10.0/101 votes#1 - The Quality of Mercy
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/28/1998
When television news reporter Hope Martin (Lynda Boyd) breaks a story about mercy killing, Detectives Leary and Shannon start digging around for more details, and Da Vinci calls a Coroner's Inquest to force Martin to reveal her source. The issue of euthanasia is divisive and as the investigation proceeds Da Vinci finds himself at odds with the police and his superiors about the reality and the ethics of what happened. His elderly father's recent debilitating stroke further complicates his response. Danny Leary is back in town, but the reunion with his older brother Mick is far from idyllic. It looks like he is hooked on drugs and, unbeknownst to Mick, hanging around with two hoods that turn up dead.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Chris Haddock
9.5/102 votes#2 - Ready or Not
Season 5 Episode 7 - Aired 11/15/2022
Maggie returns from medical leave in time to help the team investigate two homicides: a law student on track to attend the FBI Academy and a young man with possible gang ties. Also, an inadvertent revelation from Maggie causes OA to worry that she is rushing back into the job too quickly.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Thomas Kelly
9.2/105 votes#3 - The Last Supper
Season 4 Episode 4 - Aired 2/8/2024
Bell and the team must keep a witness and her family safe from Los Santos before she testifies. Carisi asks Stabler to back off the case to preserve the integrity of his undercover work. Stabler hosts a chaotic family dinner.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: John Shiban
9.0/103 votes#4 - Loose Ends (2)
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 9/20/2007
Michael must rescue Sam from heroin smugglers, who happen to be ex-Special Forces, while also evading agents who are out to get him.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Matt Nix
9.0/101 votes#5 - One Way or Another
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 7/23/2009
Toby gathers information from a traumatized rape victim whose attacker Marks failed to convict in the past. During his probe, Toby discovers Marks may have a deeper connection to the case.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: N/A
9.0/102 votes#6 - Stay Gold
Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 6/30/2019
Dylan and Lizzie investigate the murder of a successful businesswoman who attempted to prolong the lifespan of humans. Also, Dylan and Andy look to continue their adoption search, and Detective Ryan Stock from Nebraska arrives to hunt for a potential serial killer.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Michael Rauch
9.0/104 votes#7 - Checks and Balances
Season 3 Episode 10 - Aired 4/6/2021
The team must track down two assailants who wear animal masks while committing armed robberies, with the latest leaving an off-duty 26 Fed security guard dead. Also, Tiffany and Scola butt heads on whether or not to accept the local NYPD’s offer to help in the investigation.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Claire Demorest
9.0/104 votes#8 - Fathers and Sons
Season 3 Episode 12 - Aired 5/4/2021
The team rushes to track down two doctors abducted by a desperate father willing to do anything to save his son. Also, Jubal's uncertainty in his family life affects his judgement during the hostage situation.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Rick Eid
8.9/107 votes#9 - High Top Fade Out
Season 4 Episode 7 - Aired 9/25/2009
Shawn and Gus investigate the death of Leonald Callahan, aka Diddle, a computer cryptologist who was the baritone in Gus’s old college a capella group.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: James Roday Rodriguez
8.8/1025 votes#10 - Control-Alt-Delete
Season 4 Episode 12 - Aired 1/13/2015
Control, who oversees the handling of relevant numbers for the government, begins to question the methods and intentions of the Samaritan program. Also, alarming news reports of a pair of vigilantes rampaging through the Northeast begin to surface.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Andy Callahan
8.7/103 votes#11 - Besieged
Season 5 Episode 7 - Aired 8/4/2011
Michael and Sam try to retrieve a boy from an armed compound. Fiona and Jesse babysit a day laborer.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: N/A
8.7/106 votes#12 - Stand (2)
Season 3 Episode 12 - Aired 10/3/2011
Pete and Myka race to stop Sykes from using his own cache of artifacts to destroy them and the Warehouse.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Drew Z. Greenberg
8.7/103 votes#13 - Outsider
Season 2 Episode 6 - Aired 11/5/2019
After a Wall Street investor is murdered, the team is led to an insider-trading ring that uses unconventional methods to gain information. OA struggles to maintain confidence in his budding relationship with Mona.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Rick Eid
8.7/103 votes#14 - Ties That Bind
Season 2 Episode 10 - Aired 12/17/2019
A former kidnapping victim is linked to a series of murders that includes the daughter of an NYPD detective. Also, Kristen begins to doubt her ability as an agent after a training exercise leaves her shaken.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Claire Demorest
8.7/106 votes#15 - Lassie Did a Bad, Bad Thing
Season 3 Episode 11 - Aired 1/16/2009
Shawn and Gus must prove Lassiter's innocence when he's on the hook for a murder inside of the Santa Barbara Police Department.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Tim Meltreger
8.7/1022 votes#16 - Search and Destroy
Season 4 Episode 19 - Aired 4/7/2015
Reese and Finch scramble to protect a software CEO when his behavior becomes increasingly erratic following a hacker attack that reveals all his secrets and unravels his life.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Zak Schwartz
8.6/105 votes#17 - Hot Spot
Season 2 Episode 11 - Aired 1/29/2009
Sam calls in a favor and asks Michael to talk to Sean Martin, a football coach who helps impoverished kids. Sean wants Michael's assistance helping one of his players, Corey Jensen, who's being targeted by gangsters.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Ben Watkins
8.6/1027 votes#18 - RAM
Season 3 Episode 16 - Aired 3/4/2014
The secrets of Finch’s operation before he enlisted Reese are revealed, including shocking ties to present-day events.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Nic Van Zeebroeck
8.5/102 votes#19 - As Hubris Is to Oedipus
Season 2 Episode 13 - Aired 2/24/2022
The task force must race to save lives when Wheatley and McClane’s digital takeover shifts to a series of real-life bomb threats.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Zachary Reiter
8.4/105 votes#20 - Think Tank
Season 4 Episode 14 - Aired 2/24/2010
Shawn and Gus are recruited into a think tank to help prevent the murder of a business tycoon, but once the group has disbanded, they realize that one of the members plans to use the assassination ideas to kill the client instead of save him.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Steve Franks
8.4/1056 votes#21 - The Devil You Know
Season 3 Episode 6 - Aired 10/19/2018
Driven to the edge, Dex loses his way until he's offered a lifeline by Fisk. Matt comes to Karen for help, which she agrees to give -- on one condition.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Dylan Gallagher
8.4/105 votes#22 - Fostered
Season 4 Episode 10 - Aired 1/4/2022
As the team investigates a string of jewellery store robberies that culminate in a double murder, they uncover a connection to a 16-year-old boy trying to survive the foster care system. Tiffany becomes personally invested after learning about the boy's ill-fated upbringing.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Joe Webb
8.3/1011 votes#23 - Unfaithful
Season 4 Episode 8 - Aired 5/2/2016
Norma finds herself torn between Romero and Norman. A holiday outing makes Norman realize how much everyone else has changed in his absence.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Freddie Highmore
8.3/1078 votes#24 - Seven Minutes in Heaven
Season 2 Episode 9 - Aired 3/18/2016
Castle gets an offer he can't refuse. Foggy and Murdock question the future of their firm, but Karen won't give up so easily.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Lauren Schmidt Hissrich
8.1/1024 votes#25 - Shadow Box
Season 2 Episode 10 - Aired 12/13/2012
As the FBI pursues "the man in the suit," Reese is even more determined to protect the latest person of interest after learning she is the sister of a soldier who was killed in action.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Patrick Harbinson
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Stephen Surjik Ratings Summary
"The Quality of Mercy" is the best rated episode directed by Stephen Surjik. It scored 10/10 based on 1 votes. It was written by Chris Haddock. It aired on 10/28/1998 and is rated 0.5 points higher than their second-best episode, "Ready or Not".