A terminally ill serial bomber escapes custody, and 20 Squad must race to find him when it becomes clear he's looking to settle old scores. Hondo and Nichelle's plans to adopt hit a snag.
Tropes:
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: It turns out Baratta's new bombing spree is a series of paid assassinations, so he can leave money to his twin sons (he was incarcerated shortly after they were born).
- External Combustion: Joey Barrata is a convicted serial bomber whose weapon was car bombs.
- Greater-Scope Villain: Barrata is serving as a ontract killer to one, Henry Lee Allen, a Serial Killer paying him to eliminate the eyewitness whose testimony got Allen convicted, the defence lawyer who failed to get Allen off the hook, and a judge about to sign an extradition order allowing Allen to stand trial for crimes in Texas that he's almost certain to receive the death penalty for.
- Improvised Weapon: The episode's villains escape the hospital by hooking a defibrillator up to oxygen tanks to cause an explosion.
- Pet the Dog: Chris and Street help set up security cameras at the shelter for undocumented women, Chris agrees to speak at one's immigration hearing, and Luca helps Hondo setting up Nichelle's new mental health outreach program.
- Playing Sick: According to Deacon, Barrata drank something that caused an allergic reaction that would be mistaken for a stroke, causing his transfer to a hospital where an accomplice was waiting to free him.
- Stuff Blowing Up: The episode's villain, Joey Barrata, is a serial bomber, so this is to be expected.
- Terminally-Ill Criminal: The squad faces Joey Barrata, a hit man with a specialty for car bombs. Already serving a life sentence for multiple murders, following being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and given three months to live, Barrata breaks out of prison and unleashes another bombing spree on the city. Initially assuming he's after revenge, the team later realise he's been hired for one last big job so he can be sure his sons will have enough money after he dies.
- We Used to Be Friends: Commander Hicks and Ray Kaminski of the ATF. Apparently, Hicks' wife Barbara was Kaminski's girlfriend when they were at the police academy, Kaminski tried to get back together with her when Hicks' marriage hit a rocky patch, and according to Luca, the pair got into a fight the night before Barbara's funeral.
- Your Days Are Numbered: According to Deacon, Joey Barrata was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, given him two to three months to live.
