One Arrest

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"One Arrest"
The Wire episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 7
Directed byJoe Chappelle
Story by
Teleplay byRafael Alvarez
Original air dateJuly 21, 2002 (2002-07-21)
Running time59 minutes
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"One Arrest" is the seventh episode of the first season of the American crime drama The Wire. The episode was written by Rafael Alvarez from a story by David Simon and Ed Burns and was directed by Joe Chappelle. It premiered on July 21, 2002, on HBO in the U.S. In this episode, Baltimore police detective Jimmy McNulty attempts to wiretap Barksdale Organization drug dealers, while being unknowingly undermined by commanding officer William Rawls.

On its premiere, "One Arrest" had over four million viewers on HBO. The Guardian and The Star-Ledger praised the episode's storytelling and character depth. This episode marked the debut of Isiah Whitlock Jr. in the cast as State Senator Clay Davis.

Plot summary

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The Police

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The Barksdale detail discusses the information they have garnered from their surveillance, with Prez showing a surprising gift for decrypting messages. They have identified a resupply with a specific time. Herc, Carver, Sydnor and Greggs make a labored arrest of the package carrier but allow Stinkum to get away so as to not compromise the wiretap. Stinkum pages Stringer from outside the towers and Sydnor rushes over to photograph him as the call is returned, so they can legally monitor the phone call. In interrogation, Prez recognizes the carrier as Kevin Johnston, the boy he blinded in one eye. Daniels appeals to Johnston to contact him if he ever wants to change his life; Johnston mocks his offer.

McNulty and Pearlman meet with Phelan, who agrees to back the detectives. Phelan is surprised that Daniels stood up for the wiretaps and worries that McNulty no longer trusts him since the Gant murder hit the newspapers. McNulty feels that he cannot trust anyone at the moment. Daniels attends a fundraiser with his wife, Marla. Also in attendance are Burrell and State Senator Clay Davis. Daniels finds himself in the kitchen with Davis' driver, Damien "Day-Day" Price, who is viewing the house's valuables. He speculates about the profit that could be made by burglarizing the home until Daniels reveals that he is a police officer.

Rawls gives Santangelo an ultimatum: if he wishes to remain in Homicide, he must either clear at least one of his unsolved cases by day's end or inform on McNulty. Landsman jokingly recommends a psychic, Madame LaRue, and a desperate Santangelo follows his advice; the psychic turns out to be a phony. McNulty and Bunk work the Gant case based on Omar's tip that Bird was involved. They canvass the buildings opposite the crime scene looking for witnesses and find an older woman who corroborates Omar's story and is willing to testify. Based on Omar's tip, the Barksdale detail tracks down and apprehends Bird. A ballistics test confirms that his gun was used to kill Gant.

After Bird refuses to cooperate and profanely insults the interrogators, he is beaten by Daniels, Landsman and Greggs. Omar gives a statement to Bunk, criticizing Bird for killing a civilian. When Bunk asks Omar if he has any other tips on old murders, he gives information about Denise Redding, which happens to be one of Santangelo's open cases. McNulty relays Omar's information to Santangelo, who in gratitude warns McNulty that Rawls is after him. McNulty visits Pearlman to discuss his worries about Rawls, as he loves the job too much for Rawls to take it from him.

The Street

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Greggs gets Johnny out of his charge for possession on Bubbles' behalf; part of his deal involves going into a treatment program. Bubbles and Johnny attend a Narcotics Anonymous meeting as part of the deal. Bubbles is impressed by the speaker, Walon, and declares that he has a strong desire to live at the end of the meeting.

D'Angelo visits Orlando's to see Avon. Orlando tells D'Angelo he has a proposition for him. Later, in the Pit, Orlando asks him to help sell some cocaine from New Orleans behind Avon's back; D'Angelo tells Orlando he will have to think about it. Meanwhile, Stringer berates Stinkum for talking on the phone and insists that something is wrong in D'Angelo's crew. Avon tells D'Angelo to change up and stop all trade for the time being. He also worries that the police do not seem to be onto Stinkum, as they should have connected him through the plate number on his vehicle already. In the Pit, Bodie quizzes Poot about Wallace, who has holed up in his squat and started taking drugs since Brandon's murder. Stringer orders them to rip out the payphones in the Pit and to vary which payphones they use, not using the same one more than once per day.

Production

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Epigraph

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A man must have a code. - Bunk

Bunk uses this phrase when Omar discusses his rules for life on the street.

Credits

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Guest stars

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First appearances

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This episode marks the first appearance of Clay Davis (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) and his aide Damien Price. Davis had a brief appearance in a scene depicting a party; he would become a more relevant character in later episodes.[1] This is also the first appearance of Walon, Bubbles's sponsor and friend.

Broadcast

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This episode premiered July 21, 2002, on HBO in the U.S.[2] In the UK, this episode had its broadcast TV debut on April 7, 2009, on BBC Two.[3]

Reception

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This episode had nearly 4.12 million viewers and ranked fifth in the Nielsen Media Research U.S. premium cable ratings for the week ending July 21, 2002.[4]

In a 2008 retrospective review for The Star-Ledger, Alan Sepinwall cited this episode as an example of "people in long-standing institutions who try to think outside the box, and who get mocked or outright attacked for doing so."[5] For The Guardian in 2009, Saptarshi Ray praised the story pacing: "For a slow-burning drama, this episode packs plenty of action."[6] Ray also praised the scene of Bubbles and Johnny at the Narcotics Anonymous meeting as "the most powerful scene" for depicting the "naked destruction" that drug addiction causes.[6]

References

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  1. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (March 4, 2008). "The Wire: The secret origin of Clay's catchphrase". All TV. NJ.com. Archived from the original on June 27, 2008. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  2. ^ "Program Guide: A-Z" (PDF). HBO Guide. July 2002. p. 21. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 30, 2005. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  3. ^ "The Wire, 'One Arrest'". BBC Two. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  4. ^ Downey, Kevin (July 31, 2002). "Big duke-out for top network". Media Life Magazine. Archived from the original on December 5, 2003. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  5. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (July 18, 2008). "The Wire, Season 1, Episode 7: "One Arrest" (Newbies edition)". The Star-Ledger. Archived from the original on August 10, 2008. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  6. ^ a b Ray, Saptarshi (April 7, 2009). "The Wire re-up: Episode Seven, Season One". Organ Grinder Blog. guardian.co.uk. Archived from the original on April 10, 2009. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
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