Earl Holliman has given some of the best performances of anyone in what is generically called "Hollywood." He stole the whole picture in the 1956 "The Rainmaker," with Katherine Hepburn and Burt Lancaster.
In too many pictures and shows, his part didn't require much, but in this "Police Story" episode, he was just perfect.
He was backed up by some other of the best, including that extraordinary James Gregory, the lovely and adorable Pat Crowley, and such superb players as MacDonald Carey, Mary Ann Mobley, and Martha Scott.
Nancy Walker has a touching part, and Tim Matheson has to be seen.
This episode is different in that the protagonist, played by Holliman, is not a detective or patrolman, but the latent fingerprints sergeant, and a man who feels bored by the seeming sameness of his job.
It's one of the best of an genuinely excellent series, one of the best series ever on television. Thank goodness YouTube has most of the series.