Gerard and Sapper spot Omar about to take his grandmother to church, and they get the go-ahead from Stringer by phone (via Shamrock) to go after him. Unfortunately, they do this on Sunday morning, violating the traditional Sunday morning truce, and not only do Gerard and Sappers get yelled at by Slim, but while Omar manages to survive (as does his grandmother, though her hat gets trampled in the process), he swears revenge. Meanwhile, the co-op tells Stringer he needs to get Avon to work things out with Marlo (especially when Proposition Joe goes to Vinson, who says Marlo will back down if he can keep his corners), but Avon won't listen. Also, Brianna visits Avon and Stringer about McNulty's visit, but while they both continue to claim D'Angelo killed himself, she guesses the truth.
In Hamsterdam, Carver and some uniformed cops discover a shooting victim. Carver convinces the officers to move the body outside Hamsterdam so no one will find out. Unfortunately, they aren't successful at covering their tracks, and Crutchfield quickly figures out what happened. Colvin is only able to pacify Crutchfield by promising to get him the shooter by the next day. Colvin then rounds up all of the mid-level dealers and tells them if they don't produce the shooter, he'll be shutting down Hamsterdam. It turns out to have been one of the Barksdale dealers, and with Stringer's approval, Bodie forces the dealer to turn himself in. However, Herc, so disgusted by what happened, decides to spill the beans about Hamsterdam to the media.
The Major Crimes Unit continue to try and find a way to get a line up on the Barksdale gang's phones. Much to Rhonda and Daniels' frustration, the wireless companies won't help, and while the FBI is sympathetic, they say they can't do much better than she has (a five-day turnover, which she only got by threatening them with bad publicity). The squad is able to get up on Bodie's phone when Bubbles forces a re-up. However, everyone's thrown for a shock when, while, McNulty and Prez are out buying Chinese takeout for the team, they end up getting a police call, and Prez shoots a plainclothes African-American cop dead, mistaking him for a fugitive, and this ends his career.
Elsewhere, Dennis tries and fails to get permits for his gym, at least until he gets help from Rev. Frank Reid (Felix Stevenson), leader of the ministers (and a major constituent of Watkins'), McNulty continues to see Terri, but is less happy about it, and Gray implies he'll be running for mayor.
This episode contains examples of:
- And Then What?: Lester gives this speech to McNulty after the latter brags about how he and Lester are two of the few good cops in Baltimore.Lester: Tell me something, Jimmy. How exactly do you think it all ends? What do you mean? A parade? A gold watch? A shining Jimmy-McNulty-day moment when you bring in a case so sweet that everybody gets together and says: "Oh shit, he was right all along. We shoulda listened to the man." The job will not save you, Jimmy. It won't make you whole, it won't fill your ass up.
- Call-Back: The co-op reminds Stringer he's the one who's been saying it isn't about territory anymore.
- The ones who help Dennis get the gym ready are his co-workers.
- When McNulty closes the refrigerator in the detail office, we see a picture of Beadie Russell on it. Doubles as Foreshadowing for his later reconnecting with her.
- Captain Obvious: Clay, at least according to Stringer.Clay: (looking at documents Stringer has given him) This came today? Well, I see, this is fucked up.
- Death Glare: Daniels gives one to Valchek when Valchek asks if Daniels will back Prez if there's a "racial thing."
- Didn't Think This Through: Naturally, Carver hurriedly dragging a bleeding corpse down a block didn’t go unnoticed. Oh, and they missed one of the bullet casings.
- Disproportionate Retribution: The story behind the dead kid in Hamsterdam? He made fun of one of the other dealers’ shoes.
- Don't Tell Mama: Omar has always told his grandmother he works at a cafeteria by the airport.
- Dramatic Irony: As McNulty sits in Homicide, still in shock, Jay starts telling Holley about Waggoner (the cop Prez shot), and how capable he was (two commendations, high on the list for making sergeant), before tearing into Prez (bringing up, among other things, how he shot up his car, and how Valchek always saved him). We can't deny any of what Jay is saying, and yet they don't know, as McNulty does, how Prez had redeemed himself up till the shooting.
- Driven to Suicide: Daniels is afraid Prez might be this, so he tells Rawls to make sure someone goes home with him that night.
- Dude, Not Funny!: Kimmy finds Omar’s cover story of “working in an airport cafeteria” to his mom to be quite funny. Omar is too shaken up about the shooting to see the humor.
- Epigraph: "...while you're waiting for moments that never come", which is part of Lester's speech to McNulty
- Even Evil Has Standards: "On a Sunday morning?"Slim Charles: Ain't enough that y'all violated the Sunday morning truce. No! I'm standin' here holdin' a torn-up church crown of a bona-fide colored lady. Do you know what a colored lady is? Not your mamas, for sure. 'Cause if they was that y'all would have known better better than that bullshit. Y'all triflin' with Avon Barksdale's reputation here.
- Even Avon says this to Stringer:
Avon: A Sunday truce been around long as the game itself, man. I mean, you know what I'm sayin', you can do some shit and be like what the fuck, but hey, just never on no Sunday, man. - A Father to His Men:
- Daniels is especially so with Prez after the shooting. More so than Prez’s actual father-in-law.
- Colvin also tells Carver he will take the fall for Carver tampering with the crime scene.
- Foreshadowing: The co-op's increasing disgust with the war between Avon and Marlo, as well as Stringer's increasing distrust of Clay, and his recognizing Colvin as similar, become important later.
- For Want Of A Nail: Had the last entree not taken so long, McNulty and Prez wouldn’t have been on the scene to begin with.
- The Ghost: Eunetta Perkins. Lampshaded by Watkins.Watkins: Do you know Ms. Perkins? (Dennis shakes his head) Well, few of us do anymore.
- Happily Married: Prez.
- Hero with Bad Publicity: Prez will unfortunately only be remembered for being a long-time screwup and accidental cop-killer. Not for the good data-analyst police he was.
- I Resemble That Remark!: When McNulty comes into the detail office and sees Lester and Prez at work:McNulty: On a Sunday, what the fuck, Lester?Lester: I could say the same of you.McNulty: Elena's taking the kids to her mother's what the fuck else am I gonna do?
- It's All My Fault: Colvin insists on taking responsibility for moving the body, rather than Carver (who did this of his own accord).
- Let Me Get This Straight...: Rhonda and Daniels to the president of the wireless company:Rhonda: Let me understand something. Your company is in business selling disposable cell phones to people who don't have to give any subscriber information at the time of purchase, correct?Wireless Company President: Correct.Rhonda: They buy these phones and as far as you're concerned they use them anonymously, prepaying for their minutes.Wireless Company President: From the retailers, yes.Rhonda: And while they are using these phones, anonymously for whatever purpose they can't be monitored by law enforcement because your company can't react within a month to a court order for a wiretap.Wireless Company President: We do the best we can.Daniels: This is bullshit. You're selling a phone that you know is effective for drug trafficking.Wireless Company President: Lieutenant, our prepaid inventory is there for young people college students and such people who can't afford a permanent cell phone plan.Rhonda: What college student can't afford a cell phone? They can afford the fucking college they can afford the phone that goes with it.Wireless Company President: I resent the suggestion.Rhonda: Just so I'm clear: You're telling me that even if by some miracle we are able to get up on a drug dealer's disposable cell phone in time to catch him talking you're gonna take as much as a month to activate our tap.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Prez after the shooting, especially when he wonders if he really did, unconsciously, shoot Waggoner because he was black.
- An Offer You Can't Refuse: Colvin tells the mid-level dealers if someone doesn't turn themselves in for the dead body in Hamsterdam, Hamsterdam will be shut down and he'll crack down on them on the corners like he never did before.
- Oh, Crap!: McNulty and Prez when they realize the man Prez shot was a cop.
- One Dialogue, Two Conversations: While Truck is reading about Prez and Herc is still stewing about Hamsterdam:Truck: You say you worked with this guy? Three shots, no warnings. He scared of black people or something? Shit.Herc: This shit's gone too far.Truck: Yeah, you're tellin' me.
- Only in It for the Money: The reason why Kimmy quits when Omar decides to takes his revenge on the Barksdale crew.
- Reassignment Backfire: Santangelo tells Kima and McNulty he's glad Rawls kicked him out of Homicide and put him on patrol, as he's never felt happier.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Both Carver and Herc see themselves as doing this when a shooting victim shows up near Hamsterdam; Carver by having two uniform cops move the body so it's not found in Hamsterdam (and protecting Colvin), Herc, who sees this as the last straw, calling the newspapers about what's going on.
- Shout-Out: When McNulty is listing the few cops he thinks are as good as him and Lester, two of the names mentioned are Donald Worden - a real-life Baltimore Homicide detective who was the basis for Stan Bolander - and show co-creator and ex-detective Ed Burns.
- Surrounded by Idiots:Stringer: Good help is hard to find.
Avon: If it wasn't, you think I'd be payin' eastside niggers for shit? - Suspiciously Specific Denial: Avon says he “had nothing to do with that,” referring to DeAngelo’s death. This poor choice of words infuriates the already suspicious Brianna.
- Terrible Interviewees Montage: The bureaucrats who tell Dennis no when he tries to get permits for his gym.
- That Came Out Wrong: When Avon thinks Brianna is accusing him of having D'Angelo killed, he angrily wonders how she could think that, and - covering for Stringer - says, "I ain't have shit to do with it." When Brianna challenges him on that, Avon, realizing he's gone too far, backpedals by saying, "Whatever happened." However, the damage is done.
- This Is Something He's Got to Do Himself: Omar says this when Dante tries to join his vendetta against Avon and Stringer.
- Undying Loyalty: Carver repays Colvin’s leadership by misguidedly moving a dead body out of the free zone.
- Wham Episode: Thanks to Prez shooting an African-American police officer.
- With Friends Like These...: Carcetti advises Gray when he goes to Watkins to feel him out on an issue, and to try and charm him. Naturally, when they both go to see Watkins, Carcetti does this for himself.
