Belker (Bruce Weitz in peak scruffy form) goes undercover to bust a gang of video card player hustlers. Garibaldi (a fine Ken Olin) strikes a deal with a man whose car he hit by accident. Davenport (a moving portrayal by Veronica Hamel) tells Furillo (Daniel J. Travanti, superb as usual) that she needs time for herself.
The plot about Garibaldi makes a valid point about the dangers of bending the law for one's own selfish purposes and the way it can make a person lose face with fellow police officers. Hunter (a nicely flaky James Sikking) pitching his horse program to the city council provides a definite comic highlight while Fay (a wonderfully fiery Barbara Bosson) has a great dramatic moment with said council sticking up for the rights of struggling single mothers. Moreover, there are sturdy guest contributions from Art J. Evans as the sue happy Joyner, Joe Santos as browbeating hoodlum Lestarza, Randy Brooks as the volatile Peabody, Robert Costanzo as the shady Franco, Trinidad Silva as the swaggering Martinez, Jeffrey Tambor as the loopy Wachtel, and Joanna Kerns as an overzealous liquor agent. And the final conversation between Furillo and Davenport speaks poignant volumes about the heavy strain and emotional toll that police work can take on a relationship.
The plot about Garibaldi makes a valid point about the dangers of bending the law for one's own selfish purposes and the way it can make a person lose face with fellow police officers. Hunter (a nicely flaky James Sikking) pitching his horse program to the city council provides a definite comic highlight while Fay (a wonderfully fiery Barbara Bosson) has a great dramatic moment with said council sticking up for the rights of struggling single mothers. Moreover, there are sturdy guest contributions from Art J. Evans as the sue happy Joyner, Joe Santos as browbeating hoodlum Lestarza, Randy Brooks as the volatile Peabody, Robert Costanzo as the shady Franco, Trinidad Silva as the swaggering Martinez, Jeffrey Tambor as the loopy Wachtel, and Joanna Kerns as an overzealous liquor agent. And the final conversation between Furillo and Davenport speaks poignant volumes about the heavy strain and emotional toll that police work can take on a relationship.