"Back Burners" is the seventh episode of the third season of the HBO original series The Wire. The episode was written by Joy Lusco from a story by David Simon & Joy Lusco and was directed by Tim Van Patten. It originally aired on November 7, 2004. Plot Omar visits Butchie to discuss Bunk's lecture about the loss of morality in their neighborhood. Butchie dismisses it as a ploy by Bunk, but Omar cannot put his conscience to rest. He locates Dozerman's weapon, which Butchie hands to Bunk. Elsewhere, Carcetti questions Burrell and verifies that Mayor Royce has not acted on his request to look into the death of the state's witness. D'Agostino convinces Carcetti to meet with Royce again, and hold off on attacking him for any continued inaction until a time closer to the mayoral primaries. Carcetti approaches Royce a second time to discuss changes to the way the city protects witnesses, but the mayor claims there is no money available. Carcetti types a letter of concern while Royce and Burrell hold a press conference on the return of Dozerman's weapon. In the Western, Slim Charles tells Avon that Marlo has withdrawn his operation from all of his corners; Avon orders him to take the corners as soon as the police watching them leave. As they drive away, Herc, one of the officers surveilling Avon, recognizes him. Colvin discusses his statistics with Lieutenant Mello and the Western's community relations sergeant, which show that crime is up near Hamsterdam but down in the rest of the district. Mello thinks the bosses should know that what they are doing is working, but Colvin insists that it should be kept a secret for the time being, to make sure the numbers are sustainable. In Hamsterdam, Bubbles finds the area overwhelmingly chaotic and hellish, even by the standards of what he has experienced before. He learns that addicts living there need basic supplies to get by. Bubbles spots Johnny, who refuses to leave. A fight breaks out and the uniformed officers break it up. Herc and Colicchio refuse to help Sergeant Carver as he assists in the Hamsterdam experiment. When Carver remarks that there are too many children, Colicchio notes that many of them are now unemployed because lookouts and runners are not needed if trade is legal. Carver tells the dealers that they have to pay one hundred dollars a week