The detectives reopen the case of Frank DiCenzio, who was murdered in 2001, when the cousin of the man who was convicted for the crime pleads for them to reinvestigate.
Directed by Michael Shultz
Written by Andrea Newman
Tropes:
- Bad People Abuse Animals: Frank's murderer is suspected to also be the same person who beat up his dog King. It is suspected to be Tommy's delinquent friend Stump, but it turns out to Tommy.
- Beneath the Mask: Tommy is presented as an even-tempered and down-to-Earth kid whose only flaw is keeping company with Stump, who is a delinquent. It is then revealed that ever since his mother died, Tommy has developed a frightening temper that comes out in unexpected moments, like him beating up the family dog when it tries to take his sandwich. He also kills his father in a fit of rage that he later regrets when he decides to send Tommy to a facility to get better. Stump suspected that Tommy did kill his father but kept it to himself because he feared Tommy's retaliation.
- Distant Finale: Ricardo takes over the diner sometime after he is released from prison.
- Doorstop Baby: The B-plot involves Vera finding a baby abandoned outside the precinct.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Ricardo, the top employee of Frank's, was falsely implicated of the crime and jailed, and was indebted to the Loan Shark Felix, who preyed upon poor immigrants. It took his brother four years to get past immigration and bring a key evidence to the detectives' attention. After the real murderer was arrested, Ricardo took over Frank's deli with his brother.
- The Lost Lenore: Frank's wife had died a couple of years before he met his own maker, and he struggles to get through to his son Tommy, who starts acting up, arguably from an inability to cope with his mom’s absence.
- My Greatest Failure: Frank is deeply disturbed to realize that he hasn't been juggling work and family as well as he thought, which has either caused his son Tommy to develop a bitter, violent streak, or delayed Frank noticing it. Frank blames himself for this during their final conversation, although Tommy later insists it wasn't Frank's fault.
- Obstructive Bureaucrat: It took four years for Ricardo's brother to get past immigration.
- Occam's Razor: Early in the episode, Ricardo suggests that Tommy is the killer due to how Frank was beaten the same way that his dog was and Tommy was the only other one who had access to the dog. His theory turns out to be exactly right despite the numerous Red Herrings that someone else beat the dog or the two events were unrelated.
- Red Herring: Several leads were suspected to have been involved in Frank's murder, including Ricardo's predatory Loan Shark and Frank's date's abusive ex. Turns out it was Frank's son Tommy all along.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Frank's date accidentally revealed to him that his son has been sneaking out of class and harassing people at the ice rink, leading to the deadly confrontation.
