'' Rocky Mountain News '' critic Dusty Saunders said the episode was " as good as dramatic television gets " , and showed how the quality of '' Homicide '' is anchored in strong writing and acting rather than action . John Leonard , a literary and television critic , called it " the most extraordinary thing I 've ever seen in a television hour " . Leonard praised the tension , the setting and the writing , particularly when Tucker turned the tables on the detectives . He said the episode was better than such works as Ariel Dorfman 's '' Death and the Maiden '' and author Don DeLillo 's books about men in small rooms . Lon Grahnke of the '' Chicago Sun-Times '' called it a " relentless masterpiece " . Manuel Mendoza of '' The Dallas Morning News '' considered " Three Men and Adena " one of the best '' Homicide '' episodes and particularly praised the performance of Moses Gunn . Mendoza also said , " The claustrophobia of The Box contributes to the palpable tension . '' The Baltimore Sun '' television critic David Zurawik said the episode established The Box as " the main stage for Pembleton and the moral center of the '' Homicide '' universe " . Zurawik also said , " Stark and minimalist , the episode was musical theater as much as television , a celebration and explosion of language ; an angry , urban opera with the voices of Bayliss and Pembleton coming together and then falling back as Tucker sings a final aria of rage and contempt . " '' Calgary Herald '' writer Bruce Weir said the episode " is '' Homicide '' at its finest : brilliantly written , intensely acted and continuously surprising . " Emily Nussbaum of '' The New York Times '' called " Three Men and Adena " the standout episode of the series , and described it as " a potent showcase for the series ' smartly mordant dialogue , and its willingness to explore the cliches of TV detectives instead of merely repeating them " . '' Los Angeles Times '' writer Howard Rosenberg described it as a " mesmerizing ( and ) complex character study " , and said Gunn delivered the best guest performance of the television season . Grant Tinker , former CEO of NBC , said of the episode , " I thought it was stunning . " Tom Fontana won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for his " Three Men and Adena " script . It was one of two Emmys '' Homicide : Life on the Street '' received during the 45th Primetime Emmy Awards season , with Barry Levinson also winning an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for the episode " Gone for Goode " . " Three Men and Adena " and the rest of the first and second season episodes were included in the four-DVD box-set " Homicide : Life on the Street : The Complete Seasons 1 & 2 " , which was released by A&E Home Video on May 27 , 2003 for $ 69.95
45th Primetime Emmy Awards
45th Primetime Emmy Awards
Three Men and Adena