Hunter 4.11 A good story from two of my favourite writers: Roy...

Hunter 4.11

A good story from two of my favourite writers: Roy Huggins and Joe Menosky.

• The high point is the conclusion, particularly the final two scenes which are excellent and very, very powerful.
  
• The case-of-the-week concerns the murder of an old flame of Rick’s and there are quite a lot of flashback scenes to tell us about her and flesh out her very interesting character.
  
• Rick and Dee Dee work separately here, as they have a difference of opinion as to how to proceed. There’s some nice dialogue between them about this, when she comes back to report that ‘her’ suspect has been telling lies. A short scene illustrating, I feel, one of the strengths of their partnership and why it works so well.
  
• Great performances from the guest cast. Kim Morgan Greene is perfect in a very challenging role.
  
• The solution comes at the right time in the script, at a point when the audience is just about to make the same conclusion Rick does. The mechanism that prompts him (an undamaged statue) isn’t wholly convincing but it’s a minor quibble in a strong story. And it does get the detectives to a very sad and worthwhile ending.
  

9/10

Some gifs of Morgan Woodward in various guest star roles...

Some gifs of Morgan Woodward in various guest star roles (1979-1997).

One of my favourite character actors. And easily one of the best/busiest.

Hunter 4.10

Hunter 3.10

Hunter 4.9

Very clever, interesting story. Strong performances from Valerie Wildman and Richard Gilliland .

Normally, I’d be troubled that Hunter and McCall are sidelined so much, but this is still a very satisfying episode. Laura Ormond is really the main character and her character arc is fascinating to watch. The twist ending is pretty much exactly what I hoped would happen. 10/10

Hunter 4.8

Stepfanie Kramer powerfully takes center-stage for the final part of the three-parter. All storylines are satisfactorily resolved, but it is the McCall scenes that drive the episode. 10/10

Hunter 4.7

Erik Estrada. Part 2 of the 3-parter has some surprises and twists, across all the stories.

• They now know who the killer is. And have him under 24-hour surveillance. Wasn’t expecting that.


• Navarro’s marriage breaks up, and sends ripples through all levels of the department. Definitely wasn’t expecting that.


• Cain resigns!! WTF?!! Wow, there was some deep satisfaction in seeing that happen.


• Stacey’s death surprised me. And saddened me. I thought that storyline would take a different route.


• The fact that the trail led back to the judge was both a surprise and NOT a surprise. I kinda suspected that Unger would be tied to some other storyline because the show will need a concrete way to bring him down in part three.

Strong episode. So different to regular episodes, that Hunter and McCall feel like guests on another show. Also: it had a brilliant cliffhanger. 10/10

Imagine a world where men and women could work together as...

Imagine a world where men and women could work together as friends, partners and equals…

30 years ago today, September 18th, 1984, the tv cop show Hunter started.

There are very few shows I love as much as Hunter.

It was the first show to showcase a male/female partnership without romance.

Every show before, and most of the ones since, brought romance into the mix.

But when Hunter went off the air on May 10th, 2003, Hunter and McCall were still best friends, partners, equals.

I was 14 when I watched the pilot. Hunter was an action hero in the classic mold. And, about ten minutes into the first episode, he choose a woman as his partner. That hadn’t happened on TV before. Every show from A-Team to Airwolf failed to write female characters as equals. Most shows that had a female lead with equal billing choose to portray her as a romantic interest. Hunter did neither of these. She was his partner. And she was pretty much exactly the same as him. Which is why he wanted to work with her.

Roy Huggins (the genius behind everything from Maverick to The Fugitive to The Rockford Files) became the producer with the start of Season Two and the show toned down the action and rapidly became one of the most cerebral and intelligent cop shows ever made.

I’m very honoured to be an active part of online Hunter fandom. I’ve been chatting online with fellow fans (mostly female) about this wonderful show for over a decade. This month we have been celebrating the show’s birthday, by sharing our stories. Some stories I’ve heard over the years are quite bleak. Women/Girls living unpleasant lives because of the behavior of some man or other, growing up watching Hunter and seeing that a man could love a woman without wanting to have sex with her and was willing to be her partner and treat her with respect. Even let her take the lead.

Some people say that TV doesn’t matter much. But they are wrong.

Hunter 4.6

Erik Estrada. Structured unlike typical episodes, with multiple unrelated cases and several ‘lead’ characters. Could have been disjointed and frustrating. Instead, it is truly gripping from start to finish as the viewer is drawn into this world of complex, interesting characters and horrific crimes. Rape, murder, prostitution and corruption are part of this world. And (we assume) a Satanic cult of some sort. The episode is over way too fast and the cliffhanger means I am anxious to see what happens next. 10/10

Hunter 4.5

Dann Florek, Tricia O’Neil. Complete departure from formula, trapping our heroes in a mansion in a storm while people are murdered. Doesn’t work. The guest characters are boring, and the two detectives (particularly McCall) are sufficiently out of character to suit the tone of the story. It’s trying to be funny, too, but that doesn’t work either. 4/10

Hunter 4.4

A good story, a great performance from guest star Gregory Sierra and a lot of action in the final third make for a strong episode. The story is quite involved, which means that Hunter and McCall are pushed somewhat to the sidelines, but it doesn’t weaken the episode in the slightest. A good story is a good story. 9/10

Hunter 4.3

Dirk Blocker. Basic crime yarn, with a few nice ideas in the mix. The characters and the banter are better than the story. 7/10

Hunter 4.2

Christopher Allport, Martin E. Brooks.

• A great story, well told.


• It ends with a genuine dilemma and some solid character writing for Hunter and a great Fred Dryer performance.


• I love the way the story falls into place, piece by piece. This show is simply in a league of it’s own. Roy Huggins is the man.


• Love the way the various characters are given their own motivations and story arc. For instance, Hunter and McCall barely meet the priest, but he plays a major part in the story.


• Hunter and McCall don’t share much screentime until the last quarter, but when they do it counts. There’s such a strong partnership there. And the chemistry. Wow. 10/10

Hunter 4.1

Stanley Kamel. Vaguely unsatisfying case-of-the-week. First half is slow moving, concerning a hitman who is going to ridiculous extremes to chase a witness, and story of the murder is only getting good when suddenly it’s all over. The point being that Hunter and McCall have hit a brick wall. So, in effect, this is a case they have failed to solved. It’s a good story choice, but while I applaud it, I do find it somewhat unsatisfying. It would be nice if this thread was picked up again in another episode down the line. 8/10

Hunter. Season 3, Episode 11. "Bad Company"

Hunter. Season 3, Episode 11. "Bad Company" Dean Stockwell

It's got a story/style more in keeping with Season One, but it has two great guest stars and a very exciting climax. Works for me.

First Season Hunter was quite close in spirit to The A-Team: lots of car chases and shooting. And plots that, while enjoyable, were often very linear/simple. Under different creative hands the show evolved, the action was de-emphasised and the story quality improved a lot. This little tale is a fun little step back in time, as Hunter and McCall are taken hostage in the hills by a Neo-Nazi group and have to find a way to escape and warn someone about their plans.

There's nothing else quite like this in the third season, but it has - at least - one doppelganger in the first. It's a fun hour of TV. Some moments (such as the McCall appendix ruse, with Hunter knocking three guys to the ground using a single punch!) are silly, but the overall episode stays the respectable side of silly thanks to two good guest performers.

Dean Stockwell is typically top notch (as the leader of the nutty group) and brings layers to the character that just aren't there in the script. Lar Park-Lincoln (who I had a huge crush on, during her Knots Landing days, and who also was superb in an superb episode of Tour Of Duty) is surprisingly good as the leader's daughter.

The final quarter of the tale is a genuinely exciting chase through the hills, as our heroes (plus ally) are chased by a large group of gun-toting nuts. Kudos to Charlie Picerni for taking something we've seen hundreds of times and managing to make it exciting.

Overall, not the sort of episode I expect to see in third season Hunter, but still a lot of fun.

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Better Off Ted, The Good Wife, Hunter, Barney Miller, Space: 1999

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

05.00 Better Off Ted
05.30 The Good Wife
06.30 Hunter
07.30 Barney Miller
02.00 Space: 1999

Better Off Ted. Season 2, Episode 5. "The Great Repression" Sexual Harassment.

Lots of goodness here. As usual it's very funny, and - as usual - it's a dead-on satire on the corporate world. Andrea Anders has some great scenes in this one, running around sexually harassing everyone in sight. Delightful.

The Good Wife. Episode 11. "Infamy" Two cases: TV guy & a divorce.

Part of the fun of watching The Good Wife is sitting down and wondering what form this week's episode will take. No two episodes are structured the same, and this one is yet another deviation. Alicia takes more of a back seat than ever before, and all of the regulars get quality screentime. Will and Diane, who were ignored at the start of the season, are front and center for a lot of this episode. And it makes the show a better show, even though Alicia is still the character we care about most, because "The Good Wife" of the title isn't the only strong/interesting character on display. Will fascinates me. I like him, but I don't trust him.

This show always reminds me of The Guardian, but this one was even more like The Guardian than usual with Alicia being pulled off one case (one that meant a lot to her) and placed on another. Even worse, for Alicia, she wasn't needed on the other one. Not really. She was there for who she was, as a bargaining tool. And a very useful one, as it turned out. Great to see Zach Grenier and Jessica Hecht on the show, by the way, as they are two of my favourite performers. It was an interesting storyline. Firstly, on it's own merits, it was an interesting tale of a marriage coming to an end. Then, as part of the show's overall story arc, it was full of nuggets of interest. Finally, it was interesting to see Alicia being completely impotent in a storyline. She, as a person, really contributed nothing. She was being used by everybody at the table. Yet, much to our delight, she basically came away as the only winner.

All along I've loved the way this show has used Alicia's kids. Making them privy to information that Alicia does not have, and making them part of the conspiracy. This episode sets in motion the events that will bring that to an end, I fear. Alicia has been told that stuff has been posted to her apartment. She's asked one question about it. But I'm sure that that will not be the end of it.

Titus Welliver and Chris Noth get great screentime together in this one.

Hunter. Season 3, Episode 8. "Love, Hate and Sporty James" Witness to a killing.

Not much Hunter/McCall in this one, but Sporty carries the tale pretty well, there's a quick appearance from Jack Bannon and the story is very good.

It's one of those stories that Hunter does really, really well where the character behave in interesting ways and propel the events in unexpected ways. It's also an episode where we know more than our heroes, but they do a damn fine job of putting the pieces together.

When Sporty James (who is a semi-regular on the show) follows some hoods into an alley way he witnesses a murder and decides to make some money off the back of it. This says a lot about Sport and, indeed, a lot the world that he inhabits. As events unfold, we get to meet his girlfriend and a friend of his, trying to help his buddy by keeping his location a secret. It's an interesting world they inhabit, where everybody knows everybody and everybody knows somebody who is connected - somehow - to the world of crime. McCall even gets some good lines about it, as she drives around town, wondering who all these people are, where they come from and where they disappear back to?

Where indeed? One, at least, dies in the course of this story. Sporty sends his lady into the lair of the bad guy to make a deal for him and, next morning, her battered body is found in an alleyway. Nice work from Garrett Morris here, as Hunter and McCall take him the bad news of what's happened. Most of the time Sporty comes across as a one-dimensional supporting character but, in this tale, we really do get an insight into what makes him tick. The script doesn't judge him, just lays him bare. Flaws and all. He's greedy and selfish, doesn't really have much of a moral center, and his irresponsibility leads to the death of a woman. In the end of the tale, Hunter and McCall are sidelined and Sporty gets to go one-on-one with the mastermind bedhind everything. Usually 80s cop shows use moments like this as an excuse to have the hero show up and be the voice of morality that allows the wounded one to make the 'right choice' and lower their weapon before taking a lift. Not on Hunter. Here, as soon as Sporty gets the upper hand he shoots and kills the man who's been ordering deaths all along. The script allows just the right amount of weight afterwards, as Sporty thinks about what he has just done.

But he gets away with it. And, it is strongly implied, he gets away with a million dollars of the bad guy's money, too.

Barney Miller. Season 2, Episode 6. "The Arsonist"

Solid, unspectacular episode. Much is made of Wojo being late, from being out on a date, but nothing ever comes of it. Fish is depressed over his years on the police force. Much is made of that, too, but none of it goes anywhere. It just is.

One thing the episode does really well is paint a picture of the city. A store owner appears a couple of times and, we are told, his store is regularly robbed and vandalised. It's the price he pays for living/trading in New York City.

Space: 1999 Episode 10. "Alpha Child"

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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

Sat, Sep 13, 08 - Columbo, Hunter

07:00 Columbo
09:00 Hunter

Columbo. Episode 10. "Étude in Black" While the previous episode was clever but lacked tension, this one isn't very clever but the tension between hunter and prey make it one of the very best Columbo episodes. And it has several scenes that are truly classic.

John Cassavetes murders his mistress, but drops something at the crime scene. He returns to get it and brazenly picks it up and takes it back in full view of Columbo and everyone else. Whereupon the rumpled detective bounds across the room, grabs his hand and declares: "I'm a big fan of yours, a really big fan!" with a huge grin on his face. Meaning: You are an arrogant murderer and I'm going to take you down.

I love that moment.

And the movie is full of them. Columbo spends one scene talking about the guy's house and another one talking about his car. He also puts forward the theory - to to the guy's face - that he is the murderer and explains openly how he has arrived at this conclusion. The murderer is openly amazed by his pursuer and John Cassavetes is simply superb in the role.

There is a lot of variety to the Columbo stories. Sometimes we meet the murderer long before they think to commit a crime, sometimes we meet them hours/minutes before they do it. Sometimes they are justified in what they do, and sometimes they are arrogant and hateful. Sometimes they are undone in a clever/complex manner and sometimes it's a very obvious ending but it takes a great detective/hero to make it happen. This is a story which introduces the bad guy as he prepares to kill his victim (a mistress who is blackmailing him into leaving his wealthy wife). His motives are selfish and he is ultimately weak and hard to like (but easy to watch thanks to a great performance).

Peter Falk is at his best here. There's another classic scene early on, where Columbo talks about the victim. Usually they are just a dead body. Not this time. Columbo humanises her in a way he rarely and Falk is nothing sort of superb in his performance: repeating the same line of dialogue four times in a superb soliloquy, and never with the same nuances of sadness. Truly a master detective played by a master actor. A+



Hunter. Season 3, Episode 7. "True Confessions" One of my all-time favourite episodes of Hunter and one of my all-time favourite hours of television. Ever.

Hunter changed a lot from the first season to the third season. It started life as a big, loud action show and became a subtle, cerebral detective show. But, even at the start, it could do something that no other cop show could do. It told stories with great characters who did unpredictable things and changed the story around so much that you never knew what was going to happen.

This is one of those.

It's structured unlike anything else on TV. The two main character of the show don't appear much in the first third of the episode. Nether does the main character of the story! I'm sure there's a rule against that somewhere, but rules are made to be broken and Roy Huggins has the skill to break rules.



A young woman dies after partying with three men. They convince her to take cocaine and are in the process of raping her when she goes into a seizure and dies. A patrolman at the scene of the incident is surprised when one of the three men blurts out a confession. At the trial that follows: the confession is thrown out and - as a consequence - so is the case. Even the judge says they are guilty, but his hands are tied. There's a media storm and - a third of the way through - our focus switches to the sister of the dead girl who is dragged from the courtroom swearing that the three men "will pay".

In rapid succession two of the men are shot down. Hunter and McCall (who up to this had appeared in cameos) go to the sister of the dead woman. She's their main suspect and we only see the case from her perspective. She claims to be innocent, claims that she is being framed/used and claims that the media attention directed at her (which makes her out to be an avenging heroine) makes her sad and uncomfortable. She says she wants no more death and want to move on with her life.

Lauren Tewes gives a superb performance. There is no way to know what is going on. Is she a sincere women caught in a web of deceit and murder, or is she a clever murderer who knows how to lie convincingly? Scene after wonderful scene will leave you no wiser. You might not know what is happening, but you know you are getting a great story.

I've seen this episode many, many times. I love it with a passion. Every scene is perfect. The character work on the regulars (especially Rick Hunter) is great. The three main guest characters are well sketched out, too. Tewes' character is fascinating to watch. So is the third and final member of the original trio. The episode gives him one short scene of remorse at one point. It serves no purpose within the story, but it's an example of truly great storytelling. Giving the audience a reason to invest in even the most minor of characters, by taking the time to flesh them out in ways that matter.

Hunter is at his most laconic in this episode, and he has never been cooler (kudos to Fred Dryer) and the episodes ends abruptly with a great final line of dialogue and a haunting freeze frame that lingers in the mind for a long time after viewing. A+

Highlight? Tough call. Two great episodes. Two of my favourite episodes that I have seen many times. But, if forced to choose I will pick Hunter because of Lauren Tewes.
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Fri, Sep 5, 08 - Hunter, Riptide, Stingray

10:00 Hunter
11:00 Riptide
12:00 Stingray



Hunter. Season 3, Episode 6. "From San Francisco With Love" Absolutely superb murder mystery, with great character work on the regulars. A man is gunned down and his friend flees the scene convinced that the shot was intended for him. When Hunter and McCall finally track him down he explains that his step-mother murdered his father and is gunning for him next, but when the detectives find the woman in question she puts forward a convincing case against the man, saying that he's behind the murders.

The story has several great twists and turns, and it's genuinely impossible to figure out who the killer is going to turn out to be. Laura Johnson guests as a San Francisco cop who teams with the guys on the case and winds up in Hunter's bed before too long. But instead of being about Hunter's romance this episode is more about his relationship with McCall than anything else. Their every scene together is playful, funny and laden with character detail. When sparks start flying between Hunter and the lady cop the camera returns time and time again to Stepfanie Kramer to show us McCall's reaction to all of this. And, while a lot of that reacting is funny, most of it is devoted to the real bond between Hunter and McCall. Particularly in the last half of the episode as they talk openly about Hunter's "one night stand". Some of these scenes are on the list of Best Ever Hunter-McCall scenes and they leave you with a big smile on your face when the closing credits roll. A+



Riptide. Episode 6. "Diamonds Are For Never" Fast cars, boats and a helicopter, plus a beautiful girl in distress: it must be Riptide! As well as a very good story this one has some great comedy between the three leads. The "let's-synchronise-our-watches" scene being laugh-out-loud funny. Murray, as usual, gets most of the screen time. He's the one who finds the girl in trouble, gets into the first big car chase and lands himself in jail. The jail scenes are also very funny.



Stingray. Season 2, Episode 8. "The Neniwa" Below-average episode, which doesn't really fit in with the usual style of the series. This is one of those stories about developers building on Indian Burial grounds that popped up all the time in action-adventure series of the 80s. The Stingray take on the story is typically stylish and thoughtful: lots of specially-written music and shots of eagles sweeping majestically over the plains. There is no real bad-guy in the story and 'Ray doesn't really have a client. He is hired, yes, but not by somebody in trouble so it's hard to believe that some guy from a museum would really turn to 'Stingray' over a problem such as this. Not that 'Ray really accomplishes much. There's nothing much to investigate and nobody to fight with, so mostly he just goes around from place to place listening to an old Indian guy telling stories. Meanwhile (between shots of the eagle) we are shown repeated close-ups on unhappy Indian people watching the diggers at work. Yawnworthy.

The climax of the episode is awful. A hostage siege suddenly develops involving characters who have never appeared before and it serves to create false tension, as everyone stands around watching while 'Ray is able to dig up some vital artifact and - of course - save the day.

Stories like this tend to be awful. It takes a show like Midnight Caller to do this thing right. The Stingray version has it's heart in the right place but is basically unwatchable. In fact, this may be the worst episode of this great series.

Highlight? Hunter (and McCall)
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Thu, Jul 10, 08 - Rules Of Engagement, Big Bang Theory, Hunter, Guns Of Will Sonnett, Keen Eddie, Joey

06:30    Rules Of Engagement
07:00    The Big Bang Theory
09:00    Hunter
10:00    The Guns Of Will Sonnett
10:30    Keen Eddie
12:30    Joey

Rules Of Engagement.  Season 2, Episode 15.  "Pimp My Bride" raises a few good laughs with one of the standard sit-com plots: two characters who normally never spend much time alone are forced to do so.  At first things are awkward, but - in a 'surprise' twist - they find common ground and become great friends.  In this story, it is Jeff and Jennifer who are forced to spend a day together.  It works because Patrick Warburton is very funny as Jeff and the extremes of his character allow for some pretty silly comedy (like not knowing Jennifer's last name).

The other storyline pairing Audrey and Russell is less successful because I still don't 'get' why any of them would be friends with Russell.  When the laughs flow freely it never bothers me, but when the comedy is thin on the ground I find it harder to swallow.  Never mind, most of this episode is about the other plot and the way the show causes the two plots to crash into eash other at the end is inspired.  And very, very funny.

The Big Bang Theory.  Episode 11.  "The Pancake Batter Anomaly"  Another simple idea, another great script: Sheldon has the flu and everyone avoids him.  It's very funny and - what I love most about this show - the whole thing is driven by the characters and how they behave.  You could drop any story idea into the middle of these characters (not matter how slight) and they will be able to carry it and make it funny.  A great sit-com.

Hunter.  Season 3, Episode 5.  "High Noon in LA"  Average episode with above-average touches.  Although this is a direct sequel to the "Rape And Revenge" two-parter from the previous season the link is tenuous and it works just fine as a stand-alone story.

A man (whose brother was killed by Hunter) shows up wanting revenge.  The twist? He has diplomatic immunity and - despite numerous threats to kill Hunter - there is nothing the cops that do to get him arrested or out of the country.  The story is as old as the first western (hence the title, I suppose) and it only works because (a) the diplomatic immunity factor is a good twist, and (b) it serves as a prolonged treatise on the character of Rick Hunter and his views on killing.  Fred Dryer does a great job keeping Hunter macho and tough, yet wearied and disinterested by the thought of more killing.

The final third of the episode is the best: with both men alone in the woods, talking through the night.  And while the shoot-the-gun-out-of-his-hands ending is too cliché for my liking, I still found myself liking the episode, just not loving it.  B+

The Guns Of Will Sonnett.  Season 2, Episode 9.  "Guilt"  Nice simple morality play with a great guest cast: Robert Donner, Bo Hopkins and Larry D. Mann.  When the Sonnett's arrive in town, looking for nothing more than a night's rest and break from their search for Jim, they inadvertantly cause panic in one local household.  Three brothers live there and one of them admits to the other two that he robbed and killed Jim Sonnett and he figures that the Sonnett's have arrived in town for revenge.  We know that this is untrue which makes everything that follows all the more tragic.  The cowardly brothers loses his life to the fast guns of Will Sonnett and his remaining kin (though disgusted by his cowardice) feel compelled to ride into town and avenge their brother.  It's a good story.  At the middle of it all, Will and Jeff Sonnett have no idea why any of this is happening.  Tragic.

Keen Eddie.  Episode 4.  "Citizen Cecil"  Delightful.  Only four episodes into the run and the show is already breaking with expected conventions.  First off, it is well established at this stage that Eddie and Fiona share a house and hate one another.  In this episode, a misunderstanding causes them to start being nice to one another.  The way this totally throws both of them off their game is hilarious to see.

A running gag on the show involves Eddie hearing sexual comments from his bosses secretary that nobody else can hear.  It always starts the same way, Eddie asks her a simple question ("How are you today?") and her reply is X-Rated.  Except in this episode.  He speaks, the camera takes time for a long slow zoom-in and she... says something very ordinary.  Genius.

Finally, there is the case-of-the-week.  After a bunch of crooks are robbed by five youths in Duran Duran masks ("That explains what they've been up to since the 80's") one of their number takes the law into his own hands, and sets out to retrive part of the loot (two tickets to a very important football match) inflicting a lot of Grievous Bodily Harm in the process.  His attacks involve a swift kick between the legs, and he is leaving a trail of injured men and very unhappy girlfriends in his wake.  But Eddie and Monty are on his trail...

Everything is quirky: the visuals, the story, the humour and the music.

Joey.  Season 2, Episode 21.  "Joey and the Holding Hands"  Lot of laughs in this one.  Although there is a feeling that we've seen it before, it's nice to see Joey trying hard to make his relationship with Alex amount to more than just sex.  It's funny that Alex is suddenly sex obsessed, even if it is a tad silly and a bit too easy.  Michael - sadly ignored for much of the recent episodes - gets a nice funny storyline and Howard gets some of the biggest laughs with his ill-timed attempts to woo Gina and - later - Alex.

Highlight?  Keen Eddie

Fri, Jun, 6th, 2008 - Greatest American Hero, Stingray, Hunter, Sledge Hammer, Raven

07:00    The Greatest American Hero
08:00    Stingray
09:00    Hunter
10:00    Sledge Hammer
10:30    Raven

The Greatest American Hero.  Episode 2.  "The Hit Car"  The first scene introduces the Hit Car of the title, and it's dumb.   An armoured car used by the mob for hits?  Nonsense like that belongs on "Knight Rider" and not on a good show like The Greatest American Hero.  Never mind, after the daft opening sequence the silly car is barely seen again.

The second sequence is pretty weak, too.  Ralph is trying to get his kids to do a school play.  I don't much like the kids on this show (and was very happy when they were written out) they all look a bit too old to be in high school.  Some of them look older than the teacher, for Frak's sake!!

The episode kicks into high gear when Bill Maxwell appears.  Or, to be more correct, when Robert Culp shows up.  This man is a television legend.  And he is giving his best-ever performance in this show.  This is a career high.  Bill is a great creation.  House, MD, with a gun and a badge.  And, as soon as he shows up, barking orders and insulting Pam, this episode becomes fun to watch.  And it never lets up.

The story is straight-forward enough: Bill and Ralph are moving a witness from one city to another so she can testify.  And they weather various armed attacks along the way.  The ending is very good, when Ralph suddenly figures out that they have been duped and why.  It all leads to an electric confrontation between (a battered and bloodied) Bill Maxwell  and the mobster that is out to kill them.  Bill stumbles into a restaurant, makes his way into the back and proceeds to pour food all over the guy's good suit.  He does this with his gun drawn, while the other bad guys watch in awe and it is a fantastic scene.

After that, the silly car returns.  But the action finale (between Ralph and the car) is actually pretty good.

Stingray.  Season 2, Episode 6.  "The First Time is Forever" is another thoughtful episode.  When he refuses to help a man, and that man is then killed, 'Ray is motivated to investigate.  He never says anything but various quick flashes show us that 'Ray is remembering the lives he has taken over the year.  Particularly the first.  It gives the a-story a great subtext.  As always the show has a unique visual style and the editing and camera angles combine to make an hour of TV that looks like nothing else on the air then or now.

Hunter.  Season 3, Episode 4.  "The Castro Connection" is one of the best episodes of Hunter.  When his old partner (now a DEA agent) re-surfaces there are lot of people suggesting that he has gone dirty in the five years since Hunter last saw him.  A verdict that doesn't sit well with Rick.  And while we admire his blind loyalty we can't help but wonder what the heck is going on.

The episode weaves a complex story.  It opens with (what appears to be) a fake shooting.  The body disappears, however, and we get to follow one of the bad guys around at various stages of the story.  Eventually Hunter and McCall get on his trail and come face to face with Hunter's old buddy, just in time for the big action finale.

The final scene between the two guys in one that often crosses my mind.  It's powerful and beautiful and sad.  We know that Hunter is lying to his dying friend, but are they both lying?  The beauty of this great script is that we never get a definitive answer on what Hunter's ex-partner was up to.  The first few times I saw this episode I believed what Stevens said to Hunter at the end, but - this time - I wonder if Stevens himself is being lied to.

We'll never know, I suppose, but we sure know how Hunter feels about his friend and his partner and how he feels about friendship and and partnership in general. A+

Sledge Hammer!  Episode 5.  "Dori Day Afternoon" is one of the show's best episodes.  A classic with bountiful laughs from start to finish.  Hammer and Dori are taken hostage during a bank robbery gone wrong and Hammer is forced to endure severe hardships: eating pizza, holding hands with another guy, etc.  Pitch perfect in all respects, this is a flawless episode of Sledge Hammer!

Raven.  Episode 1.  "Return of the Black Dragon"  It might be television's greatest action series.  Maybe.  It's certainly got television's best action sequences, and one the medium's best ever heroes: Jonathon Raven.  The opener brings the hero (and his sidekick) to Hawaii on the trail of the son he has never seen.  He takes a job at a nightclub and winds up helping the club's owner when his past catches up with him.  Raven's own past catches up with him, too, and after a few stylishly edited fight scenes the good guys live to fight another day.

Highlight?  Hunter