Self Defense
Directed By: Barbara Kopple
Story By: Eric Overmyer and David Simon
Teleplay By: Yaphet Kotto
Falsone and Stivers get the case of Eleanor Burke (Haviland Morris), a U.S. Attorney who murdered her husband Loren, a businessman. Eleanor claims she was suffering from battered spouse syndrome, but Falsone and Stivers think there's more to the story. Lewis shows he still has problems working with women after Sheppard's beating when he gets the case of a bar stabbing and blows off Ballard, his temporary partner.
This episode contains examples of:
- Asshole Victim: No matter what they think about the preferential treatment given to Eleanor Burke, Falsone and Stivers are willing to concede Loren Burke was this, given he abused his ex-wife and withheld alimony payments from her. Even Judge Ramsey, whom Danvers suspects of being biased, doesn't think much of Loren Burke once he sees the photos of Eleanor after a beating.
- Call-Back: Giardello is still upset about Mike leaking information about the McBride case to his superiors.
- Everyone Has Standards: Danvers was willing to make a deal with Eleanor Burke because she honestly thought she killed her ex-husband in self-defense. When he finds out what she did (see Heel–Face Turn below), Danvers changes his mind and prosecutes Eleanor Burke to the fullest.
- A Father to His Men: When Falsone and Stivers insist there's more to Loren Burke's murder than Danvers and Mike Giardello seem to, or than what Eleanor Burke admitted to, Giardello tells them to continue the investigation and not let anyone push them around.
- Good News, Bad News: When Falsone asks Lewis about the bar stabbing, Lewis says the bad news is the killer stabbed three others, but the good news is, a bartender shot him to death.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Falsone is jealous about the fact Ballard not only is on a date with Griscom, she also went duckpin bowling with him.
- Heel–Face Turn: When Mike finds out from Barnfather Giardello's long-awaited promotion to captain may be jeopardized by the fact Eleanor Burke's judge refused to have her released without bail, Mike begins to wonder if there's more to her story, and discovers Burke manipulated the case to commit Insurance Fraud to make sure she's get the money he'd been withholding from her. Earlier, he had been antagonistic towards his father when Giardello wanted Mike to be transferred out of the office, but now he works to ensure Eleanor Burke will stand trial after all.
- Percussive Therapy: When Mike fails to convince his father to back off the Eleanor Burke case, he hits a punching bag in frustration.
- Rules Lawyer: Judge Ramsey is perfectly willing to let Eleanor Burke to use battered spouse syndrome as a defense in court, and would in theory have no problem with her getting acquitted because of that defense, but he still thinks she should go to trial.
- Spotting the Thread: Falsone and Stivers first get suspicious about the Burke murder because Loren Burke was found dead flat on his back, with the bedclothes neatly covering him, and the bullet holes in the bedclothes exactly lined up with those in the body, which conflicts with Eleanor's claim that she shot him in a panic when he verbally abused her and then started to get out of bed. Dr. Griscom then confirms that the bullet trajectories in the body also suggest that he was shot while lying down.
- Suddenly Shouting: After Barnfather gets upset with a press release Giardello is going to put out in defense of Judge Ramsey:Barnfather: You have no political sense whatsoever.
Giardello: RESPECTFULLY, COLONEL, I WONDER IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE?!
