Whatever Happened To Nick Yemana?

It happened in season 3 episode 11 of Barney Miller. A tray of brownies was sent to the detectives of the 12th by Wojo's girlfriend. What could go wrong, right? Let's examine. It was a highpoint for Sgt. Nick Yemana, played by Jack Soo, whose disappearance from the series was never explained. 

While yemana's absence from the show was never directly addressed, there were some hints. He was said to be at the DA's office, in court, or on vacation. But later we are led to believe he has passed away by these instances in the show.

In the last episode Barney remembers the detectives who were no longer there: Chano, Fish, Wentworth, and they show an old scene for each one. When he remembers Nick he looks like he is about to start crying, which would indeed indicate that Nick must have died, although exactly when is left up to your imagination. Also, since he has a broad smile when he remembers the others you can assume that Fish and the others are all still alive at that point.

In reality, actor Jack Soo had passed away of esophageal cancer on January 11, 1979. His last episode of the show was "The Vandal," which appeared in 1978. 

Harris(walking toward the coffee and stopping suddenly when he reaches the empty space where Nick's desk was) "Hmm, something's funny."

(Dietrich and Wojo are also there, Barney walks over.)

Barney: "Nick's desk." (looks sad and shocked)

Harris: (somberly) "Oh!" 

Barney: "They called about it last week. It completely slipped my mind."

The group stands silent, gazing at the spot.

Wojo: "I'm really gonna miss it."

(The others nod and say yeah)

Barney (looking sad) "Gonna miss a lot of things."

They fall silent again.

Dietrich: "I made coffee."

(The others seem to snap out of their sadness and follow him toward the coffee)

Dietrich: "It's not as bad as Nick's yet but..."

Barney pours a cup and takes a sip. 

Barney: "You're getting there!"

Everyone laughs and the episode continues.

The Disembodied Head of Judah Zachary

It's a safe bet I watched a couple hundred episodes of Dark Shadows with my mother before my earliest memories even set in. I don't remember any of them. But I know it was on in the afternoon and she watched it. Since I was a toddler and didn't have a job yet I was most likely there watching right along with her. 

In 2000 I decided I had enough of working in the service industry and just wanted to start anew, so I ran up a lazer eye surgery on my credit card, withdrew all the cash I had in the bank, and drove to Evanston in an ice storm to live with two feminist professors at Northwestern who thought it would be a hoot to have a misanthropic poet living in the basement of their enormous 150 year old home.

I had a nice egg of a few thousand dollars saved up, and I naturally assumed by the time the money ran out I'd have figured out what I was going to do with my life on my thirties. All I figured out was I was going to get on the red line at the Dominicks at Chicago Avenue, get off in Wrigleyville, and drink like a fish. Also, I was going to eat almost nothing but oriental flavor Maruchan Won Ton soup and drink Tab Cola. To further complicate matters, the surgeon had botched my lazer surgery and I couldn't see a thing. In short, it was a blast and I wouldn't trade those few months for anything. During that time Dark Shadows was on Sci Fi Network, and I watched the story arc with Judah Zachary's disembodied head. 

The disembodied head of Judah Zachary could make people do things. Bad things. I really disliked the disembodied head of Judah Zachary because it seemed to be screwing around with Quentin Collins, who I think I liked. Slowly I ran out of money. And the whole damn thing looked like an Impressionist painting. I wondered many times if my mother had seen these episodes. I wondered if I had. I really developed a taste for the show. But after I left I haven't picked it up again. I see some of the early seasons are on Netflix, but my understanding is these were stories done before the whole vampire/horror element was added. Eventually I will slog through every episode of Dark Shadows after Barnabus Collins appeared. I've seen the two motion pictures Dan Curtis made, House of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows. I read somewhere in all the seasons of Dark Shadows they never turned the camera off once. I find that amazing. I look forward to seeing the entire run. 

And to seeing the disembodied head of Judah Zachary vanquished.