Megan Russert

Last updated
Lt./Capt./Det. Megan Russert
MeganRussert.jpg
Capt./Lt./Det. Megan Russert
First appearanceOctober 14, 1994
(3x01, "Nearer My God to Thee")
Last appearanceMay 17, 1996
(4x22, "Work Related") (Regular)
May 16, 1997
(5x22, "Strangers and Other Partners") (Guest)
February 13, 2000
Homicide: The Movie
Created by Tom Fontana
Portrayed by Isabella Hofmann
In-universe information
GenderFemale
TitleDetective
Lieutenant
Captain
OccupationHomicide Detective (formerly)
Shift Commander of Homicide Unit (Formerly)
Captain of Homicide Unit (Formerly)
FamilyEileen (Sister)
Caroline (Daughter)
Tim Russert (Cousin)
SpouseMike (First Husband, deceased)
Unnamed French ambassador

Detective (formerly Lieutenant, Captain) Megan Russert is a fictional character on Homicide: Life on the Street played by Isabella Hofmann. [1] At the time of her introduction in the premiere episode of the third season, she is a lieutenant who takes charge of the homicide unit's second shift after the previous commander's retirement. Later in the season, a vacancy opens up in the chain of command and she is promoted to captain on a trial basis, as a token of the city's commitment to diversity and equal opportunity.

Although she and Al Giardello get along reasonably well, he resents that she was promoted before him even though he had seniority over her. For her part she occasionally feels that he is diminishing or ignoring her authority. Her "softer" personality and ethical concerns about Frank Pembleton's interrogation methods also put her at odds with others. Her connections to national security officers, however, made her a valuable addition on certain cases.

She is a widow, with one daughter named Caroline (played by Sasha Miceli), who was born in 1988. Her husband was a tax attorney named Mike, introduced to her by her sister Eileen at a holiday party for the CPA firm where Eileen worked. [2] Russert for the most part did not date during her two seasons on the series, though she is introduced to the series already having an affair with Beau Felton (played by the soon-to-be father of actress Hoffman's only child, Daniel Baldwin) the affair ends soon after their first case is solved, but she supports him as a friend after the breakdown of his marriage.

She is a first cousin to the real life Tim Russert, who appears in the third-season episode "The Old and the Dead." In a later episode titled "Stakeout" she mentions her famous cousin to a one-shot character named Cathy Buxton (played by Kate Walsh), but the character is unimpressed as she watches a news show that competes with Russert's. [3]

She graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1983. [4] During the 1980s, she worked in the Naval Intelligence Service and spent seven months and nine days at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. [5]

In season 4, Felton is suspended, ending their connection. In the first of two episodes concerning a sniper, she angers her boss, Colonel George Barnfather, due to problems at a press conference she held and the later suicide of the first sniper. Barnfather strips her of her probationary captain's rank and demotes her to detective, citing incompetence and insubordination. When the shootings begin again, she joins Giardello's shift and eventually gets the second sniper to confess. For the remainder of the season, she is partnered with John Munch.

Russert's apparent disappointments lead her to start a new life in Europe with a French diplomat, and she is gone from Baltimore at the start of Season 5. She appears during that season's finale, having returned briefly to Baltimore to help the squad investigate Felton's death. However, Giardello removes both her and Sergeant Kay Howard (Felton's former partner) from the case because they are both too emotionally involved and gives them the job of planning his memorial service instead. This marks the end of Russert's role in the series, but she returns in Homicide: The Movie , a post-series reunion released in 2000.

Related Research Articles

Homicide: Life on the Street is an American police drama television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide Unit. Created by Paul Attanasio, it ran for seven seasons and 122 episodes on NBC from January 31, 1993, to May 21, 1999, and was succeeded by Homicide: The Movie (2000), which served as the series finale. The series was created by Paul Attanasio and based on David Simon's book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets (1991). Many of the characters and stories used throughout the show were based on events depicted in the book.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Pembleton</span> Fictional character

Francis Xavier "Frank" Pembleton is a fictional homicide detective on the television drama series Homicide: Life on the Street portrayed by Emmy Award–winning actor Andre Braugher. He is a primary character of the show through the first six seasons. Although the show featured an ensemble cast, Pembleton would become the fan-favorite and is often identified by as the show's signature character. He is based on Baltimore Police Department Detective Harry Edgerton, who, like Pembleton, was an eccentric New York–born African American detective in the BPD homicide unit featured in David Simon's book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets. The character also appeared in the Law & Order episode "Charm City".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Kellerman</span> Fictional character

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beau Felton</span> Fictional character

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kay Howard</span> Fictional character

Katherine "Kay" Howard is a fictional character in the American TV series Homicide: Life on the Street. She was played by actress Melissa Leo. In the first two seasons of the show her character was the only female detective or member of the main cast. However, NBC president Warren Littlefield felt that the lack of other female characters was alienating the audience, so Megan Russert was added to the show. It was stated in a special edition of Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, the non-fiction book that the film was based on, that the character of Kay Howard was based on Baltimore Police detective Rich Garvey. Howard is also influenced by Detective Bertina Silver, referred to as 'Bert' by her colleagues, thought by many in the unit to be the exception to the 'Secretaries-with-guns' female officer stereotype. The end result of the real-life influences was that Howard combined Garvey's superb and persistent work and sky-high clearance rate and Silver's complete acceptance by the male-dominated Homicide unit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Bayliss</span> Fictional character

Timothy Bayliss is a fictional character on Homicide: Life on the Street, played by Kyle Secor and one of the few main characters to last the entire run of the show. He was loosely based on real-life Baltimore homicide detective Thomas Pellegrini, featured in David Simon's book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, though Pellegrini was reportedly not at all a fan of his fictional alter ego. The character also appeared in the Law & Order episode "Charm City."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Giardello</span> Fictional character

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<i>Homicide: Life on the Street</i> season 3 Season of television series

The third season of Homicide: Life on the Street aired in the United States on the NBC television network from October 14, 1994, to May 5, 1995, and contained 20 episodes. It was the first full season of episodes. Beginning in the third season, Homicide was moved to Fridays at 10 p.m. EST, a timeslot the show would remain at until its cancellation in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Gaffney</span> Fictional character

Roger Gaffney is a fictional police officer of the Baltimore Police Department on Homicide: Life on the Street. He was played by Walt MacPherson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Gharty</span> Fictional character

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A Shot in the Dark (<i>Homicide: Life on the Street</i>) 4th episode of the 1st season of Homicide: Life on the Street

"A Shot in the Dark" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on February 24, 1993. The teleplay was written by Jorge Zamacona based on a story by executive producer Tom Fontana, and the episode was directed by Bruce Paltrow. In the episode, Crosetti focuses his investigation into the shooting of Officer Thormann on one suspect, while Lewis continues to investigate. Meanwhile, Pembleton and Bayliss pursue different leads in the murder case of 11-year-old Adena Watson.

"And the Rockets' Dead Glare" is the seventh episode of the first season of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 17, 1993. In the episode, Howard testifies in a murder trial, Pembleton is offered a promotion, and Lewis and Crosetti go to the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. to investigate a political refugee's murder.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (<i>Homicide: Life on the Street</i>) 8th episode of the 1st season of Homicide: Life on the Street

"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is the eighth episode of the first season of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 24, 1993. In the episode, Howard and Bayliss attempt to quit smoking, Gee discovers secret asbestos removal in the squad room, and Munch and Bolander investigate the beating death of a 14-year-old boy. The episode was written by James Yoshimura and Tom Fontana, and was directed by Wayne Ewing, who doubled as director of photography.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Falsone</span> Fictional character

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See No Evil (<i>Homicide: Life on the Street</i>) 2nd episode of the 2nd season of Homicide: Life on the Street

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"Nearer My God to Thee" is the third season premiere of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street, and the fourteenth overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 14, 1994. In the episode, the homicide department is assigned to the politically volatile murder of a beloved social worker, whose body is found wearing nothing but a pair of white gloves. Meanwhile, Felton struggles with marital problems, while Lewis and Munch try to find a business partner with whom to open a bar.

"Fire" is the season premiere of the fourth season of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street. It originally aired on NBC on October 20, 1995. The episode was written by Julie Martin and was directed by Tim Hunter. The two-part story centres on Pembleton and Bayliss' investigation into a pair of arson-related homicides, and introduces a new regular character, Arson Squad detective Mike Kellerman, who subsequently transfers to Homicide and partners with Det. Meldrick Lewis. This episode also flagged the permanent departure of regular characters Stanley Bolander and Beau Felton.

"Fire " is the second, concluding part of the two-part season premiere of the fourth season of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street. It originally aired on NBC on October 27, 1995. Both parts were written by Julie Martin ; Part 1 was directed by Tim Hunter, and Part 2 by Nick Gomez. This episode concludes the investigation of a pair of arson-related homicides, led by detectives Pembleton and Bayliss, with their Arson Squad colleague Det. Mike Kellerman.

References

  1. J Bobby. "The HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET Glossary".
  2. Homicide: Life on the Street episode "All Through The House", originally aired December 16, 1994.
  3. Homicide: Life on the Street episode "Stakeout", originally aired March 15, 1996.
  4. Homicide: Life on the Street episode "Map of the Heart", originally aired April 26, 1996.
  5. Homicide: Life on the Street episode "For God and Country", originally aired February 9, 1996.