Every Mother's Son
Directed By: Eugene Lee
Story By: Tom Fontana, James Yoshimura
Teleplay By: Ken Fink
Pembleton and Bayliss investigate the shooting of one teenager by another. Lewis and Munch continue to hit roadblocks in getting the bar ready for opening.
This episode contains examples of:
- Armor-Piercing Question: When Patrice Sayers (Rhonda Stubbins-White) suggests to Mary Nawls (Gay Thomas) that their sons might end up getting along despite their circumstances, Mary gently but firmly asks Patrice what would happen when her son found out Patrice's older son shot and killed Mary's son's older brother. Patrice has no reply.
- As Himself: Curt Schmoke, then the mayor of Baltimore, appears at the beginning when the squad members are at a Baltimore Stallionsnote being honored.
- The Cameo: Howie Mandel appears as an interior decorator Munch hires to fix the bar up.
- Dramatic Irony: Mary, the mother of the shooting victim, sits in the aquarium (the waiting area of the Homicide Unit) and bonds with Patrice over their shared circumstances as single mothers, unaware (at first) Patrice's son is the one who shot and killed Mary's son.
- Friend to All Children: Once again, Bolander, who quickly bonds with Patrice's young son when she brings him along to the Homicide Unit.
- Heroic BSoD: Mary, of course, when she finds out her son has been shot and killed, but also when she realizes Patrice's son was the one who committed the murder. Pembleton also goes through this when Ronnie (Sean Nelson), the shooter, thinks he didn't do anything wrong because he shot the wrong kid, and nothing bad is going to happen to him. When Howard tells him she's having doubts about a case, Pembleton replies he's jealous of the fact Howard can still feel doubts, because he feels nothing.
- Insane Troll Logic: Ronnie thinks because he shot the wrong kid by mistake (he was going after someone who claimed to be gunning for him), he didn't do anything wrong.
- Mood Whiplash: Between the comedy of Lewis and Munch dealing with the bar and the drama and heartbreak of the shooting.
- Shout-Out: One of the things Mary and Patrice bond over is both of their children are fans of X-Men.
- You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: Munch's reaction when he finds out the Baltimore Historical Society won't allow changes to the bathroom in the bar because George Washington once went to the bathroom there.
