Ep 6. Film at Eleven

Set in a fictional police precinct in New York City, Hill Street Blues follows the lives of the officers who work there. In season 1 episode 6, "Film at Eleven," tensions are high as the precinct prepares for a potentially violent protest.

The episode opens with Marty Nichols, a criminal who has been recently released from prison, causing a disturbance outside the precinct. He is yelling and carrying a sign that reads "Death to Pigs." While officers attempt to calm him down, they receive news that a prominent activist, Henry McKenzie, has been shot and killed. McKenzie was going to lead a march through the precinct, and tensions are now at an all-time high.

Captain Furillo has to contend with the possibility of violence and is worried that the situation could quickly spiral out of control. He instructs his officers to work together to maintain order and prevent the situation from escalating. Meanwhile, Goldblume is assigned to investigate the murder of McKenzie and is given some potentially important information by a witness.

As the protest draws nearer, news crews arrive on the scene. A reporter, Peggy Laughton, is eager to get an exclusive on the story and is willing to put herself in harm's way to do so. She strikes up a conversation with Furillo, who warns her of the danger. Despite this, Peggy insists on staying to capture the action.

The protest begins, and it becomes immediately clear that there are some violent elements in the march. Officers are pelted with rocks and bottles, and buildings are vandalized. A gun is fired, and all hell breaks loose. Officers are injured and struggling to control the situation, and Peggy is caught in the middle of it all.

Throughout the episode, we see the individual struggles of the different officers. Furillo battles with the pressure of keeping the precinct under control, Goldblume deals with the emotional toll of working a murder case, and a young officer named Renko grapples with his own mortality after being injured in the protest.

As the night wears on, we see the aftermath of the violence. Furillo struggles to reconcile the damage done to the precinct with the loss of life and the pressures of his job. Goldblume finds himself questioning whether he's cut out for the job, and Renko is forced to confront his own mortality in the wake of his injuries.

"Film at Eleven" is a tense and emotional episode that captures the complexities of policing in a volatile environment. Through its portrayal of the individual struggles of the officers, the show asks important questions about justice, morality, and the nature of public service. With its gritty realism and honest portrayals of the people who work to keep us safe, Hill Street Blues remains an iconic piece of television history.