Title: The Clown
Directed by: Alan Bergmann
Written by: Sam Simon
Air Date: January 14, 1982
Previous: Examination Day
Next: Chinatown: Part 1
Guest Starring: Walter Olkewicz, Howard Platt, Phillip Bruns, J.J. Barry, Michael Tucci
"The Clown" is the tenth episode of the eighth season of Barney Miller.
Harris is interviewing William Krebs, aka "Bingo the Clown". Bingo, who is a distinctly unfunny clown, says he was doing his thing when a mugger knocked him over and stole his collection plate. This fits the MO of a mugger who has been robbing clowns all over the precinct. When they catch him, it's Arthur Duncan, a particularly slimy mugger who has been seen in earlier Barney Miller episodes robbing the Salvation Army and handicapped people.
Harris and Levitt are called to respond to a party at a hotel getting out of hand, with loud noise and hookers. They arrest an out-of-towner named Andrew Landry, who is from New Mexico and is actually a headhunter in New York to recruit NYPD cops for his city. While all this is happening, Levitt learns that his Medal of Honor recommendation for his moment of heroism in Episode 8.3, "The Car", has been turned down. An enraged Levitt, frustrated at his lack of advancement in the department, decides to quit and take the New Mexico job.
Dietrich and Wojo respond to a report of a disturbance at a cafeteria, and arrest three cons who, as it turns out, were let out of Rikers Island barely an hour before they ran riot and wrecked the cafeteria. In fact there were a hundred cons who were taken out of Rikers and simply dropped off in Manhattan. Eventually Barney talks to the man responsible, one Gordon Kaiser, a prison bureaucrat who shamefacedly admits that lately he's been in the habit of letting petty criminals out of jail to relieve overcrowding in the prison. This causes Barney to have something of an existential crisis as he wonders just what the point of his job is, if the criminals will be routinely released.
Sam Simon, who later would be showrunner and main creative force behind The Simpsons, wrote the script.
Tropes:
- Continuity Nod: More than most episodes.
- When Levitt is called into Barney's office, he first wonders if it's something about his "deaf sister". Levitt was revealed to have a deaf sister (and to be fluent in sign language) in Season 7 episode "Stormy Weather".
- There's another reference to the mini-arc about Levitt saving the life of a 10-year-old boy, and Barney recommending him for the Medal of Honor. That incident happened in the third episode of this season, "The Car". Dialogue (namely Barney reading the letter from NYPD command) even gets the date of that episode right: November 12, 1981.
- It's another appearance of Arthur Duncan, a rather loathsome mugger with a habit of picking particularly weak and sympathetic victims. Arthur was previously brought into the 12th for robbing the disabled ("Movie: Part 2") and the Salvation Army "Contempt: Part 2").
- Damned by Faint Praise: Barney calls Levitt into his office to read a letter vaguely explaining why Levitt won't be receiving the Medal of Valor in spite of his heroic actions:Levitt: Didn't you tell them I saved the life of a small boy at considerable risk to my own?
Barney: Well aware of that.
Levitt: Oh. Well then, did they offer a particular reason, or are they just kissing me off for kicks?
Barney: I'll read you exactly what they wrote: 'The board acknowledges that the actions taken by Officer Carl Levitt on November 12, 1981 were noteworthy, well in keeping with the high level of excellence maintained by the New York City Police Department; however, request denied.'
Levitt: Well, that certainly explains it. - Job Title: William Krebs, the clown. Harris is startled to learn that Krebs left not only a job as an insurance claims investigator, but a wife and three kids, to start a new life as a pretty terrible clown.
- Non-Ironic Clown: William "Bingo" Krebs, who wears facial makeup, a red derby hat, and a blue overcoat with plaid elbow patches. He was mugged while performing outside a theater.
- Non Sequitur Distraction: Mr. Kaiser's admission that he's been routinely letting minor offenders go causes Barney to have a meltdown. Barney gives an impassioned speech which he ends with how they should all quit and "leave this stinking city to go to hell in a handbasket!" When things quiet down, Dietrich says to Barney "Hell in a handbasket?
- Sarcasm Failure: In "The Clown", Harris refrains from the urge to make a witty comment when William "Bingo" Krebs is brought in for questioning after being mugged:Harris: Sounds like our man, huh?
Bingo: What man?
Barney: I'm afraid you were the third clown to be assaulted in this precinct in the last two weeks.
Harris: I didn't have the heart to say it. - Take a Third Option: Mr. Royer, one of the three convicts nabbed for wrecking the cafeteria, is telling his life story. He says that back in the day he couldn't decide whether to apply straight to med school or work in a hospital and get some practical experience. So instead, he robbed a shoe store and bought drugs.
- Take This Job and Shove It: Being snubbed for the Medal of Honor causes Levitt to quit on the spot and take the New Mexico job. Barney's angry rant at the end of the episode makes Levitt change his mind.
- Token Minority: Mr. Landry gives Harris the full sales pitch about how great his New Mexico town is. Then Landry takes a different tack, telling Harris that "as a minority," he'd be in line for "rapid advancement" in the department. Harris figures out exactly what that means, and says "So I'd be it, huh."
