That foxy lady LaRue fell for takes up much of the episode. LaRue give bad judgment a bad name. Other things involve the efforts to give the kid who blew the whistle on the dead rookie's treatment a second chance. And finally, there is catibalism. Whoever thought the cat was killed didn't bother to see the whole episode.
4 Reviews
Sturdy episode
Woodyanders10 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Renko (an amusing Charles Haid) makes a fool of himself on the morning news. LaRue (well played by Kiel Martin) gets accused of conspiring with Caroline Reynolds (foxy Kristen Meadows) to kill her former husband. Washington (a terrific Taurean Blacque) threatens to quit the force after all the rookies are suspended over Buttman's (a deliciously disgusting portrayal by Michael Biehn) arrest.
Okay, the joke about the Indian restaurant serving cats is definitely in bad taste, but still funny just the same. The obese guy pigging out on all the food at the salad bar of a restaurant is likewise hysterical. The way both Furillo (a fine Daniel J. Travanti) and Washington go to bat for rookie cop Garfield (an excellent performance by Mykelti Williamson) makes for a dramatically satisfying storyline. Arliss Howard contributes an effectively creepy turn as unrepentant hooker killer Platt while Loren Sorenson has a sexy bit as buxom blonde prostitute Lotta Gue. LaRue barely manages to keep his job, but alas the system enables Caroline to get away with murder, which is how it sometimes goes on this show.
Okay, the joke about the Indian restaurant serving cats is definitely in bad taste, but still funny just the same. The obese guy pigging out on all the food at the salad bar of a restaurant is likewise hysterical. The way both Furillo (a fine Daniel J. Travanti) and Washington go to bat for rookie cop Garfield (an excellent performance by Mykelti Williamson) makes for a dramatically satisfying storyline. Arliss Howard contributes an effectively creepy turn as unrepentant hooker killer Platt while Loren Sorenson has a sexy bit as buxom blonde prostitute Lotta Gue. LaRue barely manages to keep his job, but alas the system enables Caroline to get away with murder, which is how it sometimes goes on this show.
Catibalism
jarrodmcdonald-19 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The previous reviewer obviously did not watch the whole episode, or else had fallen asleep during key parts of it. The kitten is brought into the precinct by Sgt. Stan Jablonski who intends to give it to the old woman (whose missing cat obviously was turned into food at a nearby restaurant). The old woman doesn't want it so Stan leaves it inside a box which he sets on a chair when he gets busy.
Andy and Bobby then bring in the obese lawbreaker who proceeds to sit on that chair, which still has the box on the seat, presumably with the kitty inside. However, a bit later in the episode Stan is handed the little critter by Fay who says it was using her leg as a scratching post. So obviously it had gotten out of the box and wandered over to Fay's area, in between the time Stan had set it on the chair and the obese man came in and sat down.
At one point in the episode Lucy uses the made-up word "catibalism" to describe what's going on at the Bengali restaurant. Fortunately, while she is correct, we do not see any dead cats, only live cats in the kitchen of the restaurant when Lucy and Joe show up to make the arrest. And there is a piece of wrapped meat they take out of a refrigerator, but it doesn't exactly look like a dead cat.
The real problem with this mostly amusing, if somewhat far-fetched episode, is that it plays into asian stereotypes about the killing and eating of pets. Though it may have been known to happen that an asian restaurant might serve cat or dog. For the most part, the writers and actors handle the delicate subject matter with finesse.
Andy and Bobby then bring in the obese lawbreaker who proceeds to sit on that chair, which still has the box on the seat, presumably with the kitty inside. However, a bit later in the episode Stan is handed the little critter by Fay who says it was using her leg as a scratching post. So obviously it had gotten out of the box and wandered over to Fay's area, in between the time Stan had set it on the chair and the obese man came in and sat down.
At one point in the episode Lucy uses the made-up word "catibalism" to describe what's going on at the Bengali restaurant. Fortunately, while she is correct, we do not see any dead cats, only live cats in the kitchen of the restaurant when Lucy and Joe show up to make the arrest. And there is a piece of wrapped meat they take out of a refrigerator, but it doesn't exactly look like a dead cat.
The real problem with this mostly amusing, if somewhat far-fetched episode, is that it plays into asian stereotypes about the killing and eating of pets. Though it may have been known to happen that an asian restaurant might serve cat or dog. For the most part, the writers and actors handle the delicate subject matter with finesse.
One of the Worst Hill Street Blues Episodes Ever!
babygreens23 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This was not the first episode of "Hill Street Blues" which involved animal cruelty, but it was the most extensive. It was bad enough that the Indian food was made of cats, but then a kitten was squashed by an obese person who sat on a chair. The writers were clearly low on quality ideas with this one. I just re-watched it on DVD and it is still awful.
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