Port in a Storm (The Wire episode)
Encyclopedia
"Port in a Storm" is the twelfth and final episode of the second season of the HBO original series, The Wire
. The episode was written by David Simon
from a story by David Simon & Ed Burns
and was directed by Robert F. Colesberry
. It originally aired on August 24, 2003.
. The "storm" includes the death of Frank Sobotka, the progression of the trials of several port characters as well as U.S. Marshals taking over the checker's union hall.
The title is also a reference to the proverb: "Any port in a storm". The proverb tries to say that in an emergency, people will take any help from any source, regardless of the unpleasantness of it.
"Have You Ever Seen the Rain?
" by Joan Jett
plays at the bar where the detail drown their sorrows. The Steve Earle
song "I Feel Alright
" plays over the closing montage. Earle has a small recurring role as a drug counselor named Walon but does not appear in this season. Earle also sings Tom Waits
' "Way Down in the Hole
" for the fifth season opening credits of the show.
Although credited, Jim True-Frost
does not appear in this episode.
. Meanwhile, Nick Sobotka
goes looking for Frank as he did not return from his meeting with The Greek
, finding Frank's car still at the meeting place. He goes to the docks, where he sees Frank's body brought ashore.
In Frank's office, Nick has to be restrained from going after The Greek by the other stevedores, reminding him of Ziggy's fate. His father, Louis, arrives, and then takes Nick to Southeastern headquarters to turn himself in. Freamon happens to overhear Nick's processing, and when he learns he's a Sobotka, brings him to the detail.
The Greek meets with Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos
and they discuss their plans. The Greek decides to leave Nick alone because the police are after him. The Greek decides Nick poses little threat as he does not know his name (even his nationality is false) and Spiros can easily use another name. Spiros asks what to do with their shipment on the docks and The Greek decides it is safest to walk away and abandon it.
Later, the FBI visit the union hall and tell them that they need to change their leadership or the union will be decertified. Ott responds by withdrawing from the election and standing behind the deceased Sobotka's re-election. It leads to the union's decertification and the seizure of the local office by the US Marshals.
visits Brother Mouzone's bedside at the hospital and tells him they will catch whoever was responsible for his shooting. Mouzone coolly informs Stringer that he needs no assistance from them and that he will find those responsible on his own. Stringer incriminates himself when he jumps at Mouzone's use of a plural when describing his attackers.
Bubbles
and Johnny spot a drug addict who has overdosed on the new more powerful package. While Johnny keeps watch Bubbles attempts to steal medical supplies from the responding ambulance. Officer Santangelo apprehends them and they end up in an interrogation room in the Southeastern district. Detectives Kima Greggs
and Jimmy McNulty
discuss Bubbles' options with him; they insist that he give them some information to secure the charges against him being dropped. Bubbles claims to have little to tell them; Johnny reminds him of Brother Mouzone shooting Melvin "Cheese" Wagstaff. Bubbles tells the detectives that the shooting was nothing as Mouzone used a "rat round". He tells them about the East side drug dealers moving in on Avon Barksdale
's towers. Bubbles describes the situation as Bell and the Eastsiders sharing. Bubbles finally lets them know about the change in the quality of product being slung by the Barksdale organization. Bubbles's revelations prompt Kima and McNulty to start surveiling the towers where they see the two crews working alongside one another.
Omar Little
discusses Brother Mouzone with Butchie. Butchie reassures Omar that Mouzone could not have been involved in Brandon's death, since his business is "all New York and Philly." Butchie comments that Avon, Stringer and Avon's father are all pure evil. Realizing that Stringer set him up, Omar promises Butchie that he will get his revenge.
Spiros and Proposition Joe
meet in the park to discuss their future business. Spiros assures Proposition Joe that he has new people coming in to restart their operation. When Joe asks where they are moving to, Spiros smirks and walks away in silence.
Stringer meets with Avon in prison to discuss Brother Mouzone's failure to protect their territory. Avon worries that if they cannot maintain their reputation they will lose their business. Avon chastises Stringer for asking Mouzone who attacked him. Avon finally accepts that they must work with Prop Joe. They conclude their meeting with the usual gesture of mutual loyalty, but Avon is noticeably hesitant to bring his fist to the glass and it is clear that he is unhappy with Stringer. Stringer meets with Proposition Joe to give him the good news, and Joe informs Stringer that their resupply will have a slight delay. Their encounter is photographed by Greggs and McNulty.
, Greggs and Lester Freamon
discuss the disappearance of their Greek suspects and the identity of the mysterious man that Spiros met with. Not yet knowing of Sobokta's murder, Greggs reassures Daniels that the union leader's cooperation could still break the case for them.
Daniels meets with Major Valchek
and makes a case for Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski's career after he punched Valchek in the detail office. Daniels successfully maneuvers Valchek into not making a charge against Prez by pointing out to him the witness statements collected after that record Valchek insulting a subordinate officer (Daniels points out that even if members of his unit cheated on the statement, the FBI members in the office would not). Valchek then agrees that Prez can return to the detail after two months of midnight shift narcotics work in the Southeastern district followed by a written letter of apology to everyone in the room acknowledging that he assaulted Valchek unprovoked. At the same time, Valchek expresses his dislike for Prez, stating that he is burdensome and that he had warned his daughter not to marry Prez. Valchek furthermore says he has only guided Prez through the department on his daughter's behalf.
At the Southeastern intake desk, Freamon is collecting photographs of headless and handless corpses that Landsman provided. Freamon happens to be nearby when Nick Sobotka turns himself in and reacts when Nick states his surname as "Sobotka." Meanwhile, Daniels, Pearlman and the FBI team meet with Acting Commissioner Ervin Burrell
and Colonel William Rawls
to discuss the case. With Sobotka dead just before he was going to act as their informant, Pearlman tells them that the case has stalled. Daniels reminds them of the arrests they have made so far. Though the FBI has little to show in the way of arrests, the unit is happy just to have enough evidence to force the union to change its leadership or face decertification. Rawls is still irked that his fourteen Jane Doe homicides remain unsolved; Pearlman and Daniels have no answers for him. Freamon phones Daniels during the meeting to tell him that Nick Sobotka has come in and is ready to talk.
Rhonda Pearlman
and Daniels interview Nick in the detail office. He reveals Spiros' offer to help Ziggy Sobotka
that lured Frank to their meeting. Freamon reveals to Nick that Ziggy signed a confession, so leaning on the witness is unlikely to have freed him from the murder charge. Nick tells them that he found Frank's car. He gives them information on everyone he can on their board including Spiros, Eton Ben-Eleazer and Sergei. He links Sergei to the killing of the crewman in Philadelphia by hearsay. Finally Nick identifies The Greek in the photograph which serendipitously captured him in the foreground, but is unable to give them anything beyond that.
Freamon tells Agent Terrence "Fitz" Fitzhugh it is best to keep Nick's involvement quiet. Fitz pauses before faxing the paperwork and then decides to check on Agent Koutris. He is dismayed to learn that Koutris has been gone from San Diego for a year and has transferred to the FBI's counter-terrorism office in Washington.
Thomas "Herc" Hauk and Ellis Carver
are left waiting outside Nick Sobotka's home. Herc convinces Carver that they have to leave the detail to get any respect. They become increasingly frustrated with their waiting game and eventually tell Nick's father that Nick must give himself up. They are outraged when he tells them that Nick has been in custody for over 12 hours already. Angrily, they march to Daniels' office where they tell Daniels they feel like they are not being properly used in the detail. Daniels pleads that surveillance is part of the job but Carver feels that they are being treated like pack mules and that Daniels disregards his rank in the department. Carver then points out a post in the Western district working as a D.E.U. sergeant for Major Colvin that he is going to request a transfer into, given the unit's street work and as recognition of Carver's rank. Herc follows leaving the unit to do more exciting police work.
Freamon and Bunk Moreland
try to identify the body of the Philadelphia crewman from their records of headless and handless corpses. Beadie Russell
and Bunk travel to the Philadelphia port to ask more questions about their crewman's disappearance and after little success the officer finally reveals that they keep security tapes on file. A review of the tapes shows the license plate of a car rented by Sergei, placing him at the scene of the murder of the crewman. When confronted with the footage in an interrogation room, Sergei finally begins to talk and gives up Vondas for the murder of the crewman who he implicates in the death of the girls. Sergei's account wraps up the murders of the fourteen Jane Does, much to Rawls' delight.
Meanwhile, Kima and Cheryl shop for baby products and Kima's downbeat attitude over her impending parenthood prompts a tart rebuke from Cheryl.
Back at the detail office, McNulty and Kima check with Lester Freamon
about information on Proposition Joe's supply uptake from The Greeks. They learn that he recently doubled his order.
Nick, Ashley and Aimee are placed in protective custody by the FBI. Nick tells Aimee they finally have a place together. The following day Nick leaves their motel to head for work. La La tells him there is only one ship so their lack of seniority means another day without work.
At the docks, the detail finds The Greek's last shipment of drugs and decide to keep watch on it. Bunk reports his information on Sergei to Daniels who presses him for more information on The Greek. Sergei reveals a location that The Greek uses for meetings. Daniels moves on the Greek's hotel swiftly but is once again a step behind - Spiros and The Greek are shown checking in for a flight at an airport.
With their case work over, members of the detail drink in a bar. Greggs and McNulty use their photos of Bell and Proposition Joe to convince Daniels that they could be a target for the major case unit. Fitz tells Daniels that the leak was from his agency, and apologizes. Frank Sobotka continues to haunt Major Valchek from beyond the grave - he opens a letter from Brisbane, Australia with a photo of the surveillance van that is still making its way around the globe one port at a time. Valchek whispers "rest in peace" in Polish on behalf of Sobotka.
and other Baltimore politicians break ground on the condominiums that will replace the grain pier—demonstrating the futility of Sobotka's efforts to save the pier; Beadie Russell returns to work at the docks with the port police; during a pensive moment, Freamon dismantles the detail's investigative board, leaving up the photo of The Greek; the drug trade continues in the Southeastern district with Frog's crew finally driving an old woman to sell her home; Poot Carr
and Puddin warily watch the police cruise their territory; the stevedores get drunk on a street corner; Proposition Joe takes a shipment of drugs from the back of a truck; the truck also dispatches a group of disoriented women—business as usual for the drug and prostitution trade; and finally a series of images of industrial decay around the docks flashes on screen. The montage concludes, and the season concludes as Nick walks away and rain begins to pour.
The WIRE
the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
. The episode was written by David Simon
David Simon
David Simon is an American author, journalist, and a writer/producer of television series. He worked for the Baltimore Sun City Desk for twelve years. He wrote Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets and co-wrote The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood with Ed Burns...
from a story by David Simon & Ed Burns
Ed Burns
Ed Burns is a producer, screenwriter, and novelist. He has worked closely with writing partner David Simon. They have collaborated on The Corner and The Wire . Burns is a former Baltimore police detective for the Homicide and Narcotics divisions, and a public school teacher...
and was directed by Robert F. Colesberry
Robert F. Colesberry
Robert F. "Bob" Colesberry, Jr. was an American film and television producer and first assistant director notable for his work as a producer on the Emmy Award winning miniseries The Corner, the Peabody Award winning television series The Wire for HBO, and the Oscar-nominated movie Mississippi...
. It originally aired on August 24, 2003.
Title reference
The title refers to the turmoil taking place at the port, as foreshadowed by the previous episode title Storm WarningsStorm Warnings (The Wire episode)
"Storm Warnings" is the tenth episode of the second season of the HBO original series, The Wire. The episode was written by Ed Burns from a story by David Simon & Ed Burns and was directed by Rob Bailey. It originally aired on August 10, 2003....
. The "storm" includes the death of Frank Sobotka, the progression of the trials of several port characters as well as U.S. Marshals taking over the checker's union hall.
The title is also a reference to the proverb: "Any port in a storm". The proverb tries to say that in an emergency, people will take any help from any source, regardless of the unpleasantness of it.
Epigraph
In this quote The Greek refers to the fact that everything they do is for the business they are running, from the manipulation of the ports to their own names and lives. They are twisting the world to meet their own ends but they are also part of the institutions.Music
A cover version of Creedence Clearwater Revival'sCreedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
"Have You Ever Seen the Rain?
Have You Ever Seen the Rain?
"Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" is a song written by John Fogerty and released in 1970 on the album Pendulum by American roots rock group Creedence Clearwater Revival. The song charted highest in Canada, reaching number one on the RPM 100 national album chart in March 1971. In the U.S., it peaked at...
" by Joan Jett
Joan Jett
Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
plays at the bar where the detail drown their sorrows. The Steve Earle
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
song "I Feel Alright
I Feel Alright
I Feel Alright is a studio album by Steve Earle. The album was released on March 5, 1996.- Track listing :All songs written by Steve Earle# "Feel Alright" — 3:04# "Hard-Core Troubadour" — 2:41# "More Than I Can Do" — 2:37...
" plays over the closing montage. Earle has a small recurring role as a drug counselor named Walon but does not appear in this season. Earle also sings Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
' "Way Down in the Hole
Franks Wild Years
Franks Wild Years is an album by Tom Waits, released 1987 on Island Records. Subtitled "Un Operachi Romantico in Two Acts", the album contains songs written by Waits and collaborators for a play of the same name...
" for the fifth season opening credits of the show.
Guest stars
- Seth GilliamSeth GilliamSeth Gilliam is an American actor. He is known for his HBO television roles, first as corrections officer-turned-prisoner Clayton Hughes on Oz, and later as Baltimore police detective promoted to sergeant Ellis Carver on The Wire. On both of these series, he co-starred with Lance Reddick and J.D....
as Detective Ellis CarverEllis CarverEllis Carver is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Seth Gilliam. Carver is an African American lieutenant and formerly in command of the Baltimore Police Department's Western District Drug Enforcement Unit... - Domenick LombardozziDomenick LombardozziDomenico "Domenick" Lombardozzi is an American actor best known for his role as Thomas "Herc" Hauk on The Wire. Lombardozzi was inspired to act by the film State of Grace.-Filmography:...
as Detective Thomas "Herc" Hauk - Jim True-FrostJim True-FrostJim True-Frost, born Jim True, is an American stage, television and screen actor. He is most known for his portrayal of Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski on all five seasons of the HBO program The Wire.-Biography:...
as Detective Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski - James RansoneJames RansoneJames Ransone is an American actor and former musician from Baltimore, Maryland. He is best known for his roles as Ziggy Sobotka in the second season of HBO's The Wire, and Corporal Josh Ray Person in the Iraq War-based mini-series Generation Kill...
as Ziggy SobotkaZiggy SobotkaChester Karol "Ziggy" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor James Ransone. Though his father Frank Sobotka was a well-respected stevedore union leader, Ziggy's often reckless and juvenile behavior gained him little respect among other members of the union and... - Pablo SchreiberPablo SchreiberPablo Tell Schreiber is an American actor known for his dramatic stage work and for his portrayal of the Polish-American character Nick Sobotka on HBO's Baltimore drug-related crime drama The Wire. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in Awake and Sing! on Broadway...
as Nick SobotkaNick SobotkaNickolas Andrew "Nick" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Pablo Schreiber. the character of Nick is cousin to, Ziggy Sobotka, the wayward and rebellious son to his uncle Frank Sobotka... - Melanie Nicholls-King as Cheryl
- Michael Potts as Brother Mouzone
- Bill RaymondBill RaymondBill Raymond is an actor who has appeared in film, television and theatre since the 1960s.-Life and career:He featured in the second and fifth seasons of the HBO drama The Wire as "The Greek", the mysterious head of an international criminal organization. Other TV appearances include Miami Vice,...
as The GreekThe Greek (The Wire)The Greek is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Bill Raymond. The Greek is the head of an international criminal organization involved in narcotics and human trafficking.... - Michael K. WilliamsMichael K. WilliamsMichael Kenneth Williams is an American actor known for his portrayal of Omar Little on the HBO drama series The Wire, and of Albert "Chalky" White on HBO's Boardwalk Empire.-Early life and career:...
as Omar LittleOmar LittleOmar Devone Little is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, portrayed by Michael K. Williams. Omar is a renowned stick-up man who lives by a strict moral code and never deviates from his rules, foremost of which is that he never robs or menaces people who are not involved in "the game".... - Maria Broom as Marla Daniels
- Al Brown as Major Stanislaus ValchekStanislaus ValchekStanislaus "Stan" Valchek is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Al Brown.-Biography:Valchek is the Polish-American commander of the Southeastern district, home to many of the remaining white ethnic neighborhoods in Baltimore...
- Robert F. ChewRobert F. ChewRobert F. Chew is an American actor from Baltimore, Maryland. He starred in the HBO television drama series The Wire as manipulative drug kingpin Proposition Joe on all five seasons of the show...
as Proposition JoeProposition JoeJoseph "Proposition Joe" Stewart is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire played by actor Robert F. Chew. Joe is an Eastside drug kingpin who preferred a peaceful solution to business disputes when possible... - Kristin ProctorKristin ProctorKristin Proctor is a Norwegian-American actress. She is the daughter of actor Phil Proctor and Television producer Barbro Semmingsen....
as Aimee - Tray ChaneyTray ChaneyTray Chaney is an American actor. He appeared on the HBO program The Wire as Poot Carr.Chaney began his entertainment career as a dancer at the age of four winning competitions at the Apollo Theater. He appeared in the 2003 music video "My Baby" by rap artist Bow Wow. He later appeared in The Wire...
as Malik "Poot" CarrPoot CarrMalik "Poot" Carr is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Tray Chaney. Poot is a drug dealer in the Barksdale Organization who slowly rises through the ranks, but ends up serving time in prison as his institution collapses around him... - Robert HoganRobert J. HoganRobert J. Hogan is an American actor. While not a stranger to the big screen or the stage, Hogan is best known to audiences for his highly prolific career in American television which began in 1961...
as Louis Sobotka - Michael Salconi as Officer Santangelo
- Charley ScaliesCharley ScaliesCharlie Scalies is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Thomas "Horseface" Pakusa, one of the stevedores and union members on the second season of HBO's The Wire. He has also appeared in TV shows Homicide: Life on the Street, Law & Order, and The Sopranos.- External links :...
as Thomas "Horseface" Pakusa - Delaney WilliamsDelaney WilliamsDelaney Williams is an American actor from Washington, D.C. He appears on the HBO drama The Wire as a recurring guest star playing homicide sergeant Jay Landsman. He also had a small role on HBO's mini-series The Corner which brought him to the attention of the producers, who worked on The prior to...
as Sergeant Jay LandsmanJay Landsman (The Wire)Jay Landsman is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Delaney Williams.-Policing method:Landsman's role in the police department is that of a supervisory detective sergeant who doesn't participate in much investigation work... - Chris AshworthChris AshworthChristopher Michael Ashworth , better known as simply Chris Ashworth, is an American actor, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Sergei Malatov on The Wire...
as Sergei "Serge" Malatov - Richard BurtonRichard Burton (Baltimore)Richard Burton is a Baltimore, Maryland, city council employee and runs the "Believe" campaign. He was a rapper before becoming involved in Martin O'Malley's first Mayoral campaign after meeting him in 1998....
as Shamrock - Leo FitzpatrickLeo FitzpatrickLeonardo Aurellio Randy "Leo" Fitzpatrick is an American actor.-Biography:Leo Fitzpatrick was born in West Orange, New Jersey. He was discovered at age 14 by director Larry Clark at Washington Square Park in New York City, skateboarding. Fitzpatrick was trying to perform certain skating tricks,...
as Johnny - Jeffrey Fugitt as Officer Claude Diggins
- S. Robert MorganS. Robert MorganS. Robert Morgan is an American television actor. He guest starred on Home Box Office drama series The Wire as Butchie from the second season until the show's fifth and final season. Morgan lost his sight in his twenties due to macular degeneration. Morgan is from Fort Washington, Maryland and...
as Butchie - Luray Cooper as Nat Coxson
- Kelvin Davis as La La
- Bus Howard as Ott
- Lance Irwin as Maui
- Jeffrey Pratt Gordon as Johnny "Fifty" Spamanto
- Benay Berger as FBI Supervisor Amanda Reese
- Tommy Hahn as FBI Special Agent Salmond
- Kevin McKelvy as FBI Agent
- Doug Olear as FBI Special Agent Terrance "Fitz" Fitzhugh
- William L. Thomas as FBI Agent
- Isiah Whitlock, Jr.Isiah Whitlock, Jr.Isiah Whitlock Jr. is an American actor.He is most famous for his role on the HBO television series, The Wire as corrupt state senator Clay Davis. He also is notable for appearing in Spike Lee films She Hate Me and 25th Hour as Agent Amos Flood...
as Senator Clay DavisClay DavisState Senator R. Clayton "Clay" Davis is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Isiah Whitlock, Jr. Davis is a corrupt Maryland State Senator with a reputation for pocketing bribes...
Although credited, Jim True-Frost
Jim True-Frost
Jim True-Frost, born Jim True, is an American stage, television and screen actor. He is most known for his portrayal of Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski on all five seasons of the HBO program The Wire.-Biography:...
does not appear in this episode.
Uncredited appearances
- Brian Anthony WilsonBrian Anthony WilsonBrian Anthony Wilson is an American film and television actor. He first appeared in the 1997 film The Postman as Woody....
as Detective Vernon Holley - Michael WillisMichael WillisMichael Willis, born October 4, 1949, is an American television and movie character actor. Willis' credits include movie roles in Pushing Tin and Men in Black, and several episodes of Law & Order....
as Andy Krawczyk - Lev GornLev GornLev Gorn is an American stage, film and television actor. Sometimes he is credited as Lev Gorens.-Off-Broadway:**...
as Eton Ben-Eleazer - Brook Yeaton as "White" Mike McArdle
- Gary "D-Reign" as Frog
- De'Rodd Hearns as Puddin
- DeAndre McCullough as Lamar
- Richard Pelzman as Little Big Roy
- Doug Lory as Big Roy
- J. Valenteen Gregg as Chess
- Jon GarciaJon GarcíaJon García Aguado is a Spanish taekwondo athlete.-References:*...
as Ringo - Paul Majors as Officer MacGraul
- Schuster VanceSchuster VanceSchuster Vance was an American television and film actor. His birth name was Henry Schuster Vance III...
as Walt Stokes
Dock business
The stevedores arrive for work then gather to watch as Officer Claude Diggins pulls a floating corpse from the water. Once it is ashore they all recognize the body, with its throat cut, as Frank SobotkaFrank Sobotka
Francis "Frank" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Chris Bauer.-Biography:Frank is a respected Polish-American secretary treasurer for the International Brotherhood of Stevedores at the Baltimore docks...
. Meanwhile, Nick Sobotka
Nick Sobotka
Nickolas Andrew "Nick" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Pablo Schreiber. the character of Nick is cousin to, Ziggy Sobotka, the wayward and rebellious son to his uncle Frank Sobotka...
goes looking for Frank as he did not return from his meeting with The Greek
The Greek (The Wire)
The Greek is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Bill Raymond. The Greek is the head of an international criminal organization involved in narcotics and human trafficking....
, finding Frank's car still at the meeting place. He goes to the docks, where he sees Frank's body brought ashore.
In Frank's office, Nick has to be restrained from going after The Greek by the other stevedores, reminding him of Ziggy's fate. His father, Louis, arrives, and then takes Nick to Southeastern headquarters to turn himself in. Freamon happens to overhear Nick's processing, and when he learns he's a Sobotka, brings him to the detail.
The Greek meets with Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos
Spiros Vondas
Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire played by actor Paul Ben-Victor.-Biography:...
and they discuss their plans. The Greek decides to leave Nick alone because the police are after him. The Greek decides Nick poses little threat as he does not know his name (even his nationality is false) and Spiros can easily use another name. Spiros asks what to do with their shipment on the docks and The Greek decides it is safest to walk away and abandon it.
Later, the FBI visit the union hall and tell them that they need to change their leadership or the union will be decertified. Ott responds by withdrawing from the election and standing behind the deceased Sobotka's re-election. It leads to the union's decertification and the seizure of the local office by the US Marshals.
The Street
Stringer BellStringer Bell
Russell "Stringer" Bell is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by English actor Idris Elba. Bell served as drug kingpin Avon Barksdale's second in command, assuming direct control of the Barksdale Organization during Avon's imprisonment...
visits Brother Mouzone's bedside at the hospital and tells him they will catch whoever was responsible for his shooting. Mouzone coolly informs Stringer that he needs no assistance from them and that he will find those responsible on his own. Stringer incriminates himself when he jumps at Mouzone's use of a plural when describing his attackers.
Bubbles
Bubbles (The Wire)
Reginald "Bubbles" Cousins is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Andre Royo. Bubbles is a recovering heroin addict. His real name is not revealed until a fourth-season episode when he is called "Mr. Cousins" and in the fifth-season premiere when he is called "Reginald"...
and Johnny spot a drug addict who has overdosed on the new more powerful package. While Johnny keeps watch Bubbles attempts to steal medical supplies from the responding ambulance. Officer Santangelo apprehends them and they end up in an interrogation room in the Southeastern district. Detectives Kima Greggs
Kima Greggs
Detective Shakima "Kima" Greggs is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actress Sonja Sohn. Greggs is a police detective in the Baltimore Police Department who is a dedicated officer and capable detective with some off-the-job issues. Openly lesbian, she has had problems...
and Jimmy McNulty
Jimmy McNulty
Detective James "Jimmy" McNulty is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by British actor Dominic West. McNulty is an Irish American detective in the Baltimore Police Department...
discuss Bubbles' options with him; they insist that he give them some information to secure the charges against him being dropped. Bubbles claims to have little to tell them; Johnny reminds him of Brother Mouzone shooting Melvin "Cheese" Wagstaff. Bubbles tells the detectives that the shooting was nothing as Mouzone used a "rat round". He tells them about the East side drug dealers moving in on Avon Barksdale
Avon Barksdale
Avon Randolph Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire portrayed by actor Wood Harris. Avon is the dominant drug dealer of Baltimore's West Side, running the Barksdale Organization...
's towers. Bubbles describes the situation as Bell and the Eastsiders sharing. Bubbles finally lets them know about the change in the quality of product being slung by the Barksdale organization. Bubbles's revelations prompt Kima and McNulty to start surveiling the towers where they see the two crews working alongside one another.
Omar Little
Omar Little
Omar Devone Little is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, portrayed by Michael K. Williams. Omar is a renowned stick-up man who lives by a strict moral code and never deviates from his rules, foremost of which is that he never robs or menaces people who are not involved in "the game"....
discusses Brother Mouzone with Butchie. Butchie reassures Omar that Mouzone could not have been involved in Brandon's death, since his business is "all New York and Philly." Butchie comments that Avon, Stringer and Avon's father are all pure evil. Realizing that Stringer set him up, Omar promises Butchie that he will get his revenge.
Spiros and Proposition Joe
Proposition Joe
Joseph "Proposition Joe" Stewart is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire played by actor Robert F. Chew. Joe is an Eastside drug kingpin who preferred a peaceful solution to business disputes when possible...
meet in the park to discuss their future business. Spiros assures Proposition Joe that he has new people coming in to restart their operation. When Joe asks where they are moving to, Spiros smirks and walks away in silence.
Stringer meets with Avon in prison to discuss Brother Mouzone's failure to protect their territory. Avon worries that if they cannot maintain their reputation they will lose their business. Avon chastises Stringer for asking Mouzone who attacked him. Avon finally accepts that they must work with Prop Joe. They conclude their meeting with the usual gesture of mutual loyalty, but Avon is noticeably hesitant to bring his fist to the glass and it is clear that he is unhappy with Stringer. Stringer meets with Proposition Joe to give him the good news, and Joe informs Stringer that their resupply will have a slight delay. Their encounter is photographed by Greggs and McNulty.
Sobotka Detail
Lieutenant Cedric DanielsCedric Daniels
Cedric Daniels is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Lance Reddick. He is a well regarded officer in the department whose focus is on good police work and quality arrests...
, Greggs and Lester Freamon
Lester Freamon
Lester Freamon is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Clarke Peters. Freamon is a detective in the Baltimore Police Department's Major Crimes Unit...
discuss the disappearance of their Greek suspects and the identity of the mysterious man that Spiros met with. Not yet knowing of Sobokta's murder, Greggs reassures Daniels that the union leader's cooperation could still break the case for them.
Daniels meets with Major Valchek
Stanislaus Valchek
Stanislaus "Stan" Valchek is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Al Brown.-Biography:Valchek is the Polish-American commander of the Southeastern district, home to many of the remaining white ethnic neighborhoods in Baltimore...
and makes a case for Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski's career after he punched Valchek in the detail office. Daniels successfully maneuvers Valchek into not making a charge against Prez by pointing out to him the witness statements collected after that record Valchek insulting a subordinate officer (Daniels points out that even if members of his unit cheated on the statement, the FBI members in the office would not). Valchek then agrees that Prez can return to the detail after two months of midnight shift narcotics work in the Southeastern district followed by a written letter of apology to everyone in the room acknowledging that he assaulted Valchek unprovoked. At the same time, Valchek expresses his dislike for Prez, stating that he is burdensome and that he had warned his daughter not to marry Prez. Valchek furthermore says he has only guided Prez through the department on his daughter's behalf.
At the Southeastern intake desk, Freamon is collecting photographs of headless and handless corpses that Landsman provided. Freamon happens to be nearby when Nick Sobotka turns himself in and reacts when Nick states his surname as "Sobotka." Meanwhile, Daniels, Pearlman and the FBI team meet with Acting Commissioner Ervin Burrell
Ervin Burrell
Ervin Burrell is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Frankie Faison. Burrell was an officer in the Baltimore Police Department who ascended from Deputy Commissioner of Operations to Commissioner over the course of the show...
and Colonel William Rawls
William Rawls
William A. "Bill" Rawls is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor John Doman. Over the course of the series he ascends to the rank of Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.-Season 1:...
to discuss the case. With Sobotka dead just before he was going to act as their informant, Pearlman tells them that the case has stalled. Daniels reminds them of the arrests they have made so far. Though the FBI has little to show in the way of arrests, the unit is happy just to have enough evidence to force the union to change its leadership or face decertification. Rawls is still irked that his fourteen Jane Doe homicides remain unsolved; Pearlman and Daniels have no answers for him. Freamon phones Daniels during the meeting to tell him that Nick Sobotka has come in and is ready to talk.
Rhonda Pearlman
Rhonda Pearlman
Rhonda Pearlman is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actress Deirdre Lovejoy. Pearlman has been the legal system liaison for all of Lieutenant Cedric Daniels' investigations on the show...
and Daniels interview Nick in the detail office. He reveals Spiros' offer to help Ziggy Sobotka
Ziggy Sobotka
Chester Karol "Ziggy" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor James Ransone. Though his father Frank Sobotka was a well-respected stevedore union leader, Ziggy's often reckless and juvenile behavior gained him little respect among other members of the union and...
that lured Frank to their meeting. Freamon reveals to Nick that Ziggy signed a confession, so leaning on the witness is unlikely to have freed him from the murder charge. Nick tells them that he found Frank's car. He gives them information on everyone he can on their board including Spiros, Eton Ben-Eleazer and Sergei. He links Sergei to the killing of the crewman in Philadelphia by hearsay. Finally Nick identifies The Greek in the photograph which serendipitously captured him in the foreground, but is unable to give them anything beyond that.
Freamon tells Agent Terrence "Fitz" Fitzhugh it is best to keep Nick's involvement quiet. Fitz pauses before faxing the paperwork and then decides to check on Agent Koutris. He is dismayed to learn that Koutris has been gone from San Diego for a year and has transferred to the FBI's counter-terrorism office in Washington.
Thomas "Herc" Hauk and Ellis Carver
Ellis Carver
Ellis Carver is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Seth Gilliam. Carver is an African American lieutenant and formerly in command of the Baltimore Police Department's Western District Drug Enforcement Unit...
are left waiting outside Nick Sobotka's home. Herc convinces Carver that they have to leave the detail to get any respect. They become increasingly frustrated with their waiting game and eventually tell Nick's father that Nick must give himself up. They are outraged when he tells them that Nick has been in custody for over 12 hours already. Angrily, they march to Daniels' office where they tell Daniels they feel like they are not being properly used in the detail. Daniels pleads that surveillance is part of the job but Carver feels that they are being treated like pack mules and that Daniels disregards his rank in the department. Carver then points out a post in the Western district working as a D.E.U. sergeant for Major Colvin that he is going to request a transfer into, given the unit's street work and as recognition of Carver's rank. Herc follows leaving the unit to do more exciting police work.
Freamon and Bunk Moreland
Bunk Moreland
William "Bunk" Moreland is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Wendell Pierce. Bunk's character is based on a retired Baltimore City Police Detective named Rick Requer and nicknamed "the Bunk", an officer who joined the force in 1964 as a Western District patrolman who...
try to identify the body of the Philadelphia crewman from their records of headless and handless corpses. Beadie Russell
Beadie Russell
Beatrice "Beadie" Russell is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actress Amy Ryan. She was featured prominently in the second season, after she discovered thirteen corpses in a container on the Baltimore docks....
and Bunk travel to the Philadelphia port to ask more questions about their crewman's disappearance and after little success the officer finally reveals that they keep security tapes on file. A review of the tapes shows the license plate of a car rented by Sergei, placing him at the scene of the murder of the crewman. When confronted with the footage in an interrogation room, Sergei finally begins to talk and gives up Vondas for the murder of the crewman who he implicates in the death of the girls. Sergei's account wraps up the murders of the fourteen Jane Does, much to Rawls' delight.
Meanwhile, Kima and Cheryl shop for baby products and Kima's downbeat attitude over her impending parenthood prompts a tart rebuke from Cheryl.
Back at the detail office, McNulty and Kima check with Lester Freamon
Lester Freamon
Lester Freamon is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Clarke Peters. Freamon is a detective in the Baltimore Police Department's Major Crimes Unit...
about information on Proposition Joe's supply uptake from The Greeks. They learn that he recently doubled his order.
Nick, Ashley and Aimee are placed in protective custody by the FBI. Nick tells Aimee they finally have a place together. The following day Nick leaves their motel to head for work. La La tells him there is only one ship so their lack of seniority means another day without work.
At the docks, the detail finds The Greek's last shipment of drugs and decide to keep watch on it. Bunk reports his information on Sergei to Daniels who presses him for more information on The Greek. Sergei reveals a location that The Greek uses for meetings. Daniels moves on the Greek's hotel swiftly but is once again a step behind - Spiros and The Greek are shown checking in for a flight at an airport.
With their case work over, members of the detail drink in a bar. Greggs and McNulty use their photos of Bell and Proposition Joe to convince Daniels that they could be a target for the major case unit. Fitz tells Daniels that the leak was from his agency, and apologizes. Frank Sobotka continues to haunt Major Valchek from beyond the grave - he opens a letter from Brisbane, Australia with a photo of the surveillance van that is still making its way around the globe one port at a time. Valchek whispers "rest in peace" in Polish on behalf of Sobotka.
Closing montage
As Nick mourns his Uncle's death by staring out over the water near the docks, a montage of scenes from around Baltimore unfolds with Steve Earle's "Feel Alright" playing in the background: US Marshals close the union hall with a lockout; Johnny "Fifty" Spamanto urinates on the Greek's last container full of drugs, still under surveillance, and makes an obscene gesture at the watching policemen; Pearlman prosecutes Eton and Horseface; Rawls and Landsman giddily celebrate the clearance of their Jane Does; Ziggy serves his time; Clay DavisClay Davis
State Senator R. Clayton "Clay" Davis is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Isiah Whitlock, Jr. Davis is a corrupt Maryland State Senator with a reputation for pocketing bribes...
and other Baltimore politicians break ground on the condominiums that will replace the grain pier—demonstrating the futility of Sobotka's efforts to save the pier; Beadie Russell returns to work at the docks with the port police; during a pensive moment, Freamon dismantles the detail's investigative board, leaving up the photo of The Greek; the drug trade continues in the Southeastern district with Frog's crew finally driving an old woman to sell her home; Poot Carr
Poot Carr
Malik "Poot" Carr is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Tray Chaney. Poot is a drug dealer in the Barksdale Organization who slowly rises through the ranks, but ends up serving time in prison as his institution collapses around him...
and Puddin warily watch the police cruise their territory; the stevedores get drunk on a street corner; Proposition Joe takes a shipment of drugs from the back of a truck; the truck also dispatches a group of disoriented women—business as usual for the drug and prostitution trade; and finally a series of images of industrial decay around the docks flashes on screen. The montage concludes, and the season concludes as Nick walks away and rain begins to pour.