Thank Our Gracious Lord That's Over.

[captainsblog]

Day 30 - Saddest character death

You mean besides Henry Blake’s, which I covered like three weeks ago?

Arguably, that was more anger than sadness.

One of the most touching death references was in the final episode of Barney Miller. As the Captain prepares to shut down the old one-two for the last time, he takes a final look at each of the detectives’ desks as a flashback plays for each of them. When he reaches Yemana’s, his face is full of sadness, but the bitter turns sweet as he remembers Nick’s pulling off what might have been the best line of the entire series.

Yemana grabs a coffee pot that was catching water that was dripping through the ceiling.

Barney: You can't use that for our coffee!

Nick: (Puzzled) Why not? Natural rainwater is the purest water you can find.

Barney: But our roof! It's filthy! And the ceiling is full of asbestos and infested with termites!

Nick: Oh. That filters out the impurities.

I think I’ll end these 30 days with that. And go make some coffee.

Off to what has been promised to be an “NFL leg workout.” Fine, but I’m not carrying your equipment or bringing donuts.

Comments

[drbear.livejournal.com]

My other favorite Yemana bit...
Somebody has brought in some pot brownies to the precinct. When Barney - the only one not to touch them - realizes, he flies into a panic.
Barney: Yemana! Have those brownies tested!
(Yemana starts eating them)
Barney: NOT THAT WAY!

[captainsblog.livejournal.com]

I remember it well, but it was Harris. Unless I'm mistaken, that was the flashback they showed for him in the final episode when Barn got to his desk.

[luckycee.livejournal.com]

1) Yemana is at his desk, with a container of Chinese take-out food. He's got one chopstick, but he can't find the other one. The phone rings, Yemana answers, and begins to repeat words back to the other person on the line. "Uh-huh ... forced entry ... signs of burglary ... okay ... hang on, let me get a pencil."

He rummages in his drawer for a minute, finds a pencil, matches it with the single chopstick, and uses them to take a bite of his food. Then he picks up the phone and says "Okay, go ahead."

While that was classic, the real payoff occurred a few minutes later. He's still sitting at his desk, with other characters driving a scene, when the camera focuses on him. He's staring at a pencil, and he says, "Oh my God, I ate the eraser."

2) Yemana is cooking something on a hot plate, and one of the others (Wojo, I think) says "What is that SMELL? It smells like garbage."

Yemana is highly offended. He replies, "Garbage?! This is a Japanese delicacy. It's a soup made from fish heads, cabbage leaves, cucumber peels ... Come to think of it, it IS garbage."

(from http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=555404&page=2, but I remember these well)