Renko (Charles Haid), Hill (Michael Warren), and Belker (Bruce Weitz growling it up with his trademark gruff gusto) work undercover at a seedy saloon. Hunter (a marvelously dry and deadpan James B. Sikking) uses basset hounds to track down a pack of wild dogs. Calletano (nice work by Rene Enriquez) is suspicious of Emily Williams (deliciously essayed with sultry aplomb by ravishing brunette Janet DeMay), a beautiful civilian clerk who comes to work at the station. Davenport (Veronica Hamel) recommends a lawyer for Furillo (the always superb Daniel J. Travanti) for the Sullivan Commission hearings. Dennis Dugan makes a regrettably brief, but still hilarious appearance as the endearingly flaky Captain Freedom; in an amusing and poignant scene Belker tries (and fails) to talk some sense to this raving lunatic and we learn about his possibly tragic and abusive past. This episode's handling of Hunter serves as a classic example of the show's careful and effective balance of humor and drama: Hunter's characteristic overzealous attitude about his job is extremely funny while the scenes with Hunter trapped in a crumbling derelict building with the savage wild dogs are genuinely tense and gripping. Popping up in nifty guest roles are Robin Gammell as shrewd, slippery lawyer Douglas Comstock and Jon Cypher as the ever slimy and manipulative Chief Fletcher Daniels. And this episode offers plenty of intriguing stuff about the dirty and underhanded machinations of city hall politics.
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User Reviews
Review this title3 Reviews
Commendable acting & writing, as always.
Hey_Sweden27 August 2021
Under siege from the corruption-seeking Sullivan Commission, Frank is recommended a lawyer (Canadian character actor Robin Gammell, "Rituals") by Joyce, and has to learn the lesson that sometimes looking innocent and knowing you're innocent *isn't* enough: it still has to be proven in court. A typically over-zealous Hunter is put in charge of taking care of the city's wild dog problem; among those recruited for his operation are J. D. (who complains endlessly) and Washington. Belker, Hill, and Renko work undercover at a downtown bar / restaurant that's been the victim of shakedowns. And Ray becomes suspicious - and with good reason - of a perky young sexpot (Janet DeMay, 'Remington Steele') hired as a clerk; she doesn't seem to know her job at all.
One great element that makes this series so successful is that no character is ever rendered strictly one-note. Hunter is a case in point: although the search for the wild dogs is treated with humor at first, Hunters' situation becomes pretty serious about 26 minutes in. And Hunter is visibly touched when he's later visited by Frank in the hospital. Even the guy who serves subpoenas could easily have been portrayed as a one-dimensional sleazy creep, but he gets fleshed out a little too. That said, it's amusing to see the embarrassing situation facing the ever-shifty Police Chief Daniels (another effective portrayal by Jon Cypher). Dennis Dugan makes an unfortunately brief but welcome contribution as Captain Freedom; here we learn that he may have been the victim of an abusive childhood. Bruce Weitz is as hilarious as he's ever been as the terminally gruff Belker, and he has some typically funny insults to dish out along the way.
This is a solid episode that just gets better as it goes along, wrapping up with another of those warm, endearing scenes with Frank & Joyce. Also guest starring is John Karlen ('Cagney & Lacey') as a crooked cop; the significance of the title character (played by Jerome Thor ("10 to Midnight")) is explained in the closing minutes.
Eight out of 10.
One great element that makes this series so successful is that no character is ever rendered strictly one-note. Hunter is a case in point: although the search for the wild dogs is treated with humor at first, Hunters' situation becomes pretty serious about 26 minutes in. And Hunter is visibly touched when he's later visited by Frank in the hospital. Even the guy who serves subpoenas could easily have been portrayed as a one-dimensional sleazy creep, but he gets fleshed out a little too. That said, it's amusing to see the embarrassing situation facing the ever-shifty Police Chief Daniels (another effective portrayal by Jon Cypher). Dennis Dugan makes an unfortunately brief but welcome contribution as Captain Freedom; here we learn that he may have been the victim of an abusive childhood. Bruce Weitz is as hilarious as he's ever been as the terminally gruff Belker, and he has some typically funny insults to dish out along the way.
This is a solid episode that just gets better as it goes along, wrapping up with another of those warm, endearing scenes with Frank & Joyce. Also guest starring is John Karlen ('Cagney & Lacey') as a crooked cop; the significance of the title character (played by Jerome Thor ("10 to Midnight")) is explained in the closing minutes.
Eight out of 10.
Frank Under Siege
Hitchcoc12 July 2021
Daniels has set up a situation where an investigation of a weak precinct has dragged other, more honorable ones, into the pool. Furillo comes under investigation, knowing that things are never perfect in such a setting. So he faces a grand jury. Meanwhile, there are wild dogs roaming the streets and Howard Hunter reads that Basset Hounds can be used for driving these out. The results are pretty funny and Howard nearly pays dearly for his overzealousness. Captain Freedom returns, to Belker's chagrin.
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