Homicide: Life on the Street
The Twenty Percent Solution
TV Flash files “The Twenty Percent Solution” as hour 104 of 122 in the TV Flash guide — Homicide: Life on the Street (1993–1999) on NBC, season 7, episode 4, aired 1998-10-30, 60 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S07E04: listed hour 104 of 122 in the Homicide: Life on the Street guide, hour 4 of 22 in season 7. It aired 1998-10-30 (60 min). The listed hour before it is “Just an Old Fashioned Love Song” (S07E03). Next is “Red, Red Wine” (S07E05).
Catalog log
Broadcast listing — not a TV Flash recap.
A popular author of thrillers is missing; his wife has a video in which he warns that his agent may kill him. Discovering that he had a mistress and finding his car at the airport, she is ignored UNTIL the mistress reports him missing as well. No body, no weapon... can the two probable killers be charged?
Viewer FAQ
Where does The Twenty Percent Solution sit in the Homicide: Life on the Street guide?
S07E04 is listed hour 104 of 122 — hour 4 of 22 in season 7, season 7 episode 4.
When did Homicide: Life on the Street S07E04 air?
The Twenty Percent Solution aired 1998-10-30 and is listed at 60 minutes.
What is it based on?
David Simon's nonfiction book about a year with Baltimore homicide detectives — reporting texture, not cop-show candy.
In the series
Why this series still plays
Baltimore detectives, handheld grit, and cases that refuse to tidy up for sweeps. Paul Attanasio developed David Simon's reporting into literary cop TV: Andre Braugher's Pembleton turning interrogation into theater, a red/black board, and moral ambiguity as house style. The missing link between Hill Street and The Wire — network crime that reads like a novel.
The useful first thing *Homicide: Life on the Street* does is refuse catharsis. Baltimore detectives work murders with handheld grit, a red/black name board, and moral ambiguity that will not tidy up for sweeps. Paul Attanasio developed David Simon's nonfiction *Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets* into NBC drama (1993–1999). Andre Braugher's Frank Pembleton turns interrogation rooms into theaters of intellect and rage. Yaphet Kotto, Kyle Secor, Richard Belzer, Clark Johnson, Melissa Leo: the unit as a city…
Open the Homicide: Life on the Street package · Season 7 hub
Filed against
- Andre Braugher as Frank Pembleton
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- Kyle Secor as Tim Bayliss
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- Clark Johnson as Meldrick Lewis
Clark Johnson played Meldrick Lewis on Homicide: Life on the Street — Baltimore detectives, handheld grit, cases that refuse to tidy up for sweeps. Paul Attanasio from David Simon's reporting: Andre Braugher's Pembleton turning…
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Melissa Leo’s Kay Howard walked Homicide: Life on the Street like Baltimore would not tidy up for sweeps — 1990s literary cop TV, handheld grit, a red/black board, Paul Attanasio from David Simon’s reporting. Interrogation as theater. TV…