While Furillo (Daniel J. Travanti) and Goldblume (Joe Spano) review officers for promotion alongside Mike (Richard Herd) Lt. Norman Buntz (Dennis Franz) is left in charge of the precinct for the day.

Norman Conquest was written by Steve Bello from a story by Bello, Neil Eglash, Jonathan Lemkin and Micheal I. Wagner and it was first broadcast on 10 February, 1987.

Buntz has to deliver bad news to the precinct, they need to make a number of busts through the course of the day if they hope to have their overtime pay reinstated. Everyone scrambles to make dope busts so they can make the money, but other things occur through the day to cause more hassles.

Renko (Charles Haid) and Hill (Micheal Warren) chase his previously stolen motorcycle, and Belker (Bruce Weitz) plays the Scared Straight card with a young boy, Fetch (Bobby Jacoby), who seems to be going down the wrong road in life, but there’s something about him that reminds Belker of himself.

Russo (Megan Gallagher) and Flaherty (Robert Clohessy) continue their affair though Russo wants to keep everything quiet and avoid public attention.

Buntz has some great moments, but there’s definitely a lot of melodrama spilling out of this episode. And honestly, he’d be easier to watch if he didn’t dress so badly.

There’s some wonderful moments throughout the episode, but this one is definitely leans towards the melodrama side of the storyline. Which is too bad, as I was really hoping we’d left a lot of that behind and could tell more straightforward and engaging stories.

I’m not against the humour and the silly moments, but there are some solid themes that could be explored.

Sorry Wrong Number welcomes you back to all the melodrama that this series seems to be capable of, and consequently makes me almost neglect the one good storyline in the episode.

Written by Ron Koertge this episode first aired on 3 March, 1987.

Things get off to a bad start right away when the precinct gets a new vending machine, it’s voice-activated, heat-sensitive and responds unexpectedly to Russo. Ugh. I like Gallagher, I like her character, Russo, but this is a complete waste of her character.

Renko and Hill seem to be having a tough day, or at least Renko is. Falling a bust he gets soaked in urine. Answering another call, his shirt gets covered in vomit, and the only upside is that he and Hill have to work together to deliver a baby. Sure Renko and Hill are solid characters, but this just seems altogether silly, no matter how the script tries to handle it.

And poor Goldblume. He and Buntz are assigned to work together to resolve what looks like a gang hit, and they start working one of the boys over, hoping to have him turn informant. This causes some of the gang to suspect him, even as the department finds another lead that helps them solve the case, leaving the young man exposed and out in the open.

Goldblume and Furillo clash over what they can do for the man, but it ends up badly for all involved.

Honestly, the Goldblume story could have filled the entire episode, and been layered with more ethical quandaries, and I would have been happy. The rest of it almost detracts from Goldblume’s arc in this episode.

We’re coming up on the end run for the series, six episodes to go. How will it all end?