First Aired - April 13, 1967
Sergeant Joe Friday and Officer Bill Gannon are working in Administrated Vice Division. Friday goes undercover with Sergeant Bill Riddle from North Division to find evidence of an illegal gambling ring. Their target is the Domino Bar and Grill where the bartender, Richard Clinger, is suspected in giving numbers to access the gaming ring.
Just the Tropes, ma'am:
- Alas, Poor Villain: Richard Clinger's reason for taking part in the gambling ring is in order to make money to pay for his daughter's heart operation. She ends up having the operation, but dying on the operating table. In the final act, Clinger is still being held, and asks Friday and Riddle for help organizing a memorial service for her. The end-of-show epilogue reveals the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office decided not to prosecute Clinger for his part of the gambling ring, although they did extradite him to Pennsylvania to stand for an existing warrant for forgery.
- The Alcoholic: Jay Simmons walks in at Last Call for drinks and sits down with Friday having coffee. Friday tries to get rid of him until Angie is able to get him to leave.
- Ask a Stupid Question...: Friday, while undercover, asks one to Dick when they first meet about trying to do some illegal gambling. While Friday is trying to see if Dick will give him any information, Dick is smart enough to know not to give out the information to anyone.Richard Clinger: You say you're a native here?Friday (as Frasier): That's right.Clinger: Well, then, you ought to know. It's against the law.
- Destroy the Evidence: One of the main ways the bookies keep their information hidden is by using flash paper, which burns quickly and leaves no trace. Friday and Riddle break into a room where a bookie tries to set the papers on fire as soon as he hears them, but the cops are quick enough to keep most of them from burning.
- The Ghost: Dick Clinger's daughter is talked about but is never shown.
- Littlest Cancer Patient: Richard Clinger's daughter has a severe heart defect. He is saving money to help fund the surgery to repair her heart. Sadly, the surgery goes wrong and she dies.
- One-Steve Limit: Inverted, although Bill Gannon only has limited scenes in the episode. Friday teams up with Bill Riddle.
- Out of Focus: Bill Gannon is mostly absent in this episode, appearing in a few scenes. The reason is said that he is too well known in the area that Friday and Riddle are working and he would blow Riddle's cover.
- Punch-Clock Villain: Richard Clinger. He only decides to go into illegal gambling to make extra money for his daughter's surgery. He admits that he was planning on leaving once his daughter's surgery is completed.
- Religious Bruiser: Sergeant Bill Riddle is a chaplain for the police department. He had his own church years earlier until moving towards the police department. Just because he is a chaplain doesn't mean he is less of an officer.Riddle: The only time I drink is on the job.
