Double Blind (11 Apr. 1997)

Chris Thormann must confront the fact that the assailant who shot and blinded him is up for parole, and he might get it. Pembleton and Bayliss investigate the murder of a chef, and the ... See full summary »

Director:

Uli Edel

Writers:

Paul Attanasio (creator), Lee Blessing (teleplay),

Stars:

Richard Belzer, Andre Braugher, Reed Diamond

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Belzer	...	John Munch
Andre Braugher	...	Frank Pembleton
Reed Diamond	...	Mike Kellerman
Michelle Forbes	...	Dr. Julianna Cox
Clark Johnson	...	Meldrick Lewis
Yaphet Kotto	...	Lt. Al Giardello
Melissa Leo	...	Kay Howard
Max Perlich	...	J.H. Brodie
Kyle Secor	...	Tim Bayliss
Lee Tergesen	...	Chris Thormann
Edie Falco	...	Eva Thormann
Monica Keena	...	Billie Rader (as Monica Kenna)
Zeljko Ivanek	...	ASA Ed Danvers
Robert Bornarth	...	George Bayliss
Ray Felton	...	Rinaldi

Storyline

Chris Thormann must confront the fact that the assailant who shot and blinded him is up for parole, and he might get it. Pembleton and Bayliss investigate the murder of a chef, and the family's background of abuse triggers bad memories for Bayliss.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 April 1997 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Det. Frank Pembleton: This man was a bastard.
Det. Tim Bayliss: Yeah, he was.
Det. Frank Pembleton: He got what he deserved.
Det. Tim Bayliss: Yes, he did.
Det. Frank Pembleton: Manslaughter, 5 years suspended.
Det. Tim Bayliss: What are you talking about? It doesn't work that way!
Det. Frank Pembleton: [laughs] It doesn't?
Det. Tim Bayliss: No! No, you can't just go through this world giving every bastard what he deserves!

User Reviews

When Bayliss and Pembleton switched places

Easily one of season five's bests, Double Blind, in typical Homicide fashion, bravely juggles with many shades of gray. In the first storyline, Bayliss (Kyle Secor) and Pembleton (Andre Braugher) follow the case of a man who used to brutally beat up his wife and was killed by the exasperated daughter; in the second, Lewis (Clark Johnson) has to support Chris Thormann (Lee Tergersen), a police officer who was shot and blinded (A Shot in the Dark, season one) by Charlie Flavin, a criminal who is now up for parole after saving the life of a prison guard.

The two plot lines are the thematic flip sides of each other: in the first one we have the killing of a despicable man, seen through the eyes of the murderer; in the second, the prospect that a redeemed convict might go free is shown from the point of view of his victim. The show, as usual, raises a lot of problematic questions but gives no easy answers. Once again, there are no facile solutions or self-congratulatory epilogues. Ultimately, the daughter is caught by the same legal system who had been unable to help her; Flavin's parole is denied, and yet Thormann's life will never be the same again. There are no winners: what remains at the end is just a great sense of loss.

Intriguingly, in this episode Bayliss and Pembleton switch their trademark attitudes. Far from being out of character, this is an example of sharp psychology from the scriptwriters. Pembleton, the icy, self-righteous public avenger who usually cares only about the victims and is as hard as possible towards the killers, for once actually identifies with the girl, possibly out of pity for his own neglected wife; on the other hand, sensitive "good cop" Bayliss becomes more and more detached and inflexible - as a former victim of domestic abuse himself, morally condemning the young girl is a way to distance himself from his own painful past.

8,7/10