Even decades after its premiere, The Wire remains a heavy cultural currency—sometimes so heavy that people have to fake it. Speaking on Call Her Daddy, Paris Hilton confessed that she used the show as a dating cheat code to impress Joel Madden when they first met. When Madden asked her if she watched it, Hilton recalled, "Never seen The Wire in my life. I go, 'The Wire is my favorite show.'".
Meanwhile, actor Jon Bernthal joined SmartLess to paint a far more serious picture of the show's legacy in Maryland. Bernthal explained that the David Simon masterpiece has gained massive "street cred" among the actual residents and law enforcement of Baltimore. According to Bernthal, "the cops that I know in Baltimore, they watch that every year to remind them that it's not personal, it's business.".
Whether the show is being used as required viewing for active duty police officers or as a conversational shield on a first date, the drama's footprint is as permanent as ever. As podcasts continue to dissect its influence, the legacy of Baltimore's finest television export remains unchallenged.