When Omar asks if Brother Mouzine killed Dante, Mouzone responds "He's resting." This is very similar to the exchange between Mouzone and Omar in "Bad Dreams" (S2E11) when Mouzone, after Omar has shot him, asked if Omar killed his man, Lamar. Omar responded with "Nah, he's just resting."
This episode features a cameo by crime writer Dennis Lehane, who has also written three episodes on the show. He plays Sullivan, the officer McNulty meets in the storage room.
Former real-life Baltimore Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke appears in a meeting with fictional Baltimore Mayor Royce.
This episode received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing.
When Councilman Carcetti is taking his tour of Hamsterdam, you can hear a heroin dealer calling out, advertising his gear, under the brand-name of "Swing State".