- James McNulty: I mean, who is there out there that can do what we do with a case? I mean, really, how many are there? ... We´re good at this, Lester. In this town, we´re as good as it gets.
- Lester Freamon: Natural po-lice.
- McNulty: Fuck yes. Natural police.
- Freamon: Tell me something, Jimmy. How exactly do you think it all ends?
- McNulty: What do you mean?
- Freamon: A parade? A gold watch? A shining Jimmy-McNulty-day moment, when you bring in a case sooooo sweet everybody gets together and says, "Aw, shit, he was right all along. Should´ve listened to the man." ? The job will not save you, Jimmy. It won´t make you whole, it won´t fill your ass up.
- McNulty: I dunno, a good case—
- Freamon: Ends. They all end. The handcuffs go click and it´s over. The next morning, it´s just you in your room with yourself.
- McNulty: Until the next case.
- Freamon: Boooooy, you need something else outside of this here.
- McNulty: Like what, dollhouse miniatures?
- Freamon: Hey, hey, hey, a life. A life, Jimmy. You know what that is? It´s the shit that happens while you´re waiting for moments that never come.