Ep 8. You Can't Tell a Hurt Man How to Holler

Tony Kojak is a bald-headed New York City detective, driven by a love for justice and a penchant for hard-boiled tactics. In season 2's eighth episode, "You Can't Tell a Hurt Man How to Holler," Kojak finds himself investigating a case that dredges up painful memories from his own past.

The episode kicks off with the murder of a young woman named Lisa. Kojak and his team are called to the scene, where they discover that Lisa was suffocated with a plastic bag. They soon learn that Lisa was a prostitute, and begin to piece together her last hours. They discover that she was in the company of a man named Felix, a wealthy doctor who has a reputation for abusing women. Felix insists that he's innocent, but Kojak isn't convinced.

As he digs deeper into the case, Kojak finds himself confronting his own demons. Years earlier, his own brother was killed in a similar manner to Lisa, and the case was never solved. Kojak's brother's killer was likely a member of the same prostitution ring that Lisa was a part of, and Kojak is determined to bring the killer to justice.

Along the way, Kojak kicks down doors, throws suspects against walls, and gets into shootouts with dangerous criminals. But he also shows his compassionate side, reaching out to Lisa's mother and sister and doing his best to console them in their grief.

As the investigation progresses, Kojak begins to suspect that Felix is far from innocent. He tracks down another woman who claims Felix raped and beat her, and begins to build a case against him. But Felix is wealthy and powerful, and he uses his influence to try and shut Kojak down.

Undeterred, Kojak pursues Felix with dogged determination, tilting at windmills and refusing to back down. He knows that justice is on his side, and that the truth will prevail.

Without spoilers, it can be said that "You Can't Tell a Hurt Man How to Holler" is a gripping, intensely emotional episode of Kojak. It balances gritty police work with intimate character moments, and showcases the complex inner life of a detective who is as flawed as he is heroic. Fans of crime dramas will find plenty to sink their teeth into here, and newcomers to the series will no doubt be hooked by Kojak's unshakeable resolve and gruff charm.