▁Dar in ▁Russ om ▁( Michael ▁Will is ) ▁and ▁Det ect ive ▁Frank ▁P emble ton ' s ▁wife ▁Mary , ▁who ▁was ▁played ▁by ▁actor ▁Andre ▁Bra ug her ' s ▁real - life ▁wife ▁Am i ▁B rab son . ▁The ▁episode ▁also ▁featured ▁a ▁guest ▁performance ▁by ▁actress ▁and ▁future ▁model ▁B ai ▁L ing . ▁ ▁The ▁murder ▁trial ▁port rayed ▁in ▁the ▁episode ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁trial ▁featured ▁in ▁David ▁Simon ' s ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁non - f iction ▁book , ▁Hom ic ide : ▁A ▁Year ▁on ▁the ▁K illing ▁Stre ets , ▁on ▁which ▁the ▁series ▁was ▁based . ▁Howard ' s ▁proced ural ▁mis steps , ▁and ▁her ▁subsequent ▁recovery , ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁that ▁real - life ▁trial . ▁The ▁writers ▁sought ▁to ▁real ist ically ▁port ray ▁the ▁trial ▁scenes ▁by ▁foc using ▁on ▁less ▁dram atic ▁court room ▁elements . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁detect ives ▁in ▁" And ▁the ▁Rock ets ' ▁Dead ▁G lare " ▁make ▁arguments ▁for ▁drug ▁liberal ization , ▁particularly ▁John ▁M unch , ▁whose ▁arguments ▁were ▁inspired ▁by ▁actor ▁Richard ▁Bel zer ' s ▁real - life ▁personal ▁history ▁with ▁drug ▁ab use . ▁ ▁Since ▁ratings ▁for ▁Hom ic ide ▁had ▁gradually ▁decl ined ▁throughout ▁the ▁season , ▁N BC ▁announced ▁a ▁decision ▁about ▁whether ▁the ▁series ▁would ▁be ▁renew ed ▁would ▁depend ▁on ▁the ▁N iel sen ▁ratings ▁of ▁the ▁final ▁four ▁episodes , ▁including ▁" And ▁the ▁Rock ets