Deception
Directed By: Peter Medak
Story By: Tom Fontana, Julie Martin, and James Yoshimura
Teleplay By: Debbie Sarjeant
Munch gets contacted by a soon-to-be-released prisoner named Punchy (Lewis Black), who was put in prison by Bolander, and who has information about a dead man, only when Munch digs up a parking lot to find him, there's no body. A drug mule dies while attempting to transport several bags of heroin that he swallowed. Turns out the mule worked for Luther Mahoney, and Kellerman, Lewis, and Stivers, with Giardello's approval, convince the DEA to set up a sting operation by having an undercover cop (pretending to be the mule) distributing fake drugs to cause a war between Mahoney and other dealers. As a result, all hell breaks loose.
This episode contains examples of:
- Batman Gambit: Turns out Punchy claimed Jimmy Pugliese was dead because he figured Munch would track him down, so that Punchy himself could track him down and get revenge on Pugliese because he broke his promise to take care of Punchy's family while Punchy took the rap for a murder Pugliese committed. It works.
- Continuity Nod: Bayliss continues to see his Uncle George, even when he's supposed to be typing up the paperwork on Franz Rader's murder.
- Failure Is the Only Option: Discussed - before delivering a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown on Luther, Lewis admits he knows human desire will make sure neither he, Luther, or the rest of the police or drug dealers will be able to do anything to stop the flow of drugs.
- Foreshadowing: Kellerman's shooting of Luther Mahoney will have a major effect over the next season.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Angry at Luther for the fact he and the other drug dealers had to murder people when they couldn't work out their business, and making him and his fellow detectives deal with so much human misery, Lewis gives a major beatdown to Luther - at least until Luther manages to grab Lewis' gun.
- Not So Stoic: When the drug shipment goes bad, the normally unflappable Luther Mahoney starts to lose his cool, and even shoots Brookdale in anger when the two of them meet with representatives of their African drug suppliers to find out who stole the shipment..
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Though Punchy's real name is Lazlo DeLeon, he insists on being called "Punchy".
- "Open!" Says Me: A variation - when Lewis is driving into the hotel garage to pursue Luther, he gets stopped by a barrier, and the man on the intercom won't let him in even though he's a cop, Lewis simply drives through the barrier.
- Pre-Mortem One-Liner: Right before shooting Luther, Kellerman says to him, "You have the right to remain silent."
- Shout-Out: Munch does Joe Pesci's "You think I'm funny?" speech (without the profanity, of course) from Goodfellas.
- Spy Speak: When Brookdale, Mahoney's lieutenant, calls Mahoney about the new drug shipment, he claims it's a stock his broker has told him about. Later, when everyone realizes the shipment is bad, Brookdale tries to keep up the deception at first, saying the stock has gone down, but is too flustered to keep it up.
- Wham Shot: A literal one - Kellerman shoots Luther Mahoney when it looks like Luther is lowering the gun in his hand.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Giardello does this to Munch after Munch digs up a public parking lot to find a body that isn't there.
