Title: Hunger Strike
Directed by: Tony Sheehan
Written by: Tony Sheehan and Stephen Neigher (story), Tony Sheehan (teleplay)
Air Date: February 18, 1982
Previous: Chinatown: Part 2
Next: The Arrival
Guest Starring: Larry Gelman, Nora Meerbaum, Stanley Kamel, Ion Teodorescu
"Hunger Strike" is the 13th episode of the eighth season of Barney Miller.
Wojo brings in one Philip Bishop, who was arrested for accosting food vendors in the park. It seems that Mr. Bishop was attacking the food vendors because he is on a hunger strike. He demands nuclear disarmament in Europe, the revival of the Camp David agreement, and, um, his apartment deposit back. Mr. Bishop hasn't eaten since...yesterday afternoon.
The second case is about a Miss Smith, who was arrested for stealing roses from a flower shop. Miss Smith speaks only gibberish, and it turns out that she is an inmate at a mental institution that got loose. Soon Dr. Packer from the mental hospital turns up and claims custody of Miss Smith, but Dietrich suspects there's more to the story.
In personal matters, there's another round of promotions to Deputy Inspector in the offing, and Captain Miller's name is at the top of the list of candidates. The detectives are excited, but Barney, who has been passed over three times, decides he won't apply.
Tropes:
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: Mr. Bishop demands peace talks in Israel, denuclearization, an entry visa for Andrei Sakharov, and a return of the cleaning deposit from his apartment. At the end of the episode, Wojo manages to resolve the last one.
- Continuity Nod:
- Barney is stressing about a promotion to Deputy Inspector, and it's specifically mentioned that he was passed over in 1975, 1978, and 1980. The '75 non-promotion was a plotline in the third episode of the series, "Snow Job", and Barney is depressed about not getting promoted in 1980 season finale "Fog".
- Harris, trying to cheer Barney up, mentions his own disaster when he was sued for liable and had to pay a huge judgment. That was seventh-season finale "Liquidation".
- Dietrich, suggesting that this time Barney surely will get the promotion, says "You haven't been in jail for almost a year!" That's a reference to Season 7 two-parter "Contempt" in which Barney went to jail for contempt of court.
- Eloquent in My Native Tongue: Miss Smith been in a mental asylum for two decades because she speaks "hebephrenic gibberish". Turns out she's a native speaker of Macedonian and perfectly sane.
- Ripped from the Headlines: Miss Smith has been institutionalized for twenty years as a schizophrenic speaking meaningless gibberish because no one understands her language. This is based on the story of David Tom
. note - Shout-Out: Mr. Bishop rants about not getting his deposit back, yelling "I have kept that place spotlessly clean! Joan Crawford would be happy!" That is a reference to notorious 1981 Joan Crawford biopic Mommie Dearest.
- What the Hell, Hero?: The squad room's reaction to Barney refusing to apply for a promotion. They all remind him that his failure to advance blocks their ability to advance as well. This motivates Barney to go in for the required physical.
- Writer's Block: Harris mentions his continuing struggles with writing, while trying to cheer Barney up. Harris being Harris, this devolves into a self-pity session where he forgets about Barney.
