A Many Splendored Thing

While the first season of HOMICIDE lasted only 9 episodes the second one only lasted 4 episodes. Despite it's very good I assume that the network didn't believed in it that much and thought that a second season should have been of so few episodes for seeing if public longed for the next seasons. And it did, since from the third season onwards it lasted 20 episodes and the following 22. This was a decent one for wrapping up the shortest season.

When the episode begins Pembleton and Bayliss investigate on the murder of a woman found tied to her bed and they soon find out that she had various strange boyfriends.and she worked for both a fashion store for adults only and an adult phone line (I would say the explicit terms but IMDB wouldn't allow it). Bayliss is disgusted but Pembleton recommends him that if he doesn't know better his inner man he can't operate on these cases. Soon Pembleton and Bayliss interrogate Angela's neighbour Jeremy that under interrogation confesses of having choked Angela and accidentally kill her during intercourse. Again in the office Tanya gives Bayliss a leather jacket for making the man inside him come out; later Bayliss goes in the red light district and entices a street walker, so he passed the test.

Munch is near depressed for the breakup of the previous episode but Bolander is cheerful because is dating a 26 year old waitress (while Ned Beatty was 56 year old at the time of filming this). Bolander asks Kay Howard to organize a double date bringing her boyfriend Ed Danvers (Zeljko Ivanek, a recurring cast member throughout the entire show). The double date goes fine until a depressed Munch arrives and crashes the party complaining about his problems with women. They leave and Howard tries to encourage Munch. After Munch leaves, Bolander and Linda witness a fireworks show before the end credits start.

I liked the first story for the fact that Pembleton tried to make Bayliss be more manly and go out of his shell for investigate on the choked woman case, and the second story for the chaos that Munch made at the dinner. But I also thought that the story of the pen was a bit unnecessary and if it wasn't for that I would have given a 9. As it is it's still a good conclusion of season making the viewer curious to see more.