8.0/10130 votes#1 - Murder Blues
Season 5 Episode 1 - Aired 9/18/1997
Steve becomes embroiled in political intrigue after the murder of a city councilman's wife appears to be part of a larger political strategy. Steve investigates two mayoral candidates, the councilman and the chief of police, as well as a rogue detective and his partner, all with strong motives.
Director: Christian I. Nyby II
Writer: William Rabkin, Lee Goldberg
- 7.8/1095 votes
#2 - Open and Shut
Season 5 Episode 2 - Aired 9/25/1997
Mark investigates when a teenage girl is murdered after threatening to reveal her affair with her older lover, a newly appointed state Supreme Court Justice.
Director: Christopher Hibler
Writer: Jacquelyn Blain
- 7.5/10113 votes
#3 - Malibu Fire
Season 5 Episode 3 - Aired 10/2/1997
A Malibu Hills fire is the backdrop for rising tensions between the residents; a disgraced stockbroker, a naturalist, a worried father, and a land developer. A worried Dr. Sloan deals with his own parental fears when Steve helps fight the fire.
Director: Christian I. Nyby II
Writer: Gerry Conway
- 7.9/1097 votes
#4 - Deadly Games
Season 5 Episode 4 - Aired 10/9/1997
Community General is already under increased security, with a high-profile criminal hospitalized, when an important businesswoman is brought in. Mark suspects her security guard has deadly intentions.
Director: Christopher Hibler
Writer: Jeff Peters
- 7.4/1095 votes
#5 - Slam-Dunk Dead
Season 5 Episode 5 - Aired 10/16/1997
Jesse's new part-time job as trainer of the pro basketball Mustangs turns deadly when he's accused of murdering a star player.
Director: Vincent McEveety
Writer: William Rabkin, Lee Goldberg, Larry Brody
- 7.8/1092 votes
#6 - Looks Can Kill
Season 5 Episode 6 - Aired 10/23/1997
Dr. Sloan investigates a plastic surgeon when an actress's death apparently results from an infection contracted during surgery.
Director: Christopher Hibler
Writer: Craig Tepper
- 7.5/1096 votes
#7 - Fatal Impact (1)
Season 5 Episode 7 - Aired 10/30/1997
Mark and Amanda are assigned to the task force investigating an airplane crash. An adversarial FBI agent and Russian mobsters make their assignment more difficult.
Director: Christian I. Nyby II
Writer: David Bennett Carren, J. Larry Carroll
- 7.4/1091 votes
#8 - Fatal Impact (2)
Season 5 Episode 8 - Aired 10/30/1997
Steve and Ron lead the chase for the stolen nuclear material.
Director: Christian I. Nyby II
Writer: Jacquelyn Blain
- 7.8/10120 votes
#9 - Must Kill TV
Season 5 Episode 9 - Aired 11/6/1997
The Sloans run into plenty of industry politics when they investigate the death of television network executive, Rachel Woodrall. Seamy revelations about Woodrall's college sorority lead to the killer.
Director: Christopher Hibler
Writer: William Rabkin, Lee Goldberg
- 7.7/10126 votes
#10 - Discards
Season 5 Episode 10 - Aired 11/13/1997
Jesse finally reunites with his father. After they narrowly elude an assassin, Jesse begins to realize his father isn't the accountant he's always claimed to be, but rather a spy. The Travis's attempt to discover who's sending the killers.
Director: Christian I. Nyby II
Writer: David Bennett Carren, J. Larry Carroll
- 7.7/10130 votes
#11 - A Mime is a Terrible Thing to Waste
Season 5 Episode 11 - Aired 11/20/1997
A dead mime leads to an investigation of a crooked auto dealer. Randy Wolfe, a woman who's apparently an expert at everything, leads the investigation while continually annoying Steve.
Director: Christopher Hibler
Writer: William Rabkin, Lee Goldberg
- 6.5/1095 votes
#12 - Down and Dirty Dead
Season 5 Episode 12 - Aired 12/11/1997
A motorcycle stunt driver has a fatal accident while filming an action video. Steve investigates.
Director: Ron Satlof
Writer: Barry Van Dyke
- 7.6/10103 votes
#13 - Retribution (1)
Season 5 Episode 13 - Aired 1/8/1998
When Steve is shot and falls into a coma, Mark does all in his power to find the assailant, even threatening a suspect with bodily harm. Mark finds himself the prime suspect when Steve's alleged attacker, Gordon Ganza, is murdered and all clues point directly towards Dr. Sloan.
Director: Christian I. Nyby II
Writer: William Rabkin, Lee Goldberg
- 7.7/1097 votes
#14 - Retribution (2)
Season 5 Episode 14 - Aired 1/15/1998
This episode takes place four months after Mark was convicted of murder. Steve is slowly recovering from his wounds and Mark is still rotting in prison. While Mark endures the taunts of fellow death row inmate Malcolm Trainor, Steve and Tanis Archer launch a rogue investigation to find Ganza's real killers.
Director: Christian I. Nyby II
Writer: William Rabkin, Lee Goldberg
- 7.7/10112 votes
#15 - Drill for Death
Season 5 Episode 15 - Aired 1/22/1998
A hospital emergeny preparedness drill turns deadly when an unpopular and ambitious nurse is found dead amid the chaos with an eccentric artist the only witness.
Director: Ron Satlof
Writer: Robin Madden
- 8.0/10128 votes
#16 - Rain of Terror
Season 5 Episode 16 - Aired 1/29/1998
A spat between a girl and her boyfriend leads to an apparent murder, leaving the girl and her mother with a dead body, just as dinner guests Mark and Amanda arrive. Panic sets in, when the body disappears, the power goes out, the roads are impassable, and the attacks begin.
Director: Christian I. Nyby II
Writer: Craig Tepper
- 6.8/1091 votes
#17 - Baby Boom
Season 5 Episode 17 - Aired 2/5/1998
A madman charges into a Lamaze class with a bomb, claiming that a fertility doctor was cheating him. Everything is complicated further when said doctor turns up dead.
Director: Vincent McEveety
Writer: Jacquelyn Blain
- 7.8/1092 votes
#18 - Talked to Death
Season 5 Episode 18 - Aired 2/26/1998
Ratings seeking stunts by TV talk show hosts Darren & Mary has tragic results.
Director: Christian I. Nyby II
Writer: Joyce Burditt
- 7.3/10104 votes
#19 - An Education in Murder
Season 5 Episode 19 - Aired 3/5/1998
When a rash of deaths at a high school revolve around one 'helpful' young girl, Dr. Sloan risks his own life to uncover the murderer.
Director: Frank Thackery
Writer: Jacquelyn Blain
- 7.3/1089 votes
#20 - Murder at the Finish Line
Season 5 Episode 20 - Aired 3/26/1998
Dr. Sloan investigates to find out who's behind the death of a driver in a speedway crash.
Director: Christopher Hibler
Writer: David Bennett Carren, J. Larry Carroll
- 7.7/10100 votes
#21 - First Do No Harm
Season 5 Episode 21 - Aired 4/16/1998
When a young girl is rushed into the hospital in need of immediate treatment, but dies due to a HMO's negligence, Dr. Travis and Community General are sued for negligence. Dr. Sloan must choose between his ethical convictions and the hospital.
Director: Vincent McEveety
Writer: Ernest Kinoy
- 7.1/1075 votes
#22 - Promises to Keep
Season 5 Episode 22 - Aired 4/23/1998
The Matthews family is reunited after years apart. Here, Ryan and Tess Matthews come to LA to help Kate when she's in trouble with a con man.
Director: Christian I. Nyby II
Writer: David Bennett Carren, J. Larry Carroll
- 7.5/1096 votes
#23 - Food Fight
Season 5 Episode 23 - Aired 4/30/1998
Dr. Travis gets involved in the treacherous and deadly trade of catering when he oversees the annual charity banquet.
Director: Ron Satlof
Writer: Jacquelyn Blain
- 7.9/10112 votes
#24 - Obsession (1)
Season 5 Episode 24 - Aired 5/7/1998
Dr. Sloan insists that a man he helped condemn to death for a series of bombings is guilty, even after a post-execution explosion.
Director: Christian I. Nyby II
Writer: William Rabkin, Lee Goldberg
- 7.8/10106 votes
#25 - Obsession (2)
Season 5 Episode 25 - Aired 5/14/1998
Three months after the execution of Lewis Sweeney, explosions are still rocking the LA area every four days. The unpopular Dr. Sloan continues his efforts to nail Carter Sweeney for the bombings.
Director: Christian I. Nyby II
Writer: William Rabkin, Lee Goldberg
The Best Episodes of Diagnosis: Murder Season 5
Every episode of Diagnosis: Murder Season 5 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Diagnosis: Murder Season 5!
Dr. Mark Sloan is a good-natured, offbeat physician who is called upon to solve murders.
Genres:DramaFamily
Network:CBS
Season 5 Ratings Summary
"Murder Blues" is the best rated episode of "Diagnosis: Murder" season 5. It scored 8/10 based on 130 votes. Directed by Christian I. Nyby II and written by William Rabkin, Lee Goldberg, it aired on 9/18/1997. This episode is rated 0.2 points higher than the second-best, "Open and Shut".