Season 5 opens with Brenda and her squad digging for clues into the murder of a family of four, but the case changes course when Brenda unwittingly tumbles into an FBI investigation. Elsewhere, Provenza's usually zesty mood suddenly turns downcast. Lee Tergesen guest stars.
Brenda snoops into the abduction of a greedy financier being investigated for investment fraud, but she soon suspects he may have staged the kidnapping. Meanwhile, Provenza continues to exhibit bizarre behavior; and Brenda's cat tries to scratch through a medical problem.
Gabriel gets in legal hot water when he guns down a murder suspect and evidence contradicts his version of events. Force Investigation director Sharon Raydor (Mary McDonnell) arrives to probe Gabriel's shooting, but her snooping interferes with Brenda's own investigation.
Brenda works with Fritz on a missing-person case that soon becomes a full-scale murder probe involving the drug trade and gay dance parties. But Brenda's unorthodox sleuthing conflicts with Fritz's FBI code of conduct.
Brenda probes the murder of an erstwhile gang member, but clues reveal he may not have been the target. The case comes with weighty societal implications: Brenda tries to prove to angry citizens that the LAPD does indeed care about crime in poor areas.
The team investigates the slaying of a misogynistic ladies' man, a popular Internet figure who was on the cusp of launching a male-centric TV show. Meanwhile, Pope keeps a close eye on Brenda's squad by rotating in as a team member. Adam Arkin directed the episode.
Numerous mysteries spin around a high-profile shoot-out that left two cops and a teen boy dead. Enter Force Investigation Division bigwig Sharon Raydor (Mary McDonnell), whose merciless snooping upends Brenda's investigation.
Brenda snoops into the slaying of a man who had been the prime suspect of a double murder a decade earlier. But Brenda's investigation is marred by an obsessed detective (Tom Skerritt) who arises from retirement to finally close the 10-year-old case.
Brenda reopens a murder case when it's surmised that a father (Bruce Davison) may have offered a false confession to cover for his schizophrenic son. Meanwhile, Brenda's mother (Frances Sternhagen) and mischievous niece pay a visit. Guest stars include Sosie Bacon (daughter of Kevin Bacon and series star Kyra Sedgwick), Michael Arden and Cynthia Watros.
When a body stuffed in a large box is delivered to the squad, the suspects begin piling up. Among them: a religious stepfather; a huffy ex-flame; an exploited buddy; and a hateful landlord. Meanwhile, dramas spin around Brenda's troubled visiting niece (Sosie Bacon), whose behavior sorely tests Brenda and Fritz.
Brenda snoops when a shooting on a school parking lot results in one person's death. Landing squarely in the middle of the case: Brenda's rebellious visiting niece, Charlie (Sosie Bacon). Meanwhile, Provenza is ripe for a sweeping life change.
The team probes the stabbing death of a woman apparently at the hands of a mysterious someone wearing a ninja costume. Lured to the case is a guest detective (Xander Berkeley) from El Paso, where a similar crime was committed. Meanwhile, Brenda's father (Barry Corbin) arrives to escort Charlie (Sosie Bacon) home to Atlanta. Kevin Bacon directed the episode.
Brenda and her team delve into the gang-related death of a 12-year-old boy, but the case really heats up when two more bodies surface. In domestic developments, Brenda is in store for a surprise, courtesy of Fritz. And Provenza's once-blooming love life begins to wilt.