Television Review: Baby, It's You (Homicide: Life on the Street, S6X04, 1997)

Baby, It’s You (S06E05)

Airdate: 14 November 1997

Written by: Jorge Zamacona
Directed by: Edwin Sherin

Running Time: 47 minutes

The concluding segment of Baby, It’s You, the two-part crossover episode of Law & Order and Homicide: Life on the Street, presents a solid, albeit generic, piece of television. While the first part of the episode felt more aligned with the style and tone of Law & Order, the second part seems to blend into a generic combination of police procedural and crime drama, losing the gritty, authentic feel of the mean streets of Baltimore that Homicide is known for.

This effect is partly due to the episode retaining the same team of screenwriter Jorge Zacamona and director Edwin Sherin, which maintains a consistent style and pacing throughout both parts. This consistency, however, works against the episode in terms of capturing the unique flavour of Homicide. The narrative structure and visual style remain steadfast, but they fail to capture the raw, unfiltered essence that makes Homicide stand out.

The plot nominally begins in New York City, where Assistant District Attorney Benjamin McCoy becomes convinced that Dr. Steven Janaway has raped his 14-year-old daughter Brittany, leading to her death from an untreated vaginal infection. McCoy is determined to try Janaway for murder, but jurisdictional issues arise because the alleged rape occurred in Baltimore. Assistant State Attorney Ed Danvers in Baltimore also wants to prosecute Janaway, leading to a legal tug-of-war. After some procedural manoeuvring, Judge Susan Aandahl rules in favour of Baltimore but allows McCoy to participate in the prosecution. The testimonies collected by the Baltimore Homicide Unit initially look bad for Janaway, as Brittany had a previous bleeding incident three years earlier, which was allegedly covered up by her father, who had worked in a Baltimore hospital. In a surprising twist, Janaway's defence attorney, Leslie Drake, calls his client to the witness stand, where Janaway admits to having an adulterous hotel encounter during the alleged rape. When his alibi is corroborated, the Baltimore Homicide Unit brings both spouses in for separate questioning. It is revealed that the real killer is Brittany’s mother, Gayle, who had been subjecting her daughter to years of abuse, driven by jealousy over her daughter's beauty and the attention she received from her father.

The second part of Baby, It’s You is a well-written and directed piece of television, executed with workmanlike precision. However, it lacks the particular inspiration and edge that defines Homicide: Life on the Street. Apart from the setting and a few characters, it is hardly recognisable as an episode of Homicide. Jon Seda, playing Detective Frank Pembleton, tries to infuse life into his character, who is given a subplot involving his young son and ex-wife to make him more relatable to the increasingly hostile old fans of the series. However, his efforts are overshadowed by the supporting cast in guest roles. Dan Hedaya delivers a brilliant performance as the unscrupulous attorney Leslie Drake, while Tom Tammi and Maureen Anderman, both veterans of the Law & Order franchise, shine as the doomed parents, Steven and Gayle Janaway.

At the end of the day, the second part of Baby, It’s You is better than the first part simply because it provides closure to the story. However, both episodes as a whole are something that could be recommended to fans of their respective shows. Law & Order aficionados will appreciate the legal drama and procedural elements, while Homicide fans might find it a decent watch. Nevertheless, die-hard Homicide enthusiasts could easily live without this crossover, as it fails to capture the essence of what makes the original series so compelling. The episode feels more like a missed opportunity to blend the strengths of both shows into something truly unique, rather than a generic police procedural that could belong to any number of crime dramas.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

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