Blood Money was written by Steve Bochco and Anthony Yerkovich from a story by Michael Kozoll, Bochco and Yerkovich. It first aired on 5 November, 1981.

Washington (Taurean Blacque) and LaRue (Kiel Martin) are investigating the murder of a prostitute by her pimp, but things don’t go as easily as they should. Furillo (Daniel J. Travanti) is continuing his investigation into Jesse John Hudson (Danny Glover) who seems to be trying to make his way a little more honestly. Still, talk on the street is that’s just a cover.

Belker (Bruce Weitz), Goldblume (Joe Spano) and a few of the other Hill Street blues go undercover as cab drivers in an attempt to still a rash of violent assaults and robberies. And Hunter (James Sikking) seems to be moving in on Esterhaus’ (Michael Conrad) girl… he’s taking Grace (Barbara Babcock) to an art gallery.

But does it matter if she and Esterhaus already broke up? And speaking of broken up, Furillo and Davenport (Veronica Hamel) are currently separated so when they bump into one another, things are a little uncomfortable.

Belker also still has the orangutan that showed up last time. And speaking of Belker you have to wonder how many of his arrests hold considering his behaviour…

I’m enjoying Glover’s appearance on the series, and Washington has a little more to do this time around which is good to see, and I always like seeing Belker do his thing, but the rest of it seems to up a little bit of the melodrama that is going on.

The Last White Man on East Ferry Avenue was written by Bochco, Yerkovich and Robert Crais from a story by Bochco, Kozoll and Yerkovich. It first debuted on 12 November, 1981.

Someone is drilling peepholes in the locker rooms.

Goldblume finds himself in a mess (and his marriage implodes) after one of the locals, Popovich (Reuven Bar-Yotam) shoots one of the local boys and consequently barricades himself in his house. Goldblume tries to maintain order. Though to be honest, Renko (Charles Haid) didn’t handle things as well as he should have initially, he let his own racist tendencies show.

On a lighter note, the annual shooting competition for the precincts is underway and Renko is trying to get a betting pool going, though Hill (Michael Warren) isn’t sure Renko can pull it off.

And Belker talks to Furillo about an undercover cop, Virgil Brooks (Nathan Cook). Virgil is undercover and maybe a little too gungho for his assignment. Belker is worried that his actions may reveal to Jesse John Hudson that he’s a cop. But Furillo makes a mistake in waiting.

I like the fact that we are seeing the toll of their actions, personal and professional playing out on the characters, and while the melodrama is occasionally fun, I really like when they attempt to tackle some solid situations.