Best. Show. Ever.

I got the "Homicide: Life on the Streets" Season 3 DVDs and they're great. It's really the best show ever. In the early '90s, it [along with The X-Files] touched off the movement of excellent, "gritty," hour-long crime/sci-fi dramas that later birthed The Sopranos, Carnivale, Battlestar Galactica, Deadwood, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, etc. It's just he best shit ever. But it's even better if you imagine it on NBC in 1993--amazement is the only way to describe the impact of such a show and it's content on network TV 13 years ago. It was on Friday nights, and it still stayed on for 7 years simply on the force of voluminous critical acclaim (nobody watches network TV on Friday nights). Anyway, there's this line from the episode I watched tonight ("Crosetti" episode 6) about one of the homicide cops' suicide (the unit had to deal with it themselves as "murder police") that's really cool.

Lt. Giardello: In the old days, the Italians wouldn't bury a suicide in a graveyard or consecrated ground. They'd take the body out of the village and dig a hole at the point where two roads crossed. Il cruce de duo camini. The crossroads. The Italians believed that if someone should come to the crossroads and choose to end his life then he should be burried where those who had the strength to go on could walk over him.

Dectective Bolander: The Italians are an unforgiving lot.

Lt. Giardello: I know. But we make great pasta. It balances out.