S01E08 · EP 8
season 1 · 2002-07-28
Lessons
written by David Simon · directed by Gloria Muzio · 3.31M viewers · image The Wire Wiki (CC BY-SA)

Episode DNA

21 scenes · 3 threads
tense 15%coincidence 6%social rule violation 6%angry 5%misunderstanding 4%betrayal 4%humiliation 4%violence 4%investigation 4%menacing 4%

Story threads over runtime

click a block to open the scene
0:005:0010:0015:0020:00
A · Barksdale Operations and Violence
B · Police Investigation and Internal Strife
C · Personal Struggles and Relationships
01

Every scene

21 scenes · our breakdown
2 · print shop · escalationMcNulty's Spy Game

McNulty plays a spy game with his sons at the market, having them follow Stringer Bell.

01:55–02:40lie · misunderstanding
3 · apartment · escalationMcNulty's Sons Track Stringer

McNulty's sons continue following Stringer Bell and write down his license plate.

02:40–02:59lie · misunderstanding
4 · restaurant · escalationWallace's Math Lesson

Wallace helps a young charge with math homework using drug trade examples.

02:59–03:10lie · misunderstanding
5 · office · escalationMcNulty's Sons Paged

McNulty loses track of his sons and has them paged over the PA system.

03:10–04:58lie · misunderstanding
6 · party · escalationWiretap Discussion

The detail discusses wiretap results and pay phone usage.

04:58–05:33lie · misunderstanding
7 · apartment · escalationSergeant's Exam Talk

Herc and Carver discuss the sergeant's exam and Prez asks them to follow pit crew.

05:33–06:48lie · misunderstanding
8 · street · escalationOmar at the Detail

Omar is brought in for questioning and spots a photo linking Avon to Orlando's club.

06:48–07:13lie · misunderstanding
9 · office · escalationMcNulty Tracks Stringer

McNulty tells Bunk about his sons tracking Stringer Bell's car.

07:13–07:33lie · misunderstanding
12 · street · escalationWallace's Drug Math

Wallace helps a young charge with math using drug trade examples.

09:19–10:35lie · misunderstanding
13 · office · escalationWallace Refuses Work

Poot pressures Wallace to come to work, but Wallace refuses.

10:35–11:25lie · misunderstanding
14 · office · setupWallace's Drug Count

Wallace helps a young charge with a drug-related counting problem.

11:25–12:07lie · misunderstanding
15 · car · escalationWallace Called to See Dee

Poot tells Wallace that Dee wants to see him.

12:07–12:30lie · misunderstanding
16 · office · escalationSurveillance and Party

The detail discusses surveillance and Stinkum's promotion party.

12:30–19:32lie · misunderstanding
17 · court · escalationDaniels Keeps Cash

Daniels decides to keep the cash found in Price's car and writes a receipt.

19:32–20:30lie · misunderstanding
18 · college · escalationBurrell Shuts Down Case

Burrell orders Daniels to shut down the case and return the money.

20:30–20:44lie · misunderstanding
19 · office_workplace · escalationDaniels Confronts Burrell

Daniels confronts Burrell about shutting down the case and discusses chain-of-command.

20:44–29:19investigation · threat
20 · school · investigationParty Aftermath and Wiretap Shutdown

D'Angelo finds Keisha dead; the detail learns the wiretap is being shut down.

29:19–31:53investigation · eavesdropping
21 · bar · complicationJudge Phelan Threatens Burrell

Judge Phelan calls Burrell and threatens contempt if the wiretap is shut down early.

31:53–34:53lie · humiliation
22 · shop · escalationEconomics Class and Print Shop

Stringer attends an economics class and later berates print shop staff.

34:53–36:51misunderstanding · social_rule_violation
23 · party_event · escalationOmar's Attack Aftermath

The Barksdale organization reacts to Stinkum's death and Wee-Bey's wounding by Omar.

36:51–41:47violence · betrayal
24 · outdoors · payoffOmar's Interrogation

Omar is interrogated about Stinkum's murder and discusses the rules of the game.

41:47–54:46violence · humiliation
03

Same DNA

nearest episodes by gene profile

Episode facts

Wikipedia · Wikidata
Aired
2002-07-28
Overall
#8
Writers
David Simon
Director
Gloria Muzio
Viewers
3.31M (US)
Pace
91 words/min · 227 questions

Where to watch

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In this episode

JM
Jimmy McNulty38 episodes · drives 119 scenes
MM
Michael McNultyAntonio Cordova10 episodes
SM
Sean McNultyEric G. Ryan10 episodes
W
Wallace14 episodes · drives 11 scenes
EC
Ellis CarverSeth Gilliam59 episodes · drives 6 scenes
RP
Roland PryzbylewskiJim True-Frost52 episodes · drives 24 scenes
OD
Omar Devon LittleMichael K. Williams4 episodes · drives 49 scenes
AB
Avon Barksdale41 episodes · drives 44 scenes