Wendell Pierce as Bunk Moreland and Dominic West as Jimmy McNulty in an episode of The Wire. Image via HBO Max By Liam Gaughan Published Aug 9, 2026, 11:32 PM EDT Liam Gaughan is a film and TV writer at Collider. He has been writing film reviews and news coverage for ten years. Between relentlessly adding new titles to his watchlist and attending as many screenings as he can, Liam is always watching new movies and television shows. In addition to reviewing, writing, and commentating on both new and old releases, Liam has interviewed talent such as Mark Wahlberg, Jesse Plemons, Sam Mendes, Billy Eichner, Dylan O'Brien, Luke Wilson, and B.J. Novak. Liam aims to get his spec scripts produced and currently writes short films and stage plays. He lives in Allentown, PA. Sign in to your Collider account Add Us Add on Google Preferred Source Google News Like Like follow Follow followed Followed Listen Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap The Wire isn’t just one of the greatest television shows of all time, but remains one of the most accurate . The series was created by David Simon , a former journalist who used his own experiences writing about crime, government, and education in Baltimore to create a complex story that addressed every level of infrastructure; the series earned praise from both sides of the political aisle, as both President Barack Obama and Senator John McCain admitted to being fans of the show during the 2008 Presidential election. Although many of the characters that appeared in The Wire were based on real people, a scene from the show ’ s third season has become a popular reference for political pundits and reporters .
In the Season 3 episode “Straight and True,” Stringer Bell ( Idris Elba ) organizes a conspiracy among the various drug kingpins in Baltimore to all buy from the same dealer, which would prevent further violence from breaking out in the midst of feuds. Although he cleverly manages to frame himself as a legitimate businessman, Stringer humorously questions a colleague if he's "taking notes on a criminal fucking conspiracy," and points out how ridiculous it would be to leave behind a paper trail. Although it's a brief line intended to showcase the character's intelligence, Stringer Bell’s advice has become increasingly relevant when applied to many recent political scandals.
Idris Elba as Stringer Bell in an episode of The Wire. Image via HBO Max Michael K. Williams as Omar Little in an episode of The Wire. Image via HBO Max Two guys looking at something in The Wire Image via HBO Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) and Omar Little (Michael K. Williams) in 'The Wire' Image via HBO Stringer Bell (Idris Elba) stands in a grown jacket and yellow t-shirt before a window in 'The Wire' Season 3, Episode 11 "Middle Ground" (2004). Image via HBO Close Idris Elba as Stringer Bell in an episode of The Wire. Image via HBO Max Michael K. Williams as Omar Little in an episode of The Wire. Image via HBO Max Two guys looking at something in The Wire Image via HBO Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) and Omar Little (Michael K. Williams) in 'The Wire' Image via HBO Stringer Bell (Idris Elba) stands in a grown jacket and yellow t-shirt before a window in 'The Wire' Season 3, Episode 11 "Middle Ground" (2004). Image via HBO “The Stringer Bell Rule” was coined as a phrase used to describe the documentation of activity tha…