Black Toast Music

Carcetti faces a dilemma over a complaint from the minister against Herc. Carcetti galvanizes other departments into action with non-specific complaints. Randy faces bullying from his school mates after he is exposed as an informant. Omar tricks Proposition Joe into giving away the timing of his next shipment. Freamon is tempted back to Major Crimes by Daniels and has a revelation regarding the hiding place of the missing bodies.

Burrell's new mandate for quality of life arrests is met with civil disobedience and political maneuvering. Chris takes care of Michael's problem. Marlo has a member of Bodie's crew killed after he is interviewed by Herc and orders word spread about Randy for the same reason. Carver arrests Namond and he reaches out to Colvin for help. After another beating, Bubbles gets revenge for Herc's continual betrayals by setting him up to arrest a minister. The teachers are pressured to teach test material despite their recent successes.

Colvin uses corner logic in class and is greeted with enthusiasm, particularly from Namond. Michael is devastated when his stepfather returns to live with him. Bunk exposes the frame on Omar but antagonizes his colleagues by meddling in the case. Herc stops Chris and Snoop and fails to realize the significance of the tools he finds in their car - they use them to conceal the corpses of their victims. Carcetti makes the rounds and discusses his plans as Mayor and his intentions for the future. He considers employing a new police commissioner and Cedric Daniels sees his stock rising.

Namond is pushed into drug dealing by his mother when they are cut off by the remnants of the Barksdale Organization (who had been supporting them). Randy reveals his involvement in the murder to his teachers and is placed under Sergeant Ellis Carver's care. Marlo proves elusive despite Herc's camera. Colvin's new special class separates the worst behaved students (known as "Corner Kids") from their peers. Carcetti wins the election despite a last minute smear campaign. Omar is arrested for the murder Marlo organized.

Carcetti learns that Greggs has been assigned the witness case and uses the information against Royce. Watkins forms an alliance with Carcetti. Now a sergeant in the major case unit, Herc takes part in a series of ill-advised raids that fail to render any significant arrests. Herc takes a video camera without permission to surveil Stanfield. Marlo tries to enlist Michael but he rejects the offer. Marlo arranges to have Omar framed for murder. Dukie debunks Randy's theory that the Chris and Snoop's victims are undead and shows him the bodies. Prez struggles to control his students' behaviour. Bubbles is beaten by another drug addict and throws Sherrod out for truanting.

As the homicide unit's newest detective Greggs is assigned to the high-profile witness case in an attempt to stall the investigation until after the election. Freamon joins Bunk on finding his missing suspect and realizes the connection to the lack of violence from the Stanfield Organization. Freamon suggests the suspect has been killed and his body hidden. Marlo loses big in a poker game and decides to take over Bodie's corner. Chris and Snoop assess Michael as a potential recruit. Proposition Joe manipulates Omar into robbing Marlo's next card game. Watkins becomes more angry with Royce when he sees he has reneged on a promise to back his protege Marla Daniels for a council seat. Randy is caught truanting and becomes a reluctant informant for the teachers.

Royce strikes back against Carcetti with his mayoral powers, however, he alienates State Delegate Watkins over his refusal to fund witness protection. Carcetti impresses Watkins by his reserved behavior at the funeral of the murdered witness. Bunk visits Jimmy McNulty and Beadie Russell for dinner and finds McNulty sober and enjoying domestic life. Marlo Stanfield visits Bodie's corner and muscles him into selling the Stanfield package. Marlo is impressed with Michael a second time when he sees him working for Bodie. Proposition Joe and his New Day Co-Op face problems on two fronts; New York drug dealers on the East side and the Stanfield Organization in the West; they agree to attempt to negotiate with Marlo. Omar Little robs a Stanfield stash house. Rawls sends a caustic new lieutenant to gut the major case unit from the inside. Freamon and Kima Greggs leave for the homicide unit. Howard "Bunny" Colvin embarks on a new career as a researcher into violent behavior. Prez is shocked by a violent incident in his classroom.

Thomas "Herc" Hauk is now working for the Mayor's security detail. He catches Royce in a compromising position and learns how to spin it into a promotion opportunity. Namond visits his father, Wee-Bey Brice, in prison. Wee-Bey urges Namond to work harder at his job with drug dealer Bodie Broadus but Namond swaps it with Michael as he is in greater financial need. Bunk Moreland investigates a murder but finds his prime suspect missing. Rhonda Pearlman and Lester Freamon argue over delivering subpoenas to political figures. Another murder involving a state's witness gives Carcetti damaging ammunition in a debate with Royce. Marlo gives money away to the neighborhood children and Michael catches his attention when he refuses the handout. Dennis "Cutty" Wise continues to run the community boxing gym and also notices Michael because of his aptitude for the sport. Bubbles mentors young and homeless Sherrod in his junk selling business.

Four West Baltimore boys wrestle with what to do with the rest of their summer vacation. When unkempt outcast Duquan "Dukie" Weems is beaten up by a neighbouring group of children, Michael Lee is the quiet leader of the group's retaliation. Randy Wagstaff has the imagination to plan the endeavour. Namond Brice is the most outspoken and the richest of the four. Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski prepares for his new career as a school teacher. The Major Crimes Unit has a wiretap investigation into the new power in West Baltimore - the Stanfield Organization. They remain unaware that when Marlo Stanfield orders a death the target is taken to a vacant building and killed by enforcers Chris Partlow and "Snoop." Randy is unwittingly involved in one such disappearance. The mayoral election campaign between councilman Tommy Carcetti and incumbent mayor Clarence Royce begins to take shape.

Franco fears he's becoming the boy toy of Alicia, the well-to-do older woman he's been seeing, and Tommy finds a way to end Damian's fling with his science teacher, Mrs. Turbody. Meanwhile, Lou's growing increasingly unstable emotionally; Mike thinks about transferring out of the firehouse; the chief is growing increasingly desperate financially; and Sean is certain that he'll be "a dead man" when Tommy finds out who he's been sleeping with.

David and Keith struggle to create boundaries for their new sons. Brenda and Nate receive some ambiguous news; Ruth fills her schedule with activities.

An experience with his father causes Tommy to address the state of his broken family, while Chief Reilly comes to terms with a secret in his family in order to save his job. Elsewhere, Franco deals with the aftermath of a freak accident.