User Reviews

I've been trying to identify this episode for years, and finally, it's on Hulu and I have Hulu, so I was about to find it. A "serial bather" seems to be targeting the homes of teen girls, bathing in the tubs, and more. Kimberly and Kenny have multiple conversations about inappropriate touching and attention, and Kimberly points out how often teens have to navigate unwanted attention and how hard it is to even confirm it's intentional, let alone seek justice for it. While this doesn't go far enough in exploring this topic, it's a good starting point.

I would call this episode an outright classic. I do remember watching parts of this one back in 1992. In a way it reminds me of a Frank Capra movie, updated to the 90s. We have a John Doe type named Frank, no last name given at first, who is described as wandering through the town's streets. He is not glimpsed initially, and we must rely on the descriptions provided by our main characters, especially the Brock children who see Frank on the street when they are coming and going from school. Frank (David Proval) is a loner, and he carries a sack of potatoes-- I guess because potatoes are cheap and it's all he can afford to eat.

It is said that Frank keeps to himself, but he stares at people. He is staying in a shack outside of Rome, in the woods. Because of Frank's aloofness, obvious vagrancy and peculiar speech, the adult townspeople are suspicious of him. Everyone that is except Jimmy, the sheriff (Tom Skerritt). Jimmy's philosophy is more of a 'live and let live' view of life. But the mayor (Michael Keenan) thinks Frank is a threat to the community, especially when a serial bather (that's right, bather) has struck again.

It seems that when people leave their homes, a man breaks in and takes a bath in their tubs. He leaves behind a squeaky toy and sometimes a pair of panties. Of course, everyone is talking about the bather, quick to point the finger at Frank the potato man who is as unkempt as the come and must be the one in need of all those baths.

Deputies Maxine (Lauren Holly) and Kenny (Costas Mandylor) take it upon themselves to haul Frank into the station under arrest, which has the mayor's full support. But Jimmy still thinks Frank is innocent. However, Maxine has Frank examined for hemorrhoids since the medical technician who took a sample of water from one of the baths said there was evidence that the bather had hemorrhoids. This raises an interesting question of an individual's civil rights. Maxine and Kenny are certainly going overboard in their zeal to pin the break-ins on Frank.

Meanwhile defense attorney Douglas Wambaugh (Fyvush Finkel) has agreed to represent Frank and even posts his bail. Maxine thinks Doug is doing this to grandstand before the upcoming mayoral election. But Doug tells a very sobering story of how his Jewish parents died in the holocaust and he is opposed to bigotry, claiming that Frank is a victim of the town's prejudices against outsiders. Frank is found not to have hemorrhoids and other evidence also clears him. He is now a free man.

Since Frank is not the serial bather, that means someone else is the culprit and they are still at large. In an interesting twist, the bather breaks into another home and this time the individual dies while in the tub. It is revealed to be the assistant D. A., a man that had been respected in the community-- the complete opposite of Frank.

This is a great episode in how it causes us to consider the ramifications of fear and the potential for lynch mobs. There is some very effective dialogue where Doug, in defense of Frank, tells Judge Bone and others present in the courtroom, that Frank's real crime is poverty. Doug believes justice is blind to the poor. At the end of the story Maxine tracks Frank down along a road outside of town and apologizes to him. Frank is moving on to the next town. But we know from the actor's credits on the IMDb, that Frank appears in two more episodes later on. So he is not done with Rome, and Rome is not done with him.