Crime novelist Nora Hackett is found dead in her hotel room after having liposuction with a Dr. Lawrence. Her former agent is a potential murder suspect, until the autopsy reveals that Hackett died from a fatal interaction between drugs - the drug that Lawrence prescribed her after surgery should not have been taken in combination with her antidepressants. The detectives learn that Lawrence altered Hackett's patient file to remove mention of the medication she took; and did not return her calls when she tried to report that she wasn't feeling well. With evidence of Lawrence's indifference toward patient care and many lawsuits for negligence, he is charged with criminally negligent homicide.
In court Olivet gives the opinion that Hackett, who was addicted to plastic surgery, had body dysmorphia: a disorder causing excessive fixation with one's appearance. Plastic surgeons are trained to recognize this in a patient, and should not treat them unless a psychiatric evaluation deems them fit for surgery. On the stand, Lawrence arrogantly claims that he didn't think Hackett needed therapy - he could make her happier by fixing her appearance. He later visits McCoy and rants that he's simply too good a doctor to be allowed to go to jail over this. McCoy is disgusted and refuses a plea deal; subsequently, Lawrence is found guilty.
This episode contains examples of:
- Back-Alley Doctor: Lawrence. He's actually a highly qualified surgeon, but his recklessness and total lack of medical ethics makes him this.
- Broken Bird: It's strongly implied Hackett's disorder stemmed from her husband leaving her for a younger woman.
- Creative Differences: Hackett's former agent initially claims this was the reason for their argument at her hotel. He turns out to be lying, although he did not kill her.
- Crying Wolf: Lawrence's defence refers to this, saying Hackett always called him after surgery to complain she was feeling sick - by now, he had no reason to believe it would be anything more serious than usual.
- Ethnic Menial Labor: The maid who finds Hackett's body. Lawrence's receptionist also mentions that his wealthy clients treated her as this.
- It's All About Me: This is clearly Lawrence's attitude.
- Obstructive Bureaucrat: The hotel manager, who keeps trying to shoo the police out so he can have the room back. Fontana threatens to have the whole hotel closed as a crime scene if the guy doesn't co-operate.
- Ripped from the Headlines: Loosely based on Olivia Goldsmith's death from complications after plastic surgery.
- Straw Feminist: Lawrence's lawyer. McCoy points out this is rather hypocritical given that she's defending a guy who makes millions from exploiting women's insecurities.
- Woman Scorned: Hackett became a bestselling novelist with a fictionalized revenge fantasy against her cheating ex-husband. Fontana mentions a rumor that Lawrence had an affair with his receptionist and the defence may claim she's lying in order to get her own back at him, although this never comes up during the case.
