Spoilers

“The Bus Stops Here”

Racial tensions take over Rome as a federal order came down that 400 black students from Green Bay would be bussed into Rome schools.

The parents of Rome got together, fully recognizing their prejudice, but trying to find a way to stop the kids from being brought in.

Paul Winfield played Federal court judge Harold Nance, who made the order. There were some epic scenes between him and Judge Henry Bone. Winfield and Ray Walston bring similar massive personas that take up the whole room.

I have to say that one of the things I really love about this show is how they use all of their secondary and tertiary characters are characters we have seen in previous episodes. Ed from the jury episode was back. So was a couple of the teachers from previous stories. It felt like a real little town with faces that we are familiar with. Cool.

The ending scene with the National Guard coming in to confront the Rome police department who was deployed to prevent the students from getting off the bus. The moment was tense, but Jimmy ordered his deputies to back down and the black kids walked into the school.

In a side story, the murder trial appeal winds up heading to the Supreme Court. Seeing Wambaugh and Littleton hugging in celebration was a hoot.