Kellerman and Lewis (with Brodie) investigate a shooting at the New Moon motel, where everyone there has a motive for the crime. They split up and canvass the denizens of the motel; Lewis also searches for the victim's missing boot. The murder is just one of the many crimes that has occurred or is occurring at this establishment.

On New Year's Eve, the detectives sit back in the quiet of the evening and watch a documentary that Brodie has made about them and their work. In this documentary, entitled ""BACK PAGE NEWS: Life and Homicide On The Mean Streets Of Baltimore"", one of Frank and Tim's cases is covered where some ""lies and hidden truths"" are revealed. During a sequence about one of Mike and Meldrick's cases, they chase a suspect right into the filming of something called ""Homicide"" by director Barry Levinson and his crew. Mike and Julianna agree to try a date. Also, the identity of the ""lunch bandit"" is revealed to be Gaffney. Brodie reveals that the documentary has been sent to PBS and gives his reasons why. As the new year rolls in, things return to normal as the phones start ringing.

Two Vietnamese teenagers witness the shooting of their parents and some friends. One of the friends was a cop and one of the shooters they say was another cop. That cop they discover failed her psyche evaluation but may have possibly gotten her job due to Affirmative Action; although strings pulled by her father proved to be her ticket into law enforcement. After they are able to implicate the cop in the shooting, as a bonus they discover the body of her string-pulling father. Ballard suffers from an allergic reaction to crabs. Falsone finds out that the case against Georgia Rae Mahoney is going to be dropped because of a lack of evidence. He suspects that the whole Mahoney thing is going to blow up in the department's face, because he knows the Mahoney shooting didn't go down the way Stivers, Kellerman and Lewis reported it. Kellerman debates with Cox about what he should do about the Mahoney situation.

Julianna wins the recognition of her peers. At dinner, Julianna and her colleagues swap stories about how they've cracked cases. Julianna relates a story that happened a few weeks earlier, a suicide might actually be turn out to be murder, when it is determined that the victim was shot in mid-jump. A bickering elderly couple proves to be the key to the crime. Meanwhile, Falsone investigates the legal possibilities of obtaining custody of his son. Ballard and Gharty investigate the death of a drug dealer, which takes them up into the hills of western Maryland in search of their suspects. Georgia Rae Mahoney sues Stivers, Lewis, Kellerman, Giardello, Cox, the department and the city for the wrongful death of her brother, to the tune of $60 million. Lewis confronts Georgia Rae and winds up with a suspension for his trouble.

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

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