Directed by David Von Ancken
Written by Anthony E. Zuiker, Ann Donahue, Carol Mendelsohn, Trey Calloway & Sam Humphrey
"Personal Foul" is the 19th episode of Season 4 and the 90th overall. It originally aired May 7, 2008.
A man makes a million-dollar-winning half-court shot at half-time during a basketball game, and then dies on the court. The Cabbie Killer has effectively ground transportation in NYC to a halt. Rikki breaks things off with Danny.
Tropes for the episode:
- Best Served Cold: The perp of the murder of the week is a formerly overweight woman who got humiliated on national television by a heckler. Her plan for revenge involved slimming down and becoming a good enough cheerleader to be chosen for the New York Knicks, then wait until the heckler was part of the crowd of a basketball game, tamper the selection of the halftime show contest so he would be selected, and giving him a kiss laced with poison. Mac points out how many months of her life she invested in her plot, and that she will lose the rest of her life in jail, and asks her Was It Really Worth It?.
- Carrying the Antidote: Played with. Instead of taunting the victim with it, the perp takes it to prevent getting poisoned.
- Disproportionate Retribution: The man was killed because he had mocked an overweight basketball fan.
- Formerly Fat: One of the cheerleaders used to be overweight.
- Kiss of Death: The killer's MO is the classic capsule/kiss technique.
- May I Borrow a Cup of Sugar?: Inverted by Rikki, who brings Danny a dish of sugar for being "a sweet man" before she moves out of their building.
- Mouth To Mouth Force Feeding: After taking the antidote, the killer chews open a capsule full of poison and then kisses the victim.
- Sequel Episode: This is the 3rd of the four Cabbie Killer appearances.
- Side Bet: In the opening, Flack and Danny bet $50 on the outcome of the half-court shot.
- Suit with Vested Interests: Mac is asked by a reporter at a press conference if he'd get into a NYC taxi. He replies that he wouldn't and as soon as the conference is over, the Mayor's assistant chews him out for causing a panic in the city and keeping thousands of cab drivers out of work. He replies that he'd rather be unemployed than dead and she says, "That can be arranged." He finally shuts her up by asking if she's going to take responsibility for the killer's next victim.
- Terminology Title: Basketball term for illegal personal contact.
- You Are Fat: The obese killer's motivation is revenge for having been humiliated by another basketball fan who started the chant "Eat A Sa-lad!" about her. It got caught on camera and people would recognize her on the street and start chanting it, too.
