by Linda Kay
Original Air Date: February 23, 1985
Directed by: Hal Cooper
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains spoilers for this episode!
Synopsis: A rare episode performed live on television. Officer Simpson (Howard Morton) disappears while rescuing his cat, Sherlock, and is presumed dead. Nell (Nell Carter) is upset but not enough so to stop her from taking a Hawaiian vacation with the money Simpson left her.
Kitty Cameo: The early scenes of the episode include Officer Simpson preparing a dish of food for Sherlock, the police station’s mascot cat, who has been missing for several days. There are also references to a female cat Simpson has tied to the garage door to lure Sherlock into returning. The plot of the episode revolves around Sherlock, as Simpson is later reported to have been seen trying to rescue the cat from a tree limb above a waterway, fell in and was given up for lost. Near the end of the episode Joey (Joey Lawrence) hears a cat meowing outside and runs out, exclaiming that Sherlock has returned. He enters the house moments later holding a tuxedo cat with Officer Simpson following close behind.
Joey tells Sherlock he’ll find something for him to eat and they exit to the kitchen, not to be seen again.
Final Mewsings: Too bad the cat actor didn’t get to be part of the curtain call!
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