The Hero Syndrome begins with a timid dock worker, Peter Thorwald (Robert Walker, Jr.), being harassed and beaten by the enforcer for a loan shark over an unpaid debt. Peter defends himself by hitting his attacker with a crow bar and then flees the scene. The next day, the attacker's body is found on the dock and Quincy (Jack Klugman) performs the autopsy determining that he died as a result of being stabbed with a bailing hook. Lt. Monahan (Garry Walberg) has Peter in custody with a confession to killing the enforcer with the crowbar in self-defense, but this does not match the autopsy findings. Quincy and the police must work together to determine if Peter is lying or someone else was responsible for the enforcer's death. To further complicate the investigation, Peter is reluctant to admit that he was not responsible for the death as he has found a new respect among his peers as being a tough guy who cannot be bullied.
I wouldn't characterize this as a great Season 3 episode, but it is a huge improvement over the previous two entries. On the positive side, there is a murder mystery featured with some complicating factors arising that keep the story interesting and entertaining enough. The plot of an innocent man wanting to be charged in a murder that he is not responsible for in order to bolster his reputation is a bit bizarre and far-fetched, but it has been known to happen. This and the ending which was rather anti-climactic and convenient cause it to lose a point from me, but overall still a decent episode worth watching.