Megan Russert (Isabella Hofmann) was the first character in the series to break the gritty Homicide mold before the horde of terrible newcomers in seasons six and seven. Clever, competent, educated, polite and attractive, a caring mother (and grieving widow for bonus sympathy points), Russert was far too perfect and clean next to the likes of Munch, Felton, Bolander. Well, she was having an affair with a married man... but Beau's wife was such a mean-spirited caricature, there was no danger the liaison made Russert look bad.
This conclusion of the two-parter sniper storyline is essentially a showcase for Megan Russert (unjustly demoted! still solves the case!), and as such rather bland.
There is, however, a redeeming moment: an interrogation scene with Pembleton (Braugher) and Bayliss (Secor) grilling a particularly dense suspect in the box. Pembleton's boiling frustration at the obviously guilty man he is unable to trap is compulsively watchable - Braugher's delivery of lines such as "Because that strikes me as UNLIKELY!" reminds me why he got an Emmy for the role.
6/10
This conclusion of the two-parter sniper storyline is essentially a showcase for Megan Russert (unjustly demoted! still solves the case!), and as such rather bland.
There is, however, a redeeming moment: an interrogation scene with Pembleton (Braugher) and Bayliss (Secor) grilling a particularly dense suspect in the box. Pembleton's boiling frustration at the obviously guilty man he is unable to trap is compulsively watchable - Braugher's delivery of lines such as "Because that strikes me as UNLIKELY!" reminds me why he got an Emmy for the role.
6/10
