Summary

One in this comedy series about police Capt. Barney Miller and his squad of detectives in Manhattan's 12th Precinct. In this episode, on Thanksgiving, one Ed Gerrity is brought into the precinct, having stabbed his "bum" of a brother-in-law, Paul Powell, over a turkey-related disagreement. Inspector Luger wanders in, dropping strong hints about his lack of dinner plans, and when three mental patients escape from a local hospital, Dr. Engels, Nurse Krewson and attendant Kenny Brewer come by to offer the cops information on rounding them up. Ed is stuck in a cell as they wait for Paul to arrive with his statement, and as the patients are discovered causing trouble at a nearby automat, Nurse Krewson sets her sights on Harris and tells him all about her frustrating job.

Paul finally arrives as the mental patients are brought into the station, and Miller attempts to wrangle the many guests, including Luger. Paul decides not to press charges against his brother-in-law, feeling that he owes him a debt for allowing him to live in his home for several months, though thanks to Dietrich's "advice," Ed worries that he may be intending to seek revenge later on. The automat owner also declines to press charges for the patients' antics, and Dietrich expresses support for one man's strong nudist beliefs as the patients are hauled back to the hospital. With all of the wacky troublemakers finally gone, Miller relents and invites a grateful Luger to join his family for the holiday. Commercials deleted.