HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET: LINES OF FIRE (TV)
Summary
One in this dramatic police series about a department of reflective homicide detectives in Baltimore, Maryland. In this episode, Mike and Gharty are called to a chaotic scene in which a man, Emmet Carey, recently separated from his wife Lucy, has taken his two children hostage in his sister-in-law's apartment. One cop receives a mild gunshot wound to the foot during the scuffle and jokes about his early retirement, captured by the press cameras. Carey then demands to speak to Mike, having seen on television that he alone did not make light of the situation. Mike cautiously enters the evacuated building, and though Carey is at first surprised by his seemingly incongruous name and face, Mike manages to establish a rapport with him, sympathizing with his personal issues and offering to fetch breakfast for the two children, Zack and Zoey. The temporary peace is ruined, however, when a furious Lucy arrives and causes a scene outside of the building, though the Quick Response Team begs Mike to stay on the scene, hinting that they will be forced to shoot Carey if the matter is not resolved peacefully.
Realizing that the gas line has been cut, thus nullifying his threats to blow up the building, Carey agrees to accept a peace offering of breakfast if he is permitted to speak to Lucy. Mike tries to calm a terrified Zoey as she steps into the hall to accept the food, and Carey bonds with fellow hardworking Irishman Gharty about their lives as Mike encourages Carey to consider his children's futures and hand over his gun without further incident. Carey complains about the recent loss of his job, feeling that he was unfairly fired – but when Lucy again crosses the cops' barriers, demanding to see her children, Carey fires wildly out of the window, improbably striking and killing her. Lewis and Bayliss arrive, upset to see that the incident has worsened, and Mike is forced to lie to an agitated Carey, assuring him that Lucy, like the other cop, is merely being treated for minor injuries.
Lewis cynically declares that the snipers will shoot Carey, though Bayliss remains confident in Mike's ability to diffuse the situation. Carey finally agrees to relinquish his gun in exchange for a pizza, and Mike again risks his safety by delivering the pie himself, though Carey begins to realize the magnitude of his actions and states that his children are "better off dead." Mike tries to assure him that he will receive only minimal punishment for his crimes thus far, and Carey resolves to apologize to Lucy as he and Mike discuss the challenges of father-son relationships. Apparently mollified by Mike's kindness, Carey invites him over for a future home-cooked dinner and agrees to let Zoey go – but he then abruptly shoots Zack and himself, sending Mike into a heartbroken rage. Gharty, Lewis and Bayliss watch in dismay as Mike departs the scene in shock, distraught at his failure to save the family. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: 1999 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:44:45
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:56831
- GENRE: Drama, police/detective
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, police/detective; Drama, mystery/suspense; Hostage negotiations
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1993-1999
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Barry Levinson … Executive Producer
- Jim Finnerty … Executive Producer
- Tom Fontana … Executive Producer, Writer
- Julie Martin … Co-Executive Producer
- James Yoshimura … Co-Executive Producer, Writer
- Eric Overmeyer … Supervising Producer
- David Simon … Producer, Based on the book by
- Sara B. Charno … Co-Producer
- Gail Mutrux … Consulting Producer
- Anya Epstein … Consulting Producer
- Kathryn Bigelow … Director
- Paul Attanasio … Created by
- Douglas J. Cuomo … Music by
- Lynn F. Kowal … Theme Music by
- Richard Belzer … Cast, Detective John Munch
- Giancarlo Esposito … Cast, Agent Mike Giardello
- Peter Gerety … Cast, Detective Stuart Gharty
- Clark Johnson … Cast, Detective Meldrick Lewis
- Yaphet Kotto … Cast, Lieutenant Al Giardello
- Toni Lewis … Cast, Detective Terri Stivers
- Michael Michele … Cast, Detective Rene Sheppard
- Kyle Secor … Cast, Detective Tim Bayliss
- Jon Seda … Cast, Detective Paul Falsone
- Callie Thorne … Cast, Detective Laura Ballard
- Ron Eldard … Cast, Emmet Carey
- James McCauley … Cast, Lt. Wennington
- Marianne Hagan … Cast, Lucy Carey
- Gary D'Addario … Cast, Lt. Jasper
- Jon Garcia … Cast, Uniformed Officer
- Matthew Bernard Nuti … Cast, Zack Carey
- Dave Trovato … Cast, Officer Mike Graul
- Shannon Parks … Cast, Maureen Feeney
- Sarah Stusek … Cast, Zoey Carey