Homicide Episode Guide: A Model Citizen

Written by Noel Behn; story by Tom Fontana and Jorge Zamacona

Directed by John McNaughton

                           As part of ‘Homicide’s  return to the airwaves, NBC insisted on sexier storylines and more life-affirming events. They got the sex that they anted in ‘A  Model Citizen’ but the pleas for more life-affirming stories was something that they would not give. In fact, one can consider the Emma Zoole episodes as perhaps a tongue-in-cheek response to this. The story is racier, but it is filled with morbid humor.

                           For my own part I never much cared for the character of Emma Zoole. She never seemed like a real character to me. Rather she seemed a caricature of what the NBC executives want. Not only that, it is hard for me to  see what exactly Bayliss and Lewis saw in her.  Yes, she was attractive but she was also grim, ill-tempered and had fetishes that I don’t think anyone  really has. Indeed it is almost impossible to believe that Bayliss with his repressed personality would be attracted to someone so dark. Her visits to a museum where the art of killers is displayed seems like exactly the kind of thing that he would avoid. And I cannot imagine anyone being so hormone driven that they would willingly have sex in a coffin.

                           Also rather uncharacteristic was Lewis’ unrequited love, but I have never been able to understand why he considered Bayliss a traitor for sleeping  with Emma. If they had been going out, that would have been one thing but Emma turned him down. Bayliss wasn’t cheating on  him no matter what he wants to believe. It’s even harder to believe  that Lewis would be so upset over what happened that he would pull out of buying the Waterfront rather than be partners with him. I can believe Bayliss doing it out of guilt but not Meldrick.

                           Though the story tends to focus on this triangle, the other characters are going through more interesting endeavor. When a non-existent complaint about a gun is lodged, Munch is annoyed and seems more focused on attending a  seminar dealing with how to sell liquor responsibly. However, he and Howard eventually follow up add learn that a young man accidentally shooting his brother. This stirs some anger in the usually calm detective but neither attitude that he takes helps him. The detectives never get the gun out of the house, mainly because the family doesn’t seem to care.

This leads to a moment of introspection for both detectives when they consider  Crosetti’s suicide and the possibility of getting shot (which is eerily prescient of what will happen to Howard before the end of the season) In a rare act of symmetry we see a similar unsuccessful attempt by reporter-activist Sam Thorne who tries to get the detectives to help him with a Toys for Guns swap. Gee tries to tell Thorne that the detectives are already overworked but Thorne is not impressed, saying that they can do more. Thorne has problems with the cops and  crime, both of which will lead to his death in the next episode.

                           Simultaneously, Pembleton is going through even more problems. Annabella Wilgis has decided to sue the city for  the supposed violations of her civil rights in the interrogation room. This would strike almost anyone as unmitigated gall  to sue someone for that. But the department and the city walk on eggshells a lot of the time. It doesn’t help matters that one of the people subpoenaed is Megan Ruseert (on the hook because she was in command at the time) If Giardello had been called, he would have doubtless stood behind Frank but Russert blinks, saying that she thinks Pembleton went to far.

                           When the city settles rather than deal with it, Pembleton, understandably pissed already, is angered and then depressed how his reputation would be effected he thought that he had done what he needed to get the truth. He is equally upset at how Wilgis manipulated him and how he has lost faith. He even tries to go back to church but his faith has been shattered.

                           But by far the man who will be dealing with something wit ramifications that will last long past this episode is Beau Felton. Though he had vowed to try and work out his marriage whatever tightness Beth had has now snapped.  Felton returns to his home to find it is literally gone.His wife  has not just taken his family but  also his furniture and possessions leaving empty rooms. Her only word on the subject is a message written on the mirror in lipstick ‘Goodbye’.  (The scene where Felton breaks own while Nine Inch Nails plays ‘Hurt’ is one of Daniel Baldwin’s finest moments on the series) For the next third of the season, he will spend almost all his free time and some work  trying to find his family. Simultaneously, he will begin a downward spiral that will have almost completely destroyed him by the end of the season.

                           In many ways, ‘A Model Citizen’ is a raspberry to  NBC demands for a different Homicide. True, there are no murders involved and one of the stories features a certain amount of sex, but the show has not really changed. It’s still dealing with deep emotional issues and problems that can’t be solved in a single episode. Even Tim s affair with Emma gets ridiculed by the squad (the result of Bayliss confessing his indiscretion to Felton). It’s not great TV and it does tend to wear on you after a few viewings but its not that bad.

My score: 3.25 stars.