Month: March 2016

Season One, Episode Ten: “Gatorbait”
story by Anthony Yerkovich
written by E. Jack Kaplan
directed by Georg Stanford Brown
original airdate: March 5, 1981

“Previously on Hill Street Blues…”

(Note before we roll: obviously, last week’s warning that we might miss this week was premature. Onward!)

Roll Call: Item 11: A gang of kids (boys and girls) are flashing motorists. (Sitting in the front row with Morgan is a woman who looks disturbingly like Fay, but isn’t.) Item 12 introduces Operation Everglades, the annual alligator hunt in the sewers. While Phil explains this, Ray comes downstairs and rounds up some officers, who leave with him. And that’s it for roll call, an abnormally short one.

We immediately cut to an underground venue where Howard’s on the phone to Frank ranting about how last year’s hunt got bollixed by the SPCA. Cut to Frank, his patience already thin… with a guy in white SPCA coveralls standing right next to him. That guy is Dewey Brownfield, who’s got his own beef: last year, Howard’s goons nailed him with a tranquilizer dart and left him in a coma for nine days. Howard, naturally, blames Dewey for getting in the way. For some reason, there’s a cat on Frank’s desk; Henry wanders in and commisserates with Dewey while Frank continues talking to Howard. Dewey departs to go join Howard’s crew in the sewer, and Frank pawns the cat off on Henry. Roll credits.
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Season One, Episode Nine: “Your Kind, My Kind, Humankind”

story by Bill Taub and Anthony Yerkovich
written by Michael Kozoll, Steven Bochco, and Anthony Yerkovich
directed by Arnold Laven
original airdate: February 26, 1981

“Previously on Hill Street Blues…”

Roll Call: Item 10. As Cynthia Chase and her camera crew look on, Phil reminds the squad it’s welfare day, so they need to keep an eye on the check-cashing joints as it’s a good day for robberies. Andy’s pissy and won’t sign something Phil’s handing him, so he passes it to Bobby. Item 11 brings our attention back to the Dekker Avenue Merchant’s Association (DAMA from here on out), which now has the power to arrest. Item 12: Phil warning the squad to keep hands off Eddie Hoban unless he’s elbow-deep in a felony.

No, Andy and Bobby aren’t thrilled about that.

The final item is about the memorial service for Harris, who as you’ll recall was murdered at the end of last episode. Only Santini seems to be particularly interested in the details. As we head out into the squad room, the aforementioned DAMA is represented by Messrs. Viatoro and Arcanian, and there’s some snippiness from Ray. J.D. and Neal wander through, and pull up short when J.D. starts ogling Chase. Neal is, as always, amused. And we roll credits…

Continue reading “Hill Street Blues Season One Rewatch: Episode 9, “Your Kind, My Kind, Humankind””