Hill Street Blues: Season Two

Although this groundbreaking cop show had a truncated second year—running a scant 18 episodes—it continued to build on a hard-won reputation for excellence, presenting some of the most gripping hours broadcast in primetime during the 1981-82 season. The opener, “Hearts and Minds,” got off to a good start, weaving into its multilayered plot a thread that found Captain Frank Furillo (Daniel J. Travanti) breaking up with his lover—public defender Joyce Davenport (Veronica Hamel)—a split that while not long lasting added yet another realistic aspect to Hill Street Blues' ongoing story. A couple of other subplots undergirded numerous second season episodes; one, involving an ongoing corruption investigation by the grandstanding Sullivan Commission, culminated in the year's best episode, “Freedom's Last Stand,” in which Furillo offered his resignation to the Chief of Police and made a dramatic declaration at the hearings. Another narrative thread dealt with racial tensions in a mature but provocative way, focusing on Officer Bobby Hill's (Michael Warren) work with the activist Black Officers Coalition, and its effect on his relationship with partner Andy Renko (Charles Haid). Recurring characters for this season included Detective Harry Garibaldi (Ken Olin, who would be back for the 1984-85 season) and Jesse John Hudson (Danny Glover). All in all, this season maintained the high standard set by the show's first year. DVD extras include audio commentaries, a gag reel, and four featurettes. Highly recommended. (E. Hulse)