Homicide: Life on the Street

Self Defense

Season 7, Episode 18, Aired 4/9/99

Episode Summary

In Stivers and Falsone's case, a man is found shot dead in his bed, with no signs of a struggle. Gee lobbies Barnfather to find a way to get them the ability to have some control over their FBI liaison, so they don't experience the same problems they had with the Janine McBride case. Barnfather lets Gee know that there is Captain's position opening up and he should be inline for it with no catches. Lewis lets Ballard accompany him on a bar stabbing, when she accuses him of being afraid to work with a female, since the incident with Sheppard. While she does get to help him with the initial investigation, Lewis manages to work the rest of the case on his own, leaving her to handle the details. Meanwhile, Ballard's usual partner Gharty spends a "mental health day" at the Waterfront Bar, drinking and proposing to Billie Lou. Stivers and Falsone discover their victim had a bad breakup with his ex-wife Eleanor Burke, and she admits to committing the crime; however, as an assistant US attorney, she plan's on using "Battered Spouse Syndrome" as the defense that will let her plead this as a case of self-defense. Ironic since the victim showed no signs of struggle. Falsone follows Ballard, when he finds out that she has joined the ME's duckpin bowling team. The judge on the murder case feels that no one is speaking for the victim, since Danvers seems to be doing little to prosecute, so he sets the bail high. Danvers asks Gee to talk with the judge, who he knows is an old friend of Gees, to see if he can't get him to change his ruling. Gee understands where the judge is coming from and makes a stand on it that Barnfather thinks is not politically correct for Gee's pending promotion. MGee reveals evidence he had in his possession that implicates Burke in her crime, that he was holding back because of pressures he was getting regarding his father's possible promotion. The charges are upgraded to 2nd degree murder. 'moreless

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Cast & Crew

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Max Perlich

J.H. Brodie (season 5, TVM, recurring previously)
Andre Braugher

Det. Frank Pembleton (seasons 1-6, TVM)
Michael Michele

Det. Rene Sheppard (season 7, TVM)

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- The slogan on the back of the ME team's bowling shirts is "You stab'em, we slab 'em". Edit
Notes
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- William G.J. Aylward, the man who played attorney Ezra Greenfield, was at one time a reporter for the NBC affiliate in Washington, DC. Edit
- In the episode, there were two commercials of note. One featured Kyle Secor advertising Homicide's reruns appearing on Court TV. The second featured NBC asking viewers to go to nbcsurvey.com and "tell us how much you love Homicide". This online questionnaire asked viewers their opinion on this episode and their general viewing habits. The survey ran until midnight the following Sunday night and might hold the fate of the series in its grasp. So I hope you took the time to fill it out. As it stands now, it is uncertain whether there will be another season, reports on the Internet state that the overhead rigging that has been on the ceiling of the Waterfront for the past few years has been removed. It was never removed between seasons in the past. More information (furnished to me by someone who was on the scene of the rigging removal) reported that it was done because the new owner of the Waterfront needed it removed so that an estimate could be performed for replacing the tile ceiling with a tin one. Time will tell. Edit
- Music in this episode: John Hiatt "Blue Telescope" alb: Perfectly Good Guitar. Edit
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