# Does the existence of John Munch mean that The Wire, L&O etc. are in the same universe?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-existence-of-john-munch-mean-that-the-wire-l-o-etc-are-in-the-same-universe/591564>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 5, 2011, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-existence-of-john-munch-mean-that-the-wire-l-o-etc-are-in-the-same-universe/591564 "2011-08-05T07:53:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-existence-of-john-munch-mean-that-the-wire-l-o-etc-are-in-the-same-universe/591564/21 "2011-08-06T12:16:36Z")

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Too bad he was never on St. Elsewhere.

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**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-existence-of-john-munch-mean-that-the-wire-l-o-etc-are-in-the-same-universe/591564/22 "2011-08-06T12:43:30Z")

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> [@Indistinguishable](#):
>
> What? No… That’s Belzer’s first appearance on Arrested Development, sure, but the one that actually matters is Detective John Munch showing up as part of a police sting to ensnare the Bluths, in the episode [Exit Strategy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exit_Strategy_(Arrested_Development)).

Ah. Where did I get the idea that “S.O.B.s” was it?

I guess I’ll have to watch that scene in “Exit Strategy” sometime and judge,

> [@](#):
>
> In light of the appearance in “S.O.B.s” as himself, it’s unclear if he is appearing as “himself” or Munch.

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**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-existence-of-john-munch-mean-that-the-wire-l-o-etc-are-in-the-same-universe/591564/23 "2011-08-06T17:26:29Z")

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I hear that John Munch is really Richard Belzer’s secret identity which means were all living in the L & O universe!

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**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-existence-of-john-munch-mean-that-the-wire-l-o-etc-are-in-the-same-universe/591564/24 "2011-08-07T04:55:14Z")

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Okay, how the hell did I forget that bit? :o

But I’m not sure anything in _AD_ can be taken “seriously.” I say that was Belzer playing another character who was _called_ “Munch” as a joke.

Not, you know, the real Munch who binds universes together.

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