Mercy
Directed By: Alan Taylor
Written By: Eric Overmyer
Bayliss and Pembleton investigate Dr. Turner (Alfre Woodard), who's been accused of euthanizing her patients. Kellerman confronts Judge Gibbons (Rick Warner), and while the judge never outright admits anything, Kellerman believes he has enough so Georgia Rae Mahoney's lawsuit will get dismissed. Ballard and Gharty finally catch the two hillbilly murderers they'd been chasing. Falsone and Stivers investigate a shooting at a fast food restaurant where one of the victims was a child.
This episode contains examples of:
- Ambiguous Situation: When Kellerman plays the tape of his conversation with Judge Gibbons, and claims he has enough on there to get Georgia Rae Mahoney's lawsuit thrown out, Lewis points out the judge never actually admits anything.
- Call-Back: Pembleton brings up the fact he had a stroke.
- Character Overlap: Dr. Roxanne Turner, played by Alfre Woodard, was a regular character in St. Elsewhere, which Tom Fontana had also worked on.
- The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: The sister of one of Dr. Turner's patients is the one who insists Dr. Turner murdered him, while her sister bitterly denounces her for saying that, insisting Dr. Turner was just helping her brother end his life on his own terms.
- I Resemble That Remark!: When Munch wonders about a society where more people believe in angels and UFO's than in evolution, Billie Lou proudly declares she believes in angels, Ballard states she believes in UFO's, and Gharty admits he's always been a little skeptical of evolution.
- Pop-Cultural Osmosis Failure: Munch compares Ballard and Gharty's pursuit of the hillbilly murderers to Inspector Javert pursuing Jean Valjean. When neither of them know what Munch is talking about, he grumbles, "Am I the only one who reads?"
- What the Hell, Hero?: Both Pembleton and Dr. Turner do this to each other when he interrogates her in the box, with both accusing each other of playing God.
