Bad Medicine
Directed By: Ken Fink
Story By: Tom Fontana and Julie Martin
Teleplay By: David Simon
When a number of drug addicts OD on bad drugs, and two dealers get killed, it brings Lewis back in conflict with Luther Mahoney, but despite help from Narcotics detective Terri Stivers (Toni Lewis), Mahoney escapes prosecution once again. Kellerman isn't helping Lewis because he's been put on administrative leave after he receives a target letter from the U.S. Attorney's office accusing him of taking bribes while he was in the Arson Unit. Pembleton doesn't get the score he needs to pass the firearms exam (he hits the targets, but forgets to reload, so he doesn't hit as many in the time allotted), so he decides to go back to taking his meds. Elsewhere, Brodie continues to move from place to place.
This episode contains examples of:
- Call-Back: When Kellerman realizes he's under investigation by the U.S. government, he tells Giardello about Matthew Roland, and how Roland tried to bribe members of the Arson Unit, though he claims he never took anything.
- Downer Ending: Pembleton doesn't pass the firearms exam, Luther Mahoney goes free, and Vernon Troy, Stivers' informant who helped her and Lewis out, winds up dead.
- Everyone Has Standards: Lewis says he believes Kellerman is innocent (Kellerman: "That makes two of us"), but he won't let Kellerman join him in the box against Mahoney because it would jeopardize the investigation.
- I Never Said It Was Poison: Downplayed - when Lewis pretends one of the dead drug dealers killed themselves, Mahoney mentions that dealer was shot in the head with the gun on the table behind him, and Lewis, smiling, asks Mahoney how he could know that if Lewis never mentioned that the dealer was shot. However, both Mahoney and then Danvers point out Mahoney could have heard that on the street, so it's not enough to indict him.
- Noodle Implements: When Munch asks why Brodie doesn't want to live with him anymore, Brodie mentions he looked in Munch's medicine cabinet even though Munch told him not to.
- Noodle Incident: When Lewis introduces Kellerman to Stivers, she greets him as "Sir Mike". Lewis asks what that's about, and Kellerman says, "Never mind."
- Shout-Out: Bayliss is a fan of Mighty Mouse, while Brodie prefers the works of Frederick Wiseman.
