Directed by Constantine Makris
Written by Matt Witten
A fire breaks out at the home of the Parnell family; Megan Parnell escapes but her severely disabled son Ian is trapped in the blaze and dies. It is soon apparent that the fire wasn't accidental. Mrs. Parnell suggests that Ian, who had a history of starting fires, could have done the same thing again. But the detectives learn Ian was far more severely disabled than she suggests, and wouldn't be physically capable of burning down the apartment in the way it happened. The evidence shows Mrs. Parnell must have started the fire herself, and she is charged with murder. However her lawyer, Peck, makes things difficult for all involved in the case.
McCoy and Carmichael welcome the new DA, Nora Lewin. Their investigation shows that Mrs. Parnell was in denial about Ian's condition. She'd always believed he would grow out of his disability, but he was severely deteriorating with no hope of improvement. An effort to put him in private care had already failed and a doctor testifies that Mrs. Parnell said she would rather her son die than be placed in a state institution. On the stand she describes the extent of her difficulties with Ian. He was now a teenager and she could no longer care for him herself, yet couldn't bear to let him go to a state institution.
Under pressure from McCoy, Mrs. Parnell says Ian actually died before the fire when he had a seizure, and she didn't give him his medicine, unable to watch him suffer any longer. Then she started the fire in an effort to kill herself; but couldn't go through with it and leave her surviving child without a mother. She breaks down when McCoy reveals the autopsy shows Ian died from smoke inhalation and was still alive when the fire began. Against the wishes of Lewin and Carmichael, McCoy refuses to pursue additional manslaughter charges against Mrs. Parnell. She is found not guilty, and committed to hospital. Carmichael says that Mrs. Parnell deserves to be punished, and Lewin thinks she's already been punished enough; it's a good thing that McCoy was the one trying the case.
This episode contains examples of:
- As Himself: Rudy Giuliani, the then-current mayor of New York City, makes a brief guest appearance as himself introducing Lewin as the new DA.
- Bury Your Disabled: The only person known to have died in the fire was Ian Parnell, who was severely disabled.
- Death of a Child: The death of Ian Parnell.
- Driven to Suicide: Mrs. Parnell almost was, but could not go through with it.
- Fate Worse than Death: Mrs. Parnell believed that Ian would be better off dead than being institutionalised.
- Hate Sink: Mrs. Parnell's defence lawyer is an obnoxious, smug, sexist and racist jerk who seems to exist solely for the viewers to loathe.
- Insurance Fraud: The detectives initially suspect the fire could have been started by the owner of the store underneath the Parnells' apartment, who's made several lucrative insurance claims after "accidents" in the store.
- Mercy Kill: Mrs. Parnell's actions amount to this.
- Offing the Offspring: The accusation against Mrs. Parnell amounts to this.
- Put on a Bus: Adam Schiff, a regular up to this point, is gone from the series with no explanation. The best we have is the introduction of a new DA.
- Smug Snake: Peck is this trope to such an extent that even the judge can barely conceal her frustration with him.
