Written By Ed Zuckerman
Directed By Sharat Raju
Dementia-stricken celebrity author Walter Briggs (Robert Vaughn) is put in the middle of a feud between his sixth wife, Charmaine (Marcia Cross), and his daughters over his welfare, sparked by an accusation that Charmaine has been sexually abusing her husband by giving him erectile dysfunctional medication without his knowledge (she claims they are trying to have a child together). When Walter is hospitalized for a heart attack and Charmaine removes him from the hospital against medical advice before any tests can be conducted, she sparks a subsequent second heart attack that causes Walter's death. Barba then tries to pursue manslaughter charges against Charmaine, however, during the trial, a video tape that Walter recorded prior to his dementia is released, revealing his feelings and wishes for his family. Meanwhile, Barba struggles with his decision to put his grandmother in a retirement home against her wish to remain in (elevator-less) apartment building.
Tropes
- Downer Ending: Barba's abuelita dies.
- Ship Tease: Barba and Olivia share enough lingering held gazes and quiet, intimate moments together (not to mention concern for each other) that half the fandom thinks they have feelings for each other, despite their regular bickering. These fans are quite possibly right; Raúl Esparza (Barba) and Mariska Hargitay (Olivia) ship the characters in real life. Perhaps best exemplified by this exchange from the episode:Barba: Where do you think you'll be when you're eighty-five?Olivia: [smiling] Squabbling with you?Barba: [softly] Wouldn't that be nice.
