The Wire Quotes (Season 5)

It’s Baltimore. No one lives forever.

It ain’t easy civilizing this motherf***er.[about Marlo]

In business, in life, what you learn to appreciate the most is a dependable man. One day same as the next.

If I was laying there dead on some Baltimore street corner, I’d want it to be you standing over me, catching the case. Because, brother, when you were good, you were the best we had.

I wasn’t made to play the son.[Proposition Joe: I treated you like a son.]

He was a dead man when he opened his mouth. He just walking around not knowing it.[about June Bug]

He shorts the police department, the crime rate stays up, he ain’t no governor, neither. Just a weak-ass mayor of a broke-ass city.[about Carcetti]

From everything we’ve given you, fire should be shooting out your ass. But no, there you sit like a genital wart.[to McNulty]

Bend too far, you’re already broken.[Marla Daniels: The tree that doesn’t bend, breaks, Cedric.]

You’d be surprised what you can get done when no one’s looking over your shoulder.[to Rhonda]

You think the mayor tells the schools how to teach kids, or the health department how to do its job, or sanitation how to pick up trash? But, get elected, and suddenly, they know police work. You might think it’ll be different, when you sit here, but it won’t. You will eat their s***.[to Rawls]

You lock up every liar, there’s no room in BDC for anyone else, right? More trouble than it’s worth.