When Brother Mouzone's adjutant, Lamarr, walks into the gay bar looking for Omar, there's a note hung on the door that says the bar will be closed for a specific period for the shooting of The Wire.
The Baltimore Sun reporter who first comes to "Amsterdam" to investigate identifies himself as "Banisky." Banisky is named for former Sun editor Sandy Banisky, who is considered a legend at the paper, and is now a journalism professor at the University of Maryland. According to her, creator David Simon called her one day and asked if it was all right to use her name in the show. She, of course, agreed.
Councilman Carcetti's wife is shown in bed reading a novel by Dennis Lehane. Lehane wrote an earlier episode of the show.
Inside Judge Phelans office , when LT Daniels and Assistant DA attorney Rhonda Pearlman ask the judge for the warrants on the cellphones the drug dealers use: He says to her in French 'Je Parle Francais, bien' 'et tu est tres charmant au jourd'hui'. Translated to English it means 'I speak French well' ' and you are very charming today '
This episode gives us our first intimation that William Rawls is homosexual as he is spotted looking relaxed and happy in a gay bar.