Title: Dietrich's Arrest: Part 1
Directed by: Noam Pitlik
Written by: Frank Dungan, Jeff Stein, and Tony Sheehan
Air Date: February 28, 1980
Previous: Uniform Day
Next: Dietrich's Arrest: Part 2
Guest Starring: George Murdock, Candice Azzara, Peter Hobbs
"Dietrich's Arrest: Part 1" is the 18th episode of the sixth season of Barney Miller.
Unusually, there is only one wacky case this week. Wojo and Dietrich bring in a Roy McManus, who was arrested for disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, and littering, after he started throwing money out onto the street. Mr. McManus reveals that he is a lottery winner, and cannot deal with the pressures of sudden wealth, like demands from friends and relatives and charites. His good-looking, much younger new wife Audrey disagrees.
In personal matters, the issue of Barney's apartment comes up again, as Barney is struggling to come up with the down payment to buy his apartment now that his building is going condo. Harris, in his usual arrogant way, offers to buy the apartment himself and charge Barney rent.
Neither of those are the A plot. That would be Dietrich, who is planning to attend a political rally against nuclear power. Barney reminds Dietrich of NYPD regulations against cops engaging in political activity on their own time, but does nothing to stop Dietrich, even when Lt. Scanlon of Internal Affairs strongly objects. Eventually Dietrich comes back from the rally—in the custody of Levitt, as Dietrich has been arrested. Then Wojo reports that there's a riot outside.
Tropes:
- As You Know: When Dietrich says he's going to attend an anti-nuke rally, Barney says "You do know that..." and then proceeds to rattle off the NYPD regulations against policemen engaging in political activity.
- Continuity Nod
- Yet another in the billions of references to Harris's novel "Blood on the Badge", as he says that his book revenues will allow him to buy Barney's apartment.
- The whole story about Barney's apartment picks up the plot thread from six episodes before in "People's Court", when Barney found out that his building was going condo and the Millers have to either buy or move.
- Gold Digger: Audrey McManus is pretty open that she wouldn't be with her husband if he hadn't suddenly become wealthy.Harris: I hope you have many happy years together
(Mrs. McManus looks alarmed)
Harris: Or not! - Internal Affairs: The 12th Precinct's nemesis Lt. Scanlon of IA shows up in the squad room, not for any particular reason, but seemingly just to annoy the detectives. Naturally he sees a big sack of money on Dietrich's desk (from Mr. McManus) and also overhears about Dietrich going to the rally.
- Multi-Part Episode: First part of a two-parter in which Dietrich gets arrested.
- Not What It Looks Like: Lt. Scanlon of Internal Affairs comes in and sees a burlap sack with $50,000 in it on Dietrich's desk. It's from Mr. McManus the lottery winner.Lt. Scanlon: You had a pretty good day, huh?
Dietrich: Oh yea, they were throwing it at us. - On the Next: There's a brief clip of Part 2 in which a nuclear plant guy is in the squad room with a barrel of nuclear plant water (he insists that it's secondary coolant for the steam generators).
- Pretty in Mink: Mrs. McManus the Trophy Wife is much less conflicted about being rich than her husband, as is demonstrated by the fur coat she's wearing when she shows up in the squad room.
- Shout-Out: When Barney notes that Dietrich hasn't shaved, Dietrich says "I must to the barber's, for methinks I am marvelous hairy about the face."Dietrich: Shakespeare. All right, everything he wrote wasn't gold.
- To Be Continued: Ends with a "To Be Continued" title after Wojo rushes up and says there's a riot going on outside.
- Trophy Wife: Mr. McManus is bailed out by his wife Audrey, who is blonde, attractive, and no more than half his age. They've been married for six weeks. She urges him to get past his guilt and spend his money on something he couldn't afford before.Mr. McManus: Like you.
Mrs. McManus: Good example.
