Title: Movie: Part 1
Directed by: Noam Pitlik
Written by: Frank Dungan and Jeff Stein
Air Date: January 22, 1981
Previous: Field Associate
Next: Movie: Part 2
Guest Starring: George Murdock, Dino Natali, Dennis Howard, Arny Freeman
"Movie: Part 1" is the ninth episode of the seventh season of Barney Miller.
The 12th Precinct has only one wacky case this week. Levitt and Dietrich arrest Phillip Helm, a radio reporter who assaulted a television reporter at an ERA rally. Mr. Helm, an abrasive and hostile man who resents being stuck in the ghetto of AM radio, attacked TV host Jed Brinkman for stealing his interview with Rep. Bella Abzug.
Meanwhile, Harris is on a special op. He has been charged with making a pornographic film, so the NYPD can get an insider look into the illegal porn industry. But Harris, being Harris, can't simply make a quick, cheap stag film. Instead he's making it into a big budget production, much to the horror of Barney and Barney's superiors.
The other plot line involves Officer Zatelli, the uniform cop who came out as gay in Season 6 premiere "Inquisition". Lt. Scanlon of Internal Affairs has showed up at the station to hassle Wojo, who has been accused of sexually harassing a male pickpocket. An angry Wojo bursts out that he isn't some homosexual like Zatelli. And just like that, Zatelli has been outed to Internal Affairs.
Tropes:
- As You Know: Barney's complaints to Harris about the increasing scale of Harris's production are how exposition is delivered to the audience, about how the NYPD is pretending to make a porn film "to see how they" (the porn industry) "operate."
- Casting Couch: Discussed Trope, when Harris is talking on the phone to a porn star named Kitty. He says that the part will involve "nudity and explicit sexual activity," then after a pause says "No, not at the audition, save it for the movie!"
- Coming-Out Story: The end of a three-episode arc in which Officer Zatelli comes out, first to Barney and his co-workers at the 12th, and finally in this episode to the whole NYPD. Zatelli gets a Happy Ending: instead of being forced to resign, he gets promoted to a nice post at Manhattan South. Zatelli implies that he was helped out by another gay man higher in the ranks of the department.
- Continuity Nod:
- In the second episode of the three-episode Zatelli arc, "The Child Stealers", Barney urges Zatelli to come out of the closet on his own terms before someone does it for him. In this episode, someone does.
- Everyone else is upset at Wojo for outing Zatelli to IA, even Levitt, who was caught informing on the squad to Internal Affairs in the previous episode, "Field Associate."
Levitt: I was the field associate, and I'm disgusted. - Doing It for the Art: In-Universe with Harris, who is getting carried away with his porn film. He is building sets and has rented a studio. When Barney yells at him about blowing way past his budget before even shooting any film, Harris says "This business is being ruined by accountants!".
- Forced Out of the Closet: Wojo's blunder in blurting out a crass comment about Zatelli, with Lt. Scanlon in the office, accidentally outs Zatelli to the NYPD.Wojo: Barney, what is this? Hey, this is me you're talking to, not Zatelli!
- Internal Affairs: Another visit by the 12th Precinct's nemesis, Lt. Scanlon of IA. Scanlon is there to annoy Wojo about a harassment complaint that even Scanlon admits is bogus, but when Scanlon finds out that one of the uniform cops is gay, he gets really excited.
- Last-Second Word Swap: Harris is talking over the phone to a porn actress named Kitty, while looking at a photo of her. He says "Kitten, you appear to be a young lady with a very impressive set of...credits."
- Leave Behind a Pistol: Discussed Trope. Lt. Scanlon's weird comments about how he and Barney should leave Zatelli alone and trust him to do "the right thing" leads a disgusted Barney to snark about how Scanlon apparently wants to give Zatelli "his service revolver and one bullet."Lt. Scanlon: I could use a cup of coffee.
- Multi-Part Episode: The first of two episodes involving Harris producing a porno.
- Newhart Phone Call: A frequent gag on the show, here seen in the cold open where Dietrich is telling a woman on the phone, who wants a man arrested, that they can't arrest him if he hasn't done anything. Finally Dietrich says, "Look, look lady, he's been President for two days, give him a chance!"
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Literally every character in the episode gives Wojo one of these for outing Zatelli.
- Oh, Crap!: Wojo's reaction when he realizes he outed Zatelli to Internal Affairs.
- Porn with Plot: What Harris is doing, getting carried away with himself and making a complex, intricate pornographic film.
- This Is What the Building Will Look Like: Harris has models of all the sets he wants to build for his porno, including "Vicky's office" with a trapeze, and "the monk's quarters."
- White-Dwarf Starlet: Part of Mr. Helm's boundless rage is rooted in how he was once a TV news reporter, but is now stuck on a weak AM radio station.Mr. Helm: I used to be on television, right here in New York!
