Ep 12. Smog Alert

Barney Miller season 3 episode 12, titled "Smog Alert," takes place during a particularly bad smog day in New York City. The episode opens with the detectives arriving at the precinct, all of them wearing gas masks due to the thick smog outside. As they settle in for the day, they receive a call about a man who has been assaulted on the street.

The detectives go to investigate and find the victim, a man named George, who was attacked by a group of teens. George is a bit shaky and seems disoriented, but he tells the detectives that the teens stole his briefcase before running off. The detectives take George back to the precinct, where they try to piece together what happened.

Meanwhile, the smog outside continues to worsen, and the detectives start to feel the effects. Fish, in particular, is having a hard time breathing and is becoming increasingly irritable. A man named Mr. Danvers comes into the precinct to complain about the smog, and Fish snaps at him, telling him to go home and stop bothering them.

As the day wears on, the detectives continue to investigate George's assault. They track down one of the teens who attacked him, a young girl named Linda. Linda admits to taking George's briefcase, but she insists that she didn't hurt him. She tells the detectives that she and her friends were trying to steal from him when he fell down and hit his head. The detectives are skeptical but decide to keep investigating.

Meanwhile, the smog outside is causing more and more problems. The precinct's air conditioning system breaks down, leaving the detectives sweltering in the heat and fumes. Harris, who has been keeping tabs on the air quality reports, warns Barney that the smog is only going to get worse over the next few days.

Back in the interrogation room, the detectives are questioning one of Linda's friends, a boy named Timmy. Timmy is evasive at first, but the detectives eventually get him to talk. He admits that they were all trying to steal from George, but he insists that none of them hurt him. He tells the detectives that the group split up after the robbery, and he doesn't know where the briefcase is now.

As the day turns into night, the detectives are still trying to track down the stolen briefcase. They get a break when George's wife comes to the precinct, looking for him. She tells the detectives that she thinks her husband was on his way to a meeting when he was attacked, and she gives them the name of the building where the meeting was supposed to take place. The detectives rush to the building and find the briefcase in a trash can outside.

With the case solved, the detectives finally head home, exhausted and frustrated from the smog-filled day. As they leave the precinct, Barney and Harris discuss the smog and what can be done about it. Barney laments that it's a problem that seems too big for any one person to solve.

"Smog Alert" is a classic episode of Barney Miller, showcasing the show's trademark blend of comedy and drama. The suffocating smog serves as a backdrop for the detectives' investigation, highlighting the environmental issues that were becoming more prevalent in the 1970s. At the same time, the episode offers plenty of laughs, with Fish's increasing crankiness providing a running gag throughout the episode. Overall, "Smog Alert" is an entertaining and thought-provoking addition to the Barney Miller canon.