Seeing he is in a superior bargaining position, Daniels demands his own permanent unit if the investigation is successful, and the chance to pick his own people; Burrell agrees.
Herc suggests that Carver be recruited, but Daniels ignores him and states that the detail needs to accrue at least a few drug busts by the harbor before adding to its number.
Meanwhile, Bunk and ASA Ilene Nathan continue to pressure McNulty to find Omar in time for Bird's trial.
Avon works with his attorney, Maurice Levy, to negotiate a reduction of his time until his first parole hearing in exchange for information about the deaths.
Nick talks to his mother Joan about having had a successful day's employment at the docks, and goes to bring his father Louis home for dinner.
[1][2][3] The title refers to the seeming impossibility of the cases the police have taken up: the fourteen homicides for Bunk, Beadie, and Freamon as well as McNulty's attempt to identify one of the dead women.
A "hard case" is also defined as "a person who is persistently insolent or difficult to control", and may refer to the repeated issues McNulty, Greggs, and Daniels have with being kept from real police work.
Along this same line, the title could also apply to Ziggy Sobotka as well as Horseface, who stubbornly refused to go downtown for questioning in connection with the Jane Does, reinforcing the front the Stevedores have against the Police.
The episode drew an average of 4.33 million viewers and was the fifth most-watched program on cable television for the week ending June 22, 2003.