Ep 19. Auntie Maimed

The show "NYPD Blue" follows the lives of the detectives working at the fictional 15th precinct of the New York City Police Department. Season 3 episode 19, titled "Auntie Maimed," starts off with Detective Simone (Jimmy Smits) arriving at work after being out sick with the flu. He learns that his partner Detective Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) has been assigned a new partner, Detective Jill Kirkendall (Andrea Thompson), and he is not pleased about it.

Meanwhile, a woman named Judith Woodruff comes to the precinct to report that her aunt, Celia, has been missing for several days. Celia is a wealthy woman and has been known to have a lot of enemies, so the detectives suspect foul play. While investigating the case, Detective Kirkendall proves to be an asset to the team as she has extensive experience in missing person cases.

Simone, who is still feeling under the weather, takes a back seat in the investigation and decides to go home early. However, on his way home, he runs into a drug dealer who he has had previous run-ins with. The drug dealer taunts Simone and makes fun of him for being sick. Simone, who is visibly angered by this, confronts the drug dealer and ends up getting into a physical altercation with him. This incident causes Simone to spiral even further into his emotional struggles.

Back at the precinct, Sipowicz and Kirkendall track down Celia's boyfriend, Warren, who is also a suspect in her disappearance. However, they discover that Warren is in the hospital after being severely beaten. Warren tells them that Celia's business partner, Michael, is responsible for his injuries and he believes he is also responsible for Celia's disappearance.

The detectives bring Michael in for questioning, but he denies any involvement in Celia's disappearance. However, they find evidence linking him to the crime and arrest him for her murder.

As the episode comes to a close, Simone returns to the precinct and is confronted by Kirkendall about his recent behavior. She tells him that she has noticed he has been distant and off his game, and suggests that he talk to someone about what he's going through. Simone brushes her off, but it's clear that her words have struck a nerve.

Overall, "Auntie Maimed" is a gripping episode that further explores the personal struggles of the detectives at the 15th precinct, while also showcasing their investigative skills as they solve another case. With a strong performance from the entire cast, this episode proves to be another great addition to the series.