"Homicide: Life on the Street" Three Men and Adena (1993)

Director:

Martin Campbell

Writers:

Tom Fontana (writer) and
Paul Attanasio (creator)

TV Series:

"Homicide: Life on the Street" (1993)

Original Air Date:

3 March 1993 (Season 1, Episode 5)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Police | Baltimore Maryland | Murder | Police Detective | Based On Book

Cast

Ned Beatty	...	Det. Stanley 'The Big Man' Bolander (credit only)
Daniel Baldwin	...	Det. Beau Felton
Richard Belzer	...	Det. John Munch
Andre Braugher	...	Det. Frank Pembleton
Clark Johnson	...	Det. Meldrick Lewis
Yaphet Kotto	...	Lt. Al Giardello
Melissa Leo	...	Det. Sgt. Kay Howard
Jon Polito	...	Det. Steve Crosetti
Kyle Secor	...	Det. Tim Bayliss
Moses Gunn	...	Risley Tucker

Runtime:

USA:60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

Baltimore Pictures

Movie Connections:

References 3 Men and a Baby (1987)

One of the finest hours of television ever

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Three Men of Adena is nothing short of a masterpiece. Tense, gripping and realistic, it's a pivotal moment in the series: rookie Tim Bayliss (Kyle Secor, an excellent and underrated actor I'd like to see more often even now that his glorious "Homicide" moments are behind) and his partner Frank Pembleton (charismatic, intense Andre Braugher) interrogate Risley Tucker (Moses Gunn, in a brilliantly understated performance), the main suspect of the murder of young Adena Watson - Bayliss' first case. The whole episode consists on the interrogation, on the psychological duel between the two cops and the possible murderer.

There are three main "parts" in the interrogation. First, the detectives' cooperation is somewhat ineffective. Each of them is basically conducting his own interrogation, with different methods, and hindering the other; Tucker is uncomfortable and subdued, but silent.

Then, slowly, Tim and Frank find the right chemistry (a chemistry they'll have from now on working together) and, in an increasingly mesmerizing duet, have the suspect in a corner.

But, at the end, the seemingly slow and simple-minded Tucker turns the table on them.

The writing is superb - we viewers are constantly brought to question what we (and the detectives) believe. There are moments in which you suspect they've got the wrong man, and others in which you feel sure Tucker committed the heinous crime.

The acting is fabulous- Braugher and Secor have an amazing chemistry together and compliment each other perfectly: Braugher/Pembleton's keen, concentrated intensity versus Bayliss/Secor's volatile, unpredictable, sharp behaviour. And Moses Gunn is memorably enigmatic as Tucker.

Sheer brilliance.

10/10