Furillo (Daniel J. Travanti, splendid as usual) is determined to catch the killer of a young public defender. Hill (a fine Michael Warren) gets elected vice president of the Black Officer's Coalition. LaRue (Kiel Martin in inspired and supremely sleazy form) and Washington (neatly essayed with engaging cool by Taurean Blacque) bust a coke dealer with knowledge on a large PCP lab. Veronica Hamel has several moving and powerful scenes as the shaken Davenport, who expresses profound dismay and disillusionment over the brutal murder of her colleague. Moreover, it's a hoot to watch LaRue work undercover as a slick big time garment manufacturer with a massively Afro-wigged Washington as his fey gay partner. Belker (Bruce Weitz) also has a cute and funny scene with a pet mouse who meets an abrupt untimely end (Belker holds an impromptu funeral service for the rodent in the men's bathroom at the police station!). Popping up in nifty guest appearances are Edward James Olmos as crusading law student Joe Bustamonte, Jeffrey Tambor as slippery slimeball lawyer Alan Wachtel, Jonathan Frakes as smooth drug pusher Eddie Simms, and Al Ruscio as browbeating slum lord Mr. Sosa. And this episode offers some spot-on insights on how compromises and plea bargains are essential yucky means to the right end pertaining to enforcing the law and nabbing top criminals.
Review of Of Mouse and Man
