The whole precinct must take a mandatory drug/urine test and there are some nervous people. Henry is going nuts over Gina's death and alienating the entire crew. He refuses to wait out the investigation. Stan takes over for Lucy, who hurt her ankle, and is a mess on the streets with Coffey. A family living in a box has the father arrested over a three dollar theft and Hill and Renko come to the rescue. Ray and Howard go in for their interviews for captainship. Stan ends up in the hospital with angina and is having nothing to do with the protocols.
3 Reviews
Another worthy episode
Woodyanders4 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
An obsessive and on edge Goldblume (a fine Joe Spano) does his own investigation on the shooting death of Gina. Jablonski (an excellent Robert Prosky) rides with Coffey (amiable Ed Marinaro) after Bates (solid Betty Thomas) gets injured. Hunter (an amusingly flaky James Sikking) and Calletano (nicely played by Rene Enriquez) are both interviewed for a captain's position. Belker (typically sturdy work from Bruce Weitz) uncovers police corruption while working undercover at a clothing store. Everyone in the station has to urinate in a cup for a drug test.
The whole drug test business provides a strong mix of drama and humor, with Garibaldi (Ken Olin sweating it up well) in particular trying to put the kibosh on it because he smoked weed the night before. Goldblume's anguish over Gina's death proves to be quite poignant; his confrontation with the hitman who killed her rates as a definite highlight. Moreover; it's a hoot to see Jablonski back in action on the streets; he participates in both a wild car chase and an especially strenuous foot chase. Moreover, this episode further benefits from neat guest turns by Stephen Macht as easygoing detective Dugan, Gene Dynarski as an irate store owner, Leonard Stone as antsy clothing store proprietor Hal, and Chuck "Porky" Mitchell as a fat guy.
The whole drug test business provides a strong mix of drama and humor, with Garibaldi (Ken Olin sweating it up well) in particular trying to put the kibosh on it because he smoked weed the night before. Goldblume's anguish over Gina's death proves to be quite poignant; his confrontation with the hitman who killed her rates as a definite highlight. Moreover; it's a hoot to see Jablonski back in action on the streets; he participates in both a wild car chase and an especially strenuous foot chase. Moreover, this episode further benefits from neat guest turns by Stephen Macht as easygoing detective Dugan, Gene Dynarski as an irate store owner, Leonard Stone as antsy clothing store proprietor Hal, and Chuck "Porky" Mitchell as a fat guy.
Tinkle Tinkle Little Star
JasonDanielBaker29 April 2014
Morning precinct roll call offers a nasty surprise for Hill Street's boys and girls in blue: a surprise urine test. Detective Harry Garibaldi (Ken Olin) is furious and protests to Captain Frank Furrillo (Daniel J.Travanti) who tells him to comply. Garibaldi used to date Furrillo's ex-wife Fay (Barbara Bosson)n and there is evidently still tension.
Officer Joe Coffey (Ed Marinaro) has a shy bladder and can't go which his colleagues think is hilarious. These grossly underpaid and overworked cops have already given their blood, sweat and tears on the job. It was only a matter of time before somebody came for another fluid.
Sgt. Lucy Bates (Betty Thomas), having sprained her ankle nabbing a purse snatcher switches duties with crotchety old vet desk Sgt. Stan Jablonski (Robert Prosky) who rides with Coffey. There are questions about his health but not his instincts as a cop. After years working inside managing details he finds the prospect of street duty invigorating.
Lt. Howard Hunter (James B.Sikking) and Lt. Rey Calletano (Rene Enriquez) go to interview for promotion to captain. Detective Henry Goldblume (Joe Spano) obsessively goes after answers about his beloved and her death breaching departmental protocol and alienating fellow officers. Officer Andy Renko (Charles Haid) and Officer Bobby Hill (Michael Warren) help a street family.
What this show and other solid ensemble cast series did was bring together terrific character actors, gave them bigger roles with clever dialogue offering erudite assessments on the human condition and watched the magic. The actors looked more like the rest of us and added that authenticity to their characterizations.
Ultimately that authenticity melded with the appeal of the characters. The compassion, the work-ethic, the finiteness, the quirkiness of the people working through the stresses of high pressure jobs at a police precinct in a high crime area all struck an immense chord. Concurrently they showed us how good they were at police work whilst navigating the bureaucracy they answered to.
Lines of dialogue referring to restrictions on personal behaviour and intrusions upon privacy referencing practices in Russia are so old they are new again given Putin's policies. A good, well-written show will find and incorporate lasting truisms like that. But in this case the line should be comically dated.
Officer Joe Coffey (Ed Marinaro) has a shy bladder and can't go which his colleagues think is hilarious. These grossly underpaid and overworked cops have already given their blood, sweat and tears on the job. It was only a matter of time before somebody came for another fluid.
Sgt. Lucy Bates (Betty Thomas), having sprained her ankle nabbing a purse snatcher switches duties with crotchety old vet desk Sgt. Stan Jablonski (Robert Prosky) who rides with Coffey. There are questions about his health but not his instincts as a cop. After years working inside managing details he finds the prospect of street duty invigorating.
Lt. Howard Hunter (James B.Sikking) and Lt. Rey Calletano (Rene Enriquez) go to interview for promotion to captain. Detective Henry Goldblume (Joe Spano) obsessively goes after answers about his beloved and her death breaching departmental protocol and alienating fellow officers. Officer Andy Renko (Charles Haid) and Officer Bobby Hill (Michael Warren) help a street family.
What this show and other solid ensemble cast series did was bring together terrific character actors, gave them bigger roles with clever dialogue offering erudite assessments on the human condition and watched the magic. The actors looked more like the rest of us and added that authenticity to their characterizations.
Ultimately that authenticity melded with the appeal of the characters. The compassion, the work-ethic, the finiteness, the quirkiness of the people working through the stresses of high pressure jobs at a police precinct in a high crime area all struck an immense chord. Concurrently they showed us how good they were at police work whilst navigating the bureaucracy they answered to.
Lines of dialogue referring to restrictions on personal behaviour and intrusions upon privacy referencing practices in Russia are so old they are new again given Putin's policies. A good, well-written show will find and incorporate lasting truisms like that. But in this case the line should be comically dated.
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