Title: The Hero
Directed by: Noam Pitlik
Written by: Chris Hayward and Danny Arnold
Air Date: May 1, 1975
Previous: Hair
Next: Doomsday
Guest Starring: James Gregory, Cal Gibson, Todd Bridges
"The Hero" is the 13th and last episode of the first season of Barney Miller. (It was a Midseason Replacement.)
The 12th has arrested a pimp by the name of "Mayflower", who is charged with assault for throwing a john out a second-story window. Meanwhile, Barney's wife Liz makes a citizen's arrest, bringing in an 8-year-old boy named Truman (Todd Bridges), who tried to mug her in an elevator even though his only weapon was a stick. Barney and the gang elect to scare the boy out of a life of crime.
The main story involves Chano and Fish being called out to a bank robbery. After a while they return, but Chano is acting oddly, projecting a false cheerfulness while obviously being highly agitated. Fish explains what happened: the bank robbers had taken hostages, and Chano saved the hostages and ended the standoff, by shooting and killing both robbers.
Tropes:
- Bad to the Last Drop: The first instance of the Running Gag about the terrible coffee being specifically blamed on Yemana, and unusually, it's played for drama. Chano, who is teetering on the edge of a complete breakdown, says that Yemana's coffee tastes like it was made yesterday. When Yemana, attempting to keep the mood light, says "What time yesterday?", Chano flips out and smashes his mug.
- Brick Joke: Yemana complains about not having any magazines to read when he goes to the restroom to poop. At the end of the episode he retrieves from the wastebasket the incident report of Chano's officer-involved-shooting, and takes it into the restroom.
- Broken Tears: Chano is left holding a beer, crying in his apartment, as the enormity of what he did hits home.
- Celebrity Paradox: Chano says he went to see Dirty Harry. Max Gail (Det. Wojciehowicz) had a small part in Dirty Harry as a thug.
- Comically Missing the Point: Chano is obviously on the verge of hysterics, when, after he's told he may get a medal, he says "A medal! How do you like that?" Inspector Luger, completely missing the mood, says "That man is an example for every Puerto Rican on the force!"
- Early-Installment Weirdness: This was the fifth episode in the 13-episode first season that included a scene outside of the squad room. (In this case, Chano's apartment.) There would only be eight more such episodes over the seven remaining seasons of Barney Miller.
- Pimp Duds: Mayflower the pimp has the standard pimp duds, namely a maroon suit lined with fur, a goofy wide-brimmed hat, and high boots.
- Scare 'Em Straight: The cops of the 12th Precinct do this with little Truman, telling him that "Judge Meany" will chuck him into prison for fifteen years... but if he tells the truth and apologizes he can go home to his grandparents.
- These Hands Have Killed: Chano is ridden with guilt after taking the lives of two men, even if they were criminals.
- Your Television Hates You: A depressed Chano keeps flipping from station to station on his TV in his apartment, but every single station is reporting on his shootout at the bank. Even the Japanese-language station.note
