Tim Carr | Through the Shattered Lens

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

This week, Pembleton gets his first case as the primary.

Episode 5.10 “Blood Wedding”

(Dir by Kevin Hooks, originally aired on December 13th, 1996)

A robbery at a bridal store leave public defender Meryl Hansen (Delanie Yates) dead. Meryl was the fiancée of State’s Attorney Ed Danvers. Danvers was with her when she was shot and he’s now obsessed with getting justice. He is not happy when he discovers that Pembleton is the primary on the case. Pembleton is still recovering from a stroke. In fact, this is his first case as primary since he returned to active duty. Meanwhile, Pembleton is not happy with the way Danvers keeps trying to tell him how to do his job.

Meanwhile, Giardello meets with the former members of Kellerman’s squad and asks them if they are planning on naming Kellerman to the Grand Jury. Everyone says that they’re not going to name him …. except for one former detective who explains that, if he names Kellerman, his own sentence will be reduced. Giardello even goes to the police commissioner (Al Freeman, Jr.) in search of help. The Commissioner resents Giardello’s independent streak. He’s not only not going to help, he’s also going to actively make Giardello’s life difficult.

As for Kellerman, he spends his time either sitting on his boat or drinking at the Waterfront or bothering his new lover, Dr. Cox, at work. When he’s informed that the Grand Jury has been delayed until the end of January, it’s another weight on his shoulders.

In the end, Pembleton does find the man who shot Meryl Hansen but, by the time the Julius Cummings (R. Emery Bright) is captured, he’s already disposed of the gun used in the crime. There’s enough evidence to put Cummings away for an unrelated robbery but not for murder. Danvers suddenly wonders if he’s been to quick to compromise as a prosecutor. After Danvers goes to the jail and tells Cummings that he will spend the rest of his life proving that Cummings is guilty of murder, Cummings hangs himself in his cell.

I have to admit that, for once, I actually found the Kellerman stuff to be more compelling than the main story. Don’t get me wrong. Andre Braugher and Kyle Secor were both great. Zeljko Ivanek was excellent and he had a few good scenes with Melissa Leo, who has been rather underused this season. But the main storyline felt more like something one would find on Law & Order than Homicide. Pembleton’s very first case as primary turning out to be a red ball? It was a bit too much of a coincidence to be effective.

The Kellerman stuff, however, gave Yaphet Kotto a chance to do something more than just give out orders. Watching him go from detective to detective and slyly ask them if they were going to name Kellerman was a joy. The scene between him and Al Freeman, Jr. was well-played by both actors.

That said, let’s hope this Kellerman thing gets resolved soon. Lewis needs his partner!

This week, drug lord Luther Mahoney returns.

Episode 5.4 “Bad Medicine”

(Dir by Kenneth Fink, originally aired on October 25th, 1996)

Someone is selling bad heroin in Baltimore. This episode opens with a montage of dead junkies being discovered. Detective Munch explains to a uniformed cop why he has to stick around until it’s firmly established that the latest dead junkie died of an overdose and not something like a hit to the back of the head. Munch says that everything he knows, he learned from his ex-partner. Hey, Munch, Bolander’s not coming back! You have to accept it.

Things are looking grim for Giardello’s detectives. Megan Russert has run off to Europe. Bolander is retired. Felton is missing. Frank is recovering from his stroke and still needs to pass his firearms exam. And now, Kellerman has been accused of taking bribes while working as an arson investigator. Kellerman is given desk duty, which means that he can’t help Lewis pursue drug kingpin Luther Mahoney (Erik Todd Dellums).

Mahoney returns in this episode, dragged into the box and accused of murdering a rival dealer. Mahoney is his usual smug snake self but Lewis and his temporary partner, Narcotics Detective Terri Stivers (Toni Lewis), are convinced that they’ve finally got him where they want him. First off, there’s a junkie who has been bullied into informing on Luther. Plus, Luther slips up and reveals that he knew some facts about the murder that were not released to the press. Is Luther Mahoney going down!?

Well, don’t get too excited. Ed Danvers informs them that their evidence isn’t enough to get a conviction. Juries don’t trust junkies. Luther could have heard the details of the murder on the street. Everyone knows that Luther is guilty but no one can prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. Luther goes free and the informant ends up dead.

Meanwhile, Frank Pambleton stops taking his medicine so that he can concentrate on passing his firearms exam. He still fails. Even though he was able to hit the target, he took too long reloading his gun. Pembleton starts to take his medicine again.

Finally, Brodie still doesn’t have anywhere to live. He stayed with Munch for one night and then voluntarily left. (The reasons why are left ambiguous but it’s suggested that Brodie came across Munch’s private drug stash and freaked out.) Brodie moves in with Bayliss and quickly makes things awkward by overanalyzing the Mighty Mouse cartoon that Bayliss is watching. Brodie explains that Mighty Mouse is an agent of chaos and Bayliss looks like he’s already realized this living arrangement is not going to work.

This was a properly cynical episode, one where the main theme seemed to be that our heroes are fighting a losing war. Giardello is running low on detectives. Kellerman is put on desk duty because of one weak accusation. Pembleton has to pass a firearms exam, despite rarely having to draw his gun. In the end, men like Luther Mahoney walk free while the addicts caught in-between end up dead in the street.

That’s life in Charm City.