The Wire - Episodes Ranked
by Devinthe66 | created - 14 Mar 2020 | updated - 4 months ago | PublicThe following is a complete ranking of every episode of HBO's The Wire. (As of S2E12)
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1.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
Cleaning Up
(2002)
TV-MA | 56 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Kima slowly recovers in the hospital. Stringer changes operations in the pit and the towers, rendering the wiretaps and clones useless, and prompting Burrell to begin dismantling the detail... See full summary »
Director: Clement Virgo | Stars: Dominic West, John Doman, Idris Elba, Frankie Faison
Votes: 5,882
Season 1, Episode 12: 9.5/10
2.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
Sentencing
(2002)
TV-MA | 66 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Due to the camera at Orlando's, the detail gather enough information to arrest Avon and many of his people, but, with Wallace dead, they are unable to bring charges against Stringer, who's ... See full summary »
Director: Timothy Van Patten | Stars: Dominic West, John Doman, Idris Elba, Frankie Faison
Votes: 5,727
Season 1, Episode 13: 9.3/10
3.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
The Cost
(2002)
TV-MA | 56 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Avon, Stringer and Wee-Bey discuss how best to deal with Omar after the attempted hit on Avon, deciding to let him think they want peace, whilst secretly planning to kill him. As such, Omar... See full summary »
Director: Brad Anderson | Stars: Dominic West, John Doman, Idris Elba, Frankie Faison
Votes: 6,273
Season 1, Episode 10: 9.3/10
4.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
Bad Dreams
(2003)
TV-MA | 58 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The detail makes a desperate move. Nick's deceit is in the open, as Sobotka is overwhelmed by bad news. The Greeks confidently ease out of a brief encounter with the detail and Omar's ... See full summary »
Director: Ernest R. Dickerson | Stars: Dominic West, Chris Bauer, Paul Ben-Victor, John Doman
Votes: 5,427
Season 2, Episode 11: 9.2/10
5.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
All Prologue
(2003)
TV-MA | 58 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Trying to let go of police work and return to his marriage, McNulty gives up on identifying his Jane Doe. The detectives look into Sobotka and his money. For his union, Sobotka tries to ... See full summary »
Director: Steve Shill | Stars: Dominic West, Chris Bauer, Paul Ben-Victor, John Doman
Votes: 4,958
Season 2, Episode 6: 9.0/10
6.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
Storm Warnings
(2003)
TV-MA | 59 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The detail uses satellite technology to its advantage. Bodie is unhappy that Proposition Joe's people are selling on his turf. Valchek visits the FBI in an attempt to get real results on ... See full summary »
Director: Rob Bailey | Stars: Dominic West, Chris Bauer, Paul Ben-Victor, John Doman
Votes: 4,918
Season 2, Episode 10: 9.0/10
7.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
Port in a Storm
(2003)
TV-MA | 63 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The detail has a setback. Russell and Bunk revisit Philly, looking for evidence. Brother Mouzone talks with Stringer Bell regarding their agreement, leaving Bell to contend with Avon ... See full summary »
Director: Robert F. Colesberry | Stars: Dominic West, Chris Bauer, Paul Ben-Victor, John Doman
Votes: 5,064
Season 2, Episode 12: 8.8/10
8.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
Game Day
(2002)
TV-MA | 57 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
D'Angelo speaks to Wallace, who tells him he wants to go back to school and get out of the Game. However, Malik 'Poot' Carr (Tray Chaney) discovers Wallace has started using cocaine to help... See full summary »
Director: Milcho Manchevski | Stars: Dominic West, John Doman, Idris Elba, Frankie Faison
Votes: 5,441
Season 1, Episode 9: 8.8/10
9.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
The Hunt
(2002)
TV-MA | 56 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
While Greggs' life hangs in the balance, the entire department attempts to hunt down Savino. When Wallace flips, willing to testify that Stringer, Wee-Bey and Bird killed Brandon, Daniels ... See full summary »
Director: Steve Shill | Stars: Dominic West, John Doman, Idris Elba, Frankie Faison
Votes: 5,402
Season 1, Episode 11: 8.8/10
10.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
Lessons
(2002)
TV-MA | 56 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
McNulty uses his children to tail Stringer after a chance encounter in a local market, with one of them getting his license plate. As the detail discuss the implications of the pit ... See full summary »
Director: Gloria Muzio | Stars: Dominic West, John Doman, Idris Elba, Frankie Faison
Votes: 5,248
Season 1, Episode 8: 8.7/10
11.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
Stray Rounds
(2003)
TV-MA | 58 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Bodie's disastrous sales efforts result in a tongue lashing from Stringer Bell. Ziggy pulls Johnny Fifty into a new caper that makes the Greeks pay big money. McNulty goes undercover in a ... See full summary »
Director: Timothy Van Patten | Stars: Dominic West, Chris Bauer, Paul Ben-Victor, John Doman
Votes: 4,393
Season 2, Episode 9: 8.6/10
12.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
The Wire
(2002)
TV-MA | 59 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Avon takes care of Omar's man Brandon but Wallace, who saw Brandon in the arcade, isn't too comfortable when he sees what they've done to him. Avon gives D'Angelo and Wallace a bonus for ... See full summary »
Director: Ed Bianchi | Stars: Dominic West, John Doman, Idris Elba, Frankie Faison
Votes: 5,600
Season 1, Episode 6: 8.5/10
13.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
Duck and Cover
(2003)
TV-MA | 58 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
McNulty goes on a drunken binge of legendary proportions. Fellow stevedores convince Ziggy to fight Maui. Bunk, seeing McNulty's desperation, talks Daniels into asking for him. Daniels does... See full summary »
Director: Daniel Attias | Stars: Dominic West, Chris Bauer, Paul Ben-Victor, John Doman
Votes: 4,347
Season 2, Episode 8: 8.5/10
14.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
The Pager
(2002)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Avon Barksdale is becoming paranoid and thinks he's being watched. He's also worried his phone is being tapped. He also thinks there's a snitch in D'Angelo's crew and he's told not to pay ... See full summary »
Director: Clark Johnson | Stars: Dominic West, John Doman, Idris Elba, Frankie Faison
Votes: 5,431
Season 1, Episode 5: 8.4/10
15.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
One Arrest
(2002)
TV-MA | 59 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Burrell reluctantly sides with Daniels in the disagreement with Rawls, giving the detail more time to make a case against Avon, despite his fears the operation is beginning to sprawl. ... See full summary »
Director: Joe Chappelle | Stars: Dominic West, John Doman, Idris Elba, Frankie Faison
Votes: 5,266
Season 1, Episode 7: 8.4/10
16.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
The Buys
(2002)
TV-MA | 55 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
After two weeks on the job, the team still doesn't have a photo of their principal target, Avon Barksdale. Freamon has a solution when he hears Avon was a Gold Gloves boxer. In the ... See full summary »
Director: Peter Medak | Stars: Dominic West, John Doman, Idris Elba, Frankie Faison
Votes: 5,881
Season 1, Episode 3: 8.3/10
17.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
Backwash
(2003)
TV-MA | 58 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Greggs and Prez tap into the circuit of Russian prostitutes. With two sets of evidence, the detail goes to Pearlman who tells them neither crime merits a wiretap, but a drug connection ... See full summary »
Director: Thomas J. Wright | Stars: Dominic West, Chris Bauer, Paul Ben-Victor, John Doman
Votes: 4,294
Season 2, Episode 7: 8.2/10
18.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
Old Cases
(2002)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Bodie walks out of detention pretending to be a janitor but Patty is recovering in hospital and is pleased that his injuries will result in a medical pension. Avon Barksdale puts a contract... See full summary »
Director: Clement Virgo | Stars: Dominic West, John Doman, Idris Elba, Frankie Faison
Votes: 5,690
Season 1, Episode 4: 8.0/10
19.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
Undertow
(2003)
TV-MA | 57 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Weak product in the pit has Bodie getting heat. Homicide detectives hand out grand jury summonses to stevedores involved in the homicide case, and Port Police Officer Beadie Russell works ... See full summary »
Director: Steve Shill | Stars: Dominic West, Chris Bauer, Paul Ben-Victor, John Doman
Votes: 4,346
Season 2, Episode 5: 8.0/10
20.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
Hot Shots
(2003)
TV-MA | 58 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Lt Cedric Daniels lets it be known he is going to leave the department. McNulty pursues the identity of the Jane Doe found floating in the harbor. A pair of young longshoremen, Frank ... See full summary »
Director: Elodie Keene | Stars: Dominic West, Chris Bauer, Paul Ben-Victor, John Doman
Votes: 4,510
Season 2, Episode 3: 8.0/10
21.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
The Detail
(2002)
TV-MA | 58 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Lt. Daniels puts his team together but the extra help he's asked includes several less than stellar officers. It also includes McNulty, who is obviously in the doghouse. When one of the ... See full summary »
Director: Clark Johnson | Stars: Dominic West, John Doman, Idris Elba, Frankie Faison
Votes: 6,269
Season 1, Episode 2: 7.9/10
22.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
Hard Cases
(2003)
TV-MA | 59 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
McNulty goes on a self-assigned moral mission to identify his floater, but his old partner, Bunk, says they have more pressing matter at hand: finding Omar to testify against a Barksdale ... See full summary »
Director: Elodie Keene | Stars: Dominic West, Chris Bauer, Paul Ben-Victor, John Doman
Votes: 4,427
Season 2, Episode 4: 7.9/10
23.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
The Target
(2002)
TV-MA | 62 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Baltimore Det. Jimmy McNulty finds himself in hot water with his superior Major William Rawls after a drug dealer, D'Angelo Barksdale who is charged with three murders, is acquitted. ... See full summary »
Director: Clark Johnson | Stars: Dominic West, John Doman, Idris Elba, Frankie Faison
Votes: 7,676
Season 1, Episode 1: 7.8/10
24.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
Collateral Damage
(2003)
TV-MA | 59 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Major Valchek gets back at Sobotka for the church gift fiasco, and a feud begins. Avon Barksdale continues to run his empire from a prison cell. On the waterfront, Port Police Officer ... See full summary »
Director: Ed Bianchi | Stars: Dominic West, Chris Bauer, Paul Ben-Victor, John Doman
Votes: 4,657
Season 2, Episode 2: 7.8/10
25.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
Ebb Tide
(2003)
TV-MA | 59 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Detective Jimmy McNulty finds the body of a woman floating in the water while carrying out his new assignment of Harbor Patrol. Major Valchek has his gift to a local parish trumped by Frank... See full summary »
Director: Ed Bianchi | Stars: Dominic West, Chris Bauer, Paul Ben-Victor, John Doman
Votes: 5,007
Season 2, Episode 1: 7.5/10
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