Ep 8. Russellmania

Russellmania is the eighth episode of the eighth season of the popular American police procedural drama television series NYPD Blue. This crime show originally aired on ABC on November 19th, 2001.

The episode is centered around detective John Clark Jr., who receives some disturbing news from his doctor. Meanwhile, his partner, Detective Connie McDowell is trying to convince him to go back to school, but Clark is skeptical and refuses to follow her advice.

The detectives are assigned to a case where an unlicensed boxing match has deadly consequences, and Russell, a character from a previous episode who is played by rapper/actor Mos Def, is involved.

Russell is accused of murdering his opponent, a local club owner. Clark and McDowell must navigate complicated waters as they try to gather more information about the case and clear Russell's name.

Despite the fact that Russell is known to have a quick temper and a history of violence, he claims to be innocent, and McDowell and Clark believe him. They must follow a web of clues and interrogate suspects to figure out who is really responsible for the murder.

The case takes a turn when a potential witness, who had originally claimed to have seen Russell commit the crime, is found dead in his apartment. This only adds to the mounting evidence against Russell.

Together, the detectives must work to clear Russell's name and uncover the real killer. However, they face many obstacles and challenges throughout the investigation, including a powerful and intimidating club owner who may have had something to do with the crime.

As the detectives dig deeper into the case, they are met with a string of dead ends, and they start to realize that this may be one of their most difficult cases yet.

In the end, the detectives are forced to make a tough decision about Russell's fate and to live with the consequences of their actions.

Overall, Russellmania is an intense and suspenseful episode filled with twists and turns. It's a great addition to the series, and one that will keep fans on the edge of their seats until the very end.