Director of Photography John McPherson
Written by Karen Harris & Jill Sherman
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.
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). The conclusion of the story also sweetly provides some hope for the wayward reporter on a personal level.
Number of Fists: ****
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