The witness who testified against D'Angelo is killed and the Barksdale organization is suspected. In light of Phelan's pressure, a detail is formed to investigate their activity in the towers and the pit. However, the detail's lieutenant, Cedric Daniels, is concerned with the quality of the team assigned by Deputy Ops. Ervin Burrell, while McNulty is concerned with the department's plan for the investigation, believing the approach of "buy busts" won't get them anywhere near the high-ranking members of the organization. The operation begins with Daniels' protégé Kima Greggs using Bubbles to identify who's who on the street. Meanwhile, McNulty and his partner, Bunk, try an unusual interrogation approach with D'Angelo, while Burrell tries to keep the death of the witness out of the press. Later, Daniels' suspicions about his team prove correct when an unauthorized late night foray into the towers by Herc, Carver and Prez goes awry.
Spoilers ahead. Coverage follows the scope labeled below.
Complete story — includes the ending
Epigraph: "You cannot lose, if you do not play." - Marla Daniels Believing the Barksdales killed Gant, McNulty has Phelan put him on the case. He and his partner William "Bunk" Moreland detain D'Angelo and manipulate him into signing a confession, but his attorney Maurice Levy pulls him before he can incriminate himself. Bubbles covertly marks Barksdale men by selling them hats and they are photographed by the detail. Burrell gives Daniels useless officers to fill the rest of the detail, including Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski, who drunkenly attacks teenage dealer Kevin Johnston. Daniels backs Prez, which his wife Marla admonishes him about. He later learns that Johnston lost vision in one eye.