Controversial radio host Christoff is shot and wounded. He is the former leader of a vigilante gang and has a history of being targeted in "muggings" that were apparently staged for publicity. Van Buren insists that Green and Fontana treat the case as a genuine attempted murder unless the evidence proves otherwise. Christoff is adamant that the Mafia boss Michael Ruffino, who he's attacked on his show, put out a hit on him. Ruffino denies it, but then his associates Frank Torno and Angelo Simonetti are killed. The detectives believe the two were murdered over the unsuccessful hit.
It turns out that the wrong Angelo Simonetti was murdered, and the deceased is his cousin of the same name. The real Simonetti has since disappeared. Meanwhile, Green and Fontana discover that Christoff is having an affair with Ruffino's girlfriend Tina Reese. The detectives connect actor Jarret Whitestone, who appeared on Christoff's show the day of the shooting, with the Ruffino Family. Whitestone confesses to luring Christoff and says that the Ruffino Family forced him to do it because he owes them money. Michael Ruffino is charged with conspiracy to murder. Before the trial, Tina dies in an apparent suicide but the autopsy proves she was murdered.
The detectives find Simonetti, and he takes a plea in exchange for probation and witness protection. But it will be hard to convict Ruffino because he gave orders through a chain of command. At the Grand Jury hearing, Christoff suddenly denies Simonetti and Torno shot him. Christoff's show has now been picked up by a national radio station, and the prosecutors suspect the Ruffino Family made an agreement with him. Branch decides there's no choice but to offer Whitestone immunity to testify.
Whitestone is prepared to testify that Ruffino personally confessed to killing Tina. Ruffino insists he wouldn't hurt her, and ordered the hit because Christoff was slandering him on air - not because of the affair. He accepts an "Alford plea" i.e. a plea bargain without admitting guilt. Subsequently, McCoy and Southerlyn find evidence that Tina's real killer is Ruffino's son who co-runs the Ruffino Family with him. They realize that Ruffino knew about it but loves his son enough to cover for him.
This episode contains examples of:
- A Deadly Affair: The reason for Tina's death, although it's Ruffino Jr. who killed her for cheating on his father. Also probably the reason for the attempt to murder Christoff.
- Buy Them Off: The Ruffino Family apparently bought off Christoff by arranging for a national radio station to hire him.
- Crying Wolf: The theme of the episode is how people, including Detectives Green and Fontana, are skeptical of Christoff being a victim of an attempted hit when he's staged various muggings for attention. However, it is later revealed that Christoff was telling the truth when one of the shooters is murdered for failing to kill Christoff.
- Enemy Mine: Christoff and Ruffino both hate the police, leading them to make a deal so Ruffino can avoid prosecution.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Ruffino Sr. loves both his girlfriend (based on his statement, which there is no reason to doubt after the Twist Ending) and his son.
- Expy: Whitestone is an Expy of Jean-Claude Van Damme.
- Fat Bastard: The thugs Frank Tourno and Angelo Simonetti who attacked Christoff were big, old, and fat.
- The Ghost: Ruffino's son, Michael Ruffino Jr. is mentioned throughout the episode and is key to the twist ending, but never appears.
- Innocent Bystander: McCoy lampshades when describing Angelo Simonetti (the cousin not the thug) and Tina Reese as "collateral damage".
- Japandering: A variant - to avoid prosecution, Whitestone goes to South-East Asia to shoot a movie for the local market. When he returns, he's embarrassed about it and insists he was actually on a meditation retreat.
- Murder by Mistake: The Angelo Simonetti who was killed is the second cousin of the Angelo Simonetti who shot Christoff. Since they share the same name, the wrong guy was killed.
- Never Suicide: Tina's death wasn't a suicide, just cleverly arranged to look like one.
- Only One Name: Christoff is only ever known by the one name. The same applies to his wife Liz.
- Outliving One's Offspring: The Angelo Simonetti who was killed is outlived by his mother.
- Shock Jock: Christoff is one, and Ruffino Sr. is a frequent target on his show.
- Smug Snake: Christoff is incredibly smug about the way he treats other people through his radio show.
- Taking the Heat: Ruffino Sr. takes a plea bargain to prevent his son from being prosecuted for murdering Tina.
- Twist Ending: The audience is given the impression that all the murders in the episode are done by Ruffino Sr. or on his orders. At the very end, it turns out that Tina was murdered by his son, on his own accord.
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Christoff has staged multiple faked robberies on himself for publicity.
