Origninally airing November 29, 1994, "Double Abandando" was seven episodes into NYPD Blue's second season. The show's original star, David Caruso, had left at the end of the first season to pursue a career in film. Jimmy Smits was brought in to replace him. The show's co-creator, Steven Bochco, has recently revealed that NYPD Blue was in fact designed as a vehicle for Smits, back when L.A. Law was still in production. By this time, though, colorful Hill Street Blues alumnus Dennis Franz had become the show's main star, and even by this episode, he was still getting used to his new partner Simone (Smits).
The 15th Precinct's receptionist, Donna Abandando (Gail O'Grady, on the right), is the star of this particular show. She's dating the perpetually awkward bachelor, detective Greg Medavoy (Gordon Clapp). Donna's trampy sister, Dana (Debra Messing), is in town, looking for an apartment. Staying at Donna's for a while, she immediately zeroes in on Greg, who's arrived early waiting for his date. Donna comes home to find half-dressed Dana climbing all over him. He gets flustered, protesting his innocence, but Donna's already on to her sister's competitive ways. As Greg quietly slips out the door, Dana's venting her frustration at Donna: "She thinks a D-cup makes her God!"
Each episode of NYPD Blue has the detectives going through a number of suspects and witnesses, most of whom never appear again on the show. These cameos are often the highlight of the program, brief character sketches that hold their own opposite an emmy award-winning ensemble.
Some of the more familiar faces making a brief appearance here (from left to right):
Adam Hann-Byrd (the little man in Little Man Tate), playing a boy who takes a fall for schoolyard thug Giovanni Ribisi, whose stern but self-deluded father is played by Ron Dean, a recurring guest on "Early Edition" as Detective Crumb (though not on the same episode ["Halloween"] as Noelle).
Noelle is part of a storyline involving an evil snake named Eddie Reyna (Scott Cohen ,who recently played a different snake on NYPD Blue. He was also #3 on People magazine's 50 sexiest people list for the year 2000). He seems to be an ordinary guy who was shot at on the street, but apparently not wounded.
Detectives Adrienne Lesniak (Justine Miceli) and James Martinez (Nicholas Turturro) try to get information from him, but he shows a strange lack of curiosity about the incident.
His doting girlfriend feels differently, though. She thinks she knows exactly who did it: his former girlfriend, Jennifer Mills. Jennifer is a psycho stalker, who won't leave Eddie alone, making threatening phone calls on a regular basis. While she says all this, Eddie just shrugs and looks embarrassed; he can't help it if he has this effect on women. He's learned to live with it.
The detectives notice blood seeping out of Eddie's jacket! Eddie seems as surprised as they. He didn't feel a thing, he says. Det. Martinez helps him off with the jacket.
Eddie takes detective Martinez aside to talk man-to-man: is there some way they could classify this case as very low-priority? No, Martinez replies, there's no way they can do that. Eddie gives a weary sigh.
Martinez is puzzled. It doesn't add up. Lesniak reminds him Eddie just didn't notice he was actually shot. I guess it can happen, says Martinez, still skeptical. They decide to look up Jennifer Mills, their only suspect at this point.
Jennifer works at Saybrook Industries, a large, bustling corporation. It's an unusual setting for this show. Ordinarily, suspects are cornered on the street, in a bar, at their residences (mostly apartments, and surrounded by loud neighbors), or best of all , brought into the precinct, where guest stars have free rein to chew up the scenery. Here, though, she is being cornered in a formal business setting. It means Noelle will not have the freedom to emote like the average guest star. Since she's among her co-workers, her demeanor must remain controlled and professional, somthing that becomes even more challenging when the detectives find out what she has to say.
Seated at her desk, she knows the detectives are coming, but not the reason.
They introduce themselves, going through the usual formalities. Is there someplace they can talk?
"Uh, yeah, I think the coffee room's empty." In a place like this, privacy is fleeting.
They follow, as she nervously scans the sea of cubicles along the way.
Continued...
