A Televisual Feast

There’s apparently no rhyme or reason to the success of a “Homicide” episode, as this one has all the trappings of the usual mediocre (for “Homicide”) episode. It’s got a very Barry Levinson-esque scene at the Fell’s Point diner (you know, from Diner), it’s not really about any cases (Munch and Stanley’s) and it’s all about the jabbering of the detectives (Kay and Bayliss quit smoking, driving Frank and Beau nuts). Not to mention a ludicrous subplot for Meldrick and Crosetti (Meldrick’s in to restoring cars… I’m shocked Clark Johnson even made opening credits this season, his character is so thin). Or, jeez, Gee’s stuff–not only does he go on a crusade for his detectives (a very anti-climatic one), he also gets his special Emmy moment….

But it works beautifully, all of it… even Kay and Frank going to get coffee, in what’s got to be their first scene alone together, when they both go out of established character to great effect.

And then there’s Stanley. The episode embraces the importance of him and Ned Beatty does a wonderful job with the character, who once again becomes the series’s protagonist… “Homicide” got really confused about who it was about, but this episode–this first season–really is about Bolander and this episode gets it.

3.5