Al Brown

The detail finally puts a face to the name Avon, whose gang takes a humiliating hit at the hands of an infamous stick-up guy.

Detective Jimmy McNulty - exiled to police boat duty - finds the body of a woman floating in the Baltimore harbour. Bodie drives to Philly to make a connection for the Barksdale crew, and Stringer Bell takes the train to New York to feel out the crew's reticent suppliers.

McNulty's curiosity leaves the department with more murders to probe, but the sinister perpetrator seems one step ahead.

The explosive third season begins. The Barksdale gang faces challenges at every turn in Baltimore's changing landscape.

Bunk and Freamon chase their crime scene, a container ship, to Philly, where none of the crew finds it useful to speak English. Lt Cedric Daniels - disgusted with his exile to the evidence control unit - lets it be known he's going to leave the department.

Ziggy loses his prized Camaro to drug-dealers who aren't buying his excuses about not paying up. Unable to dump the homicide investigation on other police agencies, Colonel Rawls identifies Detective Moreland for the blame if the cases go unsolved.