While investigating the slaying of a CSU technician, Det. Lupo becomes personally involved with a young journalist named Emma Kim. Things get complicated when, after having spent the night, Lupo finds a dress with a tag in Emma's house, that could implicate her in the murder.
After digging deeper, they find out that Emma is actually a serial Con Artist who has scammed a bunch of men out of money by faking illness or distress. During her trial, when she is in trouble, Emma suddenly accuses the judge of Sexual Extortion. She then tries to imply that EADA Cutter also similarly exhorted her. The jury doesn’t buy it, when evidence of her habitual lying is brought up. She is sentenced to 25 to life.
Towards the end, we see Emma starting to apply her wiles on a bailiff.
Meanwhile, Lt. Van Buren receives some shocking news: a cervical cancer diagnosis.
Tropes found here are
- Artistic License – Medicine: Emily claims to have chronic kidney disorder. What tips off the police is that her DNA tests negative for this disorder. However, genetics is not the only—or even primary—cause of chronic kidney disorder.
- Bait-and-Switch: For a significant part of the episode, it appears that the murder was done by one or both of Jim Anderson and the limo driver, the latter having subsequently attacked Emily. Then it turns out that Emma is the murderer, and the attack on her never happened.
- Batman Gambit: After choosing not to have a mistrial dispite the fact that the judge offered it, Cutter then whispers to her that he (Cutter) failed to get the mistrial, implying that the judge wouldn't allow it. As he expected, she immediately accused the judge with what Cutter knew was a False Rape Accusation; when Cutter started to point out how ridiculous her claim was, she then accuses Cutter of similar miscunduct, and utterly ruining any sympathy she may have been able to get from the jury.
- Chekhov's Gun: Lupo finding the red negligee that was bought with the other victim's gift card in Emily's closet is the first sign that she isn't the innocent girl that she seems.
- Con Artist: Emma Kim has been faking an illness and scamming men out of money.
- Didn't Think This Through: Emma's overuse of the False Rape Accusation reaches the point that she accuses Cutter to his face of it, despite the fact that it completely and utterly ruins any amount of story or sympathy she has left at that point and that it's impossible for her to have been directly exposed to Cutter outside of lawyer-overseen meetings and the court.
- The Disease That Shall Not Be Named: Van Buren is diagnosed with stage 2 cervical cancer resulting from a HPV infection.
- False Rape Accusation: Emma accuses a Dominican limo driver of sexual assault because he can place her at the scene of the murder. During her trial, she accuses Lupo of demanding sexual favors in return for investigating her “previous assault”. Later, she accuses the presiding judge at her trial of exhorting sex from her in exchange for setting her free. In absolute desperation, Emma flings such an accusation at Cutter. The jury has had enough and convicts her.
- Femme Fatale: Emma is a con woman, murderess and all too willing to seduce people including Lupo to get what she wants.
- Here We Go Again!: Emma is last seen putting the moves on a bailiff who is transporting her to prison.
- Meaningful Background Event: While in the judge's chambers, Emma can be seen taking note of a picture of him on a sailboat. Later, while being grilled by Cutter, she abruptly claims that the judge asked her to spend the weekend with him on said boat in exchange for his help.
- Murder the Hypotenuse: Emma offed the crime scene tech so she could continue stringing the tech’s fiancé along for money.
- Playing Sick: Emma has been faking chronic illnesses to scam men out of money.
- Sexual Extortion: Emma accuses Lupo of this, when it was actually her who enticed him into a relationship. Later, when Cutter’s cross examination is rattling her, she flings a bombshell, accusing the judge of forcing her to sleep with him in exchange for freedom.
- Sherlock Scan: Bernard instantly realizes that Lupo spent the night with Emma when he notices him wearing the clothes he had on yesterday.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Lupo gets this from Bernard and Van Buren (off screen) for sleeping with Emma, something that could have seriously jeopardized the case even if she'd legitimately been a victim and looks even worse now that she's turned out to be the killer herself.
