, huh?
- Let me ask you somethin' though, bein' that you muscle for Mario.
- What you was gonna do if you was there, huh?
- Riddle me that.
- Yeah.
- You know what, yo?

- Yes?
- Everything's good.
- You coming in now?
- Yes.

- you effect a search of officer tilghman's vehicle, locker and person, we are confident evidence will be recovered.
- You're confident?
- As far as doc is concerned, this is a fair deal if it takes the overdoses off our plate.
- But if we come up empty on this...
- You won't.
- Five will get you ten, that's the motherfucker that spiked the packages.
- You have proof of this? Then we make the case that's there for us to make.

- Nicely done.
- Give me two.

- Jump-outs from sector to sector, and a zero-tolerance approach.
- We detail a couple of men from each shift, build a flex unit, double up on head-knocking and corner-clearing.
- More of the same, you mean.
- But better.
- Better?
- Better than nothing.

Slim: B, let's roll.
- Hey, Lex, man, I'm gonna give you the truth because you need the truth.
- That boy marlo got the world by the ass and fruit, he work for Mario.
- So I'm saying, fuck that bitch.
- Pffff. And move on.
- That's just the way it is.
- Yeah.
- It's just the way it is, man.
[Man] Pandemic! Pandemic!

- What are you saying, man? What's up?
- Nothing, man.
- Nothing at all.
- Those are stringer's people.
- You wanted us to be about bodies.
- We had this kid marlo working for stringer but he might be going to war for those corners.

Det. Shakima 'Kima' Greggs: Who we got to fuck in this town to get a real office?

- Bon voyage.
- There she goes.
- There she goes.
- This area's restricted.
- Yes, sir, no problem.
- Amir, Amir, why don't we sail?
- They're holding the ship.
- Who?
- Coastguard, the Americans.

- Could you excuse me for a moment, please?
- Major Colvin.
- Just Colvin.
- You know, I always wanted to say how sorry I am how things turned out.
- There wasn't anything I could have done with your experiment in the western district.
- There wasn't anything that anyone could have done with that.

- all the casework laid out like I'm lost in a career case.
- Landsman barely noticed.
- We crank this up, landsman won't be the only one thumbing through this h-file.
- We get sloppy, we get cuffed.
- What do you want me to do?
- What detectives do, detective.

[Laughs] I'm gonna go with this right here, man. How much I owe you?
- $669 plus tax.
- No, no. You just pay at the register.
- No, man, you go and handle that for me, man. And keep the rest for your time.
- This is $800.
- 80 what, man?
- You earned that buck like a motherfucker, man. Keep that shit.

- What, he a problem?
- Nah.
- I just need to know more.
- All right.
- All right.
- Satisfied?
- $90,000 to you in the morning.
- We'll put a hunt on Omar later, after the heat on them empty houses give way.

- I was glad that you found her.
- Mmm, I was glad for her, even.
- For a while there, you were happier than I've ever seen you.
- She's great.
- She is.
- Don't do this.

- He was confused. Lost, I think.
- So I brought him here.
- Donald, where you from?
- Tell the lady, Donald.
- Baltimore.
- But he told me he came from Cleveland.
- Donald, do you have identification?

- I'd like to scalp your ass, motherfucker.
- Got it.
- Who's up?
- There you go, givin' a fuck when it ain't your turn to give a fuck.
- He's a pissy little bitch today.
- I'm worried for the boy.

Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: Well, you know what they say: "stupid criminals make stupid cops". I'm proud to be chasing this guy.

- Maybe stringer's still trying to settle that beef behind the fact that he got to live in this city, too.
- Omar being Omar.
- If it ain't putting you out none,
- I'd feel a powerful lot better if my nephew took over protection.
- Hayward.

- If you full of shit, pal,
- I'm gonna know it quick.
- What happens to me while you checking?
- Eager street. Cityjail, motherfucker.
- Blue came home last week.
- I ain't seen him since.
- Uh-huh.
- Yeah.
- I can't believe it.

Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: I listen to the shit she talks about, first time in my life I feel like a fucking doormat. Like anyone with any smarts would do something else with his life, you know, earn money or get elected. Like I'm just a breathing machine for my fucking dick.

- I need the trace work on 06h271, and I need it now.
Managing: I know, he hasn't been around to it yet.
- Tell him I called and tell him I'm gonna keep calling till he feels my fucking pain, all right?
- Gift-wrapped.
- Number one.

- He said that there was an argument about a stolen car or two.
- Think he'll open up and talk more?
- He's been processed and assigned to pd.
- If you want to take a run at the kid, you're gonna have to get around his lawyer.
- I'm sorry, lieutenant. It's my bad.
- State your name, asshole. What's your name?
- What's your name?

D'Angelo: [quote after opening credits] It don't matter that some fool say he different...

- Never mind, I got it right here.
- All stringer, all the time.
- Er, Theresa d'agostino, please.
Woman: Can you hold, please?
- Yeah, I'll hold.
- She's not in the office.
- You wanna leave a message?
- No, I left one already.

[Radio] I fell into a burnin' ring of fire
- I went down, down, down and the flames went higher and it burns, burns, burns the ring of fire the ring of fire

- You got two young bucks round the corner.
- One in the white tee, the other guy a throwback on.
- One got the jump in his dip and the one with a car tire, ya feel me?
- Round the corner?
- Fulton and Lex.
- A'ight.
- Thanks, man.
- Yeah.

- or nigga with a gun can tap that.
- How I even know it's there?
- You check it online any time you like.
- On a computer?
- If I can't hold it in my hand...
- A'ight. You got any prior convictions?
- No, nothing that rate.
- We get you a passport, then.
- Take a trip.

Russell: While back, I took a stroll through the pit. I saw that kid we got running things down there, uh, Poot. Now, he got the cell phone I gave him for the business, right there on his hip. But, the nigga got another cell phone that only rang when the pussy called. Now, if this no-count nigga got two cell phones, how the fuck you gonna sell any more of them motherfuckers? That's market saturation.

- Really? I got nothing for you.
- My eye, my eye.
- Who you gonna eyefuck now?
- Aah!
- Are you serious?
- You bleed on my car?
- Don't bleed on my car.
- Get your shit off my car.
- What the fuck's the matter with you?

- Get us one good phone, we'll give you the network.
- That's the good news.
- And what's the bad?
- It's all historical.
- We can give you the network no problem, but by then it's a week old and they've dumped their phones.
- And how we get a wire up on that
- I haven't figured out yet.
- Well, see that you do, detective.

- A good turn here will not be forgotten.
- I'm trying to dig myself out of the basement with something simple here.
- Drug arrests, a prostitution bust if I get lucky and I'm out from under with burrell.
- Sorry, colonel.
- You keep the murders and my ass stays covered.

- Like what?
- "Rest in peace", "in remembrance"?
- Something that says how you feel about the loss.
- Look, man, fuck it, all right? Just, uh...
- Just make sure the towers look like they do, all right?
- All right. Thanks.

- Hello, may I help you?
- We'd like a table.
- And you have reservations?
- I thought, you know, we could just walk in...
- Let me see what I got.
- That's two?
- Follow me, please.

- And I'm having a little trouble getting over it.
- That's why I'm feeling so blue tonight.
- Ok, your mom's dead and you're sad.
- Yeah.
- You my boy.
- The same way.
- My mom died about a week ago, and...

- I'll be damned.
- Hey, yo, that got to be marlo, man.
- You see?
- That's the man we robbed, yo, from the poker game.
- Ah. Si'. Si, si.
- No wonder the boy don't like me.

- If it keeps going like this,
- I don't know what I'm gonna do.
- Thanks.
- It's no problem.
- You wanna make a phone call to someone?
- If you get over to Madison, it might be some time before you can.
- Ain't a chance I get bail, right?
- How about family?

- So what, we Jack her and make her talk?
- Fool, she probably got no clue where he lay his head.
- No, man, we sit and we wait, right?
- Man, wait on what?
[Mutters] Stupid motherfucker.
- Now, see, if we go upstairs, we'll spook him. So he's coming down. All right?

- and ervin is a good man working under considerable pressure.
- He's a hack.
- You're not bothered by the pressure, deputy?
- Not in the least.
- I need you to make this go away, bill.
- I won't forget, believe me.

- No good to us no how. You on three legs.
- Familiarize yourself with the make and model of the weapons you left in the truck, Mr. Hill.
- The details matter.
- I get shot up an' then this shit.
- Y'all ask a lot, don'tcha?
- You can't hack, go down Wal-Mart.
- And see if they take care you while you laid up for a while.
- C'mon, nigger.

- That ain't you, zig.
- It ain't?
- Cause the same blood don't flow for us, pop.
- I mean, I wish it did, but it don't.
- You're more like me than you know.
- You're a sobotka.
- Fucked is what I am.

- If there ain't at least a few hundred k in that room, I wish myself blind.
- Serious, Joe.
- I say again, have you ever known me to be a stupid man?
- What are the strings?
- No strings.
- What's your cut, then?
- Quarter of the take.
- I scope this and it don't look right,
- I'm gonna come back on you now, Joe.

- Two g-packs. Let's roll.
- Just two?
- Omar, come on.
- What the...
- Stupid.

- Man, get in here.
- Go ahead, man. What's wrong with you?

- Kima.
- We're gonna take the boss out.
- Raids? Tonight?
- Can you make it with your kids an' all?
- No, no problem.
- I can take them over to my parents'.
- All right, we'll see you soon.
- Kima, thanks for the call. Bye.

[Man] ...1942, the us 1st marine division stormed the shore at guadalcanal, seizing a nearly complete airfield at lunga point, which was renamed Henderson field, and an Anchorage at nearby tulagi that would later be known as iron bottom sound because of the ships sunk there in battle.
- The landings of the first day put nearly 11,000 marines on the island...

- Word is that when the city's budget situation is improved, we'll all see that as back pay or comp time. Every last hour.
- Back pay my ass. This shit here is just paper.
- 65 hours of worthless paper right here.
- Officer brown, sit your ass.
- Sit!

- well, I never seen my brown Colleen that I met in the county down
- That I met in the county down...
- That I met in the county down first, I go in, play nice.
- Then you come in, play bad.
- I ain't playin'.

- Talk amongst yourselves.
- One of you is taking this case home.
- No, bill, the Atlantic light passed the key bridge at 2300 hours and laid up at anchor, 2,000 yards off patapsco until 0600, when it docked.
- By the map, that's Baltimore city.
- That put the ship in yourjurisdiction for the three-hour window for the time of death.
- Bill, you look like you could use a good cup of coffee.

Det. Lester Freamon: We're building something here, detective. We're building it from scratch. All the pieces matter.

- You guys are on all of it, huh?
- You have a public defender sitting next to you, Mr. Sobotka.
- If there's anything you don't understand...
- They killed my uncle. I don't need to talk to no one but you people.
- How do you know they did it?
- I... I told...

Felicia: [Chris tosses Snoop's nail gun into the harbor] Yo you owe me eight hundred on that, bitch. You owe!

- Gentlemen, what's going on there, guys?
- Testers, man, already out.
- No.
- I'm not in need of your services,
- I'm offering my services to y'all.
- What you got in the bag?
- One thing a gentleman of color like better than a new pair of downtown shoes is a downtown brim, right?

- Come on.
- Where?
- Evidence control.

- Kima, maybe you could ask those western boys to pick up what they find for the next few days.
- Yeah, sure.
- Damn, boy, you smell like sex.
- You didn't take a fucking shower?
- I was late for work.
- Forgot my newports, didn't you?
- Oh, shit, man, I did.
- Let me do these chips and then I'll go get your cigarettes.

- Grab your dick, walk into marimow's office, and say, "lieutenant, I made a mistake.
- "I attributed my PC to an informant when in fact I had it off a camera."
- That I got from isd without going through the proper channels. No.
- He's gonna take my stripes.
- Maybe he does. But if you wait until isd asks for that camera and he figures out the lie, he takes your fucking balls.

- I'm a viking, bubs.
- Are you a viking?

- Go on. Straight to bed.
- Hey, kiddo.
- Hey, mcnulty.
- Where'd you go to?
- None of your business really, Jimmy.
- And next time, I'm not going anywhere.
- Next time, you're gonna be out on your ass, because that's my fucking house.

- gotta watch your back well, I beg your pardon walk the straight and narrow track if you walk with Jesus he's gonna save your soul you gotta keep the devil way down in a hole

- Fuzzy dunlop?
- It's the new generation, with the names...
- 150? Jesus.
- He turned us onto the sobotka kid, lieutenant.

- Thanks for the cover last night.
- This is greggs, major case unit.
- Who's the shift leader?
[Man] Get a wildcat right now!
[2nd man] Brown! What's up?
- Anybody want to buy?
[Man] Blue John! Get yo ass caught, boy!
- Holy Christ.

- Fuck. Fuck.
- Ah!

- I was thinking maybe you would ticket your white ass up with me.
- Run for council president.
- Me an emerging black leader, handsome, well spoken.
- You, the great white hope, the new voice of civic reform.
- We could give Royce a run, man.
- What makes you think I'm interested?
- What the hell else have you got going?
- Think about it.

Judge: [Referring to the Baltimore Sun] Never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel.

- took his little brother with him.
- You know where he stay at?
- He ain't tell me.
- You find the boy, you let him know
- I need some help.
- I popped him and bug out my ass, and now they forgot where they came from.
- What my ma say when you called?
- She was mad, right?
- Not really.

- and read the mdotjob posting.
- Port authority officers, schedule one, starting at 33 with benefits.
- Toll-taking days were over, huh?
- Father of my two kids went to Houston in
- '99, hasn't so much as called in three years.
- I wasn't gonna make it on 22,500.
- Not with kids, iwasn't.
- Did you want to be a police?

- boy, you'll be the shit, you hear?
- These really do look like glocks.
- They make them look that way.
- Yo, why you shoot low?
- All right, if you're close, aim for the head.
- If not, think vest. That's the way you said it.
- A'ight. Boy's learning.

- All that shit count, you hear me?
- I'd let sleeping dogs lie, son.
- I know you would, Joe.
- You smart like that.
- Yeah. Me?
- Anyway, pass that offer on.
- Come back for this here in an hour.

- I wanted to make that shit special.
- It was, man. It fucking was.
- Take your money back.
- This is mine.
- Take it back, you old whore.
- Turk?
- Can I get one more?

D'Angelo: Yeah but, Stringer, if you don't pay a nigga, he ain't gonna work for you.
Russell: What, you think a nigga's gonna get a job? You think... you think it's gonna be like, "Fuck it, let me quit this game here and go to college"? No, they're gonna buck a little, but they ain't gonna walk. And in the end, you gonna get respect.

- Yeah, I see.
- Yo, my head hurting from all this learning.
- You got some Tylenol?
- What I got for you is detention.
[Kids] Oh!
- Fuck you, prezbo.
[Kids] Oh!
- Fucking gimpy-assed, big-girl motherfucker.
- That's it. You're out of here!

- You? You?
- As if you give a shit.

- Hey, detective.
- Er... um...
- No gray Van either.
- What?
- He doesn't have a gray Van.

- Duquan, could you come here?
- I thought maybe you could help me out -
- I packed too much.

- Damn, carv, you's triflin'.
- Yeah, I admit it, I'm disgusting.
- Cheese puffs and fucking ring-dings?
- Yeah.

Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: He's a boss. Fuck the bosses.

- We understand your concerns, but, you know...
- For the deputy drug czar to take the time out to drive 30 miles north to deliver that message, hardly necessary.
- Rest assured.
- What up, g? Where the older ones at?
- Marlo got his package back out.

- What are we, invisible?
- Stupid fucking yos.
- Nah, just fucking with him, man.
- You want to wait for him to serve somebody?
- Fuck it.
- They're dirty either way.

- You ain't gonna play that country shit, right? I hate that country shit.
- No. Not even ray Charles can save that mess for me.
- No, sir.

[watching a dealer work his corner]
Slim: Man, that's him right there. In that G35, man.
Dennis: Boy in the retro?
Sapper: That shit is tight.
Slim: For $130, it better be.
Sapper: Hell yeah. Imma get me one of those muhfuckas.
Gerard: [scoffs] You must gonna get that Muggsy Bogues, then. Li'l Mini-Me ass gonna be swimmin' in that Unseld.
Slim: As usual, man, y'all fools are missin' my point. That boy came up short on that money last week. And y'all see he out here grindin', so where that money at?
Dennis: You need to look beyond what he drivin' and wearin' on his back. That boy got a girlfriend?
Gerard: He run with this little freak up at the high school.
Dennis: She wearin' ice?
Gerard: [laughs] She wearin' a onion, that's about all I can remember.
Sapper: [laughs] Hell yeah.
Dennis: Yo, check out the girl. High school girl with platinum around her neck, only one place it came from.
Slim: Get my man his stick.
[Sapper hands Cutty a pistol]
Slim: SIG Sauer. That ain't no Lorcin, dawg.
Dennis: I'm used to revolvers, man..38 don't jam.
Slim: Don't hold 15, neither.
Dennis: Game done changed.
Slim: Game the same. Just got more fierce.

- What the fuck are you doing?
- Copying.
- A telephone.
- This fucking detail...

- I'll tell your wife if you tell mine.
- In the car but not out in the open.
- Yo, rock.
- Be subtle with it, man.
- You know what subtle means?
- Laid-back and shit.

- Yeah.
- Ooh!
- Base to 11-34.
- Target number two is coming at your 20.
- Copy that. We're on it good.

- Agent koutris.
- He's no longer with the
- San Diego field office.
- Where's he at?
- You could try headquarters in Washington. Counterterrorism.
- Counterterrorism? For how long?
- I'd have to check but I'm sure he's been gone from here more than a year.

- Hurry up, nigger. People looking.
- Look here, man, you a smart little motherfucker.
- You start back up at edmondson, you likely to finish up at Harvard or some shit like that. Believe, b.
- And you you got a good heart in there too.
- Not like the rest of these niggers.

- Now, ladies and gentlemen, we brought you down here because you're here to learn about the new way...
- The new way that we're going to do things on the corners.
- That's downtown.
- Yeah.
- Well, that makes no sense.
- All four.

- This is the hole up in here.
- He's a good kid. He really is.
- And once you make that call, his name's gonna be in the system.
- What can I do?
- He says he knows about a murder.
- I have to notify police on this.
- At least let me call someone I trust.

- Get elected.
- Like I'm just a breathing machine for my fucking dick.
- I'm serious.
- I'm the smartest asshole in three districts and she looks at me like I'm stupid, playing some stupid game for stupid penny-ante stakes.
- She fucking looks through me, kima.

- We having fun yet?
- I need a drink.

- Shit!
- Clear!
- Clear.

- gotta watch your back well, I beg your pardon walk the straight and narrow track if you walk with Jesus he's gonna save your soul you gotta keep the devil way down in a hole

[Man] Major in? [Woman] Yes.
- Yeah?
- We're making some hand-to-hands at the port.
- Lieutenant Daniels said to ask about a surveillance Van.
- The Van? Um...
- The Van's on loan to the southwest.

- Whoa.
- They got latroy.
- What the fuck is y'all on the streets for?
- There's a fucking war going on.
- Get the fuck in the truck, man.

- You call dss right now and ship him out.
- That's an order.
- Lieutenant...
- I got $235, if it helps.
- How would that help?
- Maybe we can get a foster spot like that.
- Pay somebody.

- Back door only.
- There's an old sofa in the basement.
- I'll throw you down some blankets.
- You try to come up those stairs, and
- I'm gonna call the police. I swear I will.

- A little something for a rainy day.
- You built up a right nice-size nest these past few years.
- Might be time you maybe think about backing off some?
- Back off to what?
- Later, butch.
- Stay, boy.

- He want so bad to be a gangster, maybe it's time he get a taste of a real lockup?
- Come on, Mr. C, don't do me like that.
- I made him sleep on the deu bench last night, if that counts for anything.
- Isn't there anybody else?
- Friend, relative, anybody?
- You've always been good with the knuckleheads, boss.
[Sighs] All right. Let me go call my wife.

- $1,000 for the doctor.
- $1,000 each time, girlfriend.
- Every month till I'm pregnant.
- There's gotta be a better way.
- That would be on you, sweetheart.
- Come up with a suitable donor and we pay a lot less.
- Not with your pussy would I fuck any of these guys.
- What did you just say?
- You didn't just say that!

- The shit is weak, we gonna sell twice as much. You know why?
- 'Cause a fiend, he's gonna chase that shit no matter what.
- It's crazy, you know?
- We do worse, and we get paid more.
- The government do better and it don't mean no never mind.
- This shit right here, Dee, it's forever.

- 12 niggers...
- And then how many blah, blah, blah...
- Then you went, like, dinking all round this one and no other one.
- So the answer is "b -
- 5." Everybody get that?
[Kids] Yeah.
- "B
- 5," it got all the dinks.
- "B
- 5," and I'm an Audi 5000.

- No, sir.
- No argument at all, bunny?
- Not much you can say, is there?
- Not to real police.
- Get on with it, motherfucker.
- Excuse me, major?
- Is the admin-lieutenant present?
- Major Colvin is relieved of duty.
- You are now the acting commander of the western district.

- and if the harbor promenade could extend to the south branch...
- We're looking at that.
- Should be.
- Everything from here to Hanover street is money.
- Mr. Mayor, play a little poker?
- I'm not very lucky.
- Luck can change.
- Mr. Mayor, I'd like you to meet ray Chandler.
- Pleasure to meet you.

- What you need to be concerned about is what's seated in the chamber now - a copper-jacketed, hollow point, 120-grain hot street load of my own creation.
- So you need to think for just a moment and ask yourself,
- "what do I have to do before this man raise up his gun again?"
- Let's go.
- Good day to you, sir.

Felicia: Fuck them West Coast bitches! 'Coz in B-More, we aim to hit a nigga, y'herd?

- Don't see the boy snitchin'.
- Neither do I.
- But you ready to bet your future on that?

- I heard about you, man.
- I hear your name used to ring out.
- You got something for me?
- You see where shorty's sitting at right there?
- You'll find a little help.
- And when you ready, we got some real work for you, all right?

- No, you two switch.
- Calvin, you're here in the front.
- Quanice, you're here.
- Michael, you're here.
- Destiny, here. Myesha, here.
- Dashonda, here.
- Come on, keep moving.
- Don't stop at the door. Come in.
- Let's get started.

Russell: How many corners do we need? How much money can a nigger make?
Avon: More than a nigger can spend.
Russell: And then we ain't gonna be around to spend what we done made already.
Avon: Shit, I ain't think I was gonna be around this long.

- Stay on it!
- Shit!
- Bitches!
- That's right, come out.
- Why you hiding?
- What's happening?
- Come on!
- Move out, yo!
- Yaaah!

- Kid ran us around for half an hour.
- Amazing, ain't it?
- Here we go.

- Everywhere we go these days, we seem to be walking into police.
- This is telling us something.
- You're going to leave 15 million dolaria to rot on the pier?
- Lambs go to slaughter. A man, he learns when to walk away. No, we go.
- Call the others in.
- Let them know there is no longer any point.

- Yeah, probably pimps his ass, too.
- Listen, motherfucker...
- Yeah, bitch, touch me.
- Touch a juvenile, see what happen.
- Let's bounce. Bitch-ass motherfucker.
- Faggot punk-ass nigger.
- Chump ass.

- My father used to work there.
- Beth steel?
- In the shipyards, yeah.
- I had an uncle who was a supervisor there.
- Got laid off in '78, though.
- '73 for my dad.
- Party boat?
- Pretty one.
- More than one engine.
- Probably an electrical problem.

- You know, lately...
- I come to find out someone trying to take pictures on me.
- Pictures?
- Video.
- You heard anything about me through your travels?
- Had no incentive to listen.
- You do now.

- Take some real estate, put it in Dee's name. He has something to come home to.
- Do it.
- Thing is, what happened happened, you know?
- Push come to shove,
- I've been fair to him, ain't I?
- You've been fair.
- Too fair.

- Yeah. Well, we outside when you ready.
- Keep sharp while I'm gone, boy.
- Charles say Omar back.
- He left Charles standing but he might feel less inclined if he get the drop on you or yours.
- Ain't got to fret none about Omar.
- No need for that.

- It's gonna be partly cloudy, breezy and warm today with highs around 80.
- Right now in Baltimore, sunny skies.
- And here's one of my morning favorites.
- I know this might sound strange
- Yo, ott. Santo Rey's late, uh?
- Squall last night off of Hampton roads.

- She look like a player?
- Bystander?
[Boy] Come on, let's go.
- Right in the middle of it all, if she was.
[Boy] Over here.
[Boy] You guys! I'm comin' out!

- You ain't sure?
- There's more where that came from.
- Always, there is more.
- All right, then.
- I'm gonna let your new people find me.
- Have a safe trip.
- Where you say you off to again?

- Which member of the ticket has so energized you?
- The mayor? Council president?
- The registrar of wills, maybe?
- The mayor, I might recognize if I saw him.
- For the rest,
- I'd pretty much need b of! Photos.
- You're not wrong.
- In this state, it's a thin line between campaign posters and photo arrays.

- Look, I didn't do a damn thing, lieutenant.
- You got a beef, it's with the judge.
- Yeah, he got the deputy's memo, he called his own shot.
- Well, ask greggs if you don't believe me.
- Look, I've got to go.

- You're acting normal.
- You know what, Dolores?
- I made money today.
- Yeah? What ship was in?
- Hey, zig.
- Shot and a beer, Dolores.
- Frank sobotka says I needed it.

- All right. Come and see him and get that knockout shit, all right?
- Much obliged. Good luck.
- Yo, he down across fremont?
- Yeah.
- Now we're on this side.
- And barksdale is down the way.
[Man] Got the red tops, y'all, red tops!
[2nd man] Spider bags here!

- I gotta say, kima, if you were a guy - and, in some ways, you're better than most guys - your friends would buy you a beer and let you know.
- Let me know what?
- You're fucking whipped.
- Whipped?
- Pussy-whipped within an inch of your life.
- I kid you not.

- Fuck it, man. Party broke.
- We drunked out and fucked out.
- You all send me out for liquor, and by the time I get back, the shit is dead?
[Bey] Look at this.
- The Knicks done fucked up they draft again.
- Yo, what's with her?
- Fucked her silly. What can I say?
- She snorted half the shit we brought up in here, too, that greedy bitch.

Stringer: Where Avon at?
Slim: He'll be along shortly.
Stringer: That's good, 'cause I came to see you anyway.
Slim: What you need?
Stringer: I need you to hit somebody.
Slim: Who we hittin'?
Stringer: Clay Davis.
Slim: THE Clay Davis? Downtown Clay Davis?
Stringer: That s'posed to mean somethin' to me, man? That nigga need to be got.
Slim: Shit, String, murder ain't no thing, but this here is some assassination shit, man.
Stringer: Look, I tell you to get somebody, you gettin' him. I ain't askin'.
Slim: Damn, String, I don't know...
Stringer: [cutting him off] Nigga, I gotta remind you who the fuck you work for?
[Avon, who has been watching from a side room, steps in]
Avon: Ayo. I think Slim gonna have to sit this one out, boss. So you finna go hit a state senator now, huh? Yo, you kill a downtown nigga like that, the whole world gonna stand up and take notice. I'm talkin' 'bout the state police, federals... all of that! You need a "Day of the Jackal"-type muthafucka, basically, to do some shit like that, not a rumble-tumble nigga like Slim!
Stringer: That nigga took our money, man.
Avon: I seen it comin'.
Stringer: Well, he gotta go.
Avon: Naw, you a fuckin' businessman, you wanna handle it like that! You don't wanna get all gangsta-wild with it and shit, right? What I tell you about playin' them fuckin' away games?
[Stringer looks at Slim, but he won't look him in the eye; Stringer gets up to leave]
Avon: Yeah. They saw your ghetto ass comin' from miles away, nigga! You got a fuckin' beef with them? That shit is on YOU!
[Stringer stares at Avon for a moment, then walks out]

- I ain'tjacking you up.
- I'm trying to do right for your boy.
- Who dropped him?
- Y'all did.
- They took him out 'cause he was talking to y'all.
- Word is they seen him with the police down at central booking. So cuff me or kick my ass off this corner before you do me the same.

[Valchek confronts Burrell at City Hall just before Burrell's confirmation hearing]
Maj. Stanislaus Valchek: You sent me humps.
Acting Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell: Major?
Maj. Stanislaus Valchek: You sent me a detail of humps, Ervin.
Acting Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell: We can discuss this tomorrow.
Maj. Stanislaus Valchek: No, I think we discuss it now. Or I'm gonna walk in there and tell Santoni to vote against this goddamn coronation. And more than that, I'm gonna talk some shit to some of my friends about what happened at the end of the Barksdale case. Do you hear me on that?
Acting Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell: The Barksdale case was a successful prosecution.
Maj. Stanislaus Valchek: Up until our people tried to chase the cash, maybe.
[Burrell looks around nervously as the council members begin filing into the chamber]
Maj. Stanislaus Valchek: Tell you what, Deputy. You probably still got enough votes. But I can make it uglier than you want it.
Acting Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell: What do you want, Stan?
Maj. Stanislaus Valchek: I want a real detail, with real police and a real unit commander.
Acting Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell: Fine. Done.
Maj. Stanislaus Valchek: Gimme that black lieutenant that did Barksdale.
Acting Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell: Daniels put in his papers. He's gone. Out the door.
Maj. Stanislaus Valchek: Did it meet the pension board yet?
[Burrell hesitates]
Maj. Stanislaus Valchek: I suggest you talk to the man.
Acting Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell: Look, I'll do what I can.
Maj. Stanislaus Valchek: Don't fuck with me, Erv. I got as many friends here in the Hall as you do. And with what I'm learnin' about the Barksdale case, I got all kinda shit I can throw.

- Hey.
- Hey.
- I ain't lying when I say this papennork is kicking my ass.
- Maybe so, but you come through the door in one piece.
- You like to think so, but all these paper cuts are starting to take their toll.
- Aw, you big, nasty detective. Come here.
- Let me give your little boo-boo a kiss!

- with a police commissioner that won't work with you.
- I'm not stuck with anything.
- Daniels either comes around or he's done.
- We just anointed him.
- We can't go back on that now. He knows it.
- Either he learns his place or he'll be offering to resign.
- You ain't the only one knows how to play this game.

- Hurry up.
- You know I got a ship to work today.
- Your ma knows you got a ship, too.
- Don't go upstairs. Just head out the back.
- I'll pick you up in the back of the alley.
- Ow!
- We got a kid together. What's the big deal if we spend the night in your folks' basement?
- They're decent people.

- Give and take on both sides.
- You hear me?
- Yeah.
- Ok, anything that fired a bullet out on that corner has gotta disappear.
- Not the storm drains.
- Call that nigger shamrock and drive all that chrome over to the harbor.
- All right.

- You could drive a tank through there, it wouldn't take a scratch.
- Where the fuck you going with this?
- Greece. Athens, Greece.
- The hole is so they don't think it's an inside job.
- So they don't look at the union.
- Welcome aboard, chief.

- But you ain't gonna use my people to fuck me.
- Get your gear. I'm pulling you.
- I got... there's work...
- You said...
- Get your narrow ass back to the district before I slap you with insubordination.
- Move, shitbird!
- Jesus!

Det. Ellis Carver: Kima, if you don't my asking, when was it that you first figured that you liked women better than men?
Det. Shakima 'Kima' Greggs: I mind you asking.

- and eventually, a title 3 wiretap.
- Most of all, it needs police who know how to work those things.
- You think it's good to put it out on the street that witnesses get killed?
- You think it's not on the street already?
- No grandstanding.
- Like I said, we get in and out.

Marla: The game is rigged, but you cannot lose if you do not play.

Off. Michael Santangelo: [to speaker of Western District's briefing on counter-terrorism] No disrespect to your appendix, but if them terrorists do fuck up the Western, could anybody even tell?
[All the other officers laugh]

- Before they disappear.
- Look at this poor sucker.
- I don't believe we're gonna do this.
- He disappears, the city goes batshit.
- You get your photo intercepts, and when we need to run down one of marlo's re-ups, you got all the manpower you need.
- And marlo falls.
- Falls hard.

- Get here early.
- I'll let you in, and you can shower.
- My dirty clothes?
- Put 'em in this bag, leave 'em in the locker.
- I'll bring 'em home and wash 'em.
- Go ahead and get cleaned up.
- You'll be late for class.

Preston: He's a cold motherfucker.
Malik: It's a cold world, Bodie.
Preston: Thought you said it was getting warmer, man.
Malik: World going one way, people another.

- That aside, I was kind of looking foward to working closely together.
- I think that we could make things happen.
- You're only getting the one term, Tommy.
- I'm not gonna stand down next time.
- What makes you think
- I'll be around that long?
- Governor's race is in two years, and plans can change.
- You might find yourself mayor in 2008 without so much as a campaign speech.

- No one has spoken to me.
- Not carcetti, not anyone.
- But if I'm approached, my answer will be to decline the position and say I serve at your pleasure.
- Sir?
- Sir?

- That is why we asked lieutenant Daniels to set us up at his off-site, in the southeast.
- They're looking at the dock boys for other shit, drugs mostly.
- Daniels, who used to be in narcotics?
- Yeah.
- Well, if Daniels has a detail set up already, maybe he takes the murders, too.
- He ain't no fool, Jay.
- He's just giving us a room with no view.

- What's the sound? Out of bounds another nigger down and out a crackhead with no name...
- What the fuck you stopping for? Go!
- Some guy hit hard and wound up paying out in the field where the bands keep playing understand what I'm saying...

- Man, why do you keep on that?
- I already told you, I don't know nothing about that witness being killed.
- Which witness?
- Remember her?
- Jesus.
- They did her?
- About the same time they did the boy.

[Bunk] Beadie Russell.
- She wasn't much when we started, you know.
- But now she's got game.
- Mm-hm.
- Thank you.

- And on the other end, too, right?
- You could work it back through customs, but chances are this box wasn't picked up anywhere near this rue de rivoli address in le havre, France.
- Hell, there might not even be a rue de rivoli in that town.
- A can full of dead girls sent to nowhere from nowhere.

- use the computer, you can do that any time.
- Anyway, let me show you.
- This here the way to the hard drive.
- This isn't necessary, duquan.
- Just in case I'm busy, Mr. P.
- So you know how to work it.

- Oh, he most definitely made that go away, you hear me?
- It's all good.
- You know, some of the young 'uns been saying your pup stood tall with a snitchin' boy.
- Michael?
- Yeah, that's what they saying.
- Yeah.

- How the fuck?
- How?
- He must have been in that closet the whole time. No one heard shit.
- Call dss. Now.
- Any media out back?
- Bring a cage car around.

- That's it.
- Yankin' that bitch.
- Son, that's too much knuckle.

- full auto, no kickback, nail-throwing mayhem, man.
- Shit right here is tight.
- Fuckjust nailing up boards.
- We could kill a couple motherfuckers with this.
- You laughing. I've been schooled, dog.
- All right. All right.
- For real.

- We ain't even got a name for the Greek yet, right?
- What are we doing with the drug end of the case?
- I guess we could offer up Dixon and prop Joe to narcotics.
- See if they want to follow through on their end.
- I don't know. I wouldn't be so quick to throw Joe back into the pond.
- A major case squad could have some fun with that mess, don't you think?

- That's him.
- That's who?
- One of the ones that robbed us.
- That light-skinned boy.
- That's him? All right, come on.
- I'm the king of this shit.

- in the bottom of the hole in the hole in the hole way down in the hole in the hole in the hole in the hole in the hole way down in the hole

- Yeah?
- Mcnulty. It's on.
- Yeah?
- Oh, hell, yeah.
- All right.

- We won.
- Are we happy about that?
- I think so.
- I think we are.
- Yeah.
- You sure?

Officer: Down, down, down, down!
- Let me see your hands!
- Get down!
- Get on the floor!
- He was trying to erase shit when we tackled him.
- Secure this location until we have written search-and-seizure.

[Carver and Colicchio pull up to Bodie's corner and get out of the car]
Sgt. Ellis Carver: Where's the love, Bodie? Where is the muthafuckin' love?
[to Colicchio]
Sgt. Ellis Carver: I go back so far with this kid, I was chasin' him through juvy.
[to Bodie]
Sgt. Ellis Carver: But does any of that matter when we roll up here? I get so much as a wave, a nod, a smile? Nothin'?
[Bodie hawks and spits, but says nothing]
Sgt. Ellis Carver: How 'bout just "hello"?
Preston: Hello.
Sgt. Ellis Carver: See? That wasn't so hard, was it?
[he turns to Lex, who is sweeping the sidewalk and trying hard not to be noticed]
Sgt. Ellis Carver: Lex, my man, how's your day goin'? Not to criticize or anything, but I think you missed a spot there.
[he turns to Little Kevin and Reesy]
Sgt. Ellis Carver: Little Kevin, how's it hangin'? Reesy, you look like someone just shot your dog. You all right, man? You okay?
[he turns back to Bodie]
Sgt. Ellis Carver: Reesy still messin' up the count?
Little: [to Reesy] You hear what he said?
Sgt. Ellis Carver: Yo, dawg, you send him up to Lamelle next month, I'll make sure Ms. Davis puts him in remedial math, and we'll have done some good here today.
[Bodie chuckles]
Reesy: [chuckling] He's fuckin' got me.
[McNulty pulls up in his squad car and gets out]
Off. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: Everything good?
Sgt. Ellis Carver: Yeah, just words.
Off. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: [to Bodie] Mr. Entrapment. How you doin'?
[Bodie sighs and rolls his eyes]
Off. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: Don't look like that, I'm still dining out on that story.
[to Carver]
Off. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: You know how he beat the wiretap a year ago? Claimed entrapment when he was clockin' in Bunny Colvin's Hamsterdam. Shit you not. Smart kiddo. I loved it.
[to Bodie]
Off. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: When I roll back in an hour, this corner's bone-dry. Your people are done for the day.
[he gets back in his car and drives away]
Sgt. Ellis Carver: Okay, so let's try this again: I say, "Have a good evening, Mr. Broadus."
Preston: And a good evening to you, Sergeant Carver.
Sgt. Ellis Carver: See?
[he taps his forehead, and he and Colicchio walk back to their car]
Preston: [sarcastically] And a very good evening to you, Officer Colicchio.
Off. Anthony Colicchio: [viciously] Fuck yourself with a forty, shitbreath.
[to Carver]
Off. Anthony Colicchio: The fuck was all that about?
Sgt. Ellis Carver: Can't bust every head, Tony.
Off. Anthony Colicchio: [chuckling] I can't?
Sgt. Ellis Carver: Bust every head, who you gonna talk to when the shit happens?

- We get up on these locations, maybe we get a photo of the boss man.
- Or a tag number.
- It's totally cool.
- Where did you get this stuff?
- DEA for the trackers.
- Mcnulty pulled the software from his pals at the FBI field office.
- We can pull herc and carver off the warehouse and give them the diner.
- Mcnulty, bunk, you guys take fort Howard.

- Go ahead.
- It's hard to do.
- A'ight.
- So then...
- Try this.
- It's a tool, just like a monkey wrench, that's all it is, a'ight?

- How's the open-face Turkey?
- It's shit. Let's go.
- See you guys later.
- Bullwinkle?
- Polacks.
- You fucking embarrassed me in there, man.
- You embarrassed yourself, zig.

- They're throwing my people in police cars and this asshole can't talk?
- I'm done. I'm out.
- I need nothing more to do with you people.
- I don't need the trouble or the money.
- I got a union to run.
- They used to make steel there, no?
- Smoke from the stacks.
- But inside...

- It all tells me that you lack a fucking clue.
- If you'll permit me.
- Is your deputy major present?
- Yes, sir.
- You now command the eastern district.
- Major Taylor, you are relieved.
- Take the podium.

- We took out the last of it. No problems.
- Ok, then we go.
- What about ilona?
- She is home. They kept the children.
- There are always more children.
- Why don't we tap that cellphone, even if we don't know who we're tapping?
- That call mightjust be our PC.
- And this here is the little king of everything.

- Just been chasing that pipe, you know?
- Shit's got me all digging and scratching in my arms.
- You know, it's cool.
- All right, come on, you need a break.
- I'm serious, you need a break. Come on.
- No, man, look around you.
- It's a soldier's paradise, man.

- Which is where shardene helps us out.
- Is she gonna take out a tape and ask avon to hold the other end?
- Ain't none of y'all been in the military?
- How do you learn a 30-inch, quick-time?
- Draft-dodging peace freaks.
- Get me a ruler and some string.
- Why me?

- Leastways, you got it on both sides this time.
- All right, give me the real.
- Wait, why are we gonna use real money?
- We're not burning no lemon street chumps here. Feel me?
- I'm down.
- You down? Johnny's down. [Chuckles]

- I'm askin' you, man, out of love.
- There's always love, Dee.
- All right.
- Yeah. A few days.
- Sure, a few days.
- Right.

- We've already lost enough.
- What other people Omar got?
- Cocksucker the one got the trouble.
- No need for you to stand tall on it.
- It don't have to be messy.
- Ain't no other way. I can see that.

Michael: For real,
- I'm telling you the truth.
Woman: It tickles.
- You sure you want to do this?
- I don't wanna hurt you.
- Nah.

- Business as usual.
- Marlo.
- You no know him when we robbed the gang?
- We ain't never been introduced.
- Boy's merely a name to me.
- If you knew it was marlo, you'd still go through with it, no?
- I wish I'd have known.
- I'd have enjoyed it that much more.

- She a teacher.
- Where at?
- Don't be rushing me, motherfucker.
- I know you looking to tip on out of here, get your aftershave on, get yourself correct.
- She teach speech.
- Make it so every nigger sound like condoleezza.
- Up ida b Wells.

- You happy to do for me,
- I'm happy to do for you.
- Congratulations, colonel.
- Congratulations, deputy commissioner.
- Congratulations to all those who were promoted, their families and friends.
- It's a proud day for them and a proud day for the Baltimore police department.

- That's exhaustion.
- All we got left to do is follow one of these mopes and prove we can't do it.
- We show a judge we can't make the case by following these guys, and we can't.
- How can we keep on any of them in those towers?
- But you gotta show you tried.
- Do we have a pager number?

- it puts an unfair burden on the detectives who have to pick up their casework.
- Ovennorked cops make mistakes. Mistakes lower the unit-wide clearance rate.
- And that can make someone who is othennise as reasonable as me...
- Unreasonable.
- Detective mcnulty, I expect to see your ass back here next week when your shift rotates to night work.

- Kima!
- Deputy called, mad as the devil.
- Tell them to quit packing.
- We're back up on the wire.
- Kima.
- Mcnulty or the judge? Or both?
- This time the judge.

- Brought home some crabs.
- I already made dinner.
- Put 'em in the fridge.
- Cold for lunch tomorrow, if you like.
- I can't eat 'em all.

- You find a way to put this FBI thing to bed, maybe we can come back with the grain pier.
- You'll have a couple of people down there knowing they owe you a vote or two.
- I don't know what else to say.
- I don't. I'm sorry, frank.
- You know what the trouble is, brucie?
- We used to make shit in this country.
- Build shit.
- Now we just put our hand in the next guy's pocket.

Det. Thomas 'Herc' Hauk: If white boys wanna sell drugs in Baltimore, they have to make different laws for it, like even it out for 'em.
Det. Shakima 'Kima' Greggs: Affirmative action.
Det. Thomas 'Herc' Hauk: Leave no white man behind.

- Jimmy, man, I gotta change my clothes at least, come on.
- I'm gonna do this case.
- What?
- I'm gonna do this case the way it should be done.
- It's a buy-bust, get in and get out.
- Fuck that.
- Jimmy.

Acting Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell: If the Gods are fucking you, you find a way to fuck them back. It's Baltimore, gentlemen, the Gods will not save you.

[Rawls knocks on Burrell's door as he is cleaning out his office]
Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell: Come to see a dead man walking?
Deputy Commissioner for Operations William A. Rawls: I hear Carcetti's gonna do right by you. Salary with the coordinating council, then a DC job. You deserve it.
Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell: Sure, I deserve it. But not for doing the job. What I got, they gave me for carrying their water all these years. To Carcetti, I'm a hack. Royce was no different. Maybe I am. But every day, they send over a new priority. Go after the bad guys. No, change that. Make quality-of-life cases. Get on top of the murders. On second thought, run the whores out of Patterson Park. You think the mayor tells the schools how to teach kids, or the health department how to do its job, or sanitation how to pick up trash? But, get elected, and suddenly, they know police work.
[Rawls chuckles]
Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell: You might think it'll be different, when you sit here. But it won't. You will eat their shit. Daniels too, when he gets here.
[Rawls stops smiling, and leaves]

Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: The quicker we bring this in and shut it down, the safer we'll all be. I mean, Landsman wants me over to fucking Quantico, have the FBI do a profile.
Det. Lester Freamon: [laughs] You might learn something about yourself.

- Frankie sobotka's father fucking Christmas lately.
- No doubt his pockets are full.
- You think it's for me?
- Is that what you think, huh?
- It ain't about me, Nick!
- I know, I'm sorry.
- You got Ziggy mixed up in this?
- Jesus, what the fuck are you thinking?
- Me and zig are gonna talk on this long and hard.

- Yo, b.
- Shitjumping off in the pit, yo.
- Damn.

- Anything happen,
- I'm-a have to fuck you up.
- Yeah, but that's nothing.
- The guy trusting me on this, marlo, he'll kill you and your whole family.
- So don't shake the bottles cos marlo weighs that shit.
- I ain't shaking shit.
- See that you don't, cos if you fuck with them, I'm gonna know.

- If this becomes public in the wrong way, a lot of people who were legally responsible for the situation, good people who were, nonetheless, in a supervisory role here...
- Are going to suffer.
- And that's not the outcome that anyone wants.
- What Mike is saying is that we need to be very careful about how to proceed.

- Here we go. We got one.
- 12-14, kima. We got a disappeared can just hit the chassis.
- Affirmative. I'll eyeball it to the gate.
- Raise our boys.
- Right.
- What's kima rolling as?
- Gas and electric.

- I'm in.
- Go away, boy.
- Oh, you in?
- Yeah.
- Pass line for me, yo.
- Oh, shit!
- Yeah. Get that money.
- Get that money, shorty.
- Get that money.

- Death row here.
- Ain't up.
- Death row.

- So, you'll be a while, though, huh?
- Mm-hm.
- Gotta work the crowd, you know.
- Make them think I'm worthy of their faith.
- You are.
- Thank you.
- Most of the time.
- Bitch.
- Not too late if you can help it, ok?

- Uh... just give me a minute.
[Electronic voice] Hi. Choose a game.
- Can you guess this word?

[Bunk and McNulty are staking out Vondas' house; Vondas comes out wearing a suit]
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: A different look for our boy.
Off. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: Yeah. Perry Ellis or somethin'.
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: Now, how would a just-rolled-outta-bed-lookin' muthafucka like you know the designer?
Off. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: Okay, I'm guessin'.
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: It's a Joseph Abboud. He puts dark buttons instead of brass on his blazers. That's the Abboud signature.
Off. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: You know what they call a guy who pays that much attention to his clothes, don't you?
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: Mm-hmm. A grown-up.

State Sen. R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: My brother, let's be fair. I'm providing you with the opportunity to go head to head with the state's attorney in a case that's going to be front page news. For all that profile? Sheeee-it, partner, you should be paying me a fee. Seriously, dog, for twenty thousand cash to my campaign committee, I'll get myself indicted federal, let you go to trial on that. Beat the feds like a stepchild and really make a name for yourself. Fuck you? Naw, son, I'm going to make you. Motherfuckers going to be wiping their ass with Johnnie Cochran's memory and carrying your business card in every damn pocket before we done.

- That's easy for you to say.
- You ain't the primary on this.
- Motherfucker...
- What got into him?
- He's emotional.
- He's been working this case for a long time.
- So the thing right now is for you to remember everything you did on this case...
- From the beginning.

- This shit happen again, you off the money.
- You hear me?
- You ain't even gonna be serving.
- You be on the end of vine street, sucking on a 40, yelling "five-0".
- You hear me?
- Get the fuck outta here.
- That it?

- 13 by7by7.
- Ok, we got 13 adult females breathing at a normal to elevated rate.
- That's 0.25 liters of oxygen per minute...
- Per victim.
- He's a doctor?
- State bureau of mines.
- Minds?
- Mines.

Johnny: It'll be better tomorrow, Bubs.
Bubbles: Tomorrow, man. What kind of dope fiend be talking about tomorrow? Tomorrow ain't shit. Today, Johnny, today.

- I just wish I had good news for you.
- You told me this was a local effort.
- It's sprawled. Now the bureau's involved.
- We're looking hard at the port unions.
- My hands are tied.
- They're on you with wiretaps.
- Several phones, several addresses.

- 45 minutes later, another call.
- This one from the same pay phone that went to d'Angelo's pager to start the whole thing off.
- This is the murder here.
- This first number, the one they sent to d'Angelo.
- I'm thinking this comes from a pay phone over by the Greek's.

- in Baltimore, working, sharing a dark corner of the American experiment.
- He was called.
- He served.
- He is counted. Old king Cole.
- Old king Cole!

Det. Lester Freamon: We could still go to jail. And if not, I'd expect to be back in the pawn shop unit and you, my brother, are gonna ride the boat.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: So what? It was worth it.
[pause]
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: Wasn't it?
Det. Lester Freamon: Depends.

- But after the horror movie
- I've seen today... robots!
- Piers full of robots!
- My kid will be lucky if he's punching numbers five years from now.
- While it don't mean shit that I can't take my steak knives to dibiago and sons, it breaks my heart that there's no future for the sobotkas on the waterfront.
- Here, brucie. I think they're your size.

Reporter: What are you reading there, Senator?
State Sen. R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: Promethus Bound. An ancient play, one of the oldest we have. About a simple man who was horrifically punished by the powers that be for the terrible crime of trying to bring light to the common people. In the words of
[checks author]
State Sen. R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: Ascyllius, "No good deed goes unpunished." I cannot tell you how much consolation I find in these slim pages.

- What the fuck did you do?
- And why'd you let him do it?
- Listen...
- No. That's how you got him with his head up his ass, unsolving his own fucking murders.
- Your job is to turn red to black, not the other way.
- And you, stand the fuck up for yourself.

- I caught him, bunk.
- On the wire. I caught him.
- And he doesn't fucking know it.

- See it?
Chris: You ready?
[Snoop] Mm-hm.
- Now you handle that thing.
- You give me a sign, meet me out front.
- Michael, you go round the alley.
- Body come bustin' out the back, you drop that shit.

- Dick.
- Shit, lieutenant, I promised.
- Think my woman's gonna give a big cheer when she hears? I was out the damn door.
- You don't know Cheryl.
- You don't know Marla.
- Look, if you want, I could use you inside, like we did Prez last year.
- If I hear the music, I'm gonna dance.

Sgt. Jay Landsman: [Landsman knocks on Rawls' door] Major, sir?
Maj. William A. Rawls: Yeah.
Sgt. Jay Landsman: I been thinkin'. It's a clear violation of the general orders, I know, but...
[Rawls motions for Landsman to sit]
Sgt. Jay Landsman: Last night, I'm at home, I'm sittin' up buck naked. And I, I got one hand wrapped around a cold domestic beer, and the other wrapped around my magnificent flaccid four-and-one-half-inch wonder, and I am trying with all my might to remember what Leila Kaufman's nipples looked like when her bathing top slipped off at the Hillendale Pool swim party.
Maj. William A. Rawls: [chuckling] Leila Kaufman?
Sgt. Jay Landsman: Yes, sir. Uh, summer of '72. I got this saucy wench in my gunsights, so to speak, and, uh... I am dangerously close to engorged when, all of a fuckin' sudden, out of fuckin' nowhere, fuckin' Detective fuckin' Jimmy McNulty pops into my head.
Maj. William A. Rawls: McNulty?
Sgt. Jay Landsman: Obviously, I gotta open my eyes and admit to myself that my whole night is ruined, at which point I got nothin' to do but think about the problems of Jimmy McNulty, because clearly, this guy and his fuckin' problems are standing between me and all worldly pleasure.
Maj. William A. Rawls: Clearly.
Sgt. Jay Landsman: First of all... it's not Jimmy's fault.
Maj. William A. Rawls: No?
Sgt. Jay Landsman: No. Jimmy is an addict, sir.
Maj. William A. Rawls: What's he addicted to?
Sgt. Jay Landsman: Himself.
[Rawls laughs]
Sgt. Jay Landsman: No, it's not funny, sir. As a matter of fact, it's a fuckin' tragedy, is what it is. The guy, he has come to believe that he is always the smartest fuck in the room. And you know what? It's not his fault, because let's face it, he's not goin' to Johns Hopkins or joining Mensa, he's taking a fuckin' job with the Bawlmer Police Department. His first two years in Homicide, he's in Ulmansky's squad, partnered with Tony LaMartino. Christ, it must've been months, even, he WAS the smartest fuck in the fuckin' room!
Maj. William A. Rawls: What's your point, Jay?
Sgt. Jay Landsman: My point is... he can't help it. It makes him an asshole, I know, but... it's also what makes him good police. Last year, he gives me eight clearances. One of them was a decomp floater who was John Doe for three weeks.
[Rawls doesn't say anything; Landsman starts to stand]
Maj. William A. Rawls: Tell your boy to wrap up that bullshit detail in two weeks. He does that, he comes home. Clean slate.
[Landsman smiles and leaves]

- Did I mention the DNA matches?
- This has nothing to do with me.

- Yeah, but that fat man gave me a itch I can't scratch.
- Everybody in this world does what they going to.
- Me, you, the police.
- Everybody in this world got their own place.
- And a man in your line of work start worrying about how other people see you, playing to other people instead of to hisself, he gonna get dead.

Butchie: Conscience do cost.

- Yo, where that whistle at?
- Whoa, h-hold on.
- Wait for Mario.

- We are?
- Mmmhmm.
- How can you put that down when sydnor wasn't on the roof?
- Yes, he was.
- No, he's not, he's with Daniels.
- No, he isn't.
[Crowd] Oooh!

- and as a line editor working this story,
- I feel I've done my job.
- Now, you as the me, if you want to go another way, you pull the story back and re-edit.
- But we have a sourcing policy here, and I know it, and I do not feel comfortable bending the rules in this instance.
- Good night.

- You all right?
- Ready.
- Maybe you should set up an easel on the sidewalk and do a sketch instead.
- I'm fine.
- Mm-hm.

- The mustard seed group gives out key chains for stretches of clean time.
- So if you've earned it, come on up and get it.
- Does anybody have nine months?
- Does anybody have six months?
- Does anybody have three months?
- Yeah! [Cheering]
- Does anybody have one month?

- Tall man says to tell y'all to soldier up.
- They up at the rim shop.
- Yeah, all right.
- Boss, you ok?
- What you want?
- Slim said they got their eye on marlo.
- I'm just saying, you know, all the boys, they all waiting on you.
- Go ahead, man. I'm behind you.

- An invitation.
- Fee! A little lonesome for backup.
- Me, too.
- That's nice. I'll check the rear.
- I'll watch the boys.

- Cocaine.
- You still want it, I got it on the Fairfield piers. No problem.
- When?
- End of the week.
- Maryska.
- She's good with English.
- They're dead. All I'm trying to do is get word to the families.

- We're low on quicklime, man.
[Second man] Doesn't matter.
- We got vacants on both sides.
- He'll stink is all.
- Chris, please.
- Don't fret, boss. I got you covered.
- Quick and clean, I promise.
- Chris.

- Hi. Choose a game.
- Can you guess this word?
- Stop! Move away from the cookie jar.
- Hi. Choose a game.
- Can you guess this word?

- These are lieutenants running the corners and I personally feel their pain.
- Now, middle-management means that you have just enough responsibility that you got to listen when people talk and not so much that you can tell anybody to go fuck themselves.
[Woman over radio] 471, 471

Det. Lester Freamon: This is a tomb. Lex is in there.

- You make sure you tell the boss man that you know who it is dropped savino last night.
- You feel me?
- You tell that man I'm-a drop all his muscle until he get the heart to come down to the street and dance.
- You gonna remember all that, sweet pea?

- The stash is across the street in the low-rises?
- In the second court.
- They got it up in this one place that got boarded-up windows.
- How many doors down from the end?
- Three.
- Yo, pop.

- I'm back.
- I can see that.

Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: The hell with Norris. You my real partner, Lester. My life partner.
Det. Lester Freamon: Don't tease, bitch.

- But it doesn't work that way.
- You can't give it back.
- I'm sitting with a hospital progress report that shows no fucking progress.
- She's not conscious, she's intubated, she's had a trach and a lung collapse.
- And if she's got a shred of luck, the shot she took to the neck didn't catch any spine.
- It wasn't worth it.
- Homicide for mcnulty on line two.

Det. Lester Freamon: What did he call Cole?
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: Collateral damage.
Det. Lester Freamon: I'm feelin' pretty damn collateral myself, I gotta say.

- What about the passenger?
- Looks the part to me.
- Container ship on the talco line, name of caspia, docks tomorrow am.
- Our man horseface on it?
- I'll call the lieutenant, let him know we gotta set up on this.
- This time, though, we got the wire up.
- Eyes and ears both.

- One, two, you know what to do.
- What the fuck?

- and no money for academy class.
- The mayor fucked you, 'cause I know that money was in the budget.
- The mayor delayed it till next summer.
- I mean less troops, less salary, less bennies.
- I mean, even a six-month delay saves the city two, three million.
- Let me talk to some people.

- The cops picked me up, saying I was slinging.
- They was gonna send me to baby booking.
- But we took him in.
- You leave my son the fuck alone.
- And you, you afraid to go to baby booking?
- The fuck is wrong with you, boy?
- Get in the damn house!

- Let the lawyer talk for you.
- Lieutenant...
- Tell Lester I'm sorry.

- Spread your legs.
- Don't make me kick your ass, too.
- Get him. You don't hit a cop.
- What's wrong with you, boy?
- Dirty old town
- I met my love by the gasworks wall dreamed a dream...

- second-guessing your ass every step, pulling on every last motherfucking thread.
- Yeah. We gonna see how you like it.
- Hey, vern. Hey, vern, vern, vern, vern.
- Just go back on it with me.
- What?
- Shit doesn't play out any differently, I'll give you a back rub you'll never forget. [Laughs]

- Boy named sherrod.
- I been carryin' his passin' for a long while.
- Like that memory I had about those summer days in the park.
- Thinkin' on that make me smile.
- With sherrod, it's more of a hurt.
- But not as... not so bad like it was.

- I'll hang here for the ambo, all right?
- Go with your people.
- Go ahead, son.

Nick: Today we got ships, Uncle Frank. Today. The writing's on the fuckin' wall.
Frank: Fuck the wall.

- If you thinkin' of comin' downtown,
- I got some condos about to come on the line in eight months.
- You say the word, I'm gonna hook you up something nice by the hippodrome.
- Loft apartments. Real nice.
- You disappoint me, string.
- I had such fuckin' hopes for us.
- Have a nice day, officer.

- Wichita eagle before that.
- The sun's a fine paper.
- Before the cutbacks, maybe.
- Well, they still beat us often enough in Annapolis for my Maryland desk to take them seriously.
- You have anything to do with those ground rent stories last year?
- It's good stuff, real good stuff.

- The governor promised two new appointments.
- So now we're back where we were.
- That's all it was.
- That's all?
- Half-assed hack politics, Jimmy.
- It has nothing to do with your case.
- I need you on this.

- He wasn't...
- He wasn't saying, "please don't shoot me."
- It was more begging.
- You know? Double g, he's begging me.
- But that's not gonna mess you up, though, right?
- No, it's more descriptive like that.
- It's good. Thanks.

[Kid] Hey, y'all, it's Omar.
- Omar.
- There he is.
- Omar step, yo.
- Omar, yo.

- Deal's made.
- Unit two to sector three, move on the Winchester homes.
[Man] 10-4. We're moving.
- Unit two to sector two, move on the koppers plant.
[Man] Roger that.
- Over the top, gentlemen.

Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: [to an inattentive McNulty] I'm thinking of becoming a woman.

- I got snickers, m&ms.
- Check the price and come holler at me.
- I'm doing a three-for-two discount and I'm taking orders for tomorrow.
- So, if you want something special, just come holler at me.
- There it is, yo.
- Que pila de mierda.
- Why not give me a water pistol?
- You just worry about how we gonna do. It'll play.

- That could be our boy.
- Head still on.
[Beadie] Whoa.
- Tell me we got cameras inside.
- Oh.
- Oh, Jesus.
- Oh, my pants are wet. Yeah. C'mon, baby.
- Oh. Yeah!

- then an overt attempt to... engage.
- Spot on.
- Detective freamon with Baltimore homicide.
- What do you guys have in vicap for male victims, headless or faceless, and missing both hands?
- State?
- Middle Atlantic region.

Chris: You can look him in the eye now... no matter who he is or what he done you look him right in the eye.

- Relax.
- You once told me that if I was gonna do you, you'd be done already. Remember?
- Shit, I don't even remember what was in that file.
- Something about the eastern district.
- So long ago, who can remember?

[All] Oh!
- As sic, should I stop this?
Man: That's my car.
- What, you think this is good for morale or something?
- These guys haven't had an honest paycheck in weeks.
- We have no fucking morale, sergeant.

Freamon: A life, Jimmy, you know what that is? It's the shit that happens while you're waiting for moments that never come.

- We're not gonna put up with this shit, we'll go downtown.
- Take it all the way to the mayor's office,
- I can't blame you, but leave me out of it.
- It's chain of command.
- I gotta live with the son of a bitch, too, right?
- You can't tell me this place ain't clean.
- You talk when I say you can.
[Prisoner] Turnkey! Fuck you all!

- I'm gonna ride the district until the deputy major gets in.
- If you need me, hit the radio.
- Distribution?
- Possession.
- And some loitering.
- Loitering?
- And behaving like assholes in the presence of sworn officers, boss.

- That's what a detective is, right?
- Here.
- You should come over for dinner tonight.
- Yvette's making brisket.
- Your house?
- You're mishpocha now.
- If you say so.

- Back channel is the way to go.
- See? The police commissioner done fell off his ass.
[Woman on intercom] Can lhelp you?
- Um... I need to see Mr. Prezbo.
- Someone will come down.

- They holding to it?
- So far.
- All right.

- Madam president.
- Council president's hot as balls.
- I'd fuck you to fuck her, man.
- Yeah?
- You'd fuck a guy for a chance to fuck a hot broad?
- You don't think that makes you a fagot?
- It's just an expression, man.

Avon: He scare you, don't he?
D'Angelo: You know, I'm just sayin'...
Avon: He scares me. Yeah. See, if he dead, you know, I could carry it better. Commin' up the way we did, you know, you kind of expect that. Waitin' on it. See, the thing is, you only got to fuck up once. Be a little slow, be a little late, just once. And how you ain't gonna never be slow? Never be late? You can't plan through no shit like this, man. It's life.

- I got them ts.
- White, bright, one for three, two for five.
[Boy] Rockefeller's right here.
[Boy] This shit is right over here.
- This shit is right.
- I got this, man, $5. New.
- No, thank you, man.
- It's only $5.
- No, thank you.
- Fuck you, then, man, fuck you. Fuck you.

- Well... you just tell him his friend Clay got the council president to UN-ass a salary bump for the police commissioner.
- You tell him...
- Write this down, now.
- You tell him that senator Davis has his interests at heart.
- Right. Thanks.

- Your bosses don't know you're doing this?
- Who'll be coming?
- Me, a detective name of freamon, and Daniels.
- I can speak for Daniels, brother.
- He's played this thing out with real heart.
- Come on, set something up.
- All right.

- Down in the hole down in the hole you gotta help me keep the devil down in the hole

- Fuck that holier-than-thou motherfucker!
- Delegate Watkins.
- Delegate Watkins!
- Wait, sir.
- I'm sure we can work this out.
- You and the mayor can talk this through.

- I'll hold his for you...
- Yo, don't press, man.
- Don't press.
- Fuck is wrong with you, boy?
- You too good for my money?
- Or is you such a bitch-ass punk you worried about where my money come from?
- Yeah.
- Ain't no thing, shorty. We cool.

- Here it be.
- Y'all planted that shit.
- You fucking know you did.

- If this maggot doesn't post by midnight,
- I'm gonna take it personal.
- The shitbird lives at his parents' basement.
- Where's a guy like that gonna run?

- Tell them how you personally think your uncle...
- Maybe he got it wrong, because it's wrong that they lost their daddy behind what happened, you know?
- It might mean something to 'em to know that you feeling for 'em.
- Man, I ain't got nothing to say.
- Just say what's in your heart.

Det. Lester Freamon: Caught this case in the Brooklyn Homes, summer of '87. 80-year-old woman. Stabbed up, nightgown in bed, forced window, rear entry. Worked it for a couple of weeks, got the names of two squirrels over in Curtis Bay. Squirrel number one gives it up and tries to put all the weight on squirrel number two.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: Back up the statements?
Det. Lester Freamon: Print hit on the rear window for number two, and another one for number one on the medicine chest.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: So it's down, yeah?
Det. Lester Freamon: Mmm. Even better is when squirrel number one drives us by the house where they fenced the old lady's shit. Clock/radio, TV, toaster oven.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: So what's the problem?
Det. Lester Freamon: The problem was the fence. Turned out he was the son of one of the big editors over at the News America. This man is runnin' the afternoon newspaper, and his son is gettin' all fucked up and doin' the dirt and gettin' high down on Locust Point. The deputy, who I guess is in a favor-doin' mood, sends word down to the major, I'm supposed to make the case without the fence. Just the print hits and the statement. Play it like that.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: So he's doin this for what, have some newspaper guy in his pocket?
Det. Lester Freamon: I guess so.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: [chuckles] Is this Burrell?
Det. Lester Freamon: No, no, Mueller. Deputy Ops before Burrell.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: So what did you do?
Det. Lester Freamon: What do you think I did? I charged him with receivin', then had his ass testify.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: Well, you coulda made the case without him. Just on the prints and the statement.
Det. Lester Freamon: Probably. Yep.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: Why didn't you?
Det. Lester Freamon: Why?
[he gives McNulty a knowing look]
Det. Lester Freamon: Why are you fuckin' up yourself chasin' Avon Barksdale?
[McNulty smiles and takes a drink]
Det. Lester Freamon: A week after the trial ends, the major comes to me and asks me where I wanna go. I told him, I don't care, I like to be outside, you know? Gimme a goddamn foot post, I'll still make my money, you know? Send my ass up to Edmondson Avenue, I don't give a shit.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: You went to a foot post?
Det. Lester Freamon: No, major come back and asked me where I *don't* wanna go. And he asked like he wanna make sure I land okay. So I tell him, I don't want no fuckin' paper-shufflin'. No office shit. Send my black ass outside and let me police somewhere.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: [laughs] Pawn shop unit.
Det. Lester Freamon: Mm-hmm. They got me good, huh?
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: So why'd they let you out of the box? Why now?
Det. Lester Freamon: I guess they just forgot about me.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: [laughs] Shit, Lester. You're back from the dead. You rolled away the stone. Bunk Moreland says you're natural police. One of the few.
Det. Lester Freamon: [sighs] Yeah, I've had my moments. Detective... *when* they ask you where *you* wanna go - and they are gonna ask you where you wanna go - do yourself a favor. Keep your mouth shut.

The: You should have had a son.
Spiros: But then I would have had a wife.

- Get the fuck down, motherfucker.
- Where it at?
- Ain't nothing here.
- Where it at, man?
- Fuck, my leg!
- Where it at, shorty?
- Kitchen, under the sink.
- Go on and get that.

- I am sitting here telling you that the boy is out the game.
- Even if he wasn't out the game, he wouldn't be no problem.
- Well, you know we just want to talk to him, d.
- Avon...
- Let the boy be.
- Just let him be.

Delonda: What you mean, Kenard took the stash? And he still walking around?
Namond: I'm gonna talk to him, Ma. Make sure this never happen again.
Delonda: Look at me, boy. Kenard got to feel some pain for what he did. He got to.
Namond: I don't...
Delonda: You don't what, motherfucker? This how you pay me back for all the love I showed? Shit, I been kept you in Nikes since you were in diapers!

- Next fiscal year.
- Don't claim poverty on this.
- We're only talking a quarter of a million.
- I match those funds now and that motherfucker's got a campaign highlight -
- "Tommy carcetti expands witness protection program.
- "Fought for and won extra funds."
- Hell with that!
- I go after that state-match funds after the election.

- What the hell's going on here?
- Police pushed all the action down here.
- The Deacon thinks maybe some people should come in here and take over the situation.
- Are you that people?
- One of them, maybe.
- Roman, man.
- Dennis.

Dep. Comm. for Operations William A. Rawls: Mr Mayor, about Ervin, if you don't mind me asking, why keep him as a puppet commissioner when you can just fire the guy?
Norman Wilson: [Carcetti and Norman look at each other] We mind you asking.

- The fuck we tell you about fighting down here?
- Only rule is no fighting, no cutting, no shooting!
- Y'all still fuck it up.
- Next time you make me come down here, see if I don't call for a 10-38.
- Just so you know, dickhead, that's an ambulance.
- Break it up, break it up, break it up, break it up.

- They're pretty tight out here, kima.
- If you don't hand no money to nobody that matters, you don't get no product from nobody that matters.
- You want to go back in?
- Shit, we copped from every crew out here.
- Ain't we supposed to go off somewhere and fire this shit up?
- Let's get the fuck out of here.

- In fact, I have a fresh angle on last year's major case, on which I'm the sole remaining investigator.
- So fuck your stripes and fuck mcnulty and fuck your big-dick red ball.
- If you can't work with that, just write me the fuck up, and ship my ass to a trial board.

- The vehicle log says they parked it at
- 2200 hours, returning the keys to the oic.
- And?
- We have the keys.
- But not the Van.
- Are you telling me that a fully-equipped $120,000 surveillance Van assigned to the southeastern district cannot be located?

- You sure that's the one?
- Reesie say that was the one.
- Who am I to say different?
- I ain't gonna pay till it proves itself.
- I told him that already.
- He say 1500 for his troubles.
- Damn.
- Conscience do cost.

Russell: You know, Avon, you gotta think about what we got in this game for, man. Huh? Was it the rep? Was it so our names could ring out on some fucking ghetto streetcorner, man? No, man. There's games beyond the fucking game.

[Sen. Davis yells at Mayor Royce after being subpoenaed by Sydnor]
State Sen. R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: ...because if some federal muthafucka comes through the door, I say hey, it's all in the game! But a city police? Baltimore city? Hell no, can't be happenin', 'cause I know I have raised too much goddamn money for the mayor and his ticket! Hell no, ain't no soul in the world that fuckin' ungrateful!
Mayor Clarence V. Royce: Yeah, well... calm down, Clayton.
State Sen. R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: Money launderin'? They gonna come talk to me about money launderin'? In *West Baltimore*? Sheeeeit! Where do y'all think I'm gonna raise cash for the whole damn ticket? From laundromats and shit? From some tiny-ass Korean groceries? You think I have time to ask a man why he givin' me money, or where he gets his money from? I'll take any muthafucka's money if he givin' it away!
Mayor Clarence V. Royce: Well, I don't wanna know.
State Sen. R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: I know you don't wanna know, but I'm scratchin' and clawin' to get it done for you, Clarence! For you, and me, and the rest of the team! And who comes through my door but a Baltimore city police lookin' to get up into my shit about it!
Mayor Clarence V. Royce: Clay, we didn't know about that.
State Sen. R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: I'm sorry, I gots to leave up outta here before I lose my damn mind!
Mayor Clarence V. Royce: Nobody knew about that!
State Sen. R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: You wanna run a campaign with my money pillowed under yo' ass? You need yo' people to back the fuck up, Clarence!

- Got a meet.
- Want me to come?
- No, no. You go check on your corner.
- I'll send word if it's on.

- Mr. Sobotka, I gotta ask.
- Why did you stop using your cell phone?
- You guys flagged it.
- You think I didn't know?

- My nephew. My sister's boy.
- I can't give him up like that.
- I can't do it.
- My connect had people there when the shit went down.
- If that's what you need to make you believe, you can hear it straight from him.

- Lester!
- Mm?
- First time I seen him smoking.
- Tough habit.
- And pacing like a motherfuck, too.
- Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

- What's this good boy's name?
- Hey, boy.
- How you doing today?
- You been good? This a good boy.
- There it is.
- Car will be running.
- What is it, Lamar?

- you gotta keep the devil way down in the hole
- Way down in the hole way down in the hole way down in the hole way down in the hole

Omar: It ain't what you takin', it's who you takin' from, ya feel me? How you expect to run with the wolves come night when you spend all day sparring with the puppies?

- For his commitment to the city of Baltimore.
- Ed?
- Mr. Mayor, I want to thank you and your administration for making this next stage of redevelopment for Baltimore's harbor a reality.
- You talk about vision and commitment, mayor Clarence Royce.

- come on, come, kiddy come, come walk on gilded splinters come on, come, kiddy come, come walk on gilded splinters
- Till I burn up till I burn...

- You're not gonna fuck me on this?
- As it is, I got the mayor's teeth in my ass.
- Your name does not get mentioned.
- Mayor didn't say a word to me.
- Thanks.
- Is nothing.
- This is DC's number one, wpgc 95.5.

- We even get the scent of him on the street ever again, this case comes off stet and goes to trial.
- And if we have to put a few cops in jail right behind him, so be it.
- We'll bring the evidence and take a hit.
- Your client walks away now...
- Or the both of you don't walk at all.

- I'm police! He's 10-7, call it in.
- A glock.

- Man already shit hisself, and we ain't even get started yet.
- He's funky, yo.
- It's a gift from marlo.
- But you know how that go.
- Give a gift, get a gift.
- Yo, hungry man, what's up?

- Metric tons. Five or ten tons. Check and you'll see, they make these things here.
- Send them from here.
- Tanks and tanks down at your docks.
- Good money for those.
- How much?
- How much chemical? Two tons? Four? Eight?
- I'll look into it.

- He's on you. We're up on those pay phones, we catch that murder.
- We get there before the murder.
- It's all here on the pen register. This one calling that one, that one calling back.
- We're up on those pay phones, and we have him cold.
- But we're not up in time, are we? In this case, we're never where we need to be.
- Bad time for you all?

- Like that?
- Yeah, that's about right.
- Do you think, if you saw this guy again...
- I...
- Please, don't be afraid.
- From where I was sitting, his back was to me.
- It's all right, you done good.
- You have any trouble at all, you call us.

- so for now, stringer bell's jacket belongs in narcotics.
- Man took you off a boat, Jimmy.
- He want to peel his unit off, his unit, Jimmy, and go after the target of his choice, baby, it's his call.
- Lester, I thought you were all about the best case possible.
- When it's there, I am.

- That's a knucklehead from the low-rises there.
[Carver] The terrace is spreading out.
- Got to go somewheres, I guess.
- Don't think you all needed to do that.
- He turned our on me, man.
- No, I think you got played.

- What if he came already and we just missed the pick-up?
- Yo, herc, what if your mother and father never met?
- How's shop doing?
- Steady rolling.
- Let's take a ride. Beef run.
- Beef run, where at?
- Pulaski, baby, the good shit.
- Get in the car, man.
- Yo, poot. You the man for an hour.

- Hey.
- Look, misdelivery.
- Can was supposed to go ashore at Norfolk.
- Yeah, where you want it?
- I'm gonna need it on wheels at k-122.
- My man will pick it up there. Thanks, horse.

- 'So, you want us to wait?'
- Yeah.
- 'All right. We on it, man.'
- All right.
- Hey, dog. Hey, yo, hey, yo.
- There goes scar right there.
- Right there in the blue? Number 80?
- Yeah, I'm on him.

- I can't believe...
- Where's the kid now?
- Home.
- Let me go give this to the night commander.
- We'll park a plain-clothes unit on the house.
- You think that makes it better?
- We'll be discreet, set up down the block or some shit.
- Come on inside. I swear to you
- I'm gonna find out what happened.

- Jesus, Ronnie, not here. What are you doing?
- Like you never did it in the headquarters garage before?

The: Lambs go to slaughter. A man, he learns when to walk away.

Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: See, that's what I don't get about the drug thing. Why can't you sell the shit and walk the fuck away? You know what I mean? Everything else in this country gets sold without people shooting each other behind it.

- Na', can I have your Xbox?
- You ain't gonna need it where you are.
- What'd they do?
- Markeith, kwame and latonya.
- Bring your things and come with us.
[All] Ooooh!
- Again?

Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: So you're my eyeball witness, huh? So why'd you step up on this?
Omar: Bird triflin', basically. Kill a everyday workin' man and all. I mean, don't get it twisted, I do some dirt too, but I ain't never put my gun on nobody who wasn't in the game.
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: A man must have a code.
Omar: Oh, no doubt. Hey, man, I knew you from somewhere.
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: Yeah? I was in Southwestern, before I came to Homicide to work Frederick Road.
Omar: Nah, I mean back in the day. You go to Edmondson, right? Yeah, you was ahead of me. I remember you was the first brother I ever seen play that sport with a stick, uh, what's it called?
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: [chuckling] Lacrosse, man.
Omar: Fo' sho.
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: Yeah. I was All-Metro attack. Prep school boys used to pee themselves when they see the ol' Bunk comin' at 'em, you know?
[they laugh]
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: Oh, man, so look here, homie. Seein' as how you bein' all charitable with your recollections, what else you got in the way of open murders?
Omar: Goin' to Barksdale?
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: Goin' anywhere.
Omar: How far back you want me to go?
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: As far as you need. Murder stay murder.

- Hey, colicio.
- Officer colicchio, shitbird.
- We need to block every Lane here?
- Shut it down. It's a police operation here.
- Let's back these vehicles up.
- Excuse me, officer.
- I'm not telling you again.
- Tony, calm down.
- Officer, if you could just move your car fonnard just a little bit...

- Three od's. Last one didn't look too good before the ambo came.
- Fuck.
- Shit.
- Hey, this guy's a cop.
- There's more inside, carv.
- Goddamn! Can't you ever get a fucking police around here when you need one?

Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: I'm not going.
Lt. Cedric Daniels: You're insubordinate?
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: I'm not jumping out on something I believe's going to harm the case. You want to write me up on that, you can.
Lt. Cedric Daniels: You think I want this? I got the Deputy Ops on my ass for this shit! Now I got you showing me up in front of the whole damn detail!
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: I don't mean to show anyone up.
Lt. Cedric Daniels: Get your vest on.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: No. I've got police work to do.
Lt. Cedric Daniels: Motherfucker, if you felt this way, why didn't you call in sick?
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: I'm not sick.
Lt. Cedric Daniels: [whispering] Yeah you are.

- Think you're funny, huh?
- Think I still don't have...
- All right, I get the point, fuckholes.

- Mark that ride, yo.
- Oscar.
- Lester.
- Thank you, baby.
- Anytime, man.
- Yeah. All right.
- He's perfect. Can't be dead more than a couple of hours.
- Better lose these.

- madam prosecutor, gentlemen...
- Don't pay heed to temptation the first case up and I have to recuse myself.
- Your honor, I appreciate your concern.
- You gotta keep the devil way down in the hole

- What did you say to make d pay out?
- I told him to give it up or I'm taking him out of the count.
- Shit.
- Look. I'll pump niggers when I got to.

- who'd die rather than miss the o's opener, someone who says "baseball", you know?
- You're the boss.
- Scott, put your special touch on it, like you did with your preakness piece last year.
- Good luck to you.
- Thanks.

- What? You tryin' to sell a case back to me?
- Motherfucker, if you don't get...
- I don't get paid like that.
- I get paid when I come back in a couple nights' time with questions and you, sir, have answers, or my next call will be to the us attorney's office, and we will go again, but for real.
- You can keep that copy. Ma'am.

- I'm not even gonna bother with that.
- I'm here because of a homicide, and the way it looks right now, your boy is running from the police behind that killing.
- I don't know where he at.
- Ma'am...

- We ain't in the same business?
- The bills are from the street.
- They're dirty, you understand?
- Everything runs through Joe.
- Everything is clean with Joe.
- Ain't a problem.
- Good.
- Good bye.

Acting Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell: [about Proposition Joe's gang] What makes you think they'll promote the wrong man?
Lt. Cedric Daniels: We do it all the time.

Det. Leander Sydnor: Senator.
[hands Sen. Davis a subpoena]
State Sen. R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: What the hell is this?
Det. Leander Sydnor: Subpoena for records.
[points to a plaque on the wall]
Det. Leander Sydnor: Sphinx Club? Man of the Year!
State Sen. R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: What kinda bullshit is this? You people must be out yo' damn mind!
Det. Leander Sydnor: You were in the Sphinx Club? My uncle used to tend bar over there. Marvin Thompson? Short guy...
State Sen. R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: What is your name, officer?
Det. Leander Sydnor: [hands Davis his business card] Detective Sydnor, sir.
State Sen. R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: [looks at the card, then back at Sydnor] Major Crimes? Sheeeeeeeeeeit.
Det. Leander Sydnor: [smirks and walks out] Enjoy your day, sir.
State Sen. R. Clayton 'Clay' Davis: Son, we're gonna see about this!

- He ain't say he was black.
- Yo, you know he black.
- Ok.
- I said ok!
[Boy] Mr. Prezbo.
- You say he travellin' in a car.
- Is he driving or is he, like, in the back seat?
[Prez] All right, you know what?
- Fun is fun...

[Sighs] My point is... he can't help it.
- It makes him an asshole, I know, but it's also what makes him good police.
- Last year, he gives me eight clearances.
- One of them was a... decomp floater who was John Doe for three weeks.

- Put a bounty on him.
- Let some bushwhacking fiend back-shoot his ass.
- I pin money on him and first thing he come at me?
- Shit. Might as well just shoot myself now and get it over.
- There is one boy who might could just pull this off.
- Only, he won't take contract money.

- keep him in the hole in the hole down in the hole down in the hole keep him in the hole keep him in the...
- Down in the hole down in the hole keep him in the hole keep him in the...
- Down in the hole down in the hole

- That I had something to do with it,
- I could do that to my own kin?
- Is that what you fucking think?
- What the fuck is in your head?
- I didn't do nothing to Dee.
- I ain't had shit to do with it.
- To do with what?
- To do with what?
- Whatever happened.
- Whatever it is that happened, Brianna.

Slim: [Proposition Joe has just bought flowers for Butchie's funeral] You ain't thinkin' no kindly note gonna slow Omar comin' at us
Joseph: It's how I feel. He was a good man
Slim: and Marlo?
Joseph: Marlo is Marlo man. He weren't the one that put me in this trick bag; the motherfucker who snuggled up an' whispered in Marlo's ear did that.
[Slim gives Prop Joe a look, & Joe senses it without looking at Slim]
Joseph: See I know what you thinkin', an' I ain't makin' a move against no kin', not 'til I got more to go on than words. And knowing my sister's son the way I do, if the boy got 50 grand in his pocket, it ain't gonna be long before it jump out and find itself in some salesman hand. And that kink of goody we know. In the meantime, if Omar coming for any of us, he coming for me, and out of respect for that man's skill set, I'm gonna take myself outa the lineup after the meet tomorrow.

- See ya.
- Decision time, son.
- Yo, what's your play?

- And?
- And I want you to sign up.
- Colonel, there's the matter of...
- You find yourself incompatible with a certain lieutenant?
- Detective freamon, you have carte blanche in picking your squad.
- In fact, you can pick your supervisor for all I care.

- Have a good day, officer.
- Ok, I'll see you.
- Yo. Yo, yo.

- You done with your trial?
- All right then, let's take her on out.
- Tomorrow.
- I'm back tomorrow, diggsy.
- You got something else to do today?
- Yeah, last bit of business.
- This is your business.
- This is retirement.
- And after today, I'm retired.

- it's more than enough for burrell.
- He returns the favor and I'm running an investigative unit again.
- You dirty me up with murders. It doesn't play.
- Homicide's not the place to sprawl a case, lieutenant.
- Rawls, landsman, they have no Patience for anything but a quick shake.
- We got enough room for it here, anyway.

- Ooh, baby, baby, baby.
- Get the fuck off me.
[Bird] Ah! Oh, my hand!
[Sydnor] Fucking bitch.
[Bird] Shut the fuck up!
- Shit is tight, man.
- We should leave the couch right there.
- Leave that shit right there.
- That's nice, that's straight.

- Burrell won't be there forever.
- Burrell will be the next police commissioner.
- And you know it.
- But you've got the law degree.
- With your police experience, half a dozen firms would think you're a prize.
- You've got options.
- Just because they don't...
- You're right, you're right.
- I'll put in my papers.

- Four and a half million in the capital budget that's set to pass house and senate.
- Money'll be allocated for next year.
- Congratulations, frank.
- What kind of stevedore drinks champagne?

- Found body. 200, block amity.
- I'm a little thin today, boss.
- The whole squad's a little thin, remember?
- We're down a man since your partner got himself detailed.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- I got it.

- Who the fuck is she? Housing police?
- No, she's one of them civilians they got doing security.
- Housing cops wear the grey uniforms.
- So she's not armed or nothing.
- Do she look it?
- You leaving early?
- I was early, I worked the lunch crowd.

- These steps.
- Thank you, baby.
- You're good to go.

- Greggs.
[Mcnulty] Prez shot another cop.
- What?
- It was an accident in an alley a while ago.
- No.
- I'll call you back.

- Fuck.
- Fuck.
- Fuck, fuck, fuck.
- What the fuck?
- Fuck.
- Fuck.

- I don't really care you shouted me out.
- Everybody in these projects been knowing Omar.
- I just don't want them coming down on you, baby boy.
- Shirley coming with her game.
- Every fucking day with that shit.
- Mr. Omar?
- My cheque late.

- Yeah.
- Let me see.
- See, right there.
- Mmm.
- No, you three-tenths of a mile long, dawg, and if you followed directions, you wouldn't be.
- Yo, string, I did everything like I should, man. I swear.

- We know that someone is above your man spiros.
- Someone he was in communication with.
- Yeah, the Greek.
- Sure, I know who you mean.
- I don't have a name or nothing.
- The man in the suit, the man with vondopoulos in the photograph.
- That's not the Greek?

- Shit.
- Yeah.
- Where's Sergei?
- Parked at the end of the lot.
- What's he waiting for?
- No fucking idea.
- The ship's almost empty.
- They need to shit or get off the pot.
- I'll look into it.
- Yeah.
- Ok, I understand.

- Ready?
- Yeah.
- Shame we couldn't use what she just gave us.
- What do you got?
- Keep running through that campaign finance shit.
- There's at least $20,000 in contributions we haven't found yet.
- Nerese all but confirmed it.

- Marine unit, diggins.
[Daniels] I'm looking for mcnulty.
- Mcnulty, for you.
- Yeah.
- It's Daniels... get back to the office.
- I went and passed on the detail.
- You've been evicted.
- Thanks, lieutenant.

- You'll also need a supervisor who wants you to clone a suspect's pager knowing that it might lead to who knows what else pen registers, wiretaps.
- Daniels will come around.
- Daniels will have your ass.
- Thanks.
- That's it?
- What?

D'Angelo: All my people, man. My father, my uncles, my cousins. It's just what we do. You just live this shit until you can't breathe no more.

[Bubs] $5 hats, right here.
[Herc] 'Which door are we watching again?' the vacant next to the store.
- That's the shooting gallery.
- Is he still in there?
- 'Greggs is on the back and we're on the front, so you tell me.'

- He did what he wanted to do and he said what he wanted to say and, in the end, he gave you the clearances.
- He was natural police.
- Yes, he was.
- I don't say that about many people, even when they're here on the felt.
- I don't give that one up unless it happens to be true.
- Natural poh-leece.

- Don't print anything about where the killer calls from.
- He'll change up.
- Well, I'll type up my notes quick.
- Big story for you guys, huh?
- Well, ten minutes ago I'd've said this whole thing was complete bullshit.
- Shows what I know, I guess.

- Jimmy, right? Dennis kerpelman.
- Great kids.
- Anyway, nice meeting you.
- Do you want anything from the stand?
- No, thank you.
- Uh, don't stay till the last inning, cos it's a school night.
- Bye.

- I don't say it to upset you.
- Just to state a fact.
- He doesn't think so.
- Nobody ever thinks they're stupid.
- It's part of the stupidity.
- You don't need to tell us what happened.
- We know.
- We got you, we got your guns, we got the whole fucking story.
- Where that lawyer at, man?

- All right?
- That's fucked up, yo.
- You got any paper on you?
- Man, fuck if I know.
- These police out here knew how to flip it even just a little, my shit would be in handcuffs. You know?
- They don't know shit. Damn!

- Yeah, Daniels.
- Yeah.
- Where?
- Wallace?

- Dinner and a movie, then I'll walk you to the door and you tell me to go fuck myself.
- How about I tell you to fuck yourself now?
- Then you can save that money.
- Come on, Elena.
- Come on, I signed all your damn papers.
- Just give me another shot.
- Friday. You pay for the sitter.

- No. No.
- I trusted you, erv. I really did.
- You let me down.
- Now, this thing goes wrong, no telling the damage. On this, you walk point.
- That's the way things work, erv.
- You know it as well as I do.
- Thank you, ervin.
- I'll be over shortly to see the detailed plan on how this shit gets cleaned up immediately.

- and if all eyes are on this one, what does command want to see happen?
- What does city hall want to see happen?
- City hall just wants someone to do the right thing, whatever that is.
- You're sitting here, deputy, telling me to just do the right thing?
- Doesn't happen often, I know.

[kima] 'What's that?'
- Jesus.
- 'Something ain't right. This shit ain't right.'
- Christ.
[Kima] 'Signal 13, signal 13.'
- 'where the fuck...?'
- She can't reach the gun.
- 'What the fuck?'
- 'Two males, black hoodies, both armed...'
- Shut it off. Shut it off.

- Nothing.
- Couple of police interrupting me, while I'm trying to get my drink on.
- Your son might be in danger.
- He will be if he shows up.
- Snatched that $10 out my purse.
- I'll slap the bright out his eyes.
- Here's my card.
- You run into him, you call me.

Man: Hey. Gimme a dollar.
- Hey, man, you got a dollar?
- C'mon.

- That's our guy, right?
- What's-his-face sobotka from the drug quarter?
- I need to get with vondas.
- Who's that?
- Spiros. Where is he?
- I don't know no spiros.

- Would you go to the police?
- Just a question.
- Son, thanks for being you.
- Thanks.
- Look, I'm ready to acknowledge that...
- 18-to-21 might be too seasoned.

- What's that guy doing?
- Shit.
- Here.
- I can't.
- No, you saved my ass.
Johnny: It's appreciated, you know.
- Yo, bubs, you won't fuckin' believe this.
- Bubs.

- Yo, fellas, strap up.
- There go that motherfucker nay-nay.
- I say we take him.
- We should wait for the call.
- We wait, he gonna get away.
- Go, go, go!
- Get out, get out!

- announces we'll have a class in January come hell or high water.
- Do it like that, it's a one-day story.
- Mr. Mayor, this was a budget question.
- I was directed to delay that class.
- Yeah, you took the hit then and you're taking the hit now.
- And I thank you for both, commissioner.

- What's gonna happen, Nicky?
- Nicky.
- That can on the fifth wheel there.
- By the plan, it's a hot box but there's no one on a pick-up.
- Where's it from?
- Lee Harvey, France.
- Fuck it, then. Dump her.

- Where you goin' at so early?
- I'm gonna go run, and then I got lawn work later.
- You comin' back, right?
- What you mean am I comin' back?
- It's gonna be like that, huh?
- What do you mean? Like what?

- One left his gear. We kept that.
- Sounds like some weak-ass shit to me.
- "Cause it is.
- But your suspect had to be on the boat, right? And your boat has sailed.
- Jay, what the fuck were we supposed to do?
- Hold the ship while we chat up a crew of 40 in 53 dialects? Come on.
- Well, if that isn't the plan, what is?

- Miss Ella, where bug at?
- He went home, Michael.
- Nah, he waits for me.
- The man who picked him up said he was his father.
- And bug said so, too.
- Fuck!
- Mm.

- You clear some time tomorrow,
- I'll open the door for you. That work?
- Son...
- You need to focus a bit more on what can be gained by working with people.
- That's just a thought, now.
- Yeah.
- Thanks.

- A boy on the stoop looked like he was starving.
- So you cooked it for him?
- No, I just gave it to him.
- You just gave it to him.
- Boy ate a raw box of rice-a-roni?
- How much did you sell the groceries for?
- Don't look at me like that.
- I gotta go out.

Russell: Doin' good out there, D.
D'Angelo: We'll be doing even better when we get that new package.
Russell: [laughs] New package same as old, man.
D'Angelo: Say what?
Russell: Ain't no new package. Just gonna put that same shit out in a different colored gelcap is all. Might spike that shit with some procaine or some caffeine, but otherwise it's the same.
D'Angelo: String, man, people already coming back on us tellin' us that shit is weak.
Russell: I know; shit *is* weak, but, y'know, shit is weak all over. The thing is, no matter what we call heroin, it's gonna get sold. Shit is *strong*, we gonna sell it; shit is *weak*, we gonna sell twice as much. You know why? 'Cause a fiend, he gonna chase that shit no matter what. It's crazy, you know. We do worse, and we get paid more. The govermnent do better, and it don't mean no nevermind.
[pointing to the money]
Russell: This shit right here, D, is forever.

- I can only bring a minority of my officers to bear.
Bubbles' Tormentor: You've got all of it already!
Marlo: Make a nigger work. You like that shit.
- Ain't that right, motherfucker?
- You can't hide, son.
- Don't care where it is.
- In a nigger's ass crack, I'll still find you.

- keep him in the hole in the hole down in the hole down in the hole keep him in the hole keep him in the...
- Down in the hole down in the hole keep him in the hole keep him in the...
- Down in the hole down in the hole

- a deputy ops felt the need to Bury you.
- You have a gift for martyrdom.
- I wonder, though, are your disciples as keen for the cross?
- In your final court report, it would be prudent to tell the judge the investigation hit a dead end.

Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: You got yourself a hell of a case.
Moreland: Fuck you very much.

- than a bad headline now, is there?
- You'd rather live in shit than let the world see you work a shovel.
- You can order warrants, and I'll serve them.
- But as long as I have days left on those dead wires, this case goes on.

Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: You disappoint me, Stringer. I had such fucking hopes for us.

- Have you ever known avon barksdale to back down from anything?
[Valchek] Of course you do.
- Get statements from responding officers.
- A plain-clothes man in a dark alley with his gun out and shots fired.
- No one wants to burn anybody but there's a racial component to consider.
- The appearance...
- Has he seen a lawyer?

- Maybe.
- You called spiros still, right?
- Spiros will know what to do.
- Come past early tomorrow.
- I wanna get down the diner first thing.
- All right.
- I can't keep up with him.
- What's with the duck?
- Ziggy.

- If you know something about that boy Lex getting shot, now is your last chance to speak to that.
- You gave a statement last year...
- Why don't you promise to get me outta here?
- That's what y'all do, ain't it?
- Lie to dumb-ass niggers?
- Yo, y'all need to get this police out my face before I bank his ass.

- I used the fedcom software, you know?
- I thought I was talking to some fuck in San Diego.
- The 9/11 boys in DC.
- I'm guessing vondopoulos or the Greek was an asset to them.
- You know, hooked up like that or who knows what?
- I'm sorry, lieutenant.

Det. Lester Freamon: Colonel, respectfully, did you just fuck me over without giving me even half a chance to clear this case?
Colonel William A. Rawls: [chuckles] Let's be clear, Det. Freamon. When I fuck you over, you'll know it. You'll be so goddamn certain, you won't need to ask the question.

- My brother-in-law's got a video store out on moravia.
- Does $6,000 a week straight rentals, another $8,000 in porn.
- He needs a partner.
- But they take that off a medical pension.
- If you report it as income, they do.
- Do I look that fucking stupid?
- Have a nice life, lieutenant.

- A front has to be clean.
- And right now, you ain't that. Sign.
- I want my bail paid.
- You send me a bondsman, I'll sign.
- Is that what you want me to tell him?
- That I asked you to sign and you wouldn't?

Det. Michael Crutchfield: Did he fuck you?
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: He tried. But mostly he just fucks himself.

- But she wanted you to have that and told me to tell you she's sorry to be late with it.
- Girl got such heart, you know?
- Yeah.
- This is enough for what I got going on now, man.
- You give the rest back to her.
- Are you sure?

- How would you know?
- Who you trying to fuck anyway?
- Arletta mouzone. Treenee's cousin.
- Damn, man. In that case use a big-ass condom, all right?
- You need a trash bag. Fuck that.
- I wouldn't run up in that bitch with d'Angelo's dick. It's triflin'.

- And this is a good neighborhood.
- Mm-hm.
- It's safe and it's on the number 19 line and it's walking distance from your church.
- Officer, this is the only home I know.
- It's all I've got.
- Now, you say you have a program that can place me somewhere else but you ain't got no program for what's outside my door?

- well, then... well, then you understand that writing letters will not solve the problem, oh, no.
- Shit, girl.
- You know I'm-a roll wit' you.
- I need some kinda break.
- Mm-hm.

- If you have a problem, like you can't make it to detention, you need to tell me.
- That's your responsibility.
- People will be more than willing to help you out but it's up to you to ask.
- You can go back to the cafeteria...
- Or hang up here.

- Hey, Anthony. Where you at?
- First floor, 1034 north mount, sir.
- Good.

[Woman] Woo! Oh, my goodness.
- So what are you watching, then?
- Anything on the tube?
- No fucking way.
- They got enough power in the line-up.
- What they need is pitching.

'Monk': Boy been throwing up all kind of backtalk about shit. Buck wild about this and that.
Marlo: Like what?
'Monk': Crying about how Junebug and his people got lit up. Crying about how Omar on the street running his mouth, calling for you to step to.
Marlo: Omar say what?
Chris: Nothing.
[pause]
Chris: Omar tried calling you out by name, but shit, no one --
Marlo: What he say about me?
Chris: Nothing, man. Just talking shit.
Marlo: He used my name? In the street?
[pause]
Marlo: Talk, motherfucker!
'Monk': He just, you know, say that you need to step to and that . . . I don't know. He just running his mouth some.
Marlo: He call me a punk?
Chris: It was bullshit, man. You ain't need that on your mind.
Marlo: What the fuck you know about what I need on my mind, motherfucker? My name was on the street? When we bounce from this shit here, y'all going to go down on them corners and let the people know: Word did not get back to me. Let them know Marlo step to any motherfucker -- Omar, Barksdale, whoever. My name is my name!

- Aw, fuck.
- Motherfucker.

- What about the dog?
- Fuck the dog.
- All that time I was resting, it got me thinking. It got good to me, too.
- Copper house. Gracious.
- I gotta go, can you cash me out?
- If you ain't got dreams, bubbs, what the fuck you got?
- Thank you. Come on, dreamer.

- Funny day.
- I'm the new departmental pet for shutting down a drug war.
- But I blew my wire for a dead terrier.
- You remember how you said...
- You hoped today would be your first
- "have your cake and eat it, too" day?
- What about it?

- Sister's good people, but there's another woman up there, unrelated, keeps getting arrested for kiting checks and stuff.
- She uses the sister's name every time she gets locked up.
- She's done it like three or four times now.
- No shit.
- Yeah, it's crazy.
- But sister's clean. Everyone says so.

Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: You know what you need at a crime scene?
Det. Shakima 'Kima' Greggs: Rubber gloves?
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: Soft eyes.
Det. Shakima 'Kima' Greggs: Like I'm suppose to cry and shit?
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: If you got soft eyes, you can see the whole thing. If you got hard eyes - you staring at the same tree missing the forest.
Det. Shakima 'Kima' Greggs: Ah, zen shit.
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: Soft eyes, grasshopper.

Woman in Bar: When a small change in price creates a large change in demand, then demand is said to be elastic, but some products are inelastic, meaning, a change in price does not affect demand.
- Some key factors that affect the elasticity of demand are what?
- Mr. Bell?
- Desire. Consumer need.
- Right, specifically, the ability of a consumer to delay acquisition. What else?

- Yeah, I see that.
- I see that.

- We turned and shook as we had a look in the room where the dead men lay so big Jim dwyer made his last...

Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: So that's the cop shooter?
Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: Yeah, not much to it. But he did that job on the Dozerman kid last week. Gave it up on a full statement.
Det. James 'Jimmy' McNulty: Before or after you knocked the shit out of him?

Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: You're not the run-of-the-mill kind of asshole, are you, Jimmy? You're a special kind of asshole.

- Fuck! I just stepped in dog shit.
- You hope.
- Fuck.

- Club soda... and lime.
- You mincing bitch.
- Why not just suck a dick and get it over with?
- That'll get the bad taste out of your mouth.
- Ah.
- Yeah.
[All] I'm a freeborn man of the usa
- I'm a freeborn man of the usa
- I'm a freeborn man of the usa

- either the copy desk or the buyout.
- You're kidding, right?
- Apparently, they can hire
- 11/2 twenty-somethings for what it costs to keep me in print, so...
- Damn, Roger. Sorry, man.
- Fuck it. I might as well get to work on that great American novel.
- Yeah.
[Klebanow] Gus, come on in.

[Man] Thank you, sir.
- Just one moment, ma'am.
- You seen hoskins?
- Lieutenant went upstairs already.
- Step through, please.

- Why'd you page her, shit bird?
- Get off me.
- You think this is a game?
- I wanna talk to greggs.
- You can't, motherfucker.
- Then mcnulty then. This shit ain't right, sir.
- Savino. Savino.
- Mope ain't around.
- One of them low-rise hoppers on tower phone two.

- When it was marlo, I was with him.
- But now, nigger...
- What the fuck did you do that for?
- Now we short the nine.
- That was for Joe.
- This sentimental motherfucker just cost us money.

[Radio] '64-Charlie to central k.' you up to this?
- Pay it back, Omar. Pay it back.

- I got Mrs. Scott.
- Fuckin' hate that foul bitch, man.
- She ain't that bad.
- At least you ain't got Sampson.
- Yeah, I know.
- Yo, Michael, who you got?
- Man?
- Presborowski... pres...
- Yo, he new and white.
- We got it made.

- You and sydnor will have to work it as best you can for right now.
- Assholes.
- They need another body, don't they?
- I'll call our man in the southern.
[Rick] I can take it from here.
- Y'all can bounce.
Man: All right, boss.

- You're telling me how I can't do it, not how I can.
- There's the rainy day fund, but you really shouldn't draw that down.
- The bond rating houses want at least 5% of the budget in reserve.
- Feels like a rainy day to me.
- Cloudy like a motherfucker.
- Yo, yo, wait up, yo.

- You don't gotta do the whole thing on your fingers, little man. Look, first column.
- Six and six is...
- 12.
- Put down the two, you bring over the one.
- Bug.
[Lee] Hey, big man.
- Get over to me now.
- We were going...
- Now.

- Best we do is break out even, right?
- What?
- I'm saying, this shit got personal.
- Ain't nothing else to it.
- So, you talking about letting it slide.
- For a time, maybe.
- I'm saying we put the word out that you ready to talk a truce.
- When this nigger come out from underneath his rock, you hit him.
- But right now? This shit got out of hand.

Roland: Check it out, Dee. I need you to feed 'em while I'm gone. You gonna give 'em different food for each tank, too, alright? But don't worry, I'm gonna show ya what to do, c'mere. These are my tetras. You got Kimmy, Alex, Aubrey and Jezebel in here somewhere. I don't know, she think she cute. You take two pinches of whatever food I got next to each tank. They set for the day. You see, they ain't no problems. Just beautiful as hell, Dee. I'm gonna go upstairs, and pack some shit.

- Them expeditions are hard to handle.
- With a Lexus I wouldn't have no problem.
- You little motherfucker.
- You know how many cars you hit?
- What?
- Don't even think of bullshitting.
- I don't know what you're talking about.

- Daniels.
- 'Daniels, this is trooper Reese.
- 'Grandmother says this kid's been gone two days.'
- Wallace is out of pocket. Two days.
- Thanks.
- Ain't no re-up in the towers, neither?
- No. Shop dead, yo.

- Where the fuck else am I gonna go?
- How's it looking?
- One ro/ro at north point.
- Graybeard's grabbed that.
- Nothing else today, really.
- Seniority sucks.
- If you ain't senior.
- All right, man.

- Y'all gonna tell marlo?
- Snoop: We tell him, we don't tell him.
- Man got enough on his plate.
- Young 'UN on some different opinion shit there.
- I dunno. If I was marlo...
- Motherfucker, you ain't.

- Says we took his name in vain last time we used it.
- When was that?
- When we had him back-stabbing burrell at city hall, remember?
- Do you want me to call Daniels at home?
- Try him again?
- We're past deadline, Gus.
- I'll cut the quote.
- All right.

- But marlo, this nigger and his kind, man, they gotta fall. They gotta.
- Well, for that to happen, somebody's gotta step up.
- I'll do what I gotta. I don't give a fuck.
- Just don't ask me to live on my fucking knees, you know?
- You're a soldier, bodie.
- Hell, yeah.

- you gotta keep the devil way down in the hole
- Way down in the hole way down in the hole way down in the hole way down in the hole

- Yeah, I guess.
- Thanks, Jay.
- Any time. Good night.
[Woman on TV] The husband's thinking,
- "gosh." I mean, the police show up at his door and say,
- "the lady you married from the Ukraine,
- "a, she's dead, b, she's got a 2005 gold Mercedes..."

- there's only three ways to make a four, but to make a seven...
- Six.
- That's good.
- So what should have been your play?
- Should have bet against the roll.
- Good to have you back, Mr. Wagstaff.
- Come on, roll 'em, man.
- I got 40. I got 40 on it.

- the playground over at baker and moreland would be at the center of it.
- And as I got older, the playground just kept on getting bigger, went beyond the neighborhood.
- Everything changes, you know?
- One minute the ice-cream truck be the only thing you want to hear.

- or we will see the police.
- If not, no more worries.
- All right.
- We are off the warehouse phone now?
- I've given the new number to our people.
- This is bullshit. If they were onto the truck, they would've searched it.

- Cool. There you go.
- There we go. All right.
- The gift of corrected vision.
- Compliments of the bpd.
- Dang, y'all are focused.
- What man wouldn't be?

- For what?
- For today, you know, with Daniels.
- You should be thanking Lester.
- I did.
- I just wanted to thank you too, detective greggs.
- No problem. Good night.
- That it is.

- Yeah. The way we just punked them, they got to.
- Where is he?
- You can talk to me, frank.
- This is bigger than you.
- I'll tell him.
- Bullshit. Come on, Nick.
- That's the Greek? That old guy?
- I seen him in here before.
- Have a seat.

- Way more.
- Excuse me.
- No. Not right now.
- A half-hour.
- No, so go ahead and fill it up.
- You got the order number, right?
[Man] Man, move your ass.
[Boy] Man, this some bullshit.

- You can't follow people in them towers or hang in the low-rises without a reason.
- Just to make sure, we want to lose him, right?
- Losin' him is good?
- Right.
- Then why the fuck do this?
- Come on, herc. Roll with me on this one.

- just to have it off my chest.
- Just look to my son and my nephew.
- Mr. Sobotka, at this point,
- I have to advise you you need the services of an attorney.
- We're not gonna do this now?
- You need a lawyer present in the room.
- You have that, we can make this happen first thing tomorrow.

- Make it look right, then put my name on it.
- Do you want to reference all the murders or should I soft-pedal that?
- Fucking horse is out the barn door, right?
- Let's try not to make me look stupid twice.
- And when you list the cases, put a little dot next to each one.
- Deputy likes dots.
- I'm sorry, major, really.

- If I find out anybody been holding out, then he's back in the street getting his head busted.
- The least you all can do is look after your own people a little bit.
- What are you, a fucking communist?
[Mcnulty] 23-04. Need a couple of 10-16s to fayette, west of Vincent.
- That's right around the corner from here.
Man: 10-4. Units responding.

- Maybe somebody from the department or the city might want to say something.
- Who's here from the family?
- A daughter, you say?
- A daughter?
- Officer greggs has a girl?
- A roommate.
- The family's in Richmond, driving up first thing.
- The roommate's already here.

- Fuck, Sergei, you almost break my hand!
- Bring him up!

- If I had more time, I'd run you.
- Mm-hm.
- Give you a tip, Preston.
- You gonna run a hustle, you best stay with what you know.
- Man, fuck you and your tired-ass advice, all right?
- But... that sandwich was good.

- Won't work. He's too far gone.
- I find them, detective.
- What you do after that is your business.
- Thanks. Maybe next time.
- Seeing as how
- I'm doing you a favor, detective, you can write the first officer's report for me.
- My sequence is a-1-15.

Det. William 'Bunk' Moreland: At all hazards, a man must keep up appearances. Dignity, I say. Dignity above all, Governor. Hear, hear!

- Yeah?
- Mcnulty, it's christeson.
- Listen, my case is down an' I wanted to thank you.
- I couldn't have done it othennise.
- No problem.

- walk on gilded splinters with the king of the zulu come, come, kiddy come, come walk on gilded splinters come, come, kiddy come, come walk on gilded splinters

- that you left our little interrogation without any more scuff marks than what you brought in.
- Fuck you, fat man.
- Oh! [Laughs]
- "Fuck you, fat man."
- I thought we were friends.

- When they took us off marlo this last time, when they said they couldn't pay for further investigation,
- I regarded that decision as illegitimate.
- Illegitimate?
- And so...
- I'm responding in kind.
- I'm going to press a case against marlo Stanfield without regard to the usual rules.

- Damn, zig, I ain't got it out yet.
- And turn that shit down, for Christ's sake.

Maj. Howard 'Bunny' Colvin: You know what I was thinking? That tonight's a good night. Why? Because my shot cop didn't die. Then it hit me. This is what makes a good night on my watch. Absence of a negative.

- Hey, partner.
- People tell me it might be a good year for the port.
- Might be. You all have been steppin' up in a lot of ways.
- Hope it continues like that. Y'all makin' friends in a lot of places, right?
- We're friendly guys.
- Clay.

- If you put them pit bull-style stitches in me, the next patient gonna be you.
- For real.
- What, you don't like rawhide?
- Marlo!
- We finna get back to old times, baby.

- All right.
- 'What am I driving?'
- 'A rental, nothing flash.'
- 'where from?'
- 'i don't know where from, man, one of those places by the airport.'
- 'yeah.' we got something real.
- 'I'm on my way.'
- All right.

- we just gotta keep the devil way down in the hole
- Down in the hole down in the hole you gotta help me keep the devil down in the hole

- Stay in the car. Stay in the car.
- Keep your hands on the wheel.
- Let's see those hands.
- What's the problem, officer?
- Step slowly out of the vehicle.
- Keep your hands up.
- Unh! Son, be gentler than that.
- Shut the fuck up. I ain't your son.
- This guy...

- Knives, any needles?
- No.
- Any illegal substances I should know about?
- Ok. Spread your legs back.
- Spread your legs back more.
- Ok, slowly bring your right arm around your back.
- Now bring the other one.

- He starts to develop an intricate pattern in what he does with the bodies.
- It's weird stuff.
- A biter. That's great.
- My name is nowhere on this.
- For your tab.
- We'd stay and have one, but we can still make the second edition.
- Thanks.

- Hello?
- Brucie, baby.
- Frankie, how's it hanging?
- You talk to the presiding officers yet?

- You got the smell of wisdom on you, brother.
- Now, look.
- We all got roles to play.
- What's your role?
- I'm just a humble motherfucker with a big-ass dick.
- You give yourself too much credit.
- Ok, then. I ain't all that humble.

- Are you working with your uncle?
- I'm his right hand.

- he say that he got it set up so where we could sell stuff in certain spots and the police won't bother us.
- I know, I know. It's fucked up.
- But I just thought you should know.
- That's it?
- Yeah, just that and the boy marlo.
- Yeah, I'm on it.

Russell: Motherfucker, what is that?
Sean: Robert Rules say we gotta have minutes for a meeting, right? These the minutes.
Russell: Nigger, is you taking notes on a criminal fucking conspiracy?

Sgt. Jay Landsman: Jimmy, I say this seriously. If I was laying there dead on some Baltimore street corner, I'd want you standing over me, catching the case. Because, brother, when you were good, you were the best we had.
Det. William Moreland: Shit, if you were lying there dead on some corner, it probably was Jimmy that done you.

- I can tell you were never in patrol.
- Right.

- Frank has that kind of money?
- It was from his local.
- The checkers? They don't have a hundred guys left paying dues.
- It's a parish of givers, Stan.
- Maybe you talk to frank.
- Work it out somehow.
- Yeah, we'll talk.
- Major?

- That's it. One. One. One. That's right.
- Yo, what's going on, Mike?
- I feel like I could just pancake a young 'UN, you know what I mean?
- What about you, Duke? Want some gump?
- No, I'm-a work this rope.
- You working it. Like a gump.

- Inside, man. Let's go.
- This dude is crazy.
- Get in, motherfucker.
- We ain't got all night for this shit.

- No, no, no!
- Get off me! Get off me!
- Get off!
- Wait, wait, wait! Take it! Take it!
- I got you now!
- No, no, no!
- You like that? Fuck!

- God in heaven, zig, the cops do that to you?
- Ain't the cops.

Maj. William A. Rawls: [to McNulty] I want to see you land okay, Jimmy. So tell me, where don't you want to go?

- No, no, see.
- If you stack it with the domestic beer, then I won't know, huh?
- Cut a blind man some slack, hear?
- Y'all servin'?
- If you got some ID on you.
- Who was that?
- Little girl.

- Game over. Where the fuck y'all at?
- When I find y'all, I'm beating your asses.
- Now where y'all at?
- Don't let me find y'all.
- Check this, poot.
- Little man left his player and shit.

- So what you want me to tell the man?
- Yo, I'll give word up, then I'll hit you back.
- Shamrock.
- 4:40pm.
- B&b enterprises.
- We need to have lunch.
- All right, hold on. I'll call you back.

- Stringer, too. This thing got to end, man.
- I swear to god, on a Sunday morning, they near shot her best crown off, yo.
- I mean, no shame, them niggers, man!
- Y'all feel me?
- I'm out.
- If you're back to dealing with barksdale people, I'm out, yo.
- I'm in it for the money.
- It's easier out there than that.

- Hey, I told you I'd buy you a soda.
- That better?
- Now, look at me.
- Don't let those mean boys see you crying.
- O k?
- O k.
- I'll take care of you.

- They're still using it.
- I was by on Saturday night and it was gone.
- On your own time?
- You still getting your boys?
- Yeah, tonight for a sleep-over.
- Omar's rolling.

- I'm burning that fucking newspaper building to the ground.
- What?
- Your homeless guy from days ago, what was in his pockets?
- Bullshit.
- You got business cards?
- Yeah, but every card has an alibi.
- Let me see.
- I thought we were done with this.

- Look a little light to be an ounce, don't you think?
- No, man. Ain't nothing light, it's just settled, is all.
- If it does what it should, I'm gonna come back to you for three, maybe four a week.
- Yeah, that could work.
- We good, then?
- We good.
- That's it.
- Take him down.

- Where my change, yo?
- Don't wild me.