Title: Werewolf
Directed by: Noam Pitlik
Written by: Tony Sheehan and Seymour Blicker (story), Tony Sheehan, Seymour Blicker, Reinhold Weege, and Danny Arnold (teleplay)
Air Date: October 28, 1976
Previous: The Election
Next: The Recluse
Guest Starring: Kenneth Tigar, Queenie Smith, Jon Lormer
"Werewolf" is the sixth episode of the third season of Barney Miller.
It's weirder than usual at the 12th Precinct. After a call comes telling the cops to "stop me before I kill", Harris and Wojciehowicz check it out. They bring in one Stefan Koepeknie (Kenneth Tigar), a mild-mannered clerk who insists that he is a werewolf, and that he is about to transform, that night being the night of a full moon. The other case they're investigating involves an elderly tourist couple who were robbed ten minutes after they arrived in New York City, when the cabbie pointed a gun at them.
Meanwhile, an outbreak of swine flu (big news
in 1976) has forced the detectives to work an extra-long shift due to lack of personnel. The NYPD sends a nurse to administer vaccinations, which terrifies Wojo, who's afraid of needles. Harris for his part is very attracted to the good-looking African-American nurse (Janet MacLachlan).
First of five episodes in which Kenneth Tigar appeared as a "supernatural" character (in another episode he's possessed by a demon, and in another he says he's Jesus).
Tropes:
- Afraid of Needles: Wojo, the big tough guy who fought in Vietnam as a Marine, is petrified of needles and always faints when he gets a shot. After Barney finally forces him to get it, he does in fact faint.
- Appeal to Familial Wisdom: The Running Gag with Yemana sharing his family's very weird wisdom. Yemana said his grandfather's advice for staying awake (the detectives have been on shift for nearly 24 hours) was to convince yourself that if you fall asleep, you die. When asked what to do about being afraid of death, Yemana says his grandfather never mentioned that.Yemana: That's what Opium Dens are for.
- The Dandy: When Wojo and Harris bring in Mr. Koepeknie, Barney asks for details, but Harris is throwing a fit because he got dirt and grass stains on his $250 suit.Barney: Harris, I know how much you and your wardrobe have always meant to each other, but what happened?
- Halloween Episode: Featuring a man with lycanthropy who had at least Yemana convinced he was "changing."Yemana: Look at that. Hair is growing out of his face.Barney: That's called a beard! Haven't you ever seen one?Yemana: Not in my family!
- Hereditary Curse: Mr. Koepeknie says that he's a werewolf because he inherited a family curse from his great-grandfather, born in the Carpathian Mountains of Eastern Europe.
- Hospital Hottie: The very pretty Nurse Jackson, who is giving out vaccinations to the men of the 12th. Harris starts hitting on her as soon as she shows up and succeeds in convincing her to let him escort her to the subway.
- Shout-Out:
- When Mr. Fuller explains that he can't get refunds for his traveler's checks because the thief also got the list of serial numbers, Yemana says "Karl never mentions that." That's a reference to Karl Malden, who at that time was appearing in a long-running series of commercials for American Express traveler's checks.
- When Wojo expresses incredulity at the idea that Mr. Koepeknie could really a be a werewolf, Barney smiles and quotes Hamlet, saying "There are more things in heaven and earth, Wojo." Wojo responds by saying "He ain't even a husky!"
- Shown Their Work: Mr. Koepeknie says he was born on September 13, 1943, a night that had a full moon. There actually was a full moon that night.
