Title: The Inventor
Directed by: Noam Pitlik
Written by: Frank Dungan, Jeff Stein, and Tony Sheehan
Air Date: May 1, 1980
Previous: The Architect
Next: Fog
Guest Starring: Ben Piazza, Arny Freeman, Dan Frazer
"The Inventor" is the 21st episode of the sixth season of Barney Miller.
There's just one wacky case this week. Mr. Herbert Emery is the eponymous inventor, who was caught breaking into the safe at the energy company that employs him. It seems that Mr. Emery, who was asked by his employers to develop a better battery, actually developed the perfect battery, a perpetual energy device. Or so he claims, at least. According to Mr. Emery, his bosses shut his project down because they realized that if people bought a battery that would never go dead, people would never buy batteries anymore. Mr. Essex, the man from Powerite Electronics where Mr. Emery works, says that Mr. Emery is a nutcase—but Mr. Essex is oddly determined to get those blueprints back.
Meanwhile, Wojo is trying but failing to remember the name of a robbery suspect, which was shouted out by the suspect's partner in crime as they escaped from Wojo and Harris. At Dietrich's suggestion, Barney brings in a hypnotist, Dr. Kramer, to bring out Wojo's memory of the name. Dr. Kramer puts Wojo under and succeeds in getting Wojo to recall what the thief said—and he also accidentally gets Wojo to reveal some very candid opinions of his coworkers.
In personal news, Barney is wearing the bolo tie that he asked Harris to get for him in the previous episode. No one likes it.
Tropes:
- Ambiguous Situation: Mr. Emery's claims to have built a perpetual energy device. Dietrich notes correctly that the battery violates the laws of thermodynamics, but, after taking a look at the blueprints, says that "it could work." (And Dietrich is basically an Omnidisciplinary Scientist that works as a cop.). Mr. Essex from Powerite Electronics dismisses Mr. Emery as a loon—but he seems awfully eager to get those drawings back and refuses to press charges against Mr. Emery when he's told that the blueprints would be evidence.
- Armor-Piercing Response: Mr. Essex says that Mr. Emery's plans are nonsensical scribblings. Barney then shoots back, "Then why were they locked in the president's safe?"Mr. Essex: Sentimental reasons.
- Continuity Nod: Barney is wearing the bolo tie that he asked Harris to get him in the previous episode. Everyone makes fun of it.
- Impossibly Tacky Clothes: Literally everyone makes fun of Barney's bolo tie. Under hypnosis Wojo reveals how he and Harris were laughing in the car about how Harris got Barney the tie as a gag gift and couldn't believe it when Barney actually liked it.
- In Vino Veritas: The functional equivalent thereof. Wojo, under hypnosis, says that he dislikes Barney always condescending to him and that he's sick and tired of Harris's self-obsession and endless talking about his book.
- Job Title: An inventor, who claims to have made a perpetual energy device.
- Perpetual Motion Machine: Basically what Mr. Emery claims to have invented, a battery that will never run out of energy.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: Dr. Kramer the hypnotist is brought in because Wojo can't remember what the second thief said; all Wojo can remember is "Hey,—, there's a cop!" In a hypnotic trance, Wojo succeeds in remembering what the second thief said: "Hey, behind you!"
- Springtime for Hitler: Harris needs places to put all the profits from Blood on the Badge, and he offers to bankroll Mr. Emery's battery. Mr. Emery sees through this, correctly noting that Harris is looking for the battery to fail so he can claim a write off. Finally he says, "Sergeant, let me tell you something, I'm going to take your money and build my battery and make you a millionaire in the process. I am going to put you in the seventy percent bracket buddy.!"
