Medavoy leaves his wife and finally tells Donna about his romantic feelings for her, which turn out to be mutual. Sharon LaSalle, a police academy classmate of Kelly's, joins the squad and shortly after, she and Sipowicz investigate the death of her husband, Danny, who was an ex-cop trying to stop a robbery during her first day at the 15th precinct. Kelly and Sipowicz relentlessly try to track down the two robbers responsible, while an an ambitious publicity-seeking reporter plots to take advantage of the case to further advance his own career. Meanwhile, an alcoholic woman keeps lodging complaints to Kelly against her abusive husband that she never follows through with.

The detectives continue their search for a serial killer who targets alcoholics trying to get sober; and Clark and Jones investigate a homicide linked to a woman with whom Clark had a one-night stand.