Law and Disorder

In New York City's crime-ridden 1970s landscape, Willie and Cy decide to sign up for the Auxiliary wing to help reclaim their neighborhood. They enlist their friends Bobby, Elliot, Ken, and Pete to join the effort, turning a casual ambition into a volunteer force. The move marks the beginning of a risky experiment with power and community protection.

The group is gathered for dinner when Sally calls to say Karen has been attacked in the elevator. Elliot brings a black man into Willie's apartment, and Willie, believing him to be the culprit, lets him go. The moment highlights how fear and quick judgment can misfire within their makeshift force.

The auxiliary unit receives uniforms and heads out on their first patrol. They are told to report suspicious activity but not to enforce the law, prompting Cy to urge ignoring the restriction. The crew's sense of power grows even as they skate along legal boundaries.

Willie spots his daughter Karen in the street with her boyfriend Chico and sends her home for the night. The sight anchors Willie's personal stake in the neighborhood's crime problems the unit is trying to address. The moment foreshadows the ensuing conflict.

Cy apprehends a young man for smoking marijuana, but an officer informs him there are no grounds for arrest. The incident underscores the limitations and risks of vigilantism within the auxiliary group. It foreshadows future friction with the law and authorities.

Cy proudly shows Willie his new car painted to resemble a police vehicle, complete with a working siren. The unit takes it for a joyride, reveling in faux authority and bending rules. The thrill marks a dangerous line between protection and play.

At a community meeting, Dr. Richter lectures on rape, using Irene as a volunteer to simulate a scenario. His provocations blur the line between education and manipulation, unsettling the attendees. The episode injects a disturbing undercurrent into the group’s activities.

That night Irene rouses Cy for a bedroom role-playing session, with Cy pretending to be a rapist. The intimate exercise reflects how fear and control permeate the volunteers’ personal lives. It reveals the personal costs of mixing activism with psychological experimentation.

Cy leads the group on another joyride in the fake police car, using a police-band radio to chase a call and blasting the siren as they run a red light. The thrill of power overshadows restraint, showing how far they’ve strayed from lawful duty. This scene cements their appetite for control.

Willie returns home to find Karen under the influence of a drug after receiving a pill from Chico. Determined to act, he heads with other auxiliary members into Chico's family apartment to confront him. The confrontation blends personal stakes with the broader war on crime the group aims to wage.

Willie, Cy, Pete, and Elliot chase Chico through the building while Eddie and another member drive off in fear. Cy exits the car and is shot, leaving Chico to escape into the shadows. The fatal moment marks a brutal turning point for the group.

Willie stumbles out of the building to find Cy dead, bringing the volunteers’ dream of defense to a tragic end. The loss reshapes Willie's view of justice and his role in the neighborhood’s fate. The tragedy underscores the costs of taking the law into their own hands.

Willie resumes his life as a taxi driver, enduring a berating back-seat ride from a posh couple who dismiss him. He pulls over, exits the cab, and walks back toward the city, choosing a quieter, uncertain path after Cy's death. The final image follows his solitary walk through a changed New York.