Title: Riot
Directed by: Noam Pitlik
Written by: Greg Giangregorio (story), Frank Dungan and Jeff Stein (teleplay)
Air Date: April 30, 1981
Previous: Lady and the Bob
Next: The Vests
Guest Starring: James Gregory, Nehemiah Persoff, Howard Platt, Susan Tolsky
"Riot" is the 19th episode of the seventh season of Barney Miller.
Yakov Berger, the Hasidic Jew diamond merchant last seen in Season 5 episode "Middle Age", pays another visit to the squad room. The cantor at his temple was beaten and robbed, part of a major crime wave against Hasidim in the neighborhood, and they have had enough. Barney lamely promises to investigate why it took so long for the police to help the cantor, but can give no further reassurance.
The second case involves Bill and Wendy Nelson, two respectable middle class folks who were found living in the sewer, with an alarming cache of weaponry. It seems the Nelsons are survivalists who are convinced that society is on the verge of collapse, and they moved in to the sewers to face the apocalypse. Eventually the 12th calls in one Howard Kent, the survivalist merchant who sold the Nelsons their guns and their other survivalist gear.
Events suggest that the Nelsons might not be completely wrong. A group of some 200 very angry Jews gathers outside the 12th Precinct. Inspector Luger, there to hassle Barney about his arrest statistics, decides to go out and speak to them. Luger's tactlessness goads that Hasidim into a full-scale riot that leads to a mob storming the building.
In personal news, Harris is appealing the $320,000 judgment that he has to pay Arnold Ripner for libel.
Tropes:
- Absurdly Spacious Sewer: Apparently they're roomy enough for a married couple to camp out there, in some comfort, for an extended time.
- And Starring: James Gregory gets his regular "Special Guest Star" credit.
- Armor-Piercing Response: Howard Kent the survivalist guy throws the riot back in Barney's face, wondering if he can still deny that society is collapsing. A rueful Barney says that maybe society is collapsing, that maybe the NYPD "can't even make a dent" in crime, but that he still wouldn't want to crawl into a sewer or live After the End with the likes of Kent. Kent just says "That leaves more for us," as he leaves.
- Call-Back: Luger picks up a bullhorn and takes it downstairs to talk to the protestors. Later in the episode the bullhorn gets thrown through the window in the squad room door, the rioters having made it up to the top.
- Continuity Nod:
- Another reference to "Blood on the Badge" and the libel arc, as Harris is appealing the judgment.
- Mr. Berger, last seen in "Middle Age", shows up in the squad room again and mentions the diamond robbery.
- Luger says Barney needs to improve the 12th's arrest statistics, then says "Otherwise, I'm just going to have to cut you out of my will!" This is a reference to a couple of episodes prior where Luger announced that Barney would be his beneficiary.
- In the aftermath of the riot, Wojo says that he can't find his baseball signed by the 1936 Yankees. The episode ends with Harris saying "I think Luger took it!" This is a reference to an episode from Season Two where Luger had tried to pressure Wojo into handing over the baseball, only for Wojo to give him a fake.
- Crazy Survivalist: The gag is that the Nelsons look like "Ozzie and Harriet", being mild-mannered middle-class folk. That didn't stop them from building their own shelter in the sewer and stocking it with supplies and a cache of weapons. Wendy is handy with a grenade launcher.
- Facepalm: What sets the riot off? Luger, who went downstairs with his bullhorn and said, to a bunch of angry Hasidic Jews, "Why don't you all go home and take a shave?" Barney buries his face in his hands when he hears this.
- Second-Face Smoke: Levitt, annoyed at Harris's smoking, says "Take a puff, it's springtime." Harris proceeds to blow smoke directly into Levitt's face.
- Tastes Like Chicken: Bill Nelson explains the slingshot in his cache of weaponry by saying he can nail a rat at 20 yards with it. Wendy chirps "They taste a lot like chicken!", which grosses Harris out.
