The Greatest American Hero. Season 2, Episode 3. "Don't Mess Around with Jim"
Ralph and Bill help someone who used to have a suit just like theirs!
1. Most of the episode is just conversations between Ralph and Bill. And the scenes sparkle. The characters are so well-defined, and their voices are so clear. This is one reason this show never dates, it's completely character-driven and it's always entertaining to watch these two characters disagreeing about what to do next. Bill is great in this one. The guy they are helping comments on our favourite agent's mediocre career at the FBI and he sure takes it hard. For the whole episode. Again, it's all character-driven stuff, and performers like Robert Culp and William Katt make it all turn to pure gold. (Connie Sellecca is still missing from the show, and I still miss her, but it's not such an big problem in this episode. In fact, the parallels between the two duos - then and now - work best without Pam.)
2. This is a great story. It's a total departure from GAH formula (if there is such a thing) and it's really opens up the backstory of the aliens/suit in a totally unexpected way. The idea that Ralph and Bill are not the first to be given a suit is really rather mind-blowing. Both when I first saw the episode and, still, today.
3. The aliens are back. Again. Seems like ABC wanted the aliens in the show on a semi-regular basis, and here they are for the second week in a row. It's certainly cool to see them, but there is a part of me that thinks this cheapens the presence of the spaceship. I mean, if we see it a lot, it's not really cool anymore. Also: if the aliens are really close by and can pop up anytime, why the heck don't they just solve Earth's problem's themselves? Why do they need to give a suit to anyone? Bottom line: the arrival of the spaceship is terrifically cool, but too much of a good thing is not wise.
4. I love the visual of the two old guys walking off into the desert at the end, with 'our' two guys watching. In the almost-three decades since I last saw this episode, it's an image that has popped into my mind many times when fondly recalling the high-points of the series.
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The Greatest American Hero. Season 2, Episode 3. "Don't Mess Around with Jim"
