21 Jump Street: S3E1: "Fun with Animals"

Written by Eric Blakeney

Directed by James Whitmore Jr.

Airdate: November 6, 1988

Guest Star: Richard Grieco (Officer Dennis Booker)

21 Jump Street returned for a third season in November of 1988, introducing a new character, Officer Dennis Booker. "Booker" holds a unique niche in the Jump Street universe; he was the only character who would go on to their own series. Booker aired on Fox (1989-90) for one season.

"Fun With Animals" set a gritter tone for Jump Street, with Booker serving as the catalyst. We're never introduced; the episode begins in shop class with Hanson and Booker getting into a staged fight that might not be so fake. They're tracking a group of repugnant students spreading racial hate at the school, at one point they burn a cross in a Black student's yard. Then a Black female student is assaulted, and Hanson suspects the racist students - or possibly his new partner.

Booker and Hanson at loggerheads.

The episode hinges on the tensions between Hanson and Booker. Fuller finds it amusing Hanson is so annoyed with Booker, who breaks rules and chides Hanson, calling him "Mr. Liberal" at one point. Booker is brasher and more willing to break protocol. Hanson suspects Booker is racist but then gets called out by for his own privilege as a good-looking white guy. Sounds like a twitter battle from 2016. 

Meanwhile, Penhall (looking about 40 with his beard) continues to work intelligence and seems to like it (apparently, he's on stakeouts all day). Hoffs is charmed by Booker, much to Hanson's chagrin. The plot thickens when it's revealed Booker actually works for Internal Affairs and was assigned to monitor Hanson and to see if he entraps students who were innocent. Eventually it's revealed the student was physically attacked by a gang of girls, and Hanson's suspicions about Booker were unfounded.

In today's terms, Booker would be considered a disruptor. Up to this point, the Jump Street crew was airtight, but that might change. By the end, Booker comes to respect Hanson and hopes they work together on another case, dragging him to a strip club to "throw him off." At one point, Booker declares Morton Downey Jr. "a good man," there's a dated reference for you. 

A weightier episode than usual, one wonders what was happening behind the scenes. Depp was eyeing a movie career and Grieco appeared to be a possible replacement as series lead. If the first season had fun with the novel concept of undercover High School cops and the second season focused on group cohesion, the third promised more tension and conflict. 

Final Report: B+