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The Worst Episodes of The Wire

Every episode of The Wire ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst 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 Worst Episode
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    The Wire Season 2 Episode 7 - Backwash
    7.3/10(40 votes)

    #1 - Backwash

    S2:E7

    'Don't worry, kid. You're still on the clock.' -- Horseface Russell tells Sobotka the investigation is over, but, in fact, a port computer is cloned, and when a container goes missing, the detectives follow. Simultaneously, Greggs and Prez tap into a circuit of Russian prostitutes. With two sets of evidence, the detail goes to Pearlman. Neither crime merits wiretap--but a drug connect could give the case legs.

    Director:Thomas J. Wright
    Writer:Rafael Alvarez

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  2. The Wire Season 1 Episode 1 - The Target
    7.4/10(74 votes)

    #2 - The Target

    S1:E1

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

    Director:Clark Johnson
    Writer:David Simon

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  3. The Wire Season 2 Episode 8 - Duck and Cover
    7.6/10(41 votes)

    #3 - Duck and Cover

    S2:E8

    'How come they don't fly away?' -- Ziggy McNulty is back to his old self, on a drunken binge. Urged by fellow stevedores to fight Maui, Ziggy is again humiliated. Worried about McNulty, Bunk tries to get Daniels and Rawls to take him on. After some labor, the wiretap is up--just in time to catch another disappearing can. Sobotka meets with The Greek and Vondas, and they decide to change up.

    Director:Dan Attias
    Writer:George Pelecanos

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  4. The Wire Season 1 Episode 4 - Old Cases
    7.7/10(51 votes)

    #4 - Old Cases

    S1:E4

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

    Director:Clement Virgo
    Writer:David Simon

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  5. The Wire Season 1 Episode 5 - The Pager
    7.7/10(51 votes)

    #5 - The Pager

    S1:E5

    "..a little slow, a little late." - Avon Barksdale. McNulty's detail finally gets 'clone' pagers to track Barksdale and his gang, but nobody can crack the codes used by the callers. Meanwhile, Bell instructs D'Angelo on how to school his lookouts while simultaneously flushing out a possible snitch. Later, Carver and Herc find Bodie, but their interrogation doesn't turn up results.

    Directors:Clark Johnson, Peter Medak
    Writers:Ed Burns, David Simon

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  6. The Wire Season 2 Episode 4 - Hard Cases
    7.7/10(40 votes)

    #6 - Hard Cases

    S2:E4

    'If I hear the music, I'm gonna dance.' -- Greggs Sobotka reprimands his nephew Nick for stealing the cameras and orders him to bring the cargo back--too late. McNulty is on a self-assigned moral mission to identify his floater, but his old partner, Bunk, says they have a more pressing matter at hand: to find Omar so he can testify against a Barksdale trigger man in one of last year's murders.

    Director:Elodie Keene
    Writer:Joy Lusco

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  7. The Wire Season 3 Episode 3 - Dead Soldiers
    7.7/10(38 votes)

    #7 - Dead Soldiers

    S3:E3

    "The gods will not save you." -- Burrell Colvin feels the sting of Burrell and Rawls during a Comstat assessment of his district's felony numbers; a blown wiretap forces Daniels's detail to turn to a new target; Proposition Joe cautions Stringer Bell that the police have been tapping phones. Carcetti continues to curry favor in Mayor Royce's inner circle.

    Directors:Rob Bailey, Rob Baieu
    Writer:Dennis Lehane

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  8. The Wire Season 1 Episode 3 - The Buys
    7.8/10(54 votes)

    #8 - The Buys

    S1:E3

    "The king stay the king." - D'Angelo. The early-morning 'field interviews' by Herc, Carver and Prez result in a minor riot, a boy losing an eye and some bad publicity for the department. On the other side of the law, D'Angelo teaches Wallace and Bodie how to play the game (chess) and later impresses Bell with his 'take' from the low-rises.

    Director:Peter Medak
    Writer:David Simon

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  9. The Wire Season 2 Episode 6 - All Prologue
    7.8/10(41 votes)

    #9 - All Prologue

    S2:E6

    'It don't matter that some fool say he different...' -- D'Angelo Trying to let go of police work and return to his marriage, McNulty gives up on identifying his Jane Doe. In their investigation of Sobotka, the detectives discover a pattern in the computer and explain the connection to Daniels, but he still won't take the murders. Sobotka tries to play the political game on behalf of his union.

    Director:Steve Shill
    Writer:David Simon

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  10. The Wire Season 2 Episode 9 - Stray Rounds
    7.8/10(38 votes)

    #10 - Stray Rounds

    S2:E9

    'The world is a smaller place now.' -- The Greek Bodie's effort to improve sales ends disastrously, forcing Bell to rethink his strategy. Ziggy pulls Johnny Fifty into a new caper that should make the Greeks pay off big. McNulty, undercover and outnumbered in the brothel, awaits 'rescue.' Daniels and Pearlman stay cool as Valcheck fumes over the change of targets--and Burrell pulls the rug out from under him.

    Director:Tim Van Patten
    Writer:David Simon

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  11. The Wire Season 4 Episode 1 - Boys of Summer
    7.8/10(33 votes)

    #11 - Boys of Summer

    S4:E1

    "Lambs to the slaughter here." - Marcia Donnelly Four West Baltimore boys wrestle with what to do with the rest of their summer vacation as the new fall school year approaches. Bodie deals with his corner running slower than usual so he decides to take on a runner. Marlo believes he has finally solved the problem that Stringer could never figure out. Freamon, Greggs, and Sydnor go to Pearlman to see if she will issue City Hall subpoenas. Meanwhile, the mayoral race heats up as Mayor Royce and his primary challenger, Tommy Carcetti each hit campaign trail. Prez begins preparing for his new career in higher education, while McNulty ends up turning down a promotion.

    Director:Joe Chappelle
    Writer:David Simon

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  12. The Wire Season 4 Episode 9 - Know Your Place
    7.8/10(33 votes)

    #12 - Know Your Place

    S4:E9

    "Might as well dump 'em, get another." - Proposition Joe Herc and Dozerman search for Little Kevin; Omar gets out of jail; Carcetti has his first meeting with the City Council; Prez and the teachers begin teaching the test; Proposition Joe lets Marlo know Major Crimes is after him; Bubbles looks to Kima and Herc to help him out; Bubbles delivers Little Kevin to Herc; Old Face Andre goes into hiding but Proposition Joe sells him out; Bug's father gets in Michael's face; Michael takes his problems to Marlo; Daniels and Valchek gets promoted; Omar and Renaldo monitor Marlo's activities.

    Director:Alex Zakrzewski
    Writer:Kia Corthron

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  13. The Wire Season 5 Episode 1 - More with Less
    7.8/10(33 votes)

    #13 - More with Less

    S5:E1

    "The bigger the lie, the more they believe." - Bunk Moreland. McNulty and the detail continue to stake out Marlo and his crew. Recently promoted Sergeant Carver is met with complaints concerning unpaid overtime. Meanwhile, Haynes deals with cutbacks, but is still able to expose a politician's connection to a drug dealer; and Joe, Marlo, Fatface Rick meet to divide up the drug trade across Baltimore.

    Director:Joe Chappelle
    Writer:David Simon

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  14. The Wire Season 1 Episode 8 - Lessons
    7.9/10(43 votes)

    #14 - Lessons

    S1:E8

    "Come at the king, you best not miss." - Omar. An unlikely source gives McNulty the tag of a car driven by Stringer Bell. Meanwhile, Greggs and Carver bust a congressional aide carrying dirty cash, but are forced to let him go. Omar earns his 'loose cannon' moniker.

    Director:Gloria Muzio
    Writer:David Simon

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  15. The Wire Season 2 Episode 1 - Ebb Tide
    7.9/10(40 votes)

    #15 - Ebb Tide

    S2:E1

    'Ain't never gonna be what it was.' -- Little Big Roy Det. Jimmy McNulty--exiled to police-boat duty--makes a shocking discovery in the Baltimore harbor. Bodie drives to Philly to make a connection for the Barksdale crew and Stringer Bell takes the train to New York to feel out the crew's reticent suppliers.

    Directors:Ed Bianchi, Steve Shill
    Writer:David Simon

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  16. The Wire Season 2 Episode 2 - Collateral Damage
    7.9/10(40 votes)

    #16 - Collateral Damage

    S2:E2

    'They can chew you up, but they gotta spit you out.' -- McNulty Major Valchek gets back at Sobotka for the church gift fiasco, and a feud begins. Valchek ups the ante by asking Deputy Commissioner Burrell for a detail to go after Sobotka. Avon Barksdale continues to run his empire from a prison cell--counseling his nephew D'Angelo and going after a guard who is harassing the organization's convicted hit-man Wee-Bey.

    Director:Ed Bianchi
    Writer:David Simon

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  17. The Wire Season 2 Episode 5 - Undertow
    7.9/10(37 votes)

    #17 - Undertow

    S2:E5

    'They used to make steel there, no?' -- Spiros Vondas Ziggy loses his prized Camaro to drug dealers. Unable to dump the homicide investigation on other agencies, Rawls measures Bunk for the blame, if the cases go unsolved. Homicide detectives hand out grand jury summonses to stevedores involved in the homicide case, and port cop Beadie Russell talks to an old boyfriend to find out how cargo disappears from the docks.

    Director:Steve Shill
    Writers:Ed Burns, David Simon

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  18. The Wire Season 3 Episode 1 - Time After Time
    7.9/10(37 votes)

    #18 - Time After Time

    S3:E1

    "Don't matter how many times you get burnt, you just keep doin' the same." -- Bodie A wave of urban reform brings down the notorious Franklin Terrace public housing towers, forcing the Barksdale drug crew to find a new home. Stringer Bell uses a new sales strategy as he awaits Avon's return. McNulty and the Detail look to make a case against Stringer with a wiretap on a drug ring run by Proposition Joe.

    Director:Ed Bianchi
    Writer:David Simon

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  19. The Wire Season 3 Episode 5 - Straight and True
    7.9/10(37 votes)

    #19 - Straight and True

    S3:E5

    "I had such fuckin' hopes for us." -- McNulty Frustrated in his grass-roots reform efforts, Colvin arms himself with intelligence from Daniels's detail and personally delivers a message to the next level of corner management. McNulty sees Stringer Bell's legitimate business dealings as a sign that he is now unreachable as a drug target. Bubbles shakes the tree for Johnny one more time.

    Director:Dan Attias
    Writers:Ed Burns, David Simon

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  20. The Wire Season 3 Episode 9 - Slapstick
    7.9/10(38 votes)

    #20 - Slapstick

    S3:E9

    "...while you're waiting for moments that never come." -- Freamon Responding to an officer's call for help, McNulty and Prez turn down the wrong alley, with unanticipated results. A Barksdale crew violates the unspoken Sunday truce with gunplay, increasing discontent among the New Day Co-op members. Stymied in his effort to open a gym, Cutty is surprised to find help from within Baltimore's power structure.

    Director:Alex Zakrzewski
    Writer:David Simon

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  21. The Wire Season 4 Episode 4 - Refugees
    7.9/10(33 votes)

    #21 - Refugees

    S4:E4

    "No one wins. One side just loses more slowly." - Prez Freamon and Greggs move to Homicide, while Herc and Dozerman join Marimow in the lackluster Major Crimes Unit. Cutty gets a "custodial" job at Tilghman School picking up truants, but struggles to make progress while trying to mentor Michael. Bubbles works to get Sherrod back in school as an 8th grader. Burrell finds a way to sabotage the state-witness murder investigation before the election, impacting Greggs. Prez's struggles as a teacher continue while Bodie finds himself working for a new "company". Meanwhile, Colvin pitches his pilot program to the middle school and Carcetti meets with a constituency when he knows that they won't support him regardless of what he says. Randy is faced with a dilemma after being busted for his candy scam and Proposition Joe plays Marlo in a high-stakes heist.

    Director:Jim McKay
    Writer:Dennis Lehane

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  22. The Wire Season 4 Episode 7 - Unto Others
    7.9/10(31 votes)

    #22 - Unto Others

    S4:E7

    "Aw yeah. That golden rule." - The Bunk Omar calls in a favor to the police; Carcetti gets advice from the ex-mayor and then Mayor Royce and his team; Cutty finds out why Spider has been avoiding him and explains to the rest of his boxers that it won't happen again; Prez makes a break through with his students; Herc loses his camera; Greggs solves the Braddock case with soft eyes; Bubbles gets robbed repeatedly and searches for Sherrod; Namond begins to work a package and finds it hard to get suspended from school; Daniels catches Carcetti's eye.

    Director:Anthony Hemingway
    Writer:William F. Zorzi

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  23. The Wire Season 5 Episode 7 - Took
    7.9/10(30 votes)

    #23 - Took

    S5:E7

    "They don't teach it in law school." - Pearlman After cooking up another scheme for the homeless case, McNulty and Lester become popular figures. Davis is set for his day in court by collecting the best legal assistance money can buy. Plus, Michael has brushes with the wrong side of the law, while Gus seeks help for an old story by going outside the Sun.

    Director:Dominic West
    Writers:David Simon, Richard Price

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  24. The Wire Season 1 Episode 2 - The Detail
    8.0/10(55 votes)

    #24 - The Detail

    S1:E2

    "You cannot lose if you do not play." - Marla Daniels. McNulty feels the heat when a witness who testified against D'Angelo is found murdered. Meanwhile, Greggs is given the lay of the land regarding Avon Barksdale's key players, and Herc, Carver and Prez find big-time trouble at the towers.

    Director:Clark Johnson
    Writer:David Simon

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  25. The Wire Season 2 Episode 3 - Hot Shots
    8.0/10(38 votes)

    #25 - Hot Shots

    S2:E3

    'What they need is a union.' -- Russell Bunk and Freamon chase their crime scene, a container ship, to Philly. Lt. Cedric Daniels--disgusted with his exile to the evidence control unit--makes it known that he's leaving. On orders from Barksdale, Bell finds a way to set up the correctional officer who's been harassing Wee-Bey. McNulty pursues the identity of the Jane Doe found floating in the harbor.

    Director:Elodie Keene
    Writer:David Simon

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Worst Episodes Summary

"Backwash" is the worst rated episode of "The Wire". It scored 7.3/10 based on 40 votes. Directed by Thomas J. Wright and written by Rafael Alvarez, it aired on 7/13/2003. This episode scored 0.1 points lower than the second lowest rated, "The Target".