Something Sacred Part 1
Directed By: Uli Edel
Written By: Anya Epstein
Stivers gets transferred over to Homicide just in time to get involved with a red ball - a priest is murdered, and Luis Carrenza (Michael Peña) and Pedro Velez (Victor Anthony), two Guatemalan refugees, are suspects. Falsone takes his ex-wife to court to get custody of his son. After being suspended, Lewis disappears.
This episode contains examples of:
- Back Story: Gharty tells Ballard he thought about becoming a priest after he graduated high school, until he met his wife.
- Berserk Button: Gharty gets angry when the dead priest is accused of molesting the boys under his care, and he's especially angry when Ballard, Pembleton and Stivers are inclined to take that accusation seriously.
- Call-Back:
- When Ballard wonders if not being a Catholic means she can't empathize with what's going on with the priest's murder, Pembleton brings up how Ballard felt about the woman who killed her boyfriend for infecting her with AIDS.
- When Kellerman wonders where Lewis is, Munch brings up Crosetti. After Kellerman gets angry about this later, Munch admits sometimes he says things he shouldn't.
- Character Development: While Ballard and Pembleton may have been at loggerheads earlier in the season, Pembleton now respects Ballard enough to reassure her she's going to close the case and that she can trust her instincts.
- A Father to His Men: While Giardello is upset about the fact Falsone disappeared during a red ball investigation, once he finds out Falsone was in a custody hearing, he agrees to appear as a character witness on Falsone's behalf.
- Foreshadowing: Roc-Roc, the drug dealer Ballard and Gharty pick up when they briefly suspect him of being involved, becomes important in the next episode.
- Hypocrite: Ballard had chided Gharty for the way he stereotyped people, yet she immediately stereotypes Luis and Pedro as murderers.
- Shout-Out: Pedro, whom Ballard interrogates, says he loves MTV.
- Skewed Priorities: While Kellerman is trying to contact Lewis because he's worried about him (or worried he's going to say something about Luther's shooting), Munch is more worried about the fact no one will be available to cover at the Waterfront.
- Take a Third Option: When Ballard wants Luis and Pedro arrested, Sister Donna points out they don't have enough evidence. Danvers agrees, but decides to hold them as material witnesses.
- Two-Part Episode
- Walk-In Chime-In: When Giardello wonders where Luis and Pedro are, Kellerman and Munch say, "Right here!" as they bring the two refugees in.
- Wham Shot: When Ballard bursts into the refugees' room only to discover they've escaped.
