History Recap / TheWireS05E10Thirty

** On the bright side, [=McNulty=] reconciles with Beadie and appears to be on the road towards becoming a better person but he is told he will never do 'real police work' again. Lester retires happily with Shardene. Bubbles fully recovers from his depression and self loathing. Kima and Bunk continue in Homicide. Fletcher steps up as editor to Gus's quiet delight. Carver is promoted to Lieutenant. Daniels makes use of his law degree to become a lawyer while Rhonda becomes a judge. Kenard is arrested by Crutchfield, presumably for the murder of Omar. Slim, a virtuous gangster, becomes one of the leaders of the co-op.
** On the DownerEnding side, Scott wins a Pulitzer for his writing (though it's implied he's too guilt-ridden to even enjoy it as a result of [=McNulty=] confessing the hoax to him, and of course his whole life is now based on lies that could come crashing down any moment), Gus and Alma are demoted, Dukie becomes a heroin addict, Valchek becomes the police commissioner and Carcetti becomes governor, fully abandoning Baltimore. Marlo has a more ambiguous ending as he is kept from going to jail but can no longer sell drugs, which is all he wants to do. Michael has survived but turns into a stick-up man, basically becoming the next Omar and also doomed to share Omar's fate. And ultimately, the game "continues" unabated.

* EtTuBrute: Subverted; when [=McNulty=] finds out Kima told Daniels, he's not bothered if she thinks she was right, and even Lester asks Kima to drink with him after he finds out.im

The series ends on a shot of the downtown city skyline, revealing the show's true main character: Baltimore itself.

* {{Catchphrase}}: During his "wake", [=McNulty=] says, "What the fuck did I do?"

* HistoryRepeats: Carver is following in Colvin and Daniels' footsteps, Dukie is becoming the new Bubbles (or worse, Johnny or Sherrod), Fletcher seems on his way to become the new Gus, Michael is becoming the new Omar, and Sydnor and Kima are becoming the new [=McNulty=].

* GrowingTheBeard / ManlyFacialHair: Prez's stubble coincides with the fact he's no longer cowed by his students as he was in the previous season, but has become more forceful.

* GrowingTheBeard/ManlyFacialHair: Prez's stubble coincides with the fact he's no longer cowed by his students as he was in the previous season, but has become more forceful.

* ManlyFacialHair: Prez's stubble coincides with the fact he's no longer cowed by his students as he was in the previous season, but has become more forceful.

** On the bright side, [=McNulty=] reconciles with Beadie and appears to be on the road towards becoming a better person but he is told he will never do 'real police work' again. Lester retires happily with Shardene. Bubbles fully recovers from his depression and self loathing. Kima and Bunk continue in Homicide. Carver is promoted to Lieutenant. Daniels makes use of his law degree to become a lawyer while Rhonda becomes a judge. Kenard is arrested by Crutchfield, presumably for the murder of Omar. Slim, a virtuous gangster, becomes one of the leaders of the co-op.

* CanonWelding: Bunk refers to the interrogation room as "the box", which was also the term used in ''Series/HomicideLifeontheStreet''.

* KarmaHoudini: Carcetti and Scott are rewarded for their actions (though Scott is implied to feel extremely guilty after [=McNulty=] revealed that the entire serial killer story was a hoax). Marlo is an ambiguous example, given that he dodged jail by making a deal, but it's implied that he'll quickly break that deal. Sydnor is a heroic example, as the only detective who who knew about the "serial killer" being fake and yet dodges any punishment.

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Norman finds the entire situation with the fake serial killer hilarious, much to Carcetti's annoyance

-->''You just cost us the Nine''[[note]]nine-hundred-thousand that Cheese was going to pony up[[/note]]

* BadassBeard: Prez's stubble coincides with the fact he's no longer cowed by his students as he was in the previous season, but has become more forceful.

* ItsPersonal / LaserGuidedKarma: "That was for Joe."

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Well, [=McNulty=] is far from evil, but given the perfect scapegoat for the serial killer case [[spoiler: a mentally ill homeless man who was a copycat killer and even claimed to have killed everyone]] he refuses to charge him for anything except the two murders he actually did commit.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Well, [=McNulty=} is far from evil, but given the perfect scapegoat for the serial killer case [[spoiler: a mentally ill homeless man who was a copycat killer and even claimed to have killed everyone]] he refuses to charge him for anything except the two murders he actually did commit.

* ChekovsGunman: The [[spoiler: homeless man who collects business cards]] is the copycat killer.

* EtTuBrute: Subverted; when [=McNulty=] finds out Kima told Daniels, he's not bothered if she thinks she was right, and even Lester asks Kima to drink with him after he finds out.

* BittersweetEnding: On the bright side, [=McNulty=] reconciles with Beadie and appears to be on the road towards becoming a better person but he is told he will never do 'real police work' again. Lester retires happily with Shardene. Bubbles fully recovers from his depression and self loathing. Kima and Bunk continue in Homicide. Carver is promoted to Lieutenant. Daniels makes use of his law degree to become a lawyer while Rhonda becomes a judge. Kenard is arrested by Crutchfield, presumably for the murder of Omar. Slim, a virtuous gangster, becomes one of the leaders of the co-op. On the DownerEnding side, Scott wins a Pulitzer for his writing (though it's implied he's too guilt-ridden to even enjoy it as a result of [=McNulty=] confessing the hoax to him, and of course his whole life is now based on lies that could come crashing down any moment), Gus and Alma are demoted, Dukie becomes a heroin addict, Valchek becomes the police commissioner and Carcetti becomes governor, fully abandoning Baltimore. Marlo has a more ambiguous ending as he is kept from going to jail but can no longer sell drugs, which is all he wants to do. Michael has survived but turns into a stick-up man, basically becoming the next Omar and also doomed to share Omar's fate. And ultimately, the game "continues" unabated.

* BittersweetEnding: On the bright side, [=McNulty=] reconciles with Beadie and appears to be on the road towards becoming a better person but he is told he will never do 'real police work' again. Lester retires happily with Shardene. Bubbles fully recovers from his depression and self loathing. Kima and Bunk continue in Homicide. Carver is promoted to Lieutenant. Daniels makes use of his law degree to become a lawyer while Rhonda becomes a judge. Kenard is arrested by Crutchfield, presumably for the murder of Omar. Slim, a virtuous gangster, becomes one of the leaders of the co-op. On the DownerEnding side, Scott wins a Pulitzer for his writing (though it's implied he's too guilt-ridden to even enjoy it as a result of [=McNulty=] confessing the hoax to him, and of course his whole life is now based on lies that could come crashing down any moment), Gus and Alma are demoted, Dukie becomes a heroin addict, Valchek becomes the police commissioner and Carcetti becomes governor, fully abandoning Baltimore. Marlo has a more ambiguous ending as he is kept from going to jail but can no longer sell drugs, which is all he wants to do. And ultimately, the game "continues" unabated.

* JerkassHasAPoint: Cheese pulls a gun and starts making a good case against nostalgia, shaming the other drug lords for lacking enough cash despite dealing in a captive market.

* CatchPhrase: During his "wake", [=McNulty=] says, "What the fuck did I do?"

* CountryMatters: When [=McNulty=] refuses to get a confession for the other "murders," Rawls responds, "[[LetMeGetThisStraight Motherfucker, you are a cunt-hair away from indictment, and you see fit to argue with me?]]"

* BittersweetEnding: On the bright side, [=McNulty=] reconciles with Beadie and appears to be on the road towards becoming a better person but he is told he will never do 'real police work' again. Lester retires happily with Shardene. Bubbles fully recovers from his depression and self loathing. Kima and Bunk continue in Homicide. Carver is promoted to Lieutenant. Daniels makes use of his law degree to become a lawyer while Rhonda becomes a judge. Kenard is arrested by Crutchfield, presumably for the murder of Omar. Slim, a virtuous gangster, becomes one of the leaders of the co-op. On the DownerEnding side, Scott wins a Pulitzer for his writing (though it's implied he's too guilt-ridden to even enjoy it as a result of [=McNulty=] confessing the hoax to him), Gus and Alma are demoted, Dukie becomes a heroin addict, Valchek becomes the police commissioner and Carcetti becomes governor, fully abandoning Baltimore. Marlo has a more ambiguous ending as he is kept from going to jail but can no longer sell drugs, which is all he wants to do. And ultimately, the game "continues" unabated.

* KarmaHoudini: Carcetti and Scott are rewarded for their actions(though Scott is implied to feel extremely guilty after McNulty revealed that the entire serial killer story was a hoax). Marlo is an ambiguous example, given that he dodged jail by making a deal, but it's implied that he'll quickly break that deal. Sydnor is a heroic example, as the only detective who who knew about the "serial killer" being fake and yet dodges any punishment.

* BittersweetEnding: On the bright side, [=McNulty=] reconciles with Beadie and appears to be on the road towards becoming a better person but he is told he will never do 'real police work' again. Lester retires happily with Shardene. Bubbles fully recovers from his depression and self loathing. Kima and Bunk continue in Homicide. Carver is promoted to Lieutenant. Daniels makes use of his law degree to become a layer while Rhonda becomes a judge. Kenard is arrested by Crutchfield, presumably for the murder of Omar. Slim, a virtuous gangster, becomes one of the leaders of the co-op. On the DownerEnding side, Scott wins a Pulitzer for his writing(though it's implied he's too guilt-ridden to even enjoy it as a result of McNulty confessing the hoax to him), Gus and Alma are demoted, 'Dukie' becomes a heroin addict, Valchek becomes the police commissioner and Carcetti becomes governor, fully abandoning Baltimore. Marlo has a more ambiguous ending as he is kept from going to jail but can no longer sell drugs, which is all he wants to do. And ultimately, the game "continues" unabated.

-->'''Vinson:''' You're [[JustAKid just a boy]].
-->''Michael shoots Vinson in the leg.''
-->'''Michael:''' And that's just your knee.

-->'''Marla:''' The tree that doesn't bend, breaks, Cedric.
-->'''Daniels:''' Bend too far, you're already broken.

* BittersweetEnding: On the bright side, [=McNulty=] reconciles with Beadie and appears to be on the road towards becoming a better person but he is told he will never do 'real police work' again. Lester retires happily with Shardene. Bubbles fully recovers from his depression and self loathing. Kima and Bunk continue in Homicide. Carver is promoted to Lieutenant. Daniels makes use of his law degree to become a layer while Rhonda becomes a judge. Kenard is arrested by Crutchfield, presumably for the murder of Omar. Slim, a virtuous gangster, becomes one of the leaders of the co-op. On the DownerEnding side, Scott wins a Pulitzer for his writing, Gus and Alma are demoted, 'Dukie' becomes a heroin addict, Valchek becomes the police commissioner and Carcetti becomes governor, fully abandoning Baltimore. Marlo has a more ambiguous ending as he is kept from going to jail but can no longer sell drugs, which is all he wants to do. And ultimately, the game "continues" unabated.

* KarmaHoudini: Carcetti and Scott are rewarded for their actions. Marlo is an ambiguous example, given that he dodged jail by making a deal, but it's implied that he'll quickly break that deal. Sydnor is a heroic example, as the only detective who who knew about the "serial killer" being fake and yet dodges any punishment.