Title: Thanksgiving Story
Directed by: David Swift
Written by: Reinhold Weege
Air Date: November 24, 1977
Previous: Chase
Next: Tunnel
Guest Starring: Ian Wolfe, Susan Davis, George Skaff, Charles Lucia
"Thanksgiving Story" is the ninth episode of the fourth season of Barney Miller.
Guess what? It's Thanksgiving! Wojo is going to celebrate with his babe of the week, while Barney is naturally having dinner at home with the family. A lonely Inspector Luger, who guilt-tripped Barney into inviting him over for Christmas '76, is once again throwing extremely unsubtle hints that he'd like to come by. Yemana is spending Thanksgiving doing what he does every other day: gambling.
There are two wacky cases for the detectives this week. In one, four mental patients lock their attendants in a closet and escape from a local mental hospital. Eventually, they're found creating a disturbance in an automat. In the other, an Ed Gerrity is brought in for stabbing his brother-in-law Paul Powell with a fork over Thanksgiving dinner. It seems that Ed strongly resents Paul the out-of-work sculptor living at his house for nine months, and Paul reaching for the leg was the last straw.
Tropes:
- Continuity Nod: Luger mentions how Barney had him over for Christmas, which was Season 3's "Christmas Story". Once again, a lonely Luger badgers Barney into inviting him over for the holiday.
- Death Glare: Harris gets one from Barney when he asks of Mr. Gerrity, "You want me to check him for prior forkings?"
- Fun with Homophones: Harris says he's bored and he wants to travel, saying "I need to go abroad." Wojo says "You need to get one." ("A broad", that is.)
- The Gambling Addict: Yemana spends Thanksgiving wondering if Alcorn State will beat the spread.
- Hitler Ate Sugar: Dukane the nudist says that Hitler was all about the uniforms and he'd never have taken over if he were naked.
- Naked People Are Funny: One of the mental hospital kooks, Mr. Dukane, apparently takes his clothes off whenever he gets upset. He's given to saying things like "Nakedness is truth! Clothes are a lie!", and he threatens to drop his pants if the detectives get too close.
- Newhart Phone Call: Wojo's Thanksgiving phone call to his girl makes Barney uncomfortable.Wojo: No, I don't have a favorite part. [Beat] Oh, I thought you were talking about the turkey.
- Really Gets Around: It's eventually revealed that Nurse Krewson is this. Her comments about her devotion to nursing clearly are really about something else—especially since the mental patients were able to lock her and Mr. Burger the attendant in the closet because the two of them were already in there.Nurse Krewson: I have always given to anyone who needed me—the halt, the lame, the blind....If you want it, all you have to do is ask....You ask, I give.
- Starving Artist: Dietrich's comment about how Mr. Powell the sculptor probably won't be recognized until after he's dead brings small comfort to Mr. Gerrity.
- Thanksgiving Episode: The detectives look forward to getting home for dinner, while a man is brought in for stabbing his brother-in-law with a fork over the turkey.
