"Conscience do cost." -- Butchie

Herc discovers a blast from the past, which he belatedly reveals to his ex-colleagues. Daniels blows a gasket over the real reason the detail was reassigned from an investigation in Pimlico to the Western District. Stringer Bell learns from Donette that she's told Brianna about McNulty's visit and that Brianna is likely to talk to him.

"No one wins. One side just loses more slowly." - Prez

Freamon and Greggs move to Homicide, while Herc and Dozerman join Marimow in the lackluster Major Crimes Unit. Cutty gets a "custodial" job at Tilghman School picking up truants, but struggles to make progress while trying to mentor Michael. Bubbles works to get Sherrod back in school as an 8th grader. Burrell finds a way to sabotage the state-witness murder investigation before the election, impacting Greggs. Prez's struggles as a teacher continue while Bodie finds himself working for a new "company". Meanwhile, Colvin pitches his pilot program to the middle school and Carcetti meets with a constituency when he knows that they won't support him regardless of what he says. Randy is faced with a dilemma after being busted for his candy scam and Proposition Joe plays Marlo in a high-stakes heist.

"Aw yeah. That golden rule." - The Bunk

Omar calls in a favor to the police; Carcetti gets advice from the ex-mayor and then Mayor Royce and his team; Cutty finds out why Spider has been avoiding him and explains to the rest of his boxers that it won't happen again; Prez makes a break through with his students; Herc loses his camera; Greggs solves the Braddock case with soft eyes; Bubbles gets robbed repeatedly and searches for Sherrod; Namond begins to work a package and finds it hard to get suspended from school; Daniels catches Carcetti's eye.