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Season 2 – The Wire

Play trailer Poster for Season 2 – The Wire Jun 2003 Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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95% Tomatometer 21 Reviews 94% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
This series looks at the narcotics scene in Baltimore through the eyes of law enforcers as well as the drug dealers and users. Other facets of the city that are explored in the series are the government and bureaucracy, schools and the news media. The show was created by former police reporter David Simon, who also wrote many of the episodes.
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The Wire — Season 2

The Wire — Season 2

What to Know

Critics Consensus

An ambitious introduction to a new network of characters allows The Wire to expand its focus on societal ills.

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Critics Reviews

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Bill Wyman NPR 10/22/2019
Where many shows toss in character actors for flavor, The Wire features nothing but character actors -- humanity has rarely been shown in so many sizes, shapes, colors and varieties of lumpiness. Go to Full Review Devin Gordon Newsweek 10/21/2019
If neat and tidy McMysteries are your bag, there'll be around-the-clock repeats of Law & Order this summer. But if you're looking for new episodes of the best cop show on television, well, we won't say it. Enough is enough, right? Go to Full Review Hal Boedeker Orlando Sentinel 10/21/2019
The Wire doesn't receive the attention of other HBO dramas, but it should. It often surpasses them in the chances it takes and the stories it tells. Go to Full Review David Zurawik Baltimore Sun 10/21/2019
Television rarely dares to be this deep or wise, particularly when telling stories about folks who are essentially dispossessed. Go to Full Review Terry Kelleher People Magazine 10/19/2019
The show moves methodically from one story line to another, progressing by inches yet holding our interest with its finely drawn characters and a rare ability to illuminate the gray areas of city life. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Heath R. @greendishes Oct 3 I mean a majority downgrade from the 1st but still not bad but far from anything great See more Stephen C @bob25009 Sep 21 12 successful episodes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ages 17 and older!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Originally aired on Home Box Office (HBO)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Ren P @ren533 Sep 4 It's not the worst season, but it had a lot of elements that felt unnecessary and detracted from the human aspect of the story. See more Gareth v @geewah Jul 24 A masterful, underappreciated chapter that transforms The Wire from great television into landmark storytelling. Bold, tragic, and brilliant. One of 2003's best shows. See more Angel H @RT66740823 Jul 18 Great show!! I'm from Baltimore & it's interesting to watch. I see all those places that most are now gone. They've been torn down, revitalized or commercialized as business parks, hotels, casino if you get close to the Harbor. But I digress..lol The show has an amazing take on the drug trade & the toll it takes on every day life in Baltimore. It didn't skimp on the dark, dirty underbelly of gangs or the police. There was & is plenty of it to go around. This show really did bring a lot of great actors into the forefront. This is definitely worth the watch, I even binge it every so often. It's a great reminder on why as much as I love my hometown, I'll never live there again... See more Jo M @RT21451628 03/06/2025 Puzzled by the scale of praise on this. Some great lines and performances but also a number of clunking scenes- the absurdly contrived Irish-Polish rivalry storyline was a v weak platform for the story, the clowning performance of the ‘Irish’ police commander was unpleasant to watch, utterly unbelievable, like a cringeworthy 1950s comedy. The city drug scenes were always much stronger. As a Brit, I found Dominic West amazing, Idris Elba looks v limited tho, he doesn’t have the fluidity of West. The Omar character is mesmerising. Not a single weak performance among the police team, astonishing consistency, brilliant casting. See more Read all reviews
The Wire — Season 2

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Cast & Crew

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John Doman

William A. Rawls

Idris Elba

Russell "Stringer" Bell

Domenick Lombardozzi

Det. Thomas "Herc" Hauk

Deirdre Lovejoy

Rhonda Pearlman

Wendell Pierce

Det. William "Bunk" Moreland

Lance Reddick

Lt. Cedric Daniels

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Jun 1, 2003 Ebb Tide Detective Jimmy McNulty finds a body in the Baltimore harbor; Bodie drives to Philadelphia to make a connection for the Barksdale crew. Details Episode 2 Aired Jun 8, 2003 Collateral Damage Valchek seeks revenge for the church gift fiasco; Barksdale runs his empire from his prison cell; police officers investigate the contraband found in The Greek's container. Details Episode 3 Aired Jun 15, 2003 Hot Shots Bunk and Freamon chase a container ship to Philadelphia; Lt. Cedric Daniels is unhappy with his assignment; McNulty pursues the identity of his Jane Doe. Details Episode 4 Aired Jun 22, 2003 Hard Cases Sobotka reprimands Nick for stealing cameras; Burrell asks Daniels to lead the detail investigating Sobotka; McNulty begins courting his estranged wife. Details Episode 5 Aired Jun 29, 2003 Undertow Ziggy loses his prized Camaro to drug dealers; Col. Rawls puts pressure on Bunk to solve the homicide investigation; Bodie gets heat for weak product. Details Episode 6 Aired Jul 6, 2003 All Prologue McNulty gives up on identifying his Jane Doe; Sobotka tries to play a political game on behalf of his union; D'Angelo wants to live outside of Barksdale's umbrella. Details Episode 7 Aired Apr 28, 2024 Backwash Sobotka gives his lobbyist grief over the status of port legislation; Greggs and Prez tap into a circuit of Russian prostitutes; Bell tries to hold it together in the wake of a recent tragedy. Details Episode 8 Aired Jul 27, 2003 Duck and Cover McNulty is back to his old self; Bunk tries to get Daniels and Rawls to look after McNulty; Sobotka meets with the Greek and Vondas; business dries up for Bodie and Poot. Details Episode 9 Aired Aug 3, 2003 Stray Rounds Bodie's effort to improve sales ends disastrously; Ziggy pulls Johnny Fifty into a new caper; McNulty goes under cover in the brothel. Details Episode 10 Aired Aug 10, 2003 Storm Warnings The Detail uses satellite technology to its advantage; Valcheck visits the FBI; Ziggy's deal goes bad. Details Episode 11 Aired Aug 17, 2003 Bad Dreams The Detail makes a desperate move; Omar's suspicions are validated; Sobotka is forced to make a difficult choice. Details Episode 12 Aired Aug 24, 2003 Port in a Storm The detail suffers a setback; Russell and Bunk return to Philadelphia in search of evidence; Brother Mouzone talks with Stringer Bell regarding their agreement. Details

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The Wire — Season 2

The Wire The Wire The Wire The Wire View more photos

Season Info

Director
Elodie Keene, Ed Bianchi, Steve Shill, Ernest R. Dickerson, Thomas J. Wright, Timothy Van Patten, Rob Bailey, Robert F. Colesberry, Dan Attias
Screenwriter
David Simon, Ed Burns, George Pelecanos, Joy Kecken
Network
HBO
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date
Jun 1, 2003