Television Review: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (Homicide: Life on the Street, S1X08, 1993)

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (S01E08)

Airdate: 24 March 1993

Written by: James Yoshimura & Tom Fontana
Directed by: Wayne Ewing

Running Time: 46 minutes

Decades ago US broadcast networks had the infuriating practice of rescheduling episodes of television shows out of their intended order, a habit that even affected some of the most highly acclaimed series, including the gritty and intense Homicide: Life on the Street. This erratic scheduling often led to messed-up continuty and confused viewers, but in some cases the decision to air episodes out of sequence wasn't entirely unjustified, as evident in the case of the eighth episode, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.

This particular episode was initially intended to be the Season 1 finale, but NBC, in their infinite wisdom, decided to end the season on a lighter note, opting to make Night of the Dead Living the actual season finale instead. This decision, although potentially jarring for some viewers, was largely driven by the network's desire to conclude the season on a more uplifting note, given the generally downbeat tone of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.

The episode itself begins with a scene featuring one of Baltimore's most iconic landmarks, the H. L. Mencken House, situated on Union Square, where the body of a man is discovered. As the investigation unfolds, we see Felton's horror as he discovers that his partner, Howard, is attempting to quit smoking, which he believes might affect their work. Howard later confides in Felton that she quit smoking because her boyfriend, Assistant State Attorney Danvers, is a non-smoker. This subplot is woven throughout the episode, as we also see Bayliss and Pembleton dealing with the same suspect as Felton and Howard, with Bayliss also trying to kick the habit, albeit for health reasons. The episode's climax features a stakeout, where Bayliss ultimately succumbs to the urge to smoke, just before the four detectives rush to arrest the suspect.

Another plotline in the episode deals with the health-related concerns of the police station, as an obtrusive city building inspector, Don Falls (played by Carter Jahnke), arrives to check on pollution levels. Initially, Giardello is amused by the inspector's antics, but his tone quickly turns sour as he realizes that city workers are in the process of removing asbestos from the upper floor of the building, potentially putting the health of his men at risk. Giardello's frustration boils over as he vents his anger to Captain Barnfather and Colonel Granger, lamenting the fact that he was not informed about the procedure beforehand. This subplot, while somewhat interesting, feels like a tangential concern, and its connection to the rest of the episode is tenuous at best.

The more intriguing plotline in Smoke Gets in Your Eyes revolves around the death of a 14-year-old boy who succumbs to blunt force trauma in a hospital days after the incident. The investigation, led by Bolander and Munch, initially points to the boy's father, Mr. Howell (played by Dan Moran), a Christian fundamentalist who makes some disturbingly anti-Semitic remarks towards Munch. However, as the inquiry progresses, the detectives uncover evidence that suggests a street gang was involved in the boy's death. The gang's member, Evan Hess (played by Gavin Goren), is tricked into confessing his involvement in the murder, with Bolander and Munch using a clever ruse involving a copy machine as a makeshift lie detector. The gang's leader, Colin Dietz (played by Joe Fersedi), claims that he struck the boy as an act of love, a confession that is both absurd and disturbing.

Despite the generally strong acting and adequate direction, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes gives the impression that the writers, Fontana and Yoshimura, are scraping the bottom of their creative barrel. The usually reliable characters of Crosetti and Lewis are given token presence, while Munch continues to peddle his marijuana-related conspiracy theories, which are starting to feel like a tired gimmick. The episode's themes, while ambitious, feel artificially constructed, particularly the emphasis on smoking as a major plot point. The connection between smoking and public health feels like a contrived attempt to create a sense of cohesion, rather than a genuine exploration of the characters and their world.

Even the "lie detector" scene, which is based on a trick described in Simon's book, feels like a wasted opportunity. What could have been one of the most memorable and amusing moments of the series is instead drowned out by the general mediocrity of the episode. The scene, which should have been a highlight, feels like a throwaway gag, and its impact is diminished by the surrounding narrative.

The episode's conclusion, which features Bolander's rant about the state of American society, ends on a sour note, leaving the viewer with a sense of disappointment and disillusionment. This feeling is only exacerbated by the fact that NBC made the decision to reschedule the episode, opting for a more uplifting conclusion to the season. In hindsight, it's clear that the network made the right call, as Smoke Gets in Your Eyes might have given viewers a disappointing impression of Season 1, or the show in general.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

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