Season 5
Partlow faces weapon charges from his arrest at the car stop but manages to get the hearings delayed. The police are unable to gather enough evidence to file charges on the vacant house murders and begin a prolonged surveillance operation into the Stanfield Organization. Stanfield and Partlow respond by stopping all phone communication and only meeting face to face. They are forced to curtail their violent activity while under investigation. Partlow continues to mentor Michael Lee, who now runs his own corner. Stanfield is plotting to take over the New Day Co-Op and usurp "Proposition Joe" Stewart's connection to his suppliers, The Greek. Stanfield instructs Partlow to arrange a meeting with imprisoned Ukrainian enforcer Sergei Malatov to broker a meeting with The Greek. To this end Partlow finds information on Malatov at the court house. Eventually the Major Case Unit is shut down as part of Mayor Carcetti's cutbacks; Stanfield and Partlow soon notice they are no longer being closely watched. Stanfield orders Partlow and Snoop to kill Junebug (a rival who may have been spreading rumors about Stanfield), attack Webster Franklin's territory, as he had refused the Stanfield package and to lure Omar Little out of retirement. Partlow has already arranged for Stanfield to visit Malatov at MCI Jessup.
Partlow leaves the Webster Franklin assignment to Snoop but takes Snoop and Michael with him to kill Junebug. Partlow waits for Junebug at his home and tutors Michael in the importance of the element of surprise. Partlow orders Michael to watch the back of the house while Snoop disables nearby cameras. Partlow and Snoop then stage a home invasion, killing Junebug, his bodyguard and his domestic partner. Two children are also present and escape with their lives. One hides in a closet while the other flees the house. Michael has been ordered to kill anyone who tries to escape but he lets the child go. The triple homicide is investigated by Detective Kima Greggs.
Stanfield offers a bounty to anyone who can provide a way to get to Omar. Stewart's nephew Cheese comes forward without Stewart's knowledge and reveals Omar's link to Butchie. Partlow and Snoop attack Butchie at his bar and kill one of his bodyguards and wound the other. They torture Butchie but do not learn anything about Omar's whereabouts. Partlow kills Butchie and instructs his surviving bodyguard to ensure that word reaches Omar. Snoop is worried about the plan as it means that Omar will now be targeting them while they still have no knowledge of his whereabouts but Partlow refuses to question Stanfield.
Stanfield is successful in reaching the Greeks and Partlow accompanies him to a meeting with Spiros Vondas. Stanfield persuades The Greeks to think of him as an insurance policy against Stewart being unable to do business with them in the future. Stanfield then convinces Cheese to betray Stewart by having Partlow kidnap Cheese's rival—an East side Co-Op dealer named Hungry Man. Partlow delivers Hungry Man to Cheese and Cheese gives up Stewart in exchange. Stanfield and Partlow trap Stewart in his home and Partlow murders Stewart while Stanfield watches.
As Marlo meets with Spiros Vondas in a city park, Partlow and a Greek enforcer watch over the area. Vondas explains how Marlo is to communicate with him using picture messages on a Blackberry phone. As the meet ends, Marlo tells Chris how good it feels to be wearing the crown and suggests a celebratory trip to Atlantic City. A cautious Partlow reminds Marlo that Omar is going to make a move on them, suggesting that it is not the best time for a vacation. Partlow then tells his family that he will be going away on business for a few weeks. Marlo watches from the car side as Partlow plays in the yard with his baby girl.
Later that evening Omar observes Monk's condominium. Chris later informs Marlo of Omar's reconnaissance. When Omar later attacks Monk's apartment, he walks into a trap: Partlow, together with Michael, Snoop and O-Dog are lying in wait. Omar jumps from the balcony to escape, severely injuring his leg in the process and Donnie is shot in the head by one of the Stanfield soldiers (presumably Chris). With Omar at large, Partlow lies low for his own safety, worried about the safety of his girlfriend and children. After Omar is killed by Kenard, Partlow is shown to be disappointed, but he readily returns to work.
In the meantime, Bunk has connected Partlow with the murder of Michael's stepfather using DNA evidence. Bunk delays arresting Partlow as a favor to McNulty and Lester, but when the police bust a narcotics resupply transaction from the Greeks, Partlow is charged with murder, preventing his release on bail. Levy represents Partlow as well as Stanfield and suspects an illegal wiretap due to the speed with which charging documents were produced. In an effort to preserve as much of the case as possible, Pearlman strikes a bargain with Levy: Levy will convince the Stanfield organization to plead to various charges in exchange for Pearlman not revealing Levy's bribery of Grand Jury Prosecutor Gary DiPasquale at the city courthouse. Part of this deal involves Partlow pleading guilty to not only the murder of Michael's stepfather, but all of the bodies found in the vacants, charges which yield a sentence of life without parole. He willingly takes the life sentence for the Stanfield organization on the condition that his girlfriend and children are taken care of financially.
Partlow is briefly seen during the end-of-season montage conversing amicably with Wee-Bey Brice in the courtyard of the Maryland State prison; they are in a similar situation, both having been primary enforcers for West Baltimore kingpins, and now both serving life sentences for committing (and taking sole responsibility for) murders at the behest of their respective bosses.
Read more about this topic: Chris Partlow, Character Storyline
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