Shark

Karla Ballantine was the prosecution's star witness and had to give testimony in her husband's trial. However a wife cannot be forced to testify against her husband and the only way Karla Ballantine would have testified was if she had waived her spousal right and there is no indication that she did this.

In the previous episode, "Partners in Crime," Sarah Belkin's body was only a skeleton when it was dug up. In this episode, Danny said that, according to coroners report, Sarah's body had traces of high amounts of heroin. How could they do such a test if there was no flesh left, only bones?

When Danny Reyes asks if they know Sarah Belkin's cause of death, the detective answers that they have, "called in a forensic anthropologist, but there's not much to work with." A forensic anthropologist can advise on the cause of death, but he has no legal right to determine it. Only a forensic pathologist who is the Medical Examiner can officially determine the cause of death, but he can use the opinion of specialists such as a forensic anthropologist to make his final determination.

The plot of this episode is about a young successful musician, Justin, who comes from Philly to L.A. with his brother and two close friends who live on his fame and money. This is almost the exact plot of Entourage where a young successful film actor, Vincent, comes from N.Y. to L.A. with his brother and two close friends who live in his house and use his money.

When Raina asks Stark to look at the Geneva Conventions for torture, she should have known that the Geneva Conventions only cover the treatment of non-combatants and prisoners of war during war times. Laws about torture in the United States are under the federal government's jurisdiction.

The award on Cutler's desk reads: "Home for Humanity Recognizes Leo Cutler with Honorary Membership for His Commitment and Service."

It is revealed that Madeleine Poe has a brown belt in aikido.

At the end of the episode, Jessica says that the FBI run the Witness Protection Program. This is actually not true. The U.S. Marshalls run the WPP as one of their main duties.

This episode reveals that Sam Page's character of Casey Woodland has left the DA's office to work on his father's political campaign.

Stark's unit is supposed to handle high-profile cases only, and yet the crime in this episode was committed by what he called a "two-bit burglar." There was no explanation of why he was trying the case.

Right before Masters shoots the surveillance camera, he speaks directly to the authorities, saying, "If we're not on that copter in 29 minutes, everyone dies." There is even a reaction from Jessica Devlin as if she heard it. The camera is video-only and there is no open phone line in the courtroom. There is no way those words could have been heard.

After Tim Matheson, Gary Cole is the second actor that played a Vice President in The West Wing to appear on Shark. Matheson played Vice President John Hoynes, Cole played Vice President Bob Russell.

Curiously, they showed up in consecutive episodes (Tim Matheson guest-starred last week), they both played figures from Stark's past, and they were both implicated in a murder case.

When Stark dismissed the jury during the arrest of Judge Bennett, his pose with arms upright in the shape of a "V" was an homage to Richard Nixon.

When Stark's team is explaining the oil residue, the right-top corner of the laptop screen says "Mute" in bright green letters, but, strangely enough, the application makes sounds as each window is brought forward.

The watch Stark is wearing in the opening scene is a Chronoswiss Klassik Chronograph.

Text Message on PDA Phone at Beginning of Episode: Alert 6:33 pm. New Text Message from D.A. Office (M). Double homicide Mulholland overlook. Arrive ASAP.

The crash expert on the stand also shows his lack of credibility by saying "ninety-nine point thirty-seven" no engineer, physicist, or mathematician would say it that way. All decimals are spoken point by point so a true expert would say "point three seven".

During the first meeting between Stark and Russo, there is a scene with a bus passing the D.A.'s office. On this bus is a sign that reads "Studio 60" and can be seen if it is freeze-framed.