What time is it?
First Aired - January 19, 1967
Sergeant Joe Friday and Officer Bill Gannon are working in the burglary division when a report of explosives and detonation devices had been stolen from a construction site storage area. The devices lead to a home of a Neo-Nazi who has big plans for the explosives.
Just the Tropes, ma'am:
- A Nazi by Any Other Name: Played straight – the suspect is indeed a Neo-Nazi, and Friday minces no words telling him what he thinks of him.
- The Conspiracy: Chapman was working with a co-conspirator named Henry Jones to steal the explosives. Once Chapman is exposed and arrested, Chapman identifies Jones as the co-conspirator. The LAPD searches for him and finds him serving time in a Nevada prison for crimes he committed in that state.
- Demolitions Expert: The episode features Ray Murray from SID and another demolitions expert. They explain just how damaging the explosives can be, and safely remove them when found.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Chapman was already wanted for assault before he stole the explosives. He got into a fender bender on the freeway, but when he realized the other driver was a black man Chapman shot him in the arm.
- Hair-Trigger Explosive: Ray Murray points out the detonators are radio-operated, which makes them highly susceptible to being set off by stray radio or television transmissions (like police radios). When Friday and Gannon find them, they take great care to make sure no radios or other transmissions are made until they are safely taken away by SID.
- Right-Wing Militia Fanatic: As he's being arrested, Chapman implies that he is part of a larger movement consisting of like-minded people.Donald Chapman: There's others who feel like me - it don't make much difference what happens to me...Sgt. Joe Friday Now you listen to me, you wide-mouthed punk, we've heard just about all we want from you.Donald Chapman: I know my rights. I know the law, too. You'll want to know a LOT more - a motive, for one thing.Sgt. Joe Friday: Hate'll do for a start, and you try to put that walnut-sized brain of yours to work on this: you keep harping about minorities.Donald Chapman: That's right.Sgt. Joe Friday: Well, mister, you're a psycho, and they're a minority too.
- Room Full of Crazy: Chapman's apartment is full of weapons, explosives, and Nazi artifacts.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Friday talks with an attorney from the District Attorney's office about removing the explosives from the apartment. While Murray thinks it should be done immediately it would still constitute an illegal search and seizure and could risk the whole case being thrown out of court. The explosives are highly sensitive and could trigger at any moment. While they could evacuate the area, it would take too long. Friday decides that saving the people living in the area is more important than the case. It's not mentioned what effect, if any, this had on the criminal trial against Chapman.
- Smug Snake: Fits most of the criminals throughout Dragnet's history, but this one may stand out more than most: He wears Cool Shades and eats his breakfast, arrogantly extolling his values of hate and white supremacy while not caring if hundreds of innocent people die because of his planned actions.
- Wham Line: After discussing with Gannon that no legitimate business would accept the stolen dynamite and detonators, and that the thief couldn't fence it, Friday comes to only one conclusion.Friday: Whoever stole it, intends to use it.
- Where's the Kaboom?: Chapman and his accomplice threw a hand grenade at the security guard as they were fleeing. The guard got lucky in that the primer was wet, which prevented the grenade from exploding.
- Would Hurt a Child: By lying about the current time, Joe dupes Chapman into confessing where he'd planted the explosives: In a school that was to hold its first integrated classes that morning.
