HBO's The Wire celebrated its 20th anniversary on June 2, 2022. The five seasons of the series left behind an example of excellence and thought. Fans around the internet have gathered to discuss their favorite parts of the show, including voting on a Ranker page of the most important episodes.
With 60 episodes to choose from and none sticking out like a sore thumb as being of lower quality than the rest, narrowing down the 10 most important can be difficult. The series remains at a consistent quality, and many of its episodes have great moments and arcs.
Note: Ranker lists are live and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have changed after this publishing.
Margin of Error (Season 4, Episode 6)
The election for the Mayor of Baltimore is an arc that spans the third and fourth seasons and gives a true to life look at what being a politician means. Tommy Carcetti does seem to have fine intentions at the start, but the road to his election is taxing, and the culmination of his efforts shows in "Margin of Error."
The episode also explores the life of Namond, particularly his relationship with his mother and her demands for him to be a drug dealer. Between Clay Davis and De'Londa Brice, the episode examines how different types of people have a direct effect on the corruption and crime in the city.
Sentencing (Season 1, Episode 13)
Season 1 of The Wire is the most straight forward TV season. It follows an underdog cast in their pursuit of a big bad, formatted like many other shows. "Sentencing" is where we first see the big bad, Avon Barksdale, get taken down. But the message is clear that it's not a clean victory.
The man who's directly caused murders, and has flooded the streets with drugs, escapes the life sentence many hoped for. The Wire can be more about the perpetuation of the city's cycles than it is about the characters, and this episode's summation makes it clear that there's more to come despite Avon being behind bars.
Hamsterdam (Season 3, Episode 4)
The "Hamsterdam" project is one of the more outlandish plotlines of the series, as it's not based on any true events. Like the serial killer plotline in Season 5, "Hamsterdam" revolves around a law enforcement officer stretching the law to attempt to create a greater good, resulting in controversy.
Season 3 introduces 'Bunny' Colvin, one of The Wire's best characters, with "Hamsterdam" being the start of his season long experiment arc. The experiment involves legalizing drugs in a contained area, to help improve the rest of the city around it.
All Prologue (Season 2, Episode 6)
Season 2 is one of the more controversial seasons of The Wire, as it strays mainly from the drug crimes in Baltimore and narrows in on a plotline involving union workers on the docks. "All Prologue" steps away from that temporarily, continuing the storyline of Season 1 and the Barksdale Organization.
The episode has one of Omar's best moments, as he takes the stand and delivers the iconic line, "I got the shotgun. You got the briefcase." The episode also shows the tragic ending of D'Angelo Barksdale.
Boys of Summer (Season 4, Episode 1)
Season 4 of The Wire is considered by many fans to be one of the strongest seasons. The season derives from the core cast, particularly Jimmy McNulty, who's absentee for most of the season. "Boys of Summer," the season's opener, is a particularly important prologue to the season.
Showing the last days of summer vacation before the group of friends the season follows find themselves back in school, the episode essentially displays the final fragments of their childhood innocence. Unknowing at the time, the boys would all have their lives changed forever in the coming year, and reviewing the episode after having concluded the show makes it all the more impactful.
Cleaning Up (Season 1, Episode 12)
Wallace was a character many fans were emotionally attached to, which made "Cleaning Up" one of the more upsetting episodes of the series. Like with Season 4, the episode explores how the drug gangs in the world of The Wire effect children. Moments like that were why The Wire became a show that made so many viewers feel something.
The passing of Wallace is terrible, but does create friction in the Barksdale Organization when D'Angelo finds out. "Cleaning Up" prepares for the resolution to the season, offering climactic moments in the take down of Avon Barksdale.
Clarifications (Season 5, Episode 8)
Omar Little is one of The Wire's best characters, and "Clarifications" is where he meets his downfall. For that reason alone, the episode is impactful with one of the show's most shocking and saddening moments, particularly after the fact, as other characters hear about his passing.
The episode's other great moment revolves around McNulty's serial killer façade, when he listens to the profile of the fake killer that accurately describes him. The scene displays some of the surreal comedy The Wire can often have.
The Target (Season 1, Episode 1)
"The Target" establishes the series perfectly, setting up many of the show's plotlines. Detective Jimmy McNulty witnesses a homicide trial and connects that he'll have to tackle larger scale crime in order to prevent more deaths. It also introduces the concept of how the police force will be able to use modern technology to build up their cases.
The episode is complicated, taking no prisoners in its usage of legal terminology and different types of Baltimore dialect, as well as introducing characters of many different walks of life. "The Target" is an invaluable piece of The Wire.
Middle Ground (Season 3, Episode 11)
The duality between Stringer Bell and Avon Barksdale makes for some of the best drama in Season 3. With Avon hoping to stick to the ways of the street and fight the war with Marlo, Stringer advises him to move towards legitimacy and business. The conflict comes to its end in the episode with a tense showdown between Stringer, Omar and Brother Mouzone.
Knowing that both Stringer and Avon are planning to betray one another, the rooftop scene between the two is all the more impactful. The season ties up many of the storylines that had begun in Season 1, allowing for Season 4 to explore new tides.
Final Grades (Season 4, Episode 13)
The resolution of a great season has to be perfect, and "Final Grades" delivers. The episode concludes the stories of the four students Season 4 follows, carving out the paths for their future and permanently impacting their lives. It also concludes the plotline in the mayor's office regarding the funding for Baltimore's schools.
"Final Grades" caps The Wire's assessment of the education system in cities, showing how skewed it is against kids from lower income neighborhoods. The episode also tragically concludes Bodie's arc, putting the reign of terror Marlo Stanfield has enacted on full display.