Homicide Rewatch: Partners

 

Written by Dave Rupel; story by Tom Fontana & Julie Martin

Directed by John McNaughton

 

A little interlude before we get started.

When Homicide was renewed for a third season, it was initially given thirteen episodes, then a few episodes in it was bumped up to twenty. This episode was the twelfth one filmed and the twelfth aired.

It’s unclear when Fontana and his colleagues knew they were going to get what was essentially a full season but it is worth noting that to this point in Season 3 the ratings had not been that high, at least by the standards of 1995. The series would average a little more than ten million viewers an episode which was third in its timeslot. No one yet knew if the series was going to be picked up for a fourth season but given how lucky the series had been to survive before, the producers had every reason to be pessimistic.

Desperate measures were called for and while I won’t reveal them until the next episode (when it will become obvious) Fontana and many of the cast and crew were never happy about it. Perhaps in acknowledgement of this Partners may be viewed as either as what the writers might have considered the kind of series that they wanted to make or perhaps a way to lure the viewing audience into a false sense of security for what it is about to come the following week. I think it could go either way – in later seasons, the writers would become expert at this bait-and-switch – but that’s only in hindsight and is simply one fan’s opinion.

There are two murders in this episode but neither are important to the plot. The major criminal story is Congressman Wade being charged with filing a false report and that’s resolved before the second act is over. What Partners is actually about is two complementary storylines: one dealing with Russert and her former partner from narcotics Doug Jones, who has just been transferred to Homicide (it’s not clear whether its Megan’s request) and how Pembleton is dealing with his suspension and how Bayliss isn’t dealing with it. In both storylines the shift commander has a critical role, though in the latter Gee’s role is subtler and more nuanced. In the former we are dealing with two people who were long time friends realizing something unpleasant; in the latter we are dealing with one man who still needs the job but won’t accept the other is his friend, despite that.

In a way the story involving Russert is a familiar one: two former partners on the force reconnecting and one learning that the other has a nasty streak. On Law & Order these kinds of stories often involved a cop being corrupt; in this case Doug is guilty of domestic abuse. But there are critical differences. The first is one of hierarchy. Megan and Doug were partners for eight years and now Doug is working for Megan as a homicide detective. He and Natalie were friends with Megan and her husband over the years and it’s clear they used to socialize, having Christmas’s together, bowling that sort of thing. They haven’t been together since Megan transferred to Homicide last year and the implication, though it’s never stated directly, was that Doug had issues with the fact that his female partner had gotten promoted over him.

It's worth remembering that in the 1980s when Doug and Megan were partners, female detectives were not just a rarity in many cities they were still considered little better than whores. (In the third season premiere, its pretty clear many of the detectives in Russert’s shift still think she slept her way to the top. At the time of Simon’s book there was only one detective out of the 36 that were working Homicide at the time) And being partnered with one was nearly as bad. Doug clearly stuck with it when the two of them were in narcotics and he claims that he knew she was going to be a good cop someday. But even in their scenes together as friends, there’s an almost casual arrogance to him around her, as if he doesn’t think he should be taken orders from a woman.

When Natalie ends up in the hospital after supposedly falling down the stairs Russert is clearly concerned more than she should be. She had a conversation with Natalie that clearly seemed odd and when she starts asking questions about how she fell and why, it’s not so much of one of a friend asking after them but a cop looking for weaknesses in the story. When she talks to Doug about it and he blows her off, she goes first to their old unit and is basically given the brushoff. It’s only when she goes to the ER and talks to Dr. Devilbiss who tells her that’s he thinks ‘her husband beats the hell out of her’ He’s been trying to months to get her to do something but she won’t press charges. Finally Megan intervenes with Doug.

Megan still pulls her punches while she basically makes it clear she wants him to report in and wants to see the therapist’s credentials she doesn’t report him to the brass herself. Then she goes to see Natalie and tells her to that she needs to get out of the house because Doug is going through something. In this case her history with the Jones’s understandably blinds her to how things usually play out if police intervention doesn’t take place – and sadly, that is more or less what we see happen. In her final scene in the episode Russert ends up going to the Jones household where there’s been a shooting. Natalie and Doug got into another argument, Doug started hitting her and Natalie shot him with his own gun in self-defense. We never learn how this plays out after this episode (though understandably the writers will soon be distracted but the best case scenario is that one or both of them end up in prison after this.

Hoffman gives another solid performance as Russert showing the many sides of her, but it is yet another occasion where in order for the show to utilize her character they have to put Russert where she wouldn’t normally be. The episode starts with her going to the crime scene of Jones’s first murder as a primary, which a shift commander wouldn’t do under normal circumstances. It doesn’t help that the entire storyline basically has nothing to do with the action in the other shift.

Because of everything that unfolded in the previous episode States Attorney Maggie Conroy is being forced to prosecute Wade for filing a false police report. She clearly doesn’t want to do this –  this is not a case either the department or the city of Baltimore want to pursue – but as we see the media has seized upon the story so she feels she has to. It’s not clear whether she believes the denials of Commissioner Harris of there not being a quid pro quo but she also knows that the defense is going to move for a speedy trial and that means putting Frank Pembleton on the stand – something that clearly makes Harris nervous.

Much of this part of the storyline is actually quite amusing as we watch Frank Pembleton at home, playing the role of domestic. It’s funny to see Frank, washing dishes, asking Mary what she wants for dinner and just as amusing to see him committing to be a house husband as much as being a detective. This is the first time we’ve seen Ami Brabson since her debut in Season 1 (though we’ve heard Frank mention her a lot) and she’s quite a lot of fun in this episode as its clear she’s the only person in the world Frank will listen to. It’s fun watching her diplomatically try to say that she has no faith in her husband’s cooking abilities and after he burns dinner for the second straight night, she says they have to go out for a long dinner and a long talk. (Mary Pembleton may be the first cop’s wife in history who wants her husband to spend more time at the office.)

But in a sense Frank is dealing with a moral quandary. He knows that if he goes into court and tells the truth – that he made the deal to Wade at the express consent of Harris – it might very well bring down the entire department. It’s not clear if he wants to do this or whether he’s just pissed at being forced to compromise his ethics.

When Gee goes to see him before he is about to testify he makes it clear he plans to do so. Giardello says truthfully he doesn’t care for the bosses either but he also knows that this is as much about Frank’s ego as the truth. Frank tries to shame him by saying that the two of them aren’t friends. Giardello actually goes softer and acknowledges that. “It pisses me off that you say what you say and do what you do,” he admits. But he makes clear he tolerates because Frank does the one important thing: “He changes names from red to black.” That is the only standard Giardello has for a good detective.

It's still not clear if Frank actually hears him – there’s a long pause when he’s asked the direct question by Wade’s lawyer and it’s clear by the expression on the various bosses faces that no one is sure what he’s going to say. But Frank takes the humble and says that he did it on his own initiative. However he remains true to himself. When Harris tries to indicate approval of him, Frank in a relatively diplomatic way tells him to go to hell. He recognizes Harris’ posturing of wanting to appeal to his race as pure posturing, laughs off the idea of ‘the ends justifies the means’ and refuses the carrot of the promotion he’s being offered. Frank makes it clear in a very Pembleton like way that he doesn’t trust Harris and he will not be an ally to him in the future. It’s not clear if Harris takes this personally or not but later episodes will suggest that he might have been willing to take revenge out on Gee’s shift in subtle ways. (We’ll get the first hint of that later this season.)

While all this is going on Bayliss is acting like a rudderless ship. He’s ranting at Maria Delgado for reporting the story, he’s asking Gee for a new partner, and when Frank comes to the Waterfront (having burnt dinner) he starts trying to get him to come back to the squad. When he goes out on a call, he ends up partnering with Lewis and while Emma Zoole is clearly in the background, Meldrick is just as dangerous to be around.

Iterally. Meldrick decides to drive to the crime scene and for the first time we see him behind the wheel. He drives to a crime scene like Dale Ernhardt with no regard for the rules of the road and it’s hysterical to see how terrified Bayliss is. When he hits one of the cars getting there, Bayliss ends up getting a bloody head and collapses. This leads to another funny exchange where Scheiner says to put him in the van to the morgue. Meldrick now ends up dealing with the PBA lawyer because he was both speeding and now wearing his seatbelt.

This is our first encounter with a PBA rep and while much of its funny there are darker implications. Asked how to get out of trouble she tells him to reply at the end of every answer “I’m not sure.” “Technically it’s not a lie,” she reminds him. It’s funny because Meldrick is clearly nervous about losing his job. It’s less funny when you realize that this is very much how PBA attorneys will manage to get many detectives out of far more dire straits over the years. (This will become clear the next time we see Monica Murphy on the show in far darker circumstances.)

Eventually Frank comes back to the unit to discuss the case Bayliss is investigating. We rarely see Frank this awkward towards Gee about the direction to take the case and finally Frank admits: “you’re gonna make me ask.” Giardello says: “Yes.” Frank sighs: “Can I have my badge back?” Gee doesn’t answer but pushes back the cover of a book where Frank’s gun and badge are waiting. “Besides Bayliss needs a partner.” He pulls back the shades where Bayliss is clearly looking on.

Hanging overall of this is the grand opening of the Waterfront, which is finally about to happen. Munch spends most of the episode: trying to bring in his fellow detectives. Much of this leads to humorous moments: him persuading Bolander to skip WWF, trying to get Howard to bring good looking girls, etc. But it also leads to some heartwarming moments. When Frank comes to the bar to talk to Tim, he orders a drink. When Frank pays for it Tim says he’ll put it on his tab. Frank denies it so Bayliss takes the 5 dollar bill and puts it in a corner of a picture. It will still be there when the series ends.

The first official customer is Stan Bolander. He asks for a vodka martini. As one Bayliss, Lewis and Munch start to prepare for a drink for him in antics. Bolander than asks for another to follow it.

The last scene of the episode is the grand opening and we see the Waterfront filled, mostly we assume with cops and their friends. Tim is drunk, trying to hug Frank and he won’t have it, Howard brings in a bunch of women, Bayliss and Lewis start arguing about the speeding incident. But Munch holds up a glass and says a word of thanks at everybody who came out to support us after all our efforts. He might as well be saying it to all the fans who have stuck with the show so far. The last shot is seeing Bolander, dancing in place at his table. It’s a sweet, warm moment – which we’ll need to get through the rest of the season.

NOTES FROM THE BOARD:

 

“Detective Munch”: His best line comes when he, Bayliss and Lewis are waiting for the bar to open and they’re alarmed because it’s 9 pm and nobody’s there.

Lewis: Well, people get started late.

Munch: “Yeah, they’re probably watching The X-Files.”

Richard Belzer, it should be mentioned, was a huge fan of the show and would actually appear on it in Season 5.

Future Inmate: Robert Clohessy, who plays Doug Jones, had actually worked with Tom Fontana before on St. Elsewhere as a guest star. He’d previously appeared in the final season of Hill Street Blues and it other series such as Nick & Hilary, Jake and the Fatman and would appear on NYPD Blue the same year. His breakthrough would be on OZ but he would actually play a corrections officer, Sean Murphy one of the few characters on that series to have a moral compass basically from beginning to end. Since then he has been a regular guest actor in every series in the Law & Order franchise and the short lived cop drama New Amsterdam. His next major role was Alderman Neary on the first two seasons of Boardwalk Empire. But his biggest role by far has been as Sid Gormley on Blue Bloods which he played for all fourteen season it was on the air.

This episode also marks the first real appearance of Peggy Yates as Maria Delgado one of the recurring TV reporters who appears as part of the media we see on a recurring basis. Usually they will be seen on the screen as part of the Baltimore local television station. We’ll be seeing a lot more of them in the episodes to come, though never in a way to notice.