User Reviews

For many years the Police were underpaid, understaffed, lacked in support including bulletproof vests, suitable shoes, weapons, and pay. This is a very real issue facing the police back in the day and this could very well have been a very sad, sober episode but they still managed to find humor in the episode without resorting to stupid tricks and lousy humor, this level of comedic writing is long since lost to us. Briliant Episode.

James Gregory reprises his roll as Inspector Frank Luger, one of my favorite ancillary characters, too bad we could not get more of him. Luger is at his best during the Blue flu, expressing his old school views. Then there is Levit, always there to try to impress Captain Miller as he tries to become a detective. Brilliant as always.

"Strike" is the first part of a two part story which finds Capt. Miller's squad room in turmoil. Cops fail to show up for work on account of the 'blue flu,' as many plan a noon demonstration to show solidarity with the striking officers. Inspector Luger arrives to find an empty squad room ("gone, every damn one of 'em, the lousy...!"). As Luger rails against 'stinko pinkos,' Barney charitably compares the 'blue flu' to the traditional 24 hour virus. Wojo is first to show up (Luger: "when the going' gets rough, you can always depend on the Polackish people!"), followed by Dietrich, Yemana, and Harris, sheepishly caught between their loyalty to Barney and duty to their fellow officers. The victim of the day is Lonna Lane (Peggy Pope, first of six), who was robbed by her computer date (Dietrich: "your tragedy is our incentive, we just love to see nice people get in trouble!"). Nick tells Barney that the culprit wasn't with the dating service: "he was good looking!" Peter Hobbs (first of six) plays Charlie Prevette, holding up a liquor store at noon, thinking that all the cops would be unavailable ("what kind of a police strike is this?"). By the end of the day, only Luger and the strike breaking Levitt remain to assist Capt. Miller.