 The opening scene shows a traffic stop of two suspected armed robbers gone tragically wrong; pull back to see that it is actually a training exercise at the police academy. Later, one of the rookie officers who was at the demonstration - Officer George Barrett - bungles the arrest of an elderly man suspected of robbing the bank. Malloy and Wells are upset with Barrett for his reluctance to go through the proper procedures in arresting the man, even though he appeared harmless (the suspect did not display a weapon, and merely presented a note requesting $1 million). Later, Malloy and Reed talk about what just happened, noting that this is another in a growing series of Barrett s serious mistakes. Later, the officers are called to a grocery store, where a madman has planted an explosive device inside a cereal box, and the bomb will detonate within the hour. The officers eventually corner the suspect, who holds another man at gunpoint. Reed orders Barrett to arrest the suspect, but Barrett is unable to do so. Malloy eventually completes the arrest before he seriously injures his hostage. In the closing tag, Mac informs Reed and Malloy that "Barrett s through" (i.e., the process to fire him for his repeated mistakes has been started). He then reiterates the purpose of probation: a proving period to determine whether a new officer will perform well under pressure and has the skills needed to be a good policeman.