Title: Quarantine, Part 1
Directed by: Lee Bernhardi
Written by: Tony Sheehan
Air Date: September 30, 1976
Previous: Evacuation
Next: Quarantine, Part 2
Guest Starring: James Gregory, Jack De Leon, Ray Stewart, Paula Shaw, David Darlow
"Quarantine, Part 1" is the second episode of the third season of Barney Miller.
There's a heat wave in New York, and the usual weirdoes are coming in to the 12th Precinct. Wojo arrests one Philip Dupree for breaking into a warehouse. Mr. Dupree's only ID is a passport, and Barney is intrigued to see that Dupree has been all over the world, to places as exotic as Singapore and Angola. Yemana has brought in a prostitution suspect, Paula Capshaw, who insists that she is not a hooker and that she asked an undercover cop at a hotel for $60 on a whim. Meanwhile, Marty and Darryl, the 12th's favorite gay couple, pay Capt. Miller a visit. Marty's on parole and wants permission to move to the Gayborhood of San Francisco. He asks Barney to be a character witness, which Barney finds startling, since his detectives have arrested Marty six times.
Those petty concerns are swept aside when Dupree, who was complaining about being hot and sweaty like everyone else, suddenly collapses. A doctor is called in and, after examining Dupree, writes "Quarantine" on cardboard and puts it up on the door. While the doctor thinks Dupree might have chicken pox, he might have smallpox.
Dupree is wheeled away to the hospital, and just like that everybody's locked into the squad room: Barney, his detectives, Paula the hooker, Marty, Darryl...and also Inspector Luger, who like the doofus he is took the "Quarantine" sign off the door and strolled inside to ask Barney what was going on.
Followed the next week by the second half of the two-parter, "Quarantine, Part 2".
Tropes:
- Abusive Parents: Luger's backstory. When Barney suggests that homosexuality is caused by "problems in the home, a weak father" (1976, folks), Luger says that wasn't a problem in his house, because his dad was tough. Tough enough to backhand young Frank Luger across the room.
- And Starring: James Gregory gets his usual "Special Guest Star" credit.
- Heat Wave: It's over 90 degrees in New York and everyone is sweaty and uncomfortable. This is why no one realizes that Dupree is in distress until he keels over.
- Lockdown: The men of the 12th and the civilians in the squad room at the time get locked in out of concern that they may have been exposed to smallpox.
- Multi-Part Episode: The first two-part episode of Barney Miller.
- Those Two Guys: Those Two Gay Guys, namely, Marty and Darryl again. Marty wants Capt. Miller's help so that he and Darryl can move to the 1970s gay mecca, San Francisco.
- Unusual Euphemism: Paula says her occupation is "human relations consultant."
- Vague Age: When asked her birthday by Yemana, Paula says "February 12, post-war." When Yemana starts typing "Nineteen twenty..." an agitated Paula admits "'43!".
