"Corporation" marked the first of three episodes that Hal Linden himself directed, followed by "Hostage" and "Old Love." We first meet attorney Brad Laneer (David Dukes), working on behalf of a chemical company that makes toilet paper. The former baseball prospect tells the 12th that a mysterious character who calls himself 'The Hawk' has been vandalizing their office building. The latest prank involves a stink bomb, leaving the whole building smelling like an open sewer (Laneer: "I can still smell it!" Barney: "Uh Nick, I think your coffee's ready!" Yemana: "very funny...hey, you're right!"). They do bring in the environmentalist wacko (Vernon Weddle, first of two), who swallows a poisonous substance that will kill him...in 30 years! Fran Ryan plays Mrs. Hirsch, a homeless bag lady that Wojo tries to help, seemingly deaf and dumb; trying to get her to speak, Dietrich expertly tries the 'subtle and psychological approach' ("Hey lady! Lady! I gave it my best shot!"). Only after she tastes Nick's coffee does she finally reveal that she talks (Mrs. Hirsch: "Jeez, you call this coffee?" Yemana: "who asked ya?").