Title: Guns
Directed by: Noam Pitlik
Written by: Tony Sheehan, Rich Reinhart, Frank Dungan, and Jeff Stein
Air Date: January 31, 1980
Previous: The Child Stealers
Next: Uniform Day
Guest Starring: James Gregory, David Paymer, Jack Dodson, Madison Arnold, Mario Roccuzzo
"Guns" is the 16th episode of the sixth season of Barney Miller.
Inspector Luger and Wojo bring in one Felix Morrissey (David Paymer, with hair), who tried to commit armed robbery with a 19th century dueling pistol. The pistol is traced to a genial but undeniably weird collector, Mr. Vogel. It turns out that Mr. Vogel doesn't just collect 19th century pistols. In fact, he has an alarmingly large collection of weaponry that includes automatic weapons, bazookas, and grenade launchers—or rather, he had a large collection of weaponry, as it's all been stolen. Barney, horrified at the news that this enormous cache of arms is in the criminal community, puts out an APB. Sure enough, there's a report of a bank robber with a bazooka; Harris and Wojo wind up bringing in Vincent Turso, the bank robber.
The second wacky case involves a Mr. Osborne, who was caught robbing the police! Specifically, the property department. He was arrested as he took away a TV, which as it turns out, is his own TV. The NYPD seized it when they caught the thief, and never got around to returning it.
Meanwhile, Luger is arresting suspects because he was demoted and assigned to the 12th Precinct, which was previously mentioned in two-part episode "Vanished". Luger is bitter and maudlin and morbid as usual, but his bravery verging on recklessness in arresting Mr. Morrisey leads Wojo to a disturbing conclusion: that Luger wants to get killed on duty.
Tropes:
- All for Nothing: Mr. Osborne is going to face breaking and entering charges, and he still won't get his TV, which is now evidence in his new case.
- Blunt "Yes": Luger is amazed when Barney says that he didn't send Luger out on the bank robbery because he thought Luger might be looking to get killed.Luger: Is that what you think?
Barney: Yeah. - The Cobbler's Children Have No Shoes: The police property warehouse is robbed. Barney is surprised at himself for not being more surprised.
- Continuity Nod: The story about Luger getting demoted and sent to the 12th Precinct, previously mentioned in episodes 13 and 14 of this season, is returned to.
- Death Seeker: Luger walked straight up to an armed robber, who was pointing an old but very real gun at him, and pulled it right out of his hand. Wojo thinks that Luger, who is depressed about his demotion and always natters on about how his buddies were killed in the line of duty, may have wanted to get shot. Luger tells Barney that Wojo was wrong, that although he is depressed about getting busted back to captain, he doesn't want to die.
- Gun Nut: Mr. Vogel is friendly and mild-mannered, but he's utterly obsessed with guns and weaponry. He tells Barney that "the history of guns is the history of America".
- I Call It "Vera": Wojo comes back in the squad room toting a bazooka taken from the bank robbery. Mr. Vogel takes one look at it says "That's Betty."
- Little Useless Gun: Luger dismisses the old-timey dueling pistol as a "sissy little peashooter", but Wojo says that it was loaded and it works, and he's disturbed at how Luger just grabbed the gun.
- Meaningful Look: Mr. Vogel tells Barney that the history of guns is the history of America, going from colonial muskets to the atomic bomb, which has made all other guns obsolete. Barney chuckles and says he can't add one of those to his collection. Mr. Vogel laughs as well, turns to leave—and gets a thoughtful look on his face.Dietrich: I'll keep the file open.
- Reset Button: The mini-arc with Inspector Luger getting demoted from command staff and sent down to the 12th ends, with Luger getting promoted back to command and sent to Manhattan South.
- Steel Eardrums: Averted, bank robber Turso is mostly deaf after trying to blow open the vault using a bazooka.Turso: You ever fire one of those?
Wojo: Matter of fact, yeah- in Vietnam.
Turso: Yeah, but that was OUTDOORS! - Storefront Television Display: Luger says that his old Dumont TV finally brokenote , but that the next time he wants to watch a show he can just "stand on the sidewalk and watch it through the window of an appliance store."
