Brandon Young

An unexpected call puts Templeton back in the spotlight--and gets McNulty more attention than he expected. Bunk bucks at Landsman when ordered to help with the force's most recent red ball. Omar sends Marlo a message; Carcetti proves he's still an adept fundraiser; Carver gift-wraps a witness for Bunk; Bubbles shows a reporter the ropes; Freamon tries to crack a clock code; Greggs prepares for a visit from her son; Michael has a close call; Hayes can't shake his suspicions about Templeton. Assisted by the top-drawer lawyer Billy Murphy, 'cash and carry' Davis makes his day in court a memorable one.

Carcetti maps out a damage-control scenario; McNulty asks Landsman to pull police off the homeless case; Haynes' concerns about Templeton fall on deaf ears; Dukie seeks out an old mentor for a loan.

Marlo forges an alliance with a drug connect, who shows him a new communications trick. McNulty's case gets increased attention from the newspaper, in large part thanks to the addition of Templeton to the reporting team. Dukie turns to Cutty and Michael to hone his self-defense skills; Clay Davis finds a new ally; Bond raises his public profile; Levy and Herc prepare for litigation; Elena confronts McNulty about his behavior; Bubbles fears new opportunities; Greggs gets some overtime work; Omar shows patience as Marlo throws out his bait.

With Steintorf ordering Rawls to initiate 'creative' remedies for the rising crime rate, Freamon's vigilance pays off with a promising lead, sending Sydnor and the department into overdrive. Although Daniels is originally delighted, a further probe with Pearlman reveals some troubling source information. McNulty, feeling betrayed, doesn't feel like sharing in Freamon's celebration; Michael is suspicious about his latest assignment; Haynes gets some fresh eyes to help with fact-checking; Namond's debating skills make Colvin proud; Davis points a finger at Levy and the courts; Bubbles recounts a recent temptation overcome.

Mystified by Omar's disappearance, Marlo and Chris ramp up their efforts to locate their nemesis. After attending a sparsely attended waterfront ceremony, Carcetti fires away at a larger press event--and recasts himself as a champion for the homeless. Bunk revisits some old leads in the rowhouse cases, but is frustrated in his attempts to get bloodwork from the crime lab. Templeton looks for a perfect follow-up to his latest, nationally covered story, which has replaced the city's educational crisis on the paper's priority list. After the detail gets more manpower, Freamon presses McNulty to get new surveillance equipment, but the resources aren't as deep as both hoped. Pearlman discovers new clues pointing to corruption in City Hall; Marlo makes new appointments at the latest co-op meeting; McNulty takes a peculiar interest in a homeless man.

Baltimore's renewed police commitment brings fresh recruits to Daniels and McNulty, starting with Carver. Facing a new political challenge, Carcetti is forced to make dangerous political deals. As the Pulitzer season winds down, Haynes approaches Templeton about his sources. Bunk returns a McNulty favor; little Kenard makes a big score; Dukie finds work; Fletcher continues his interview with Bubbles; Freamon presents his latest plan to a prosecutor; Sydnor uncovers the missing piece to a puzzle; McNulty comes clean.