Ep 17. The Bullet

Dragnet season 1 episode 17, titled "The Bullet," is a classic police procedural drama that delves into the investigation of a homicide case. The episode starts with a woman finding a bullet in her garden and going to the police station to report it. Upon inquiry, she reveals that her husband, who was a member of a local shooting club, was found murdered in their garage two days ago. Detective Friday and his partner, Detective Romero, take on this case and begin investigating.

The detectives start to gather information about the victim, Max Alen. They discover that he was a prominent businessman, with a lot of money and power. His wife, who brings up the bullet, was not on good terms with him and wanted to divorce him. The detectives also discover that Max's business partner, Joe Clark, had a motive to kill Max. They dig into Joe's background and find out that he was a member of the same shooting club as Max, but he was not a good shot and was always envious of Max's success. However, Joe alibis himself by stating that he was away on a business trip during the time of the murder.

The detectives then shift their focus on the shooting club members and start to interrogate them. They find out that Max used to bully fellow shooter, Harry Minden, and did not let him participate in the competitions. This leads Friday and Romero to believe that Harry might be the one who murdered Max. Upon further investigation, they discover that Harry was a former war veteran who had PTSD and had access to firearms. However, Harry reviews that he was not responsible for Max's murder and gives an alibi that he was with his girlfriend at the time of the murder.

Friday and Romero then get a break in the case when they discover that Max's secretary, Doris Hudson, had a romantic relationship with him. Doris admits to the relationship and reveals that Max wanted to end it, which made her angry. She confesses to the murder, revealing that she stole a gun from Max's house and shot him inside their garage. She then disposed of the gun and the bullet in the garden of Max's neighbor to avoid suspicion.

The episode concludes with Doris getting arrested and confessing to the murder in court. Friday and Romero bring closure to the case, and justice is served.

Overall, "The Bullet" is an engaging and captivating episode that takes viewers through the intricacies of police investigation and showcases the detectives' determination to solve the case. The episode's attention to detail and well-written dialogues make it an enjoyable watch for fans of the classic police procedural genre.