Title: Landmark: Part 2
Directed by: Danny Arnold
Written by: Frank Dungan and Jeff Stein
Air Date: May 13, 1982
Previous: Landmark: Part 1
Next: Landmark: Part 3
Guest Starring: James Gregory, Robert Costanzo, Florence Halop, Helen Verbit, Al Ruscio, James Murtagh, Carina Afable
"Landmark: Part 2" is the 21st episode of the eighth season of Barney Miller. It is the second part of the three-part series finale.
The detectives and patrolmen of the 12th Precinct are all very agitated over the news that the precinct building, which is being put on the National Registry of Historic Places, might be sold. They're all agitated except for Harris, that is, who thought about putting in an offer. ("I would have let you guys stay!"). Mr. Norrell, the developer who was scoping the precinct out, returns and confirms that he in fact has bought the building. Escrow closes in 30 days, and after that, the 12th Precinct will have to be gone. Everyone is very upset, but after Wojo nearly punches Mr. Saxon, the smarmy decorator that Mr. Norrell brought with them, Barney gives his squad a calm-down speech. He points out that the squad building is a dump, that they freeze in the winter and sweat in the summer, and in the end it's only a building and maybe they'll get a better one.
Meanwhile, it's not quite time to move out so there are still cases to be handled. Dietrich and Wojo arrest Mrs. Bobus and Mrs. Kestner, two old ladies who were caught using a fake credit card. It turns out that they went to a criminal fraud seminar led by one Professor Vincent Thorndyke, who teaches classes on how to commit credit card fraud, how to bounce checks, how to get a fake ID, and all sorts of things.
There's also personal news. Inspector Luger pops in to the squad room, closely followed by Perlita, his Filipina Mail-Order Bride. It seems that Perlita was expecting they'd go out to lunch but Luger has been avoiding her, out of a fear of commitment.
Tropes:
- And Starring: James Gregory gets his usual "Special Guest Star" credit.
- Continuity Nod:
- Reference is made to Luger and Perlita, as that storyline gets tied up. Luger is freaking out a bit and suggests that Perlita should go home, but in the end they decide to get married after all, and leave for marriage and a honeymoon in the Poconos.
- Also, when it appears that Luger and Perlita are breaking up, Perlita thanks Barney for "that very nice letter", revealing that she knows that Barney was the one who wrote Luger's letter for her.
- Death Glare: Levitt is badgering Barney for news on what is going to happen to the precinct and everyone in it. Barney says that he doesn't know, and whatever happens, happens. Levitt gets even more pushy and says "Can I quote you on that, sir?", followed by one heck of a death glare from Barney, followed by Levitt backing down.Levitt: It seems fear has loosened my tongue, sir.
- Mail-Order Bride: The conclusion to an arc that was mentioned from time to time throughout Season 8. Luger obviously is petrified of getting married and eventually says that they can't get married because she's 34 and he is "six...ty." (He's obviously at least 30 years older than her.). Finally Luger gets past his panic attack and they agree to get married.
- May–December Romance: Perlita is 34 and Luger is somewhere in his sixties, but they obviously love each other. For his part Luger nearly calls the whole thing off due to his anxiety about the age gap, but in the end they agree to get married.
- Multi-Part Episode: Second part of a three-part series finale.
- On the Next: Ends with a brief clip from the series finale.
- Shout-Out: When "Professor" Thorndyke is brought in to the squad room, he insists that his is a legitimate seminar, and he has the affrontery to quote the slogan of the United Negro College Fund, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."
- To Be Continued: The show ends with "To Be Continued" and a scene from the last episode of the series, "Landmark: Part 3".
