Homicide Rewatch: Strangers & Other Partners

 

Written by David Simon, James Yoshimura and Tom Fontana

Directed by Kenneth Fink

 

In the 1990s the finales of broadcast dramas were increasingly coming to end on cliffhangers which would put one or more characters in mortal jeopardy only to return to the status quo in the fall. Homicide had done as much at the end of Season 4 with Frank Pembleton but as we've seen the status quo didn't return for him at the start of the season and he's been struggling with the losses ever since.

During May of 1997 the biggest successes in network drama were taking this to increasingly ludicrous extremes. Perhaps the biggest came with The X-Files which ended with Dana Scully claiming to the FBI that Mulder had killed himself  - despite the fact that a feature film was about to be greenlit at David Duchovny was going to be one of the leads. As we shall see when we begin Season 6 cable would begin to change how these finales came out across the board but network TV would remain late to the party for a few more years. It was not until such shows as 24 and Lost debuted in the 2000s that broadcast television would embrace the season finale when  they teased game changers and would follow through when the season began.

Homicide operated in a grey area during its entire run. In large part this was because as a series that was always on the bubble major changes were born out of necessity rather then any sustained plan. When it had been granted a two season renewal in the spring of 1996 it had been allowed breathing room in a way it never had during its run. This has been seen perhaps the most clearly during Season 5 and its still unclear if the cast changes that were to follow in the summer of 1997 were by its own design or outside factors. But nevertheless the way that it chooses to reveal what is by far the biggest existential change to the show as we know it is keeping with how Homicide has always operated. It allows the entire season finale and several major story arcs that span not only this season but the show's history to wrap up, ending all of the major drama of the season. And only then does it choose to make us spend the entire season wondering the effect of a bureaucratic change in department policies is going to have on our cast.  This isn't  "Who Shot J.R?"

The electricity in this episode starts moments after Giardello brings Gharty into his office and tells them that Felton was working undercover with IID. Internal Affairs was never going to make Gharty popular with the squad but the moment Russert hears his name she instantly places him. Hoffman's righteous fury the moment she says "I guess you decided not to take that pension" as well as her laying out Gharty's very real dereliction of duty completely vindicates the decision to bring her character back. When Howard and Russert realize the full scope of the fact that a man they considered guilty of cowardice has been responsible for the death of their friend, there's no way they can trust them. And when Falsone hears that Gharty is essentially trying to lay the leak on him he's even angrier and nearly takes a swing at him on their first meeting and when Gharty is foolish enough to tell him to go hell, Pembleton has to physically restrain him. Its only because of Giardello's doing everything he can to make this about Felton that he stops the unit from flying apart at the seams but Bayliss makes it clear he has no desire to work with Gharty and Pembleton looks at him as if he smells bad.

It doesn't help that Howard immediately decides to go over Frank's head and start doing her own thing. Pembleton makes it clear he understands the reasons why Howard and Russert want to get involved but he also makes it clear that he wants authority over this case. Frank can be a bastard but he's not wrong – and Howard's decision to erase Felton's name from the board and give herself and Russert priority is the most blatant abuse of power she's done since she became sergeant. Al is absolutely right when he calls her into his office.

In The Unofficial Companion Kalat writes about the perceived double standard by pulling two women off the case and sending them to handle Beau's funeral. However this is another example of Homicide being authentic. Giardello refused to let Bayliss get involved when his cousin was being investigated for murder and he knew he was wrong when he let Meldrick meddle in the investigation of Crosetti's suicide. Howard is in the wrong here and it is because she's taking it so personally that she doesn't see it as the episode progresses. Russert, who was a shift commander, can see it and even as she deflects that she was shift commander for long, she acknowledges that she sees it when Al points it out. And when you consider that in death Beth Felton has no more use for her husband then she did in life, it's fitting – if sad – that the two people who cared about him the most have to prepare for his death.

Howard proves it when she demands to be put on this case and basically tells Giardello that there's a double standard and he doesn't know what he's talking about. Howard and Giardello have a superb relationship throughout the series and her attitude towards her boss is very clearly that of someone demanding special treatment. It's not a good look even if you know where she's coming from.

The scene with Russert and Howard at Felton's last known address is beautiful. The two women were never friends and they never worked together that well and that they're together in this setting is incredibly awkward for both of them. Leo plays it with awkwardness and clumsiness as if she doesn't know the right thing to say or do in front of the mistress of her partner; Hoffman goes through the entire scene as if she is clearly in mourning, having to look at the last place of the man she loved and see his blood on the wall. Its only when Russert mentions that the suit is pointless because it will be a closed casket that Howard says the right thing.

To his credit Frank immediately takes charge of the investigation and settles the squabbling between Falsone and Gharty early. He starts giving assignments to his fellow detectives – and really doesn't like it that Gharty ends up with him.

As when we first met him Gharty is chatty and talkative and Pembleton has no more use for it then Russert did. He makes it clear he has no problem with IID. His issue is with the fact that based on his history he completely doubts Gharty would back him up if he needs it.  Pembleton chews Gharty out and talks about his fellow detectives having his back and being willing to fight for him. (As always the case with Pembleton he says his most respectful remarks for his colleagues when they're not around.)

We are unprepared for what follows as Gharty tells us a monologue of a brutality complaint he did four months ago that he had to go following a cop's response. This leads him to chase down a felon right into a Baltimore crack house – a dope fiend's convention where he makes it clear how scared he was. He tells Pembleton he took a beating so bad he had to spend eight hours getting stitched up and a broken rib. He knows the beating was bad but he acknowledges the fear was worse. Gharty says he needed to prove himself. Pembleton is willing to trust him here but as we'll see in the following season he'll never truly respect him. And as we'll see Gharty will give many reasons for this impression to be correct.

Its clear in this episode that Fontana and Simon are doing the work that will lead to Falsone and Gharty being regulars the following season. Both Seda and Gerety are more than up to the task. Seda has the more difficult job as we just met him and we don't have much experience with detectives from other units. It helps that he's initially partnered with the more open-minded Bayliss who is always good at smoothing over rough spots. Falsone genuinely seems curious about how Homicide works and treats him with respect and admiration. Bayliss's casual remark: "A lot more people care about their cars then dead relatives" is both cynical and admiring of what Falsone does.

The scene between Megan and Frank is wonderful as Megan, using the same tact she did when she was shift commander, gently talks to Frank about his marriage. Throughout the episode Pembleton treats Russert with a respect and kindness he doesn't treat Howard or real anyone else as he knows all too well where she's coming from – and confides a secret he hasn't even told Bayliss: Mary is currently six months pregnant. It is this conversation that leads Frank to, in the midst of a red ball, do something he would never have done even a few months ago: call his wife.

And when the interrogation begins and Mary shows up in the squad room Frank does something he wouldn't have done before: let his marriage come ahead of his job. It's a beautiful scene between Brabson and Braugher as we see the considerate, loving husband. When Frank tells Mary that he doesn't have a single good thing in his life without his wife and daughter, its sincere in a way we're not used to from him. When the man who spent half this season just trying to be a detective again tells Mary that he will give it all up if she'll just come home, it’s a side of Frank the show's never let us see in five seasons, as is the joy as he realizes why she's here. And I love how the man who's never been at a loss for words lets his wife half the last one.

Fittingly the investigation into Felton's murder ends up being brought down by the two men who have no connection to Homicide: Falsone and Gharty. It turns out that the man Gharty used to get Felton into the squad was none other than Eddie Dugan, Falsone's informant. Dugan was playing both ends against the middle. The confrontation between Falsone, Gharty and Dugan in the box  is a powerhouse and all the more remarkable because it involves two men who, as of yet, we have never seen interrogate anyone.

Falsone and Dugan start with a friendly conversation as if they were old friends, Falsone butters him up – and then without a word Gharty walks into the box. The look of shock on Dugan's face is incredible, particularly as he starts to squirm realizing every story he's told has no value. And when he makes one of the dumbest lies imaginable, saying the pager on his belt isn't his Gharty walks out dials the number they've found and immediately traps him.

Of course because this is Homicide the show gives us nothing. Dugan gives up Cantwell and when they raid his shop – with Frank giving the warrant to Howard and Russert – no one's there. Cantwell has fled the jurisdiction and Beau's murder will remain in red forever. They console themselves with the fact that Dugan will go to prison but there's no closure for the death of one of their own. There's a memorial service where Al has to speak for Felton because his family hasn't shown up.

If the episode has a failing its one that is only apparent in retrospect. Kellerman and Cox's relationship ends up falling apart by the end of it, in part because its clear that the relationship has only brought out the worst in both of them.

This truly seems like a cheat. Its understandable why this is the case for Kellerman; the episode shows that the aftermath of the Mahoney shooting is causing him to drown his sorrows in alcohol and its now affecting his work relationship. The writers are super in showing this as the catalyst for the following season where Lewis will essentially end his two year partnership with Mike.

What's harder to understand is why Juliana rejects it. The second half of the season has shown that she's been making more of an effort during Mike's struggles and was open to him even as recently as the previous episode. It seems like the writers, yet again, have failed a character who isn't a detective. We already know Cox's story of drinking too much and falling in love with the wrong men from her introduction but the writers have tried so hard to put her front and center with the detectives in a way they haven't with characters like Brodie when it comes to her professional life, you'd think they could try harder with her personal life. This was not the case – and it may have been one of the factors that led to Forbes deciding to leave the show the following season. 

So by the end of Season Five we've wrapped up every loose end that has been part of the show and all the detectives from Season 4 are having coffee and talking about what's next, while bitching they couldn't arrest Felton. And its after all of that that Al comes down with the real cliffhanger.

As his parting gift before he ends up leaving the series Deputy Commissioner Harris has announced a change in policy known as rotation. Every three months some detectives will be moved from one unit to another. Meaning when the series returns the following fall 'none of us may be here'.

This bureaucratic policy (which had a basis in reality) hits the unit harder then any death ever could. And as we'll see the ramifications will be felt almost immediately when the show returns.

 

NOTES FROM THE BOARD

 

This is the final episode for Melissa Leo and Max Perlich during the series run and the final appearance of Isabella Hoffman in any form.

The mayor of Baltimore Kurt Schmoke makes his third appearance as himself in the final scene as does the then governor of Maryland Paris Glendening. Glendening served as governor between 1995-2003 and Schmoke would serve as mayor from 1987-1999.

The policy in question was a real one, one that Simon had reported on in Baltimore Magazine. Thomas Frazier became commissioner of police in 1994 and instituted a four-year limit on assignments to specialized units, Frazier believed that by rotating officers through departments it would lead to greater sharing of knowledge and skills. But he reckoned without the fact that detectives would have little time to develop specialized skills before moving to a different department. The quality of drug investigations would plummet when inexperienced detectives took over while many top Homicide detectives chose to retire rather than leave the elite squad. Frazier would eventually leave when Martin O'Malley was elected mayor and the policy was reversed in 2000 (which is no doubt why Simon doesn't use as a story line in The Wire.)

 

"Detective Munch: John is fittingly serious during the investigation. The closest he comes to snark is when he reads the toxicology report and "Believe it or not, Beau Felton left this earth clean and sober, no drugs, no alcohol."

 

MAHONEY PTSD: Kellerman comes in to the squad room late and Lewis tells him he's been wearing 'whiskey as last night's cologne' for the last ten days. When Lewis tries to ease Mike's conscience, Kellerman says they're even. Lewis saved him on the boat and he saved his ass from Mahoney. They're saved from brawling when they go out on a call. At the murder scene Kellerman is interviewing  a witness and while he's doing so she wonders off.  He also fails to take her name or vital information.  Meldrick, who's the primary on this case, is justifiably enraged at Mike.  After ascertaining he's 6 foot 1 he says: "I didn't know they piled crap that high."

Get The DVD: One of the very best mixes of music on Homicide can be found in the opening sequence as Soul Coughing's 'Super Bon Bon' is used to show the entire process of how Cantwell's crew steals a car on the street and ships it overseas. In the Waterfront where Juliana is  playing pool while heavily intoxicated we can  hear "Trepidation' and 'Only Onions' by Civil Tones.