Written by Jonathan Lemkin
Directed by David Jackson
Airdate: May 31, 1987
Guest Star: Sherilyn Fenn (Diane Nelson); Sal Jenco (Sal Banducci AKA Blowfish)
"Blindsided" introduced the "McQuaid Brothers", personas Hanson and Penhall would use throughout the series. The brothers are a couple of knuckleheads, known for raising hell and spending lots of time at Juvenile Hall.
Hanson and Penhall have spent a few weeks undercover investigating a High School drug ring. They set up a sting operation at a Burger Joint, allowing Fuller and Ioki to make the arrest. To maintain their cover, they continue attending the High School until the drug case is closed. Meanwhile, Hanson is approached by a shy student, Diane Johnson, believing him to be a dangerous criminal, and offers payment for killing her father.
Uncertain of how to respond, Hanson confides in Penhall who says they must take it to Fuller, or they could be implicated, since Diane committed a felony by making the request. Things get more when they learn Diane's father is a high-ranking cop on the force. When Hanson goes to Fuller, he's chastised for not going to him right away and arresting Diane when she made the initial offer. The noir lighting of the scene is used to great effect.
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| Captain Fuller faces a dilemma. |
Fuller discovers Diane's made many complaints about her father, but nothing's been done, and he suspects sexual abuse might be involved. He believes the only way to help Diane is to arrest her and then get her off due to mitigating circumstances. But Hanson's attempt to make the arrest goes wildly wrong; he accidentally shoots her dad in the stomach during a struggle.
Internal Affairs takes away Hanson's badge, they suspect he was actually trying to kill a police officer. But Hanson is absolved of any wrongdoing after further investigation, and Diane will be freed from her father. Another drug bust is made at the school, in the restroom, where apparently all the deals go down. Hanson makes follow-up visits with Diane, which I'll interpret as a protective older brother instinct kicking in.
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| Sherilyn Fenn as Diane Nelson |
"Blindsided" is a solid dramatic episode with some comic relief, showing how undercover work can get messy and lead to bad outcomes. As Fuller says after the botched arrest, "we screwed up." Hanson also made mistakes by not going to Fuller sooner - and dodged a public relations disaster for the program. Ultimately justice was achieved, but through haphazard means. The episode also marked the first appearance of precinct maintenance man Sal Balducci, AKA "Blowfish," who will make become a recurring character on the series.
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