The Old and the Dead
Directed By: Michael Fields
Story By: Henry Bromell and Jorge Zamacona
Teleplay By: Randall Anderson
Bolander and Howard go back to work, and while they both have trouble adjusting at first, they each manage to put down a murder case. Bayliss and Felton investigate a dead body found buried in a field, and while it's not a murder (the person died of natural causes), it turns out the dead man's relatives didn't report the person was dead because they were collecting his Social Security checks. Giardello finds out Granger has given a city contracting job (fixing the plumbing in the building) to his relatives, so Giardello leaks the story and Granger is retired, though to Giardello's consternation, Russert gets promoted above him.
This episode contains examples of:
- As Himself: Tim Russert, then-host of Meet the Press, appears as himself, and apparently, he's Russert's cousin.
- Blatant Lies: When Russert asks Giardello if he leaked the story about Granger to the newspapers, Giardello protests he has no idea what she's talking about.
- Clothing-Concealed Injury: Bolander wears a hat to hide the huge scar on his head from the operations he needed after being shot.
- Friendship Moment: Bolander gives Howard a St. Michael's medallion (St. Michael is the patron saint of police officers), and the two hug each other. Later, at the end of the episode, after they each put down a case, they sit on the roof of the building together.
- Good Cop/Bad Cop: Bolander and Munch do this when interrogating Lyle (Shawn Wayne Hatosy), who they think killed his grandparents.
- He's Back!: Bolander has some issues during the episode, forgetting some things and coming on too tough when questioning a briefly-suspected ex-con, but he proves his talent hasn't deserted him when he coaxes a confession out of Lyle by talking about his own relationship with his father.
- N-Word Privileges: Felton tells Bayliss while he's allowed to call the lower-class area of Baltimore "Billytown", since he came from there, he doesn't like it when anyone else does.
- Series Continuity Error: Within the same episode, even. Russert is promoted to Captain during the episode, but during the pre-title sequence with Tim Russert, she's already wearing the uniform.
- When You Coming Home, Dad?: This was Lyle's motive for killing his grandparents - he was upset that his father didn't call when he was there and took it out on them.
