Monday, 6 January 2014

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: ***

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