A taxi driver named Bobby Lee Redburn is killed in a robbery; the detectives discover that he was a missing felon wanted on child porn charges. From a rare book inside the victim's cab, Briscoe and Green trace Nelson Lambert, an eccentric novelist. Lambert likes Green and insists on drinking with him. After a few drinks, Lambert indicates he was present when the murder took place. The detectives learn that he was drinking with his friend Clay Warner on the night of the murder. Warner's DNA is found on a cigar stub from the scene, and he is arrested.
Warner is known for a bestselling novel he wrote whilst in jail on a drugs charge. It turns out that he was suspected of killing another prisoner in the same manner as Redburn, but it could not be proven. His novel also contains a detailed description of such a murder. Southerlyn recovers the murder weapon and stolen money, which Warner's co-worker had found in his office. Warner admits to killing Redburn and insists on receiving the death penalty. He says he killed Redburn just for telling him not to smoke inside the taxi.
McCoy agrees to push for the death penalty since Warner is legally sane and totally remorseless. He agrees Warner has the right to die. Warner's lawyer thinks Warner should be allowed to live because his talent contributes to society, and the victim was a racist pedophile. Lambert, who shares this view, testifies as a defence witness. But when Warner states he prefers to die rather than face life in jail, the judge feels his wishes should be taken into account and sentences him to execution. Branch and McCoy are left unsure as to whether this was right.
This episode contains examples of:
- Asshole Victim: The victim allegedly burned down a church, was a card-carrying member of the KKK, and downloaded child porn in his spare time. Briscoe remarks that he's not exactly sad that the victim was murdered.
- The Alcoholic: Lambert is one. The victim also had a serious drinking problem and was illegally using the cab licence of a friend he met through Alcoholics Anonymous.
- Artistic License – Law: When Warner agrees to confess to the crime in exchange for being sentenced to death, his lawyer files a motion to quash the confession on the grounds that his client is not competent to negotiate on his own behalf. However, a lawyer has no power to ignore their client's wishes or to make or change any deals on their behalf without their explicit consent, and no court would even entertain such a motion.
- Death Seeker: Warner, who insists repeatedly that he be executed.
- Double-Meaning Title: Refers both to Warner, and the concept of what constitutes "genius", which is discussed during Warner's trial.
- Evil Is Petty: What Warner's motive amounts to.
- Hayseed Name: The victim, Bobby Lee Redburn, had such a name.
- Irony: The biggest obstruction in Warner's case is his own attorney pleading for Warner's continued living and going for victim-shaming an Asshole Victim. The heroes are giving Warner what he wants to close the case despite not exactly wanting to.
- Missing Mom: Warner's mother deemed him to be "a bad seed" and abandoned him.
- Pyrrhic Victory: On one hand, a killer gets to go to Death Row, and the case is solved thoroughly with no loose ends. On the other hand, not only did the killer take down an Asshole Victim, but he got the death penalty on his own request, is utterly remorseless about his hand in it thanks to a sociopathic mindset, and effectively got what he wanted. Our District Attorneys got played like a fiddle and are understandably not very happy they danced Warner's tune.
- Ripped from the Headlines: Based on Jack Henry Abbott, who wrote the bestselling book In the Belly of the Beast whilst imprisoned for murder; and Gary Gilmore, a convicted murderer who successfully requested the death penalty.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Lambert's influence got Warner's first novel published, landed him a job as a university professor, and got him out of jail halfway through a ten-year sentence.
- The Sociopath: Skoda concludes that Warner fits this profile.
- The Stoner: Warner was a heavy user and dealer of marijuana.
- You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: Not-so-subtly implied by McCoy's jaw going wide with a confused stare at what he just heard when Warner gives his ultimatum for a plea deal: he gets the death penalty.
