Very different tone to this episode than the other ones made / broadcast at the time. Either the production was earlier or it was the writing.
3 Reviews
Different tone
jim_ballard7629 January 2021
The empty gun
coltras3529 August 2022
Romano gets some criticisms from his fellow police officers for not shooting a cop killer, and even if the killer's gun was empty - Ramano had counted the shots. When the killer gets released on a bargained-down technicality by lying, Hooker and Romano strive to bring him to justice.
There's plenty of dilemmas, and a thoughtful look about when a cop faces a criminal and that split second decision on how to act. It's well acted by all, especially by Adrian Zmed as Romano, who is actually my favourite character in the series. There's an amusing interplay between Romano and Hooker over music - Pat Benatar vs Peggy Lee. There's some good action scenes.
There's plenty of dilemmas, and a thoughtful look about when a cop faces a criminal and that split second decision on how to act. It's well acted by all, especially by Adrian Zmed as Romano, who is actually my favourite character in the series. There's an amusing interplay between Romano and Hooker over music - Pat Benatar vs Peggy Lee. There's some good action scenes.
The Empty Gun
Prismark1022 September 2022
T J Hooker is happy with the rookie cops gun training. They are good at target practice.
The important part is judgment on the street. When you have to make that split second decision.
It is Romano who feels the heat from other cops. He hesitated when he faced off with an alleged cop killer.
It is Sergeant Benteen who is the most vocal. Hooker comes to Romano's defence and tells Benteen that he is not happy with the gung ho attitude.
When the young cop killer is released on a technicality. Romano's judgment is put to the test again.
It is absurd with the line the show has about criminals escaping on a technicality. It smacks more of a political motive that would had been home on a Charles Bronson movie of the 1980s.
I guess Hooker being more reasonable than Benteen was meant to be balance.
The important part is judgment on the street. When you have to make that split second decision.
It is Romano who feels the heat from other cops. He hesitated when he faced off with an alleged cop killer.
It is Sergeant Benteen who is the most vocal. Hooker comes to Romano's defence and tells Benteen that he is not happy with the gung ho attitude.
When the young cop killer is released on a technicality. Romano's judgment is put to the test again.
It is absurd with the line the show has about criminals escaping on a technicality. It smacks more of a political motive that would had been home on a Charles Bronson movie of the 1980s.
I guess Hooker being more reasonable than Benteen was meant to be balance.
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