Come to the Biggest Little City!
We aim to try! The deputies of Reno patrol the “Biggest Little City” and all the crime that comes with it. From prostitutes, to illegal fireworks, to the madness of the Burning Man, the deputies will be there protecting the people (but maybe their own interests first).
Reno 911!—Season 1 aired on Comedy Central from July 23, 2003 to October 20, 2003. The comedy series uses the documentary-style shooting and is a satire of the series Cops.
I didn’t really get to watch Reno 911! when it was on. I occasionally would see parts of it, but I never just sat down and watched the show…now I’m wishing I had.
Officers always listen to their people!
The first season of the show is good, but it is one of those shows that gets better with multiple viewings. Early episodes are a bit lost since you don’t always know the characters. If you watched the series as it aired, it might be worth going back and watching some of these episodes after finishing the series to see some of the nuances of the stories.
The cast is really where Reno 911! excels. The series cast a strong series of comedians that are good at improvising. Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant, and Kerri Kenney-Silver (all graduates of The State) are the series creators, but everyone seems to be at the same tier. As a new viewer I was trying to nail down the characters for the first few episodes so once again, rewatching the first few episodes again would be advised.
Reno always is welcoming
The series also is pretty slick. Cops revolutionized “documentary TV” which evolved into reality TV. Reno 911! appeared at the beginning of the reality TV boom and caught the wave. Unlike Cops (or even The Office), the show plays a bit more with the idea of the photographer and even reshoots the stopping of a crime to get better angles.
Reno 911!—Season 1 shows the potential of the series. It starts out rather strong (something that The Office and Parks and Recreation struggled with), and it also has room for growth. I worry that the series has some limited jokes with some “guests” already returning and feeling more like fillers than regulars…but recurring additional characters and plotlines also might be with Reno 911! needs to demonstrate the ridiculous nature of the show.
Reno 911!—Season 1 Complete Episode Guide:
“Pilot”
1.1 Pilot Airdate: 07/23/03
The officers of Reno set out to patrol the city and find protecting the streets of Reno might be harder than it appears.
“Fireworks”
1.2 Fireworks Airdate: 07/30/03
The mayor’s son blows off his finger with an illegal firework and the police must crack down on firework sales.
“Execution Tickets”
1.3 Execution Tickets Airdate: 08/06/03
An execution is coming to town and the deputies all want to go. With only two tickets, Dangle (Thomas Lennon) issues a scavenger hunt to the officers to win them.
“Clementine’s Pregnant”
1.4 Clementine’s Pregnant Airdate: 08/13/03
Clementine (Wendi McLendon-Covey) gets a surprise on physical day that she’s pregnant…but who’s the father? Dangle and Junior (Robert Ben Garant) stakeout a hotel and debate if Leonard Nimoy is in the room next door. Clementine must take a sex offender (Michael Ian Black) around to get signatures.
“Jones Gets Suspended”
1.5 Jones Gets Suspended Airdate: 08/20/03
Jones (Cedric Yarbrough) gets suspended for assaulting Garcia (Carlos Alazraqui) over a racist joke and the officers turn on Garcia. Jones learns that being a crossing-guard might be the job he’s always been looking for.
“Help from the FBI”
1.6 Help from the FBI Airdate: 08/27/03
A murder has the FBI in Reno and the officers assisting them.
“Wiegel Suicide Watch”
1.7 Wiegel Suicide Watch Airdate: 09/03/03
When it appears Wiegel (Kerri Kenney-Silver) has attempted suicide, the force must go on suicide watch…leading Wiegel to realize she likes how she’s being treated. Williams (Niecy Nash) and Garcia go undercover as a couple for a stakeout…leading to romance.
“Clementine Gets Married”
1.8 Clementine Gets Married Airdate: 09/10/03
Clementine’s boyfriend Steed (Timothy Brennen) pops the question at work. Lieutenant Dangle and Deputy Junior try to educate students on the dangers of crystal meth. The female cops throw Clementine a bachelorette party and learn a secret about Jones. Dangle and Junior run into trouble when they pull Steed over on the eve of the wedding.
“Garcia’s Anniversary”
1.9 Garcia’s Anniversary Airdate: 09/17/03
Garcia celebrates his fifteenth anniversary with the force and expects a party…and reveals a surprise about his past. The officers demand a reshoot on an arrest when the real action is missed.
“Burning Man Festival”
1.10 Burning Man Festival Airdate: 09/24/03
Dangle helps a couple of prostitutes get better at their “Two Girl Fantasy” act during a sting. Garcia meets with the prostitute Jackie (Kerri Kenney) to get her off the streets when the department is forced to use the $1,200 to get people off the streets. Clementine goes undercover in a marijuana sting which backfires. The cops prepare for undercover work at the Burning Man Festival but get lost.
“Dangle’s Moving Day”
1.11 Dangle’s Moving Day Airdate: 10/01/03
Jonesy agrees to help Dangle on his moving day, but finds he’s the only one there to help. Johnson and Williams make rounds while Deputy Junior gives a tour of the station to the police young adult group.
“Terrorist Training—Part 1”
1.12 Terrorist Training—Part 1 Airdate: 10/08/03
The Department of Homeland Security puts the department to the test. With Captain Duane Hernandez (Oscar Nunez) and Lt. Suzy Kim (Cathy Shim) guiding the officers, the deputies try to pass their training.
“Terrorist Training—Part 2”
1.13 Terrorist Training—Part 2 Airdate: 10/15/03
The training is continuing and the officers are worried that they won’t pass. When the station is struck by a robbery, the officers question who Spanish Mike and Sammy Heung are.
“Halloween”
1.14 Halloween Airdate: 10/20/03
It’s Halloween night and the deputies are all on high alert as pranks and criminals are out for the festivities. When Dangle and Jonesy play a joke on the troops, the joke could backfire.
Related Links:
Reno 911!—Season 2 Review and Complete Episode Guide
