Hard Cases

Sobotka (Chris Bauer) finds out about Nick (Pablo Schreiber) and Ziggy (James Ransone)'s thievery on the docks, and gets very angry. Nick decides they won't steal anymore, but his connection promises to make it worth their while if they can deliver certain chemicals. Despite Nick's pleas, Ziggy flashes his cash around, and pisses off a suspicious co-worker. Five inmates are dead and another eight hospitalized after ingesting spiked drugs distributed by Tilghman (Antonio D. Charity). It's all part of Avon's (Wood Harris) plan to shorten his prison term. D'Angelo (Larry Gilliard Jr.) has his suspicions about what Avon's done, and he wants nothing to do with it. Burrell (Frankie R. Faison) offers Daniels (Lance Reddick) a clean slate if he'll postpone his retirement to head the Sobotka detail for Valchek (Al Brown). Daniels agrees to do it if he can choose his own people, and if Burrell will make the detail permanent if they make a case. Rawls (John Doman) has to vet Daniels' list, and he approves everyone except McNulty (Dominic West). The only way McNulty will get off the boat is if "he quits or he drowns," Rawls tells Daniels. Daniels doesn't have too hard a time convincing Greggs (Sonja Sohn) to join the unit, but they agree to break the news to each others' "wives." McNulty gets Bubbles (Andre Royo) to help him track down Omar (Michael K. Williams) so he can testify in a murder trial. McNulty still wants to get back together with Elena (Callie Thorne), but he signs a separation agreement. Bunk (Wendell Pierce), Freamon (Clarke Peters), and Russell (Amy Ryan) start interrogating dock workers. Nobody in the IBS wants to talk, but Sobotka is stunned to learn that the dead girls in the container were murdered.