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Season 5 saw her character relegated to some degree, but also showed important developments. For example, she is surprised by how emotional she becomes when her former boyfriend
Danvers gets engaged. In a later episode in the season, Danvers' fiancee is murdered, which hits Howard nearly as hard as
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In the Season 4 premiere, Howard passes a promotion exam and is elevated to
Sergeant. Most of her fellow detectives had encouraged her to go up for the position, but on actually assuming the role she becomes alienated from them. This happens in part because she seems at first to "micromanage" them,
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Having been a homicide detective since April 1991, Kay was generally portrayed as a tough female detective. She is not entirely hardened by her job, however, and at times expresses disbelief that seemingly good people can do terrible things. As a detective she is thorough, realistic, and generally
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In the Season 3 episode "The Last of the
Watermen", Howard visits the small coastal oyster fishing town of Tilghman Island, Maryland where she was brought up. Her father and her brother Josh still live there. She also has a sister, Carrie, who appeared in a Season 4 episode (also played by Leo,
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She is generally "one of the team", although her being female was occasionally remarked upon at the squad. The crime scene photographer J. H. Brodie expressed his infatuation with her, but due to a miscommunication she felt his expression of affection was a way to make fun of her.
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and his new girlfriend. Her relationship with
Danvers is strictly sexual, and ends at an unspecified point in the third season of the show. After breaking up with Danvers, she becomes far more reticent about personal matters to avoid being the subject of office gossip.
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on a suspect. Howard is struck in the heart, but eventually makes a full recovery and returns to work. Her family comes in from the coast to visit her in the hospital; her father is especially concerned over how little information the doctors are willing to share.
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said as much, although this may have just been a tactic to get her to tell him who the man is. The DVD commentaries for the show reveal that the producers were aware that the character was extremely popular in the LGBT community.
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also stated she was attractive "because of the hair." In certain episodes she expressed concern about her sister and gender issues. In general she dislikes both being deemed masculine and being treated "like a lady."
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Howard guards her private life jealously, but is less consistent on this in the first two seasons. Prior to joining the homicide department, she had an affair with Lt. Jimmy Tyron, who was married. Tyron would
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has among the highest clearance rates in the squad. Her high rate of success is important to her as she feels that, as the only woman in the department, she needs to prove herself.
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It was implied in the fourth season that her intense privacy, combined with her toughness and style change to masculine clothing, had led to some speculation that she might be a
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is murdered in Season 5. In Season 6, Howard is transferred to the
Fugitive squad, and decides to remain there. The character is not seen again until
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would later chide her for this tendency. Despite her generally rational approach, Howard occasionally indulges in
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and also simply because her new position changes her relationship with them. Her friendship with Det.
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felt that the lack of other female characters was alienating the audience, so
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for shooting C. C. Cox in the back while fleeing. In the first season, she
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was added to the show. It was stated in a special edition of
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331:"The HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET Glossary"
279:; upon seeing Kay with a mystery date, Det
221:During Season 3, she and fellow detectives
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818:Fictional characters based on real people
823:Television characters introduced in 1993
808:Homicide: Life on the Street characters
771:Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets
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231:while trying to serve an arrest warrant
185:Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets
263:, and by the second season the couple
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197:under the pseudonym Margaret May).
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33:Det./Sgt. Katherine 'Kay' Howard
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131:Homicide Detective (Formerly)
129:Homicide Sergeant (Formerly)
22:Detective/Sergeant Kay Howard
373:Homicide: Life on the Street
166:. She was played by actress
163:Homicide: Life on the Street
60:Strangers and Other Partners
595:And the Rockets' Dead Glare
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714:Fallen Heroes (Pt. 1, 2)
693:Blood Ties (Pt. 1, 2, 3)
609:Night of the Dead Living
127:Fugitive Squad Sergeant
637:A Many Splendored Thing
602:Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
93:In-universe information
778:Homicide: Second Shift
158:Katherine "Kay" Howard
141:Carrie Howard (sister)
139:Wesley Howard (father)
644:Nearer My God to Thee
192:Early and family life
143:Josh Howard (brother)
753:Homicide: The Movie
686:For God and Country
588:A Dog and Pony Show
581:Three Men and Adena
309:Homicide: The Movie
290:Det. Mike Kellerman
265:go on a double date
67:Homicide: The Movie
16:Fictional character
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574:A Shot in the Dark
176:Warren Littlefield
64:February 13, 2000
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56:May 16, 1997
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567:Son of a Gun
463:Paul Falsone
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448:Julianna Cox
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297:Final season
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83:Portrayed by
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665:The Gas Man
623:See No Evil
423:Tim Bayliss
388:Beau Felton
304:Beau Felton
227:Beau Felton
168:Melissa Leo
148:Nationality
87:Melissa Leo
77:Tom Fontana
62:") (HLOTS)
802:Categories
488:Ed Danvers
413:Kay Howard
393:John Munch
381:Characters
316:References
281:John Munch
261:Ed Danvers
174:president
124:Occupation
73:Created by
787:franchise
329:J Bobby.
267:with Det
259:with ASA
229:are shot
119:Detective
117:Sergeant
651:End Game
544:Episodes
151:American
98:Nickname
44:(1x01, "
616:Bop Gun
497:Seasons
277:lesbian
58:(5x22,
700:Subway
136:Family
109:Female
106:Gender
114:Title
101:Howie
225:and
172:NBC
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