After the girlfriend of a murder victim from her building commits suicide, Chris gets romantically involved with the girl's still-married father. Meanwhile, Chris and Mary Beth are assigned to work New York's first capital murder case in a decade, and everyone seems to have an opinion on capital punishment.
Cagney and Lacey work a case involving police corruption and document forgery. Chris seeks a prestigious promotion, while Mary Beth has to deal with the return of her sickly, aged father.
Chris and Mary Beth investigate the case of a murdered homeless man that's not as clear-cut as initially thought. Meanwhile, stress in their personal lives sends each of them back to old vices.
The now retired Lacey joins Lt. Cagney to work a case of stolen firearms and a murdered police officer, and evidence points to their nemesis, Mansfield.
A Wall Street success with friends high on the police command chain is robbed, creating additional pressure to solve the case quickly. Meanwhile, Harvey Jr. visits home.
The theft of a valuable painting sends the detectives to upscale galleries, hoping to find out where it went. Christine realizes Nick is the opposite of David.
When a refugee from El Salvador is slain, different people give wildly different opinions of the life he led to Chris and Mary Beth during their investigation. Meanwhile, Chris meets a friendly, handsome plumber at AA.
Chris is disappointed when she's passed over to fill in during Lt. Samuels' vacation. Harvey assists in a case involving kickbacks at a construction site.
It's a case of 'he said/she said' when Christine claims to have been date-raped—while her date claims the sex was consensual—and she finds her story doubted because she didn't attempt to use her gun to defend herself.
Cagney and Lacey go undercover on streetcorners to investigate a rash of middle-aged prostitute murders. Isbecki is thrilled to discover his new partner is a woman.
David Keeler defends Mary Beth after the community demands a Civilian Review Board investigate her role in a neighborhood dispute. Det. Petrie is promoted to Sergeant.