When the fifth season begins Bubbles has been clean for more than a year. He is living in his sister's basement with strict rules not to come upstairs or stay in the house unattended. Bubbles spends his days selling copies of The Baltimore Sun to make money.
The fifth season depicts Bubbles as having achieved sobriety for over a year. His confinement to the basement with specific restrictions reflects this progress, while his work of selling The Baltimore Sun highlights his efforts to earn a living.