Characters
Det. Lt. Mike Stone| Insp. Steve Keller | Insp. Dan Robbins| Jeannie Stone
This character information and trivia is not complete, I am constantly building on it. I will be adding more detailed information and facts as I work my way through episodes. If you notice something amiss, let me know!
And I have to add... on top of all the information about these guys individual characters - what really makes them special is their relationship with each other. The warmth, protective attitude and chemistry between Mike and Steve was what drove the show, and makes it timeless.
DETECTIVE LIEUTENANT MIKE STONE
A gruff, well-seasoned cop, Lt. Stone is the mentor in this partnership. His intense focus when questioning witnesses or pursuing a felon could have him mistaken for a harder man than he is, whereas he's frequently a complete softy. He cares deeply about his friends, and can sometimes react more emotionally than professionally. Mostly however, he strives to carry out his job in an impartial manner, and can make highly intuitive leaps of logic bourne only from great experience on the force.
Stone has been widowed for five years at the start of the show, and has one daughter, Jeannie, who sometimes leaves him dinners at his house and had a recurring role throughout much of the series. He loves Chili con Carne as well as Pizza with anchovies and, of course, Hot Dogs on the streets of San Francisco. Concerning sports, Mike is always on the edge of the seat for the San Francisco 49ers, and he is also interested in boxing and baseball. Apart from Stone's and Keller's Ford Galaxie 500 and LTD staff cars, Mike drives a yellow-coloured 1967 Ford Galaxie 500 2-door hardtop sedan (as seen in the season 2 episode 'Commitment').
Injuries in the line of duty
S1-EP06. Hall of Mirrors - Broken foot (jumping from height)
S1-EP12. Bitter Wine - Bruised jaw (punched)
S1-EP20. Trail of the Serpent - Shot (in the lower left belly)
S1-EP26. Legion of the Lost - Bruised jaw (punched)
S2-EP03. For the Love of God - Grazing shot (in the right upper arm)
S2-EP15. Commitment - Knocked unconscious (hit by gun on the back of the head)
S4-EP06. Deadly Silence - Knocked unconscious (hit by a van), rendered deaf (as a result of the head injury)
Bucking the law
S1-EP13. A Trout in the Milk - Lets a bon viveur in a night club go for an information on a suspect's address despite pot consume.
S1-EP16. The Set-up - Mails an envelope with hit-money to the family of a deceased hitman.
~~000~~
INSPECTOR STEVE KELLER
The young, fresh-faced (two years new to the force in the Pilot ep) but still intelligent side of the team. Keller is college-educated and catches on fast, constantly learning from the lessons and example of his partner. He's energetic and quite often takes the lead during a chase or fight, demonstrating a fierce moral grounding and some hot-headed reactions when situations strike a nerve.
Steve will make the stand neccessary to keep colleagues (and his partner) in line when emotions run, but can make his own mistakes when people he cares about are at risk. He does not really share Mike's preference for Chili con Carne but also likes Pizza (he dislikes Mike's artichoke version, though), and Hot Dogs. Steve prefers skiing and sometimes he joins Mike in his boxing and football interest. Privately, he drives a Porsche 911, sometimes we see a regular 911, sometimes a 911 Targa, all in different colours.
Nicknames
Steve was perhaps most commonly referred to as 'buddy boy' by Mike. There were a range of other nicknames used (i'm still noting them) including 'hotshot', 'smiley' and also 'baby' which seemed to be used for virtually everyone. A fan who emailed from Germany also kindly provided some information on the nicknames used in the German dubbed version of the show:
"In Germany the audience never heard the typical 'buddy boy'; here it’s always 'Kleiner', I think in English it’s 'somebody’s little one'. Another nickname was 'Junior' (that must be the same in English) [...] Often Mike called his partner 'mein Junge', that means 'my dear boy'.
And in some scenes there were really funny nicknames. I remember a scene from the pilot episode: Mike was really angry because of Steve's impetuous behavior, and when he had to hurry up at last he said 'Dann mal los, mein kleiner Düsenjäger!', that means in English 'Come on, my little jet fighter!'. In Germany all these nicknames are actually pet names that are usually used in a familiar context or for people you have a really close relationship to."
~Noa
Injuries in the line of duty
S1-EP00. Pilot - Bruised left-temple (punched)
S1-EP22. Beyond Vengeance - Knocked unconscious (blow to head)
S1-EP26. Legion of the Lost - Twisted knee.
S2-EP17. Blockade - Shot (graze in upper arm)
S2-EP19. A String of Puppets - Bruise to right cheekbone (punch by Mike as 'camouflage')
S2-EP21. The Hard Breed - Hit hard by a bull (bruise to hip and back)
S2-EP22. Rampage - Snag to left forearm (fight against offender with knife)
S2-EP23. Death And The Favored Few - Various bruises to arms, hip, and legs (car accident after chase)
S3-EP17. Endgame - Knocked unconscious (hit by car)
S3-EP21. Asylum - Drugged twice (once consenting, once not)
S3-EP23. Solitaire - Shot (in the right thigh)
S4-EP08. Trail of Terror - Shot (in the lower back)
S4-EP19. Judgement Day - Shot (in upper left arm)
S5-EP02. The Thrill Killers (II) - Shot (in the chest)
Bucking the law
S1-EP22. Beyond Vengeance - Takes time off due to the 'flu' in order to trail a criminal terrorising Mike and Jeannie.
S3-EP05. I Ain't Marchin' Anymore - Let's a group of deserters go before polica arrives after they helped him to book a murderer.
S3-EP23. Solitaire - Requests (and receives) reports from a shootout and from various narcotics busts while in hospital, against regulations, in order to investigate a new partner Mike is working with.
~~000~~
INSPECTOR DAN ROBBINS
Dan Robbins joins the homicide department in order to replace Steve Keller who is leaving the SFPD for a career in the academe world as a professor of criminology. Although both Steve and Dan are of similar age, they are distinctly different fellas. Robbins is interested in ecology and spends time off, for example, tramping through Muir Woods. Other than Stone and Keller, he never drinks coffee but opts for health foods and it is an ever-lasting mystery to Mike how Dan can swig that carrot juice concoction he favors.
Robbins is a beat cop who has come up through the ranks and won his field promotion by bravery. Nevertheless, there always is a certain distance between him and Mike Stone, both in professional and private life. Regarding the latter, Dan is interested in nature, loves hiking and fishing, and drives a sand-coloured Ford Bronco off-road vehicle.
Injuries in the line of duty
S5-EP still to come
Bucking the law
S5-EP still to come
~~000~~
JEAN 'JEANNIE' STONE
Jeannie Stone, a recurring character for the series, is Mike's daughter - and her father is full of joy and pride when it's about her. Jeannie, at the age of 18, is studying archaeology at the University of Arizona, and she definitely has got her father's deep blue eyes. When visiting her father, she is literally taking care of Mike's and Steve's physical well-being, bringing pizza or sandwiches along when her father and his partner are too busy to even think about eating.
Jeannie loves to come home, sometimes as a surprise when she feels her father could need some support (particularly, when a certain murder case strikes a nerve). If spare time permits, she spends time with reading or cycling over long distance. According to Mike, Jeannie is a an excellent cook - just like her mother - and he loves it when Jeannie is waiting at home with his prefered dinner. She normally takes the bus or the plane to San Francisco, however, Jeannie also has her own car, a blue-coloured 1968 Ford Galaxie 500 4-door sedan (as seen in the season 5 episode 'Hot Dog').
Episode appearances
S1-EP22. Beyond Vengeance
S2-EP07. Harem
S2-EP15. Commitment
S3-EP17. Endgame
S4-EP04. Men Will Die
S4-EP06. Deadly Silence
S4-EP12. The Cat's Paw
S4-EP23. Runaway
S5-EP01. The Thrill Killers, Part 1
S5-EP02. The Thrill Killers, Part 2
S5-EP09. Hot Dog
S5-EP17. Innocent No More
Involved in a current case
S1-EP22. Beyond Vengeance - Threatened by a rapist who was detained by Mike some 12 years ago.
S2-EP15. Commitment - Being misused in a faked payoff to her father in order to be suggestive of corruption.
S3-EP17. Endgame - Corrupt vice cops try to get information about a faked operation. Jeannie's intuition provides decisive info for Steve.
S4-EP04. Men Will Die - Gets engaged in a women's assault center (including a (foolish) leaflet campaign) after her friend got raped.
S5-EP09. Hot Dog - Gets involved in the trace of a motorbiker gang when she starts to see a charming motorcycle cop.
