Season 5

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Season 1 • Season 2 • Season 3 • Season 4 • Season 5

Season five introduces The Baltimore Sun newsroom and examines the continued failure of the city to recognise its own problems.

Production

HBO announced on September 12 2006 that it commissioned a fifth and final season consisting of 13 episodes, but which was later reduced to ten. On April 30, 2007, production for Season 5 officially began. Filming wrapped early in the morning of September 1, 2007 and the first episode aired on January 6, 2008.

Themes

In an interview with Slate on December 1, 2006, David Simon said that Season 5 would be about the media and media consumption. A major focus would be journalism

, which would be dramatized through a newspaper modeled after The Baltimore Sun. The theme, according to Simon, would deal with "what stories get told and what don't and why it is that things stay the same." Issues such as the quest for profit, the decrease in the number of reporters, and the end of aspiration for news quality would all be addressed, alongside the theme of homelessness. In the same interview, Simon indicated that no other theme seemed substantial enough to warrant a sixth season, except possibly the large influx of Latino

s into Baltimore. He noted, however, that since no writer on the show spoke Spanish or had any intimate knowledge of the city's Latino population, the field work would be too cumbersome.

At the Night at the Wire event on June 9, 2007, Simon stated that Detective Sydnor is the only character who remains morally clean by the end of the show, but not perfectly since "after all, this is The Wire." He also hinted that Mayor Carcetti might make a run for governor, continuing to mirror the current Maryland governor and former Baltimore mayor, Martin O'Malley

.

The series will continue the shows examination of the devaluing of human life and institutional dysfunction. The increased scope of the season to include the media will allow this theme to be explored through an examination of "the people who are supposed to be monitoring all this and sounding the alarm — the journalists." In particular Simon has spoken about the devaluing of the reporter in terms of downsizing a newspaper staff and the management expecting to do "more with less" when he asserts that in reality, you can only do "less with less".

The series realism has been reported as being maintained particularly through the accurate dialogue and use of contemporary slang.

Locations

At that Night at the Wire event, fans were allowed to tour the Baltimore Sun newsroom constructed for the show. The real newspaper allowed the show to use their name but stipulated that no current employees could appear in the series. The newsroom was an entirely built set constructed at the show's out of town soundstage.

The actual Washington Post newsroom will also feature as one reporter visits for an interview. The Wire is the first production to be allowed to film at the location, even the film All The President's Men about the papers role in breaking the Watergate scandal had to build a set to represent the paper. Creator David Simon has previously remarked that he was inspired to enter journalism himself by the work of the Post on that story.

Cast and characters

See also: Season five cast

The season five starring cast consists of: Template:Season five starring cast simple It has been rumored that Homicide stars Richard Belzer and Clark Johnson will guest star in the fifth season. Johnson directed the final episode of the show and was rumored to play the city editor of Baltimore’s daily newspaper. In their October 16, 2007 profile of David Simon, The New Yorker confirmed that Johnson will play Gus Haynes, "a city editor who tries to hold the line against dwindling coverage, buyouts, and pseudo-news." They described an early scene from the season where Haynes rants about a reporter inserting a charred doll into scenes of fires to eke more sympathy from his readers.

The Washington Post announced on 3 September, 2007 that Thomas McCarthy will join the cast as a morally challenged reporter. The character's name was given as Scott Templeton in HBO's preview of season 5.

On October 28 2007 HBO aired a preview of the fifth season featuring interviews with Lance Reddick, Tom McCarthy, David Simon, Clark Johnson, John Doman, Seth Gilliam, Wendell Pierce and Dominic West and footage from the fifth season. Reddick introduces the idea of the fifth season being about the media; McCarthy states that it examines how the media "reflects, informs and manipulates"; Simon says that "the more graphic our crime, the more we like it, the more we pay attention. There is a little bit of a mockery of that in what we've constructed for season five"; Johnson said that newsroom storyline is fascinating and "a great way to end the series"; Doman warns to expect "complexities and complications"; Gilliam says that there is "creativity" in how people approach their jobs; Pierce that all the characters have to make choices; West that McNulty goes outside the system due to his lack of faith in his superiors; Simon concludes by saying that the season is really about "just how far you can go on a lie". The footage included scenes of Sonja Sohn as Kima Greggs being quizzed by reporters; reporters reflecting on why crime in certain areas is not covered; low morale in the police department; Carver briefing Western district officers; Jimmy McNulty drinking; Bunk Moreland refusing to get involved with something and "Fitz" telling McNulty that "you guys are shut out across the board". Returning guest stars seen in the promo include Dennis Mello as Jay Landsman, Benjamin Busch as Anthony Colicchio, Ryan Sands as Lloyd "Truck" Garrick and Doug Olear as Fitz. It also features several as yet unidentified newsroom characters.

Several ex-Baltimore Sun reporters will appear in the season. Rebecca Corbett who was Simon's former editor at the Baltimore Sun and now works at the New York Times will have a recurring role. Writer and former political reporter William F. Zorzi will have further screen time after his season 1 cameo. Steve Luxenberg, the editor responsible for hiring Simon at The Sun will have a role. Simon's wife Laura Lippman will also appear.

Crew

David Simon will continue to act as the shows executive producer and show runner. George Pelecanos will return as a writer and contribute his seventh episode to the series. Political journalist William F. Zorzi will continue to write for the show. Chris Collins will return as a staff writer. David Mills will write the fifth episode of the season.

The IMDb lists a number of potential directors including returning directors Joe Chappelle for a further two episodes, Ernest R. Dickerson, Daniel Attias, Agnieszka Holland, Seith Mann, Anthony Hemingway, and Clark Johnson. New directors include co-directors Scott and Joy Kecken (Joy Kecken has previously written for the show under her maiden name, Lusco), starring cast member Dominic West making his directing debut, Johnson has been independently confirmed as the director of the finale by the Washington Post.

Plot

The fifth season focuses on the media and media consumption. The show depicts the newspaper The Baltimore Sun, and in fact elements of the plot are taken from accounts of real-life events (such as the Jayson Blair NY Times scandal) and people at the Sun. The season, according to David Simon, deals with "what stories get told and what don't and why it is that things stay the same." Issues such as the quest for profit, the decrease in the number of reporters, and the end of aspiration for news quality would all be addressed, alongside the theme of homelessness.

Fifteen months after the fourth season concludes, Mayor Carcetti's cuts in the police budget to redress the education deficit force the Marlo Stanfield investigation to shut down. Cedric Daniels secures a detail to focus on the prosecution of Senator Davis for corruption. Detective McNulty returns to the Homicide unit and decides to divert resources back to the police department by faking evidence to make it appear that a serial killer is murdering homeless men.

The Baltimore Sun also faces budget cuts and the newsroom struggles to adequately cover the city, omitting many important stories. Commissioner Burrell continues to falsify crime statistics and is fired by Carcetti, who positions Daniels to replace him.

Proposition Joe teaches Marlo Stanfield how to launder money and evade investigation. Once Joe is no longer useful to him, Stanfield has Joe killed and usurps his position with the Greeks and the New Day Co-Op. Stanfield lures his enemy Omar Little out of retirement by having Omar's mentor Butchie murdered. Michael Lee continues working as a Stanfield enforcer, providing a home for his friend Dukie and younger brother Bug.

Omar returns to Baltimore seeking revenge, targeting Stanfield's organization, stealing and destroying money and drugs and killing Stanfield enforcers in an attempt to force Stanfield into the open. However, he is eventually shot and killed by Kenard, a young Stanfield dealer.

Templeton claims to have been contacted by McNulty's fake serial killer. City Editor Gus Haynes becomes suspicious, but his superiors are enamored of Templeton. The story gains momentum and Carcetti spins the resulting attention on homelessness into a key issue in his imminent campaign for Governor and restores funding to the police department.

Bubbles is recovering from his drug addiction while living in his sister's basement. He is befriended by Sun reporter Mike Fletcher, who eventually writes a profile of Bubbles.

Bunk is disgusted with McNulty's serial killer scheme and tries to have Lester Freamon reason with McNulty. Instead, Freamon helps McNulty perpetuate the lie and uses the funds for an illegal wiretap on Stanfield. Bunk resumes working the vacant house murders, leading to a murder warrant against Partlow for killing Michael's stepfather.

Freamon and Leander Sydnor gather enough evidence to arrest Stanfield and most of his top lieutenants, seizing a large quantity of drugs. Stanfield suspects that Michael is an informant, and orders him killed. Michael realizes he is being set up and kills Snoop instead. A wanted man, he leaves Bug with an Aunt and begins a career as a stick-up man. With his support system gone, Dukie lives with drug addicts.

McNulty tells Kima Greggs about his fabrications to prevent her wasting time on the case. Greggs tells Daniels, who, along with Rhonda Pearlman, takes this news to Carcetti, who orders a cover-up because of the issue's importance to his campaign.

Davis is acquitted, but Freamon uses the threat of federal prosecution to blackmail him for information. Davis reveals Levy has a mole in the courthouse from whom he illegally purchases copies of sealed indictments. Herc tells Levy that the Stanfield case was probably based on an illegal wiretap, something which would jeopardize the entire case. After Levy reveals this to Pearlman, she uses Levy's espionage to blackmail him into agreeing to a plea bargain for his defendants. Levy ensures Stanfield's release on the condition that he permanently retires, while his subordinates will have to accept long sentences. Stanfield sells the connection to The Greeks back to the Co-Op and plans to become a businessman, though indications are that ultimately he will not be able to resist the lure of the corner.

As the cover-up begins, a copy-cat killing occurs, but McNulty quickly identifies and arrests the culprit. Pearlman tells McNulty and Freamon that they can no longer be allowed to do investigative work and warns of criminal charges if the scandal becomes public. They opt to retire. Haynes attempts to expose Templeton but the managing editors ignore the fabrications and demote anyone critical of their star reporter. Carcetti pressures Daniels to falsify crime statistics to aid his campaign. Daniels refuses and then quietly resigns rather than have his FBI file leaked.

In a final montage, McNulty gazes over the city; Freamon enjoys retirement; Templeton wins a Pulitzer; Carcetti becomes Governor; Haynes is sidelined to the copy desk and replaced by Fletcher; Campbell appoints Valchek as commissioner; Carcetti appoints Rawls as Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Dukie continues to use heroin; Michael becomes a stickup boy; Pearlman becomes a judge and Daniels a defense attorney; Bubbles is allowed upstairs where he enjoys a family dinner; Chris serves his life sentence alongside Wee-Bey; the drug trade continues; and the people of Baltimore go on with their lives.

Episodes

#	Image	Title	Teleplay	Director	Original airdate
51		"More with Less"	David Simon	Joe Chappelle	January 6, 2008
		"The bigger the lie, the more they believe." - Bunk Citywide budget cuts hit the police hard; corporate downsizing frustrates the staff of a local newspaper.
52		"Unconfirmed Reports"	William F. Zorzi	Ernest Dickerson	January 13, 2008
		"This ain't Aruba, bitch." - Bunk McNulty decides to take matters into his own hands; Marlo takes care of unfinished business.
53		"Not for Attribution"	Chris Collins	Scott & Joy Kecken	January 20, 2008
		"They're dead where it doesn't count." - Fletcher Carcetti’s police plans are leaked to the press; Marlo cleans up his cash; McNulty shares his obsession with Freamon.
54		"Transitions"	Ed Burns	Dan Attias	January 27, 2008
		"Buyer's market out there." - Templeton The police brass changes; McNulty and Freamon look for bodies; Prop Joe pays his last respects; Marlo delivers a gift.
55		"React Quotes"	David Mills	Agnieszka Holland	February 3, 2008
		"Just 'cause they're in the street doesn't mean that they lack opinions." - Haynes Marlo's new alliance gives Freamon and McNulty a fresh lead; the press turns its attention to a breaking story, to Davis's relief.
56		"The Dickensian Aspect"	Ed Burns	Seith Mann	February 10, 2008
		"If you have a problem with this, I understand completely." - Freamon Templeton makes headlines; Bunk follows up on old leads; McNulty takes an interest in the homeless.
57		"Took"	Richard Price	Dominic West	February 17, 2008
		"They don't teach it in law school." - Pearlman An unexpected call puts Templeton and the newspaper back in the spotlight—and gets McNulty some unwanted extra attention.
58		"Clarifications"	Dennis Lehane	Anthony Hemingway	February 24, 2008
		"A lie ain't a side of a story. It's just a lie." - Terry Hanning Bunk returns a McNulty favor; Carcetti is forced to make political deals; Haynes talks to Templeton about his sources.
59		"Late Editions"	George Pelecanos	Joe Chappelle	March 2, 2008
		"Deserve got nuthin' to do with it." - Snoop Freamon's hard work pays off with a promising lead, though McNulty isn't in the mood to celebrate.
60		"-30-"	David Simon	Clark Johnson	March 9, 2008
		"...the life of kings." - H.L. Mencken McNulty and Freamon face the consequences of their actions, while Carcetti tries to save face.

External links

The Wire at the Internet Movie Database