Diagnosis: Murder season 6

Diagnosis: Murder
Season 6
No. of episodes	22
Release
Original network	CBS
Original release	September 24, 1998 (1998-09-24) – May 13, 1999 (1999-05-13)
Season chronology

Diagnosis: Murder's sixth season originally aired Thursdays at 9:00–10:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on CBS. The season was released on DVD complete and available in two parts by Visual Entertainment, Inc.

Cast

• Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan
• Victoria Rowell as Dr. Amanda Bentley
• Charlie Schlatter as Dr. Jesse Travis
• Barry Van Dyke as Steve Sloan

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
111	1	"Resurrection"	Christian I. Nyby II	Lee Goldberg & William Rabkin	September 24, 1998 (1998-09-24)	13.15
112	2
In the finale of the previous season, Caitlin Sweeney succeeded in bombing Community General and a number of characters are now trapped in the rubble. A concussed Mark works hard to save Amanda's life. Some 4 months later, as the hospital starts to reopen, FBI Agent Ron Wagner reveals that Caitlin has started robbing banks to raise money for R.O.A.R.: Revolutionary Order for Armed Rebellion. Steve and Jesse discuss plans to buy Barbecue Bob's, which is going out of business. Later, Steve and Jesse ask Mark for a loan to buy the restaurant. Caitlin and R.O.A.R. successfully intercept a police convoy that was transporting Carter Sweeney. The Sweeneys then kidnap Mark from his home. They demand Mark figure out a way to obtain $100 million or they will keep blowing up stores and restaurants, thereby killing many innocent people. Mark agrees and comes up with an ingenious plan that works, involving a fake armored car. Guest Stars: Harry J. Lennix (plays F.B.I. Agent Ron Wagner), Arye Gross (plays Carter Sweeney), Kim Little (plays nurse Susan Hilliard, Jesse's girlfriend, in this and 9 other episodes), and Stephanie Niznik (plays Caitlin Sweeney).
113	3	"Till Death Do Us Part"	Max Tash	Terence Winter	October 1, 1998 (1998-10-01)	15.42
In this intriguingly structured episode, a couple-to-be, Philip and Cindy, discuss their plans for patricide before the pre-credits sequence is over. Later, we appear to see the events of the wedding day unfold. Wayde Garrett (Patrick Duffy) is the wealthy father of the homicidal bride. The couple’s plan is to kill Wayde, by poisoning, and leave sufficient (planted) evidence for Mark and Steve to conclude that Wade’s younger wife, Denise, was the murderer. It all seems like the perfect crime. We then see the couple agreeing that their plan is perfect and simply cannot go wrong on the day of the wedding - which hasn’t actually taken place yet. Next, we see the actual events of the wedding day play out. Wayde still dies of poisoning but everything else that was so meticulously planned never quite goes to plan. Mark and Steve reach the logical conclusion that Denise was the murderer, but somehow it all seems just too neat to be true and Mark is suspicious. Guest Stars: Patrick Duffy, Staci Keanan, Stacey Travis
114	4	"Wrong Number"	Christian I. Nyby II	James L. Novack	October 8, 1998 (1998-10-08)	12.26
Dr Mark Sloan is alerted to the abduction of a child when the kidnapper dials the doctor's number by mistake. Mark's attempts to help Steve locate the kidnapper turn to tragedy when the victim's father is shot and killed while he is attempting to deliver the ransom money. The FBI become involved and Steve learns that the Agent in charge is a female who he met, and became very close to, at a Training Seminar in Florida. Later, Steve is given a classic phone booth to phone booth runaround by the kidnapper when he makes a second attempt to deliver the ransom. But things don't add up in this case. Could it be that the kidnapper and the murderer are entirely different people? The best acting in this episode is reserved for the 'B' story which concerns the burgeoning relationship between Steve Sloan and the attractive female FBI Agent, Kathy Wately. Of course, DM fans know that the fact that Steve appears to have a girlfriend means it is highly unlikely that we will ever see her again! Guest Stars: Eva LaRue, Kathy Evison
115	5	"Blood Will Out"	Christopher Hibler	Robin Bernheim	October 15, 1998 (1998-10-15)	14.34
A supposedly dead man, a survivor of a mass shooting at a restaurant, escapes from the pathology lab and terrorizes Community General. However during their search for the man, our gang learn some dark secrets. This episode takes place during the course of a single night shift at Community General. Guest Stars: Bryan Cranston, Kim Little (plays Nurse Susan Hilliard)
116	6	"Alienated"	Bruce Seth Green	J. Larry Carroll & David Bennett Carren	October 29, 1998 (1998-10-29)	14.22
Jesse is apparently abducted by aliens. But his efforts to prove it are fruitless. However Mark soon suspects that Jesse's supposed abduction might be a cover up for something sinister. Note: This episode features several actors from the Star Trek franchise – Walter Koenig, George Takei, Wil Wheaton, Majel Barrett and Grace Whitney
117	7	"Write, She Murdered"	Frank Thackery	Jacquelyn Blain	November 5, 1998 (1998-11-05)	13.48
A mystery novelist murders her agent, hoping the investigation into his murder will inspire her next book. Guest Stars: Shelley Long, Adam West and Richard Herd Note: Victoria Rowell also plays the author's fictional heroine Danielle Slade.
118	8	"Rear Windows '98"	Vincent McEveety	Jacquelyn Blain	November 12, 1998 (1998-11-12)	14.20
After Amanda reports seeing a murder on the Internet, a hacker messes up all her online transactions. Three hacker friends of Jesse fight back, using The Weasel. Hence ensues the battle of the hackers. Guest Stars: Kim Little (plays Nurse Susan Hilliard, Jessie's girlfriend in 10 episodes), Jennifer Ringley (plays the victim as a fictionalized version of herself)
119	9	"The Last Resort"	Christian I. Nyby II	Paul Bishop	November 19, 1998 (1998-11-19)	13.08
Steve joins his troubled partner, Reggie Ackroyd (Joe Penny) in a rehab unit for stressed-out cops. Reggie seems delusional and keeps blaming a murderer he caught for abducting his wife and daughter, and Steve indulges him. Mark is puzzled by Steve's apparent deep-seated resentment towards him. Reggie and Steve trick Mark, tie him up and escape in order to return to the scene of the abduction. Reggie and Steve find the bodies of Reggie's missing wife and daughter by following the voices in Reggie's head. But Diagnosis Murder has not gone superstitious; there is a perfectly rational explanation at the end. This is an unusually dark and downbeat episode. Guest Stars: Susan Gibney (plays Det. Tanis Archer in 7 episodes), Reginald Vel Johnson, and Martin Kove (plays Captain Newman), Greg Grunberg
120	10	"Murder x 4"	Frank Thackery	J. Larry Carroll & David Bennett Carren	December 3, 1998 (1998-12-03)	12.94
Three apparently senseless murders; the killers are caught but for various reasons don't talk. The police and doctors look for a common thread and find it. The perps are all terminally ill patients; but who is hiring them? How do they get paid? They try to intercept the fourth would-be murderer. Guest Stars: Richard Biggs, George Lazenby
121	11	"Dead in the Water"	Neema Barnette	Robin Bernheim	December 17, 1998 (1998-12-17)	12.70
On their way to Carmel for their long planned romantic getaway, Jesse and Susan’s car breaks down near the small coastal town of Sea Ridge. Susan is stunned when she spots her former fiancė, Greg Hutchens, who supposedly died in a car accident years earlier – an accident in which Susan was the driver. It emerges that Greg is very much alive but allowed Susan to believe she had been responsible for the accident and his death. Jesse contacts Mark to relate the bizarre story. Intrigued, Mark, Amanda and Steve start researching Greg’s ‘fatal’ accident and his record as a professional diver. Jesse and Susan seek out Greg to get some real answers but find only his dead body. They are immediately arrested by Sheriff Kelso and charged with murder. And ‘justice’ in Sea Ridge is worryingly swift. Guest Stars: Monte Markham, Laurence Lau and Kim Little (played Nurse Susan Hilliard, Jesse's girlfriend in 10 episodes.)
122	12	"Trapped in Paradise"	Bruce Seth Green	Ernie Wallengren	January 7, 1999 (1999-01-07)	15.90
After a second murder without any apparent motive, occurs at the exclusive Hill Ridge Estates gated community, Steve, going undercover as the estranged brother of the latest victim, moves into the deceased’s house posing as a physician from Community General. Upon arrival, he finds that Shelby Turner, an investigative reporter from a tabloid obsessed with space aliens, has already loudly introduced herself as his wife. After throwing a housewarming gets them fingerprints which match to dead people, Mark pieces together what the three victims had in common with each-other and the true nature of Hill Ridge Estates starts to emerge. Note: Unusually, this episode is told predominantly from Steve’s point of view rather than Mark’s and the other medics at CG. Guest Stars: Martin Kove, Jay Acovone, Shawn Huff
123	13	"Voices Carry"	Christopher Hibler	Lee Goldberg & William Rabkin	January 21, 1999 (1999-01-21)	13.31
A retiring detective Harry Trumble (Jack Klugman) continues to pursue a serial killer known as "The Clown Killer", and will lie, cheat and even kill to do it. Guest Stars: Jack Klugman (played Quincy on the TV Series Quincy M.E.), Martin Kove
124	14	"Murder, My Suite"	Jim Johnston	Story by : Lee Goldberg & William Rabkin Teleplay by : E.F. Wallengren	January 28, 1999 (1999-01-28)	13.80
A cool, calm and ruthless brunette, Ariel, is about to inject her accomplice, Alex, with a hypodermic. When Alex states that he’s going to need a larger ‘cut’ for his trouble, Ariel switches vials and injects him with the contents of the other vial, which she then casts aside. At Community General, Dr Amanda reveals that she is this years’ recipient of the MESSI award, the premiere award for Forensics experts. Mark, Amanda and Jesse decide to celebrate with lunch at a fancy restaurant where they bump into Dr Herb Downey a top man in infectious disease. Just moments later, Alex stumbles in and collapses onto a nearby table surrounded by diners. The four doctors quickly investigate. In Alex’s room they discover the empty vial that Ariel had thrown away. The label reveals that it contained Legionella bacteria, thus they have a major outbreak of legionnaires disease on their hands. This necessitates an immediate quarantine of the premises. Mark’s first assumption is that this is probably terrorism. Steve alerts the Center for Disease Control, but it will be several hours before they can deliver the antigen. The four doctors set up an improvised emergency ward as, one by one, the guests start to fall seriously ill – including Amanda. Guest Stars: Francois Giroday, Dara Tomanovich
125	15	"Murder on the Hour"	Christopher Hibler	J. Larry Carroll & David Bennett Carren	February 4, 1999 (1999-02-04)	12.13
It is a busy evening at Community General Hospital. Someone who clearly knows their way around, enters a patient’s room and proceeds to cold bloodedly murder the patient and then attempts to cover their tracks. The time is exactly 6:00pm. An hour later, a slightly shocked Steve Sloan accompanies the body of an individual he had to shoot, into the ER. After Mark and Jesse manage to save the patient, Dr Jesse, infuriated at the failure of Dr Mason, the other on-call ER doctor, to respond to any of her multiple pages, goes searching for her and discovers her dead body. Dr Amanda reports to a perplexed Mark that the patient who died at 6:00pm was in fact, murdered. Later, shortly after 8:00pm, a male Orderly reports the dead body of another patient in a stairwell. Reasoning backwards, Mark, Amanda, Jesse and Steve realise the chilling truth that there is a serial killer operating inside Community General. And, what’s more, they are committing a murder every hour, on the hour. Guest Stars: Beverly Leech, Jason Hildebrandt
126	16	"Rescue Me"	William Rabkin	Jacquelyn Blain	February 11, 1999 (1999-02-11)	12.00
Dr Jesse is out shopping when he hears the sound of a car crash. Rushing to help, he manages to extricate the driver, a young woman, from the wrecked vehicle via the already open passenger side door. Later at Community General, Jesse checks on his new patient and it is apparent that there is an attraction between them. The woman, Chloe Marsden, is a professional artist - with a focus on romantic subjects. Later, she shows up at Jesse’s apartment with a disturbing story of her ex, Richard Locke, having turned up at her house and jealously wrecked it. Jesse feels that he has to let her stay the night. But he is embarrassed the next morning when Susan arrives with breakfast and discovers Chloe in the apartment. The increasingly disturbing topics of obsession and manipulation in this episode are leavened by two scenes of Mark performing joyously as part of a talented barber shop quartet and his comic encounters with the rather terrifying new head of Nursing Services who has the ability to reduce grown men to tears. Guest Stars: Kim Little (plays Nurse Susan Hilliard), Audie England, Matt Battaglia
127	17	"Down Among the Dead Men"	Barry Steinberg	Paul Bishop	February 18, 1999 (1999-02-18)	12.53
A heavily armed criminal seems to have a death wish, and Mark tries to figure out why and why he's after Steve. Guest Stars: Susan Gibney (plays Detective Tanis Archer) and Travis Tritt.
128	18	"Never Say Die"	Frank Thackery	Barry Van Dyke	February 25, 1999 (1999-02-25)	12.92
A juvenile delinquent, Tommy Anders (Shane Van Dyke), is assigned community-service time at a boxing gym, where the death of a young fighter arouses suspicion. He ran in front of a bus to show that he was invincible. (If some of the other delinquents at the gym resemble Tommy, it's no accident, because there are other Van Dyke kids there.) Something in the bottled drinks is making the young boxers extra pugnacious. Other Guest Stars: Carey Van Dyke, Wes Van Dyke, and Taryn Van Dyke.
129	19	"Trash TV"	Ron Satlof	Lee Goldberg (part 1) David Bennett Carren & J. Larry Carroll (part 2)	April 29, 1999 (1999-04-29)	9.86
130	20
An unusual patient at Community General is the "Masked Magician", who reveals magic tricks in highly rated specials on Pox TV, but got wounded by a real arrow because of sabotage. Meanwhile rival channel GBC prepares a series "Doctor Danger", supposedly based on Mark Sloan, but when shown the pilot he refuses to have anything to do with this mockery; Jesse however accepts to write scripts for it. Shortly after, both the masked magician -who unveiled himself to become irreplaceable- and Mark's character 'Dr. Danger', are murdered on the set. Mark tricks the first killer, but accepts that motive doesn't hold true for the first, so a second murderer must still be out. While Kent Beudine presents a cynical show on the horror gripping Hollywood after two TV celebrity murders, Mark is convinced Jesse is on the right track for motive by remarking it all upsets the program line-ups of rivaling networks in terms of the almighty ratings. Producer Jackson Burley is ignored even by his former protégés, and minutes after star Jerry Lane turns down an offer to transfer to West Coast VP Garth Zand's network GBS, the winner on Thursday after the previous crimes, he is run over by a fake parking valet. After Zand invites Mark for a scary gourmet dinner, featuring the potentially fatal Japanese blowfish, his luck changes: he finds himself in Community General and all GBS executives refuse his calls, after Lane exposes him he literally fears for a killer and switches his patient file with his roommate's. Guest Stars: Stephen J. Cannell (plays Jackson Burley and "Dr. Mark Sloane" in the third pilot in the episode), Dan Gilvezan (plays Kent Beudine), Danny Bonaduce, Randolph Mantooth, Ian Ogilvy, Robert Ito (plays Sam on Quincy M.E.), and Billy Warlock (plays "Dr. Mark Sloane" in the second pilot in the episode).
131	21	"Blood Ties"	Bruce Seth Green	Lee Goldberg & William Rabkin	May 6, 1999 (1999-05-06)	10.98
A pimp, Milton Wilder (Richard Tanner), is shot in cold blood in an alley by four women who turn out later to be police officers. Two honest cops, Det. Amy Devlin (Kathy Evison), and her unorthodox partner, Det. Taylor Lucas (Zoe McLellan) are investigating this case, but Amy wants to pick up a (female) bail jumper in a bar first. When they are taking her to their car she is shot dead by someone in the alley, and they return fire, wounding the (female) shooter. Taylor shoots herself in the arm so they can find the dirty doctor (Lynn Wanlass) who will have treated her. The doctor tells them the name of the wounded shooter and they realize that the two cases are related. (She is in fact, one of the four.) Mark and Amanda notice a pattern, with criminals being shot and turning out to be organ donors, whose organs and blood types just happen to be urgently needed. They figure out where the perps are getting their information on patients urgently needing organs and set a trap for them at the location of their next victim. The four rogue cops are played by the actress/models Brandi Sherwood, Michelle Lintel, Shannon Marketic, and Kelli McCarty. The bail jumper is played by Spice Williams.
132	22	"Today Is the Last Day of the Rest of My Life"	Ron Satlof	Ernest Kinoy	May 13, 1999 (1999-05-13)	12.05
Mark Sloan attempts to have a new doctor arrested for murder after she helps a pair of terminally ill patients commit suicide. Guest Star: Kim Little (plays Nurse Susan Hilliard), and Arthur Rosenberg (plays Harold Lomax, in his first appearance he is played by Richard Fancy and is the Administrator at Community General Hospital). Note: This is Susan Hillard's last episode appearance. But she does end up marrying Jesse in The Diagnosis Murder book "The Dead Letter." She appears in most of the Diagnosis Murder books.