Ghost of a Chance (Homicide: Life on the Street)

“Ghost of a Chance” is the 2nd episode of the first season of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on February 3, 1993. The teleplay was written Noel Behn based on a story by executive producer Tom Fontana, and the episode was directed by Martin Campbell. In it Bayliss begins his investigation into the murder of 11-year-old Adena Watson, Munch and Bolander investigate the unusual death of an elderly man, and Howard insists she is receiving advice about her murder case from a ghost.

The episode marked the first major developments in the Watson case, a major season one story arc based on the real-life slaying of Latonya Kim Wallace. The Wallace case was featured in David Simon’s non-fiction book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, from which the series was adapted. Baltimore Detective Tom Pellegrini, who handled the Wallace case, appears on-screen as a detective in “Ghost of a Chance.” The episode introduced several important supporting characters, including prosecuting attorney Ed Danvers (Željko Ivanek), Colonel Burt Granger (Gerald F. Gough), Captain George Barnfather (Clayton LeBouef) and Officer Chris Thormann (Lee Tergesen).

The episode introduces the concept of a “red ball”, a high-profile case that draws close media and political attention. The term would be used frequently in future episodes. It was also the first episode to feature a murder in a wealthy rural setting. At the time, most American television police shows focused on crimes in poorer neighborhoods, so “Ghost of a Chance” was noted for demonstrating that murders can take place in various socioeconomic circumstances.

The episode, seen by 9.5 million households in its original broadcast, was considered a disappointment due to the drop in viewership from the post-Super Bowl series debut, which had more than 18 million viewers. It received generally positive reviews, and was later featured in a Court TV marathon of the top 15 Homicide episodes. Gwen Verdon was nominated for an Emmy Award for her guest performance as Jessie Doohen, the woman accused of killing her husband of 60 years. The episode, along with the rest of the first and second seasons of Homicide: Life on the Street was released on DVD in the United States on May 27, 2003.

Plot summary
Bayliss (Kyle Secor) is the primary detective on the murder investigation of an 11-year-old girl named Adena Watson. A rookie detective on his first homicide case, Bayliss has difficulty informing the family, while the veteran Pembleton (Andre Braugher) remains detached from his emotional response. Much of the homicide department is dedicated to the case, and Bayliss works without the benefit of his own desk. When Bayliss acts weak and indecisive during a department meeting, Gee (Yaphet Kotto) angrily orders him to show more confidence. But when a news report by journalist Griselda Battel (Taylor Young) discusses Bayliss’s lack of prior experience, Gee resists pressure from his superiors to replace Bayliss, insisting, “That rookie will surprise us all.”

Munch (Richard Belzer) and Bolander (Ned Beatty) arrive at the scene of a dead man named Thomas Doohen (John Habberton), only to find that the man had only fainted and was still alive. When he wakes up, the man immediately starts arguing with his elderly wife Jessie (Gwen Verdon), who is unhappy with their 60-year marriage and wishes the man were dead. Later that same day, they respond to the same house to find the same elderly man dead from a heart attack. Medical examiner Blythe (Wendy Hughes) classifies the death as a murder because the widow dragged him into the basement and “prayed he’d stay dead”, but Bolander, himself having recently left an unhappy marriage, defends the widow. Despite the disagreement, Bolander becomes smitten with Blythe, and seeks romantic advice from Munch.

Prosecuting attorney Ed Danvers (Željko Ivanek) tells Howard (Melissa Leo) that if she cannot find more evidence against Ralph Fenwick (Michael Sheldon), who is a suspect in a brutal murder, Danvers will have to plead to manslaughter. The next day, Howard tells her partner Felton (Daniel Baldwin) she was visited by the ghost of Fenwick’s murder victim and told where the murder weapon was, but Howard cannot find it. Felton does not believe her, and Howard grows angry when he tells Lewis (Clark Johnson) and Crosetti (Jon Polito) about the ghost experience. The next day, however, Howard and Felton arrest Fenwick after finding the murder weapon based on advice Felton got from a tarot card reader.

The department continues investigating leads into the Adena Watson case, including an interrogation of a man who lived within walking distance of the scene and was previously charged with murdering a 14-year-old girl. All of the leads turn into dead ends. While investigating the Adena Watson scene, police find coagulated blood and hair on a piece of metal. Battel witnesses the find, but agrees to hold the information until police authorize it, as long as she gets the story first. She also tells Bayliss about a carry-out store owner who claims to know who the murderer is. The episode ends with an emotional Bayliss attending Watson’s funeral.