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 stashes him in his grandmother's house on the outskirts of the city, but he soon becomes restless. Stringer tells Wee-Bey he needs to get out of Baltimore until the Savino investigation cools off, while Avon considers his next move. When McNulty and Pearlman try to pressure Levy into giving up Savino, he proves smarter than they gave him credit for. Meanwhile, when the detail's hand is forced, and a series of city-wide raids are ordered so as to appease Burrell's desire for "dope on the table," McNulty goes to see Phelan for help, but is surprised at his reaction. Daniels decides not to raid the main Barksdale stash house, but when word of his plan gets back to Burrell, he realizes there is a snitch in the detail. Elsewhere, Bubbles finds it increasingly difficult to stay clean.

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 Sobotka's son Ziggy and nephew Nick, heist a container and sell its contents, digital cameras, to men working for The Greek.

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 suspicions are validated. The detail hopes to find Vonda's boss. Nick hopes to repair relations with the Greeks and Sobotka is forced to make a difficult choice.

Omar continues his bold strikes on the heavily guarded Barksdale stash houses. McNulty launches his own investigation into last year's prison suicide of D'Angelo Barksdale. On the streets the bloodbath continues, prompting Burrell and Rawls to jack up the heat on their district commanders. The street violence also presents Daniels with a tough decision. A beleaguered Cutty tries to get his life back on track.

The brutality at police headquarters continues over the perceived failure of department commanders to rein in the city's crime stats. Another hit by Omar on the Barksdale stash houses goes horribly wrong. Proposition Joe summons Stringer Bell to a meeting and tells him that the cops have screwed up. Daniels reassigns his detail after the wire on Stringer Bell goes dead.

Greggs and McNulty recruit Bubbles to gather street intelligence on the Barksdale gang. Cutty seeks out the Barksdale gang after he loses his taste for the straight life. Bunk feels the pressure to find Dozerman's gun. Daniels worries that Avon Barksdale, having cut a prison deal, will be paroled. Stringer Bell tries to make amends with Donette.

Responding to an officer's call for help, McNulty and Prez turn up the wrong alley with unanticipated results. Cutty is surprised to find help from within Baltimore's power structure for his proposed boxing gym. Omar decides to go it alone against Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell. Bubbles is wired up and sent into Hamsterdam