Homicide: Life On The Street

10 Worst Episodes of Homicide: Life On The Street

Based on the factual book Homicide: A Year On the Killing Streets by journalist David Simon, the series charts the lives of a team of homicide detectives in Baltimore, Maryland, both on and off the clock.

Written by Sophie and last updated on jan 18, 2023.

PS: The following content contains spoilers!

PPS: I will admit that parts of this page was written with the help of AI - it makes my work so much easier to not start from a blank page!

Advertisement
Homicide: Life On The Street - S1E1

#10 - Gone for Goode (Season 1 - Episode 1)

Lewis and Crosetti uncover a woman who's been killing her husbands for insurance money. Howard tries to keep her cases-solved record perfect, but she is reassigned with Felton as her partner. Bolander convinces Munch to help him finish up an unsolved case. A new guy, Tim Bayliss, from the mayor's office gets his first case in homicide, the murder of an 11-year-old girl. His partner Pembleton, we find out, is less than enthusiastic to work with him or anyone else in the unit.

The episode was rated 7.60 from 126 votes.

Homicide: Life On The Street - S6E5

#9 - Baby, It's You (2) (Season 6 - Episode 5)

Advertisement

The young man that was stalking Brittany in Baltimore is interviewed and relates that he saw her being attacked by someone. When going to question the parents, the New York and Baltimore detectives discover that the Janaways have returned to Baltimore, so they make the trip to Charm City. They get the father in the box and he demands that they prove he did it. The attorneys fight over jurisdiction, but the judge rules in favor of Baltimore and the two teams of prosecutors must work together. When the father is put on the stand he gives an alibi, a surprise that gives the detectives 48 hours to verify this alibi. When the alibi checks out, they bring in both of the parents to get to the truth. (Baby, It's You (1) aired on Law & Order, season 8, episode 6.)

The episode was rated 7.60 from 42 votes.

Homicide: Life On The Street - S3E5

#8 - Happy to be Here (Season 3 - Episode 5)

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.

The episode was rated 7.59 from 37 votes.

Homicide: Life On The Street - S7E21

#7 - The Why Chromosome (Season 7 - Episode 21)

Advertisement

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.

The episode was rated 7.57 from 21 votes.

Homicide: Life On The Street - S4E17

#6 - Full Moon (Season 4 - Episode 17)

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.

The episode was rated 7.57 from 28 votes.

Homicide: Life On The Street - S7E14

#5 - A Case of Do or Die (Season 7 - Episode 14)

Advertisement

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.

The episode was rated 7.55 from 22 votes.

Homicide: Life On The Street - S7E13

#4 - Homicide.com (Season 7 - Episode 13)

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

The episode was rated 7.54 from 24 votes.

Homicide: Life On The Street - S3E8

#3 - All Through the House (Season 3 - Episode 8)

Advertisement

Munch spreads his usual Christmas cheer. Russert, who misses detective work, joins Meldrick on an investigation into the murder of a material witness, when she discovers she knows something about the victim's case. Munch and Bolander investigate the death of a man in a Santa Claus suit and Munch spends the evening with whom they believe is the victim's son. Beau buys Christmas presents for the kids, although he still doesn't know where Beth and the kids are. Bayliss searches the station in search of a game of hearts.

The episode was rated 7.52 from 33 votes.

Homicide: Life On The Street - S7E17

#2 - Zen and the Art of Murder (Season 7 - Episode 17)

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.

The episode was rated 7.45 from 20 votes.

Homicide: Life On The Street - S4E6

#1 - A Doll's Eyes (Season 4 - Episode 6)

Advertisement

Technically it's not a homicide; however, Pembleton and Bayliss investigate the ""murder"" of a small boy who's the victim of a stray bullet, which makes him brain dead. The parents must choose what to do with their son. The Pope is in town.

The episode was rated 7.42 from 24 votes.

Latest articles

Search for TV shows...

About Series with Sophie

Welcome to our community!

We are a community of women who are passionate about our favorite series and want to share that passion with others.

Our mission is to create a space where women can discover new content, connect with like-minded individuals, and engage in meaningful discussions about the series we love.

We believe that everyone should have access to reliable and trustworthy information about their favorite shows, and we strive to be the premier destination for women seeking that information. Whether you're looking for recaps, fan theories, or just want to connect with other fans, we've got you covered.

So join us and be a part of our growing community of series enthusiasts!