Season 1, Episode 04
Old Cases
McNulty and Kima try to get some of the hoppers arrested during the pit raid to flip on their superiors. After punching Det. Patrick Mahone, Bodie receives a stern beating from the police. Waking up from his injuries in a Washington, D.C. juvenile detention facility, he manages to escape just as Herc and Carver arrive to interrogate him. Back in Baltimore, Avon discusses the loss of the pit's stash, and marks Omar and his crew for death, doubling the bounty when he learns Omar is homosexual, and fellow stick-up man Brandon Wright is his lover. As Stringer becomes concerned there may be a snitch in the pit, Burrell tries to appease Phelan, but the judge is unimpressed with the progress made thus far. Meanwhile, Freamon has a break-through regarding the crew's use of pagers, and, acting on a tip from Sgt. Jay Landsman, McNulty and Bunk investigate an old murder in which D'Angelo may have been involved.
This episode contains examples of:
- Artistic License – Gun Safety: During the famous Cluster F-Bomb investigation scene, McNulty tries to figure out the angle of a bullet entry and exit wound. So he takes out his loaded service weapon and points it at himself to simulate it. All perfectly in character.
- Call-Back: In addition to what's mentioned above, a uniformed cop asks Carver about his part in the fight at the Towers, and Herc still has a bandage on his head from that fight.
- Cardboard Prison: Bodie is able to break out of Boys Village rather easily.
- Cluster F-Bomb: In going over the old crime scene of Deirdre's murder, the only dialogue Bunk and McNulty have is variations on "fuck".
- Comically Missing the Point: When D'Angelo tells the others about shooting Deirdre, Poot wants to know why he didn't fuck her first, especially since she was naked and good-looking.
- Dead Guy on Display: Avon says he wants to do this to Omar.You know how them cracker motherfuckers do when they kill a deer? Or, like, when they go out killing animals, whatnot? Got them on the front of the truck, tied up, stretched out, so everybody could see it? You feel me? I'm serious: that's what I want. I want that motherfucker on display. I'm gonna send a message to the courtyard about this motherfucker, so people know we ain't playing.
- Early-Bird Cameo: One of the cops in the courtroom is clearly played by Gbenga Akinnagbe, two seasons before he was cast as Chris Partlow.
- Epic Fail: Herc trying to get the desk in at the beginning.
- Epigraph: "Thin line 'tween heaven and here," which Bubbles says after he goes from McNulty's son's soccer game to the slums where he lives.
- Expo Speak: Completely averted when Bunk and McNulty are going over the old crime scene; the only words either of them say are variations on "fuck".
Word of God confirmed this was his way of serving notice what kind of show this would be. - Foreshadowing: The suspicion there's a snitch in the Pit becomes very important in later episodes. Also, Lester's warning to McNulty to tell no one about where he doesn't want to go becomes important.
- From the Mouths of Babes:Kima: Nothing like being told "fuck off" by a 14-year-old.
- The Guards Must Be Crazy: Bodie is able to escape Boys' Village because the guard at the desk is too busy talking to a woman to notice him.
- Insistent Terminology/Running Gag: The amount of time that Lester was exiled to the Pawn Shop unit quickly becomes one. Whenever someone, mostly McNulty incredulously asks "13 years?" Lester adds "And four months."
- The Mob Boss Is Scarier: Which is why Kima and McNulty are unable to get any of the people they've arrested to testify against Avon.
- Pet the Dog: After the police noisily and messily go through the apartment of Bodie's grandmother, Herc stays behind and apologizes to her for the rudeness and foul language they used while searching the place. Afterward he has a short but civil conversation with the older woman.
- Rule of Three: "Tap...tap...tap."
- Shout-Out: As McNulty drives to the soccer game, Bubbles gripes, "Where in Leave It to Beaver land are you taking me?"
