Identity Crisis
Directed By: Joe Berlinger
Story By: Tom Fontana and Eric Overmyer
Teleplay By: Willie Reale
Falsone and Lewis get the case of man shot in his yard and had his nose cut off. Falsone begins to suspect one of the neighbors, Selwyn Weatherby (Edoardo Ballerini), is not only a mob witness in hiding, but also might be the murderer. The fallout from the case causes Mike to quit the FBI. Dr. Griscom and his staff process a number of autopsies, but discover a dead man in the morgue that isn't part of any case.
This episode contains examples of:
- Continuity Nod: Assistant State's Attorney Gail Ingram (first introduced in "White Lies") is the one Mike tries to convince to have Weatherby arrested for murder.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Weatherby not only kills his neighbor, but also cuts off his nose and sticks it in the barbecue. Seeing the nose is one of the reasons why Falsone thinks the killing is mob-related.
- Going Cold Turkey: After Ballard complains to Gharty about his drinking, he decides to stop and asks Billie Lou for a club soda and crab soup instead of his usual drink.
- Shout-Out: When Lewis sees the nose on the barbecue (see Disproportionate Retribution above), he says, "Forget it, Jake, it's Highlandtown."
- The Tell: Falsone can tell Selwyn and his wife are Italian because they make similar hand gestures to what he does. Giardello immediately knows what he's talking about.
- Turn in Your Badge: Mike resigns from the FBI because they betrayed him with Selwyn (along with the events in "Sideshow".
- Witness Protection: Turns out Selwyn is a mobster who's in witness protection, along with his wife and son, because he's testifying against other mobsters.
