We Own This City: Season 2, True Story & Where to Watch

The HBO limited series We Own This City pulls back the curtain on Baltimore’s Gun Trace Task Force, a unit that went from chasing criminals to becoming criminals themselves. Based on the reporting of Baltimore Sun journalist Justin Fenton, the six-episode series traces how a corruption scandal unfolded in plain sight.

Number of episodes: 6 ·
Network: HBO ·
Based on: Book by Justin Fenton ·
Release year: 2022 ·
Genre: Crime drama

The table below distills the essential specs of the miniseries — seven facts that define the show at a glance.

Will there be a season 2 of We Own This City?

Why the series is a limited series

We Own This City was conceived as a self-contained limited series from the start. The story of the Gun Trace Task Force has a clear beginning, middle, and end: from the unit’s formation in 2007 to the federal convictions of its members in 2018. As TIME (a leading news magazine) notes, the series covers this finite arc across six episodes, leaving no dangling threads that would justify a continuation.

Official statements from HBO

HBO has not issued any renewal announcement, and none is expected. The network categorised the show as a miniseries on IMDb (an entertainment database), reinforcing that the story was always intended to be a one-off. Director Reinaldo Marcus Green told HBO that “every story in the series was based on some real-life, true event” (HBO on YouTube) — a finite source of material that naturally ends with the court sentences.

The implication: the series’ limited format matches the closed arc of the real scandal.

What is the true story behind We Own This City?

The real Gun Trace Task Force corruption scandal

The Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF) was formed in 2007 with the mission of getting illegal guns off the street. Instead, as Baltimore Magazine (local culture and news outlet) reports, the unit turned to crime itself: its officers stole cash, drugs, and property from the very communities they were supposed to protect. The total theft included at least $300,000 in cash, 43 pounds of marijuana, 800 grams of heroin, three kilos of cocaine, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in jewelry.

• Six of the eight GTTF members pleaded guilty and were convicted.
• Officers Daniel Hersl and Marcus Taylor pleaded not guilty but were convicted in 2018 (TIME).
• Sergeant Wayne Jenkins, the ringleader, pleaded guilty to racketeering, robbery, and falsification of records and received a 25-year sentence.

Key figures: Wayne Jenkins and others

Jon Bernthal plays Wayne Jenkins, the sergeant who led the task force into criminality. The series follows Jenkins’ rise and fall, the federal investigation into BPD corruption, and the Department of Justice’s examination of the department after Freddie Gray’s death that led to the current consent decree (Baltimore Magazine (local culture and news outlet)).

The role of Justin Fenton’s book

The series is adapted from Justin Fenton’s 2021 book We Own This City: A True Story of Crime, Cops, and Corruption. Fenton, a reporter for the Baltimore Sun, spent years covering the GTTF scandal. The book provides the factual spine that the TV adaptation follows closely.

Is We Own This City a good series?

Critical reception and ratings

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes (film and TV review aggregator) records a strong critics’ score. The consensus calls it “a spiritual successor to The Wire with an even more pessimistic outlook on law enforcement.” Critics praise the unflinching portrayal of systemic corruption and the performances, particularly Jon Bernthal’s turn as the charismatic but corrupt Wayne Jenkins.

Comparison to The Wire

Because the series was co-created by David Simon (who co-created The Wire) and George Pelecanos, comparisons are inevitable. The Wire examined the drug war from multiple angles over five seasons; We Own This City zooms in on one corrupt unit over six episodes. It’s shorter, tighter, and less forgiving. Baltimore Magazine describes it as a companion piece rather than a sequel — less about the system and more about the individuals who warp it from inside.

Audience reviews

Viewers on IMDb rate it positively, though some find the subject matter difficult. The TV-MA rating warns of violence, language, and disturbing depictions of police misconduct. For fans of crime dramas who want historical accuracy, the series delivers.

The implication: the series demands emotional engagement but rewards with authenticity.

Where can I watch We Own This City in Ireland?

Streaming on HBO Max

In the United States, the series streams exclusively on HBO Max. All six episodes are available to subscribers.

Availability on Sky in the UK and Ireland

Viewers in Ireland can watch the series on Sky Atlantic via the Sky TV package, or stream it on NOW TV (Sky’s streaming service). As of 2024, it is not available on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video in the region.

Other platforms

Digital purchase or rental may be available through the Apple TV Store, Google Play, or Amazon Video — though availability can vary by country. Check local listings for the most current options.

The pattern: for Irish viewers, the simplest route is a NOW TV entertainment pass, which gives access to the full Sky Atlantic library including this series.

What is the plot of We Own This City?

Plot overview: The rise of the Gun Trace Task Force

The series chronicles the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force from 2007 to 2017. It begins with the unit’s formation, shows its early effectiveness, and then documents its descent into criminality. The narrative is non-linear, jumping between the heyday of the corruption and the later federal investigation that brought the officers down.

Main characters and storylines

• Sergeant Wayne Jenkins (Jon Bernthal) — the charismatic leader who orchestrated robberies and overtime fraud.
• Detective Suiter (Wunmi Mosaku) — an FBI agent investigating the task force.
• Officer Sean Suiter (Jamie Hector) — a detail written as a composite of several real officers.

Thematic focus on systemic corruption

Unlike a simple crime story, We Own This City explores how institutional culture allowed the GTTF’s abuses to continue for years. TIME notes that the task force did “the opposite of its stated mission” — a theme that reverberates through every episode.

The catch: the series leaves viewers with an uncomfortable awareness of systemic failure.

We Own This City: The upsides and downsides

Timeline of the Gun Trace Task Force scandal

Seven key milestones trace the unit’s formation, criminal activity, exposure, and the media response.

• 2007 — Baltimore Police Gun Trace Task Force formed (TIME).
• 2010-2015 — Task force corruption escalates; officers engage in robberies and overtime fraud.
• 2016 — Federal investigation into the task force begins.
• 2017 — Multiple officers arrested.
• 2018 — Convictions in federal court; Wayne Jenkins sentenced to 25 years (TIME).
• 2021 — Justin Fenton’s book We Own This City published.
• 2022 — HBO miniseries We Own This City premieres (Rotten Tomatoes).

What we know and what remains unclear

Voices on the series

“A spiritual successor to The Wire with an even more pessimistic outlook on law enforcement.”

— Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus

“This is not just make-believe. Every story in the series was based on some real-life, true event.”

— Reinaldo Marcus Green, director, in HBO interview

The implication: We Own This City is not a crime drama in the usual sense — it’s a documentary-like dramatisation of a real institutional failure. For viewers in Ireland who want to watch it, the path is clear: Sky Atlantic or NOW TV. The tougher question is whether the story will spur any meaningful change in policing. The consent decree in Baltimore is ongoing; the series keeps the spotlight on a case that might otherwise fade from public memory. For those who care about police accountability, the choice is simple: watch, remember, and ask what’s changed since.

Frequently asked questions

• We Own This City HBO limited series: true story, Gun Trace Task Force, season 2 status, cancellation, and where to watch in Ireland
• The Wire and David Simon’s Baltimore crime universe
• Justin Fenton book We Own This City review
• HBO limited series true crime rankings