"The Recluse" brings back Denise Miller's Jilly Papalardo (from "Evacuation"), with John Cassisi playing her new friend Victor Kreutzer, in their final tuneup prior to the Feb 1977 debut of the FISH spin off series. Add to that, we have Bernice making a rare appearance (fourth, third for Florence Stanley), and it's difficult to accept the weak premise in store for Abe Vigoda's sendoff. Trying to escape the group home, Jilly and Victor escape persecution by claiming to be Fish's grandchildren, which naturally alarms Bernice: "what grandchildren?" (Fish: "I wanted to surprise you!"). Turning to more interesting matters, a religious maniac (Arnold Soboloff, previously seen in "Grand Hotel") makes doom laden proclamations from the bible in his cell, announcing that the world will end by 5:30PM (Yemana: "there goes our overtime!"). Wojo brings in a man (Ivor Francis, 4 episodes) who refuses to perform jury duty, barricading himself in his apartment since Pearl Harbor, 35 years before ("are we still at war?"). Imagine him getting his first look at a woman in 35 years, and it's Bernice and her perfume! (his fate is a genuine surprise). Florence Stanley's Bernice next appears in "Abduction," preceding the debut of FISH by two days (Feb 3 1977).