And the Rockets' Dead Glare
Encyclopedia
"And the Rockets Dead Glare" is the seventh episode of the first season of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street
. It originally aired on NBC
in the United States on March 17, 1993. In the episode, Howard
testifies in a murder trial, Pembleton
is offered a promotion, and Lewis
and Crosetti
go to the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C.
to investigate a political refugee's murder.
The teleplay was written by Jorge Zamacona based on a story by executive director Tom Fontana
, and the episode was directed by Peter Markle
. It marked the first appearances of two recurring characters: defense attorney Darin Russom (Michael Willis
) and Detective Frank Pembleton's wife Mary, who was played by actor Andre Braugher
's real-life wife Ami Brabson. The episode also featured a guest performances by actress and future model Bai Ling
.
The murder trial portrayed in the episode is based on a trial featured in David Simon
's 1991 non-fiction book, Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets
, on which the series was based. Howard's procedural missteps, and her subsequent recovery, was based on that real-life trial. The writers sought to realistically portray the trial scenes by focusing on less dramatic courtroom elements. Some of the detectives in "And the Rockets' Dead Glare" make arguments for drug liberalization
, particularly John Munch
, whose arguments were inspired by actor Richard Belzer
's real-life personal history with drug abuse.
Since ratings for Homicide had gradually declined throughout the season, NBC announced a decision about whether the series would be renewed would depend on the Nielsen ratings
of the final four episodes, including "And the Rockets' Dead Glare". Nevertheless, it was seen by a relatively low 6.61 million household viewers, a decline from the previous week's "A Dog and Pony Show
".
(Clark Johnson
) and Crosetti
investigate the execution-style shooting death of a Chinese
college student. A friend in his dormitory (Bai Ling
) says the victim was a student leader at the Tiananmen Square protest
and had been hunted ever since. The detectives go to Washington, D.C.
to talk to the Chinese embassy about the murder, but they deny any knowledge of the incident. Secret Service
agent Gruszynski (Ed Lauter
) confronts Lewis and Crosetti and tells them not to waste the embassy's time, but agrees to give the detectives a tour of Washington before they go. Crosetti is excited to see the landmarks but Lewis, who believes the Secret Service agent knows who committed the murder, remains confrontational with Gruszynski. When Gruszynski still refuses to help, Crosetti and a frustrated Lewis leave Washington.
Felton
(Daniel Baldwin
) and Howard
(Melissa Leo
) prepare to testify in the murder trial of "Pony" Johnson (Geoffrey C. Ewing). State prosecutor Danvers
(Željko Ivanek
) tells an anxious Howard that the case depends entirely on her testimony. Felton, who in contrast to Howard is very relaxed, claims Howard is in love with Danvers, which she vehemently denies. Howard testifies, but nervously fumbles facts and allows defense attorney Darin Russom (Michael Willis
) to create reasonable doubt to the jury. After receiving reassurance from Danvers, however, Howard is recalled and performs much better, seriously damaging Russom's case. Johnson is found guilty of murder and Danvers offers to buy Howard dinner, which she accepts much to Felton's amusement.
Munch
(Richard Belzer
) and Bolander
(Ned Beatty
) respond to a corpse found in the woods, next to a van full of low-quality marijuana. Munch proves to be an expert on hemp
, and discusses how the plant was grown by founding fathers Thomas Jefferson
and George Washington
. The detectives eventually identify the victim as a middle man for a drug dealer, and Bolander finds a neighbor who saw Jones holding a gun to the victim's head the night before the murder. Munch, Bayliss
(Kyle Secor
) and narcotics detective Russ DeSilva (Steven Marcus) debate whether drugs should be illegal; the homicide detectives claim legalization would reduce violent crime and that drug revenue could go to good causes. Bolander asks Munch if he smokes pot, but he refuses to answer. That night, Munch and Bolander arrest the drug dealer at home.
Captain Barnfather
(Clayton LeBouef
) and Colonel Granger (Gerald F. Gough) offer Pembleton
(Andre Braugher
) a promotion to lieutenant and the vacant shift commander position working alongside Gee
(Yaphet Kotto
). Pembleton asks for time to consider it, and the duo ask him not to mention the offer to Gee. Gee is inquisitive and immediately senses Pembleton is lying when he says the discussion was nothing. After discussing the offer with his wife Mary (Ami Brabson), Pembleton decides not to take the job and confesses to Gee, who has already learned the truth and is disappointed Pembleton did not tell him sooner. The episode ends with Pembleton going to the bar with his fellow detectives, which he seldom does.
, and was directed by Peter Markle
. It marked the first appearances of defense attorney Darin Russom (Michael Willis
) and Frank Pembleton
's wife Mary, both of whom became recurring characters throughout the rest of the series. Mary Pembleton is played by Ami Brabson, who is married to actor Andre Braugher in real life. Brabson auditioned for the role shortly after Braugher was cast in the series, and Braugher said of their on-screen pairing, "We have an instant rapport that we don't have to create." Willis, in real life, has a low opinion of trial lawyers, and did little to research for his role as Russom. "And the Rockets' Dead Glare" also featured a guest appearance by actress and model Bai Ling
, a student and apparent friend to the Chinese refugee murdered in the episode. Although relatively unknown at the time, Ling went on to star in such films as Red Corner
(1997) and Anna and the King
(1999), and was named one of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" in 1998.
The "Pony" Johnson murder trial is based on a real-life trial featured in Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets
, the 1991 David Simon
non-fiction book about a Baltimore Police Department
, which was adapted into the Homicide series. In that real-life trial, a Baltimore detective misspeaks during his testimony and nearly jeopardizes the outcome of the case. This is mirrored by the actions of Kay Howard, who accidentally says the victim was dead at least 24 hours when she meant to say 12 hours, leaving an opening for defense attorney Darin Russom to question her recollection and expertise. The defense attorney in the real-life trial lost the case for himself with a procedural misstep similar to the one portrayed in "And the Rockets Dead Glare". In the episode, Russom asks Howard whether she had ever seen a murder victim killed by both a knife and a gun. This allows Howard to mention a second victim police suspect "Pony" Johnson murdered, which she would not have been allowed to mention had Russom not asked her. Homicide filmmakers sought to portray the trial scenes in a far more realistic light than most police drama shows, particularly with the inclusion of less dramatic courtroom elements such as Howard's waiting anxiously to testify and the awkward pauses during her testimony.
"And the Rockets' Dead Glare" presents a case for drug liberalization
, arguing from the perspectives of homicide detectives Tim Bayliss and, particularly, John Munch that legalizing drugs would help curb violent crime. Munch's pro-drug liberalization comments in the episode were inspired by actor Richard Belzer's real-life personal history with drug abuse and drug dealing, which would go on to inspire further development of Munch's druggie and hippie past in future episodes. An arrangement of Frédéric Chopin
's Fantaisie-Impromptu in C Minor
, conducted by Louis Knatchvull, appears in "And the Rockets Dead Glare", as does the song "Rhythm and Blues" by Benjamin Antin.
, earning the episode a 7.1 rating. This constituted a decline in viewership compared to the previous week's episode, "A Dog and Pony Show
", which was seen by 8.47 million viewers and received a 9.1 rating. Homicide ranked low in the Nielsen ratings compared to other shows the week of "And the Rockets' Dead Glare", ranking 78th for the week of March 15 to 21, with its timeslot competitor, the ABC
comedy series Home Improvement, ranking number one with 22.3 million household viewers.
Harold Schindler
of The Salt Lake Tribune
praised the episode, making it one of his weekly recommendations and declaring Homicide "one of the better police procedural dramas to reach television". "And the Rockets Dead Glare" and the rest of the first and second season episodes were included in the four-DVD box-set "Homicide: Life on the Street: The Complete Seasons 1 & 2", which was released by A&E Home Video
on May 27, 2003 for $69.95.
Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street is an American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons on NBC from 1993 to 1999, and was succeeded by a TV movie, which also acted as the de-facto series finale...
. It originally aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in the United States on March 17, 1993. In the episode, Howard
Kay Howard
Kay Howard is a fictional homicide detective from Homicide: Life on the Street. She was played by actress Melissa Leo. In the first two seasons of the show her character was the only female detective or member of the main cast. This was in keeping with the book and the actual Homicide unit in...
testifies in a murder trial, Pembleton
Frank Pembleton
Francis Xavier "Frank" Pembleton is a fictional homicide detective on the television drama series Homicide: Life on the Street portrayed by Emmy Award winning actor Andre Braugher. He is a primary character of the show through the first six seasons...
is offered a promotion, and Lewis
Meldrick Lewis
Meldrick Lewis is a fictional character on the television series Homicide: Life on the Street played by Clark Johnson. The character was in the series for its full run and had the very first and last lines of the series...
and Crosetti
Steve Crosetti
Det. Steve Crosetti is a fictional character on the television drama series Homicide: Life on the Street portrayed by actor Jon Polito for the show's first two seasons. He is believed to be based on Baltimore Police Department Det...
go to the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to investigate a political refugee's murder.
The teleplay was written by Jorge Zamacona based on a story by executive director Tom Fontana
Tom Fontana
Tom Fontana is an American writer and producer.-TV career:Fontana has been a writer/producer for such series as Oz , The Jury, The Beat, The Bedford Diaries, Homicide: Life on the Street, St...
, and the episode was directed by Peter Markle
Peter Markle
Peter Markle is an American TV and film director. He has worked on Everwood, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and The X-Files as well as many other programs. He was director of the successful "Flight 93" in 2006 and he also directed the poorly-received comedy western film Wagons East!...
. It marked the first appearances of two recurring characters: defense attorney Darin Russom (Michael Willis
Michael Willis
Michael Willis, born October 4, 1949, is an American television and movie character actor. Willis' credits include movie roles in Pushing Tin and Men in Black, and several episodes of Law & Order....
) and Detective Frank Pembleton's wife Mary, who was played by actor Andre Braugher
Andre Braugher
Andre Braugher is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Thomas Searles in the film Glory, as the fiery detective Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Street from 1993 to 1998 and again in the 2000 made-for-TV film Homicide: Life on the Street, and as Owen Thoreau Jr...
's real-life wife Ami Brabson. The episode also featured a guest performances by actress and future model Bai Ling
Bai Ling
Bai Ling is a Chinese actress known for her work in films such as The Crow, Red Corner and Wild Wild West, and in TV series such as Entourage and Lost. In 2011 she appeared in the fifth season of the VH1 reality television series Celebrity Rehab with Dr...
.
The murder trial portrayed in the episode is based on a trial featured in David Simon
David Simon
David Simon is an American author, journalist, and a writer/producer of television series. He worked for the Baltimore Sun City Desk for twelve years. He wrote Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets and co-wrote The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood with Ed Burns...
's 1991 non-fiction book, Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets
Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets
Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets is a 1991 book written by Baltimore Sun reporter David Simon describing a year spent with detectives from the Baltimore Police Department homicide squad...
, on which the series was based. Howard's procedural missteps, and her subsequent recovery, was based on that real-life trial. The writers sought to realistically portray the trial scenes by focusing on less dramatic courtroom elements. Some of the detectives in "And the Rockets' Dead Glare" make arguments for drug liberalization
Drug liberalization
Drug liberalization is the process of eliminating or reducing drug prohibition laws. Variations of drug liberalization include drug relegalization, drug legalization, and drug decriminalization -Policies:...
, particularly John Munch
John Munch
Sergeant John Munch is a fictional character played by actor Richard Belzer. Munch first appeared on Homicide: Life on the Street. Upon that series' cancellation, the character was transplanted to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the first spin-off of the Law & Order franchise...
, whose arguments were inspired by actor Richard Belzer
Richard Belzer
Richard Jay Belzer is an American stand-up comedian, author, and actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as John Munch, which he has portrayed as a regular cast member on the NBC police drama series Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as well as in guest...
's real-life personal history with drug abuse.
Since ratings for Homicide had gradually declined throughout the season, NBC announced a decision about whether the series would be renewed would depend on the Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of the final four episodes, including "And the Rockets' Dead Glare". Nevertheless, it was seen by a relatively low 6.61 million household viewers, a decline from the previous week's "A Dog and Pony Show
A Dog and Pony Show (Homicide: Life on the Street)
"A Dog and Pony Show" is the sixth episode of the first season of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 10, 1993...
".
Plot summary
LewisMeldrick Lewis
Meldrick Lewis is a fictional character on the television series Homicide: Life on the Street played by Clark Johnson. The character was in the series for its full run and had the very first and last lines of the series...
(Clark Johnson
Clark Johnson
Clark Johnson , sometimes credited as Clark 'Slappy' Jackson, Clarque Johnson, and J. Clark Johnson, is an American actor and director who has worked in both television and film.-Early years:...
) and Crosetti
Steve Crosetti
Det. Steve Crosetti is a fictional character on the television drama series Homicide: Life on the Street portrayed by actor Jon Polito for the show's first two seasons. He is believed to be based on Baltimore Police Department Det...
investigate the execution-style shooting death of a Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
college student. A friend in his dormitory (Bai Ling
Bai Ling
Bai Ling is a Chinese actress known for her work in films such as The Crow, Red Corner and Wild Wild West, and in TV series such as Entourage and Lost. In 2011 she appeared in the fifth season of the VH1 reality television series Celebrity Rehab with Dr...
) says the victim was a student leader at the Tiananmen Square protest
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the People's Republic of China beginning on 15 April 1989...
and had been hunted ever since. The detectives go to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to talk to the Chinese embassy about the murder, but they deny any knowledge of the incident. Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
agent Gruszynski (Ed Lauter
Ed Lauter
Edward Lauter is an American actor. He has appeared in numerous movies and was a stand up comic before getting into acting.Lauter was born in Long Beach, Long Island, New York...
) confronts Lewis and Crosetti and tells them not to waste the embassy's time, but agrees to give the detectives a tour of Washington before they go. Crosetti is excited to see the landmarks but Lewis, who believes the Secret Service agent knows who committed the murder, remains confrontational with Gruszynski. When Gruszynski still refuses to help, Crosetti and a frustrated Lewis leave Washington.
Felton
Beau Felton
Det. Beauregard D. 'Beau' Felton is a fictional character on the television drama series Homicide: Life on the Street portrayed by Daniel Baldwin for seasons 1-3. He was loosely based on Det...
(Daniel Baldwin
Daniel Baldwin
Daniel Leroy Baldwin is an American actor, producer and director. He is the second oldest of the four Baldwin brothers, all of whom are actors. Daniel Baldwin is known for his role as Detective Beau Felton in the popular NBC TV series Homicide: Life on the Street...
) and Howard
Kay Howard
Kay Howard is a fictional homicide detective from Homicide: Life on the Street. She was played by actress Melissa Leo. In the first two seasons of the show her character was the only female detective or member of the main cast. This was in keeping with the book and the actual Homicide unit in...
(Melissa Leo
Melissa Leo
Melissa Chessington Leo , is an American actress. After appearing on several television shows and films in the late '80s, her breakthrough role came in 1993 as Det. Sgt. Kay Howard on the television series Homicide: Life on the Street for the show's first five seasons from 1993 – 1997...
) prepare to testify in the murder trial of "Pony" Johnson (Geoffrey C. Ewing). State prosecutor Danvers
Ed Danvers
Ed Danvers is a fictional character played by Željko Ivanek in the television series Homicide: Life on the Street.-Character profile:A recurring character, Danvers is usually shown only in his professional capacity as an Assistant State's Attorney , although the series did delve into his personal...
(Željko Ivanek
Željko Ivanek
Željko Ivanek is an Emmy award-winning Slovenian American actor best known for his role as Ray Fiske on Damages. He is also known for playing Blake Sterling on short-lived NBC series The Event and Emile Danko on Heroes....
) tells an anxious Howard that the case depends entirely on her testimony. Felton, who in contrast to Howard is very relaxed, claims Howard is in love with Danvers, which she vehemently denies. Howard testifies, but nervously fumbles facts and allows defense attorney Darin Russom (Michael Willis
Michael Willis
Michael Willis, born October 4, 1949, is an American television and movie character actor. Willis' credits include movie roles in Pushing Tin and Men in Black, and several episodes of Law & Order....
) to create reasonable doubt to the jury. After receiving reassurance from Danvers, however, Howard is recalled and performs much better, seriously damaging Russom's case. Johnson is found guilty of murder and Danvers offers to buy Howard dinner, which she accepts much to Felton's amusement.
Munch
John Munch
Sergeant John Munch is a fictional character played by actor Richard Belzer. Munch first appeared on Homicide: Life on the Street. Upon that series' cancellation, the character was transplanted to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the first spin-off of the Law & Order franchise...
(Richard Belzer
Richard Belzer
Richard Jay Belzer is an American stand-up comedian, author, and actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as John Munch, which he has portrayed as a regular cast member on the NBC police drama series Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as well as in guest...
) and Bolander
Stanley Bolander
Stanley Bolander is a fictional character in the American crime drama / police procedural Homicide: Life on the Street. He is portrayed by Ned Beatty and appears in the first three seasons and Homicide: The Movie.-Character overview:...
(Ned Beatty
Ned Beatty
Ned Thomas Beatty is an American actor who has appeared in more than 100 films and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain and a Golden Globe Award; won a Drama Desk Award....
) respond to a corpse found in the woods, next to a van full of low-quality marijuana. Munch proves to be an expert on hemp
Hemp
Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
, and discusses how the plant was grown by founding fathers Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
and George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
. The detectives eventually identify the victim as a middle man for a drug dealer, and Bolander finds a neighbor who saw Jones holding a gun to the victim's head the night before the murder. Munch, Bayliss
Tim Bayliss
Timothy Bayliss is a fictional detective on Homicide: Life on the Street. He was a primary character, and was played by Kyle Secor. He was loosely based on the real-life Det...
(Kyle Secor
Kyle Secor
Kyle Ivan Secor is an American television and movie actor, best known for his role as Detective Tim Bayliss on the crime drama Homicide: Life on the Street.-Early years:...
) and narcotics detective Russ DeSilva (Steven Marcus) debate whether drugs should be illegal; the homicide detectives claim legalization would reduce violent crime and that drug revenue could go to good causes. Bolander asks Munch if he smokes pot, but he refuses to answer. That night, Munch and Bolander arrest the drug dealer at home.
Captain Barnfather
George Barnfather
George Barnfather is a fictional Deputy Commissioner in the Baltimore Police Department on Homicide: Life on the Street, played by Clayton LeBouef.Barnfather first appeared in the series as a Captain whose command was over the Homicide Section...
(Clayton LeBouef
Clayton LeBouef
Clayton LeBouef is an African American actor, best known for his recurring role as Colonel George Barnfather in Homicide: Life on the Street...
) and Colonel Granger (Gerald F. Gough) offer Pembleton
Frank Pembleton
Francis Xavier "Frank" Pembleton is a fictional homicide detective on the television drama series Homicide: Life on the Street portrayed by Emmy Award winning actor Andre Braugher. He is a primary character of the show through the first six seasons...
(Andre Braugher
Andre Braugher
Andre Braugher is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Thomas Searles in the film Glory, as the fiery detective Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Street from 1993 to 1998 and again in the 2000 made-for-TV film Homicide: Life on the Street, and as Owen Thoreau Jr...
) a promotion to lieutenant and the vacant shift commander position working alongside Gee
Al Giardello
Alphonse Michael Giardello, Sr. is a fictional character from the television drama Homicide: Life on the Street. The character was played by Yaphet Kotto...
(Yaphet Kotto
Yaphet Kotto
Yaphet Frederick Kotto is an African-American actor, known for numerous film roles , and his starring role in the NBC television series Homicide: Life on the Street .-Early life:Kotto was born in New York City, the son of Gladys Marie, a...
). Pembleton asks for time to consider it, and the duo ask him not to mention the offer to Gee. Gee is inquisitive and immediately senses Pembleton is lying when he says the discussion was nothing. After discussing the offer with his wife Mary (Ami Brabson), Pembleton decides not to take the job and confesses to Gee, who has already learned the truth and is disappointed Pembleton did not tell him sooner. The episode ends with Pembleton going to the bar with his fellow detectives, which he seldom does.
Production
"And the Rockets Dead Glare" was written by Jorge Zamacona based on a story by executive producer Tom FontanaTom Fontana
Tom Fontana is an American writer and producer.-TV career:Fontana has been a writer/producer for such series as Oz , The Jury, The Beat, The Bedford Diaries, Homicide: Life on the Street, St...
, and was directed by Peter Markle
Peter Markle
Peter Markle is an American TV and film director. He has worked on Everwood, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and The X-Files as well as many other programs. He was director of the successful "Flight 93" in 2006 and he also directed the poorly-received comedy western film Wagons East!...
. It marked the first appearances of defense attorney Darin Russom (Michael Willis
Michael Willis
Michael Willis, born October 4, 1949, is an American television and movie character actor. Willis' credits include movie roles in Pushing Tin and Men in Black, and several episodes of Law & Order....
) and Frank Pembleton
Frank Pembleton
Francis Xavier "Frank" Pembleton is a fictional homicide detective on the television drama series Homicide: Life on the Street portrayed by Emmy Award winning actor Andre Braugher. He is a primary character of the show through the first six seasons...
's wife Mary, both of whom became recurring characters throughout the rest of the series. Mary Pembleton is played by Ami Brabson, who is married to actor Andre Braugher in real life. Brabson auditioned for the role shortly after Braugher was cast in the series, and Braugher said of their on-screen pairing, "We have an instant rapport that we don't have to create." Willis, in real life, has a low opinion of trial lawyers, and did little to research for his role as Russom. "And the Rockets' Dead Glare" also featured a guest appearance by actress and model Bai Ling
Bai Ling
Bai Ling is a Chinese actress known for her work in films such as The Crow, Red Corner and Wild Wild West, and in TV series such as Entourage and Lost. In 2011 she appeared in the fifth season of the VH1 reality television series Celebrity Rehab with Dr...
, a student and apparent friend to the Chinese refugee murdered in the episode. Although relatively unknown at the time, Ling went on to star in such films as Red Corner
Red Corner
Red Corner is a drama film produced in 1997, directed by Jon Avnet and written by Robert King.- Plot :It tells the story of a wealthy American businessman named Jack Moore working in China and attempting to put together a satellite communications deal as part of a joint venture with the Chinese...
(1997) and Anna and the King
Anna and the King
Anna and the King is a 1999 biographical drama film loosely based on Anna and the King of Siam, the story of Anna Leonowens, who was an English schoolteacher in Siam, now Thailand, in the 19th century...
(1999), and was named one of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" in 1998.
The "Pony" Johnson murder trial is based on a real-life trial featured in Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets
Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets
Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets is a 1991 book written by Baltimore Sun reporter David Simon describing a year spent with detectives from the Baltimore Police Department homicide squad...
, the 1991 David Simon
David Simon
David Simon is an American author, journalist, and a writer/producer of television series. He worked for the Baltimore Sun City Desk for twelve years. He wrote Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets and co-wrote The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood with Ed Burns...
non-fiction book about a Baltimore Police Department
Baltimore Police Department
The Baltimore Police Department provides police services to the city of Baltimore, Maryland and was officially established by the Maryland Legislature on March 16, 1853...
, which was adapted into the Homicide series. In that real-life trial, a Baltimore detective misspeaks during his testimony and nearly jeopardizes the outcome of the case. This is mirrored by the actions of Kay Howard, who accidentally says the victim was dead at least 24 hours when she meant to say 12 hours, leaving an opening for defense attorney Darin Russom to question her recollection and expertise. The defense attorney in the real-life trial lost the case for himself with a procedural misstep similar to the one portrayed in "And the Rockets Dead Glare". In the episode, Russom asks Howard whether she had ever seen a murder victim killed by both a knife and a gun. This allows Howard to mention a second victim police suspect "Pony" Johnson murdered, which she would not have been allowed to mention had Russom not asked her. Homicide filmmakers sought to portray the trial scenes in a far more realistic light than most police drama shows, particularly with the inclusion of less dramatic courtroom elements such as Howard's waiting anxiously to testify and the awkward pauses during her testimony.
"And the Rockets' Dead Glare" presents a case for drug liberalization
Drug liberalization
Drug liberalization is the process of eliminating or reducing drug prohibition laws. Variations of drug liberalization include drug relegalization, drug legalization, and drug decriminalization -Policies:...
, arguing from the perspectives of homicide detectives Tim Bayliss and, particularly, John Munch that legalizing drugs would help curb violent crime. Munch's pro-drug liberalization comments in the episode were inspired by actor Richard Belzer's real-life personal history with drug abuse and drug dealing, which would go on to inspire further development of Munch's druggie and hippie past in future episodes. An arrangement of Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
's Fantaisie-Impromptu in C Minor
Fantaisie-Impromptu
Frédéric Chopin's Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor, Op. posth. 66, is a solo piano composition and one of his best-known pieces. It was composed in 1834 and dedicated to Julian Fontana, who published the piece in spite of Chopin's request not to do so....
, conducted by Louis Knatchvull, appears in "And the Rockets Dead Glare", as does the song "Rhythm and Blues" by Benjamin Antin.
Release and reception
Ratings for Homicide: Life on the Street gradually declined since the series first premiered. In response, NBC announced to fans that a decision about whether Homicide would be renewed or canceled would depend on how the last four episodes of the season fared in the ratings, including "And the Rockets' Dead Glare". In its original American broadcast on March 17, 1993, the episode was watched by 6.61 million households, according to Nielsen Media ResearchNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, earning the episode a 7.1 rating. This constituted a decline in viewership compared to the previous week's episode, "A Dog and Pony Show
A Dog and Pony Show (Homicide: Life on the Street)
"A Dog and Pony Show" is the sixth episode of the first season of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 10, 1993...
", which was seen by 8.47 million viewers and received a 9.1 rating. Homicide ranked low in the Nielsen ratings compared to other shows the week of "And the Rockets' Dead Glare", ranking 78th for the week of March 15 to 21, with its timeslot competitor, the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
comedy series Home Improvement, ranking number one with 22.3 million household viewers.
Harold Schindler
Harold Schindler
Harold Moroni "Hal" Schindler was an American journalist and historian, known for his articles and books on the American west...
of The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune is the largest-circulated daily newspaper in the U.S. city of Salt Lake City. It is distributed by Newspaper Agency Corporation, which also distributes the Deseret News. The Tribune — or "Trib," as it is locally known — is currently owned by the Denver-based MediaNews Group....
praised the episode, making it one of his weekly recommendations and declaring Homicide "one of the better police procedural dramas to reach television". "And the Rockets Dead Glare" and the rest of the first and second season episodes were included in the four-DVD box-set "Homicide: Life on the Street: The Complete Seasons 1 & 2", which was released by A&E Home Video
A&E Television Networks
A&E Television Networks is a U.S. media company that owns a group of television channels available via cable & satellite in the US and abroad...
on May 27, 2003 for $69.95.
External links
- "And the Rockets Dead Glare" at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...