Michael B. Silver Movies

In the first episode of a two-part story, Rebecca (Kirstie Alley) catches Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth) in the act of planting a passionate kiss upon her favorite male psychologist. Unfortunately, the man isn't Lilith's husband Frasier (Kelsey Grammer), but instead her esteemed colleague Dr. Louis Pascal. Meanwhile, a rowdy group of customers prompts Sam (Ted Danson) to hire a bouncer named Tiny (Don Gibb). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Magoo's, a local hangout frequented by the ER staffers, is the scene of a bloody holdup, in which three people are killed and one seriously injured. As Chen (Ming-Na) pieces together a sketchy description of one of the likely perps, her African-American colleagues Gallant (Sharif Atkins) and Pratt (Mekhi Phifer) are picked up on suspicion and subjected to harsh treatment by a pair of white cops who refuse to check out the doctors' alibis or credentials. The usually mild-mannered Gallant is more angered by this harassment than the cynical Pratt -- but both doctors relish the opportunity to serve up a delicious comeuppance to one of the cops. And elsewhere, Carter (Noah Wyle) really, really wants to pop the question to Abby (Maura Tierney)...but.... ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Rushing to Milwaukee after his wife, Jenn (Christine Harnos), and daughter, Rachel (Yvonne Zima), are injured in a car accident, Greene (Anthony Edwards) is relieved to learn that they're all right -- but none too happy with the news that Jenn has been withholding from him. Back in Chicago, Carol (Julianna Margulies) is given advice about her new house by Josh Shern (Adam Goldberg), a paranoid schizophrenic with an innate talent for architecture. And Dr. Morganstern (William H. Macy) and Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) clash when he suggests that her personal problems vis-à-vis little Suzy are negatively affecting her job performance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Carol (Julianna Margulies) tells Greene (Anthony Edwards) that she is pregnant, and offers some encouraging words to schizophrenic new mother Coco (Sheila Kelley). Jeanie (Gloria Reuben) finds her faith renewed as she cares for Rev. Matthew Lynn (Roscoe Lee Browne). Lucy (Kellie Martin) discovers that her young patient has been overmedicated. Carter (Noah Wyle) mentors a teenager named Antoine Bell (Corey Parker Robinson). And Romano (Paul McCrane) forces Benton (Eriq La Salle) into a crucial decision. There are a few light-hearted moments in this episode -- before everything is literally plunged into darkness. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Weaver (Laura Innes) again does a secret favor for "closeted" Chicago politician John Bright (Bruce Weitz) -- this time with disastrous results and calamitous consequences. Elsewhere, Kovac (Goran Visnjic) uses unorthodox methods to get a grip on his personal problems. And the romance between Carter (Noah Wyle) and Abby (Maura Tierney) may be on the rocks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Rosatti, a New York contractor with mob connections, is found murdered in his own brownstone apartment. At first the killing seems to have been the end result of a botched robbery, but Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) have reason to believe that Rosatti died in a professional hit ordered by the victim's trophy wife Sherri (Gretchen Egolf) and her paramour Tony Darrow (Bobby Cannavale). Just when the noose seems to be tightening around the alleged perpetrators, ADA Southerlyn (Elisabeth Rohm) unearths a startling new piece of evidence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

"Death by typewriter" is the coroner's verdict when the body of a man is found. Elsewhere, a naked female corpse, dumped in a junkyard, leads Simone (Jimmy Smits) and Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) on another far-from-merry chase, and still-wobbly Gina (Lourdes Benedicto) returns to work. Outside the precinct, Simone hires the mercurial Henry (Willie Garson) to paint the apartment building, leading to a confrontation with an angry tenant (Maxine Stuart); and Diane (Kim Delaney) begins her counselling sessions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Lucy Liu guest stars as a babysitter suspected of shaking an infant to death. Assigned to this case are Diane (Kim Delaney) and Jill (Andrea Thompson), both of whom have dated Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits) -- and at least one of whom wants Bobby to make a definite commitment. Elsewhere, Martinez (Nicholas Turturro) and Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) try using different approaches to get a confession from a likely murderer, and a would-be cop gets into trouble by helping an old friend (Jose Soto) -- a gang leader who killed one of the other members for trying to defect. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The fifth-season opener of NYPD Blue ties up several story ends left dangling at the climax of season four. With no one willing to back up his alibi for his relationship with murdered gangster Jimmy Salvo, Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits) is still on suspension pending an Internal Affairs investigation. Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) wants to extend Bobby a helping hand, but he too is under scrutiny from the IAB. Coming to the rescue (in a manner of speaking) is Detective Jill Kirkendall (Andrea Thompson, now promoted from recurring to regular status), who produces a source to back up Bobby's allegations. Elsewhere, the squad searches for a pimp suspected of killing several people. And on the domestic front, Gina Colon (Lourdes Benedicto) is pregnant, but hasn't yet informed the father, Det. James Martinez (Nicholas Turturro). Sharon Lawrence makes a token appearance as Sylvia Costas; the actress, busy with her own starring sitcom Fired Up, would be absent throughout most of season five. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Awakening in bed with hoodlum Jimmy Liery (Christopher Meloni), Diane Russell (Kim Delaney) can remember nothing that happened after Jimmy drugged her. Back at the 15th precinct, a victim of muscular dystrophy is murdered, and the victim's neighbors seem extremely nervous about providing information. As Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits) and Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) investigate a frustrating homicide involving a clever married couple, Lt. Fancy (James McDaniel) nervously anticipates informing Bobby and Andy that only one of them has been promoted to detective first grade. And back in Liery's apartment, a confrontation ends in gunfire -- and guess who pulled the trigger? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The first teaming of Danny Sorenson (Rick Schroder) and Diane Russell (Kim Delaney) is not an easy one for Diane, who still hasn't gotten over the loss of Danny's predecessor, Bobby Simone. Her grief has resulted in profound depression, and may lead her back into her old drinking habits. In other developments, the squad forms a protective circle around Jill Kirkendall's (Andrea Thompson) young son, Kyle (Courtland Mead), who has witnessed a stabbing. While still pursuing the old Suarez murder case, Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) and Sylvia (Sharon Lawrence) discover that the original informant against Suarez may have actually been the guilty party, and both Greg (Gordon Clapp) and John (Bill Brochtrup) worry that their judgment may be clouded by their affections. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Unable to overcome the death of his son Andy Jr., Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) turns to the church for help. Back on the job, Sipowicz aids in the investigate of a holdup-homicide involving a pair of mismatched siblings; Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) participates in tracking down the murderer of two people, if for no other reason than to escape his marital problems; and John Irvin (Bill Brochtrup) bids yet another farewell to his colleagues. The episode ends with an affirmation of life, a renewal of hope, and the promise of a repaired romance. Justine Miceli (Adrianne Lesniak) makes her last series appearance in this, the final episode of NYPD Blue's third season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide