( 7 / 27 / 2003 ), McNulty is chosen to infiltrate a brothel connected to a drug organization , specifically due to his reputation . True to form , McNulty ends up participating in a ménage à trois with two prostitutes before the brothel is raided , much to the bemusement of his peers . Later , in the fifth season episode “ Not for Attribution ” ( 1 / 20 / 2008 ), McNulty has sex with a woman on the hood of his car in a parking lot , flashing his police badge to a pair of amused detectives who investigate the noise . It is not uncommon for either working or upper-class men to engage in extramarital affairs as a form of rebellion against the boredom and restrictions of marital domesticity ; this rebellion then functions as a reassertion of their masculine power ( Pyke 536 ). Marital infidelity is a common trait amongst contemporary Golden Age protagonists , such as The Sopranos ’ Tony Soprano or Mad Men ’ s Don Draper , both of whom are married in their respective series . The Sopranos , Mad Men and other Golden Age series use their protagonists ’ infidelity as a vessel to critique shifting notions of masculinity and related male anxieties . When contrasted against their roles as husbands and fathers , Soprano and Draper ’ s infidelity adds further layers of complexity to their characters . However , The Wire breaks tradition from these and other Golden Age dramas by explicitly condemning McNulty ’ s infidelity . Unlike Soprano and Draper , McNulty is already punished for his infidelity prior to the beginning of his series , with his ex-wife Elena having discovered his affair with Pearlman and filed for divorce . Despite McNulty ’ s attempts to reconcile with Elena , she repeatedly denies his advances , correctly characterizing his actions as immature and toxic .
Besides casual sex , McNulty ’ s greatest vice is alcohol , another recognized marker of macho masculinity ( Scharrer 617 ). Throughout the series , McNulty is frequently seen drinking both on and off the job . However , The Wire starkly portrays McNulty ’ s consumption of alcohol as dangerous . In the cold open for the second season episode “ Duck and Cover ” ( 7 / 27 / 03 ), McNulty attempts to drive home from a bar while severely incapacitated , instead crashing his car and cutting his hand . This incident is the most prominent within the series that de-romanticizes McNulty ’ s consumption of alcohol . Even Bunk Moreland , McNulty ’ s partner and best friend , admits in “ Duck and Cover ” that McNulty is “ a picture postcard of a drunken , self-destructive fuck-up .” The emphasis on McNulty ’ s alcohol abuse is an important aspect of the character ’ s masculinity ; as recognized by Cooper , “ Many of the most powerful expressions of masculinity within contemporary American society continue to be associated with blue-collar imagery ” ( 102 ), with various commercials for alcohol products celebrating working class masculinity . The police officer is one of the strongest examples of working class masculinity ,
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