A Shot in the Dark
Directed By: Bruce Paltrow
Story By: Tom Fontana
Teleplay By: Jorge Zamacona
As Thormann recovers from his shooting, Crosetti and Lewis come to blows over whether the prime suspect is genuinely guilty. Bayliss and Pembleton feud over which leads to pursue in the Adena Watson case. Bolander and Munch investigate a double shooting.
List of tropes applying to this episode:
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Felton makes a joke about how Pembleton almost bought a dog for his wife and kid, and we see photos on Pembleton's desk with apparent children. In later seasons, it's established while Pembleton is married, he has no children (though that would change in season 4).
- Innocently Insensitive: Felton doesn't get why continuing to refer to Martin Luther King Avenue as Freemont would be offensive to Pembleton.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: The episode shows that while Pembleton is a major asshole, he's genuinely committed to finding the truth. When his lead turns out to be a bust, he apologizes to Bayliss and admits he was wrong.
- Pet the Dog: Pembleton goes to Bayliss's apartment and admits he was wrong and apologizes for doubting him.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Felton hands several out to Pembleton, who eventually has enough and delivers a cutting one back to Felton.
- Stupid Evil: A drug dealer's bodyguard gunned down his own boss when he was used as a human shield by a rival dealer because he had been told to kill anyone who threatens him by any means necessary. This is based on an incident in David Simon's book.
- Very Loosely Based on a True Story: The sequence of Felton and Pembleton going around to various impound lots trying to find a car that belongs to a suspect in Adena Watson's murder is based on detectives doing the same thing in trying to solve the murder of Latonya Wallace. The major difference is in David Simon's book, there was no friction between the two detectives like there is here between Felton and Pembleton.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Giardello chews out Bayliss for calling up Barnfather and calling him a "butthead" (because Barnfather revealed a piece of evidence in the Adena Watson case Bayliss was trying to keep out of the press), and tells him he can either apologize or be suspended.
