Since this is a Recap, per policy all spoilers are unmarked. You Have Been Warned.
Written by Robert Nathan
Directed By David Platt
The rape, sodomy, and immolation of an Arab-American woman leads detectives to suspect her husband. However, a second murder (this one of a man) leads them to believe it is a possible hate crime spree.
Tropes
- Alas, Poor Villain: A subtle example. Although Sean Webster is a despicable, racist piece of garbage with a homicidal grudge against Arabic people, the bitter reunion with his father in prison combined with the fact that Sean was taught to hate Arabs by his mother due to his father leaving them for an Arab woman kind of makes it hard not to feel a bit sorry for him. Upon being informed that Sean was stabbed to death by friends of the Muslim inmate he had earlier killed whilst in lockup, the detectives don't look happy or relieved.
- Cycle of Revenge: Sean kills a Muslim inmate while in lockup. The episode ends with the news that he was killed in revenge.
- Freudian Excuse: Sean Webster was raised by his mother to hate Arabs because his father left them for an Arab woman. This pokes a hole in their In the Blood defense.
- I Take Offense to That Last One:Fin: I've got some words for you—killer, psycho.
Sean: Hey, I'm no psycho! - In the Blood: The defense for a man who killed Arabs out of hate argues that he carried out the murders due to the fact that he was biologically and genetically driven to hate and kill Arabs as a result of his father, who fought in Desert Storm. Ultimately averted: the father didn't hate Arabs and actually remarried to an Arab woman. His mother taught him to hate Arabs out of spite.
- Man on Fire: The episode features a perp that sodomizes two Arabs (one man, one woman), then burns them alive.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: The victims joined Interfaith, a support group meant to bridge the gap between Muslims and Jews. The group's founder is absolutely devastated when he realizes that the perp joined just so he could find potential victims.
- Only Sane Man: When Munch was ranting early in the episode about all Muslims being terrorists, Huang calls him out on it by pointing out that only the extremists are terrorists and that he shouldn't be making Broad Strokes statements.
- Politically Incorrect Villain:
- Sean despises Arabs and Muslims. He even goes off on Benson and Fin on the basis they might be part Arab.
- Sean's mother Eleanor is also revealed to be this as she taught her son to hate Muslims after her husband left them for an Arab woman.
- Taught to Hate: Sean's mother Eleanor taught him to hate Muslims after his father left them for an Arab woman.
- Villainous Breakdown: Sean loses it when the detectives bring his father in to confront him.Sean: I hate your stinking guts! If I had a gun right now, I'd shoot you in the head! And then I'd go back and I'd set your wife and your bastard kids on fire!
