#barry stringer

A very strong Steve ep, and one of my overall favourites for his character.

Steve and Barry are called to a disturbance at a property to discover an altercation has taken place between two gay men. The older man is quick to insist their presence isn't needed and Steve is suspicious (which automatically makes him tetchy) and the whole thing plays out really well in it's ambiguity. Neither Barry or Steve handle the incident well, but the fact the people involved are gay isn't really what causes this, despite Steve's comments and general attitude towards gay people. The issues are more:

A: It's a domestic, which many officers are dismissive of because the rarely go anywhere procedurally. There's also a very dismissive attitude towards male victims of domestic violence that is still present today, and was obviously worse in 1993, so Barry - the notably more progressive and compassionate of the two - just sees this as a minor spat between two guys and wants to get out the door and get on with the day.

B: Steve is already in a bit of a mood, and is riled up by the fact that there is clearly Something Going On and they are being lied to about it. This automatically makes him very aggressive in his approach, and since it's Steve, this comes across as very intimidating and does nothing to help the victim feel safe in opening up. In 8x11 - Lost Boy Alistair specifically refuses Steve's presence on the case because of his lack of sensitivity, and here we see that reasoning play out. It isn't just about not using slurs to peoples faces or making assumptions based on stereotypes, but the level of tact and compassion necessary when dealing with vulnerable victims even when they are witholding information from the police because they ultimately don't feel safe, both because of the present situation and the uncertainty of how their sexual identity will affect how they are treated.

Neither Barry or Steve manage to get past these barriers, and this absolutely comes back to bite them in the arse later. Had a more outwardly sympathetic officer been present in the room, it's unlikely we'd have ended up with things escalating into a mini armed siege. The show doesn't bash you over the head with this through heavy-handed dialogue either - it's very clear that things go wrong because Steve and Barry did not handle the matter correctly the first time, and it's ultimately resolved because Steve is forced - albeit at gun point - to deal with David's emotional spiral in a measured and compassionate manner. And he does well with it. There is a difference between active, hateful prejudice and ignorance and while Steve does fall into the latter category, this episode illustrates why ultimately that's just not good enough and how important awareness and sensitivity can be.

There's also a lot of very cute Steve/Barry moments happening throughout the ep. At one point Steve mentions transfering to the K9 unit which, given how he ends up, is kind of heartbreaking because yes Steve that would absolutely be a good move for you 😭

Reg gets to carry the b-plot between two sisters arguing over the inheritance left by their deceased mother. It's a nice little story for him, if not especially gripping, but we do get to see his stronger points at work. We're in the period of the show where Reg is definitely softening, though depending on the writer he still occasionally bounces quite jarringly between a workyshy and spitefully petty chronic complainer or an awkward but ultimately very empathetic and reliable character, but the latter portrayal is in full force here and there's better episodes to deep dive into Reg on, so this is a good - if small - outing for him.