Lucy (Betty Thomas) discovers the affair going on between Russo (Megan Gallagher) and Flaherty (Robert Clohessy) and that’s just the beginning of the melodrama this time out in The Cookie Crumbles.

Written by Robert Ward, this episode debuted on 10 March, 1987. While Renko (Charles Haid) worries over the fact that his wife may be having an affair with a male co-worker, he finds himself tempted when she goes away on a business trip. At the same time, he and Hill (Micheal Warren) work on a noise disturbance case with an annoying hamburger jingle.

LaRue (Kiel Martin) finds himself flirting with a team of cheerleaders that could (and should) lead him to trouble. Calletano (Rene Enriquez) shows up as a representative of the Latin American Coalition when an innocent Spanish man is shot by police, and it seems there’s been no continued language training for officers.

Goldblume (Joe Spano) has to make a tough call and has to take a life in the line of duty.

The stuff with Lucy, Russo and Flaherty are very melodramatic, Lucy wants Flaherty and when she realizes the pair are having an affair it hurts her, and as their sergeant he has to call them out, especially after Russo, who is working undercover, is assaulted by a pimp (Steven Williams).

The episode ends brutally with Belker (Bruce Weitz) getting into his car, and moments later there’s a gun firing at him through his window. It’s a stunning way to end the episode and it’s a gut punch considering how light the rest of the episode plays out.

Dogsbreath Afternoon sees Hunter (James Sikking) being called into his review board early, and he worries about whether he will be restored to his lieutenancy. Renko wrestles with his infidelity, and Hill covers for him, even as Hill helps Buntz (Dennis Franz) run down a possible lead on whomever shot Belker.

Hill really doesn’t like how Buntz does his investigating and the physicality he brings to his interrogations. And he has a tough time dealing with Renko and Renko’s infidelity, especially after Renko learns that the woman he slept with was a hooker and is now going to blackmail him for information on the precinct and its patrols.

Renko’s life is about to implode, cue the melodrama.

Robin (Lisa Sutton) and Stan (Robert Prosky) keep a vigil at the hospital over Belker, it’s great to see them, and they have some great stuff together. They pace and talk while Belker is under the knife in critical condition.

Written by George Goldsmith and Jeff Melvoin from a story by Goldsmith, Melvoin and Jerome Portman, it debuted on 17 March, 1987.

While the precinct rallies around Belker and hunts up leads and suspects, Russo and Flaherty find themselves called out to hunt down an escaped lion, which ends up with Russo being hit by a tranquillizer after learning the lion is actually a dog and Flaherty learns something about Russo.

The most intense stuff comes from the way Buntz goes after his suspect violently and is determined to bring vengeance, instead of justice, for Belker, and Furillo (Daniel J. Travanti) has to pull him off the case. But Buntz is going to keep at it, even as Larue and Washington (Taurean Blacque) take over.

We’re coming up on the end of the series, so let’s see how the last few episodes play out. There are four to go, so let’s be careful out there.