Cagney & Lacey Season 5, Episode 11: Play It Again, Santa

1

On the Street

A teenager has run away from her wealthy home, preferring prostitution to Princeton. Cagney and Lacey need her to testify against her pimp

45 min

2

Ordinary Hero

Cagney and Lacey have no trouble with a case, thanks to their star witness. Alas, he's an illegal alien, who can only stay in the country until the trial ends. When the baddy takes a plea bargain, the witness and family are going to be deported

45 min

3

The Psychic

A psychic is hired to find a missing woman (hired by the family of the woman). Cagney senses trouble.

45 min

4

Lottery

After the New York State Lottery has paid out millions, here comes another ticket. Somebody has a fake, but who? In the B story, Harvey and Mary Beth must face an IRS audit

45 min

5

Entrapment

Cagney and Lacey try to nail drug dealer Mansfield. But their case rests on Chris' unsubstantiated conversation with him. Mary Beth would rather go bowling than lie, but she has to stick up for Chris.

45 min

6

The Clinic

Cagney and Lacey escort a poor Latina to an abortion clinic, as she's afraid to run the gauntlet of protestors. When the clinic is firebombed and someone dies, it becomes murder. When the baddy is discovered, Lacey points out that since she's pregnant, attacking her is just like killing a baby. This was a controversial episode, not shown by every affiliate.

45 min

7

Mothers & Sons

There's good evidence against a suspect, but his mother insists that he was at home with her. As long as the suspect has an alibi, he's all right

45 min

8

Filial Duty

Charlie Cagney's drinking begins to catch up with him and he winds up in the hospital. Lacey, now well advanced in her pregnancy, wants to get off the street and into a desk

45 min

9

Old Ghosts

Cagney sees a robbery in progress, gives chase, loses the perp, and then gets into trouble because she didn't catch the guy. She doesn't like being accused of cowardice. Brother Brian shows up from L.A. to see how Charlie is doing.

45 min

10

Power

Samuels' absence gives Cagney a chance to shine as temporary commander. Inspector Knelman gives her her orders - put Lacey on maternity leave. This is considered a classic episode because it is the one in which Cagney takes her turn as watch commande

45 min

11

Play It Again, Santa

A Christmas episode, where Cagney is teamed with Newman to solve a dispute over who has rights to a song. Since Chris just had a fight with David, maybe Newman will be a romantic prospect? See Cagney dressed up as a Santa with big elf shoes on

45 min

12

The Rapist (aka Rebukes)

Also given to me as ""The Rapist, Part 1"")"" As a temporary replacement for Lacey, Sara Jones seems like a fine detective, and very gungho on finding a rapist. Too gungho - she decides to take matters into her own hands when it seems it is taking too long to nail the suspected rapist. A very, very sad ending to this episode.

45 min

13

Act of Conscience

Cagney's new partner, Michael Moriarty, is famous - he ""ratted"" on some cops on the take. The other police officers will have nothing to do with him - in fact, Coleman has a ""book"" on how long the guy will last.

45 min

14

DWI

To gain more command experience, Cagney commands the night shift, with its own bunch of wackos. The cop case is a hit-and-run drunken driver. Cagney must convince the driver's girlfriend to testify. This episode is one of the first to talk about Cagney's drinking

45 min

15

The Gimp

Handicapped people are being robbed, and a wheelchair activist wants the NYPD to do something about it. Cagney goes undercover by appearing as a handicapped individual in a wheelchair and falls for the activist.

45 min

16

Family Connections

This is sometimes referred to as Cagney & Lacey's ""Lucy and Ethel"" episode for its comedic touches. At last, Lacey has baby Alice. (It did seem like the longest pregnancy on record, didn't it?) Cagney has to drive her to the hospital in the obligatory get-me-to-the-hospital-on-time scene. Chris has another problem - Charlie has a girlfriend, Donna.

45 min

17

Post Partum

A West Point cadet is facing court martial and refuses to talk because of his honor code. David Keeler is sure that the cadet is innocent, so Chris goes up to help out. Lacey has a visitor - her long-lost father, who ran out on her mother when Mary Beth was a child. Now he wants to see his grandchildren

45 min

18

The Man Who Shot Trotsky

In a sequel to #62,Cagney and a back-on-duty-again Lacey go after Mansfield again. Cagney's informant is a street-smart Hispanic youth - is he tough enough to handle Mansfield?

45 min

19

Exit Stage Centre

An actress in a play has died, and it appears to be suicide. However, when the ladies start digging around, they discover that everybody in the play hates everybody else - plenty of reason for murder. We learn that Cagney tried acting in college.

45 min

20

Capitalism

A Cambodian lawyer who specialized in helping his fellow countrymen is killed. Further investigation reveals that he made a lot of money off other Cambodian's misfortunes.

45 min

21

Extradition

Cagney and Lacey get a sweetheart trip - to Los Angeles to bring back a bail jumper

45 min

22

A Safe Place

A thief gets more than he expected, when the goods include plutonium. He needs to be caught quickly, so that his radiation sickness can be treated

45 min

23

Model Citizen

A labor leader is killed. Once again, the victim seems to have led a blameless life, yet someone wanted him dead.

45 min

24

Parting Shots

A labor leader is killed. Once again, the victim seems to have led a blameless life, yet someone wanted him dead. In the B plot, Cagney's niece (who we met in #78) comes for a visit.

45 min