This scene was inspired by something Ed Burns once said that detectives can eventually communicate with each other by just using the word “fuck”.
BUNK: (slightly sympathetic) Awe...fuck.
He shows the photos to McNulty with a knowing look.
MCNULTY: Motherfucker.
They walk into the kitchen and put down their bags. Bunk begins to place the crime scene photos in position on the floor.
BUNK: (under his breath) Fuck. Fuck. Fuckin' fuck.
Meanwhile, McNulty takes out the crime scene police report, a marker and a tape measure. He looks over the police report and sees that the victim was 5' 3" and age 20.
MCNULTY: Fuck.
Cut to Bunk still arranging the photos.
BUNK: (under his breath) Mmm, fuck fuck...Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Quick cut to the janitor looking puzzled.
Cut to McNulty looking at more crime scene photos. He sees the bullet wound entered the victim's upper chest but exited through her lower back.
MCNULTY: Fuck?
Bunk lays out photos by the kitchen window where a bullet hole was. McNulty begins to measure something on the floor but it recoils and jams his finger.
MCNULTY: (in pain) Fuck!
Bunk marks the bullet hole on the window. McNulty extends the tape measure and tries to determine how a bullet actually entered so high on the body and exited so low. Bunk helps him by grabbing the tape measure. McNulty gets on his knees, which seems like a more plausible position for this wound.
He begins looking on floor for clues - bullet marks, a shell casing, anything.
MCNULTY: Fuck.
Bunk turns to the window notices something on a crime scene photo - pieces of glass on the inside of the window.
BUNK: (exclaims) Mother-Fucker!
McNulty looks at the photo.
MCNULTY: (astonished) Awe fuck....Awe fuck.
Bunk puts his gun where the bullet hole in the window is. McNulty leans in near the gun to determine the entry/exit wound. They follow the trace of the path of the bullet and check the kitchen wall.
MCNULTY: Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck...Fucker.
They walk towards the rear of the kitchen and scout the wall by the fridge for the bullet. McNulty feels around on wall.
MCNULTY: Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.
BUNK: Awe fuck.
They find nothing and examine a particular photo which seems odd to them. Bunk notices something odd. McNulty notices it too.
BUNK: (stunned) Mother fucker.
McNulty opens the fridge and immediately finds a spot inside the door that has been spackled.
MCNULTY: (shocked) Fuckin-A.
He picks off the spackle while Bunk hands him some pliers.
MCNULTY: (straining, using pliers) Fuuhck.
McNulty digs inside and pulls out the bullet.
MCNULTY: (decisively) Motherfucker.
Bunk takes the pliers from McNulty and looks at the bullet.
BUNK: (taken aback) Fuck Me.
Realizing that they're onto something, the pair head to the backyard of the apartment to search for the bullet casing....
The Wire released Cursing Scene on Sun Jun 23 2002.