HILL STREET BLUES: SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAMBO (TV)
Summary
One in this series of police dramas about the personal and professional lives of the officers of Hill Street Station, a precinct located in a run-down urban area. In this episode, Davenport reads through Furillo's report and tells him that he has enough information to call for Daniels' resignation, but he says that it is not his place to do so. Jablonski chastises Renko in front of everyone for his terrible penmanship on a traffic report, and Hunter asks Jablonski if his dog needs a "companion." LaRue learns that Bauer shot a teenage boy, Rodney Yarborough, in apparent self-defense, and is doubtful that it was a "good shoot." Bauer describes the incident and swears that he was attacked, but an Internal Affairs officer soon arrives to question him and LaRue sternly tells Bauer not to lie. Jablonski tells Buntz that another cop, Pearson, is hiring unqualified women as khaki officers in exchange for sex, and Buntz talks to one such woman, Dolan, who tells him about her "interview" in a hot tub. Coffey and Bates arrive at a restaurant where a man, Alan Bradford, is causing a scene and ranting about the war while dressed as Rambo, and they haul him out.
Daniels reads Furillo's report and accuses him of disloyalty, declaring that he has no real proof of wrongdoing on his part. Buntz confronts Pearson, who offers to cut him into his program and asks what sort of women he likes. Rodney's father and principal arrive at the precinct demanding justice, and LaRue tells Furillo that Bauer's story is not checking out. Bauer confesses that he is having "personal problems," admitting that he was with a prostitute who witnessed the shooting. Bradford causes trouble at a massage parlor, and Bates and Coffey finally arrest him. Hunter's "dog salesman" Burhan is arrested for his involvement in several Ponzi schemes, and Furillo testifies about Keenan's corruption, stating that Daniels was likely not personally involved but is still to blame for creating an "atmosphere of tolerance" for such things. Daniels assures the press that they are investigating the Yarborough case, and Bauer's prostitute, Junelle, is brought in for questioning. She reveals that Bauer bought cocaine and demanded a "freebie" from her, but then supports Bauer's version of the shooting, suggesting that it was indeed self-defense. Daniels, disgusted, points out that Furillo is attacking him when his own cops are engaging in shameful behavior.
Davenport meets with Bradford and suggests that he requires psychiatric treatment, but he appears to drop the "act" at once. In court, he explains that he simply "over-commits" to his roles and the judge allows him to go free, though he reacts angrily when Davenport then spurns his advances, hinting that he is dangerous after all. Washington and LaRue arrest Rodney's brother Derrick, having learned that he was present at the shooting, and Bauer panics upon learning that he has been suspended. Buntz interviews another woman, Celeste, but she assumes that he is in on the scheme and threatens him with exposure if he does not give her the job. Mr. Yarborough is upset to learn that his other son has been arrested, though Derrick protests that he did not want Rodney involved with his criminal dealings and tried to protect him. Bates and Coffey are distressed to find that Bradford has been shot by another cop when he attempted his Rambo routine again, and Hunter meets his eccentric neighbor, the dog-loving Prunella, who runs an obedience school and finds his job as a cop to be "stirring." LaRue's pleasant dinner with Washington and Lynette is interrupted by the news that Bauer has committed suicide, and when Furillo breaks the news to his estranged wife, she seems concerned only about receiving his benefits. He angrily tells Davenport that Daniels took pleasure in destroying Bauer's life, agreeing with her analysis that he himself was "a little naïve" about the case. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: October 31, 1985 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:48:25
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:66601
- GENRE: Drama, police/detective
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, police/detective
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1981-1987
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Jeffrey Lewis … Executive Producer
- David Milch … Co-Executive Producer
- Scott Brazil … Supervising Producer
- Michael Vittes … Producer
- Walon Green … Co-Producer, Writer
- Ellen S. Pressman … Associate Producer
- Stan Lathan … Director
- Michael Kozoll … Created by
- Steven Bochco … Created by
- Jacob Epstein … Writer
- Dick Wolf … Writer
- Mike Post … Music by
- Daniel J. Travanti … Cast, Capt. Frank Furillo
- Michael Warren … Cast, Officer Bobby Hill
- Bruce Weitz … Cast, Sgt. Mick Belker
- Robert Prosky … Cast, Sgt. Stan Jablonski
- James B. Sikking … Cast, Lt. Howard Hunter
- Joe Spano … Cast, Det. Henry Goldblume
- Taurean Blacque … Cast, Det. Neal Washington
- Kiel Martin … Cast, Officer J.D. LaRue
- Betty Thomas … Cast, Sgt. Lucy Bates
- Ed Marinaro … Cast, Officer Joe Coffey
- Dennis Franz … Cast, Lt. Norman Buntz
- Charles Haid … Cast, Officer Andrew Renko
- Veronica Hamel … Cast, Joyce Davenport
- Frank McCarthy … Cast, Off. David Bauer
- Martin Ferrero … Cast, Alan Bradford
- Jon Cypher … Cast, Chief Fletcher Daniels
- George Wyner … Cast, Asst. Dist. Atty. Irwin Bernstein
- Elizabeth Huddle … Cast, Prunella Ashton-Wilkes
- Larry D. Mann … Cast, Judge Lee Oberman
- Arthur Taxier … Cast, IAD Shipman
- Joan Sweeny … Cast, Maureen Dolan
- Marc Alaimo … Cast, Amir Fazir
- Marco Rodriguez … Cast, Rico
- Todd Hallowell … Cast, Derrick Yarborough
- Robert Riesel … Cast, Fred Pearson
- Shirley Jo Finney … Cast, Lynnetta
- Judith Hansen … Cast, Celeste Patterson
- John Andersonjo … Cast, Reporter #1
- David Byrd … Cast, Mr. Stevenson
- Michael Chong … Cast, Mr. Burhan
- Hausman De Pass … Cast, Black Man #1
- Tyra Ferrell … Cast, Junelle Robinson
- Freeman King … Cast, James Yarborough
- Herb Mitchell … Cast, Scanlon
- Elaine Nalee … Cast, Mrs. Bauer
- Al Pugliese … Cast, Officer Rodriguez
- Danny Ray … Cast, Guard
- Sam Shamshak … Cast, Reporter
- Jeff Silverman … Cast, Man #1
- Lisa Sutton … Cast, Officer Robin Tataglia
- Dianne Turley Travis … Cast, Councilwoman Stein
- Joe Unger … Cast, Corrigan
- Dean Wein … Cast, Bailiff
- Danny Wong … Cast, Chinese owner