Revenge and Remorse (The Guilty Alibi)

"Revenge and Remorse (The Guilty Alibi)" is the fourth episode of the TV series Police Squad!. It was directed by Paul Krasny, written by Nancy Steen and Neil Thompson,^[1] and produced by Robert K. Weiss.

Special Guest Star

The Special Guest Star for this episode is William Shatner. As the opening credits roll, Shatner is seen seated at a restaurant table when machine gun fire suddenly begins to riddle the area around him. Shatner pulls out a gun and fires back, evidently killing his attacker, and surviving the shooting, a rarity for Police Squad! guest stars. However, his survival lasts only seconds, as the congratulatory drink he then consumes is obviously poisoned. He begins gagging and choking, thus meeting his demise in the manner of all Police Squad! special guest stars.

Plot

The episode starts in the courthouse, at night. A person (of which only his feet are visible) enters. He moves up to room 112, the room of Judge J. Oliver Maxwell. He replaces the normal gavel with a different gavel. When Maxwell uses it the next day, at a hearing, it explodes, killing the judge.

Then we see the main character, Lieutenant Frank Drebin driving in his car, going to the headquarters. After both have decided what to have for lunch, his colleague, Captain Ed Hocken, also tells Frank that seven recently released criminals were sent to prison by Judge Maxwell himself, making this a possible revenge kill. One of the bad guys is Eddie Casales, a bomber that was arrested seven years ago. Ed and Frank decide to pay Eddie's ex-wife, Lana Casales, a visit. Lana hasn't spoken to her husband since the two divorced, but he hangs around Club Flamingo a lot, with a chorus girl named Mimi Du Jour.

That evening, Frank and Ed go to club flamingo to ask Du Jour some questions. She tells them that last night, during the courthouse bombing, Eddie was with her, at the movies to see On The Waterfront. While questioning Mimi, Eddie walks in, his alibi doesn't checking with Mimi's alibi, and Frank and Ed eventually leave. The next afternoon, Drebin goes to the lab, to see what Ted Olson has come up with. The latter tells that the bomb that was used to bomb the courthouse was made from seven common household chemicals, which means that anyone with a high school knowledge of chemistry could have made the bomb, ruling out the work of a professional. Also there, Frank displays some restlessness, so Ted gives him some decaffeinated coffee, one of his new inventions. Later that day Frank comes back into the lab, in a more creepy than happy mood, creating some accidents and promptly leaving. Then we see a car in the night, as the same person who placed the gavel-bomb at the courthouse now setting a bomb in a car somewhere. The next morning a man in a black suit steps in to the car and, as soon as the ignition is started, his car explodes.

Act II: Richard III

Act II: Richard III

When Drebin arrives at the scene of the exploded car, Hocken and Officer Norberg are already there. The victim's name was John Symington, a trial lawyer who used to be an assistant DA, having prosecuted Casales. His body was not found in the early investigations, but an unattentive Hocken consults his dangling arm (and respective watch) for time, as the remainder of the corpse hangs from a tree.

Just when they are about to leave they find a matchbox that says Club Flamingo, and so they leave to talk with Eddie. In the questioning, Norberg comes in with the lunch, but leaves angry after his doubts about price/distribution are often confused with the questions his colleagues pose to the suspect, whom eventually leaves for lack of proof. When Drebin arrives home, he receives a phone call from Du Jour, the two meet at Flamingo (after Drebin confessed he did not know where "Club Rightaway" was), and she confesses Casales' alibi was false, but does not know where did he go instead. She also mentions that Eddie left Lana, and not vice versa, and Frank gets a bright idea.

Back at headquarters, Drebin calls Lana Casales and asks her if she needs protection, which she rejects as she is leaving town that night. The police officer also mentions those services were also offered to Du Jour, and she also rejected. Later that night, Frank and Ed are outside Mimi's house waiting, and the same pair of black shoes that placed the first two bombs, once again can be seen. However, the bomber is noticed by the pair, and it turns out to be Lana Casales. An explosion attempt proves to be unsuccessful, as the bomb had already been dismantled by Eddie.

Police Squad! Epilogue

At the end of the episode, Hocken asks Drebin what did Eddie really do when he said to be going to the movies. Apparently, he was over at Milwaukee watching a baseball game. But he didn't want to tell anyone about it, due to parole violation issues. Both men decide to let the case rest.

Recurring Jokes

• Tonight's special guest star: William Shatner, who is shot at while having dinner. He survives and successfully returns fire, only to choke on his drink.
• Next week's experiment: Showing why women can't play professional football.
• Johnny's next customer: Doctor Joyce Brothers wanting information on the Cinderella complex. Brothers would later make a cameo in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! as a baseball announcer.
• Freeze frame gag: After the freeze, Norberg walks in to talk to Ed. When he realizes what's happening, he tries to find a pose for himself.

Cultural references

• This is the second Police Squad! episode to refer to On the Waterfront, after Ring of Fear (A Dangerous Assignment).^[3]

References

External links

• "Revenge and Remorse" at the Internet Movie Database
• "Revenge and Remorse" at TV.com

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