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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(39 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(34 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