S01E10 · EP 10
season 1 · 2002-08-11
The Cost
written by David Simon · directed by Brad Anderson · 4.15M viewers · image The Wire Wiki (CC BY-SA)

Episode DNA

24 scenes · 3 threads

Story threads over runtime

click a block to open the scene
0:005:0010:0015:0020:00
A · Barksdale Organization Negotiations
B · Police Investigation and Buy-Bust Setup
C · Personal Struggles and Relationships
01

Every scene

24 scenes · our breakdown
1 · park bench · setupDonette Complains About D'Angelo

Donette complains about D'Angelo working late and needing to pay for a sitter.

00:29–00:59
2 · meeting location · setupAvon and Stringer Discuss Truce

Avon and Stringer discuss negotiating a truce with Omar and insulating Avon from his organization.

00:59–03:07
3 · Orlando's gentleman's club · setupAvon and Stringer Discuss Truce

Avon and Stringer discuss negotiating a truce with Omar and insulating Avon from his organization.

03:07–05:42
4 ▸ 05:42
4 · narcotics police station · setupMcNulty and Pearlman Discuss Phelan

McNulty and Pearlman discuss Judge Phelan's bad mood and his removal from the mayor's re-election ticket.

05:42–07:01
5 ▸ 07:01
5 · detail offices · setupFreamon's Surveillance Plan

Freamon maps the Barksdale stash to a payphone in Pimlico and plans surveillance.

07:01–09:25
6 ▸ 09:25
6 · Wallace's home · revealMcNulty and Kima Discuss Omar

McNulty and Kima discuss Omar's whereabouts and the investigation.

09:25–10:49
7 · park bench · setupAddict Discusses His Past

An addict discusses his past, including his addiction, family, and health issues.

10:49–12:47
8 · Eastern Shore house · convergenceMcNulty Bribes Officers

McNulty bribes officers with crabcakes and beer to wait on a suspect.

12:47–14:00
9 · courtroom · complicationOmar Discusses Truce with McNulty

Omar discusses the truce with McNulty and Kima, asking for assistance with his shoulder wound.

14:00–15:45
10 · bar · setupDetectives Discuss Wallace's Testimony

Detectives discuss Wallace's testimony and the evidence against Stringer Bell and others.

15:45–17:25
11 · Omar's location · setupDetectives Discuss Young Witness

Detectives discuss a young witness who saw the body of the stickup boy and needs to testify.

17:25–20:22
12 · public park · complicationDetective Questions Witness

A detective questions a witness about D'Angelo and Stringer's involvement in a murder.

20:22–21:27
13 · meeting location · complicationDetectives Discuss Stashing Witness

Detectives discuss where to stash a juvenile witness, considering a hotel or his grandmother's house.

21:27–23:56
14 · detail offices · setupDetectives Discuss Warrant and Surveillance

Detectives discuss the difficulty of getting a warrant and the need for surveillance.

23:56–25:11
15 · Orlando's club · setupMcNulty's Family Issues

McNulty faces a legal challenge from his estranged wife over visitation rights.

25:11–30:56
16 · Eastern Shore house · convergenceProposition Joe Mediates Truce

Proposition Joe mediates a truce meeting between Omar and Stringer.

30:56–33:39
17 · public park · complicationDetectives Discuss Omar's Request

Detectives discuss Omar's request for $5,000 and the truce meeting.

33:39–34:32
18 · bar · setupWomen Drinking and Talking

A group of women drink and talk about their jobs and personal lives.

34:32–39:30
19 · detail offices · setupDetectives Discuss Surveillance and Troy Wiggins

Detectives discuss surveillance and a state trooper named Troy Wiggins.

39:30–41:03
20 · county jail · setupDetective Questions Shardene

A detective questions Shardene about what she heard at the club.

41:03–43:45
21 · courtroom · resolutionDetectives Discuss Buy-Bust and Wire

Detectives discuss the buy-bust plan and the importance of the wire.

43:45–45:13
22 · detail offices · setupBuy-Bust Plan Discussion

The detail discusses the buy-bust plan with Orlando and Kima.

45:13–46:02
23 · detail offices · complicationMcNulty and Kima Drive to Buy-Bust

McNulty and Kima drive to the buy-bust location.

46:02–48:13
24 ▸ 48:13
24 · Warwick and Longwood · convergenceBuy-Bust Goes Wrong

The buy-bust goes wrong as the detail loses track of the car.

48:13–54:14
03

Same DNA

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Episode facts

Wikipedia · Wikidata
Aired
2002-08-11
Overall
#10
Writers
David Simon
Director
Brad Anderson
Viewers
4.15M (US)
Pace
107 words/min · 207 questions

Where to watch

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In this episode

D
DonetteShamyl Brown15 episodes · drives 2 scenes
AB
Avon Barksdale41 episodes · drives 44 scenes
JM
Jimmy McNulty38 episodes · drives 119 scenes
RP
Rhonda PearlmanDeirdre Lovejoy60 episodes · drives 8 scenes
LF
Lester FreamonClarke Peters59 episodes · drives 80 scenes
EC
Ellis CarverSeth Gilliam59 episodes · drives 6 scenes
LS
Leander SydnorCorey Parker Robinson45 episodes
RP
Roland PryzbylewskiJim True-Frost52 episodes · drives 24 scenes