Dan DeLuca

In Iowa, Selina courts possible caucus voters at a book signing for her new autobiography, while her team attends a staff wedding in D.C. As the day proceeds, she and her staff get word of a rumor that could affect the next election.

With his lead dwindling in the polls, Royce resorts to extreme measures to stall Carcetti's momentum. At Bodie's corner, Michael proves adept as a runner, with both Bodie and Marlo taking notice. A re-up bodega is put under surveillance by Omar and Greggs, for different reasons. Rawls replaces Asher with a 'company man,' Charles Marimow, who pushes a new agenda on the detail, to Freamon and Greggs's dismay. A domesticated McNulty invites Bunk over for dinner, which ends with the two remembering the good old days at a familiar spot. Randy enjoys a productive first day at school, though Prez, the new teacher, isn't so fortunate. Herc reaps an unexpected benefit, courtesy of the mayor. Colvin contemplates trading his new job in the private sector for one that gets him back on the streets.

With Freamon and Greggs moved to Homicide, Herc and Dozerman join Marimow in the stripped-down Major Crimes Unit. Cutty gets a 'custodial' job at Tilghman School mopping up truants, but can't make headway in his efforts to mentor Michael. Bubbles gives Sherrod an ultimatum in an effort to get him back in school as a 'socially promoted' eighth-grader. Burrell finds a way to sabotage the state-witness murder investigation before the election, a plan that directly impacts Greggs. Prez's struggles in class continue; Bodie finds himself working for a new 'company'; Colvin pitches his pilot program to the school; Carcetti meets with a constituency he knows won't support him; Randy faces a dilemma after being busted for his candy scam; Marlo is schooled in poker; Royce antes up in a game he can't lose; and Proposition Joe plays Marlo in a high-stakes heist.

Valchek leaks details of the Braddock case to Carcetti, who contemplates how to best leak it to the press. The ensuing negative attention turns Royce against Burrell, who takes the heat while Rawls comes to the rescue. At school, Prez's reward/punishment program meets with mixed results, and Colvin looks to restore order by separating disruptive 'corner' kids from more attentive 'stoop' ones. His poster boy for the former: Namond. Chris tries to enlist Michael into Marlo's ranks, spooking Randy along the way. At the detail, Marimow sets up a series of street-level 'rips' targeted at Marlo, but his subordinates--and Pearlman and Daniels--are skeptical. Later, Herc and Sydnor plant a hidden camera at Marlo's meeting place, with unexpected results. Burned by Omar, Marlo gets Chris and Old Face Andre to frame his nemesis. Bubbles's efforts to keep Sherrod in school only get him humiliated. Angered by Royce's double-dealing, State Delegate Watkins decides to sit out the campaign, sending Carcetti and Wilson rushing to make their pitch. Although Bunk and Freamon come up empty in their body-hunting search, Dukie knows where the 'special dead' might be hiding.

With a bounty on his head, Omar calls in a favor to Bunk. The election finally over, Royce and Carcetti make their peace, and contemplate their respective futures. At school, Prez 'tricks' his students into learning math; Namond finds that the old rules no longer apply; a disillusioned Cutty ponders his job future; and Randy is cleared to return to class. Marlo looks to 'smoke out' his pursuers, infuriating Herc, who begs Carver to help. Expecting the worst, Pearlman gets surprisingly good news from her new boss. Following some high-profile appearances, Daniels's star seems to be on the rise. Bubbles finds his rolling business, and relationship with Sherrod, sabotaged by both sides of the law. Finally, Greggs uses 'soft eyes' at an unsolved crime scene.