Homicide Rewatch: Dead End

 

Written by: Jorge Zamacona & Julie Martin; story by James Yoshimura

Directed by Whitney Rasnick

 

We're now in the second part of what will be a three part arc and we are moving closer to a more traditional version of Homicide even as the hunt for Glenn Holton continues. The story moves on more or less directly from where we left it with Bayliss and Pembleton questioning one of Holton's colleagues from Penn Station. But we spend as much time with the investigation as with the bureaucratic nonsense that follows through – and just as critically at the hospital.

Munch is back at the office, clearly trying to distract himself from Bolander's condition by tracking down the man who shot his partner. This puts him into contact with Mitch, the man Bolander has been comparing him unfavorably to since the series began. Mitch talks about the vacations he and Stan took together as well as the trip to Miami when they managed to land a marlin – but when the debate about the fish starts getting personal, Mitch acknowledges something he hinted it in the previous episode: he and Stan were at loggerheads as much as John and Bolander were and its only through the sepia tones of memory that it looks better.

Munch has to return to the scene of the crime – and it really affects him as he has to walk the halls where the shooting took place. The writers effectively see him dealing with the trauma while Mitch, somewhat more detached, begins to measure the crime scene for trial. Even Munch is impressed by Mitch's ability to figure out where everyone was standing and where based solely on the amount of blood that is everywhere. (And he doesn't need a CSI or a crime lab to do it!) Munch confesses to Mitch his biggest amount of guilt: that he never managed to get a shot off.

The show also does a superb job with Detective Walker as she makes it very clear that Holton has a collection of pornography stashed somewhere that he will definitely come back for. The detectives find a key to a locker in a subway station and find his stash. They stake it out and eventually find the most unlikely of Holton's associates so far: a waitress named Alice who believes that she is Glenn's girlfriend.

This particular relationship is never defined very clearly but its fascinating to observe the delusion that is not unlike certain women who are drawn to criminals and see the good in them. It's not clear if Alice believes Glenn is innocent of the crimes he's accused of or she genuinely thinks there's a connection between them. But it is clear she cares enough about him that she's willing to help the detectives find him.

Just one day after all of the detectives were shot Barnfather and Granger call Russert in and start demanding she review Giardello's work. The fact that the detectives went to the wrong address because of a clerical error was discussed in the last episode but the bosses are 'concerned' as to whether Gee signed off on the arrest warrant and didn't notice the error. It's clear to Russert what's happening from the start: the bosses want to blame someone for this horrible tragedy in order to get ahead of the inevitable backlash from the press. And while it's not stated directly we know of the problematic relationship Giardello has had with the bosses over the series and there is no doubt they're looking for any excuse to fit him for goat horns.

Russert clearly doesn't want to do this but she's not exactly in a position to refuse. When she asks Lewis about what happened and starts dancing around the idea, he turns on her with a fury of the righteous. Lewis, as we know, learned about the clerical error and was very protective of the secretary even when Gee turned on her. The fact that this is now being turned on his shift commander is an occasion when his self-righteousness is justified.

When Russert finds herself forced to talk to Al in their mutual office for the first time in the series, their convivial relationship turns hostile. In the case of Al, it may very well be the burden he's had to endure this season: Crosetti has killed himself and he still has no replacement, three of his detectives have been shot and two of them are likely critical, the shooter is still on the run and now he has to deal with this. But he is too good a man not to acknowledge his flaws: when Russert asks him about what happened on the arrest report, he admits that he made a mistake.

Isabella Hoffman does some of her best work so far on Homicide in this episode, particularly in the scene in Barnfather's office where she does everything in her power to deflect blame from Gee and then lies to Barnfather's face. When Al comes in a moment later willing to confess his sins Russert turns the tables on him by reminding him just how underfunded the department is and now there is a very good chance that this shooting occurred because of it. In what is the first sign of humanity we've seen from Bonfather in the series, rather than turn on Russert he accepts the rebuke. To be sure, he tries to put the blame on Granger for what happened but considering that his default move will be to put the burden on the department we take the win where we can.

Felton, who was the least seriously wounded, is going through therapy for what happened and is becoming grouchy towards his doctors. But he also has a clarity that his experience has left him with. Baldwin is remarkable as he comes to the conclusion that the fight he's been having for his marriage is no longer worth the struggle. The storyline will never be resolved because of Felton effectively being written out of the series (as indeed will many parts of this storyline) but it is a sign of recovery from a man who's been in a bottle.

Just as important is his conversation with Howard's father. He's feeling guilty because he let her go in the door first and as a result he takes the blame for her being where she is. Her father absolves him of his guilt because he knows his daughter but it takes a bit longer for Felton to absolve himself.

The episode comes to a climax with QRT staking out the shipyard to find Holton. In the exchange with Jaspers (see Notes from the Board for more details) we see the icy resolve Pembleton has been holding up for the past two episodes slip again as he struggles for command with a man he considers arrogant even by his standards. His desire to catch Holton surpasses that and eventually they do find him, in a superbly directed segment in the ship. Bayliss, who has been more emotional then usual, reacts at the arrest of Holton by punching him in the stomach – and when we get back to the squad room, it's clear there has been more beating on Holton as he was handed into the station.

This would be the kind of thing that could come back to bite the detectives at trial – but with Holton that won't be a problem. The interrogation of him between Holton, Bayliss and Pembleton becomes unsettling as it's clear that they're usually wheedling has a darker edge to it then usual as they casually discuss what will happen if he confesses to the murder of Borkin. Finally Holton confesses to the shooting – and it quickly becomes clear that he's making it up to please the detectives. When he realizes this Pembleton shouts: "You're lying! You killed the Borkin kid!"  And the two detectives walk out with the worse kind of news: they've spent the last two days chasing the wrong man.

The final moments of this episode are, yet again, another reason to have the DVDs. The montage where Felton wheels out of his hospital room to go see his partner is intercut with the detectives spread out. We see Munch asleep by Bolander's hospital bed. Al looking broken in his office; Frank smoking with his head in his hands. Finally Felton wheels up to Howard's bed – and for the first time Kay opens her eyes. The look on Baldwin's face as he says: "Hey partner" is profoundly moving – but it loses something without Lisa Germano's vocals of 'The Darkest Night of All."

In either case we get the idea. There is hope in the hospital – but the detectives have hit a dead end.

 

NOTES FROM THE BOARD

Foreshadowing? As Tim and Frank talk in the subway station, Bayliss says that subway stations are depressing and Frank says that when he was in New York he rode the subway every day. That knowledge will come back in a big way in one of the greatest episodes of Homicide – and TV history.

Detective Munch: Richard Belzer remains mostly serious, though it is hysterical to hear him describe just how big a yellowtail is compared to  a marlin to Mitch.

Debut: This is the first appearance of QRT and Lieutenant Jasper. It's also the first real acknowledgement of how real Homicide could be. Jasper is played by Gary D'Addario who is the shift commander on how Al Giardello was based! (He was referred to in the book as 'His Eminence which is not far removed from "My Esteemed Lieutenant which was what Al was referred to. D'Addario was the technical adviser to the producers of Homicide and became one of the more popular recurring characters. He would frequently return to the show (always in conflict with the squad) until the end of the series.

Hey Isn't That… We finally meet the much discussed former Mrs. Stanley Bolander played by the great theater actress Dana Ivey. Best known for playing Margaret Alford in The Addams Family films (she would marry Cousin It!) she also appeared in the 1990s remake of Sabrina and Mumford. Her work in television includes a stint in OZ as Gloria Nathan's mother-in-law, The Practice, Monk, Ugly Betty and her most significant TV role as Mrs. McGarry in Boardwalk Empire.

John Ventimiglia makes his television debut as Manuel in this episode. He did minor roles in film and TV for the next few years before he burst onto the national mind as Artie, the restaurant owner on The Sopranos who's life becomes much better and worse because of their relationship. He made several appearances on Law & Order, most memorably as Office Dietrick in the award nominated episode DWB and had a recurring role as Dino on the first four seasons of Blue Bloods and a detective on The Good Wife. His next major role was as Detective Costa on Jessica Jones and Judge Sirica on Gaslit. His last role was an embodiment of Hunter Thompson on the MGM+ series Hotel Cocaine.