It's Christmastime. The officers on the Hill exorcise for the upcoming fireman versus cops Olympics. Furillo (a typically excellent Daniel J. Travanti) and Davenport (well played by Veronica Hamel) visit Furillo's family, which doesn't go over too well. Buntz (the terrific Dennis Frantz) uses a drug-sniffing turkey to bust a dope dealer. An apartment dweller claims that there's a vision of the Virgin Mary on the wall of his apartment.
The Olympics provide some good laughs, with Hunter (a deliciously droll James Sikking) not surprisingly making for a gung-ho coach. The business with the turkey is likewise very funny, although it does land Buntz in hot water with Goldblume (sturdy Joe Spano) over his questionable methods that he uses for arresting perps. The religious vision subplot neatly captures the warmth and pathos of the yuletide season. But it's Furillo's visit to his family that gives this particular episode lots of additional poignant dramatic punch: Davenport has lovely talks with both Furillo's brother Joe (likeable Michael Durrell) and his mother Barbara (an appealing portrayal by Peggy Santon), plus Furillo has an especially moving scene in which he says goodbye to his stubborn dad (a sound turn by Richard Bull) and tells his father that he loves him.
The Olympics provide some good laughs, with Hunter (a deliciously droll James Sikking) not surprisingly making for a gung-ho coach. The business with the turkey is likewise very funny, although it does land Buntz in hot water with Goldblume (sturdy Joe Spano) over his questionable methods that he uses for arresting perps. The religious vision subplot neatly captures the warmth and pathos of the yuletide season. But it's Furillo's visit to his family that gives this particular episode lots of additional poignant dramatic punch: Davenport has lovely talks with both Furillo's brother Joe (likeable Michael Durrell) and his mother Barbara (an appealing portrayal by Peggy Santon), plus Furillo has an especially moving scene in which he says goodbye to his stubborn dad (a sound turn by Richard Bull) and tells his father that he loves him.