Starring:
Anne Bobby as Off. Vicki Quinn
Barbara Bosson as Mayor Louise Plank
Vondie Curtis-Hall as Det. Warren Osborne
Ronny Cox as Chief Roger Kendrick
David Gianopoulos as Off. Andy Campo
Larry Joshua as Capt. John Hollander
James McDaniel as Off. Franklin Rose
Ron McLarty as Ralph Ruskin
Mick Murray as Det. Joseph Gaines
Peter Onorati as Det. Vincent LaRusso
Jeffrey Alan Chandler as Ray Rodbart
Teri Austin as Trish Vaughn
Dennis Lipscomb as Sidney Weitz
Written by: William M. Finkelstein and Stephen Bochco and Toni Graphia and John Romano
Directed by: Gilbert M. Shilton
This show has done something that I can’t recall many, if any, other shows or movies doing to me over the course of my life, and that’s to completely confuse me as to what’s “good” or “bad”. If you’ve been following my reviews for this series as I’ve been posting them, then you’d know that I hated the first few episodes, but have given the couple since higher marks; the marks are still fairly low, but they represent more “average” fare, rather than the nearly “bottom-of-the-barrel” scores from earlier episodes.
But has the show really gotten any better? Or has forcing myself to sit down and continue to watch it, long after my interest has waned, merely desensitized my emotions to the point that I no longer feel a strong hatred towards it, but instead a dulled acceptance? Or was I maybe being a little too harsh on it at the beginning, have opened my mind to the idea a bit more, and now realize that it is, in fact, mediocre rather than an abject failure? I honestly can’t say for sure, but “Marital Blitz” continues the trajectory of the previous episodes, firmly implanting the series in “average” territory, and digging itself out of the early hole I found it in.
It begins, as it always does, with a song: in this case, the setting is some auditorium somewhere, where Chief Kendrick is awarding several officers with a Medal of Valor. Rather than merely walking to the podium and accepting the award, as people would normally do, the recipients all take turns singing about how they may be heroes, but so is everyone else that wears the blue and a badge (“You honor us with glory/we’re glad to heed the call/but if one of us is a hero, then we’re heroes all.”) Lyrically, it’s really kind of a gag-inducing number, which relies on clichés and stereotypes (as many of these songs seem to do), but it does get some help from the theatrical stage lighting, which illuminates each cop as it’s their turn to sing. This is common in theater, and I think this show has even done it before, but it works to good effect here.
After the credits (God, what a terrible credit sequence and a joke of a theme) we continue with Chief Kendrick, who is bombarded by the press after leaving the medal ceremony, for his anti-gay and anti-Semitic remarks to the press in a previous episode. He also faces more questions about his beliefs that Detective LaRusso is innocent, which he continues to defend, even though we know facts to the contrary. Once again, he faces some backlash in the press for voicing his opinions, even though the criminal trial is currently ongoing. When will he ever learn?
The latest outrage once again angers Mayor Louise Plank (who Kendrick is dating), who is disappointed in the way he carries himself and always seems to lose his cool when facing reporters. So to start “mending fences” with the press before things get out of hand, the Mayor decides to have an apology speech prepared for him that he will recite at a press conference. Right after excusing him from her office, she asks her assistant, the homosexual Ray Rodbart (sexual preference mentioned only as a reference to a forthcoming lame joke) if she was too hard on him, something she has done before. He assures her that she wasn’t. Her attention quickly shifts to his forthcoming birthday, and after discussing with Ray possible gift options, it is Ray (of course) who comes up with the idea to get him something “leather”. The Mayor thinks this is a great idea, and decides to get him a saddle, for his horse. After deciding on a color and style, of course that’s when Ray has to chime in with: “Would you like to see matching chap or spur options?” Oh, where would we be without stereotypical gay jokes?
Anyway, the whole thing unfolds as it often does in television shows: Kendrick awkwardly and disinterestedly delivers his pre-written speech to the press, and when his sincerity is questioned, launches into an impassioned speech about how he may occasionally let his emotions get the best of him and misspeak, but at the end of the day he’s as human as everyone else. Now I guess we’re all supposed to stand up and cheer for him and his honesty. The conference doesn’t quite go entirely smooth: he gets so worked up that he ends it by calling the gathered reporters “left-wing media jackals.” Uh-oh. But in true television fashion, this part doesn’t anger the Mayor…instead it turns her on (but then again, what doesn’t seem to?)
In Vicki news, she is keeping her promise from the end of the previous episode, and it is in this one that she informs her partner, Andy Campo, that she has put in for a new partner. Of course, Andy is devastated and angry, but really has no choice but to accept it, which he reluctantly does. She then goes to tell Captain Hollander, who, somewhat surprisingly, is in complete agreement with her, “given the situation.” It’s good to see that he’s largely been a likable guy lately, rather than the heartless asshole he was portrayed as in the first couple episodes.
In predictable fashion, their new partners arrive the same day, and would you believe that both of them prove to be complete opposites from what they are used to? Campo gets Officer Petrovich (I think this is her name; she is only credited as “cop”), a manly-looking woman who likes to highlight her masculine side. But she comes undone after a stupid confrontation in a fast-food chicken restaurant requires her to use physical force, at which point she forces herself on Campo, and forces us to hear her sing a terrible, terrible song about how intense situations turn her on. Okay. Meanwhile Vicki’s new partner, Officer Stillman, just happens to be a sexist pig to openly tells her on their first shift together that he doesn’t think women should grow up to be officers. Yawn.
Campo tells the Captain about his awkward experience of nearly being raped by his partner, and after Hollander initially accuses his hesitance to accept his new partner as sexism (even though he worked with Vicki Quinn for the previous three years, so it's an argument that holds no weight), eventually agrees to see what he can do. Stillman enters the office a short while later, offering his complaint that he wasn’t expecting to be with a woman. Hollander is having no part of this complaint and tells him that Vicki is twice the cop that he is, and will probably ever be, in another melodramatic, obligatory scene that we’re supposed to stand up and applaud. This is where these parallel stories stop for now, so I’m kind of interested to see how they play out in the next episode.
And in the last bit of narrative, we find that the creators didn’t think it was enough to have part cop show and part musical…now they have added part courtroom drama into the mix! Vincent LaRusso’s trial is finally underway. Things get off to an interesting start when, in the middle of the hearing, a black man stands up and causes disorder in the courtroom by accusing LaRusso of being a “racist assassin”, apparently based on the testimony he had heard up to that point. The judge orders him excused, and then grants a recess for everyone to clear their mind, which leads LaRusso to confront the man out in the hallway, as he sounds off to the gathered media. In a rare bit of restraint, LaRusso handles himself well, sticking to words instead of losing his cool and wailing on the guy, which I thought was going to be the outcome. Also unexpected is that the ensuing song, sung from the reporters’ points of view and titled “For the Record“, is actually kind of good. It falls into the same trap that “Cop Rock” frequently does, and that’s that it relies on stereotypes and never really brings anything new to the table, but I guess that’s the standard confines of network television. “For the Record” is about how the media focuses on sensationalism and public interest rather than actual news stories; the final shot of the reporters suddenly leaving, as if moving on to the next big story, thus leaving LaRusso and his accuser alone in the hallway is as strong--and complex--an image that this show has ever presented us.
After this, it’s back into the courtroom, free from interruption, musical or otherwise, as the trial continues. Officers Gaines and Potts, as well as Detective Lieutenant Ralph Ruskin, all testify against LaRusso, with LaRusso’s defense attorney, Sidney Weitz, focusing on their ever-changing stories, and calling their characters into question. These scenes don’t have much impact, because we already know what happened and whether or not he‘s guilty; to me, it’s a rather curious decision that the writers focused so much on the courtroom aspects.
In between the testimony, LaRusso has an uncharacteristically weak moment: he busts into the office of Trish, his attorney, and tells her that he’s going to skip town because he’s sure that he will be convicted. He even goes so far as to inform her that he has a fake passport and identification already prepared, ensuring that he can skip town at any moment. He is short on one thing, however: cash. The ridiculousness of this situation is that it becomes clear that he’s hoping Trish would be his financier. Why would she risk getting caught aiding a known fugitive if he were to run away? Thankfully, she talks him down and assures him that once all the witnesses have spoken, the jury will take their side. LaRusso doesn’t seem too confident in this assessment, but it’s enough to get him to halt his escape plans…at least for now.
The episode ends during Potts’ testimony. After he admits to Weitz that he changed his story (like the rest), tells him that he changed his story to clear his conscience (like the rest), and then faces a question involving possible bribery from Captain Hollander (like the rest), he goes on a verbal tirade about how, if he was truly doing this only to look out for his best interests, he could have just kept his mouth shut and there wouldn’t have been a trial. He then discusses how he used to love being a cop, but because of his decision to testify, cops have turned on him and he, and his family, are in constant fear of their lives. But despite this, his family is proud of him for deciding to do it, all because he‘s doing the right thing. There’s a quick shot of LaRusso staring intently at him, though what emotion is running through him is kind of hard to read--anger? respect?--before we fade out on Potts’ dedicated, intense stare.
The songs in this one ranged from absolutely cringe-inducing (the terribly-named “I Wanna Go Bumpty Bumpty”, where ‘bumpty bumpty’ is a euphemism for sex), to somewhat palatable, with “For the Record” emerging as the best one. Somehow, and despite the awful number, this episode still happens to be one of the better ones in terms of overall musical quality, and if someone (anyone!) could have had the presence of mind to pull the plug on “Bumpty”, it could have been even stronger.
The whole Chief Kendrick and Mayor Plank subplot seems to be running around in circles and going nowhere, but at least the remaining stories appear to be picking up some steam. With only two episodes left (and, according to an article I found online, the network’s statement of cancellation announced over a month before the final episode aired), it will be interesting to see if they had time to alter storylines so that all the loose ends are tied up: if that’s the case, then the next episode should have them move toward a clear resolve. Either way, it’s a ride that I certainly won’t be sad to see end when the time comes, despite the (perception of) gradual improvement here in the home stretch.
EPISODE RATING: 5/10
This show has done something that I can’t recall many, if any, other shows or movies doing to me over the course of my life, and that’s to completely confuse me as to what’s “good” or “bad”. If you’ve been following my reviews for this series as I’ve been posting them, then you’d know that I hated the first few episodes, but have given the couple since higher marks; the marks are still fairly low, but they represent more “average” fare, rather than the nearly “bottom-of-the-barrel” scores from earlier episodes.
But has the show really gotten any better? Or has forcing myself to sit down and continue to watch it, long after my interest has waned, merely desensitized my emotions to the point that I no longer feel a strong hatred towards it, but instead a dulled acceptance? Or was I maybe being a little too harsh on it at the beginning, have opened my mind to the idea a bit more, and now realize that it is, in fact, mediocre rather than an abject failure? I honestly can’t say for sure, but “Marital Blitz” continues the trajectory of the previous episodes, firmly implanting the series in “average” territory, and digging itself out of the early hole I found it in.
It begins, as it always does, with a song: in this case, the setting is some auditorium somewhere, where Chief Kendrick is awarding several officers with a Medal of Valor. Rather than merely walking to the podium and accepting the award, as people would normally do, the recipients all take turns singing about how they may be heroes, but so is everyone else that wears the blue and a badge (“You honor us with glory/we’re glad to heed the call/but if one of us is a hero, then we’re heroes all.”) Lyrically, it’s really kind of a gag-inducing number, which relies on clichés and stereotypes (as many of these songs seem to do), but it does get some help from the theatrical stage lighting, which illuminates each cop as it’s their turn to sing. This is common in theater, and I think this show has even done it before, but it works to good effect here.
"IF ONE OF US IS A HERO"
After the credits (God, what a terrible credit sequence and a joke of a theme) we continue with Chief Kendrick, who is bombarded by the press after leaving the medal ceremony, for his anti-gay and anti-Semitic remarks to the press in a previous episode. He also faces more questions about his beliefs that Detective LaRusso is innocent, which he continues to defend, even though we know facts to the contrary. Once again, he faces some backlash in the press for voicing his opinions, even though the criminal trial is currently ongoing. When will he ever learn?
The latest outrage once again angers Mayor Louise Plank (who Kendrick is dating), who is disappointed in the way he carries himself and always seems to lose his cool when facing reporters. So to start “mending fences” with the press before things get out of hand, the Mayor decides to have an apology speech prepared for him that he will recite at a press conference. Right after excusing him from her office, she asks her assistant, the homosexual Ray Rodbart (sexual preference mentioned only as a reference to a forthcoming lame joke) if she was too hard on him, something she has done before. He assures her that she wasn’t. Her attention quickly shifts to his forthcoming birthday, and after discussing with Ray possible gift options, it is Ray (of course) who comes up with the idea to get him something “leather”. The Mayor thinks this is a great idea, and decides to get him a saddle, for his horse. After deciding on a color and style, of course that’s when Ray has to chime in with: “Would you like to see matching chap or spur options?” Oh, where would we be without stereotypical gay jokes?
Anyway, the whole thing unfolds as it often does in television shows: Kendrick awkwardly and disinterestedly delivers his pre-written speech to the press, and when his sincerity is questioned, launches into an impassioned speech about how he may occasionally let his emotions get the best of him and misspeak, but at the end of the day he’s as human as everyone else. Now I guess we’re all supposed to stand up and cheer for him and his honesty. The conference doesn’t quite go entirely smooth: he gets so worked up that he ends it by calling the gathered reporters “left-wing media jackals.” Uh-oh. But in true television fashion, this part doesn’t anger the Mayor…instead it turns her on (but then again, what doesn’t seem to?)
In Vicki news, she is keeping her promise from the end of the previous episode, and it is in this one that she informs her partner, Andy Campo, that she has put in for a new partner. Of course, Andy is devastated and angry, but really has no choice but to accept it, which he reluctantly does. She then goes to tell Captain Hollander, who, somewhat surprisingly, is in complete agreement with her, “given the situation.” It’s good to see that he’s largely been a likable guy lately, rather than the heartless asshole he was portrayed as in the first couple episodes.
In predictable fashion, their new partners arrive the same day, and would you believe that both of them prove to be complete opposites from what they are used to? Campo gets Officer Petrovich (I think this is her name; she is only credited as “cop”), a manly-looking woman who likes to highlight her masculine side. But she comes undone after a stupid confrontation in a fast-food chicken restaurant requires her to use physical force, at which point she forces herself on Campo, and forces us to hear her sing a terrible, terrible song about how intense situations turn her on. Okay. Meanwhile Vicki’s new partner, Officer Stillman, just happens to be a sexist pig to openly tells her on their first shift together that he doesn’t think women should grow up to be officers. Yawn.
"I WANNA GO BUMPTY BUMPTY"
Campo tells the Captain about his awkward experience of nearly being raped by his partner, and after Hollander initially accuses his hesitance to accept his new partner as sexism (even though he worked with Vicki Quinn for the previous three years, so it's an argument that holds no weight), eventually agrees to see what he can do. Stillman enters the office a short while later, offering his complaint that he wasn’t expecting to be with a woman. Hollander is having no part of this complaint and tells him that Vicki is twice the cop that he is, and will probably ever be, in another melodramatic, obligatory scene that we’re supposed to stand up and applaud. This is where these parallel stories stop for now, so I’m kind of interested to see how they play out in the next episode.
And in the last bit of narrative, we find that the creators didn’t think it was enough to have part cop show and part musical…now they have added part courtroom drama into the mix! Vincent LaRusso’s trial is finally underway. Things get off to an interesting start when, in the middle of the hearing, a black man stands up and causes disorder in the courtroom by accusing LaRusso of being a “racist assassin”, apparently based on the testimony he had heard up to that point. The judge orders him excused, and then grants a recess for everyone to clear their mind, which leads LaRusso to confront the man out in the hallway, as he sounds off to the gathered media. In a rare bit of restraint, LaRusso handles himself well, sticking to words instead of losing his cool and wailing on the guy, which I thought was going to be the outcome. Also unexpected is that the ensuing song, sung from the reporters’ points of view and titled “For the Record“, is actually kind of good. It falls into the same trap that “Cop Rock” frequently does, and that’s that it relies on stereotypes and never really brings anything new to the table, but I guess that’s the standard confines of network television. “For the Record” is about how the media focuses on sensationalism and public interest rather than actual news stories; the final shot of the reporters suddenly leaving, as if moving on to the next big story, thus leaving LaRusso and his accuser alone in the hallway is as strong--and complex--an image that this show has ever presented us.
After this, it’s back into the courtroom, free from interruption, musical or otherwise, as the trial continues. Officers Gaines and Potts, as well as Detective Lieutenant Ralph Ruskin, all testify against LaRusso, with LaRusso’s defense attorney, Sidney Weitz, focusing on their ever-changing stories, and calling their characters into question. These scenes don’t have much impact, because we already know what happened and whether or not he‘s guilty; to me, it’s a rather curious decision that the writers focused so much on the courtroom aspects.
In between the testimony, LaRusso has an uncharacteristically weak moment: he busts into the office of Trish, his attorney, and tells her that he’s going to skip town because he’s sure that he will be convicted. He even goes so far as to inform her that he has a fake passport and identification already prepared, ensuring that he can skip town at any moment. He is short on one thing, however: cash. The ridiculousness of this situation is that it becomes clear that he’s hoping Trish would be his financier. Why would she risk getting caught aiding a known fugitive if he were to run away? Thankfully, she talks him down and assures him that once all the witnesses have spoken, the jury will take their side. LaRusso doesn’t seem too confident in this assessment, but it’s enough to get him to halt his escape plans…at least for now.
The episode ends during Potts’ testimony. After he admits to Weitz that he changed his story (like the rest), tells him that he changed his story to clear his conscience (like the rest), and then faces a question involving possible bribery from Captain Hollander (like the rest), he goes on a verbal tirade about how, if he was truly doing this only to look out for his best interests, he could have just kept his mouth shut and there wouldn’t have been a trial. He then discusses how he used to love being a cop, but because of his decision to testify, cops have turned on him and he, and his family, are in constant fear of their lives. But despite this, his family is proud of him for deciding to do it, all because he‘s doing the right thing. There’s a quick shot of LaRusso staring intently at him, though what emotion is running through him is kind of hard to read--anger? respect?--before we fade out on Potts’ dedicated, intense stare.
The songs in this one ranged from absolutely cringe-inducing (the terribly-named “I Wanna Go Bumpty Bumpty”, where ‘bumpty bumpty’ is a euphemism for sex), to somewhat palatable, with “For the Record” emerging as the best one. Somehow, and despite the awful number, this episode still happens to be one of the better ones in terms of overall musical quality, and if someone (anyone!) could have had the presence of mind to pull the plug on “Bumpty”, it could have been even stronger.
The whole Chief Kendrick and Mayor Plank subplot seems to be running around in circles and going nowhere, but at least the remaining stories appear to be picking up some steam. With only two episodes left (and, according to an article I found online, the network’s statement of cancellation announced over a month before the final episode aired), it will be interesting to see if they had time to alter storylines so that all the loose ends are tied up: if that’s the case, then the next episode should have them move toward a clear resolve. Either way, it’s a ride that I certainly won’t be sad to see end when the time comes, despite the (perception of) gradual improvement here in the home stretch.
EPISODE RATING: 5/10
FULL EPISODE
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