The Best Episodes Written By George Pelecanos

Every TV Episode Written by George Pelecanos Ranked from Best to Worst by Thousands of Voters

  1. Background image for Middle Ground
    8.9/10(36 votes)

    #1 - Middle Ground

    Missing info
    S3:E11

    "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.

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  2. Background image for Wish Someone Would Care
    8.7/10(6 votes)

    #2 - Wish Someone Would Care

    Missing info
    S1:E9

    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.

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  3. Background image for Yes We Can
    8.7/10(3 votes)

    #3 - Yes We Can

    Missing info
    S4:E1

    Batiste helps a student in a sticky situation. Lambreaux teaches LaDonna the true meaning of "Mighty Kootie Fiyo." Hidalgo meets musician turned activist Davis McAlary. Sonny goes to "see a man about a horse," instead finds trouble. Manager Marvin Frey questions Annie's ambitions; she questions his intentions. Delmond gigs with the great Ellis Marsalis. No longer on the Avenue, Desautel is stumped about what to call her new restaurant. Colson asks to be transferred to a new district. Sofia votes yes to her mother's new living arrangement. Bernette bails out a friend. Obama is elected.

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  4. Background image for Bad Dreams
    8.6/10(35 votes)

    #4 - Bad Dreams

    Missing info
    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.

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  5. Background image for Late Editions
    8.5/10(29 votes)

    #5 - Late Editions

    Missing info
    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.

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  6. Background image for Cleaning Up
    8.4/10(37 votes)

    #6 - Cleaning Up

    Missing info
    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.

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  7. Background image for What is New Orleans?
    8.4/10(5 votes)

    #7 - What is New Orleans?

    Missing info
    S2:E9

    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.

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  8. Background image for That's Got His Own
    8.3/10(31 votes)

    #8 - That's Got His Own

    Missing info
    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.

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  9. Background image for Poor Man's Paradise
    8.3/10(3 votes)

    #9 - Poor Man's Paradise

    Missing info
    S3:E9

    Janette’s restaurant is the talk of the town, but the popularity of a signature dish has her chefs feeling the heat in the kitchen. Meanwhile, Colson’s strained relationship with the rest of the police department comes with a personal risk; Desiree confronts Nelson about his demolition contracts; Annie begins to tire of Davis’ sulky attitude; Albert meets the jazz center’s benefactors; and LaDonna finally finds out what’s behind all the threats she’s been getting.

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  10. Background image for This City
    8.3/10(3 votes)

    #10 - This City

    Missing info
    S4:E2

    Lambreaux takes Davina on a tour of his old neighborhood. Violence in the streets finds its way into Batiste's classroom. Desautel learns the hard way what's in a name; Bernette learns all is not as it should be at Orleans Parish Prison when she meets the parents of a deceased inmate. Annie takes in a show at One Eyed Jacks; takes home the lead singer. Delmond turns down a gig to be close to home and family. Tensions at work translate to tensions at home for Colson and Bernette. Hidalgo takes McAlary on a dinner date to talk business; LaDonna has a dinner date of her own with Lambreaux.

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  11. Background image for Chapter Four: Fugazi
    8.2/10(21 votes)

    #11 - Chapter Four: Fugazi

    Missing info
    S1:E4

    The bones investigation uncovers the family's dark past. As Bosch's court case reaches a climactic verdict, he gets caught up in a dangerous field trip with Waits, who may be setting him up. A stunning turn of events leads to a frantic citywide manhunt, and Bosch is back on the hot seat.

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  12. Background image for At the Foot of Canal Street
    8.2/10(6 votes)

    #12 - At the Foot of Canal Street

    Missing info
    S1:E4

    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.

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  13. Background image for Show and Prove
    8.2/10(18 votes)

    #13 - Show and Prove

    Missing info
    S1:E2

    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.

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  14. Background image for My Name is Ruby
    8.2/10(14 votes)

    #14 - My Name is Ruby

    Missing info
    S1:E8

    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.

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  15. Background image for Amsterdam
    8.0/10(32 votes)

    #15 - Amsterdam

    Missing info
    S3:E4

    "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.

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  16. Background image for Pilot
    7.9/10(17 votes)

    #16 - Pilot

    Missing info
    S1:E1

    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.

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  17. Background image for I See Money
    7.9/10(16 votes)

    #17 - I See Money

    Missing info
    S1:E4

    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.

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  18. Background image for Nobody Has to Get Hurt
    7.8/10(12 votes)

    #18 - Nobody Has to Get Hurt

    Missing info
    S2:E8

    Kiki finds new partners for a deal for Lori. Vincent visits his father for advice. C.C want to get payed for Red Hot.

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  19. Background image for Duck and Cover
    7.7/10(37 votes)

    #19 - Duck and Cover

    Missing info
    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.

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  20. Background image for Our Raison d'Etre
    7.3/10(15 votes)

    #20 - Our Raison d'Etre

    Missing info
    S2:E1

    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.

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  21. Background image for The Camera Loves You
    7.3/10(6 votes)

    #21 - The Camera Loves You

    Missing info
    S3:E1

    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.

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  22. Background image for Finish It
    7.0/10(7 votes)

    #22 - Finish It

    Missing info
    S3:E8

    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.

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  23. Background image for Part One
    6.8/10(12 votes)

    #23 - Part One

    Missing info
    S1:E1

    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.

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  24. Background image for Melbourne
    6.6/10(36 votes)

    #24 - Melbourne

    Missing info
    S1:E3

    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.

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  25. Background image for Part Five
    6.6/10(10 votes)

    #25 - Part Five

    Missing info
    S1:E5

    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.

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George Pelecanos Ratings Summary

"Middle Ground" is the best rated episode written by George Pelecanos. It scored 8.9/10 based on 36 votes. It was directed by Joe Chappelle. It aired on 12/12/2004 and is rated 0.2 points higher than their second-best episode, "Wish Someone Would Care".