History Recap / TheWireS01E03TheBuys

* AbsenteeActor: Although credited, Wood Harris does not appear in this episode. This is the first episode of the series not to feature the entire starring cast.

* [[SecondEpisodeIntroduction Third Episode Introduction]]: In addition to Omar and his crew, this episode also marks the first appearance of Maj. Stan Valchek (Al Brown), who, [[Recap/TheWireS01E02TheDetail as we heard before]], is Prez's father-in-law. [[{{Foreshadowing}} That becomes important in later episodes as well, along with the fact Valchek now owes Daniels a favor.]]

* ContinuityNod: Fitz and [=McNulty=] tell Kima the FBI is no longer involved in the war on drugs, because they're too busy with the WarOnTerror.

-->'''D'Angelo:''' This (''kisses the king piece''), this the kingpin, all right? And he the man. You get the other dude's king, you got the game. But he trying to get your king too, so you gotta protect it. Now the king, he move one space any direction he damn choose, cause he's the king (''demonstrates''), but he ain't got no hustle. But the rest of these motherfuckers on the team, they got his back, and they run so deep, he really ain't gotta do shit.
-->'''Bodie:''' Kinda like your uncle.
-->'''D'Angelo:''' Yeah, like my uncle. You see this? This the queen. She smart, she fierce. She move any way she want as far as she want, and she is the "go-get-shit-done" piece.
-->'''Wallace:''' Remind me of Stringer.
-->'''D'Angelo:''' And this over here is the castle. It's like the stash. (''demonstrates how it moves'')
-->'''Wallace:''' No, the stash don't move, man.
-->'''D'Angelo:''' C'mon, yo, think, how many times we move the stash house this week? All right? And every time we move the stash, we gotta move a little muscle with it, right? To protect it.
-->'''Bodie:''' True, true, you right. All right; what about them little bald-headed bitches right there?
-->'''D'Angelo:''' All right, these right here, these are the pawns. They like the soldiers. (''demonstrates how they move'') And they like the front lines, they be out in the field.
-->'''Wallace:''' So how do you get to be the king?
-->'''D'Angelo:''' It ain't like that. You see, [[{{Epigraph}} the king stay the king]].

-->'''Rhonda:''' So let me understand. You're married, and a date is a room at the Best Western with the blinds closed. Now you're single, and a date is you coming over unannounced to learn the legal requisites for a pager intercept?
-->'''[=McNulty=]:''' Pretty much.

-->'''Kima:''' He hurt your feelings?
-->'''Sydnor:''' Little bit.

-->"The king stay the king."
-->--'''D'Angelo'''

** Also, [[Recap/TheWireS01E02TheDetail Bunk and [=McNulty=]'s speech about how senseless the murders involving drugs are]] has clearly had an effect on D'Angelo, as he snaps at Bodie for beating up on customers, and parrots some of Bunk and [=McNulty=]'s lines about the "bodies".

* NoodleIncident: Fitz tells [=McNulty=] Daniels is dirty because when the FBI was brought in to investigate his unit, they discovered he had more assets than he should have, but we don't hear anything more specific. Justified as they were pulled off the case before they could investigate further.
* SherlockScan: Sydnor goes undercover as a junkie by wearing cheap, dirty clothes and not showering for a few days. Bubbles says he's okay as far as that goes, but he needs to take off his wedding ring because a true junkie would have long sold it off for the money, and his shoes should have holes from all of the broken vials he stepped on. He sticks a shoe in Sydnor's face to demonstrate the last part.

* ChessMotifs / DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The chess scene.

-->'''D'Angelo:''' And this over here is the castle. It's like the stash. (''demonstrates how it moves)

* GenreSavvy: Daniels.
-->'''Burrell:''' Did you know they (Carver, Herc and Prez) were in the high-rises without back-up?
-->'''Daniels:''' I tell you yes, I screwed up. I tell you no, I'm putting my men in the jackpot. Do you still want me to answer?
** Also, Bubbles; not only in making sure Sydnor is ready to go undercover, but also in guessing the reason why [=McNulty=] doesn't get to see his kids as often as he wants is because [[YourCheatingHeart he screwed around so much]].

* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Except for [=McNulty=], who has no idea Kima is a [[ButchLesbian lesbian]].

* CluelessDetective: Polk and Mahon, who are ordered by [=McNulty=] to get a picture of Avon, and come back with a picture of a middle-aged white guy.
-->'''Kima:''' [[DeadpanSnarker Maybe he's white]].
* ContinuityNod: Fitz and [=McNulty=] tell Kima the FBI is no longer involved in the war on drugs, because they're too busy with the WarOnTerror.
* DaChief: Daniels; he may be disgusted by what Carver, Herc and especially Prez did, but he nevertheless covers for them.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The chess scene.

-->'''D'Angelo:''' It ain't like that. You see, [[{{Epigraph}} the king stay the king]].

* ContinuityNod: Fitz and [=McNulty=] tell Kima the FBI is no longer involved in the war on drugs, because they're too busy with the war on terror.

* CultureEqualsCostume: Sydnor attempts to blend into the junkie culture by wearing cheap, dirty clothes and not showering for a few days. Bubbles says he's okay as far as that goes, but he needs to take off his wedding ring because a true junkie would have long sold it off for the money, and his shoes should have holes from all of the broken vials he stepped on. He sticks a shoe in Sydnor's face to demonstrate the last part.
-->'''Kima:''' He hurt your feelings?
-->'''Sydnor:''' Little bit.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: How the Barksdale crew reacts to Omar will become important, along with the fact their product is weak. Also, [=McNulty=]'s idea of cloning a pager, and the phone number Lester pulls from the stash house they raid.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: How the Barksdale crew reacts to Omar will become important, along with the fact their product is weak. Also, [=McNulty=]'s idea of cloning a pager.

* LetMeGetThisStraight:
-->'''Rhonda:''' So let me understand. You're married, and a date is a room at the Best Western with the blinds closed. Now you're single, and a date is you coming over unannounced to learn the legal requisites for a pager intercept.
-->'''[=McNulty=}:''' Pretty much.

* HiddenDepths: Lester is the one who, when he hears Kima say she heard from an informant that Avon participated in a Golden Gloves tournament, is able to pull an old photo of Avon for the detail.

-->'''[=McNulty=]:''' He hurt your feelings?

* {{Foreshadowing}}: How the Barksdale crew reacts to Omar will become important, along with the fact their product is weak.