Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Sundays, Lisa will be reviewing Homicide: Life On The Street, which aired from 1993 to 1999, on NBC!  It  can be viewed on Peacock.

Guest reviewer alert!  I’m filling in for Lisa on the Homicide beat this week.  Let’s take a look at the second episode of the fourth season.

Episode 4.2 “Fire Part Two”

(Dir by Nick Gomez, originally aired on October 27th, 1995)

Continuing from where the previous episode ended, Pembleton, Bayliss, and Kellerman investigate the second warehouse fire.  Another victims has been found burned to a crisp in the fire.  Her dental records identify here are Bonnie Nash, a teenage girl.  The positioning of her body indicates that, unlike the first victim, she was already dead when the fire was set.

Pembleton continues to dislike Kellerman and gets especially annoyed when Kellerman announces that he’s decided to quit smoking.  Bayliss is suffering from a degenerative disc and spends more time complaining about the pain than actually investigating the case.  It’s Kellerman who solves the case and tricks chemistry teacher Gavin Robb (Adam Trese) into confessing.  While in the box with him, Kellerman plays good cop and even tells Robb that he’s free to leave after Robb denies being the arsonist.  As Robb stands, Kellerman whispers, “Why did you kill the dog?”

Without thinking, Robb replies, “I didn’t know it was there.”

(Of course, there was no dog there.)

Realizing his mistake, Robb confesses.  Bonnie was one of his students.  Having decided to kill her, Robb set the first fire to fool everyone into thinking that there was a serial arsonist on the loose so that the arsonist would be blamed when Bonnie’s body was found in the second fire.  The first death was an accident.  The death of Bonnie was premeditated.  When asked why he killed Bonnie, Robb replies, “That’s my personal business.”

Giardello invites Kellerman to join Homicide.  At first, Kellerman refuses because he doesn’t think he’s smart enough to be a member of the murder police.  But after visiting his father at his dead-end job in a distillery, Kellerman changes his mind.

Meanwhile, Kay and Munch both study for the sergeant’s exam.  Kay makes it to the exam and probably aces it.  Munch can’t find his lucky socks and misses it.  I would have missed it too.  You can’t do anything without the lucky socks.

This episode was an improvement over the previous episode.  Last episode, Kellerman came across as being a cliche, the hot-headed cop who has a problem with authority.  This episode, Kellerman was more likable and also a lot less cocky.  That he’s insecure about whether or not he can keep up with the other homicide detectives makes him a very relatable character.  It would have to be intimidating to find yourself suddenly working with someone like Frank Pembleton, who is always portrayed as being the best of the best.

As I mentioned last week, Reed Diamond was originally a controversial addition to the cast.  At the time, many critics said the show was selling out by casting an actor who didn’t look like Ned Beatty or Jon Polito.  Reed Diamond and Mike Kellerman would both prove themselves, leaving little doubt that they belonged.  Later, Homicide would make some bad casting decisions.  (Five word: Jon Seda as Paul Falsone.)  But Reed Diamond, with this episode, steps up and shows that he can keep up with the rest of the squad.