Season 4
(Guest-stars who later played roles in or directed Starsky & Hutch are bolded and linked.)
Here are a few reactions I had after watching each episode. I hope to write more thoughtful reviews in the future.
The fourth season car is a gold Dodge Challenger convertible with double black stripe.
The Sentinals While searching for a pair of murderers, the trio uncovers a link between murder, a stolen car and a threatened epidemic.
Directed by: Robert Michael Lewis
Guest stars: Scott Marlow, Hal England, Lynne Marta, Stephen R. Hudis, Poupee Bocar, Richard Romanus, Alex Curi, Robert Cleaves, Francis De Sales
Rated: two and a half stars out of five
"I've got an emergency, too. My friend is in there dying, and nothing the captain has comes close. Alright?" ~ Pete
My Take: Lynn played Cheryl in "The Bait," Helen in "Murder at Sea," and K.C. McBride in "Quadromania" in Starsky & Hutch. I don't know much about encephalitis, but I'm guessing people could only get it if in contact with the pigeons, since there were no quarantines. It just didn't seem to be as serious of a threat if it couldn't be spread by humans. Pete closes the carrier just in the nick of time. The squad's radio code is Special 6-4. The trio gets knocked out a lot. It was Linc's turn this episode. The squad takes two separate cases and they merge into one.
Highlights: Pete gets mad when his friends die.
Lowlights: Onion banter. Lynne Marta's green dress goes along with her weak character. The poorly cast brothers. There's no way they're related. Hospital's green walls...
Knock-outs: Linc's turn.
Locations: (Nick & Lila's) Pepper Apts. - 3304 Pepper Ave.
Pete's friend is shot at Humboldt & N. San Fernando Rd.
Pet shop Linc frequents - 715 Cypress Ave. & Merced
Pepper Apts. then and now:
Cricket Julie and a young boy named Cricket go to the park where Cricket finds a gun dropped by a man he runs into. Cricket then accidentally shoots Julie and, thinking he's killed her, runs away.
Directed by Michael Caffey
Guest stars: Lee Montgomery, Susan Howard, Victor Holchak, Paul Kent, Andrea Cagan, Joel Lawrence, John Dennis, Tom Middleton, Al Checco, Harlan Warde
Rated: one out of five stars
"I can't believe it was intentional. There was just too much....too much love between them." ~ Pete
My Take: As a child, this was a memorable episode. As an adult it was memorable, but not in a good way. It's why I put off watching it. I remember they used the same exact script for a Charlie's Angels episode. I may have liked watching a boy and his dog wandering around as a kid. But as an adult, I wanted to see more Pete and Linc. It was awful going from big colorful beautiful season one and two, to this poor film quality episode. The film was discolored. Even the opening was shortened. I did not look forward to screen capping this one.
Highlights: Um.....
Lowlights: Julie gets shot in the head. But don't worry. All she needs is a little rest. The squad doesn't seem that alarmed, either. There's something that's missing. It's more about the boy and the plot feels stiff. The squad wasn't connected.
Knock-outs and Injuries: Julie gets shot.
Home Is The Street A former addict helps the trio catch a cop killer - her own father.
Directed by Barry Shear
Guest stars: Cameron Mitchell, Brooke Bundy, Buddy Lester, Flora Plumb, Simon Scott, George Murdock
Rated: three stars out of five
Pete, as long as I'm here, I'll dictate strategy." ~Captain Greer
My Take: Directed by Barry Shear who directed the pilot of Starsky & Hutch. Buddy Lester played Coley in the Starsky & Hutch pilot, and Lucky Lester in "Iron Mike." Flora Plumb is Eve Plumb's sister (Eve played Jan on The Brady Bunch.) A lot of this was filmed on the Santa Monica Pier and Pacific Ocean Park. This episode had so much back story, there could have been a prior episode. So it felt like a part two. Trouble is, I would have rather seen the first part. The only part I remember about this episode from watching it as a teen was the opening scene where Deborah feeds the lama and argues with Pete. "Scag" is a street term for heroine. Thanks, Linc.
Highlights: Macrame. Brooke Bundy has the quintessential shag cut. Julie's knockout fall. Squad covering for each other. The visually dramatic collapse of the father at the end. Jan Brady's older sister as a drug addict. Quite a bit of tension between Captain Greer and Pete, because the captain needs Pete to use someone he doesn't want to use.
Lowlights: Julie was knocked out cold in a horrific fall, but hours later she was driving the car with Linc and Pete as passengers. Not sure why his daughter didn't argue about tying up an unconscious Julie. She shows no real concern.
Knock-outs and Injuries: Julie…big-time.
Deborah Drug Addict and Eve Plumb's older sister!
Survival After Julie picks up a blind hitchhiker, they have a flat tire and flag down a passing car for help. Unfortunately, the people in the car trick them into switching cars and abandon them in the desert.
Directed by: Philip Leacock
Guest stars: John Rubinstein, Karen Ericson, Elliot Street, Val Avery, Jon Shank, Bill Mulikin, Jim Hicklin
Rated: two out of five stars
"What about those friends of yours. They just like you? They go around helping people for no reason at all?" ~Larry (to Julie)
My Take: If it can go wrong in this episode, it does. Creepy gas station attendant, revengeful (blind) hitchhiker, rocks falling down hills, tire blow-outs, snake bite, car robbery, dog murder, no keys, no gas, no water...and a sandstorm!
Highlights: Mean girl was mean.
Lowlights: The episode had a washed out look..so much sand and Pete and Linc wear white. Also, Pete dries off incredibly fast after his fight in the pool. Did not like Larry Wheeler.
Knock-outs and Injuries: Julie was bitten by a rattler and nearly died of dehydration.
Locations: This was filmed in Piru and Fillmore. I drive through those towns when traveling to Ojai.
Color of Laughter, Color of Tears A circus owner asks the trio for help in finding out who's committed sabotage and murder in the big top.
Directed by: Phillip Leacok
Guest stars: Edward Asner, Anne Archer, Parley Baer, Michael Baseleon, Dan Ferrone, Paul Bertoya, Maira Grimm, Charlie Briggs,
Rated: three out of five stars
"Men go to the moon and wonder. Children come to the circus and understand." ~Joe Walton
My Take: Once again, Baseleon was in Starksy & Hutch's "Deckwatch." The circus always scared me. It felt fake. Clowns scary. Animals being forced to do things against their nature. Everything was about faded colors. Julie and Asner had this weird bond when it came to dreams. I'm probably over-hyping this one with three stars, considering how slow it was with alcoholics and old men drugging animals, but seeing the old leotards we wore back in the 70s brought back memories as a gymnast in that era.
Highlights: Pete watching Julie on the trapeze. Pete saving Julie on a trapeze. Men in tights.
Lowlights: Pete didn't have much to do in this one. Weak plot. Too much footage regarding the fire. Linc and Pete were not in tights on the trapeze.
Knock-outs: Linc knocked out by the guy poisoning lions, and Julie on the trapeze...
The following photos are not mine: RedQuyn Productions, LLC
The Medicine Men Julie is drawn into a bittersweet romance and blackmail.
Directed by: Seymour Robbie
Guest stars: Robert Foxworth, Lou Antonio, Billy Dee Williams, Burr DeBenning, Bella Bruck, Holly Near, Hank Jones
Rated: two stars out of five
"You're a lousy patient, doctor. Your case is practically terminal and you're not even reading the symptoms!" ~ Linc
My Take: This one had a very tan look to the episode. It wasn't bright and shiny like other remastered eps. There was some film damage evident in a couple of places. It didn't help that most of the actors wore tan, orange and brown. It added to the lack of color. Sometimes Pete wore all tan! The Scrambler Buggies looked like lawsuits on wheels. And to think if you tipped it over it would go all explodie!
Highlights: Scrambler Buggies! I was expecting some kind of chase in those. The fact that they do their own investigations regardless of what the captain says. Library flirtation. The pajama run.
Lowlights: Can't figure out how Pete and Linc knew to drive elsewhere instead of checking out a darkened Julie's place. They must have Julie radar.
Knock-outs And Injuries: None to the squad.
The Sands Of Anger Julie, Linc and Pete attend a dune buggy race where a pickup truck blows up, killing a young man Julie had just met. The trio then investigate the incident, suspecting foul play.
Directed by Earl Bellamy
Guest stars: Shelly Novack, Arthur Franz, Betty Anne Rees, Tony Dow, Steve Carlson, James Nolan, Stewart Bradley, Walker Edmiston
Rated: two and a half out of five stars
Captain: What do you do in a survival race?
Pete: You try to live through it.
My Take: Earl Bellamy directed eight Starsky & Hutch episodes. These guys can't even play at a dune buggy competition without something going terribly wrong. Most of the scenes are on the dunes or in a hotel lounge/room. Not a terribly exciting episode, but it was fun to see them out of town. Linc doesn't drive much (though he does a little), but he does ultimately save the day.
Highlights: Dune buggies! Pete's come-on lines. "My socks don't match" and "maybe you just don't like to eat alone." Pete's gold sparkly helmet that read "Pete" in cursive on the back. Julie's purple helmet.
Lowlights: Julie only packs one outfit. (Okay, two, but she almost always wore the same thing, even after showering.) Those hamburgers looked horrible. There wasn't much crime going on, only figuring out if there was going to be one. Last dune buggy chase went on a little too long.
Knock-outs and Injuries: Julie was knocked unconscious from a dynamite explosion. Pete was almost knocked out with a tire iron, and Linc threw away dynamite in the nick of time.
Locations: Indian Dunes, Ventura County and exterior shots of The Hallmark House Motor Hotel - 7023 Sunset Blvd.
The Hallmark House in its heyday:
Exterior shot in Mod Squad:
Now:
Click to enlarge:
The Poisoned Mind After Captain Greer Shoots and kills a young man in self defense during a bust, he suffers from feelings of guilt and remorse. Julie suggests he take a vacation at a secluded resort to sort things out.
Directed by: Don McDougall
Guest stars: Laraine Stephens, Jack Collins, Murray Macleod, Jean Bron, Erik Holland, Herb Armstrong, Wesley Lau, George Ives, Conrad Bachmann, Serena Sande
Rated: three stars out of five
"I'm sorry. Very sorry. He's dying." ~ doctor
My Take: Interesting storyline in how they give us bits a pieces of what happened before and after the shooting.
Highlights: The reactions from the squad when they learn the bad news about their captain. Linc's cool, but menacing threats to the resort's manager.
Lowlights: The Captain had only a few hours to live, so if Pete's plan (which had to have taken some planning, since he was borrowing someone's house, and had to get Julie's get-up together) didn't work, there wouldn't be much time to do anything else.
Exit The Closer The trio helps a used-car salesman who's made a deal with the devil.
Directed by: Don McDougall
Guest stars: Larry Blyden,Ruta Lee, Austin Willis, Ross Elliott, Sandy Kenyon, Gloria Manon, Ed Prentiss, Jake Sheffield, Howard Smit, Joe Huff
Rated: three stars out of five
"They offered him money, and position, discount. And do you know what they took in for a trade in? His soul." ~Gloria Hardy
My Take: Classic episode. We get the Linc swan dive, and I specifically remember Julie's little camera. I thought it was so neat way back when. I liked the plot for some reason. People being owned, the tragic backstory of the fellow trying to kill him, and the grand announcement. Some of the first and second seasons I barely remember. But I remember the later episodes...
Highlights: Linc's swan dive and window stunt. So much style. Julie's little sneaky camera. Pete in mechanic overalls. The wife's wardrobe.
Lowlights: Bad stunt double shots at the beginning of this episode. The guy getting away looked more like Pete than his stunt double.
Whatever Happened To Lincoln Hayes? On his way to the liquor store, Linc is mugged and hit over the head. When he comes to, he wanders around in a daze, unable to remember who he is or what he was doing.
Directed by: George McCowan
Guest stars: Lance Taylor Sr., Lee de Broux, Renny Roker, Priscilla Garcia, Ron Stokes, Sam Adwards, Frank Farmer, Jackie Russell, Ted Stanhhope
Rated: three and a half stars
"I don't know who I am." ~Linc
My Take: As a kid, I never wanted to watch this one when it came on. I wasn't into Linc stumbling around the entire episode. And yet, I do like watching Pete stumble around an entire episode. What's with that? But after watching years later, I thought it was a good episode. I understand why I didn't like it as a kid. It was slow in parts...parts I understand much better-- getting to know the musician in the alley, etc.
Highlights: He may not know who he is, but he's a cop through and through-- putting pieces together even though he didn't know his name. The ending where they reunite in one big hug on the ground. The flashbacks to very early episodes…nice! A good shot of Pete's loft home.
Lowlights: Doctors not realizing something was wrong with Linc when he was in the hospital. Getting Julie's birthday wrong? Liquor store friend not running after Linc. But of course, there would be no episode.
Knock-outs: Linc of course.
And A Little Child Shall Bleed Them The trio must protect a TV clown from an assassination attempt.
Directed by: John Llewellyn Moxey
Guest stars: Milton Berle, Keenan Wynn, Henry Jones, June Dayton, Bill Berle, Michael Fox
Rated: three stars out of five
"Isn't that something. Biggest man alive with any kid under ten, but afraid to go near his own kid." ~ Uncle Bobo
My Take: Little kiddie shows were a big deal when I was young...Captain Delta, Captain Kangaroo, Romper Room, Art Linkletter Show... I didn't remember Milton Berle being in this episode, but I remembered his helper who was played by Henry Jones. Henry Jones was in the movie, The Bad Seed. My mother introduced me to this movie one afternoon. That was the day I witnessed pure evil as a young girl, by a young girl. I always thought old movies were scary as is. There is something robotic about them. It was a fun, scary afternoon movie. I sat down and watched it from beginning to end with my mother.
I remembered a lot about this Mod Squad episode, probably because I actually watched it as a kid, being that it was about a kiddie show. Again, clowns scare me...but there were children in this episode, and as a kid, I liked kids on shows like Mod Squad. Now, not so much... I'm pretty sure it was filmed at the Greystone Mansion, but I can't be sure. I recognized the outdoor trademark cement stair banister, and Spelling used to use that location a lot.
I noticed the scenes after Pete fell into the pool (not sure what he hit to render himself unconscious), he had this terrible bruising on the right side of his face. I didn't notice it in earlier scenes, but he had it during the rest of the episode. They don't usually show scrapes and bruises after the squad gets attacked on the show, so it was odd he had one so prominent that fit in with the plot.
I'm giving this three stars only because of the nostalgia.
Highlights: Linc rescues Pete. Memorable co-star and episode.
Lowlights: Wish the film was better on this one. Several episodes in season four are dull in color.
Knock-outs: Pete (falls in pool)
Pete has a shiner the second half of the episode:
Real Loser Someone is out to kill an unfortunate young man.
Directed by George McCowan
Guest stars: Martin Sheen, Harold Goould, Erica Petal, William Smith, Lada Edmund Jr., Bruce Lorange, Pegi Boucher, Dee Caroll
Rated: three and a half out of five stars
Control tower: Important. Repeat. Important. What's the angle of your plane at the moment.
Linc: I don't know, but we're bouncing a lot.
My Take: I really liked and really hated this episode. Martin Sheen is a great television actor. At this young age, Martin is a ringer for his son, Emilio. But the squad is way too forgiving of him. He tries to hurt Linc, then kill him, and the squad acts like their his best friends in the tag. Even if his ultimate intention is good...and supposedly non-selfish, I don't think he thought of how his sister would feel emotionally if he died. Linc gave Pete an assignment he had been given, and Pete gets knocked around. Thanks, Linc. I figured this one out half-way through, but couldn't figure out motive.
And those white dress shoes Pete wears…how is he supposed to catch bad guys in those?
Highlights: Metal circle on zipper on Martin's shirt. I had a favorite white shirt like that in third grade. Linc's plane escapade. Crazy go-go dancer and watching Pete watch her. Linc was very Linc in this one. Very intense, even for Linc.
Lowlights: Smoking in hospital bed...even if it was a veteran's hospital. Squad WAY too forgiving.
Knock-outs: Linc knocked out by loser's cast...
Death of a Nobody The trio investigate a hit-and-run.
Directed by: Robert Michael Lewis
Guest stars: Perry Lopez, Meg Foster, Martin E.Brooks, Brock Peters, Richard X. Slattery, Florence, St. Peter, Marjorie Bennett, Eldon Quick, Brett Parker
Rated: three stars out of five
"I have a duty to myself to find out who killed that woman. When I do that, I'll…take a vacation." ~ Pete
My Take: I get so confused with Pete's place. I'm guessing his door by the stairs is actually a side door to his place all along. Because in this episode we actually see his front door which is opposite his staircase. Then in fifth season, he has a totally different place (but still has his loft). This episode webs out so you can see the consequences of lives of parolees. Pete assumes someone is after him, and I'm not sure why the Captain thinks it's so farfetched. I mean, it very well could have been a hit on Pete. Pete takes the wheel of the station wagon this episode. I really can't tell who owns what car in this show, so they must all be loans from the police department.
Highlights: The Julie and Linc insurance act. Pete angst. Parolee/family angst.
Lowlights: Meg Foster's eyes scare me.
Knock-outs and Injuries: Pete is nearly run down by a car.
Feet of Clay Linc saves a guard from a warehouse fire, then gets involved with a young-deaf mute targeted for assassination.
Directed by: Don Taylor
Guest stars: Desi Arnaz Jr., Rober Donner, Alan Oppenheimer, Gary Dubin, Wayne Storm, Kevin Dobson, Jerry Davis
Rated: two out of five stars
Scooter: You like it?
Linc: What is it?
Scooter: Unicorn milk.
My Take: I was underwhelmed with this episode. Linc could not get anything out of Desi, and the episode moved at a snail's pace. Very dated, in that it dwelled on the drama of Clueless Dad and how he felt his mute son would never feel normal, while basically ignoring his other son. Strangely I remembered the unicorn milk scene. The only tension in the episode was that the captain was setting time constraints. I wonder where they were headed for vacation?
Highlights: Kevin Dobson.
Lowlights: The blast site was a bit over the top. Why didn't Linc move Desi to a safer area sooner? You don't have a conversation underneath dynamite. Julie and Pete's boring undercover role.
I Am My Brother's Keeper Pete is targeted by the very gunman he's tracking.
Directed by: Jerry Jameson
Guest stars: Linda Marsh, Guy Stockwell, Jack Ging, John Kerr, Skip Ward, Brooke Mills, Junero Jennings, Betty Lynn
Rated: five out of five stars
"He's feeling pretty low" ~ Linc (about Pete)
My Take: My guilty pleasure episode. Jack Ging played Ray Pardee in Starsky & Hutch's "The Game." The pool/house exterior is the same setting as the Starsky & Hutch episode, "The Bait." I can't figure out what kind of injury on his neck would last more than three weeks? But the bandage is still there. I do like the terms Linc uses to describe Pete in the hospital…"he's feeling pretty low" and "hang loose"…. Julie's voice is so weirdly soothing and fragile-sounding in this episode. Pete not only holds a gun, but threatens to use it during a good portion of this episode, but he had a major injury that diagnosed him as violent.
Highlights: An injured Pete. With all the hard knocks, this one is serious. He really screams at the bad guy when capturing him. "Let's Goooo!" Whoa. And most of all…Linc. When he confronts the one woman who is the key to finding Pete, his silence is so threatening. She sold the goods without him saying a word! Powerful. Linc's (stuntman's) stunt kick was cool.
Lowlights: The fact that Linc couldn't convince him to get to the hospital. Sometimes they give each other too much leeway. But Linc didn't know how bad off he was....though he had to have a clue.
Knockouts: Pete. Big time.
Locations: The restaurant then called The Rum Runner is now Ports O'Call in San Pedro on Berth 76.
House on 365 S. Hudson-- Starsky and Hutch versus Linc and bad guy:
House on 365 S. Hudson-- Starsky and Hutch versus Linc and bad guy:
South Peck Ave. & W 32nd, San Pedro, CA:
Click to enlarge:
Deal With The Devil A war correspondent gets involved in dealing drugs, worrying his fiancee.
Directed by: Don McDougall
Guest stars: Leslie Nielsen, Bill Fletcher, Ron Soble, Vikki Carr, Larry Ward, Catherine Ferrar, James Farley
Rated: three out of five stars
"I guess he was like a hero to me…a big brother I never had. My father was too busy for me, but not Rusty. He was always there." ~ Pete
My Take: Pete has had a rough couple of episodes in a row. It looked foggy at the airport. I could see how whimsical Rusty could be to a young impressionable boy, but he certainly became evil.
Highlights: Rusty's strong penchant for proper grammar…Nielsen's character was charismatic. Pete angst. The showdown.
Lowlights: Pete had a morning/afternoon party? It was definitely during the day, and yet he had time to go to the airport and wait it out at Rusty's fiancé's place and it was still daylight. And Pete wore the same clothes throughout the entire episode.
Knock-outs and Injuries: Pete and Linc were both knocked out.
Locations: Valetta Hall's house - 24466 Malibu Rd., Malibu, CA
Kill Gently, Sweet Jessie A paroled killer's girlfriend tries to bump off Pete.
Directed by: Lawrence Dobkin
Guest stars: Al Freeman Jr., Glynn Turman, Leslie Uggams, Mort Mills, Don Dubbins, Rodolfo Hoyos Jr., Leo Gordon
Rated: three stars out of five
"Jessie Cook wants to kill a friend of mine. As a matter a fact, the best friend I have in the world." ~ Linc
My Take: I really like this one for some reason. I like Linc playing the jailbird character in contrast with his usual cool vibe. I love what Linc says about Pete and it gets a bit weird with Pete and Julie in this one. In "Suffer, Little Children" there is this unwritten puppy love vibe on Pete's part. But there's a written scene between Pete and Julie that gets weird. So why I'm into the friendship thing, I can understand why a viewer could read other things into it. I'm usually the last one to see romantic chemistry. Call me clueless. The synopsis I get from IMDB is all wrong. The girlfriend is not the one trying to bump off Pete. Jessie is. And someone's trying to bump off Jessie. Not sure who Jessie killed in the past. Confusing. This episode had a bit of that brown tint...that lack of color that messes with my screen caps. Pete's calendar reads September 1st.
Highlights: Pete has a cold. The Mod Squad actually comes down with colds. When Pete remembers where he saw Jessie. Linc saying what he did.
Lowlights: It jumps around a bit with Jessie being at Pete's, to at work, to Pete's and then at his work place. With or without wheels, you'd think you'd be able to tail him. And since he worked at a business, you'd think that would be in his file.
Knock-outs and injuries: Pete gets thrown around by a lift.
Shockwave Julie grows attached to a baby that's been abandoned by a couple on a robbery and murder spree.
Directed by: Barry Shear
Guest stars: Michael Anderson Jr., Lynn Loring, Elliott Montgomery, Lou Drugman, Lurene Tuttle, Joanna Serpe, Cathie Givot, Ray Kellogg, Davis Roberts, Jim Beach, Walt Davis
Rated: three out of five stars
"Take it easy with that stuff. She's not a crepe suzette." ~Linc
My Take: This one is definitely dated. I didn't like Julie's little speech to the baby, and it was interesting that the argument why Julie couldn't keep the baby was that the baby should have a two parent household. There was nothing about the fact that she was a single UNDERCOVER COP. Ha! She'd have to work a different job, and she'd have to hire someone to take care of the baby while she worked. I don't think she thought it through. Cute scene of the boys in the baby shop. I remember that.
Highlights: The bad guy's abusive history was sadly horrific. It made one understand his actions, and it was very unusual that he hadn't had a record before his crime spree. The two men and a baby scenes. I didn't realize that the captain was shot.
Lowlights: I know they needed the scene for dramatic effect, but Julie should have made sure the baby was not seen by the mother at the church. There were times when there was an empty blanket or a doll as a stand-in for the baby. I didn't think Julie's eyes looked anything like the baby's.
Knock-outs: Captain got shot in the arm.
Locations: Grocery store in opening: 4864 Melrose Ave., L.A.
Hotel: N. Gower St. & Gregory Ave., Hollywood, CA
No More Oak Leaves For Ernie Holland A Vietnam veteran returns to the police force with questionable ideas of dealing with dissident ghetto residents.
Directed by: Seymour Robbie
Guest stars: Robert Pine, Cal Bellini, Henry Darrow, Annette Charles, Bill Zuckert, James A. Watson Jr., Ernest Sarracino, Mark Lambert
Rated: three out of five stars
(Oh, my! I need to find a quote for this one!)
My Take: Very timely episode, since the rioting and protesting is currently going on regarding cops and injustice to the people on the streets. Ernie (played by a VERY young Robert Pine) kills a kid and then lies saying it was self-defense. And the people on the committee believe him. Pete is SO frustrated, because he was a witness. It was eerie how much it echoed what's going on now (the the grand juries not indicting the cops).
Highlights: Julie says something cool like, "You're coming in cold to a hot climate." Pete sees Julie get slapped. Glad they gave Manny a break, considering the bad cop was discovered to be a psycho cop.
Lowlights: Does Julie really forgive Ernie when he comes to her place? I mean, really? I don't like Pete's pants at the end of this ep. Linc and Pete look out of place, even as social workers. Pete's wearing a tie with his pull-over sweater at the beginning?
Knock-outs: Only the store owner, but Julie gets slapped by another woman.
The Cave Jullie, Linc, and Pete brake down in the desert during a sandstorm and seek shelter in an abandoned mine. An old man embittered by the death of his son in the war who hates hippies then sets off dynamite and traps the trio inside.
Directed by: Jerry Jameson
Guest stars: Karl Swenson
Rated: five out of five stars
"It's a beautiful, beautiful world." ~ Julie
My Take: Sort of an ultimate Mod Squad episode. They're all together in every scene. They're contemplating the meaning of life. And everyone, even the villain is a victim. Julie is the philosopher, Linc is surprisingly the realist/pessimist, and Pete pretty much reacts-- trying to keep the situation even.
Hightlights: Read above. I like how they stay positive during the ups and downs of surviving. A classic episode.
Lowlights: I get a bit claustrophobic watching this. Every time they crawl through a small hole not knowing what's on the other side…the thought of them possibly going deeper into the cave with stale air….I start gasping for breath. I would have loved them giving new insights or confessions. Nice speech, Julie, but sort of empty.
Knock-outs and Injuries: Pete is knocked out and suffers an arm injury. Linc is knocked out from the bomb going off.
The Wild Weekend When Pete runs into an old girlfriend, she invites him to her birthday party but he turns her down, only to be kidnapped by her two friends and forced to attend the party.
Directed by: Robert Michael Lewis
Guest stars: Brenda Scott, Stephen Young, Dennis Patrick, Nicholas Cortland, Marlene Clark, Suzanne Alexander, Barbara Boles
Rated: three and a half stars out of five
Sassy: Go on. You wanted to leave, so what's keeping you?
Pete: Nothing.
My Take: Pete usually seems attracted to damsels in distress, so this girl must have been a challenge to him, and it went totally sour. One gets glimpses of his tattoo. I always think I could have swam with a flutter kick to the shallow side of the pool with my hands behind my back, if I could have gotten enough air. I mean, the legs were free. I wonder how far he would have had to walk once he escaped from the party house?
Highlights: Pete completely loses control when getting back at his captor. Linc once again has to scream, "You're gonna kill him, babe!" Sassy, what a name.
Lowlights: Flashbacks…he didn't look like that two years ago. Sassy's hot pants.
Knock-outs and Injuries: Pete is knocked down, thrown in the pool with his hands tied behind his back, shot in the leg and gets mad.
The Tangled Web Pete and Linc come close to breaking the law as they attempt to help a parolee return stolen jewelry.
Directed by: Richard Newton
Guest stars: John Calvin, Woodrow Parfrey, Simon Scott, Bob Bralver, Dallas Mitchell, Bob Golden
Rated: three stars out of five
Captain: Either you stick by this ex-con friend of yours, or by Pete and Linc.
Julie: There isn't any choice.
My Take: Julie has some dumb friends. This particular friend looked like a Ken doll. The squad left a robber in Julie's home while they went outside to talk. The un-robbing of the bank was a very stupid idea. I can't believe they tried such a crazy caper with some Ken doll-guy they only knew as Julie's friend. Pete and Linc received thirty days without pay for their crime. This episode was promising with the un-robbery adventure. But when Pete and Linc were jailed, it lost steam and Julie needed to feel worse for almost ruining their lives.
Highlights: Suspenseful! Lots of climbing, swinging, repelling, and crawling through air ducts. It was fun to see them on the other side of the law. Pete stuck hanging dangerously in an elevator shaft. Unexpected air conditioning. Quote: Captain to squad, "Start talking and make it straight." He's getting his orders and drink requests mixed up.
Lowlights: Julie. Also Chief Metcalf. After all these years, he had total distrust in the squad?
Knock-outs and Injuries: Only their pride.
Outside Position A stable boy's employer frames him for possessing drugs and continues conspiring against him after his parole, all in order to stop the man's romance with his daughter.
Directed by: Philip Leacock
Guest Stars: Bobby Sherman, Judy Strangis, Norman Alden, Frank Marth, Rex Holman, Vernon Weddle
Rated: two and a half out of three
"Don't use me to make her suffer." ~ Pete
My Take: Not a great episode, even though it was about a friend of Pete's. The ever popular Bobby Sherman plays victim and hero, but....after watching the first two seasons, there's just not as much depth to the trio I love. While Pete is feeling bad for his friend and desperately trying to help him, there's just this deadness... Linc's work is effective, but he's hiding behind glasses and barely moves. It's a stark contrast to the first few seasons. Since I'm watching out of order, I'm not sure where this distance starts happening. As the seasons progress, they lull you into a change that you might not catch if you didn't skip around.
Highlights: Captain Greer's stunt double. Wow! Two teen mag stars in one episode...plus the girl from Room 222.
Lowlights: Baby in one hand, cigarette in another.
Knock-outs and Injuries: None to squad.
Big George A man happens to witness the murder of a sales clerk and agrees to testify at the trial. As a result he and his family are relentlessly terrorized by someone, even after the trial has ended.
Directed by: Philip Leacock
Guest Stars: Andy Griffith, Sharon Acker, Michael-James Wxted, Buddy Pantsari, Stanley Kamel, Bart Burns, Victor Izay
Rated: four out of five stars
"George is a simple, beautiful man." ~Pete
My Take: I really, really liked this one. Andy Griffith plays a "simple, beautiful man." Sometimes an episode is more suspenseful if you don't see the bad guy. The 70's home reminded me of the home my mother's friend owned. The staircase banister in the a bar is the same banister in Pete's home. The squad didn't do much but babysit, and the ending wasn't believable, but I loved the character study of the man and what could drive him to change and not recognize himself.
Highlights: Andy Griffith. The familiarity of his home (he doesn't fully own). The blue scary eyes of the robber/murderer. The suspense of the unknown. The squad's kindness.
Lowlights: The set-up at the end. The Witness Protection kind of program is very sad. The squad generally baby-sits and Pete fiddles with his ring.
Knock-outs: Linc knocked out by motorbike...
Locations: The Carter House (exterior) 13205 Chandler Blvd., L.A.: