Directed by Anthony Hemingway
Written by Anthony E. Zuiker, Ann Donahue, Carol Mendelsohn, Pam Veasey & Zachary Reiter
"The Thing About Heroes..." is the tenth episode of Season 4 and the 81st overall. It originally aired November 28, 2007.
The clues Mac finds in Chicago point to a tragedy from his past. Back in NYC, the rest of the team discover that Mac's stalker is behind the death of a subway conductor.
Tropes for the episode:
- Bulletproof Vest: The team are all wearing Kevlar vests as they prepare to enter the building where the perp is located. Chief Sinclair decides to join them and asks for one. The perp's brother, who arrives to confront him, is given one as well.
- Distressed Dude: Mac's stalker hits him over the head, sedates him, and binds him to a chair.
- Failure-to-Save Murder: It's been at least three decades, but Andy still blames Mac for Will's death because then-14-year-old-Mac couldn't bring himself to shoot the guy who beat Will to death back in Chicago.
- Laser Hallway: The chair Mac is bound to is surrounded by lasers that will set of firearms if disturbed.
- Jurisdiction Friction: The detective assigned to escort Mac out of the Tribune building is not pleased with him poking around and calls Chief Sinclair to complain.
- Sequel Episode: Concludes both the specific storyline begun in the previous episode and the entire 333 Stalker arc.
- Sinister Subway: Not only is the conductor murdered on his own train, it then races off of its own accord... with Flack, Sheldon, Stella and Lindsay aboard and bracing themselves for a crash.
- Strange Cop in a Strange Land: Mac flashes his NYPD badge to get into the Tribune building. The super calls Chicago PD on him.
- Tap on the Head: Mac's stalker fells him with a blow to the back of the head. He's recovered enough by the time the team arrives to help take the guy down.
- Time-Shifted Actor: During the flashbacks to the tragedy, Walter Curry plays 14-yr old Mac Taylor.
- Title Drop: Invoked by the perp while taunting Mac in the episode's climax:You know the thing about heroes? They can let you down.
