Best Episodes
Based on the factual book Homicide: A Year On the Killing Streets by journalist David Simon, the series charts the lives of a team of homicide detectives in Baltimore, Maryland, both on and off the clock.
Written by Sophie and last updated on jan 18, 2023.
PS: The following content contains spoilers!
PPS: I will admit that parts of this page was written with the help of AI - it makes my work so much easier to not start from a blank page!
Julianna wins the recognition of her peers. At dinner, Julianna and her colleagues swap stories about how they've cracked cases. Julianna relates a story that happened a few weeks earlier, a suicide might actually be turn out to be murder, when it is determined that the victim was shot in mid-jump. A bickering elderly couple proves to be the key to the crime. Meanwhile, Falsone investigates the legal possibilities of obtaining custody of his son. Ballard and Gharty investigate the death of a drug dealer, which takes them up into the hills of western Maryland in search of their suspects. Georgia Rae Mahoney sues Stivers, Lewis, Kellerman, Giardello, Cox, the department and the city for the wrongful death of her brother, to the tune of $60 million. Lewis confronts Georgia Rae and winds up with a suspension for his trouble.
The episode was rated 8.31 from 26 votes.
There is a major police chase after an armed suspect, as he holes himself up in a row house that is the headquarters of ARM (African Revival Movement). The head of that house, a former cop, calls in a favor, high in the police department. Munch and Pembleton try to work the case as Bayliss seems to be missing. Their investigation seems to be thwarted every step of the way. Stivers' has second thoughts about what she saw at the Mahoney shooting. An attempt to serve ""Burundi"" Robinson an arrest warrant breaks out into a war between the police and ARM. Gee goes into the house to confront Robinson and finds out who and what he knows.
The episode was rated 8.33 from 24 votes.
Bolander, Munch, Howard and Felton all meet to serve a warrant, but Bolander, Howard and Felton are shot in an ambush. Pembleton becomes the primary in the investigation and is partnered with a detective who specializes in the psychology of their prime suspect: a pedophile. Stan's ex-partner Mitch Drummond offers his help. Kay's father and Beau's wife and the kids come to the hospital. A clerical error is discovered to be the cause of why the detectives went to the door marked 201, instead of 210.
The episode was rated 8.34 from 32 votes.
Mary gave birth to a girl named Olivia; Tim is more excited about it than Frank. Their latest case involves a multiple shooting a restaurant. Lewis is back from his honeymoon, but while working a case with Kellerman, he confesses that they have yet to consummate their marriage. Later he tells him that they've separated. Tim stops by to see Frank and Mary's baby. They get a suspect for their case in the box. Frank collapses in the box while interrogating a suspect. Frank is put under the knife to release the pressure built up in his head from the stroke he had. After the surgery the doctor tells them that he doesn't know if Frank will recover.
The episode was rated 8.37 from 27 votes.
Frank and Tim investigate the death of a young girl whose abused body was found by the side of the interstate. Brodie goes to an interview with a new potential roommate. Kellerman finally gets his day in court, where he is supposed to take the 5th amendment. Frank and Tim disagree with their pursuit of the investigation. Frank tries a different approach with the mother and she tells him the story-- only they won't be able to get a murder one conviction. Julianna comes down to the courthouse to offer Mike some moral support. He sees Connelly come out of the courtroom and thinks things are going bad, so he prepares to give it all up. However, his appearance before the grand jury doesn't go quite as he expected. Brodie walks out of the building with his new roommate. The detectives try to celebrate Kellerman's freedom, though he has different thoughts about the situation. Tim tries to come to grips with the child abuse he experienced in his past and also tells Frank he doesn't want to be
The episode was rated 8.38 from 26 votes.
Frank gets his first case as a primary-- unfortunately it is a case that involves the shooting of Danver's fiancΓ©e. Danvers is concerned about Frank being the primary and keeps throwing his opinions into the investigation. Danvers changes his perspective on the death penalty and also reflects on his past performance in many of the cases he's tried. Brodie continues to look for housing; the latest place he tried staying was the morgue. Kellerman is discouraged when it appears as though Cox may have only been looking for a one-night stand and nothing more-- so he takes a sick day. Gee takes some time out of his day to have a talk with Kellerman's former partners to see where they stand with him in regard to their testimonies to the grand jury. He also sees the Deputy Commissioner to see what can be done for Kellerman; what he learns instead are some truths about the Gaffney promotion.
The episode was rated 8.39 from 28 votes.
The search for Georgia Rae and the war against her organization begin. Stivers, uncomfortable with the whole situation tells Gee about the Luther Mahoney shooting. Ballard and Gharty begin to deal with their recovery. A lead on Georgia Rae's whereabouts is uncovered. During the assault on the building, Georgia Rae's body is found and Bayliss takes a bullet that would have hit Pembleton. Gee asks Pembleton to get to heart of the Luther Mahoney shooting that started it all. Pembleton and Falsone start with Lewis and then they move onto Kellerman. The truth about the shooting comes out and Kellerman claims sole responsibility, Pembleton asks him for his badge. To protect Stivers and Lewis from prosecution, Kellerman resigns. Feeling remorse for the hesitation that caused Bayliss to take a bullet for him and with Gee's plans to cover-up the truth about the Luther Mahoney shooting, Pembleton decides it is time to resign.
The episode was rated 8.44 from 25 votes.
Their rotation in robbery is up, Frank and Tim return to the homicide unit. They find that citations are being handed out to the unit and a delighted Gee, whose clearance rate is the highest it has been in five years. Kellerman and Lewis are also scheduled to return. Howard is still on assignment with the fugitive squad. Additions to the unit through rotated assignment include Det. Ballard who actually comes from a Seattle homicide unit, Det. Falsone and Det. Gharty. Falsone and Gharty worked with the unit on the Felton case last spring; however, nothing is mentioned about the status of that case. (Sharp-eyed viewers note that Felton's name is still in red under Pembleton's name on the board.) Meanwhile, Gee attends a black tie function honoring Felix Wilson, a respected member of the community. Because he grew up with them, Gee sits at a table with Felix, his wife and their family. Everyone attending the function at the hotel is kept late because the body of a woman is found dead in t
The episode was rated 8.46 from 24 votes.
Pembleton and Bayliss have only twelve hours to grill their prime suspect in the Adena Watson case before they must let him go.
The episode was rated 8.48 from 63 votes.
Mike and Julianna wake up the morning after a night of drinking and passion. The investigation into Beau's death continues; Howard wants to be the primary while Frank tries to maintain control. Gee asks her to step aside and let him do the job with a more unbiased approach. The investigation creates some unlikely pairings: Pembleton with Gharty and Bayliss with Falsone and Munch on his own. Meanwhile, Howard and Russert make arrangements for Beau's funeral. Lewis and Kellerman's investigation into a homicide is stalled; when Kellerman's hangover laden police work is shoddy. When it appears as thought the investigation is going nowhere; Kay demands to be put on the case. Gee refuses. Because of his bad day and finding Julianna drinking with someone at the Waterfront Bar, Kellerman suggests that they should stop drinking. Frank tries to call Mary; eventually they connect and reconcile; with Frank saying that he is willing to give it all up. They find out who killed Beau, but when they go
The episode was rated 8.52 from 23 votes.
A trash-talking radio talk-show host makes a proposal to his listening audience. Lewis announces to Kellerman that he is getting married today, then he throws up. He motivates the rest of the squad to help him with the final details as he is getting married ""tonight after the shift ends."" Kay brings her sister with her to the station. Since the whole squad is busy with Lewis' wedding, Gee takes Howard out to work the homicide of the radio talk-show host. One of his listeners took him up on his proposal. Munch is skeptical about the Lewis wedding; he thinks it's an elaborate practical joke. Bayliss and Kellerman vie for the attention of Kay's sister. Gee shoots and kills a potential suspect, but the suspect was in jail at the time of the talk show host's murder. The guy who fingered him admits that he did it as a joke. The wedding is no hoax. During the festivities Pembleton's wife goes into labor.
The episode was rated 8.54 from 26 votes.
Bayliss has disappeared again as Pembleton and Brodie make their way to the scene of a shotgun suicide. The victim appears to be Beau Felton. Gee's letter, including information gained in the ""Burundi"" case, begins to make an impact at the highest levels of the department. Frank returns to the department with the news about his case. Lewis goes off, wondering who is going to be next. Det. Falsone comes to the squad with news about why he thinks Beau Felton killed himself. Lewis and Stivers discuss the Mahoney shooting. Cox finds something interesting about the Felton case; she digs in deeper and the results change the case to a murder. Bayliss turns up the next day and disappears again to his Uncle George's place. Pembleton and Howard try to work with Falsone to find Beau's killer. Gee finds out that Beau had been working undercover for the past six months on the Cantwell auto-theft ring. Megan Russert returns from France.
The episode was rated 8.58 from 26 votes.
On New Year's Eve, the detectives sit back in the quiet of the evening and watch a documentary that Brodie has made about them and their work. During the filming, Brodie also happens to capture the lunchtime bandit red-handed.
The episode was rated 8.63 from 24 votes.
A man falls between the cars of a subway train in front of horrified witnesses. Was he pushed? While the man is still alive, the prognosis is he will be dead the moment they extract from the position he currently occupies: pinned between the train and platform. Homicide is called in light of this condition and the fact he may have been pushed. Pembleton questions the victim, and Bayliss questions the witnesses, especially a strange one named Larry Biedron. The victim has no relatives in the Baltimore area. He does have a girlfriend who is supposed to be jogging in the area; Lewis and Falsone try to find her to bring her to the scene.
The episode was rated 8.64 from 22 votes.
Judge Gibbons has been stabbed. On their way to the crime scene, Bayliss and Pembleton talk about a book that Bayliss is reading, then Pembleton wonders if anyone would ever write a book about their Homicide unit. A probation officer is murdered in a drive-by shooting. The FBI gets involved with investigation of the Gibbons death. Agent Bauer mentions to Bayliss that Kellerman's confrontation with Gibbons probably got the judge killed. He wants Kellerman clear of the case. A fingerprint lifted from the Gibbons' crime scene points to Georgia Rae's son, Junior Bunk. Falsone and Stivers get a lead on their probation officer shooting case. As Junior Bunk is brought in for questioning, he eyeballs a handgun being put in a drawer. Pembleton and Bayliss get Junior in the box and he is no longer able to be intimidated. While waiting to be transferred to central booking, Kellerman, Lewis & Gharty harass Junior. Slightly freed up to make a phone call, Junior gets the gun out of the desk and begi
The episode was rated 8.64 from 25 votes.
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