All is Bright
Directed By: Matt Reeves
Story By: Julie Martin and James Yoshimura
Teleplay By: Rafael Alvarez
Ballard and Gharty investigate the murder of a man at a laundromat who turns out to have AIDS, and Rita (Kathryn Erbe), whom he gave it to, is the prime suspect, though Ballard is reluctant to prosecute her. Kellerman tells Lewis Georgia has a tape of Luther's shooting. Munch's ex-wife Gwen (Carol Kane) comes to Baltimore to ask Munch to help her with her mother's funeral.
This episode contains examples of:
- As Himself: Peter Maas, author of the books The Valachi Papers and Serpico were based on, among others, appears as himself at the funeral of Gwen's mother, though he's there to make sure she's really dead (apparently, she gave him horrible reviews).
- Asshole Victim: As far as Rita and Ballard are concerned, the man who gave Rita AIDS and didn't tell her he had it until she confronted him about it is this.
- Bigot with a Badge: Gharty and Falsone come off like this in regards to finding out Rita has AIDS. Kellerman needles Falsone about this, though it's less over showing how enlightened he is compared to Falsone and more about how he Took a Level in Jerkass this season.
- Call-Back: When Munch is driving Gwen somewhere, he brings up the fact she slept with Briscoe. Her response is to demand Munch let her out, after which she hails a taxi.
- Due to the Dead: Because of her Lonely Funeral, Munch eulogizes Gwen's mother at the Waterfront later that night, which is especially touching because they didn't get along at all in real life.
- Lonely Funeral: Except for Munch, Peter Maas (see As Himself above), and a mourner hired especially for the occasion, no one shows up for the funeral of Gwen's mother, which distresses her.
- Share the Sickness: The murder victim Ballard and Gharty are investigating turned out to have AIDS and shared it at least with Rita, who's dying of it.
- Sympathetic Murderer: Rita. As Ballard points out, Rita killed the man who sentenced her to a painful death already.
- Terrible Interviewees Montage: Downplayed twice:
- The ex-girlfriends of the murder victim Ballard and Gharty interview all have differing opinions on what he was like, as one says he was smart, another says he was an idiot, and so on.
- Near the end of the episode, when Ballard and Gharty break the news to those same ex-girlfriends the murder victim had AIDS, as some of them try to hide how upset they are at the news, while others can't hide it and start yelling and crying.
- Titled After the Song: As this is another (dark) Christmas episode, the title comes from the Christmas Carol "Silent Night" ("Silent night, holy night/All is calm, all is bright").
- Twisted Christmas: Another dark Homicide Christmas, with Munch's ex-mother-in-law's Lonely Funeral, and a woman dying of AIDS killing the man who infected her.
