"Stakeout" shows the series was still searching for direction, as the setting is an empty apartment where a heroin stakeout takes place. Florence Stanley debuts as Fish's wife Bernice, making five repeat appearances prior to their spin off series (Doris Belack played the role in the character's third appearance, in the second season's "Fish"). It seems that Fish has asked her for a divorce, which garners a response the following day, during a dangerous police assignment where at least one pretty young blonde comes on to him. The landlord (Vic Tayback) asks how long Barney and Fish have been living together (Fish: "since the first minute we laid eyes on each other!"). Wojo is quite happy to pile on the heavy artillery, while a frequently robbed deli owner (Lou Jacobi) piles on the goodies. The opening scene features veteran character actress Marjorie Bennett (first of two) as a shoplifter who takes weekends off, while funny lady Brett Somers (first of two) does well as the landlord's wife, interrupting the stakeout to shop the room to a prospective tenant (Lucille Meredith, first of two). Barney's wife Liz does not appear, just heckles by phone; Harris and Yemana are also absent. The squad room is missed, and we get a second mention of offscreen Detective Wilson, played by Rod Perry in only two prior episodes, never seen again.
