The BEST episodes of Hill Street Blues season 1

#1 - Hill Street Station

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/15/1981

Precinct Captain Furillo tries to defuse a hostage situation despite the advice of his gung-ho Emergency Action Team leader and the temperament of a self-absorbed gang leader; public defender Joyce Davenport tries to find a client who has been lost in the bureaucratic maze; Detective LaRue gets a lapful of coffee; Sgt. Esterhaus confides to Fay about his teenage sweetheart; Officers Hill and Renko are shot in the line of duty.

#2 - Life, Death, Eternity

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 3/14/1981

Furillo's chances for promotion are threatened when a city councilman is implicated in the murder of the teenage prostitute; LaRue continues to look for money for his "saloondramat"; Fay's obscene caller breaks into her home; and Belker confronts an anti-Semitic cop just transferred to the Hill.

#3 - Can World War III be an Attitude?

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 1/24/1981

Furillo backs LaRue in the bribery case brought by Macafee; Hill and Renko bust a car thief who's a mechanical whiz; and Esterhaus sees Grace in a new light when they share a crisis at the station house when the Presidential visit is cancelled and gang revenge is feared.

#4 - Jungle Madness (2)

Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 5/26/1981

#5 - Fecund Hand Rose

Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 3/25/1981

Esterhaus faces immense pressure as his wedding day to Cindy dawns and Grace shows him what he's giving up; Furillo resents providing protection for Ralph Macafee, who's now a state witness; Belker busts an entertaining professional cat burglar; and everyone scrambles to get ready for the wedding ceremony.

#6 - I Never Promised You a Rose, Marvin

Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 3/21/1981

Furillo pushes the investigation of Councilman McAuley; LaRue's business dream comes to a bitter end; Lt. Hunter gets his chance to test out an "urban tank" in sniper alley.

#7 - Film at Eleven

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 2/7/1981

A television reporter rides with Hill and Renko; Washington and LaRue find the gun that shot Hill and Renko; and Belker busts Kevin Herman Dracula for biting a prostitute.

#8 - Double Jeopardy

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 1/31/1981

A.K.A. 'Dressed To Kill.' Neal continues to investigate Macafee's life as a way of clearing LaRue; Belker and several others go undercover dressed as women to catch a rapist; Esterhaus broods over his two women; and Goldblume questions his ability after losing a jumper.

#9 - Rites of Spring (2)

Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 5/19/1981

#10 - Presidential Fever

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/17/1981

Hill and Renko meet again for the first time since their shooting; Esterhaus tries to avoid Grace Gardner, the new police decorator; two transfer officers get themselves into trouble; Belker pursues rapists in the park; and Furillo must deal with Fay's demands for more money and an impending Presidential visit.

#11 - Politics as Usual

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/22/1981

Hill and Renko decide to split up as a team; LaRue is offered a bribe by a drug dealer who turns out to be a cop; Furillo tries to negotiate with the gangs to ensure a peaceful Presidential tour; Belker agrees to a blind date; and Fay is arrested in a hot tub.

#12 - Jungle Madness (1)

Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 5/26/1981

Neal continues to investigate the Weeks shooting, despite pressure from the Chief to drop it because of the bad publicity; LaRue goes from one shady scam to another as he tries to raise money; Belker's sham fence operation nets a surprise; Shirrett Anders leaves her children again; Furillo warns LaRue to get help for his drinking problem after he ruins a drug bust; and Joe Coffey, Lucy's new partner, is shot.

#13 - Up in Arms

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/21/1981

Furillo gets orders to deal with a neighborhood merchants association; Esterhaus goes out to meet a criminal he helped put away; Harris and Santini get into trouble with the deadly black van; and Hoban's lie detector results are inconclusive.

#14 - Rites of Spring (1)

Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 5/19/1981

Furillo and Neal go out of their way to help clear an obnoxious, racist narcotics detective accused of shooting an unarmed black man; LaRue's drinking gets really out of hand; and Hill and Renko try to help a young black woman accused of neglecting her children.

#15 - Choice Cut

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/14/1981

Hector Ruiz takes hostages again, this time at a supermarket; LaRue and Washington try to connect the gun that shot Hill and Renko with addict Eddie Hoban; and Cynthia Chase uses the hostage scene to stir up the local merchants.

#16 - Gatorbait

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/7/1981

Renko gets put out when a Division homicide detective ridicules his efforts to learn who killed a 15-year-old prostitute; Furillo learns that he may be in line for a promotion to commander; LaRue and Washington have a surprise for Hunter during his annual Alligator hunt in the city sewers; and Fay asks Furillo's help with an obscene phone caller.

#17 - Your Kind, My Kind, Humankind

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 2/28/1981

The Dekker Avenue Merchants Association continues helping the police; Eddie Hoban finds himself out in the cold; Hill, Renko and Belker all have personal problems; Furillo tries to help a confused Santini decide what to do; and LaRue asks Cynthia Chase along on a dull stakeout that suddenly heats up.