Politics as Usual (22 Jan. 1981)

Things heat up between the gangs on the hill as the president plans his walking tour.

Director:

Robert Butler

Writers:

Michael Kozoll (creator), Michael Kozoll,

Stars:

Daniel J. Travanti, Michael Conrad, Michael Warren

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Daniel J. Travanti	...	Capt. Frank Furillo
Michael Conrad	...	Sgt. Phil Esterhaus
Michael Warren	...	Officer Robert 'Bobby' Hill
Bruce Weitz	...	Sgt. Mick Belker
James Sikking	...	Lt. Howard Hunter (as James B. Sikking)
Joe Spano	...	Det. Henry Goldblume
Barbara Bosson	...	Fay Furillo
Taurean Blacque	...	Det. Neal Washington
Kiel Martin	...	Officer John 'J.D.' LaRue
René Enríquez	...	Lt. Ray Calletano
Betty Thomas	...	Officer Lucy Bates
Charles Haid	...	Officer Andrew Renko
Veronica Hamel	...	Joyce Davenport
Dan Hedaya	...	Ralph Macafee
David Caruso	...	Shamrock Leader Tommy Mann

Storyline

Hill and Renko finally deal with the issues left over from their near fatal shooting. LaRue finds himself under investigation when a dirty cop corners him with a bribe during a bust gone bad. Belker agrees to a blind date set up by his Mom. Furillo's problems with women continue, when his ex-wife Faye first hits him with an attorney's letter requesting more child support, then he has to leave Joyce's apartment late one night to bail Faye out of jail after being arrested for being naked in a hot tub.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 January 1981 (USA)

Filming Locations:

CBS Studio Center - 4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

MTM Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

Another solid episode

Captain Furillo (the always terrific Daniel J. Travanti) has his hands full making negotiations with various street gang leaders about the President's impending visit. LaRue (smoothly played by Kiel Martin) gets himself into trouble when he accepts a bribe from crooked drug-dealing detective Ralph Macafee (Dan Hedaya in top slimy form). Meanwhile, Renko (Charles Haid) and Hill (Michael Warren) have tremendous difficulty getting their acts together and working as a team. The plot concerning the fraught relationship between Renko and Hill culminates in an especially moving scene in which the cops make amends; the acting by Haid and Warren in this striking scene is simply topnotch. Moreover, LaRue has some nice moments with his partner Washington (the supremely engaging Taurean Blacque) and Belker (Bruce Weitz growling it up with customary teeth-gnashing gusto) has a few funny bits when his mother sets him up on a blind date. Better still, this episode concludes with a lovely scene between Furillo and his bitter ex-wife Fay (Barbara Bosson doing a bang-up job again with a potentially annoying and unlikable character) that speaks volumes about their complex relationship. Nick Savage as the bald black pickpocket from the pilot makes an amusing encore appearance and a very young and baby-faced David Caruso pops up as Irish gang leader Tommy Mann. Director Robert Butler stages a couple of exciting foot chases with genuine skill and aplomb. But this episode scores strongest with the way it illustrates how police work can intervene with one's personal life (Furillo is having a hard time getting any decent downtime with Veronica Hamel as his patient, but increasingly fed-up lawyer lover Joyce Davenport) and the great peril the average patrolman puts himself in every day on the job.