Ep 12. The Bank

The Bank is a classic episode from season 4 of Barney Miller, a beloved TV show that aired from 1975 to 1982. The series followed the daily adventures of the detectives of New York City's 12th precinct, showcasing their personalities, relationships, and quirky encounters with the residents of the city. In this particular episode, we see the squad dealing with a bank robbery that has left them scratching their heads and trying to piece together the clues.

The episode opens with the squad discussing the morning's events. A trio of men dressed in clown costumes robbed a nearby bank, taking hostages and eluding the police. Barney Miller (played by Hal Linden) is in charge of the investigation, with his team of detectives including Wojohowicz (Max Gail), Harris (Ron Glass), Luger (James Gregory), Dietrich (Steve Landesberg), and Yamana (Jack Soo). Each detective brings their own unique perspective to the case, adding to the variety and complexity of the investigation.

As Barney works through the clues, he realizes that the robbers were professionals and had done this before. They left no fingerprints and were careful to not reveal anything about themselves. Left with nothing to go on, the detectives start to get frustrated and wonder if they'll ever catch the robbers. That's when a stroke of luck happens.

Another robbery takes place, this time a post office. The detectives are sure it's the same trio of robbers, but with one major difference: they're dressed as old ladies. The detectives race to the scene, but the robbers once again manage to evade them. This time, however, Harris has managed to get a partial license plate number from the getaway car. This gives the squad a lead and they finally start to make some progress.

Next, we see Barney and Harris go to interview the bank tellers and witnesses to get a better understanding of what happened during the robbery. One of the tellers is able to give them a significant piece of information: one of the robbers was wearing a nose patch. Armed with this new information, the squad begins to dig even deeper, trying to determine if there's a connection between the nose patch and the rest of the robbers' disguises.

As the investigation continues, the detectives work tirelessly to track down the robbers. It soon becomes clear that it's not just the detectives who are on the case: the media has picked up the story, and the public is fascinated by the robbers' disguises and cleverness. This puts even more pressure on the squad to find the culprits before they strike again.

As the episode comes to a close, Barney and the detectives are finally able to put all the clues together. They realize that the robbers are a trio of brothers who have been using their theater skills to pull off the heists. The nose patch was simply a clever bit of misdirection: one of the brothers had a scar on his nose that they didn't want to risk being recognized. With this information, the squad is able to finally apprehend the robbers and close the case.

Overall, The Bank is a thrilling episode that showcases the police procedural side of Barney Miller. While the show is known for its humor and character-driven stories, this episode demonstrates the team's detective skills and their ability to solve complex cases. The cast is fantastic as always, with each actor bringing their unique style and perspective to the story. The episode is a classic reminder of why Barney Miller remains a beloved show to this day.