Tread Perilously -- NYPD Blue: Oh Golly Goth

Tread Perilously rounds out the summer Patreon request month with an episode of NYPD Blue called "Oh Golly Goth." With Sorenson on desk duty, the others -- including visiting detective Connie McDowell -- work on a stabbing at an upscale hotel. With the victim claiming to only recall the attacker being white with dark hair, the case seems to point to a naked man found in the hotel room. But when it becomes clear he could not have wielded the knife, a new suspect emerges: a young "goth" known as Dio. Meanwhile, Sipowicz takes a vacation day to clear Sorenson's name ... never mind that the junior detective brutalized a suspect. Erik and Justin are surprised to discover what the influential series really looked like half-way through its run. Jimmy Smits can't get a break even though he was long gone by this point. Denis Franz easily proves to be the MVP, although plenty of time is given to Charlotte Ross as she begins her NYPD Blue tour of duty. Creators David Milch and Steven Bochco are examined. Talk about The Shield also occurs. Justin marvels at the way the show lost its cultural footprint. David Caruso also gets a mention and the use of the term "goth" comes into question.