 The episode was written by David Mills and David Simon based on a story by executive producer Tom Fontana , and directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal . In response to network feedback and poor ratings from the first season , " Bop Gun " marked several changes in the series , including a less bleak visual style and a greater focus on one plot , rather than multiple subplots . It was also the first episode to focus primarily on a homicide victim , rather than on the detectives . Simon felt the dialogue was realistic , especially that of the dark humor employed by detectives as a coping mechanism for dealing with the horrors of the job . 
