8.8/1032 votes#1 - Middle Ground
Season 3 Episode 11 - Aired 12/12/2004
"We don't need to dream no more." -- Stringer Bell The wire begins to yield information about the Barksdale organization, though finding links to the top proves elusive. Stringer and Avon reflect on how far they've come, with each harboring plans for the future. Tipped by Burrell, Carcetti sees Amsterdam for himself and weighs the benefits against the political reality.
Director: Joe Chappelle
Writer: George Pelecanos
8.5/1031 votes#2 - Bad Dreams
Season 2 Episode 11 - Aired 8/17/2003
'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
8.4/105 votes#3 - Wish Someone Would Care
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 6/13/2010
Davis concocts a remedy for the post-Mardi Gras blues; Annie makes a decision that Sonny takes personally; Janette’s latest chef’s gig gets bogged down; Antoine becomes LaDonna’s unexpected benefactor; Colson warns Albert to avoid trouble on St. Joseph’s night; Creighton is inspired by a classic novel set in old New Orleans.
Director: Daniel Attias
Writer: George Pelecanos
8.4/1025 votes#4 - Late Editions
Season 5 Episode 9 - Aired 3/2/2008
"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
Writer: George Pelecanos
8.3/1032 votes#5 - Cleaning Up
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 9/1/2002
"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
8.2/105 votes#6 - At the Foot of Canal Street
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 5/2/2010
Antoine holidays with his kids in Baton Rouge while LaDonna and Toni look into a local case of mistaken identity. Davis and Creighton decide to take their pain to the masses, while Sonnie leaves Annie for a gig in Texas and Albert accepts an invitation for dinner.
Director: Anthony Hemingway
Writer: George Pelecanos
8.2/104 votes#7 - What is New Orleans?
Season 2 Episode 9 - Aired 6/19/2011
Davis is upstaged by an up-and-coming rapper; Albert's attention to detail irks Delmond; Nelson makes the best of a frustrating situation; Toni questions murder witnesses; Colson moves to the homicide division; LaDonna faces a difficult choice; Annie experiences the good and bad of New Orleans; Antoine changes his tune on his teaching gig. Cowritten by George Pelecanos and David Simon.
Director: Adam Davidson
Writer: George Pelecanos
8.2/1017 votes#8 - Show and Prove
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 9/17/2017
Vincent moves into a seedy hotel and contemplates an offer from mob capo Rudy Pipilo. Bobby hopes to take advantage of Vincent's new connections. Filmmaking intrigues Candy. C.C. shows Lori the benefits of having a pimp. Larry feels unsettled.
Director: Ernest R. Dickerson
Writer: George Pelecanos
8.2/1013 votes#9 - My Name is Ruby
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 10/29/2017
In the Season 1 finale, Vincent balks at getting in deeper with Rudy, as expansion fever hits Frankie and Bobby. Candy gets a taste of directing, and enjoys the red-carpet perks of a major premiere. Alston finds himself in limbo at his precinct. Abby changes up the Hi-Hat's clientele; Sandra faces editorial and legal hurdles; Vincent settles a score.
Director: Michelle MacLaren
Writer: George Pelecanos
8.1/1027 votes#10 - That's Got His Own
Season 4 Episode 12 - Aired 12/3/2006
"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
8.0/1028 votes#11 - Amsterdam
Season 3 Episode 4 - Aired 10/10/2004
"Why you got to go and fuck with the program?" -- Fruit West Baltimore residents get surprising straight talk at a community meeting from Major Colvin. Bubbles finds gainful employment; Stringer lunches uptown; and Bunk dangles the promise of immunity to a group of corner boys, in exchange for help. Greggs learns how Marlo takes care of business as Bubbles instructs her on the next big thing: disposable cell phones.
Director: Ernest R. Dickerson
Writer: George Pelecanos
7.9/1016 votes#12 - Pilot
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/10/2017
Twin brothers Vincent and Frankie Martino navigate their way through the rough-and-tumble world of 1971 Times Square. Vincent crosses paths with other midtown denizens while plotting to improve his situation. Abby gets enlisted to buy amphetamines.
Director: Michelle MacLaren
Writer: George Pelecanos
7.9/1015 votes#13 - I See Money
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/1/2017
Rudy dangles a lucrative offer in front of Vincent. Longo uses strong-arm tactics to restore order among Bobby's unhappy construction workers. Candy attracts unwanted attention and is intrigued by a legitimate suitor. Paul questions his place at the Hi-Hat. Frankie hits a hot streak. Darlene gets a gift from Abby. Alston sees through Sandra. Bristling after a police shakedown, Vincent adds muscle in the person of Black Frankie, a Vietnam war vet.
Director: Alex Hall
Writer: George Pelecanos
7.6/1033 votes#14 - Duck and Cover
Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 7/27/2003
'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: Daniel Attias
Writer: George Pelecanos
7.6/1011 votes#15 - Nobody Has to Get Hurt
Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 10/28/2018
Kiki finds new partners for a deal for Lori. Vincent visits his father for advice. C.C want to get payed for Red Hot.
Director: Tanya Hamilton
Writer: George Pelecanos
7.3/1014 votes#16 - Our Raison d'Etre
Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 9/9/2018
Times Square, 1977. Vincent is now proprietor of a new mob-backed disco, while his girlfriend Abby has brought the nascent punk-rock culture into the Hi-Hat. Vincent's twin brother Frankie remains a problem, "borrowing" money from the sex emporium he manages to pay off his debts. Meanwhile, Candy looks to make more artful, ambitious adult films.
Director: Alex Hall
Writer: George Pelecanos
7.2/105 votes#17 - The Camera Loves You
Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 9/9/2019
On the eve of 1985, a worn-out Vincent reconnects with his ex-wife, Andrea, as his open relationship with Abby grows more distant. Despite becoming a family man, Frankie continues his risky side hustles. With the newly dominant VHS format shaking up their industry, Candy and Harvey travel to Las Vegas for an adult film convention. Now a bartender at the Hi-Hat, Loretta becomes an active member of Women Against Pornography.
Director: Alex Hall
Writer: George Pelecanos
6.7/106 votes#18 - Finish It
Season 3 Episode 8 - Aired 10/28/2019
Big changes come to The Deuce as Gene sees opportunity in the city's public health crisis. Vincent looks to get out from under the mob's thumb and makes peace with Abby. Candy makes a critical choice in her relationship with Hank. Series finale.
Director: Roxann Dawson
Writer: George Pelecanos
6.6/108 votes#19 - Part One
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 4/25/2022
Sgt. Wayne Jenkins gives a lecture to cadets, while investigators Erika Jensen and John Sieracki question Momodu Gondo about his connection to a known drug dealer. Attorney Nicole Steele looks into complaints against notorious cop Daniel Hersl. Then, after an overdose death in Hartford County, David McDougall tracks the source of the drugs to Baltimore.
Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Writer: George Pelecanos
6.5/1032 votes#20 - Melbourne
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 3/28/2010
Physically and mentally debilitated after the four-month ordeal on Guadalcanal, Leckie, Basilone and thousands of their comrades land in Melbourne, where they are greeted by adoring crowds and viewed as the saviors of Australia. While his buddies carouse, Leckie becomes deeply attached to an Australian woman and her first-generation Greek family. Meanwhile, Basilone is awarded the Medal of Honor and is asked to return home to help sell U.S. war bonds.
Director: Jeremy Podeswa
Writer: George Pelecanos
6.5/104 votes#21 - Me Donkey Want Water
Season 3 Episode 3 - Aired 10/7/2012
Janette, Aunt Mimi and Annie commit to new deals, with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Toni may have found the killer she seeks, but Terry is still looking for his; L.P. meets his victim’s family; Antoine plays his bone in Texas; Sonny plays his music closer to home.
Director: Adam Davidson
Writer: George Pelecanos
6.5/106 votes#22 - Part Five
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 5/23/2022
Jensen, Sieracki, and U.S. Attorney Leo Wise prepare to charge the officers of the GTTF. Suiter feels the distrust of Baltimoreans as he works a homicide scene and begins to sense that his past is closing in on him. Steele and Davis seek support from Baltimore’s new mayor on the consent decree before the new administration takes over the DOJ.
Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Writer: George Pelecanos
5.8/105 votes#23 - That's a Wrap
Season 3 Episode 7 - Aired 10/21/2019
A struggling Lori turns to Candy for help before revisiting The Deuce. Candy makes a surprising deal to secure funding for her film. Abby takes a stand against the latest phase of Midtown redevelopment. Tommy explains the new world order to Vincent.
Director: Alex Hall
Writer: George Pelecanos
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George Pelecanos Ratings Summary
"Middle Ground" is the best rated episode written by George Pelecanos. It scored 8.8/10 based on 32 votes. It was directed by Joe Chappelle. It aired on 12/12/2004 and is rated 0.3 points higher than their second-best episode, "Bad Dreams".