Log 91: You're Not The First Guy Who's Had The Problem (Episode 5)

Episode 5

A close friend of Jim's, who is also a fellow officer, is wounded in the line of duty. With the recent tragedy weighing on his mind, Jim must get through his shift.

This episode starts in the locker room, where Officer Stenzler is showing Reed his new fishing reel. The two friends are planning a fishing trip for the upcoming weekend. 

Here are Stenzler and Reed. If this were Star Trek, Stenzler would be wearing a red shirt (spoiler alert).

This is Stenzler's FTO (Field Training Officer), Walters.

We know who this guy is.

Once they are in the car, Reed starts telling Malloy about the fishing trip he is planning with Stenzler. He also lets Malloy know that lately Jean has been very worried about Jim and his safety. They are interrupted by a radio call, "officer needs help, shots fired, 9226 Van Arden, handle code 3". Malloy races to the call, which is "half-way across the district".

When they arrive at the scene, they discover that Stenzler has been shot. After helping at the scene for a few minutes, Mac sends Adam-12 back on patrol.

Stenzler has been shot, but no blood is shown. Could you not show blood on TV back then? When did this change?

Schaefer's Ambulance Service has been around since 1932 and is still around today! I believe this the ambulance service that transported Marilyn Monroe's body to the morgue. Read more about Shaefer's here.

Reed picks up his friend's night stick.

In the car Reed tells Malloy that he and Stenzler went through the Academy together and have known each other prior to that, too. He looks for assurance from Malloy that Stenzler will be OK. Instead of filling Reed with false hope, Malloy tells him, "I don't know, I'm not a doctor".

Malloy then spots a suspected drunk driver and pulls him over. He tells Reed, "You take him. Keep you're mind on what you're doing." The drunk gets belligerent, but Reed is professional the entire time.

I find it adorable when Reed clips the driver's license to his tie. It's like his mommy pinned a note to him. Anyway, that is Ken Swofford playing the drunk. He's been on everything, but I remember him from the Fame TV show.

Los Angeles heat + a wool or synthetic suit + vinyl seats = sweat right through your suit. Ewww.

"Cops are psychological cripples!"

Do you believe this guy?

Really?

OK, you're drunk.

After they book the drunk, Reed tries to call Jean but she is not home. Mac tells them that Stenzler could be paralyzed. Soon, they are back on the street and Reed tells Malloy more about his friendship with Stenzler. They are then called to 1017 North Peterson for an ADW (assault with a deadly weapon) call.

Pete and Jim react to the news about Stenzler.

The ADW calls brings them to a pool hall. Four men were involved in a fight, and one was hit with a pool cue. The other 3 have dropped the injured man off at the hospital. Reed and Malloy will go to the hospital to investigate.

At the hospital, Reed and Malloy discover that the ADW victim does not want to make a complaint. Reed asks the Lieutenant if can see Mrs. Stenzler. The Lieutenant tells him that is not possible since she has been sedated.

After this, it is time for 7. At an authentic L.A. taco stand! During dinner, Reed tells Malloy that he is worried that Jean will think it is he who has been shot since the shooting has been on the news, but the officer's name has not been released. He is also worried that Jean may want him to quit the job now. Pete is not much help in this situation. 

Tacos!

Check out the prices on that menu! Everything is .35 or .45!

Pete tries to crack a joke.

Jim's not really in the mood to joke around.

Malloy flashes the peace sign at these young ladies on the way out. Notice the sign that says "Luis", it's taped over something. I wonder why.

After they eat, Malloy notices a red Ford that is parked the wrong way with a bike sticking out of it's trunk. The car takes off and Adam-12 is right behind it. They pull the car over and interrogate the driver and passenger.

There's that Mustang again. 

Malloy frisks the suspects while Reed strikes a pose. 

Malloy interrogates this guy, his name is Frank. 

Reed gets this guy.

The officers confer and discover that the suspects are giving them different stories. 

While Reed is running the license plate, they take off. Reed catches Frank.

Malloy tackles that other guy.

Well, obviously those guys are getting a ride to the station in the back of Adam-12.
When they arrive at the station, Mac gives them the news about Stenzler.

"Stenzler's dead."

Reed finally gets through to Jean. She asks Jim to check on Beth Stenzler before she starts crying. After he talks to his wife, Jim knows they will talk about the dangers of the job when he gets home. He also knows that everything will be alright between him and Jean.

Jim finally talks to Jean.

"You're not the first guy who's had the problem and you won't be the last. You'll work it out."

My thoughts on episode 5:

Reed's endless prattling on about his worry that Jean will be so worried about him that she will want him to quit the job really grates on my nerves. I just wanted to scream at the TV, "Good Lord, man, your good friend was just shot and you are making this about you!" I guess this is what makes a Malloy a great partner, though. He lets Reed work through the tragedy in his own way and is just there to listen. I would not have made such a good partner. 

I've never been a cop or been close to any cops, so I don't know what they go through when one of their own is shot. Maybe they all have thoughts similar to Reed's. Maybe the writing in this episode failed to make those feelings entertaining. I don't know. Something about this episode fails to make me sympathize with Reed.

There are some parts that I like about this episode, though. I like the scene with the drunk driver, Reed is the utmost professional despite his emotions. I love everything about their meal break at the taco stand; The setting, the way Malloy tries to make him feel better through humor, the peace sign.

I'm split on this episode, I don't love it, but I don't hate it. Therefore, I give it a rating of:

See you next time! KMA-367

Log 131: Reed, The Dicks Have Their Jobs and We Have Ours (episode 4, season 1)

Episode 4

In this episode we learn more about police work, namely the difference between detective work and uniformed officer work.  At the beginning of the episode Reed thinks the detectives have the more exciting job, by the end of the episode he learns that each job has its pro's and con's. This episode also introduces us to Sgt. Jerry Miller, he is the laid-back antithesis of the tightly wound Joe Friday.

At the start of the episode Pete and Jim are in the break room before roll call when detectives Jerry Miller and Dave Hudson walk in. The uniformed officers and the detectives spend some time ribbing each other and belittling each other's jobs before Malloy and Reed have to leave for roll call.  As they leave, Miller tells Malloy, "try not to trip out there on the pavement, Malloy".

Enter Miller and Hudson

Sgt. Miller is the one holding the coffee cup.  The other guy is Hudson.

"I heard you couldn't read the hot sheet without moving your lips", says Malloy to Miller.

Time for roll call.

When they are in the car Reed asks Malloy if all detectives act like Miller and Hudson, "needling us, acting superior, just because we work uniform". Malloy assures him that they were just kidding around and the detectives have done "their time in black and whites".

They get their first radio call of the night, a missing child at 2911 W. Oakmont.

Those guys were dicks.

Yes, they were detectives.

"1-Adam-12, 1-Adam-12, see the woman, a missing child, 2911 West Oakmont."

They arrive at the address and see Mrs. Bussey, she is afraid her four year-old son, Mark, has run away. Malloy quickly finds him when he looks in the basement window. He finds Mark watching their cat give birth to a litter of kittens. Mrs. Bussey is momentarily thankful.

This is Mrs. Bussey, she has the most annoying voice in television history. I'm not lying.

Malloy finds her son, Mrs. Bussey is happy.

Reed and Malloy are happy that she is happy.

Then Mrs. Bussey says that when he comes out she's "gonna kill him".

Okay, then. We'll be on our way.

Back to the street. Pete and Jim meet up with their informant, TeeJay (played by Robert Donner), a former "hype" who now helps Malloy. He tells them about a fight he heard in the hotel where he is staying. He also tells them that he saw a man leaving the scene with what appeared to be blood on his shirt.  Malloy decides they will go to the hotel and investigate.

Hey, Exidor TeeJay, what's shaking on Ork the street?

1-Adam-12 code 6 at the Hotel Dorado, 1104 South Front Street

Once inside the hotel, they question the man at the front desk, he has not heard a fight. He gives Pete and Jim permission to look around. They enter the room where TeeJay heard the noises coming from and see a dead body on the floor.

Knowing that they now have to preserve a crime scene, Pete tells Jim "don't touch anything". As soon as Pete says this, Jim wants to touch everything. Jim absent-mindedly swings the door shut, Pete dives for it and opens it by touching the top corner. He explains that if the door shuts, they won't be able to open it with out touching the knob. Then Reed wants to look in the man's wallet for ID, Malloy tells him to leave it alone. Malloy leaves the room to call the station and shuts the door, only touching the outside knob, he tells Reed to "stay on the door".

Have you heard a fight?

Nope.

This must be the same building where Cloris Leachman and her boys lived in episode 2.

He won't be paying his rent this week. 

Shut the door like this, Junior. What do they teach you kids at the Academy?

Hold the phone! We need detectives and a prints kit.

Detectives Miller and Hudson arrive and take over the investigation. They will make the report, question the other people at the hotel, and question TeeJay (Theodore Joseph Sims). Despite Reed's offer to help, the detectives tell Reed and Malloy that they'll take it from here.

We've got it from here, thanks.

Back in the car, Reed is upset that he and Malloy had to walk away from the murder investigation. He is also upset that Malloy wouldn't let him convince the detectives to accept their assistance. Malloy tells Reed, "While we're back at the hotel, who's covering here on the street?"

"The Dicks have their jobs and we have ours, it's that simple."

Reed's frustation is temporarily halted when they receive a radio call for 586 (illegal parking). As soon as they hear the nature of the call, they know it is Mr. Cullen. 

"I bet that's...Cullen again"

"He's a character!" 

View of the Los Angeles streets as they drive to Mr. Cullen's snack bar

When they arrive at Cullen's snack bar, he wants Reed and Malloy to ticket cars that he considers illegally parked in his lot. Seems Mr. Cullen charges .75 a day or $15 a month to park in the lot behind his snack bar. He has made signs to let people know that they can't park there without paying. However, his signs are not visible or worded correctly according to the law. He has been given instructions on wording and posting the signs several times. According to Malloy, Mr. Cullen just doesn't listen. They leave Cullen's lot without writing any tickets since his signs are not correct. 

Really, Mr. Cullen? You think anyone is going to pay attention to your raggedy cardboard signs?

Malloy finds Cullen's argument incomprehensible. 

Cullen is frustrated.

Malloy is about to give up.

You know he's done with you when he just stops talking and summons you with a freckled finger.

May I present Officer Reed, he will transcribe the proper wording for you on this slip of paper. 

Mr. Cullen is still arguing his point and Malloy is just done with the whole thing.

After leaving Mr. Cullen, Reed and Malloy get a call to investigate a family dispute at 2641 West Van Arden. Mr. & Mrs. Beuhler are having a fight over that night's dinner. Mr. Beuhler is upset that his wife is serving him ravioli "straight from a can" again. Although her husband has struck her, Mrs. Beuhler does not want him taken to jail. Reed and Malloy try to get them to reconcile so they can get back to patrol.

Reed and Malloy talk to Mr. Beuhler because Mrs. Beuhler has locked herself in the bedroom. 

Malloy has this effect on women, they start talking off their clothes when he's around. 

Meanwhile, Reed handles Mr. Beuhler. 

Reed and Malloy get these two to agree to a truce. 

Until, Mrs. Beuhler notices the scratch on her face. 

Then, it's on!

Later Malloy tells Reed, "you handled that OK", it only took them ten minutes to get her "cooled down again". Reed is not reveling in a job well done, however. He is still upset about not being involved with murder investigation. Malloy tries to convince him that they get it all out on the street. "The beginning of it anyway", Reed fires back.
Malloy then notices a blue Mercury that "stiffened up" when they came up behind it. Reed checks the hot sheet for the license plate, which starts with Nora Ocean Ida (NOI). It is not on the hot sheet. Malloy then pulls in front of the Mercury and notices that the front plate does not match the back license plate. The Mercury takes off with Adam-12 in pursuit.

You did OK, I might be able to make a decent cop out of you after all. 

Reed checks the "hot sheet" of wanted and stolen vehicles for the Mercury's license plate.  

Malloy notices that the front plate doesn't match the back plate.

And they're off!

They chase the bad guys right onto the Universal Studio back-lot.

They chase the car to a dead-end where the occupants of both cars come out with guns drawn. The bad guys drop their guns and our good cops frisk them. Malloy finds drugs on one of the suspects and in the car. It looks like this is one case that they will not have to turn over to detectives.

Drop 'em! 

What he said!

Okay, Okay! 

Hype kit 

Smack, 6 balloons 

We won't have to turn this one over to detectives. 

"But, it's not what you'd call really interesting."

"It'll do"

They return to the station to book the suspects and run into Miller and Hudson, who have been running "ragged" since Malloy and Reed left them. Although, all their hard work did not help to solve the murder case; the victim's brother walked into Newton Station and confessed to the whole thing. "We could have saved ourselves the trouble", laments Miller. Reed and Malloy have had a more satisfying night since the men they arrested have been on the run for about a month, they are parole violators with six warrants apiece. 
Before the credits roll, Miller tells Reed and Malloy that they did a "real good job protecting the scene" before the detectives arrived at the hotel. Reed, who is no longer upset, tells Miller, "Anytime, Sergeant. That's our job." Malloy is surprised by his change in attitude.

Sometimes being a dick ain't so great.

Well, look at Mr. Happy-To-Be-In-Uniform here. What happened to Mr. The-Dicks-Have-All-The-Fun?

Another great episode! I love learning tid-bits about police procedure, like how to shut the door with the top corner so that prints on the knob are not destroyed and why detectives take over the investigation on big cases. This episode teaches those tid-bits without getting boring. 
This episode did have some annoying characters in it (Mrs. Bussey, the Beuhlers, Mr. Cullen), but this creates lots of scenes for Milner to show us Malloy's frustration with priceless facial expressions.
So, in conclusion, learning stuff + Milner faces=

KMA-367, see you next time!