Title: Obituary
Directed by: Gennaro Montanino
Written by: Nat Mauldin
Air Date: March 11, 1982
Previous: The Arrival
Next: Inquiry
Guest Starring: Peggy Pope, Richard Stahl, Will Seltzer, Phil Diskin, Barney Martin
"Obituary" is the 15th episode of the eighth season of Barney Miller.
Dietrich and Harris arrest a Wendell Bergendahl for the assault of Andrew Jessel, a newspaper reporter. It seems that Jessel, writing the obituaries, posted an obituary for Mr. Bergendahl, who is manifestly not dead. Mr. Jessel says that it must be a different Wendell Bergendahl, and then goes on a self-pitying rant about how he had dreams of being an Intrepid Reporter uncovering big scoops but instead is stuck doing obituaries. Meanwhile, a Ruth Bergendahl shows up at the precinct, wanting to find out if the arrested guy is her long-lost no-good husband also named Wendell Bergendahl (he isn't).
The other case involves Louis Bellin, who has been arrested for breaking into a government warehouse and stealing chicken. It seems that Mr. Bellin did it more or less on an act of principle, as the federal government is stocking up large quantities of food stuffs and letting them sit in warehouses while people go hungry. Herb Lund, a bureaucrat from the Department of Agriculture who is summoned to the 12th Precinct, awkwardly explains about price controls and such, but Wojo, the arresting officer, isn't satisfied.
In personal news, it's Barney's birthday, but he isn't in the mood to celebrate.
Tropes:
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: Mr. Lund from the Dept. of Agriculture starts getting defensive, listing all his problems: Ronald Reagan has been laying off his staff, the Florida citrus crop has been wrecked by frost, there's a new grain embargo with Russia, and his 14-year-old son has shaved his head.
- Birthday Episode: The detectives attempt to celebrate but Barney blows them off.
- Birthday Hater: Barney is surly and standoffish when the detectives try to celebrate his birthday. Later he apologizes, saying that he finds the prospect of getting older depressing. They give him a cupcake and Levitt hands over a present, some personalized stationary—with the wrong name.
- 555: Ruth Bergendahl gives out a typical TV 555 number when expressing an interest in the 12th's Wendell Bergendahl, an unattached man who is not her ex-husband of the same name.
- Intrepid Reporter: Mr. Jessel wants to be one but is frustrated at being stuck in the obituary section of his paper. Later in this episode he becomes one for real, as he realizes that the story of government food hoarding has fallen into his lap, and Mr. Lund starts spilling his guts about other government warehouses full of food. (The feds have peanut butter in New Jersey.)
- Obstructive Bureaucrat: Mr. Lund, who says with a tone of arrogant disdain that the detectives of the 12th couldn't possibly understand why the government has to stockpile food, why supply-side economics demands price supports to ranchers and farmers are necessary even as people go hungry in New York. When Jessel asks why he can't just hand out food to the homeless Mr. Lund says "They don't have any forms!" Later averted when he starts spilling his guts to Jessel the reporter.
- Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated: Mr. Bergendahl is greatly upset at the newspaper for reporting him as dead. He keeps getting calls from real estate agents wanting to list his apartment.
