Pit Bull Sessions
Directed By: Barbara Kopple
Story By: Julie Martin and James Yoshimura
Teleplay By: Sean Whitesell
Falsone and Pembleton get the case of a man mauled to death by pit bulls owned by his grandson Harry (Paul Giamatti), who seems more concerned about the dogs than what happens to his grandfather. While Bayliss is covering a shift at the Waterfront, he, Gharty, Munch, and eventually Ballard reminisce about some of the stupid criminals they've come across. Kellerman learns that the lawsuit Georgia Rae has brought against the city is going to trial, which leads him to suspect the judge on the case is dirty.
This episode contains examples of:
- Double-Meaning Title: Obviously, pit bull dogs feature prominently in the episode, but "bull sessions" are gatherings of small groups of people that get into impromptu discussions, as Bayliss, Gharty and Munch do at the Waterfront.
- Everyone Has Standards: Harry seems indifferent to his grandfather being killed by the pit bulls, but Falsone finally gets through to him by saying the pit bulls will have to be put down because they killed a human.
- Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: The state's attorney insists Judge Gibbons isn't dirty at all. Then Kellerman, who points out Gibbons was the same judge who let Georgia Rae out on bail, at which point the state's attorney haltingly confesses Judge Gibbons got himself assigned to the case of Georgia Rae's lawsuit against the city.
- Flashback: Each of the cases Bayliss, Gharty, Munch and Ballard discuss leads to a flashback.
- Gallows Humor: As Falsone and Pembleton observe their crime scene and notice a golf club lying by the murder victim:Falsone: Looks like he was trying to use that nine-iron to beat them (the dogs) off with.
Scheiner: For pit bulls, I'd have gone with a three-wood. - Hollywood Science: In-Universe - Bayliss gets a murder suspect to confess by using a long-discredited forensic technique known as optography
. - It's All My Fault: When Falsone finally breaks Harry down by telling him the pit bulls will have to be put down, Harry breaks down crying and admits he should have locked the pit bulls in his room like usual so they wouldn't have killed his grandfather while Harry was gone.
- Mood Whiplash: Most of the flashbacks from the stories the detectives tell do involve some sort of humor, until Ballard and Gharty bring up the fact the wife and son of their murder victim (a firefighter) wanted to see the crime scene.
