Title: Community Relations
Directed by: Noam Pitlik
Written by: Winston Moss and Tony Sheehan (story), Dennis Koenig, Larry Balmagia, and Tony Sheehan (teleplay)
Air Date: January 13, 1977
Previous: Smog Alert
Next: The RAND Report
Guest Starring: David Tress, Joseph V. Perry, Ralph Manza, Judson Morgan
"Community Relations" is the 13th episode of the third season of Barney Miller.
Harris tells Yemana that he is reading a newspaper article called "The Tragedy of the Compulsive Gambler" and suggests that Yemana is one. Yemana, who is irritated by this, points out that Harris is addicted to smoking. The carping between the two ends with them betting a month of night duty on whoever can abstain the longest, Yemana from placing a bet and Harris from smoking. Nick proceeds to taunt Harris by smoking up a storm. In other news, Wojo has to testify in court, and Wojo, who has a fear of speaking in public, is nervous about it.
In the meantime, the 12th is dealing with the usual wackos. Harris and Yemana (Yemana went along just to taunt Harris about smoking) bring in a shoplifting suspect, who turns out to be a blind man, Mr. Roth. An asshole slumlord, Leonard K. Hauser, wants Barney's help in evicting a tenant. Fish brings in the tenant, Mr. Lukeather, an elderly man with no place to go.
Tropes:
- The Bet: Here's how the bet ends, after Barney has paired up a blind man who keeps getting robbed with a newly-evicted person who needs a place to stay.Barney: I bet they make it.
Harris: I bet they don't.
Yemana: You're on!
Harris: You lose. [lights up smoke] - Blind Mistake: Mr. Roth keeps looking the wrong way and holding out his hand the wrong way when talking to people.
- Blind People Wear Sunglasses: Mr. Roth wears the typical dark sunglasses.
- Comically Missing the Point: After Harris calls Nick a compulsive gambler, Nick asks Barney. Barney says "Compulsive? I don't know that I would say that. But, you spend an inordinate amount of time on that stuff, you know. So much so one might think that more substantial matters might suffer for a lack of attention." Yemana's response is to turn back to Harris and say "See?"
- Continuity Nod: Wojo knocking the pegs off the duty roster board prompts Barney to ask about the whereabouts of some of his detectives. He asks about Wilson (only seen once, in the second episode), Wentworth (seen five times in Season 1 and 2), Battista (seen twice, both times before this episode), and Dietrich (popped up a few times in Season 3, soon to become a regular). Wentworth's with Vice.
- The Dandy:
- Wojo is freaking out over testifying in court. Harris's advice: "You know what would help you a lot? A vest."
- When they bring in Mr. Roth from the department store, Harris holds up an ugly shirt and ugly tie that clash horribly with each other, and says "He just doesn't realize how lucky it is we caught him."
- The Gambling Addict: It was a Running Gag with Yemana and a main plot in this episode, as Harris challenges him to stop gambling.
- Insistent Terminology: The assistant District Attorney when he starts talking about himself—them—the District Attorney's office!
- The Matchmaker: Barney, who, faced with a blind man who's constantly being robbed, and an old man who's facing homelessness after being evicted, matches them up together.
- Smoking Is Cool: Harris's reason for smoking: he's "one of those people who looks good with a cigarette."
