"Evacuation" was a disappointing third season opener, with Gregory Sierra's Chano a distant memory, and Steve Landesberg's Dietrich mentioned but never seen. This was the beginning of the end for Det. Fish, meeting up with a teen orphan named Jilly Papalardo (Denise Miller), who lives in a group home with two foster parents out of town, caught at a pawn shop selling items that don't belong to her (dentures?). Denise Miller would return in "The Recluse" and "Group Home," laying the foundation for Abe Vigoda's spin off FISH, lasting a mere 35 episodes. Wojo becomes agitated by the lack of instructions in case of an emergency, how to evacuate a city of 11 million (Kenneth Mars makes his lone appearance on the series). This starts a series of rumors that have James Gregory's Inspector Luger slightly alarmed. Paul Lichtman (fourth of five) returns as custodian Beckman, last seen in "Rain" (next seen in "Power Failure"), who has to replace a few light bulbs, in a classic exchange with Nick- Yemana: "we need one of them bulbs in the bathroom" Beckman: "why, d'you lose something?" Yemana: "I've been ruining my eyes reading with this flashlight!" Beckman: "you know, they do look sorta funny, you shouldn't squint!" Yemana: "this isn't a squint...THIS is a squint!" (his expression never changes!). When Wojo informs Nick that the bathroom light is on, he carries his flashlight with him: "I know, I'm gonna turn it off!" Ron Carey's Officer Levitt would be introduced in the two-part episode that follows.
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