Hill Street Blues (TV Series) Gung Ho (1983) User Reviews

Bang-up episode

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 26 June 2015]

Bates (sturdy Betty Thomas) takes issue with Coffey (amiable Ed Marinaro) getting her a male stripper as a birthday gift. Belker (Bruce Weitz in peak gruff form) and two rookie cops go undercover at an arcade. Several suspects are questioned about a deadly armed robbery. Everyone tries takeout food from a new Chinese restaurant.

This episode nicely explores the sexual tension between Coffey and Bates. The central plot about the robbery and its aftermath vividly captures the pandemonium that's a constant on the Hill, with an especially exciting stand-off between the police and the robbers. The Chinese restaurant story has an amusing punchline. Moreover, there are sterling guest contributions from Elayne Heilveil as the antsy Christina, Jeanetta Arnette as the bitter Lenore, Peter Donat as shrewd lawyer Schuster, Edward Grover as hard-nosed fed Davis, Lisa Sutton as the sweet Robin, Peter Lownds as the hapless Doresy, and, in an especially chilling turn, Frank Doubleday as a dangerous psycho. The ultimate fate of Dorsey is devastating and serves as a laudable testament to this show's bold willingness to not pull any punches.

Ugly Group

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 16 July 2021]

Furillo and the gang must deal with a kind of Symbionese group who have been killing and terrorizing for a long time--almost a death pact. They are smug and dangerous and at times untouchable. Joe gives Bates a present of a stripper which leads to more confliict between them. Belker is on patrol when one of the young cops gets shot. He begins his affair with the cute Robin Tataglia. It's time he had something good happen for him when he is one of the kindest people in the show.

Another on-the-money episode.

[Hey_Sweden · 8/10 · 19 March 2023]

The cops of Hill Street Station catch up with a group of longtime radicals after the lowlifes stage a daring armored car robbery that is both fatal for the guards and lucrative for the creeps, as they run away with a take of over $1 million. Lucy is upset with Joe after he embarrasses her by gifting her with a stripper for her birthday. Mick and two rookie cops go undercover at an arcade where things turn deadly for one of them.

Just as we sometimes see characters representing the worst of humanity on this series, we also see some real kindness, as Mick bemoans the sorry state of his finances, and Howard offers him a loan. Mick is also very compassionate with Officer Tataglia, once again showing his more sensitive side. The scenes with Bruce Weitz and Lisa Sutton a.k.a. Tataglia are very touching. And the scenes with the over-the-hill radicals can be infuriating, as some of them continue to believe that they're untouchable. However, one of them, Christina Beck (Elayne Heilveil, "Payday") ultimately decides to do some negotiating. In bed with Frank later, Joyce admits having conflicting feelings about Beck, both feeling contempt for the character and regretting the loss of her own youthful idealism.

The title derives from a Chinese eatery from whom the station orders some food while all working through their lunch breaks (the consequences of consuming this food are later paid off with a comic twist). And speaking of comic twists, Joe receives some silly comeuppance from Lucy after he tears his pants while out on patrol.

Excellent entertainment as usual, with some wonderful sequences leading up to the conclusion.

Also guest starring Peter Donat ("The China Syndrome"), Edward Grover ("Death Wish"), Jeannetta Arnette ('Head of the Class'), and Frank Doubleday ("Escape from New York").

Eight out of 10.

Goofs

[rustbucket12 · 20 January 2020]

During the police standoff, valentine's dates all the people in the adjoining apartments have been evacuated. People don't get evacuated (it would be gross) buildings do.