Title: Vanished: Part 1
Directed by: Noam Pitlik
Written by: Frank Dungan, Jeff Stein, and Tony Sheehan
Air Date: January 10, 1980
Previous: People's Court
Next: Vanished: Part 2
Guest Starring: James Gregory, Elaine Giftos, John Dullaghan
"Vanished: Part 1" is the 13th episode of the sixth season of Barney Miller.
Ray Brewer, the alcoholic bum previously seen in Season 5's "Open House", returns to the 12th Precinct. This time, however, he isn't looking for free food. Ray tells Detective Harris that people have been mysteriously disappearing from the homeless shelter where he's been sleeping. Apparently someone comes in the middle of the night and takes them away. Harris is assigned to go undercover at the homeless shelter, a horrifying prospect to Harris the clothes horse, who dreads dressing like a bum.
The second wacky crime involves a Ms. Kiergo, a very attractive woman who was arrested for soliciting in a bar. As it turns out, she isn't a hooker. Instead, she was merely looking for a man to have sex with so she could conceive a child and become a single mother. Both Dietrich and Wojciehowicz are very interested.
In personal news, Inspector Luger, The Eeyore, drops by to depress everyone again. This time, Luger really does have something to complain about. It seems that the NYPD is trying to force him to retire, telling Luger that if he doesn't retire, he will be reduced in rank to Captain.
The episode ends with Ray Brewer coming back to the 12th, looking for Harris...who disappeared from the homeless shelter. But he isn't in the squad room, either. Harris has vanished!
Tropes:
- Accidental Misnaming: Another instance of Luger calling Officer Levitt "Levine", much to Levitt's irritation.
- Cliffhanger: Harris has been kidnapped! Tune in next week!
- Continuity Nod:
- Ray Brewer makes a reference to his previous appearance, saying "I was here last year, when you had an open house."
- Another of many references to the continuing arc of Harris's novel "Blood on the Badge", when Luger says, "I read your book." When Luger wonders why he was portrayed as a "little weirdo", Harris smilingly invokes Artistic License.
- The Dandy: Harris, who is obsessed with fashion and designer suits, is horrified to realize that he is going to have to dress up as a bum to infiltrate the shelter and find out what's happening with the missing men. He is mortified the next day when he comes into the office in his bum clothes.
- Did You Just Have Sex?: Dietrich's air of not having gotten sufficient sleep leads a suspicious Wojo to ask, "Had a rough night, huh?". Dietrich smirks but doesn't confirm Wojo's suspicions.
- Lame Pun Reaction: Harris can't resist joking when Ray tells his story, describing the disappearance of Ray's friends as "Kind of a bum's rush."Ray: I don't make jokes about your job.
- Multi-Part Episode: First of a two-parter in which Harris goes undercover to investigate a matter of disappearing homeless people.
- Noodle Incident: Invoked by Ray Brewer. He starts to talk about his past, and Captain Miller says that personally, he actually is interested in how people wind up living on the streets. Ray tells Barney that once, he had a good job, wife, and family.Ray: Then something happened, and I became a bum.
- On the Next: The "To Be Continued" end title is followed by a couple of clips from Part 2. The 12th gets a phone call from Harris in Maryland, while Captains Miller and Luger are sniping at each other.
- Reluctant Retiree: Inspector Luger is horrified by the idea of retirement but just as horrified by the prospect of demotion. Barney and Luger agree that Luger should just call command's bluff...and the end of the episode reveals that command wasn't bluffing, as Luger has been reduced in rank to captain.
- Stealth Insult: Harris responds to Barney's barely concealed amusement at the prospect of Harris dressing as a bum, by turning to Barney and saying "Gonna need that jacket?".
- To Be Continued: Ends with a "to be continued" title.
