Written By Speed Weed
Directed By Jonathan Kaplan
Per policy, all spoilers in this recap are unmarked. You Have Been Warned
A young woman's body is found in a fountain with a chunk of her hair missing. Detectives soon locate a man who admits to cutting the victim's hair, but are forced to let him go after his alibi checks out. A dig into the victim's past reveals a prior cocaine addiction and her autopsy report reveals high levels of certain recreational mushrooms.
Tropes
- Acquired Poison Immunity: Dr. Vincent Prochik is believed to have committed murder by poisonous mushroom spores, which he built up an immunity to through years of exposure.
- Affably Evil: Dr Vincent Prochik
- Anti-Villain: Emma is unquestionably the Villain of the Week, but the detectives could see why she ended up doing the things she did.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Francine Brooks appears to be a stern, yet reasonable individual until Elliot and Olivia see firsthand how she treats her granddaughter.
- Bungled Suicide: Emma eats the poisonous mushrooms when the detectives are arresting Dr. Prochik but she was taken to the hospital in time.
- Downer Ending: The Anti-Villain of the Week is arrested after her Bungled Suicide and being disowned by her unempathetic grandmother.
- Fandom Rivalry: In-Universe. Mikka Von, the new ADA from Chicago, talks about trading in her beloved Bears for the Giants, and Elliot says, "Jets."
- Gray-and-Gray Morality: A troubled young woman who kills another because the former sees the latter as getting in the way of her grandmother's affections. Said grandmother, on the other hand, only cares about her money and reputation.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Emma poisons Lindsey out of jealousy due to Emma's grandmother preferring the latter.
- I Have No Son!: Francine officially disowns Emma at the end of the episode.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Cold hearted as Francine may be, she's not wrong that Emma did murdered someone and also did other incriminating things beforehand.
- Hate Sink: Francine is a very abusive, sanctimonious Rich Bitch who treats her granddaughter like shit, and doesn't show her any compassion even after her suicide attempt. She's clearly not meant to be likable.
- Kick the Dog: Francine visits Emma at the hospita after the latter's Bungled Suicide, but only to reclaim the family heirloom and to officially disown her. Even Olivia and Elliot seem appalled by this.
- Murder the Hypotenuse: The reason Emma poisons Lindsey is because Emma's grandmother preferred the latter.
- Mushroom Samba: Have fun, Olivia!Olivia: I'm not the one who stabbed the captain with the pickle!
- Elliot then fakes his own mushroom trip to stall for time during a trial.
- Raised by Grandparents: Emma has been in Francine's custody until the latter kicked her out when her issues got out of hand.
- Rich Bitch: Holy hell, Francine Brooks, Emma's grandmother (who's May Parker!) who sees her granddaughter as weak for becoming a drug addict and needing silly things like therapy and emotional support. Later, she visits her granddaughter after a suicide attempt just to take back her necklace and disown her. Emma did kill Lindsey (who Francine saw as more of a granddaughter than her own) but even the detectives can see how Francine drove her to it.
- Sympathetic Murderer: Emma, so very much, mainly because she's an orphan and her grandmother was SUCH a bitch who viewed her as The Unfavorite and berated and put her down constantly. Additionally the whole reason for her murdering Lindsay was to stop her grandmother from selling an aquifer, which would likely deprive people of drinkable water. She even begged her grandma not to do, only for her to do so anyway just to be a bitch. Even worse, the grandmother is a total Karma Houdini.
- Teacher/Student Romance: Emma and Dr. Prochik, the latter being the former's college professor.
- The Unfavorite: Francine doesn't hide her disappointment over Emma. She officially disowns her at the end of the episode.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: Immediately after the huge Kick the Dog she received from her grandma, Vincent shows up after and affirms that, despite the attempt at framing him, he still loves her.
- Unlikely Hero: Who discovered Lindsey Elding's corpse? Two horny lovebirds who stumbled upon her remains during foreplay.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: The episode is driven mostly by Emma wanting to gain her grandmother's love.
- Why Are You Not My Son?: Francine all but states that she wishes Lindsey was her granddaughter instead of Emma.
