User Reviews

Season 2 Episode 2 Review - The Big Sorrow Aired 9-25-52 Consider this episode one of the best over the course the decade Dragnet was on television in the 1950's. The story, the acting and the timing of the scenes make it a winner. The sadness in the theme of losing a partner, searching for criminals, and capturing them speaks volumes of how the police operate, their lives and duty to the public they serve.

Two convicts escaped prison, are heading to LA from Chino, with a series of robberies on the way. Friday gets news from the Captain, his partner Ben Romero, died of a heart attack, early that morning. Friday narrates his twelve year history with Ben, as he cleans out his partner's locker.

Robberies by the two escapees have netted them weapons and ammunition plus a promise not to be taken alive. The pair is spotted in the next county, Ventura, but closing. The Captain is a part of the search team involving several law enforcement jurisdictions. His ploy is to announce on his bullhorn the search has been terminated, when in fact, the ruse is to have the criminals come to the police, show themselves, rather than the cops chasing the bad guys.

The police teams are split among the farm-houses, two-men each, residents have been told to remove distributor heads from their vehicles, lock their doors, don't respond to the sound of someone trying to start a vehicle. Suddenly, Friday hears an engine trying to be started, he eyeballs the nearby house thinking he has spotted the robbers, the cops move in closer. The gunfire begins across the field, both sides firing shots. Finally, the pair of robbers give up, hands behind their heads, Friday, Smith move in with the cuffs. The bad guys are cuffed, Friday misspeaks, you keep them covered Ben, I'll go get the car.

Both men receive three counts of first-degree robbery, one count of kidnapping, one count of escape still pending; terms now being served in the State Penitentiary, San Quentin, CA.