Over at Homicide, Bunk is singing "(I'll Be Glad When You're Dead) You Rascal You" -- one of my favorite tunes, incidentally, and one I hope someone will have the good sense to play at my funeral. He's also ripping open an envelope containing the paperwork on Social Services' investigation into Devar's molestation of Michael -- "alleged" molestation, I guess I should say, since the case work declared that the investigation proved "inconclusive." "You baby-bumping mother-fucker," Bunk growls at Devar's mug shot. See? He figured it out. Then up strolls a rascal who Bunk may be glad to see dead -- Landsman, who's insisting that Bunk drop whatever's he doing to assemble upstairs in Daniels' office. "We're going Large Richard on McNulty's serial killer," Landsman chortles. Bunk rolls his eyes heavenward and sighs: "I'm working my cases," he says. Landsman points out to Bunk that he wasn't exactly making a request, but Bunk is insistent: "I'm doing police work here," he shouts, after Jay repeats his order one too many times. "In fact, I have a fresh angle on last year's major case, on which I'm the sole remaining investigator. So fuck your stripes. And fuck McNulty. Fuck your big dick red ball. You can't work with that, then just write me the fuck up and ship my ass to a trial board." Landsman's response to that outburst is silence; mine is outright joy. Good for Bunk, apparently the only homicide investigator in the city of Baltimore to be investigating a case that isn't fabricated, for sticking to his guns and risking whatever repercussions that decision might bring. On the other hand, he's also the only homicide investigator in the city of the Baltimore who could save everyone some time by cluing Landsman into the exact nature of this serial killer case, but he hasn't yet, whether it's because of misplaced loyalty or some sort of police officer's code or just because he doesn't want to get fingered as a rat. So maybe we should hold off on Bunk's canonization just yet.

And now -- parallelism! In one corner, we have Gus addressing the metro staff of the Baltimore Sun. In the other, Daniels is doing likewise to the assembled Homicide detectives. Hear both authority figures bark out orders calmly and decisively! Watch as their underlings nod in appreciation of the responsibilities they must shoulder! Feel the chills run up your spine as both Gus and Daniels exhort their respective troops to get out there in the streets and work the story/solve the case! Share in the excitement as both the paper and the police know the rare thrill of finally having unlimited resources at their disposal. "For once, people, I am assured that the resources we need to work this story will be there for us," Gus tells the paper. "I am now told by the mayor directly that there will be no overtime restrictions, no staffing limits on this case," Daniels tells the police. Jinx! Buy me a Coke! And so the respective forces disperse, with Templeton crowing to Alma that they've finally got a story with legs, and Kima cooing to McNulty that they're finally doing actual policework. See -- the newspaper and police storylines are exactly in tandem. With the exception that the police storyline is interesting and populated with fleshed-out characters we care about. But other than that -- totally similar.