Title: Loan Shark
Directed by: Noam Pitlik
Written by: Judith Ann Nielsen, Richard Beban, Mario Roccuso, and Bob Colleary (story), Tony Sheehan (teleplay)
Air Date: November 2, 1978
Previous: The Prisoner
Next: The Vandal
Guest Starring: Larry B. Scott, Lewis Charles, Boris Aplon, Mario Roccuzo
"Loan Shark" is the seventh episode of the fifth season of Barney Miller.
A loan shark is roughing up winos and other unfortunates who don't pay up. Detective Harris suspects Mr. Dellarosa, a pawn shop owner who has been known to engage in loan sharking as well as fencing stolen goods. However, the loan shark, when he is apprehended, turns out to be a 14-year-old black boy, Leland Turner. Harris is shocked and more than a little offended to find out that young Master Turner is doing quite well as a loan shark, carrying around $7000 in 1978 money on his person and owning his own Lincoln Continental.
The second wacky case involves a tattoo artist, Mr. Fallon, and his customer, George Willis. It seems Mr. Willis got cold feet four letters through a "MOTHER" tattoo, which is why his arm says "MOTH". Mr. Willis demanded the tattoo be removed, Mr. Fallon said that tattoos can't be removed, there was an altercation, and each is charging the other with assault.
Meanwhile, Yemana is in a reflective mood: it's one day after his 20th anniversary as a cop with the NYPD. Not only did nobody know about said anniversary, everyone is nitpicking at Yemana over all the minor errands that are part of Yemana's job—Barney chides Yemana for the bulletin board being a mess, Harris yells at Yemana for pounding chalk out of the eraser and kicking up chalk dust in the room, Wojo complains about Yemana making a mess of the files, and Barney complains again about Yemana not making coffee. After that last, Yemana snaps and Rage Quits, stalking out of the squad room.
Tropes:
- "Angry Black Man" Stereotype: Leland Turner identifies himself as "Mohammad X" and says that "Leland Turner" is a slave name.
- Armor-Piercing Response: An argument between Harris and Turner—Harris says that Turner is obviously smart and tough, and can make something of himself if he tries, while Turner sneers that he's more successful than Harris without kowtowing to The Man—leads to Harris getting a good zinger.Harris: I may not have money, but I got something that you will never have.
Turner: Oh yeah, what's that?
Harris: Credit. - Bad to the Last Drop: The very last joke about Yemana's terrible coffee. Wojo makes his own apology by brewing coffee and giving Yemana a cup. Yemana sips, grimaces, and says "All this time I thought it was just me."
- Bait-and-Switch Comment: When lecturing young Leland on turning his life around, Harris tells him that he may not have money, but he has something that Leland never will. The audience expects the usual Aesop of him saying "self-respect". Instead, after a beat, he proudly proclaims "Credit!" and then brags about how he can sign for things at department stores.
- A Day in the Limelight: One of only a couple of episodes over Jack Soo's entire run of the show where Yemana carried the A plot, as Nick stalks out of the office in a rage, feeling that he's unappreciated by his coworkers.
- Delinquents: The loan shark that Harris is looking for turns out to be a 14-year-old boy.
- Embarrassing Tattoo: The discussion about tattoos, and Dietrich seeming to guess that Barney has a secret, leads Barney to confess something: he has a tattoo. It isn't actually that embarrassing, being nothing more than a "VE" with a rose that 15-year-old Barney got on May 8, 1945, but the simple fact that he has one is embarrassing to straitlaced Captain Miller. Yemana then asks if Barney got one also for VJ day. Barney says "no", to which Yemana replies "me, neither."
- Forgotten Anniversary: Not a wedding anniversary. But the fact that Yemana's 20th anniversary on the NYPD passed, and no one knew or cared, helps lead to his Rage Quit.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: This was the next-to-last episode for Jack Soo, who was dying of esophageal cancer. Everything that the other detectives say to Yemana, when they express their respect for him and their esteem, is also the actors saying the same thing to Soo.Wojo: So I want you to know that I feel really lucky working with you.
- Loan Shark: A loan shark is roughing up winos. He turns out to be a teenaged boy.
- Noodle Incident: Yemana tells the others that he just passed 20 years on the force. Dietrich says "I guess you must have a lot of memories and anecdotes, eh, Nick?". Yemana chuckles, says "Oh yeah, sure." Then he turns back to his paperwork.
- Series Continuity Error: Harris shaved off his bushy mustache in the second episode of this season, and him growing it back in was a recurring gag in the next few episodes. In this episode the mustache is again gone, only to come back the next week. This episode was obviously shown out of order, possibly because of Jack Soo's rapidly declining health.
- Silent Whisper: Harris, trying to get young Turner to open up, suggests that he get Turner an ice cream cone, if he's nice. Turner whispers something into Harris ear and then says, defiantly, "Try that with the ice cream cone."
- Street Urchin: Leland Turner, a 14-year-old boy with a dad in Attica and a mom who's a streetwalker, is supporting himself as a loan shark, and doing pretty well.
- Two Words: I Can't Count: Inverted. After Yemana's "The Reason You Suck" Speech hurled at all the other detectives, a shocked Wojo says "He usually never says more than two words." Harris answers "Uh, Wojo, I'd say that pretty much was two words."
