"Home Rooms" | |
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The Wire episode | |
Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 3 |
Directed by | Seith Mann |
Story by |
Ed Burns Richard Price |
Teleplay by | Richard Price |
Original air date | September 24, 2006 |
Running time | 58 minutes |
Guest appearance(s) | |
"Home Rooms" is the third episode of the fourth season of the HBO original series The Wire. Written by Richard Price from a story by Ed Burns & Richard Price, and directed by Seith Mann, it originally aired on September 24, 2006.
The title refers to the homeroom classes as the children begin the new school year. Also, this episode shows the home lives of both Omar Little and Jimmy McNulty. In this episode, Kima Greggs and Lester Freamon also search for homes in the police department.
Namond Brice remarking how people tend to be more friendly than usual on the first day of school. The epigraph could also be a reference to Lieutenant Marimow's first day as commander of the Major Crimes Unit.
Although credited, Deidre Lovejoy, Andre Royo, and Chad L. Coleman do not appear in this episode.
Mayor Clarence Royce meets with police commissioner Ervin Burrell to discuss his response to the murder of a witness. His opponent in the upcoming election, Tommy Carcetti, had used it to score points against him in a debate and has received a bump in the polls. Burrell assures the mayor that they will downplay the case. Also present are Royce's Chief of Staff Coleman Parker, State Delegate Odell Watkins and State's Attorney Steven Demper. Royce decides to play a harder campaign now that Carcetti has gained on him. He orders Parker to spread the word that supporters contributing to both campaigns will be denied favors in his next term, and to use city resources to remove Carcetti's campaign material and sit on his offices looking for parking violations. He asks Burrell and Demper to go to the press and cover for him by downplaying the murder victim's role as a witness and taking any fallout on themselves. Demper worries how this will affect his own re-election campaign and Royce threatens to drop him from the mayoral ticket if he does not follow his orders. After Burrell and Demper leave, Watkins criticizes Royce. Watkins arranged funds for a witness protection scheme which Royce could have implemented by matching the funds from his own budget. Royce failed to do so and a witness is now dead. Because Carcetti was involved in planning the witness protection program Royce still refuses to let it go ahead because it would be a victory for his opponent.