Belker (Bruce Weitz in top growly form) books angry paraplegic Gerry Gaffney (a stand-out performance by Gary Frank) for spray painting his car. Bobby (a fine Michael Warren) represents Hill Station in a boxing match. A shady aspect of Hunter's (terrific work from James Sikking) past turns up among the evidence found at the bust of a bookie joint.
The heated exchanges between Belker and Gaffney pack a significant dramatic wallop, with the scene in the bathroom rating as a definite powerful highlight (Belker has to help Gaffney get out of his chair and accidentally drops him on the floor). The bookie bust provides neat insights into inner city politics and bargaining while a murder trial that goes awry makes a potent point on how sometimes justice isn't always served the way it should be. The boxing match proves to be quite rousing. Moreover, there are sturdy guest contributions from Michael Ironside as the vengeful Schrader, Jack Murdock as shaky witness Tully, Deborah Richter as Renko's sweet girlfriend Daryl Ann, and, in an especially funny turn, Lee Weaver as flasher Buck Naked. However, it's Hunter's feelings of guilt and shame over his naiveté and poor judgment that he showed as a rookie cop that really makes this episode so strong and special: Hunter has a sterling scene with LaRue (a solid Kiel Martin) in the locker room talking about his embarrassment that elicits sympathy for his plight and Hunter's attempted suicide at the end concludes everything on a startling note.
The heated exchanges between Belker and Gaffney pack a significant dramatic wallop, with the scene in the bathroom rating as a definite powerful highlight (Belker has to help Gaffney get out of his chair and accidentally drops him on the floor). The bookie bust provides neat insights into inner city politics and bargaining while a murder trial that goes awry makes a potent point on how sometimes justice isn't always served the way it should be. The boxing match proves to be quite rousing. Moreover, there are sturdy guest contributions from Michael Ironside as the vengeful Schrader, Jack Murdock as shaky witness Tully, Deborah Richter as Renko's sweet girlfriend Daryl Ann, and, in an especially funny turn, Lee Weaver as flasher Buck Naked. However, it's Hunter's feelings of guilt and shame over his naiveté and poor judgment that he showed as a rookie cop that really makes this episode so strong and special: Hunter has a sterling scene with LaRue (a solid Kiel Martin) in the locker room talking about his embarrassment that elicits sympathy for his plight and Hunter's attempted suicide at the end concludes everything on a startling note.
