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The Best Episodes of The Wire

Every episode of The Wire ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Wire!

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Told from the points of view of both the Baltimore homicide and narcotics detectives and their targets, the series captures a universe in which the national war on drugs has become a permanent, self-sustaining bureaucracy,

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    The Wire Season 3 Episode 11 - Middle Ground
    9.0/10(40 votes)

    #1 - Middle Ground

    S3:E11

    "We ain't gotta dream no more." -- Stringer Bell The wire begins to yield information about the Barksdale organization, while Stringer and Avon reminisce on how far they have come.

    Director:Joe Chappelle
    Writer:George Pelecanos

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  2. The Wire Season 4 Episode 13 - Final Grades
    8.9/10(35 votes)

    #2 - Final Grades

    S4:E13

    "If animal trapped call 410-844-6286" - Baltimore, traditional Burrell tries to help Daniels. Bubbles' big plan backfires and leaves him in big trouble. Colvin tries to find a solution for Namond while Omar makes new plans. McNulty tries to pay back his debt.

    Director:Ernest R. Dickerson
    Writer:David Simon

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  3. The Wire Season 1 Episode 13 - Sentencing
    8.8/10(41 votes)

    #3 - Sentencing

    S1:E13

    "all in the game..." - Traditional West Baltimore. Every crew has weak links--including Avon Barksdale's. With the heat turned up in the high-rises, Daniels and McNulty turn to a higher authority in an effort to crack the case wide open. Season finale.

    Director:Tim Van Patten
    Writers:Ed Burns, David Simon

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  4. The Wire Season 1 Episode 11 - The Hunt
    8.6/10(38 votes)

    #4 - The Hunt

    S1:E11

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

    Director:Steve Shill
    Writer:Joy Lusco

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  5. The Wire Season 2 Episode 11 - Bad Dreams
    8.6/10(38 votes)

    #5 - Bad Dreams

    S2:E11

    'I need to get clean' -- Sobotka With the clock ticking, the Detail makes a desperate move, and Daniels reams out Landsman for dropping the ball. Nick's deceit is in the open as Sobotka is overwhelmed by bad news. The Greeks ease out of an encounter with the Detail, and Omar's suspicions are validated. The Detail hopes to find Vondas's boss, and Nick hopes to repair relations with the Greeks.

    Director:Ernest R. Dickerson
    Writer:George Pelecanos

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  6. The Wire Season 5 Episode 10 - -30-
    8.6/10(37 votes)

    #6 - -30-

    S5:E10

    "...the life of kings." - H.L. Mencken A damaging report by Pearlman and Daniels gets a reaction from Carcetti, while Haynes finds little support for his concerns about a reporters work from the bosses. Meanwhile, McNulty wants to put a homeless case to an end, Dukie searches for an old mentor and a fallen officer is given a wake.

    Director:Clark Johnson
    Writers:Ed Burns, David Simon

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of The Wire

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  7. The Wire Season 2 Episode 12 - Port in a Storm
    8.5/10(37 votes)

    #7 - Port in a Storm

    S2:E12

    'Business. Always business.' -- The Greek The Detail has a setback, while Russell and Bunk revisit Philly to look for evidence. Brother Mouzone talks with Stringer Bell about their agreement, leaving Bell to contend with a dissatisfied Avon Barksdale. Bubbles and Johnny pull another caper and McNulty and Greggs return to the Westside, where they discover new connections.

    Director:Robert F. Colesberry
    Writer:David Simon

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  8. The Wire Season 3 Episode 8 - Moral Midgetry
    8.5/10(36 votes)

    #8 - Moral Midgetry

    S3:E8

    "Crawl, walk, and then run." -- Clay Davis With Amsterdam running full-tilt, Carver and Truck discover there really is no honor among thieves. Prez impresses the detail with what he's found out from Bodie's cell phone, information that sends McNulty and Greggs on a road trip. Colvin sees the benefits of his plan working but has overlooked the human toll, until the Deacon points out the deficiencies.

    Director:Agnieszka Holland
    Writer:Richard Price

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  9. The Wire Season 5 Episode 9 - Late Editions
    8.5/10(32 votes)

    #9 - Late Editions

    S5:E9

    "Deserve got nuthin' to do with it." - Snoop A promising lead makes Freamon's hard work worthwhile, although McNulty doesn't feel like a celebration. Michael is suspicious about his latest assignment;.Haynes gets fresh eyes to help with fact-checking. Namond's debating skills make Colvin proud. Davis points a finger at Levy and the courts. And Bubbles recounts a recent temptation overcome.

    Director:Joe Chappelle
    Writers:David Simon, George Pelecanos

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  10. The Wire Season 1 Episode 9 - Game Day
    8.4/10(42 votes)

    #10 - Game Day

    S1:E9

    "Maybe we won." - Herc. Barksdale plays an expensive game of one-upmanship with an east-side rival. Meanwhile, Herc and Carver take some cash off of Wee-Bey's hands, and Omar resurfaces with a bang.

    Director:Milcho Manchevski
    Writers:David H. Melnick, Shamit Choksey

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  11. The Wire Season 5 Episode 4 - Transitions
    8.4/10(31 votes)

    #11 - Transitions

    S5:E4

    "Buyer's market out there." - Templeton Omar plots his revenge for his former associates murder now that he's returned from exile. Gus stresses the need for a city-court reporter, after missing out on a grand jury probe. Carcetti finds there are strings attached in his desire to get rid of Burrell. While McNulty investigates the deaths of homeless men, Freamon needs the help of an old friend. Also, Marlo looks to the future in his dealings with the Greeks.

    Director:Dan Attias
    Writer:Ed Burns

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  12. The Wire Season 1 Episode 7 - One Arrest
    8.3/10(41 votes)

    #12 - One Arrest

    S1:E7

    "A man must have a code." - Bunk. Tipped off by the wire, Greggs, Herc, Carver and Freamon make a bust, but the incident makes Avon and Stringer suspicious, leading them to close shop in the Pit. Meanwhile, Bunk and McNulty look for another witness in the Gant slaying and hunt a suspect known as 'Mr. Bird.'

    Director:Joe Chappelle
    Writer:Rafael Alvarez

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  13. The Wire Season 1 Episode 10 - The Cost
    8.3/10(43 votes)

    #13 - The Cost

    S1:E10

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

    Director:Brad Anderson
    Writer:David Simon

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  14. The Wire Season 1 Episode 12 - Cleaning Up
    8.3/10(41 votes)

    #14 - Cleaning Up

    S1:E12

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

    Director:Clement Virgo
    Writer:George Pelecanos

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  15. The Wire Season 2 Episode 10 - Storm Warnings
    8.3/10(36 votes)

    #15 - Storm Warnings

    S2:E10

    'It pays to go with the union card every time.' -- Ziggy The Detail uses satellite technology to its advantage. Bodie is unhappy that Proposition Joe's people are slinging on his turf, but business flows--until a new face arrives. Stringer Bell looks to an unlikely solution to the problem. Valcheck visits the FBI in an attempt to get real results on the docks. Ziggy's deal with Double-G goes bad in a big way.

    Director:Rob Bailey
    Writers:Ed Burns, David Simon

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  16. The Wire Season 3 Episode 6 - Homecoming
    8.3/10(35 votes)

    #16 - Homecoming

    S3:E6

    "Just a gangster, I suppose." -- Avon Barksdale Stringer Bell gets an education in construction management; Bunk uses shoe-leather to catch up with Omar and deliver a searing message; a frustrated Colvin unleashes the troops on the corner boys, ignoring his new edict; Avon sends Cutty and Slim Charles against Marlo; Bubbles refocuses the picture for Greggs.

    Director:Leslie Libman
    Writers:David Simon, Rafael Alvarez

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  17. The Wire Season 3 Episode 10 - Reformation
    8.3/10(36 votes)

    #17 - Reformation

    S3:E10

    "Call it a crisis of leadership." -- Proposition Joe Brother Mouzone returns to Baltimore on a mission of revenge and casts a wide net in his search for Omar, who has his own plan. Colvin manages, for now, to put off a 'Sun' reporter inquiring about Amsterdam. Carver learns how much he doesn't know about good policing, while Pearlman and Daniels plead their case for a new kind of wiretap to Judge Phelan.

    Directors:Christine Moore, Ed Bianchi
    Writer:Ed Burns

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  18. The Wire Season 4 Episode 11 - A New Day
    8.3/10(31 votes)

    #18 - A New Day

    S4:E11

    "You play in dirt, you get dirty." - McNulty Randy has trouble with his friends at school, while Carcetti faces a huge dilemma. Meanwhile, Omar visits Proposition Joe, while Freamon reveals a secret.

    Director:Brad Anderson
    Writer:Ed Burns

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  19. The Wire Season 4 Episode 12 - That's Got His Own
    8.3/10(33 votes)

    #19 - That's Got His Own

    S4:E12

    "That all there is to it?" - Bubbles While searching for the missing bodies, Freamon goes around the chain of command after being rebuked by Landsman. Carcetti finds that his promises of raises could be undermined by the school debt, forcing him to consider groveling before the Governor for money to pay it off. Colvin tries to keep his experimental class funded. Bubbles considers taking extreme measures to get rid of the man who continues to steal from him. Prez is concerned about Dukie's academic promotion. Omar orchestrates another big sting while Namond and Cutty get a first-hand taste of the "new" Michael. Carver's promise to look out for Randy ends up looking empty.

    Director:Joe Chappelle
    Writer:George Pelecanos

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  20. The Wire Season 5 Episode 8 - Clarifications
    8.3/10(32 votes)

    #20 - Clarifications

    S5:E8

    "A lie ain't a side of a story. It's just a lie." - Terry Hanning A shift in the police department sends Carver to a new location. Meanwhile, Carcetti is forced to put his political future in jeopardy, Haynes digs deeper into Templeton's work, and an important case has a breakthrough by Sydnor, while Fletcher continues working with Bubbles.

    Director:Anthony Hemingway
    Writers:David Simon, Dennis Lehane

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  21. The Wire Season 3 Episode 7 - Back Burners
    8.2/10(35 votes)

    #21 - Back Burners

    S3:E7

    "Conscience do cost." -- Butchie Herc discovers a blast from the past, which he belatedly reveals to his ex-colleagues. Daniels blows a gasket over the real reason the detail was reassigned from an investigation in Pimlico to the Western District. Stringer Bell learns from Donette that she's told Brianna about McNulty's visit and that Brianna is likely to talk to him.

    Director:Tim Van Patten
    Writer:Joy Lusco

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  22. The Wire Season 3 Episode 12 - Mission Accomplished
    8.2/10(37 votes)

    #22 - Mission Accomplished

    S3:E12

    "...we fight on the lie." -- Slim Charles In the Season Three finale, a reticent Avon readies his troops for a war against Marlo. Meanwhile, as the detail works towards the top rungs of the Barksdale organization, McNulty reassesses his pursuit of Stringer Bell and the path he's chosen for himself. While Royce continues to grapple with Amsterdam, Burrell offers a deal to minimize the fallout.

    Director:Ernest R. Dickerson
    Writer:David Simon

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  23. The Wire Season 4 Episode 2 - Soft Eyes
    8.2/10(33 votes)

    #23 - Soft Eyes

    S4:E2

    "I still wake up white in a city that ain't." - Carcetti In the hopes of possibly saving her job, Pearlman and Freamon continue arguing over the subpoenas, as the election draws closer. Carcetti drops a bombshell on Royce during their televised debate, while Herc makes a shocking discovery about the Mayor himself. Marlo decides to help the young kids in their preparation for school. Namond gets some advice from his father. Bubbles decides to assist his business apprentice in getting an education, while Cutty continues his two jobs; landscaping and boxing mentor.

    Director:Christine Moore
    Writer:David Mills

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  24. The Wire Season 4 Episode 3 - Home Rooms
    8.2/10(32 votes)

    #24 - Home Rooms

    S4:E3

    "I love the first day, man. Everybody all friendly an' shit." - Namond Brice Prez is shocked by his students; Royce strikes back against Carcetti; Rawls begins to gut the major case unit from the inside; Colvin embarks on a new career.

    Director:Seith Mann
    Writer:Richard Price

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  25. The Wire Season 5 Episode 5 - React Quotes
    8.2/10(30 votes)

    #25 - React Quotes

    S5:E5

    "Just because they're in the street doesn't mean they lack opinions." - Haynes While the crew awaits a showdown with Omar, Marlo celebrates a business deal. Meanwhile, at the Sun, McNulty and Freamon take advantage of a development regarding the murder of the homeless people, while Dukie heads to Cutty's gym. Also, Herc does Carver a favor as a means to make amends for his past behavior, while Davis takes his case to the court of public opinion.

    Director:Agnieszka Holland
    Writers:David Simon, David Mills

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Best Episodes Summary

"Middle Ground" is the best rated episode of "The Wire". It scored 9/10 based on 40 votes. Directed by Joe Chappelle and written by George Pelecanos, it aired on 12/12/2004. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "Final Grades".