66: King of the Beach (4.09)

1981; 46 minutes
Written by Karen Harris; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer, Karen Harris, Jill Sherman
Directed by Barry Crane

Carl Molino is a body builder who works in the back of a diner for next to nothing whilst dreaming of opening his own Italian restaurant.  A local con-girl tries to partner up with him and persuade the big man to enter the 'King of the Beach' body-builder competition with hopes of earning them both a packet of cash.  The naive girl also gets herself wrapped up with corrupt businessmen whose interest in the competition does not accommodate the presence of Carl.

A kind of fun episode where Lou Ferrigno actually appears in non-Hulk form as Carl.  In fact almost the entire episode features Ferrigno in one form or another, making this quite a likable novelty in the series.  I quite appreciate the way Ferrigno plays the part of Carl (adopting some of his own characteristics of course, including the fact that Carl's hearing does not function at 100%).  It's plenty of opportunity to show off Ferrigno doing what he did best back in his prime - demonstrating a massive physique.  I also found Crane's handling of the first Hulk sequence to be reasonably strong, whilst the presence of Bixby and Ferrigno on screen together has an emotional tug to it.

Number of Fists: ***

65: Goodbye Eddie Cain (4.08)

1981; 46 minutes
Written by Nicholas Corea; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer, Karen Harris, Jill Sherman
Directed by Jack Colvin

A private investigator is questioned by the authorities about a murder - his story encompasses criminal goings-on that are intermingled with the presence of a gardner without a tracable past called David, and the eventual unexplained appearance of a large green monster.

Told from the perspective in retrospect by the titular character, the epsiode takes on the form of a 40s/50s film noir, in terms of both plot and style of narration.  The dialogue can be looked on as quite corny but I guess that's a deliberate aspect of the whole approach.  It's a novel and refreshing idea in the context of the series, but when Hulk does appear he seems to have stumbled onto the wrong set, his presence being completely at odds with the atmosphere of the story.  Interest waned as the episode progressed unfortunately, despite the novelty.  This was the first of two episodes directed by Jack Colvin, aka Jack McGee of course, the second being East Winds later in the same year.

Number of Fists: **

64: Fast Lane (4.07)

1981; 46 minutes
Written by Reuben Leder; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer, Karen Harris, Jill Sherman
Directed by Frank Orsatti

David hires a car to travel to New York for an interview he's had lined up.  He's unaware that the boot contains a million dollars of criminal money, and that one of the employees of the hire company is going to use the traveller as a decoy so that he can get away with the cash, unhindered by the mob who he hopes will then be after David.

Frustratingly padded with stock footage of car racing (reflecting the memories of the hire car employee, whose life has taken a turn for the mundane), Fast Lane is essentially a road movie contained within 46 minutes.  It plods along at the opposite pace suggested by the title, appearing to be heading towards disaster.  The story is enhanced by the complicating arrival of a failed waitress and things finally pick up as the various threads entwine for an exciting escape for what must be a bewildered David as he's forced to take part in a car chase that he probably could do without.

Number of Fists: ***

63: Bring Me The Head of The Hulk (4.06)

1981; 46 minutes
Written by Allan Cole, Chris Bunch; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer, Karen Harris, Jill Sherman
Directed by Bill Bixby

David applies for a job helping out a revolutionary scientist in the area of genetic study, not realising that the whole laboratory has been set up by a French mercenary (La Fronte, played by Jed Mills) who is intent on killing the Hulk - after months of studying patterns of Hulk activity he's nailed down the conditions under which the creature generally appears.  La Fronte initially took his offer to the Register before going to competition after McGee objected to the intent to kill rather than capture.

Despite the improbable nature of the premise it possesses a certain degree of intrigue knowing that Banner/Hulk has been cornered against his knowledge.  This is followed up later on when, aware that the person who becomes the Hulk is in their midst, La Fronte rounds up all of the staff at the base with the objective of smoking out the monster (quite literally - he sets the place on fire before trapping them all).  This leads to one of the few occasions where Banner owns up to being the creature, although it is to plead to La Fronte's non-existent sense of humanity in order to save the others from being burned alive.  It does lose its way by the final act as the supposedly highly intelligent La Fronte seems to lose all grounding in rational thinking as his homicidal streak takes over.  Nicely helmed by Bixby - this would be the only episode of the series that he'd direct, although he did return to the seat for the three TV movies made between 1988 and 1990.

Number of Fists: ****

62: Deep Shock (4.05)

1980; 46 minutes
Written by Ruel Fischmann; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer, Karen Harris, Jill Sherman
Directed by Reza S Badiyi

Whilst trying to help out a colleague on a construction site David is changed into the Hulk, who receives a powerful electric shock.  Comatosed David is taken to hospital where he finds, after awakening two days later, that the shock has somehow triggered fleeting tendencies towards premonition.  He's disturbed to foresee him (as Hulk) seriously injuring the aforementioned colleague in a later event whose preliminary circumstances are currently still enshrouded in mystery.  His attempts to leave, primarily in order to avoid the premonition becoming truth, are then thwarted when his friend loses control after being made redundant.  This appears to be leading David to a point where he cannot avoid a certain future.

Quite an intriguing idea doesn't start well with Hulk's first rather contrived and lazy appearance, quite early in the episode compared to most.  The question of whether the events of the future can be averted in any way is tackled to some extent, although mainly through the occurrences within the story rather than any philosophical dialogue exchange.  It does all build towards a reasonably entertaining climax, with McGee once again very close to his obsession.  I never could quite figure out though why this ace reporter never carries a camera, particularly as many people who he attempts to convince of the Hulk's existence refuse to believe him...

Number of Fists: ***

61: Dark Side (4.04)

1980; 47 minutes
Written by Nicholas Corea; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer, Karen Harris, Jill Sherman
Directed by John McPherson

Having acquired a number of near-unobtainable chemicals from a pharmaceutical firm he has managed to get into, David is performing experiments in the comfort of the family home that he's lodging at.  They have their own domestic issues, generally revolving around the father's tendency to work on ships at sea for months at a time.  The daughter, probably in the absence of a consistent father figure, develops an infatuation with David.  However, problems escalate when the chemicals that he injects into himself in attempt to suppress the monster inside actually succeed in bringing out an evil side to his personality, making him a threat to the girl and the wider world around them.

Fine fantasy-based story that plays almost literally on the Jekyll and Hyde theme of the show as a whole, turning David himself into a scarier monster than the Hulk ever was, particularly in the face of the potential loss of innocence of a teenage girl (she is 'over age' but it was still a brave move on the part of the show's makers).  There is drama aplenty as the wayward husband struggles to reconnect with a daughter that is becoming infatuated with a much older man.  A really interesting sequence though is when Hulk appears for the first time, as the 'Hyde' version of David is out causing trouble.  He actually takes pleasure in the fact that he knows the transformation is occurring and then Hulk himself is influenced by the same chemicals in his system, meaning a genuine homicidal streak hitherto absent manifests itself, and the primitive monster who's supposed to be driven by rage is stripped of the usual benevolent tendency that occasionally marrs credibility.  Absolutely great stuff.

Number of Fists: *****

60: Free Fall (4.03)

1980; 46 minutes
Written by Chris Bunch & Allan Cole; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer, Karen Harris, Jill Sherman
Directed by Reza S Badiyi

David is working for a skydiving team that are mixed up with corrupt politicians and old friends with grudges to bear.

Thoroughly mundane entry, particularly after the explosive season four opener that was Prometheus.  Some good aerial photography and a pretty exciting moment where David falls out of the plane without a parachute just about elevate this one beyond complete boredom.

Number of Fists: **

58/59: Prometheus (4.01/02)

1980; 47+46 minutes
Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer, Karen Harris, Jill Sherman
Written and Directed by Kenneth Johnson

A potentially destructive meteor is spotted by a space observation centre closing in on Earth's atmosphere, subsequently being tracked during the hours before it crashes in Utah.  In the vicinity David is helping a blind woman who's moved away from the city, trying to adapt to a more solitary life.  He sees the flash through the sky just prior to the impact explosion and heads through the forest to investigate.  As he gets closer to the object the gamma radiation being emitted from the object interferes with his body chemistry, causing him to stagger backwards.  Putting his hand into a wasp's nest the resulting swarm prompts a transformation that leads to some small scale destruction before Hulk wanders back towards the woman's cabin.  There the frightened blind woman is present during the reverse metamorphosis, but it stops half way - David's body becomes jammed into a halfway state between the two beings, both physically and mentally.  Returning to the crash site the military close in on the scene and mistake David/Hulk for a possible extraterrestrial, capturing him in a solid steel prison for further analysis back at a laboratory (Prometheus) designed to exploit lifeforms originating from outer space.

What a corker of a story to open season four.  As a whole the episodes veer completely from the formula that has been established in the series, with the possible exception of having David help the almost-annoying blind woman whose presence seems to be a little contrived in order to elicit sympathy.  The first part builds tension quickly as a near science fiction scenario is developed (it is suggested that the meteor is flying at an angle that leads to speculation that it is piloted) until David's reverse change results in a rather creepy hybrid, interestingly using two actors (Bixby himself for close-ups, and Ric Drasin - obviously a little more muscled than the former but not quite up to the mass of Ferrigno - for medium to long shots).  Bixby again shines as an actor, pulling off his diffused mental intellect mixed combined with bouts of uncontrollable anger convincingly.  Part 1 concludes with a classic cliffhanger leading to the second part taking place largely at the military base where the creature has been captured, and McGee has tricked his way in hoping to finally learn the secret behind the monster.  The tidy conclusion wraps things up with marginal dissatisfaction, and over-use of a musical theme during Hulk's rampage during the finale of Part 2 are the only real negatives in an otherwise great double episode.

Number of Fists: *****/****½

57: On The Line (3.23)

1980; 46 minutes
Written by Jill Sherman/Karen Harris; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer/Jill Sherman/Karen Harris
Directed by L Q Jones

After being found/rescued in the woods by a crew fighting a raging forest fire, David is forced to return the favour by sticking around to cook meals, transfer water, etc.  The problem is that the fires are being started deliberately and while some suspicion falls on David, being the new face and all, he himself saw the female firefighter inexplicably in the vicinity of one of the new blazes.

For a story so embedded in the potential drama of uncontrollable fires there is something strangely dull about On The Line, which is a shame because this one closes a season that contains a lot of really good episodes.  Even McGee's appearance and near-discovery of David helping out fails to elicit much of a response.

Number of Fists: **

56: Nine Hours (3.22)

1980; 46 minutes
Written by Nicholas Corea; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer/Jill Sherman/Karen Harris;
Directed by Nicholas Corea

An injured gangland kingpin is being treated in hospital with an entire floor to himself and under constant guard due to the fact that he is rumoured to be helping the FBI with enquiries, therefore associates want him dead.  In a plot to assassinate him his colleagues have noticed that one of the technicians working there (David) is friends with a local kid that he lives in the same block as.  They kidnap the boy as a blackmailing tool to persuade David to unlock the back doors for them in the dead of night, thus allowing unrestricted access to end the life of the crime lord before he says too much.

A couple of vast illogicalities let an otherwise reasonably entertaining story down with several threads going on at once.  One problem occurs again with some unexpected intellect on Hulk's part when he intercepts a getaway car by running along the underground tunnels - of course there's hardly a chance that Hulk would know which direction to run underground or that he would come up through a manhole in the right location.  The other issue is with the improbability of David and a bummed-out cop's successful street enquiries leading them to the boy's imprisoned location.  Having said all that, the appearances of Hulk are actually pretty exciting with a high level of destruction alongside some strong camerawork.  I quite like the way the ex-cop is personified although he cleans up a bit too quickly by the conclusion.

Number of Fists: ***½

55: Equinox (3.21)

1980; 46 minutes
Written by Nicholas Corea; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer;
Directed by John McPherson

A poor little rich girl is holding a party for her shallow friends on a small island, the celebration being equinox.  Aware that 'John Doe' (McGee's name for the Hulk's alter ego) is present on the island he swindles his way into the party with the intention of capturing Doe/Hulk.  David, meanwhile, is simply attempting to get away from the whole thing, whilst elsewhere there are about to be several attempts on the spoiled woman's life which inevitably will cause David some problems.

Centred around an embarrassing masquerade party the main character, Diane, is a narcissistic brat of a woman who ends up being rescued by Hulk and sympathised with by David, despite the fact that she has little in way of visible redeeming qualities and even goes so far as to slap David for spurning her advances!  It's a pity the wannabe killer wasn't successful on this occasion.  One of the problems with this episode is the contrived appearance of Hulk, which in each case serves little purpose except to encourage McGee, who spends the whole story getting closer to Hulk - this in itself is a potential saving grace, and the conversation that he has with a masked David is a strong moment, but otherwise it's a sad episode to view after the fantastic Deathmask.

Number of Fists: **

54: Deathmask (3.20)

1980; 46 minutes
Written by Nicholas Corea; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer;
Directed by John McPherson

On campus of University at Prestonville young blonde women/students are being killed by an unseen assailant.  David is helping out at the university library as he begins attracting some unwanted attention from the male students, who appear to be on the verge of forming a lynch mob: David's unknown face is a prime candidate for murderer in their eyes.  The police chief becomes aware of his presence and also wants to talk to him, but one night when David is nearly killed himself as the real murderer attempts to attack one of the girls who David is with, he is thrown into the limelight of suspicion and arrested in a media frenzy.

Deathmask (thus named because the murdered places a blank face-piece on each of his victims) wanders surprisingly close to slasher movie territory.  John Carpenter's Halloween had been massively successful in the two years or so before, so possibly that may have been an influence over Corea's story, but it also places this one more firmly into adult viewing than many of the other episodes had been.  The atmosphere builds up a sense of tangible menace as David's predicament spirals out of control.  It is also underpinned by a surprising turn by Gerald McRaney as the chief with some major psychological issues of his own.  McRaney is one of those prolific TV actors who could turn up multiple times in a series as different characters (previously he had appeared in The Incredible Hulk episodes Death in the Family, Ricky, and The Disciple, each time as a different character!).  His character's private conversations with David take the concept of Deathmask to darker depths than would be the television norm for the era in which this was made.

Number of Fists: *****

53: A Rock and a Hard Place (3.19)

1980; 46 minutes
Written by Andrew Schneider; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer;
Directed by Chuck Bowman

David continues his knack for choosing the wrong employers here, although I guess if you're only ever expecting to get cash in hand with no ID and no questions asked then it's somewhat understandable.  He's working as a handyman for what is apparently a harmless old woman, but who actually turns out to be a long-running criminal plotting one more job.  Picked up by the FBI David's cover is blown, however, they use this to effectively blackmail him into spying on the old maid and her henchman.  When the latter grows suspicious and beats up David, the woman witnesses the end of a mini Hulk rampage in the basement, and then blackmails David into helping her!

An aptly titled episode David's caught right in the middle of the old woman's crime plans and a plot to catch her right in the proverbial act, specifically driven by a cop who's close to retirement with an odd career-long affection for the criminal.  On both sides one part of David's secret is out in the open, and thus he is forced to remain on the scene until he can find some way out.

Number of Fists: ***

52: The Psychic (3.18)

1980; 46 minutes
Written by Karen Harris, Jill Sherman, George Arthur Bloom; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer;
Directed by Barry Crane

Whilst on the run through the streets of San Francisco during a simultaneous police chase of a small-fry gang, Hulk is seen just before his escape standing near a critically injured member of the gang, effectively a teenage boy.  Elsewhere a young woman with psychic tendencies leaves her job following yet another incident where her powers of foresight bring her more trouble than they appear to be worth.  On her way home she bumps into David, and is filled with visions of his secret alter ego.  Down on her luck with the rent she sees a newspaper story about the Hulk, and the offer of a $10000 reward for information leading to his capture.  She calls in McGee, but before he arrives in town she runs into David again at the hospital (where he's awaiting news about the boy he apparently injured).  This time she realises what kind of person he is in reality, despite the affliction.  Developing a kindred understanding between each other She offers to help him out for a while as events take a turn for the worse - McGee is on the scene and the hospitalised boy dies.

A poignant story for a number of reasons.  Notably the psychic Annie is played by Brenda Benet, Bixby's wife, with whom he had a divorce a few months before the shooting of this episode.  Aside from the divorce there was only further tragedy to follow, as their son Christopher Sean Bixby died about a year later, with Benet taking her own life a year or so beyond that.  Particularly touching when there are scenes in The Psychic of both Banner and Annie's characters considering taking their own lives in separate instances.  The tale here again showcases Bixby's fine acting (although I'm not so sure he is truly acting in one or two of the more upsetting scenes) as Banner becomes distraught over the belief that he has killed a boy whilst in the form of the Hulk (the factor that leads to his desire to end his life).  McGee, whilst initially on the scene to capture the creature, becomes instrumental in uncovering the truth.  But a particularly strong moment at the end of this episode stays with you: throughout the course of the story we see glimpses of Annie's visions whenever she comes into contact with someone, yet at the final moment when she last makes physical contact with David, she is visibly distressed by whatever she sees, albeit in a very subtle way, but we do not as viewers get to witness whatever it was.  A small detail but an emotional hint of great sadness to come in Banner's life.  One of the series' standout episodes.

Number of Fists: *****

51: The Lottery (3.17)

1980; 46 minutes
Written by Dan Ullman; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer & Jeff Freilich;
Directed by John McPherson

Witnessing an attempted robbery on a newspaper stand David successfully intervenes, becoming friends with the owner, Harry, an ex-conman who is deliberately leading a simple life in order to keep himself away from criminal temptation.  A generous man at heart, he buys David a lottery ticket - against the odds the numbers turn up and a quarter of a million dollars is suddenly up for grabs.  Reluctant to attract any attention, David offers Harry half the winnings as a friendly gesture, and asks him to collect it on his behalf.  Thus begins a series of bizarre events after Harry absconds with the entire sum.  David tracks him down to a hotel where he finds Harry has adopted an alter ego, and planning to con more money out of several crime-lords.

Very strange story by Daniel Ullman, who also wrote Blind Rage a year before.  Harry is a truly odd character, dressing up in disguise to collect the winnings and then hiring limousines, uniforms and people in order to pretend to be a military official.  David's character demonstrates quite a degree of desperation during all of this: after learning of his win he's phoning around to buy laboratory equipment that should put him on the road to a cure, but Harry's rash use of the winnings to craft a scam that should double their earnings brings David to the point of begging for his half of the money and leaving Harry to it.  It's an interesting turn of events but I'm not quite sure the comedic elements of the episode really work.

Number of Fists: ***

50: Falling Angels (3.16)

1980; 46 minutes
Written by Eric Kaldor & D K Krzemien; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer & Jeff Freilich
Directed by Barry Crane

At an orphanage some of the girls are being groomed for a life of crime by the matriarch and her boyfriend.  David obtains a temporary job there and, once he realises that the girls are heading down a path towards eventual prison, he tries to persuade them to change direction in life.

Aside from one well executed sequence whereby the speech presented by Rita on the benefits of the education they're providing at the orphanage is intercut with the girls putting their thieving skills into use, Falling Angels is a fairly mundane episode with confused portrayal of Hulk's intelligence (later in the episode he ventures from one place to another, quite some distance away, in order to apprehend a criminal).

Number of Fists: **

49: Long Run Home (3.15)

1980; 46 minutes
Written by Len Jenkin; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer & Jeff Freilich;
Directed by Nicholas Corea

An biker who is on the verge of disenchantment with his clan picks David up on the road.  The man has been having concerns about the group's use of firearms and is about to be tracked down by that group, after a tip-off leads the authorities to them.  An unrelated accident results in the biker breaking his arm, and so David tags along with him until he's able to ride his bike again.

Strained somewhat by the incessant jazzy score, this is nevertheless a reasonable tale about seeing things differently, being judged by others according to what you look like, and evolution of the self.  David helps the man achieve the latter as he is involved in the conflict between his former allies and the authorities who now want his help, while everyone else they come across tends to draw prejudgmental conclusions about the man essentially based on what's he's wearing.  Hulk's appearance here is pretty neat when, following a beating in a bar, he then uses the actual bar counter itself to cram the entire confused and panicked crowd to the other side of the room.  Later on he goes up against the bikers themselves of course.

Number of Fists: ***

48: Sideshow (3.14)

1980; 47 minutes
Written by Len Jenkin; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer & Jeff Freilich;
Directed by Nicholas Corea

After helping out a troubled woman at the side of the road David tags along with a travelling group of women who perform various acts at circuses, the woman he helped in particular - Nancy - being a performing clairvoyant.  Developing a bond with her David becomes embroiled in the problems of her past, which involve a confused man who blames Nancy for his son's death.

Quite a decent episode underpinned by the sad romance (because the knowledge that it can only be temporary is prevalent) between David and Nancy, who is played by the incongruously attractive Judith Chapman.  Robert Donner also does a nice job with the holy man slightly unhinged by his son's death, Benedict (he later turned up as another character in The Phenom).  Hulk gets to smash his way out of a circus horror show, which is also good fun.

Number of Fists: ****

47: Proof Positive (3.13)

1980; 47 minutes
Written by Karen Harris & Jill Sherman; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer & Jeff Freilich;
Directed by Dick Harwood

National Register reporter Jack McGee has become engulfed by his own obsession with the secret of the Hulk, which brings him into confrontation with Patricia Steinhauer, the daughter of the Register's boss, who has been put in charge of the paper while her father gallivants around the world on his latest honeymoon.  She has visions of stripping out the newspaper's less credible ideologies in order to increase circulation.  Following an ongoing battle over McGee's infatuation with discovering the truth about the Hulk and Patricia's drive towards media respectability, he is determined to prove to the new boss that the huge green monster is no fantasy.

I really like this episode, partly because it completely deviates from the established formula of the show, partly because the entire story revolves around the ensuing drama between two people of differing beliefs and is scattered with some great dialogue exchanges.  This story is most unusual because it doesn't really feature Bill Bixby, albeit there are some glimpses in flashback.  I understand that Bixby may not have been available during filming due to his own personal problems at the time, but the mystique of the apparent sole appearance of Banner (disguised, as McGee finally closes in on him) makes some narrative sense as the whole thing is told from the perspective of his nemesis, the reporter.  We learn a number of things about McGee in this one, including the fact that his partnership with a previous woman was essentially broken apart by his snowballing fixation with the Hulk, something that is symbolised by his recurring dreams of a barren landscape filled only with the green creature getting progressively closer (i.e. it's the only thing really on his mind).

Number of Fists: ****

46: Broken Image (3.12)

1979; 46 minutes
Written by Karen Harris & Jill Sherman; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer & Jeff Freilich;
Directed by Jack McPherson

Having to pay off his outstanding rent bill by cleaning an apartment block, David is mistaken for a gangster known as Mike Cassidy by Teddy, one of Mike's henchmen.  Teddy realises his error but on informing the real Mike they decide that David can be used in their plans.  David is of course in deep trouble now as he is also being mis-dentified as Mike by adversaries, as well as Mike's mistreated girlfriend.

Nicely written episode with Bixby playing dual roles.  I thought this would be another opportunity for Bixby and Ferrigno to be onscreen at the same time but was wrong on that count.  A big surprise did however materialise when McGee shows up and knocks on David's apartment door.  I expected this to be another close shave (a la a similar moment in the Married episode) but on this occasion McGee and Banner come literally face to face, with the former recognising the latter.  The initial confrontation is brilliantly subverted as David, in his attempt to put McGee off the trail, quickly takes on the persona of Cassidy, the very man he has been attempting to persuade everyone else that he is not!  I am also quite taken with the cinematographic style of this episode (adopted by a handful of others across the series) whereby minimalistic lighting produces a starkly contrasting effect.

Number of Fists: ****½

45: Captive Night (3.11)

1979; 47 minutes
Written by Sam Egan; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer & Jeff Freilich;
Directed by Frank Orsatti

A couple of crooks break into a department store at night with the intention of emptying the safe, unaware that there is a night shift operating on the premises - a security guard plus a couple of store assistants, one of whom is David Banner.  They also misjudge what's actually involved in cracking the safe and essentially keep the threesome held over night, hoping that the arrival of the manager in the morning will also get them into the safe.

Ultimately a bungled theft attempt, these pair of hopeless villains were never going to get too far.  They can't even keep David locked up for too long (natch).  An uneven episode, there are some strange ideas (very strange in one case) intermingled with nice ones.  The most bizarre sequence comes during Hulk's long stroll through the store, where he discovers some female mannequins, one of which is green and attracts his primordial attention!  This one does feature a great smash-out from an old lift shaft, and overall the pacing and intrigue makes for a moderatly entertaining story.

Number of Fists: ***

44: Babalao (3.10)

1979; 46 minutes
Written by Craig Buck; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer & Jeff Freilich;
Directed by Richard Milton

A town is under the grip of perpetual belief in the power of Voodoo, on the one side driven by the malicious pair of ex-cons who masquerade as a mythical figure called Babalao - one with supposedly great command over the spirit world - and on the other side a legitimate doctor (whom David is assisting in a medical capacity) who has to operate under the pretense of being affiliated with Voodoo control in order to attract the trust of the locals.  The 'Babaloa' and his comrade are aware that support, and with it the financial benefits, is being drawn away from him and to the doctor and thus endeavour to re-orientate people's allegiance with the assistance of Voodoo spirits and magic...

An over-scored episode, the near constant carnival music is distracting, though this is in emphasis of the Mardi Gras backdrop.  Hulk's trousers were clearly covering up too much skin in previous episodes by the looks of this one (!) but his appearances here are destructive and consequently quite enjoyable.  The second arrival is particular is a good one, set inside the lavishly decorated, dimly lit abode of the Babaloa as a crowd of people are gathered to witness the man's apparent power.  David's dramatic attempts to bring a non-superstitious viewpoint to the people appear to be ultimately successful, however, it is ironic when one considers that the fact that they then witness the Hulk smashing the place following a Voodoo ceremony would more likely have embedded their belief in demonic forces than dispel it.

Number of Fists: ***

43: The Snare (3.09)

1979; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Thomas E Szollosi & Richard Christian Matheson

Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer
Directed by Frank Orsatti

Whilst awaiting a flight David meets a rich, retired game hunter who invites the traveller back to his island when the flight is cancelled.  Dropped in by private jet, which subsuquently departs, David soon finds himself drugged during a game of chess.  When he regains consciousness in the undergrowth outside he realises that he is the latest target in the hunter's ever increasingly obsessive bid to track and snare anything which might prove to be a challenge.  Of course, on this occasion he's really going to find that challenge! 

The irony in this fine episode, of course, is that David does actually become an animal that stimulates further excitement in the hunter.  The first act sets up a degree of intrigue that leads to a replay of the classic The Most Dangerous Game, this episode being unusual because there is only really one character other than David, as well the fact that the story leads to death.

It's a consistently interesting chase/battle of wits, although I could have done without the scene with Hulk delicately handling a couple of newly hatched birds.  Having said that I did like the way David, once returned to his normal self, returns the bird nest to a tree, effectively finishing something that Hulk started.  The conclusion is a particularly emphasised version of David's traditional isolated departure from the location. 

Number of Fists: ****

42: Homecoming (3.08)

1979; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Andrew Schneider; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer;
Directed by John McPherson

David spots his sister, Dr Helen Banner, being interviewed on TV just prior to Thanksgiving.  With his heartstrings tugged he decides to head back home, probably unsure of what he's going to do when he gets there.  When they do meet he makes her promise not to reveal his presence to anyone, including the father with whom he'd shared significant conflict during younger years.  The Banner farm is also under threat from those ever-pesky corporate giants so David sticks around to help the family with some scientific work that could help them keep their treasured farm.

The first half or so is driven by soppy music as David reunites with his sister, but it does lead to a transformation that is momentarily exciting.  The other near saving grace is the drama that unfolds between David and his stubborn father, but the clumsily handled aeroplane finale is a let-down.

The weepy Hulk at the climax is also a bit hard to take although makes some sense in that the monster's emotions are linked to David and the creature is not just the embodiment of rage but rather anything really that can be associated with the primal base of a human.  Aside from filling in David's pre-accident back story to a certain degree, overall I felt somewhat unsatisfied with Homecoming.

Number of Fists: **

41: Behind The Wheel (3.07)

1979; 48 minutes

Director of Photography Edward Rio Rotunno
Written by Rick Rosenthal; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer;
Directed by Frank Orsatti

Acquiring a job as a taxi driver for the Majestic Cab Co, the struggling endeavour of a debt-ridden woman who appears to also have been the unfortunate recipient of a heart condition, David attracts the unwanted attention of the drug dealing gangsters who have loaned money to the company owner.

Aside from the aggravating comedy-slanted showings of Hulk, Behind The Wheel is an entertaining chapter in David's attempts to earn money whereby, on this occasion, he becomes embroiled in the problems of a small time business run by a charismatic woman.  The heart issue brings about a quirky little revelation and a neat little interlude includes David unexpectedly picking up McGee from the airport, having to quickly disguise himself before almost becoming identified when McGee stops off to interview some people who witnessed Hulk in action.

Number of Fists: ****

40: Jake (3.06)

1979; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Chuck Bowman; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer;
Directed by Frank Orsatti

David becomes embroiled in the life of a patently old fashioned rodeo star who's nearly had his day, which involves a debt-ridden brother who is staggering onto a path towards crime and the problematic health of the rodeo man himself.

Set against the not entirely inspiring (from my perspective) world of buckaroo and rodeo this is a run-of-the-mill story with one stand-out moment of lovely timing as McGee and David are featured in the same scene, only to narrowly miss one another.  Ferrigno is in absolute peak condition here but the rather oddly meagre growls (something that plagues the previous episode My Favorite Magician also) let Hulk's appearance down.  The cruelty visible in rodeo/buckaroo, clearly accepted at the time and still no doubt with some backward audiences today, does the episode few favours.

Number of Fists: **

39: My Favorite Magician (3.05)

1979; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Sam Egan; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer;
Directed by Reza S. Badiyi

After getting the sack from a restaurant, David hooks up with an aging magician who is not quite ready to face up to the fact that he is a) past it, and b) not quite the mythical figure he wishes to consider himself to be.  Simultaneously working on an intravenously applied serum that could cure him, David is momentarily tangled up in the complicated politics of the magician's life, which involves an old flame that is about to be married off to a money-seeking gangster, a long lost daughter that wants to put her father on the right path, and the old man's deteriorating health in light of heart and asthma problems.

Was this episode inspired by Bixby's thespian past (he starred in the short lived The Magician a few years prior to The Incredible Hulk), or perhaps by the title of the series that both Ray Walston and Bill Bixby starred in the mid sixties (My Favorite Martian), or perhaps a combination of both?  I'm not sure but the labyrinthine life of the initially very corny magician Jasper (played by Walston) makes for an entertaining net for David to become entangled in, as he innocently attempts to continue his business of finding a cure.  Also features the ever lovable Scatman Crothers (Dick Hallorann in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining).

Number of Fists: ****

38: The Slam (3.04)

1979; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written and Produced by Nicholas Corea;
Directed by Nicholas Corea

The story begins with David having been arrested for theft, vagrancy, and damage to property.  He is 'slammed' up in a prison run by a fascist despot, where the 't's are crossed but the regime is less than democratic.  He's locked up with a small group of men plotting an escape and dragged into it despite just wanting to stay out of potential trouble by carrying out his sixty-day sentence.

Tense episode and one that holds much potential for destruction locking 'Hulk' up inside an isolated desert prison, something that is partly realised though not to the extent I hoped.  The pinnacle scene - taking place in a minimally lit holding cabin - is when David is visciously beaten (for being suspected of snitching) by a group of prisoners - the Hulk's appearance sparks a moment of exhiliration as the prisoners fly backwards, and some small scale destruction occurs.

An enjoyable episode featuring the much loved and highly prolific Charles Napier, who also turned up in the later episode Triangle as well as the TV movie The Incredible Hulk Returns, both times as different characters (this was quite common for Napier, who had varied bit roles in a number of TV series at the time, often popping up later on as someone entirely different).

Number of Fists: ****

37: Brain Child (3.03)

1979; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Nicholas Corea; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer;
Directed by Reza S Badiyi

Jolleen is a child prodigy who was 'abandoned' at a research institute as an infant by her disenchanted mother, an ordinary woman of ongoing misfortune who found herself unable to cope with the girl's rapidly advancing intellect.  Tricking the institute's security system, the 16 year old escapes and befriends David on the road, where he appears to have acquired a car.  After the super-smart helps to fix his car, he agrees (unaware at that point that she is technically a 'minor') to take her to LA to help her to search for her mother.

Jolleen is a person who struggles to fit into the world simply because she is too intelligent too early for her years, a factor that exists irrespective of her lack of maturity, and something that can get her into trouble in the world outside the cocoon of the institute without the guidance of an adult, intellectually inferior or not.

Her search later brings her into a dramatic confrontation with the mother who felt as though she would not be able to handle her.  There are one or two overly soppy moments along the way aside from some reasonably good drama, although Hulk's cutting off of a bus carrying away the girl's mother at one stage requires a greater-than-usual suspension of disbelief. 

Number of Fists: ***

36: Blind Rage (3.02)

1979; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Dan Ullman; Produced by Nicholas Corea;
Directed by Jeffrey Hayden

David is helping out the family of an army officer who is blinded a few hours after handling a chemical cannister, although the affliction is put down to the neural shock of a damaging fall in the night.  The soldier who was with him is later found to have crashed his vehicle, being killed in the accident.  Obviously the two events are not the product of coincidence when both had contact with the cannister.  David investigates, uncovering experiments in chemical weapons and military cover-ups.

When I read Hulk comic-books in the seventies one of his greatest foes was the army itself and whilst the TV series actually has little to do with its literary (if I may call it that) source material, this episode provides the opportunity to witness the TV Hulk do battle with a small portion of the army.  Naturally, the conflict is better realised in the Ed Norton movie from 2008 (back when Marvel in cinema showed tons of promise, yet to morph into the unnecessary social preaching flag-carrier that it eventually became), but for someone who grew up in the seventies reading those comics (and watching this series) there is a degree of satisfaction to be derived from Hulk going up against a tank and being shot at by soldiers.

Number of Fists: ***

35: Metamorphosis (3.01)

1979; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Frank Dandridge; Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer;
Directed by Alan J Levi

Beginning with a corny Kiss-style female-fronted rock show, the escalating frenzy of the crowd results in one of the fans being trampled and, ultimately, paralysed.  Hearing about the injured girl on the car radio the star of the show, Lisa Swan, drives increasingly erratically and crashes off the side of the road.  David is resting nearby and after helping out Swan and her manager he's offered a job assisting on the show as a roadie.  He aids Swan in combating her own demons whilst finding himself on the receiving end of the jealous actions of one of the crew.

Reasonable season three opener, although its enticing title really becomes descriptive of Swan's own internal struggles as she fights an instinct to create music that she favours, against her manager's more money-oriented plans.  The same cheesy rock song is heard about three times and unfortunately sticks in your head for a while afterwards, but the episode does tackle some of the genuine issues faced by musicians (exposure to the world of drugs, and to a greater extent, the conflict between what they want to do artistically, and what their managers instruct them to do out of commercial motivation).

McGee is on the scene quickly, eventually being in the right/wrong place at the right time to witness the Hulk's second appearance and continuing to demonstrate the perplexing tendency of a reporter who never thinks to carry a camera.  Also of note, Banner's first transformation is unusual in the fact that it is actually triggered by Hulk himself (Banner is drugged with LSD, against his knowledge of course, setting off the kind of psychedelic trip he would rather have avoided).

Number of Fists: ***

34: Vendetta Road (2.22)

1979; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Justin Edgerton/Michael McGreevey; Produced by Nicholas Corea;
Directed by John McPherson

David stops at a service station to refresh, shave, etc., unaware that it is about to become the explosive target of a Bonnie & Clyde type couple whereby the father of one of them died as a result of some kind of corporate struggle between his small-fry gas station and the chain company that the son is now trying to bring down.

David is rescued from the station before it goes up in flames by the very people who set the explosive (they're not interested in actually killing anyone), and is then taken on the road with them for a while.  He tries to persuade them to do what's right but something bigger is planned that David knows can only really lead to tragedy, particularly as the woman has become pregnant.

An explosive finale to season 2, literally but perhaps not figuratively.  Initially this episode showed promise but ultimately I felt disappointed by the manner in which the Hulk scenes were handled, which came across as a tad lame.  The underlying theme echoes the slightly superior Wildfire episode, but the story is quite different.  From my perspective this was not the best way to close season 2, which was otherwise on the whole very good.

Number of Fists: **

33: The Quiet Room (2.21)

1979; 48 minutes

Director of Photography Edward Rio Rotunno
Written by Karen Harris/Jill Sherman; Produced by Nicholas Corea;
Directed by Reza S Badiyi

Operating as an attendant at a mental hospital, David notices that one of the senior doctors is pioneering unethical techniques in mind control with the claimed motivation of reducing crime, violent behaviour, etc. Stealing a VHS tape that contains evidence, David attempts to get out of the place altogether, but escape from such a place is never going to be easy if one's intention is to whistle-blow: he is promptly caught, drugged, and put in line for procedures that will effectively lobotomise him, thereby protecting the doctor’s future money-spinner.

David really lands himself in a pickle in this slightly disturbing episode. He spends most of the time drugged up and either attempting to escape or trying to convince one of the other doctors about what is really going on, inadvertently sounding like someone who is genuinely deranged in the process. I thought the story may wander into A Clockwork Orange territory for a while but, probably due to its basis in family television entertainment, the writers refrain from taking the central theme too far.

Number of Fists: ***

32: The Confession (2.20)

1979; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Deborah Davis; Produced by James G Hirsch;
Directed by Barry Crane

Using a cleaning job to get into a computer laboratory, David breaks into one of the rooms at night where he performs an experiment on himself intended to get closer to a way of controlling the monster inside.  Triggering a metamorphosis the experiment results in Hulk wrecking the place and then escaping, but not before lab assistant Harry Milburn catches sight of what's happening and follows the creature, recognising an opportunity to break free of his lonely existence.

McGee shows up with a new assistant, Pamela Morris, to investigate the latest sightings and Milburn later visits their office to confess... to being the man that turns into the Hulk.  McGee knows this is a fraud (mainly due to his exeriences in the Mystery Man story) but palms Pamela off with Milburn so he can continue with a more serious enquiry.  The somewhat rebellious Pamela gets the hoax story printed anyway, against McGee's better wishes of course.  David notices the newspaper story and poses as another reporter to get an interview with Milburn to find out more about what's going on himself, not realising that the spurned loner has called a TV station so that he can commit live suicide and finally get himself noticed once and for all.

Beginning with an explosive appearance of Hulk as he smashes his way out of the lab, a number of threads are thoughtfully entwined here as Banner is first seeking solutions in a computer lab whilst later trying to figure out why someone else would claim to be the Hulk, McGee is being irritated by having to lug around an enthusiastic new assistant with too much initiative, while Milburn is attempting to break out of the humdrum existence of a small man unable to be noticed in a busy world.

This all leads to a great sequence in a bell tower as Milburn is initially the centre of attention, as he wished, but Hulk himself is trapped up there after the clanging bell sparks his arrival, and McGee's team attempt to ensnare the monster (somewhat amusingly, causing even Milburn's death threats to be overshadowed by something bigger!).  One of the first of five episodes that Barry Crane would direct, someone who had previously worked with Bill Bixby on The Magician.

Number of Fists: ****½

31: Kindred Spirits (2.19)

1979; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Karen Harris/Jill Sherman ; Produced by James G Hirsch;
Directed by Joseph Pevney

Following the discovery of rock paintings going back fifty thousand years that depict the transformation of an early homo sapien into a green giant, David hooks up with an expedition to search for further evidence.  David feels that the painting suggests the man/beast may have discovered a controlling device in the form of a plant, hence he is eager to be involved as much as possible.

The woman leading the expedition, Dr Gabrielle White, allows his presence because she actually recognises him as the supposedly deceased David Banner.  In trust he tells her his story and together they look for and analyse findings in the caves, only to find themselves the recipients of Native American hostile attentions, some of whom feel that they are unjustly taking (relics) from their land.

An enticing mix of interpretations for the Hulk is cooked up between the characters of this story.  McGee is on the scene as soon as there is a sighting, citing the facts that he has uncovered to various people but to little avail, the professor who works alongside White believes that the creature is the 'missing link' that forever leaves holes in evolution theory, while the elder of the Native American family passes on folkloric tales of the ancient green creature in the belief that it is some form of godly spirit.  Hulk's appearance only reinforces everyone's personal opinions of course, which grants an interesting parallel to the world whereby we see whatever is around us as evidence of what we want to believe.  In the midst of all this, Banner just wants to locate a cure or control for his affliction.  Kim Cattrall made a wonderful and surprising early appearance as Gabrielle, a dreamy, unimaginably appealing presence in her prime.

Number of Fists: ****

30: No Escape (2.18)

1979; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Ben Masselink; Produced by James G Hirsch;
Directed by Jeffrey Hayden

Picked up during a nocturnal beach rest as a vagrant, David is locked into a Police van with a paranoid schizophrenic who alleges to have received shock treatment, something that has led to his problems with temper control, etc.  Mistaking David's identity and intentions he beats him up, only to have Hulk appear, smash open the van and throw aside two shocked officers.

Later on David is concerned about what Tom might do to himself or those close to him, so against a backdrop of increasing media and Police activity he chooses to investigate what might have happened to cause Tom's condition, and to warn the fragile man's wife of what he thinks could happen.

David's overly caring nature puts him almost into McGee's spotlight as the reporter arrives on the scene following the mystery vagrant's escape from confinement.  He slowly pieces together theories about what is the real cause of Tom's problem, leading to a pretty good showdown as David is trapped as a hostage on a moored boat with Tom as the Police and McGee lay siege outside.

Number of Fists: ***

29: The Disciple (2.17)

1979; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written and Produced by Nicholas Corea/James G Hirsch;
Directed by Reza S Badiyi

A family of cops (two brothers and their father) are tipped off by a sleek informer about the whereabouts of a wanted mobster by the name of Lynch.  Instead of taking things in a procedural fashion they decide to storm the place in effort to catch Lynch themselves, not realising that he has set an explosive trap for them.  In the blast the father is killed, and one of the brothers - Michael - is shot as he himself shoots the escaping Lynch.

Staggering into a Chinese philosophy/martial arts club Michael is treated by David, who has just arrived there to visit his old wise-man buddy Li Sung.  Michael embarks on a journey of re-enlightenment as his brother takes the opposite path in the pursuit of vengeance.

A follow up of sorts to the episode Another Path, whereby David actually returns to visit a character he left behind temporarily, primarily for continued assistance with his problem but ultimately to end up helping Michael during his conflict that leads to a confrontation with Lynch.  One brother wants to kill the man who was responsible for the father's death, the other seeks to essentially forgive and get the dying murderer to medical attention.  A slow episode containing two odd appearances of Hulk where his growls sound as if they were recorded inside a large steel drum.  However, some interesting themes are explored.

Number of Fists: ***

27/28: Mystery Man (2.15/16)

1979; 48+48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written and Produced by Nicholas Corea
Directed by Frank Orsatti

A hitch-hiking Banner picks the wrong car to climb into when the driver turns out to be a neurotic, crazed, misandrist who, in her emotionally charged speeding, loses control of the car and ploughs them both off the road.  The woman is thrown free but a trapped Banner can only be saved by his transformation into the Hulk, who escapes from the wreckage with his head on fire.  Passers-by obviously report the sighting whilst alerting the medical authorities who find Banner a few minutes later (naturally not realising that he was the creature).

Suffering from facial burns and memory loss he is bandaged up at the hospital, before McGee turns up to take a grip on the story.  Unaware of who is beneath the mask, McGee suspects that the 'mystery man', now dubbed John Doe, could be instrumental in his hunt for the creature, and agrees to take the amnesiac Banner/Doe to see a memory specialist in another state.  Mid flight the plane runs into a storm and crashes in the forest below, the pilot killed but Banner and McGee surviving, albeit with a badly broken leg in the case of the latter.  Banner patches him up and calculates a 45 mile trek to get them to the nearest town.  Thus begins an adventure through the vast forest as fires several miles away are closing in, wolves in the vicinity are sensing a fresh meal, and a masked Banner is struggling to piece together who he is.

A great concept begins with an unusually funny escapade as David is trapped in a car with the wrong woman, a scene that quickly turns to frisson as the vehicle crashes.  The bewildered David spends the rest of the two episodes that make up this story listening to McGee's obsessive tales of the Hulk, and because these snippets of information are essentially part of David's own history as well, gradually his memory begins to recover.  The superior first episode is a rare cliffhanger finale, leading to the second part that admittedly runs slightly too thin to keep the excitement going.  Having said that, it does finally lead to the pivotal moment in McGee's epic chase where he learns the truth that the Hulk actually transforms to and from a visibly normal human, and that's primarily how the monster has remained largely elusive.

Number of Fists: ****/***

26: Haunted (2.14)

1979; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Karen Harris/Jill Sherman; Produced by James G Hirsch
Directed by John McPherson

David takes a temporary job as a helping hand for a woman who is moving out of the city back to her old family home, a place where her twin sister accidentally drowned years before.  The estate agent along with her cousin seem eager for Renee not to stay in the place, instead encouraging her to sell it for her own wellbeing.  Then there are odd occurrences and sightings of a little girl on the premises...

Taking more of a mystery approach, the episode borders (as suggested by the title) on haunted house horror movie territory, as David stays a few days/nights to help Renee out.  He's immediately suspicious of the two other characters who pop up every now and again, particularly the cousin who seems to have a habit of appearing behind doorways, etc.  Matters are not helped by Renee's increasingly fragile nature.

I did sit there thinking, I've seen this kind of scenario quite a few times going back to forties cinema, but I was a little surprised by how the story takes its turn, as it's not quite as predictable as first thought.  Unfortunately Hulk's participation in this episode is reduced to contrivance.  Of note is that this episode is directed by series regular cinematographer John McPherson. 

Number of Fists: ***

25: Like A Brother (2.13)

1979; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Richard Christian Matheson/Thomas E Szollosi

Produced by James G Hirsch
Directed by Reza S Badiyi

Completely eschewing the temporary progress he made in A Solitary Place, David manages to wander into a predominantly black neighbourhood to obtain a job in a ghetto not particularly welcoming of white folk...  Working at a car wash he finds himself on the bitter side of a black colleague who he later befriends after helping one of the guys with a cut wrist.  It turns out the young man is looking after his diabetes-inflicted brother whilst on the verge of becoming a runner for a local drug-dealer-cum-dodgy club owner.

David certainly knows how to land himself in trouble, and this time it's with a black gang who were never going to take kindly to a white man befriending one of their 'brothers', who is effectively being groomed to be a gofer.

Ineffectual Hulk-outs are marred by contrivance and another attempt to draw out Hulk's softer side when his anger is momentarily dissipated to pick up a child/pushchair (which amusingly slips out of the mother's hands to roll right into the middle of the action, as her friends hold her back...).  Pertinent at the time, since then very tired, the story overlays conventional criminal antics with race relations commentary. 

Number of Fists: **

24: A Solitary Place (2.12)

1979; 48 minutes
Written by Jim Tisdale/Migdia Varela; Produced by Nicholas Corea
Directed by Jeffrey Hayden

Banner has been living in a makeshift hut in the Mexican woods for a month now, without incident, the solitary existence he finds to be generally something that facilitates the calm required to maintain his more 'human' form.  This is until a woman stumbles into his camp.  She's a doctor who was held responsible for the death of a child on the operating table, and she too is seeking a little solitude from the world and its, or her, problems.  She is also being hunted by the father of the girl who died, who is accompanied by his son and one Jack McGee.  Exaggerating a damaged knee she persuades Banner to let her stay for a few days, but this of course means that her trouble is about to become his trouble...

An unusual premise with David's self-imposed isolation from society taking precedence as he realises that Hell Is Other People.  And just to prove the point, as soon as a woman wanders into his safe bubble, strife begins, even leading McGee right there inadvertently.

Spoiler ahead:  The theme of revenge is turned on its head here as the hunter is about to kill the doctor when a jeep crash causes his own son to become almost fatally injured, and the doctor herself has to save him, thereby redeeming her in the eyes of the would-be killer.  David's problems are not resolved though, and he has to leave behind his month of non-incidence as he heads back out on to the road.

Number of Fists: ****

23: Wildfire (2.11)

1978; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Brian Rehak; Produced by James G Hirsch
Directed by Frank Orsatti

Wildfire, one of a dwindling number of independent oil drilling companies, is close to financial collapse and run by a stubborn veteran of the industry who feels that they are close to hitting metaphorical gold.  Meanwhile a corporation, recognising the potential in Wildfire, is trying to buy out the small company before they actually do find oil in their current land-based spot, while the price can be kept low, but one of its employees is prepared to go to any lengths to sabotage Wildfire's chances of success.  At the same time David is generally getting in the way as a new operative at Wildfire, whilst forging a relationship with the owner's daughter.

Note that there is a spoiler in the following text.  Saved from being filed under M for Mundane by a dramatic final third when the oil rig blows up, leaving a fire to rage almost out of control.  Hulk's first appearance, after David is trapped in an oil drum by the no-good employee of the opposition, is quite witty in that Hulk's attention on the bad guy is irretreivably diverted to the truck's radio, leaving the guy to scarper.  This child-like, animalistic nature is illogically subverted during the final act when Hulk shows a little too much intelligence when he rescues the owner from the burning rig before capping the escaping oil.

David once more manages to develop a relationship with a female during this story, before having to move on again (although this time with a major boost in finances provided by some fruitful shares in Wildfire, which could arouse some cynicism regarding his motives for sticking around in the first place).

Number of Fists: ***

22: Escape From Los Santos (2.10)

1978; 49 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Bruce Kalish/Philip John Taylor; Produced by James G Hirsch
Directed by Chuck Bowman

Hitchhiking near the border of Mexico,  David is offered a 'lift' into the town of Los Santos by a passing policeman.  On arrival he is promptly shuffled into a cell next to a distraught woman where both of them are about to be falsely accused of murdering the woman's husband.  During some ill treatment David changes into the Hulk and breaks out (through the wall of course - Hulk never was one to let mere bricks and mortar stop his progress).

Getting the woman to safety David later learns that her husband had accumulated evidence against the local authority, the employees of which seem to be completely corrupt.  The problem is that the two of them are now being treated as escaped convicts, and are now on the run both for their own safety and to attempt to retrieve the evidence that will clear their names.

An air of menace pervades the opening of this episode as an mildly distracted David witnesses the police chasing the woman who he will eventually hook up with as he himself ends up on the run.  There is a prominent feel of desperation about this story given the difficulty of two innocent individuals attempting to get back to their lives against the oppressive face of corrupt officials, and this results in a number of fairly exciting chases and interspersing encounters.

Number of Fists: ****

21: Stop The Presses (2.09)

1978; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Susan Woollen; Produced by Nicholas Corea
Directed by Jeffrey Hayden

At the National Register newspaper headquarters competition between reporters is rife, while McGee's weekly reports on Hulk sightings are beginning to lose respect with the chief editor.  One of the less scrupulous reporters, determined to make his way into the elite, fabricates stories to attract attention, and his most recent endeavour is a vendetta against fledgling restaurant Brunos, where he and a colleague plant trash in the kitchens, photograph it, and then print a 'horrifying' story about the lack of hygiene.  David has actually obtained a job there in the kitchens and is accidentally caught on photograph by the invading reporters.  The two lady owners of the place are determined to stop the story and retrieve the photos before their business is ruined, but David, whilst all too happy to assist the women, has his own reasons for wanting to stop those pictures being printed.

Played partly for laughs the story itself is a strong concoction of unfortunate circumstances that lead David into a situation that he truly doesn't want to be in.  This involves the National Register premises, where David and the women have to make several trips in order to initially persuade the unwilling reporter to drop his story leading to actual attempts to steal the photographs.  Of course McGee is heavily present, much more so than the average episode.  His own reputation is deteriorating over his obsession to capture the Hulk.  What is especially unexpected is that McGee is displayed here as a reasonably decent person, who actually objects to less than ethical techniques, even within the sometimes questionable profession that supports his means of living.

Aware that Hulk is in the vicinity McGee borrows a tranquiliser gun from an odd English (?) hunter where a fantastic showdown occurs in the basement of the presses themselves.  Both Hulk and McGee are shot (by McGee!) before a progressively slower chase leads to a transformation back to Banner occurring just feet away from the relentless journalist, but of course he is lapsing into unconsciousness himself as the moment of revelation nears.  Aside from some oddly handled Hulk-outs, this is an exciting episode with some pivotal moments for both the hunter and the hunted.

Number of Fists: ****

20: Killer Instinct (2.08)

1978; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Richard Landau/William M. Whitehead/Joel Don Humphreys

Produced by James G Hirsch
Directed by Ray Danton

American Football is the backdrop here: David is interested in the work being undertaken into the source and control of aggression by a Dr Stewart, who has used one of the players - John Tobey - in his hypnotherapy experiments.  The problem is that, rather than having greater control over his aggression Tobey is actually losing it, becoming increasingly volatile on the field and even in training.  Only Tobey's wife and David recognise that Tobey's ability to rationalise is deteriorating but David's attempts to invoke remedial action in Stewart are fruitless.  David realises that the doctor's treatment has elicited historical anger from the footballer's childhood, allowing it to rise and boil on the surface unrestrained.

Some interesting theories presented during discussions between Banner and Stewart, although I'm not sure that Denny Miller (who would amusingly turn up in a later episode of The Incredible Hulk as a different character) as Tobey pulls of the chaotically minded player completely convincingly.  Careful use of stock footage is evident but the absence of an actual crowd during episode filming does inherently limit the way Hulk's second appearance can be shot.

Hulk's treatment of the raging Tobey closely resembles how he deals with the angry father in A Child in Need.  Females should be quite taken with Hulk's first showing, as he sweatily emerges from a steam room with nothing more on than a very skimpy pair of shorts.  Hulk's reaction to himself is intriguing when he wanders in front of a full mirror, he looks at it for a few seconds and then smashes the whole thing - is Banner's own discontent with the creature surfacing at that point?

Number of Fists: ***

19: Alice in Discoland (2.07)

1978; 49 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Karen Harris/Jill Sherman; Produced by Nicholas Corea
Directed by Sigmund Neufeld Jnr.

After taking a job as a bartender at the 'Pandemonium' Disco, David notices that one of the regulars is a girl he looked after for a while when she was little.  She doesn't recognise him now but what he does notice is that she has a drinking problem, and some interconnected complexes arising either because of that or to cause it.  Alerting the local health authority about the fact that she needs help David inadvertently brings some trouble to the disco for serving alcohol to underage people, and soon of course he is attracting unwanted attention to himself.

Once again the series makes the brave move of addressing something which was little spoken about back in 1978, that of teenage alcoholism.  The scene that takes place at an alcoholics group is touching and Bixby himself looks visibly moved.  The disco dancing/DJ sequences, whilst obviously capitalising on the craze of the time, are unavoidably dated now and will probably have today's Tiktok-obsessed gen-zs reaching for the stop button, if their attention deficit disorders have even allowed them that far.  The groovy title refers to the story that David used to read the girl when she was young, and which she still refers to for inspiration (the 'Lewis Carroll' tale of course).

Number of Fists: **

18: Another Path (2.06)

1978; 49 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Nicholas Corea; Produced by Nicholas Corea
Directed by Joseph Pevney

Stormy night and David is on the road.  Against the driver's consent he hitches a lift in the trailer of a heavy goods vehicle, unaware that a) there is an old Chinese man, Li Sung, in there sheltering also, and b) the driver is a bit of a sadist.  The trailer is actually a huge refrigeration unit and to teach David a lesson he switches it on, not realizing of course that David's alter ego will soon teach him a lesson...  

After the inevitable carnage the two stowaways discuss life, control, and meditation before joining up and heading to San Francisco where Li Sung began a philosophical group years before to teach people better ways through ancient techniques.  While he has been gone the student who took over has turned it into a more nefarious martial arts club and is holding the whole area to ransom.

Another Path appears to be an attempt to capture some of the limelight of the martial arts craze of the time.  David sticks around Li Sung because the meditative techniques that he teaches can possibly help to control the monster that lurks within.  Aside from the fact that the new club owner recognizes a deterioration of discipline consuming the culture in which he has grown up, the idea of a racket is a little boring, leading to an episode that engages the viewer less than it should.  This is unfortunately despite the core concept of non-technological, traditional approaches to overcoming or reversing physical problems being one of great interest.  A later follow-up episode brought David back into contact with Li Sung: The Disciple.

Number of Fists: **

17: A Child In Need (2.05)

1978; 50 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Frank Dandridge; Produced by Chuck Bowman/Nicholas Corea
Directed by James D Parriot

Whilst working as a groundsman (gardener) at a school, David meets an emotional pupil who's exhibiting a large number of cuts and bruises on his arms.  David takes him to the nurse who reveals that this is only one of a number of times that she's had to patch up Mark.  He takes the boy home but despite the exhibition of an apparently normal suburban surface David suspects something is not quite right, and goes to speak to the mother (who he finds out works at a local store during the evenings).  She is none too compliant, but David notices that she has a bruise on her arm too; enough evidence for him to realise that the father is beating the boy as well as his wife.

Surprisingly dark material for a family oriented TV show in the seventies, child abuse is widely spoken about now but was something the world was largely ignorant to at the time.  In fact,  deliberate ignorance is poignantly reflected in some of the characters here when David hears Mark being beaten: he rushes round to each of the neighbours to call the police, only to find that none of them want to get involved.  Neither, indeed, does the school nurse for fear of losing her own job.

I think there are some great performances in this episode, most notably as usual from Bixby himself (whose persevering interference for once is completely understandable), Ferrigno's touching appearance as the force that puts the bully into line, and Sandy Kirkland as Mark's mother, who maintains her assertion of love for the aggressor whilst torn emotionally between the dilemmas she is faced with.  Not only was this story a brave move but the writer goes one step further - it's the easiest option for all of us to assume that child-abusers are pure monsters, but the Hulk's own beating of the father by the final act brings about the revelation that the man himself was beaten as a child, laying down the unfortunate foundations for what he was to become.  The conclusion is possibly slightly too rosy but this doesn't mar what is otherwise an excellent entry in the second series.

Number of Fists: *****

16: Rainbow's End (2:04)

1978; 49 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Karen Harris/Jill Sherman; Produced by James G Hirsch
Directed by Kenneth Gilbert

David learns from the news that a previously aggressive race horse has been tamed enough to become a contender through the unique application of native American herbs.  He travels to the race track where concoction inventor Thomas Logan is looking after the horse (the eponymous Rainbow's End), and manages to acquire a job there.  Logan is initially suspicious of David's enquiries, but after seeing a transformation first hand he agrees to help, despite reservations about administering his natural drug to a human being, a hitherto untested situation.

Refreshingly absent of criminal activity there are only business and family politics to contend with here, the primary problem stemming from a bitter old man who sold off his assets prior to them becoming potentially hugely profitable.  There is a sizable devotion to David's exploration of a controlling solution to his problem when he befriends Logan, and for a while it looks as though it may have a positive effect when, after ingesting the cocktail, David's nightmares (this time of his most recent wife, Caroline Fields from the Married season 2 opener) do not invoke the Hulk.

Taking the reins from legendary composer Joseph Harnell, Charles Cassey delivers ominous music which plays a strong role during the mystical sequence where David and Logan are at work on the liquid that provides the cursed man with some hope, and the recall of the aforementioned events of Married are surprisingly well handled.  McGee makes a brief appearance, offering another priceless reaction when he realizes the Hulk has shown up in the most unexpected of places.

Number of Fists: ***

15: Ricky (2.03)

1978; 49 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Jaron Summers; Produced by Nicholas Corea
Directed by Frank Orsatti

Set against the competitive backdrop of motor racing David is helping out at the tracks where a mentally challenged (or whatever the politically correct terminology would be nowadays) man either gets himself into trouble or is manipulated by his guardian's competitors into causing it.  The opposing team are not enamoured with the fact that they are repeatedly beaten by Ricky's team and so go to immoral lengths to swing the advantage back in their direction.

As the episode's title would suggest, this story seems to have less to do with Hulk and more to do with Ricky, an innately gentle man with a history of problems who is not receiving the care he needs, or deserves.  Almost everybody (except David and a female mechanic) speaks to him like he's an idiot and even his well-meaning guardian has little patience for him, therefore this story can be a tad upsetting.  The role is competently played by Mickey Jones, who has carved a reasonable career for himself in films since.

Hulk's appearance seems a little contrived here, as all he's given to do is rescue Ricky from a car... twice.  I'm not sure if that's supposed to be amusing but it feels borderline tedious.  The episode does make good use of racing stock footage, and Bixby comes across well in his character's sympathetic and patient manner.

Number of Fists: **

14: The Antowuk Horror (2.02)

1978; 49 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson
Written by Nicholas Corea; Produced by Nicholas Corea
Directed by Sigmund Neufeld Jnr.

The tiny backwoods town of Antowuk is on its last economic legs due to an absence of tourism and the fact that families are leaving quicker than arriving.  David has a job at one of the stores there, working for the bummed-out and obnioxious Harlen Bates, whose inconsiderate approach to management causes David to lose his temper and...  Hulk smashes up the store, throws Bates around and heads off into the surrounding woods.  Despite the wrecked property and the appearance of an inexplicable green monster, Bates sees the whole thing as an opportunity to get Antowuk back on its feet: he and a friend decide to capitalise on the publicity by creating their own 'abomination', a hairy madman that is actually Bates in disguise.  Of course the plan only works to an certain degree...

The drama early on is driven largely by the infuriating Bates, who pushes David around to a point where you really want him to just get the heck out of there.  He sticks around after the first appearance of the Hulk, probably because he is protective towards Bates' young daughter, who lost her mother some time before.  Of course not only is McGee on the scene this time but a whole team of other reporters and before long almost everyone is on a good old-school angry villagers hunt through the woods looking for the monster.  There's a nice climactic build-up to this as David is concurrently on his way through the woods to stop Bates' insane plan, while a has-been game hunter is also looking for one more glory kill to get his own name back into recognition.

Number of Fists: ***½

13: Married (2:01)

1978; 98 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Produced by Nicholas Corea/James G Hirsch
Written and Directed by Kenneth Johnson

Learning of the pioneering hypnotherapy being conducted by Dr Caroline Fields, David pays a visit to the hospital where she carries out research.  It turns out that she is giving up her work to focus on finding a cure for her own degenerative cellular condition, which is advanced enough to leave her only weeks to live.  After administering aid to the woman during a seizure David's knowledge comes in useful enough for him to stay to help with her self-focused work, with the eventual hope that she can assist him in controlling the monster with hypnotherapy treatment.  During their time together they develop an affection that leads to marriage, but Fields' condition is bringing her own demise ever closer.

This strong season 2 opener is steeped in both optimism and tragedy.  David obviously feels a powerful connection with Fields early on because this marks the first time that he reveals to anyone that Banner (who she has heard of and admires) is not dead, along with the reasons why.  It's a tingling moment that leads on to Banner and Fields helping one another with their respective illnesses - the Hulk's regenerative flesh they theorize may be used to reverse the degenerative affliction that is pushing Fields gradually closer to death via seizures akin to epileptic fits, while Fields repeatedly puts David under hypnosis with the aim of facilitating control over the creature, a control initially imagined but ultimately to become practical.  The opportunity is smartly utilized to reiterate the events of the pilot, given the fact that back in the seventies audiences were unlikely to be able to re-watch something since original broadcast (in this case about a year prior), as well as allowing a hypnotized David to articulate his experience of metamorphosis, something hitherto always shrouded in memory loss.

This episode marks a rare instance where Bixby and Ferrigno actually get to share screen time together - David's mental state takes place in a (mentally realized) desert where his imaginary means of enslaving the creature are stimulated by Fields' hypnotic suggestions.  In fact Hulk is given a lot more to do in this story than in anything prior, a particular highlight being when he virtually demolishes a house in effort to get Fields away from a group of playboys/girls.  There are lulls in activity, slowing things down a little too much as the romantic elements are brought to the fore, but the result is a climax of some poignancy.

Number of Fists: *****

12: The Waterfront Story (1.12)

1978; 49 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson
Written by Paul M Belous/Robert Wolterstorff; Produced by Chuck Bowman
Directed by Reza S Badiyi

David has been working as a bartender near the docks for two weeks when a scuffle brings the Hulk on to the scene.  About to make his departure as normal David is persuaded to stick around due to the beneficial effect he is having on the bar's manager, Josie, who recently lost her husband in some sort of unspecified accident.  Local elections are due to take place and the two forerunners are both putting pressure on Josie to endorse them, but David becomes aware that their methods are not entirely savory.

A fairly mundane conclusion to season 1, particularly after a long run of consistently good stories.  It does differ in the detail that David actually gets his stuff to leave three times in this story, plus the opening scene begins with a very brief appearance of the Hulk.  The first real arrival of Hulk, during a bar brawl, is played more for comedy (and to give the audience what they want) than for narrative necessity.  There is quite a good chase through a warehouse but otherwise this one is, I feel, the most average of what season 1 has to offer.

Number of Fists: **

11: Earthquakes Happen (1.11)

1978; 50 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson
Written by Jim Tisdale/Migda Varela; Produced by Chuck Bowman
Directed by Harvey Laidman

At a recently constructed nuclear facility the new gamma lab attracts David's attention and as an imposter he tricks his way into the building, presenting himself as an inspector (the real one has been delayed deliberately as part of the plan).  On his faux tour of the facility, the woman showing him around - Dr Diane Joseph - begins to suspect something and heads back to check his file.  David uses the opportunity to head down to the lab to attempt the gamma reversal process that he and Dr Elaina Marks were discussing before her death.  Before he can carry it through the now aware Dr Joseph manages to shut down the machinery, perplexed as to why anyone would put themselves through such dangerous exposure.  At that point there is an earthquake and Banner/Hulk is trapped down there with a small group of people.  Not only that but the nuclear reactor is now on the verge of meltdown.

One can only presume David's desperation outweighs his common sense at times, because his precarious aim right from the offset is only to most likely lead to failure.  Having said that, it does make for some exciting television as he goes about pulling off his doomed appearance as an imposter.  And the very reason that a group of people are trapped underground after the quake is because they had become aware that this inspector was not who he said he was, and were attempting to get him out, so there is an added air of tension when they are trying to make their way out of the place.

Hulk's darkly lit scenes are effective (thanks to the regular presence of cinematographer John McPherson) as he goes on a destructive spree to get himself out of the confined space, though surprisingly this time his presence is hardly witnessed at all aside from on some security monitors up in the control room.  This efficacious episode builds up well to the earthquake itself, an adroit natural alternative to the criminal activity that usually accentuates David's troubles.

Number of Fists: ****

10: Life And Death (1.10)

1978; 50 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson
Written by James D Parriot; Produced by Chuck Bowman
Directed by Jeffrey Hayden

David heads into Oregon to meet a doctor conducting ground-breaking research into DNA manipulation that might help with the affliction that he aquired during his tests with gamma raditation.  On the way he meets and assists a pregnant woman who is going to stay at the nearby 'Matrix' institute - leaving her to continue about her business he heads to the hospital.  Doctor Rhodes performs some tests with David and organises the necessary injections for later that day, but in one of the rooms David overhears a newly admitted patient panicking over her lost baby and muttering something about Matrix.

Prior to his later appointment David heads back to the building to warn the girl he met earlier but they won't allow him entry, hence, ever persistent he climbs the wall anyway and manages to locate the girl.  She explains to him that she is actually giving the baby to them so that it can be purchased, presumably by a couple who can't have their own.  There appears to be some ambivalence on her part and, as David is trying to explain the pros and cons of what she is about to do, they are spotted by the owners of the institute, and one of the participants turns out to be Rhodes himself.  David quickly departs, unaware of who has just been present, and later attends his own appointment while the girl gives his thoughts some consideration.  Rhodes, concerned and persuaded that David and the girl are actually collaborating to either blackmail or incriminate them, appears to proceed with his experiment on David, but actually injects him with a lethal overdoes of morphine-sulfate instead.

What initially looks like it is going to be the sugary tale of David helping a pregnant woman (which he does of course) actually turns out to be one of the best episodes of season one.  The plot, aside from being inevitably afflicted with the usual coincidences (without which there would be no series!), is well thought out, tense, and leads to an unusual appearance of the Hulk.  This occurs after David is injected by Rhodes - what viewers who missed the pilot may not be aware of is that the beneficial side effect of David's problem is advanced replenishment of cells, so he heals at a far greater rate than normal.  Therefore the injection does not kill him, but locked away in the theatre (to die), the Hulk emerges completely delirious.  He staggers through the hospital causing mayhem before managing to get out, leaving David in an excessively dreary state but nevertheless intent on getting back to Matrix to alert the girl of his new knowledge (which Rhodes revealed to David as he was strapped down and expected to die).  Ironically the very thing that David wants to cure is the thing that saves his life.  David also replies early to a statement that he is alone with 'sort of', suggesting that he believes the creature is something that accompanies him rather than simply being an extension of himself.  This resonates later when Rhodes is working on David's DNA via extreme magnification - it actually feels like the experiment the doctor is about to perform will 'kill' the Hulk, and there's an unexpected element of sadness evident there.

I also think Hayden's direction is less generic than the TV norm, for example with an excellent camera pan during a prolonged dialogue between Rhodes and one of his amoral associates, plus a number of Hulk point-of-view shots that add an element of interest to his trajectory through the hospital.  In addition, the second transformation is executed in a novel manner with Banner's hands pulling himself up the stairs as they become progressively greener.  This episode is topped off with a funny near-miss with McGee in the hospital as David leaves.  Overall, a stand-out moment in season one.

Number of Fists: *****

09: Never Give A Trucker An Even Break (1.09)

1978; 49 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson
Written by Kenneth Johnson; Produced by Chuck Bowman
Directed by Kenneth Gilbert

Clearly David has learned nothing about trusting strangers/people after what he's been through: a woman picks him up as he's hitchhiking and after getting to know one another she asks him to do a favour to surprise her 'boyfriend' with a note while she waits in the background to give him a birthday kiss.  It's all a pack of lies, naturally, and the note is actually a threat - David narrowly escapes a beating when she nearly mows everyone down in a HGV.  What follows is an extended back and forth chase as the girl reveals that the tanker is her vehicle and she was hijacked by the guys, who want it to transport stolen computer equipment.

Unusually Never Give A Trucker..., written by the show's developer, takes on a comedy slant as David and his new friend drive back and forth, swapping between a car and tanker depending on who has managed to get what.  It's quite entertaining but does run a little out of steam towards the end.  Continuity is established with the previous episode when David says he is travelling from Vegas.  He also mutters, after the first Hulk-out, that he should get stretchy shirts.  

McGee is mentioned but this is the first episode in which he does not actually appear.  The conclusion to this episode also differs from those before (and mostly after) it - instead of walking off out of town alone it would seem that he hooks up with the woman for a while, who wants to share 'more than the reward' with him...

Number of Fists: ***