User Reviews

"Corporation" marked the first of three episodes that Hal Linden himself directed, followed by "Hostage" and "Old Love." We first meet attorney Brad Laneer (David Dukes), working on behalf of a chemical company that makes toilet paper. The former baseball prospect tells the 12th that a mysterious character who calls himself 'The Hawk' has been vandalizing their office building. The latest prank involves a stink bomb, leaving the whole building smelling like an open sewer (Laneer: "I can still smell it!" Barney: "Uh Nick, I think your coffee's ready!" Yemana: "very funny...hey, you're right!"). They do bring in the environmentalist wacko (Vernon Weddle, first of two), who swallows a poisonous substance that will kill him...in 30 years! Fran Ryan plays Mrs. Hirsch, a homeless bag lady that Wojo tries to help, seemingly deaf and dumb; trying to get her to speak, Dietrich expertly tries the 'subtle and psychological approach' ("Hey lady! Lady! I gave it my best shot!"). Only after she tastes Nick's coffee does she finally reveal that she talks (Mrs. Hirsch: "Jeez, you call this coffee?" Yemana: "who asked ya?").