Stanley Bolander
Encyclopedia
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.
. Throughout his time on the show, he is partnered with Det. John Munch
. It is generally agreed that Bolander is based on the Homicide book
's cigar-smoking detective Donald Worden
, though Worden was not paired with Jay Landsman
, the sergeant on whom John Munch was based. However, there are also parallels between real-life Baltimore Det. David Brown and Munch, most notably Brown's/Munch's relative inexperience compared to Worden/Bolander and the older detective's relentless prodding/hazing of his younger partner. In a case described in detail in the book that spawned a story in the pilot, the younger detective surprises the older one by cracking a stone-cold 'whodunit' case with pure police work; in both reality and fiction, the older detective was more respectful, if not necessarily warm and friendly, towards the younger detective afterwards.
The other members of the squad affectionately refer to Bolander as "The Big Man", a name also used by Worden's colleagues to refer to him in the book. In the fourth-season episode "Scene of the Crime", Munch explains to Mike Kellerman
that the nickname has to do with aspects other than Bolander's weight: "He is in all senses a man of magnitude - enormously fair, tremendously honest, and a whale of a detective."
d from his wife and was still coming to terms with this change in his life, especially as his wife asked for the divorce on the advice of a therapist they were seeing, neither having consulted with him first.
He is also artistic and gentle, displaying a fondness and ability for the cello
. In the infrequent occasions after his divorce when he is in love, he displays a remarkable joy and lust for life that not even the investigation into a suicide
can dampen. His age and marital status would also seem to allow him to identify with his lieutenant more than the other, younger members of the squad, and vice versa. Despite his often bad tempered persona, Bolander has also expressed a certain fondness for children and seems to regret not having any of his own
Not much is known of his early life, but in the episode "The Old and the Dead" he stated his father was a stevedore
who occasionally took him to work so he could watch the boats. However, since he told this bit of personal information to a young suspect in "the box", it might not be true. He remarks to John Munch in the pilot
that he is from the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore. Bolander supports the Baltimore Orioles
and often wears a scarf in the team colors (black and orange) during cold weather; he also thinks fondly of the Baltimore Colts before their move to Indianapolis
.
Munch is usually guaranteed to rub his surly, taciturn partner up the wrong way with his various eccentricities, philosophies and conspiracy theories
. Numerous times during their partnership, Bolander indicates that he appreciates Munch more than he lets on, and at times would appear to have the younger detective's best interests at heart. In the Law and Order episode "Trials", Munch called Bolander his mentor.
and Beau Felton
were shot while trying to serve an arrest warrant on a suspect. Bolander was the most critically injured, taking a bullet to the head. Once he returned to work, he became even more withdrawn and melancholy than before, and wore a hat at all times to cover the long surgical scar on his scalp. While attending a police conference in New York, he and Felton caused an embarrassing disturbance and were suspended for 22 weeks; the start of this punishment coincided with the start of Season 4, marking both characters' departure from the show. When Bolander's suspension ended, he chose not to return to work and instead retired with his pension
- a decision that greatly upset Munch, who was looking forward to meeting him at the Waterfront Bar.
He was next seen in Homicide: The Movie where it is implied that he had developed something of a drinking problem
, but he also says his health has improved thanks to a no-salt diet which he loathes.
He returned to help catch Giardello's shooter and - much to his mortification - was once again paired with Munch.
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
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...
. He is portrayed by 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....
and appears in the first three seasons and Homicide: The Movie.
Character overview
Stanley Bolander was born on July 6, 1944 in Hampton, MarylandHampton, Maryland
Hampton is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland. The population was 5,004 at the 2000 census. Hampton is often considered a subdivision of the nearby community of Towson and is located just north of Baltimore City, Maryland, about twenty minutes...
. Throughout his time on the show, he is partnered with Det. 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...
. It is generally agreed that Bolander is based on the Homicide book
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...
's cigar-smoking detective Donald Worden
Donald Worden
Donald Worden is a retired Baltimore Police Department detective who was featured in David Simon's non-fiction book about the homicide unit, Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets....
, though Worden was not paired with Jay Landsman
Jay Landsman
The book was later developed into the television series Homicide: Life on the Street. He was the inspiration for the fictional character John Munch on that show and a character named Jay Landsman on the television series The Wire, created by Simon. Landsman portrayed himself in a brief appearance...
, the sergeant on whom John Munch was based. However, there are also parallels between real-life Baltimore Det. David Brown and Munch, most notably Brown's/Munch's relative inexperience compared to Worden/Bolander and the older detective's relentless prodding/hazing of his younger partner. In a case described in detail in the book that spawned a story in the pilot, the younger detective surprises the older one by cracking a stone-cold 'whodunit' case with pure police work; in both reality and fiction, the older detective was more respectful, if not necessarily warm and friendly, towards the younger detective afterwards.
The other members of the squad affectionately refer to Bolander as "The Big Man", a name also used by Worden's colleagues to refer to him in the book. In the fourth-season episode "Scene of the Crime", Munch explains to Mike Kellerman
Mike Kellerman
Detective Michael Scott Kellerman is a fictional character on the television drama series Homicide: Life on the Street portrayed by Reed Diamond. He is a main character from seasons 4-6, 1995-1998.-Biography:...
that the nickname has to do with aspects other than Bolander's weight: "He is in all senses a man of magnitude - enormously fair, tremendously honest, and a whale of a detective."
Personality
Bolander has been a homicide detective since 1968 - indeed, the most experienced (and almost certainly, the oldest) officer in Lt. Al Giardello's homicide squad. On the surface, he would seem to match the standard characterization of the tough old veteran detective; he is a gruff and taciturn man, quick to irritation and not particularly fond of expressing his feelings. This masks a certain degree of insecurity and vulnerability, however; at the beginning of the show, he had recently divorceDivorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d from his wife and was still coming to terms with this change in his life, especially as his wife asked for the divorce on the advice of a therapist they were seeing, neither having consulted with him first.
He is also artistic and gentle, displaying a fondness and ability for the cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
. In the infrequent occasions after his divorce when he is in love, he displays a remarkable joy and lust for life that not even the investigation into a suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
can dampen. His age and marital status would also seem to allow him to identify with his lieutenant more than the other, younger members of the squad, and vice versa. Despite his often bad tempered persona, Bolander has also expressed a certain fondness for children and seems to regret not having any of his own
Not much is known of his early life, but in the episode "The Old and the Dead" he stated his father was a stevedore
Stevedore
Stevedore, dockworker, docker, dock labourer, wharfie and longshoreman can have various waterfront-related meanings concerning loading and unloading ships, according to place and country....
who occasionally took him to work so he could watch the boats. However, since he told this bit of personal information to a young suspect in "the box", it might not be true. He remarks to John Munch in the pilot
Gone for Goode
"Gone for Goode" is the first 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 January 31, 1993, immediately following Super Bowl XXVII. The episode was written by series creator Paul...
that he is from the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore. Bolander supports the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
and often wears a scarf in the team colors (black and orange) during cold weather; he also thinks fondly of the Baltimore Colts before their move to Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
.
John Munch
Bolander's most significant relationship in the squadroom, however, is with his partner, John Munch. The two share something of a love-hate relationship; being drastically different in temperament, the two manage to tolerate each other at best, and are frequently found bickering with each other for rather petty reasons. The more intellectual, liberalLiberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
Munch is usually guaranteed to rub his surly, taciturn partner up the wrong way with his various eccentricities, philosophies and conspiracy theories
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
. Numerous times during their partnership, Bolander indicates that he appreciates Munch more than he lets on, and at times would appear to have the younger detective's best interests at heart. In the Law and Order episode "Trials", Munch called Bolander his mentor.
Retirement
In Season 3, Bolander and fellow detectives Kay HowardKay 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...
and Beau 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...
were shot while trying to serve an arrest warrant on a suspect. Bolander was the most critically injured, taking a bullet to the head. Once he returned to work, he became even more withdrawn and melancholy than before, and wore a hat at all times to cover the long surgical scar on his scalp. While attending a police conference in New York, he and Felton caused an embarrassing disturbance and were suspended for 22 weeks; the start of this punishment coincided with the start of Season 4, marking both characters' departure from the show. When Bolander's suspension ended, he chose not to return to work and instead retired with his pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
- a decision that greatly upset Munch, who was looking forward to meeting him at the Waterfront Bar.
He was next seen in Homicide: The Movie where it is implied that he had developed something of a drinking problem
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, but he also says his health has improved thanks to a no-salt diet which he loathes.
He returned to help catch Giardello's shooter and - much to his mortification - was once again paired with Munch.