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The Worst Episodes of Homicide: Life on the Street

Every episode of Homicide: Life on the Street ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Homicide: Life on the Street!

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An American police procedural chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide Unit.

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  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    Homicide: Life on the Street Season 7 Episode 2 - Brotherly Love
    6.7/10(182 votes)

    #1 - Brotherly Love

    S7:E2

    Sheppard and Lewis investigate the death of a man who has a twin brother. Gharty talks about wanting to live his life; he and Ballard go to the hospital to investigate the death of a teenager. Bayliss has interest in Sheppard; later he seeks advice from Stivers, who tells him to get in line behind Lewis and Falsone. Lewis and Sheppard interview the remaining twin and his mother; she confirms his story and they try to point to the dead twin's girlfriend. Meanwhile the friend of the teenage victim in Ballard and Gharty's case confesses that his friend wasn't shot in Baltimore, but rather D.C.; he drove his friend back to Baltimore so their parent's wouldn't ""kill them"" for buying drugs in D.C. Gee hopes to get the case moved to D.C. Mike Giardello puts in for his FBI transfer, but the only openings they have in the area are for liaisons to local police departments. He interviews with Gaffney, who is so open to the idea, he can't wait to tell Gee. That's something Mike was going to wait f

    Director:Peter Medak
    Writer:Julie Martin

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  2. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 7 Episode 13 - Homicide.com
    7.0/10(160 votes)

    #2 - Homicide.com

    S7:E13

    The Internet is stage for a ritual murder, which was staged -- which was staged, or was it? The body is found the following morning and Sheppard takes the call, her first since the beating. Since Lewis can't be found, she partners with Bayliss. Second shift detectives Bonaventura and Austin catch word of the day shift's case. It seems the victim in Sheppard's case was a witness they had interviewed the day before about an online murder hoax. The detectives are informed about another murder that is scheduled for midnight. It's a red ball. The detectives try to put the clues together, but come up with nothing and must wait until the netcast begins before they can trace the killer. The trace is successful, but when they arrive at the scene, the killer has left them a computer with the words ""Ha Ha Fooled You."" Barnfather wants Bayliss reassigned as primary if something doesn't turn up soon. Sheppard goes online to flush out the killer. He advertises another murder will take place at www.i

    Director:Jay Tobias
    Writer:Sara B. Cooper

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  3. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 5 Episode 15 - Wu's on First?
    7.1/10(199 votes)

    #3 - Wu's on First?

    S5:E15

    A new Baltimore Sun reporter gets into the middle of Frank's investigation of the death of a county cop who was shot because of drugs. Gee likes her style. Mike's brothers, Drew and Greg, come to town, who want to take him and his boat to Miami to set up a charter service. Mike learns that they are on the run from a bookie that Drew owes $18,000. To pay that debt, they've stolen Babe Ruth's Baltimore uniform from another bookie with the intent of selling it. Lewis and Cox go in search of the Kellerman boys. They find them in jail where they spent the night after trying to return the uniform.

    Director:Unknown
    Writers:David Simon, Anya Epstein

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  4. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 7 Episode 3 - Just an Old Fashioned Love Song
    7.1/10(161 votes)

    #4 - Just an Old Fashioned Love Song

    S7:E3

    MGee (Mike Giardello) and Ballard investigate a double shooting at the home of a prominent sports doctor and his wife, a dermatologist. The doctor (who was wounded) did not realize the deceased (thought to be a prowler) was his sister-in-law. Munch contends with the IRS; his Waterfront partners want him to make sure that his cousin, their accountant, has been paying their taxes. The Waterfront needs a loan to pay for some improvements. Gharty has taken the day off, to take care of personal matters, like his recent separation from Flora. Munch has his hearing with the IRS; he owes $30,000 in back taxes. Bayliss and Sheppard discuss his sexuality and the possibility of a date. Falsone takes MGee and Ballard to meet an old fight man who knew their doctor. Ballard becomes excited while watching Falsone spar in the ring. MGee and Ballard's investigation lead them right back to the doctor's house, where his wife may be guilty of conspiracy to commit homicide. Gharty stops by the Waterfront t

    Directors:Leslie Libman, Larry Williams
    Writer:Eric Overmyer

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  5. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 7 Episode 21 - The Why Chromosome
    7.1/10(140 votes)

    #5 - The Why Chromosome

    S7:E21

    When the men are nowhere to be found, Sheppard and Ballard team up to investigate the death of young girl, who's a teenage gang member. With the wedding one week away, Billie Lou asks for Munch's help with her neighbor's abusive boyfriend. After Munch approaches him strongly, the boyfriend retaliates by coming to the Waterfront and slamming Billie Lou's head on the bar. Munch claims he came on strong with the guy, because his ""testosterone riddled behavior"" was due to the celibacy Billie Lou imposed on him, to make their wedding night more special. Billie Lou wants to delay the wedding until the welt on her forehead goes away in about 3 weeks. After Sheppard and Ballard solve their case, Sheppard reminds Lewis that his problem with her is not going to keep her from doing her job.

    Director:Kyle Secor
    Writer:Anya Epstein

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  6. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 4 Episode 19 - Map of the Heart
    7.2/10(208 votes)

    #6 - Map of the Heart

    S4:E19

    A prominent attorney is murdered and the murderer presents himself to Pembleton and Bayliss with a videotape that implicates him. Brodie works on increasing his self-image. Kellerman is determined to find out who's the ""lunch bandit."" The NSA steps in on Pembleton's murder investigation and provides him with a guilty party, even though they know he didn't do it. Bayliss' disgust with the interference doesn't sit well with Gaffney who wants to charge him with insubordination.

    Director:Clark Johnson
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 7 Episode 14 - A Case of Do or Die
    7.3/10(152 votes)

    #7 - A Case of Do or Die

    S7:E14

    Ballard and Bayliss are called to the scene of the mysterious death of a woman, whose body is found at the bottom of a forty-foot cliff. This victim was to be married the following morning. The two detectives work to determine whether the death was accidental or intentional (via murder or suicide). Meanwhile Sheppard and MGee begin investigating the death of a movie patron, whose body was discovered after the show ended and the theater cleared out. MGee mentions to Sheppard that his sister is about to have a baby, which means Gee is about to become a grandfather. Their investigation reveals that the movie patron was regularly loud and obnoxious and thus bad for business. When an overdose of a sedative is found in his bloodstream, the detectives question the theater owner, who was currently in litigation with the victim. Unfortunately for Ballard and Bayliss, their case remains unsolved.

    Director:Tim Van Patten
    Writer:Anya Epstein

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  8. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 5 Episode 16 - Valentine's Day
    7.4/10(183 votes)

    #8 - Valentine's Day

    S5:E16

    Brodie suggests that a classmate of his named Schack should be a suspect in the death of the student that Munch believes committed suicide. Frank and Mary meet with their marriage counselor and they begin to air some issues. Bayliss and Kellerman try to link together two deadly bombings. Schack attacks Brodie, but he can't prove it. He does offer a way to get Schack to admit to the murder. Frank tells Mary that he will agree to getting Olivia baptized. Mike connects the two bombings; the victims were both connected through the death of the Korean grocer who was murdered by a man who worked for Luther Mahoney. They suspect that there may be more bombs, including one at the courthouse where Meldrick and Julianna are waiting to meet with Judge Aandahl and Danvers, both of who were associated with the Korean grocer case. Frank arrives late to the baptism; Mary takes this as a sign and tells him she is leaving him for a while.

    Director:Clark Johnson
    Writer:Tom Fontana

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  9. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 7 Episode 15 - Sideshow (II)
    7.4/10(175 votes)

    #9 - Sideshow (II)

    S7:E15

    Danvers brings news of his appointment to the District Court bench as the investigation of a government official named Janine McBride continues in New York. Their prime suspect Chesley Purcell is dead and her shooter is in the hands of the Feds. The Baltimore detectives investigate the background of Chesley Purcell and it turns up the name of a man in prison who still appears to be running his organization. This crossover starts on Law and Order S09E14 Sideshow (I).

    Director:Edwin Sherin
    Writer:David Simon

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  10. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 3 Episode 7 - The Last of the Watermen
    7.5/10(287 votes)

    #10 - The Last of the Watermen

    S3:E7

    After uncovering the fact that an elderly woman's tongue was cut out, Kay decides it is time to take a vacation. She returns home and while she is there she looks into the murder of an environmentalist. The suspects include her brother, an ex-beau and their co-worker. Pembleton reluctantly becomes Felton's partner and they finish investigating the murder of the elderly woman. Munch is against having a television put in their bar.

    Director:Richard Pearce
    Writers:Tom Fontana, Henry Bromell

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  11. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 5 Episode 14 - Diener
    7.5/10(177 votes)

    #11 - Diener

    S5:E14

    Kellerman assures Lewis that he is seeking some professional advice; he also takes some time off. Lewis is assigned to work with Pembleton and neither is happy with the situation. Together they investigate the murder of a wealthy woman. They suspect the brother may have had a touch of sibling rivalry. Meanwhile, the brother insists that the police have stolen his sister's diamond ring. Mary tells Frank that she thinks they need to talk to a marriage counselor. Cox investigates whether the missing diamond ring might have been taken by one of her staff. She gets Brodie to help her add some video surveillance to the morgue. Mary asks Tim to be Frank's partner again.

    Director:Kyle Secor
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 1 Episode 6 - A Dog and Pony Show
    7.6/10(355 votes)

    #12 - A Dog and Pony Show

    S1:E6

    While Giardello is busy sending off an old friend to retirement Pembleton and Bayliss investigate the murder of a dog, Howard and Felton argue over whether Felton finds Howard attractive while dealing with a drug-related homicide and Bolander and Munch take Dr. Blythe's son on a ride along. Meanwhile, Crosetti takes care of the bed-ridden and blind Thormann.

    Director:Alan Taylor
    Writer:Tom Fontana

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  13. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 3 Episode 5 - Happy to Be Here
    7.6/10(242 votes)

    #13 - Happy to Be Here

    S3:E5

    Bayliss continues his relationship with the artist, but she's told her boyfriend. When she tells Bayliss that her boyfriend hit her upon hearing the news, it makes Bayliss so mad he confronts him. Pembleton and Bayliss investigate the death of a woman who's received a delivery of fresh flowers, although she's been dead over two weeks. Bolander and Munch investigate the shooting of Thorne's source, who's linked to a cocaine cartel, then Thorne is shot. Gee tries to get the department to get him a replacement for Crosetti. Thorne's daughter decides to keep his newspaper going. Beau tries to find out where his wife has moved the family. With Meldrick and Bayliss' disagreement over the artist, Munch is left without partners for the bar. Bayliss goes over the edge when the artist dumps him, so he holds up a liquor store for 11 cents; Pembleton gets him out of it.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Julie Martin

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  14. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 5 Episode 2 - Hostage (2)
    7.6/10(200 votes)

    #14 - Hostage (2)

    S5:E2

    Night has fallen and the crisis is no closer to being resolved. Gee demands that Barnfather make a decision. Frank continues to trying to adjust. Frank insists on going to the hostage scene. The identity of the hostage-taker is made when he demands that his pig be brought to the school. When the pig doesn't arrive in time, he sets a fire and seriously wounds a hostage (who later dies) and then becomes badly burned. Brodie takes issue with Munch's treatment of Pembleton. The paperwork gets completed and the hostage-taker is formally charged. Frank makes a decision regarding his recovery.

    Director:Jean de Segonzac
    Writer:Julie Martin

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  15. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 7 Episode 1 - La Famiglia
    7.6/10(169 votes)

    #15 - La Famiglia

    S7:E1

    Bayliss returns to duty to discover the bosses have renovated the squad room in an attempt to make everyone forget the tragedy of last May. Gharty and Ballard have also returned and Ballard debates about whether she should ask Falsone to the Lodge party. New detective, Rene Sheppard, tells her just to go for it. Seizing the opportunity, Lewis goes for it and asks Sheppard to the party; it seems that he and Barbara have separated and are on their way to divorce. Meanwhile, Falsone speculates if he should ask Sheppard to the party. The first case Bayliss catches, now partnered with Munch, involves the dismembered body of Angelo Faltislo, a friend of Gee's cousin, Mario Giardello. Stivers and Falsone's case is similar: Leo Grimaldi, another friend of Mario, is also found dead. When Gee goes to question cousin Mario, he finds Mario's body in the same condition as that of his friends. Gee's estranged son, Mike Giardello, an FBI agent in Arizona, returns for the funeral. Mike asks Falsone (w

    Director:Nick Gomez
    Writer:Tom Fontana

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  16. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 7 Episode 4 - The Twenty Percent Solution
    7.6/10(177 votes)

    #16 - The Twenty Percent Solution

    S7:E4

    A woman brings to the homicide unit her mystery-writer husband's videotaped declaration that his literary agent is responsible for his murder. Ballard and Gharty catch the case -- only there is no body or crime scene. Meanwhile, Munch and Bayliss investigate the death of an elderly woman that occurred during a break-in -- was it a homicide? Munch would rather leave for his weekend rendezvous with Billie Lou. Ballard and Gharty's investigation becomes a red-ball as they find evidence in the writer's office that a crime was committed. A break leads to the arrest of the literary agent and his accomplice, although Danvers can't guarantee a conviction. Falsone asks Ballard if she would like to go out Saturday night; just then the jury comes back. And a sharp-eyed juror insures that justice is done.

    Director:Clark Johnson
    Writer:David Simon

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  17. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 7 Episode 17 - Zen and the Art of Murder
    7.6/10(147 votes)

    #17 - Zen and the Art of Murder

    S7:E17

    Lewis and Munch begin to investigate the death of a Buddhist monk beaten to death. Lewis isn't interested in working the case with Bayliss, whom he feels, may become too emotionally involved. Ballard and Falsone agree to call their relationship quits. Ballard and Gharty's case involves a man who was shot down in the street; the three witnesses that saw the shooter all have different recollections of his appearance. As a result, their prime suspect cannot be charged. Gee asks for Bayliss's assistance in the Buddhist murder and to Lewis's dismay, Munch abdicates his position in the investigation to Bayliss. Lewis and Bayliss take different approaches to the investigation. Bayliss's approach leads him to the man who committed the crime, but cornering his suspect leads to a showdown with guns and Bayliss fires a fatal shot. Later Bayliss tries to reconcile the shooting with his own feelings about being a Buddhist and being a cop.

    Director:Miguel Arteta
    Writer:Lloyd Rose

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  18. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 3 Episode 4 - A Model Citizen
    7.7/10(256 votes)

    #18 - A Model Citizen

    S3:E4

    A young man comes into the squad room and after getting their attention, tells the detectives that his brother has been shot. Pembleton is sued by the multiple personality serial killer, who states he violated her civil rights during interrogation; he is discouraged when the city agrees to settle out of court. Munch must attend an alcohol awareness seminar to meet a requirement for the bar. Lewis has ""love at first sight"" with a woman who makes models of crime scenes, but she has ""love at first sight"" when she sees Bayliss and he sees her. Later, they attend an art exhibition and have an unusual sexual encounter in her ""bed."" All is not well at the Felton household, when he returns home to a cleaned out house.

    Director:John McNaughton
    Writer:Noel Behn

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  19. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 4 Episode 7 - Heartbeat
    7.7/10(249 votes)

    #19 - Heartbeat

    S4:E7

    Lewis and Kellerman interview a suspect and uncover a 10-year-old crime, which is assigned to Howard and Munch. Tim lets Frank's secret about Mary's pregnancy slip out. Howard and Munch find the body from the 10-year-old murder bricked up in a wall. John has a date with Alyssa, the ME, but finds himself in bed with her new roommate before their date, so he begins avoiding her. Howard and Munch's murder suspect has a fascination for former Baltimore resident Edgar Allan Poe. Munch plays up that angle while trying to break their suspect.

    Director:Bruno Kirby
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 5 Episode 6 - White Lies
    7.7/10(184 votes)

    #20 - White Lies

    S5:E6

    An article appears in The Baltimore Sun about Kellerman and the other members of the arson unit who are under investigation. Munch investigates the death of women whose husband returned home to find her dead, cause unknown. He suspects the husband but Cox thinks differently. Pembleton tries to help Bayliss close the Lambert case. The article puts Kellerman on edge and he goes to Roland's office where he discovers Roland is a federal witness. This incident gets him suspended until he takes a polygraph test. Brodie gets an offer to stay at Kay's place. Munch presses his witness and breaks him but Cox's evidence still says otherwise. Kellerman takes the test and while waiting for the result tells Lewis the truth. Cox visits Munch's suspect in his cell. Frank reflects on his past and the future. Kellerman passes the polygraph, but so did the federal witness; one of them beat the test.

    Director:Peter Weller
    Writer:Anya Epstein

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  21. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 6 Episode 4 - Birthday
    7.7/10(162 votes)

    #21 - Birthday

    S6:E4

    A young woman is viciously attacked. Falsone and Lewis are called to the scene because the victim wasn't expected to make it. Stivers is working in Sex Crimes and is second to the scene; however, because Homicide was first it is technically their case. The attack is the third in three months and the bosses decide they'll work the case together. Frank's wife is overdue on her delivery. Tim recommends a restaurant whose salad has been known to ""kick start"" delivery in pregnant women. Frank gives it a try. Georgia Rae Mahoney meets Kellerman and mentions to him that she has a surveillance tape from Luther's condo. She tells him she'll keep in touch. Kellerman tracks down the old surveillance equipment from Luther's condo. A possible suspect is found in the rape case that doesn't turn into anything. A recanvas of the bars brings a new suspect to light. The salad might have worked its magic, because Mary gives birth, although there are complications that cause Frank to think about the job's

    Director:Alison Maclean
    Writer:Julie Martin

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  22. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 6 Episode 16 - Mercy
    7.7/10(172 votes)

    #22 - Mercy

    S6:E16

    Homicide is called in when a woman is distressed at the fact the Dr. Turner helped her brother stop suffering from his colon cancer by injecting him with a lethal dose of morphine. Other members of her family were comfortable with the way he died. Pembleton and Bayliss investigate the issue of murder or mercy. Ballard and Gharty spot their city goats at a shopping mall, where Gharty was using Ballard as a consultant in his purchase of a gift. Stivers and Falsone catch a case where a schoolgirl and the owner of a pizza parlor are murdered during the holdup of the pizza parlor. Kellerman confronts Judge Gibbons and tapes their conversation about his ruling in making the wrongful death suit a jury case. Ballard and Gharty round up their city goats after they confront their mother. Gee warns the rookie homicide detectives, Stivers and Falsone about the baggage that comes with working their first case involving the death of a child. Pembleton and Bayliss' investigation of Dr. Turner's pract

    Director:Alan Taylor
    Writer:Eric Overmyer

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  23. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 7 Episode 5 - Red, Red Wine
    7.7/10(154 votes)

    #23 - Red, Red Wine

    S7:E5

    Ballard is annoyed when she finds out that the fact that she had a date with Falsone is around the squad room. Munch has a doctor's appointment and he's not talking about it. Dr. Griscom calls on the homicide unit when he sees a number of deaths that are related by a poison named phosphozine. The FBI steps in on the poisonings and they put MGee in charge of a task force; they consider it an act of domestic terrorism. One of the victims was a priest; two others were his parishioners. Gharty suspects the communion wine. Following this idea, wine bottles are collected from churches around the city. A needle hole is found through one of the corks. A citywide canvassing of all places where wine can be purchased is launched. Gee disagrees with the bureau's policy of keep information from the public. One possible suspect is captured; however, strange as he is, he's not the one. Through an internal leak, the media is alerted and warns the public, sparking chaos. MGee suspects the source of the

    Director:Ed Bianchi
    Writer:Sara B. Cooper

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  24. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 7 Episode 7 - Wanted Dead or Alive (2)
    7.7/10(149 votes)

    #24 - Wanted Dead or Alive (2)

    S7:E7

    Lewis is transported to the hospital, as is the passenger of the car that MGee hit. Gharty is worked up about women and finances, because he and Flora and their lawyers are going to be working out the financial details of their divorce. Gee & MGee are not interested in cooperating with the bounty hunters; however, Knoll is the only one who can get any information on the whereabouts of Errico from Errico's mother. She has promised to page Knoll when her son calls. (Joe Errico has gone south to Miami.) Knoll offers to pay the expenses of having homicide detectives go to Miami and work with him, but Gee declines that generous offer and sends his detectives separately. In Miami, Bayliss and MGee work with Knoll to capture Errico. Knoll offers to split the huge bounty with the homicide detectives, which they of course refuse. MGee decides that the best use for the bounty might be for the man whose wife had died from the injuries she sustained in the car accident.

    Director:Robert Harmon
    Writer:Anya Epstein

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  25. Homicide: Life on the Street Season 1 Episode 3 - Son of a Gun
    7.8/10(390 votes)

    #25 - Son of a Gun

    S1:E3

    Crosetti and Lewis investigate the shooting of a fellow police officer whom Crosetti regards as a son, Howard suspects a rabid Spiro Agnew fan of murder but ends up solving the Calpurnia Church case meanwhile Bolander makes a friend whose death interrupts his date with Dr. Blythe.

    Director:Nick Gomez
    Writer:Tom Fontana

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Worst Episodes Summary

"Brotherly Love" is the worst rated episode of "Homicide: Life on the Street". It scored 6.7/10 based on 182 votes. Directed by Peter Medak and written by Julie Martin, it aired on 10/16/1998. This episode scored 0.3 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Homicide.com".