Lines of Fire
Encyclopedia
"Lines of Fire" is an episode of the seventh season
of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street
. It originally aired on NBC
on May 7, 1999. The episode was written by James Yoshimura and directed by Kathryn Bigelow
.
and Stuart Gharty
are ordered to investigate when Emmet Carey, a man who has recently lost both his job and a child custody battle, takes his children hostage on a top-floor apartment of a Baltimore high rise. Emmet sees Mike on television when news cameras report to the scene, and develops an immediate fixation on him. The usual hostage negotiator asks Mike to take over, after the otherwise paranoid Emmet shows signs of trusting Mike.
Emmet initially mocks Mike's mixed racial heritage, saying that he's "never seen a black Italian" but the two eventually develop a rapport as they tell each other about their lives, and Mike repeatedly agrees to Emmet's demands for food. However, Emmet shows signs of paranoia and grows increasingly suspicious as Mike stalls for time to avoid fulfilling Emmet's primary demand -- a chance to speak to his ex-wife and former boss; Emmet's ex has shown such contempt for Emmet, that Mike knows such a conversation would inevitably lead to violence. In fact, when the ex eventually breaks through the security perimeter, Emmet loses his temper and fires his gun wildly. His intention is only to scare her, but he accidentally hits her with a fatal shot. The hostage negotiator encourages Mike to tell Emmet that his ex received only a minor wound, as news of her death might further antagonize him.
Mike eventually manages to convince Emmet to release his daughter, but immediately afterward, Emmet kills his son and then himself, leaving Mike devastated that he was unable to save the little boy.
Homicide: Life on the Street (season 7)
The seventh season of Homicide: Life on the Street aired in the United States on the NBC television network from 1998-09-25 to 1999-05-21 and contained 22 episodes....
of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street
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...
on May 7, 1999. The episode was written by James Yoshimura and directed by Kathryn Bigelow
Kathryn Bigelow
Kathryn Ann Bigelow is an American film director. Her best-known films are the cult horror film Near Dark , the surfer/bank robbery action picture Point Break , the science fiction/film noir Strange Days , the historical/mystery film The Weight of Water and the war drama The Hurt Locker...
.
Plot summary
Mike GiardelloMike Giardello
Alphonse Michael Giardello Jr. is a fictional character from the television drama Homicide: Life on the Street. The character was played by Giancarlo Esposito.-Biography:...
and Stuart Gharty
Stuart Gharty
Stuart Gharty is a fictional character played by Peter Gerety in the television series Homicide: Life on the Street.He is introduced in the season four one-shot episode "Scene of the Crime", as a cowardly patrolman who allows two drug dealers to murder each other rather than venture into a housing...
are ordered to investigate when Emmet Carey, a man who has recently lost both his job and a child custody battle, takes his children hostage on a top-floor apartment of a Baltimore high rise. Emmet sees Mike on television when news cameras report to the scene, and develops an immediate fixation on him. The usual hostage negotiator asks Mike to take over, after the otherwise paranoid Emmet shows signs of trusting Mike.
Emmet initially mocks Mike's mixed racial heritage, saying that he's "never seen a black Italian" but the two eventually develop a rapport as they tell each other about their lives, and Mike repeatedly agrees to Emmet's demands for food. However, Emmet shows signs of paranoia and grows increasingly suspicious as Mike stalls for time to avoid fulfilling Emmet's primary demand -- a chance to speak to his ex-wife and former boss; Emmet's ex has shown such contempt for Emmet, that Mike knows such a conversation would inevitably lead to violence. In fact, when the ex eventually breaks through the security perimeter, Emmet loses his temper and fires his gun wildly. His intention is only to scare her, but he accidentally hits her with a fatal shot. The hostage negotiator encourages Mike to tell Emmet that his ex received only a minor wound, as news of her death might further antagonize him.
Mike eventually manages to convince Emmet to release his daughter, but immediately afterward, Emmet kills his son and then himself, leaving Mike devastated that he was unable to save the little boy.