Control
Directed By: Jean De Segonzac
Story By: Tom Fontana and Julie Martin
Teleplay By: Les Carter and Susan Sisko
Pembleton gets to go on his first case (backing up Bayliss) involving a domestic murder, but they both disagree not only on who's the suspect (Pembleton thinks it's the woman's boyfriend, while Bayliss is convinced it's the woman's ex-husband (Michael Gaston), but how to conduct themselves when they're interrogating their suspect in the box. Lewis and Munch get the case of a drug-related killing involving Junior Bunk (Mekhi Phifer), Luther Mahoney's nephew, and they think since Junior Bunk rolled over so easy, they finally have a chance at catching Luther, but he manages to intimidate his nephew into recanting his testimony, so Luther escapes again. Kellerman finally gets served with a grand jury summons.
This episode contains examples of:
- The Cameo: By telephone only - Brodie calls up Russert to see if she'd be willing to let him housesit her brownstone apartment. Russert thinks Munch put Brodie up to it and hangs up on him.
- Control Freak: Clifton, who killed his ex-wife essentially out of outrage when she suggested that they get back together, disrupting his life further when he'd only just adjusted to their divorce. Bayliss and Pembleton take advantage of this to enrage him during the interrogation by messing with his attempts to keep his uniform jacket carefully folded.
- Damned by Faint Praise: When Mahoney comes by the Waterfront (see A Round of Drinks for the House below) with Junior Bunk and his men, he says this to annoy Lewis:Mahoney: So this is the infamous cop bar, the Waterfront? It's very...quaint.
- Family Annihilator: Clifton killed his ex-wife and also their two young sons.
- Malaproper: Junior Bunk, who tells Munch he'll testify, but wants to remain "monogamous", even after Munch explains he means "anonymous".
- Mercy Kill: Discussed - Pembleton comes by to visit Lt. Comm. Clifton in his holding cell after he confesses, Pembleton admits he never suspected Clifton because he didn't think a father could kill his own sons, until he thought maybe since he stabbed his ex-wife several times but shot his two sons once in the head, he was giving his sons a mercy kill. Clifton just looks at Pembleton and asks, "Did I show mercy?"
- Rage Breaking Point: Bayliss and Pembleton work up Lt. Comm Clifton by turning up the heat in the box, messing around with his jacket even when he asks them not to touch it, and peppering him with questions until he finally snaps and admits to killing his ex-wife.
- A Round of Drinks for the House: After escaping murder charges again, Mahoney comes by the Waterfront and offers to buy drinks for the house. Lewis isn't having any.
- Waxing Lyrical: When Kellerman tells Dr. Cox about waiting to hear about a subpoena, he tells her, "The waiting is the hardest part."
