HILL STREET BLUES: WASHINGTON DECEASED (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, the cops prepare to capture the "Melon Felon," the criminal who has been decapitating sex workers, by using some of the female officers as bait. Everyone, especially Furillo, is annoyed to learn of a new rule requiring the officers to pay for their own personal phone calls. Mayo requests to serve as backup on the undercover operation, feeling that it is too unsafe for her to be the bait. LaRue, Washington, and Belker are teamed up with the loudmouthed Lt. Mel Taber as they attempt to catch a city health inspector, Simon Meyer, in the act of taking bribes; however, the video technology fails at the crucial moment. Bates and Mayo arrest a pimp, Tommy Rodriguez, when he threatens an undercover Bates with a knife, and Renko worries about his liability when his squad car is damaged in the pursuit of a purse-snatcher.
Daniels harshly questions Mayo about her reassignment on the Melon Felon case and accuses her of cowardice; he suspends her on the spot when she defies his orders. Upset, Mayo tells Furillo of her uncomfortable date with Daniels the night before, and Furillo points out that she has the right to file harassment charges against her superior. Rodriguez apologizes for the "misunderstanding" with Bates, swearing that he, too, wants to catch the man killing "his girls." Once Meyer is arrested, LaRue decides to teach Taber a lesson with the help of a prop severed head from a movie set. The prank goes awry, however, when Taber collapses from a heart attack, apparently caused by the shock. Furillo confronts Daniels about his treatment of Mayo, and the chief breaks down as he admits his difficulty in handling his separation from his wife, confessing that he took advantage of his status as Mayo's boss.
LaRue is deeply relieved to learn that Taber did not even see the prop head before the infarction. Taber declares that the scare has prompted him to "turn over a new leaf." Goldblume arrests Dave Morris when he attacks another undercover policewoman, and Morris soon confesses to the other seven murders. Daniels apologizes to Mayo, and when Albert Desjardin, who implemented the new budget rules, arrives at the precinct, Renko peppers him with questions about his substandard squad car. Furillo informs Desjardin that the telephone rule is foolish and unenforceable, and he places a call to Italy to make his point. Jablonski diagnoses Belker with "the birthday blahs" and encourages him to join the precinct's bowling team to cheer himself up. LaRue next pranks Coffey with the fake head, though Coffey gets swift revenge with Washington's help. Furillo confides in Davenport about Daniels, glad their workplace romance is a happier one. Later, Belker returns to Hunter's RV, where he has been living, and is pleased when Tataglia pays him a special birthday visit. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: February 7, 1985 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:48:59
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:66675
- GENRE: Drama, police/detective
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, police/detective; Murder; Sexual harassment
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1981-1987
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Steven Bochco … Executive Producer, Created by
- Gregory Hoblit … Co-Executive Producer
- Scott Brazil … Supervising Producer
- Jeffrey Lewis … Producer
- David Milch … Co-Producer
- Ellen S. Pressman … Associate Producer
- Mark Frost … Director
- Michael Kozoll … Created by
- Frank South … Writer
- Mike Post … Music by
- Daniel J. Travanti … Cast, Captain Frank Furillo
- Michael Warren … Cast, Officer Bobby Hill
- Bruce Weitz … Cast, Sergeant Mick Belker
- Robert Prosky … Cast, Sergeant Stan Jablonski
- James B. Sikking … Cast, Lieutenant Howard Hunter
- Joe Spano … Cast, Detective Henry Goldblume
- Barbara Bosson … Cast, Fay Furillo
- Taurean Blacque … Cast, Detective Neal Washington
- Kiel Martin … Cast, Officer J.D. LaRue
- Rene Enriquez … Cast, Lieutenant Ray Calletano
- Betty Thomas … Cast, Sergeant Lucille Bates
- Ed Marinaro … Cast, Officer Joe Coffey
- Mimi Kuzyk … Cast, Detective Patsy Mayo
- Ken Olin … Cast, Detective Harry Garibaldi
- Charles Haid … Cast, Officer Andy Renko
- Veronica Hamel … Cast, Joyce Davenport
- Dana Elcar … Cast, Lt. Mel Taber
- Jon Cypher … Cast, Chief Fletcher Daniels
- Lisa Sutton … Cast, Officer Robin Tataglia
- Patrick Cronin … Cast, Albert Desjardin
- Taylor Negron … Cast, Tommy Rodriguez
- Robert Hirschfeld … Cast, Leo Schnitz
- Randall Brady … Cast, Dave Morris
- Troy Evans … Cast, Simon Meyer
- Frances McDormand … Cast, Connie Chapman
- Lonnie Burr … Cast, George Kenner
- Ellen Blake … Cast, Natalie DeRoy
- Donna LaBrie … Cast, Officer Angela Barber
- Susan Elliott … Cast, Prop Girl
- Jill Wagner-Porter … Cast, Reporter
- Monica Pege … Cast, Reporter
- John Gowans … Cast, Doctor