82: A Minor Problem (5.07)

1981; 48 minutes

Director of Photography Edward Rio Rotunno 
Written by Diane Frolov

Produced by Karen Harris, Jill Sherman, Andrew Schneider
Directed by Michael Preece

After being offered an interview for a laboratory assistant position at the Dere chemical research institute, David arrives at the place only to find he can't get in - it appears to be deserted.  He looks around the local town, but there's nobody there either, with food left half eaten, etc., as if the populace simply vanished instantaneously...

The opening ten minutes or so sets up a very intriguing premise that reminds me of watching something like an episode from The Twilight Zone or the sixties Avengers TV series.  I had hoped that it was because, with this being the last episode, there were efforts at play to wrap things up to some extent, but it was never to be.  I suppose closure would more so arrive in the form of the final TV movie that Bill Bixby himself directed in 1990 (Death of the Incredible Hulk).  Still, it was a pretty good episode to go out on, with some enjoyable scenery destruction from Hulk himself as a parting gesture.

Number of Fists: ****

81: Slaves (5.06)

1981; 49 minutes

Director of Photography Edward Rio Rotunno 
Written by Jeri Taylor; Produced by Jill Sherman
Directed by John Liberti (Libertini)

Following a minor mishap on the road when a woman ploughs her car right off it, David assists but even his scientific mind can't do anything about a broken radiator out in the desert.  So the two head off on foot across the desolate highway towards the next town, estimated to be thirty miles away.

They're picked up by another driver a few hours later, who takes them into a town where he says he lives by himself.  That's not quite true of course, as they're both taken captive to work down the mines looking for gold.  Their captor is a descendant of slaves and holds a grudge against white Americans, irrespective of whether they as individuals are guilty or not.  And being an ex-convict, he wants to get rich by fair means or foul.

Decent episode again, largely taking place within the confines of the mine of one of the shacks in the desolate desert town.  John Hancock puts in a great, sometimes chilling performance as the scorned Isaac Ross, while it's also extremely pleasant to see pre-V Faye Grant as the sexy, stubborn female that yet again causes David a whole heap of trouble (if she had only picked him up instead of driving right past him).  Charles Tyner also puts in a good show as Isaac's drunken sidekick.

Number of Fists: ***

80: Triangle (5.05)

1981; 49 minutes

Director of Photography Edward Rio Rotunno 
Written by Andrew Schneider; Produced by Jill Sherman
Directed by Michael Vejar

Winding up in a small town, David is working for a lumberjack company... again?!  Out of hours he has also met and fell in love with a prospering young woman who's achieved an MBA and wondering what to do next with her life, other than spend it with the traveller who has a past still enshrouded in some degree of mystery of course.  Company owner Mr Jordan himself, however, appears to be cursed with infatuation for the woman, and because he's not entirely happy with her hooking up with a 'drifter', he arranges with his bodyguards to have David run out of the town.  Despite the aggressive warnings his rediscovered feelings of attachment take over, leading him right back into the hands of trouble. 

Aside from an excess of smooching and romanticism, Triangle is quite a good story with a number of ensuing complications arising out of the relationship between David and his new-found love (an attractive presence in the shape of Andrea Marcovicci, whose most interesting moment of fame in my opinion came with her role in the tongue-in-cheek horror movie The Stuff).  Some fun bit parts also help to raise this a smidgen above the standard of season five, namely in the ever-enjoyable Charles Napier, Mickey Jones (Ricky himself), and the besotted Jordan played by reliable badguy Peter Mark Richman.  Unusually, this particular tale culminates in a twist.

Number of Fists: ****

79: Sanctuary (5.04)

1981; 49 minutes

Director of Photography Edward Rio Rotunno 
Written by Deborah Davis; Produced by Jill Sherman
Directed by Chuck Bowman

After a young man being smuggled across the border is shot by one of his captors he escapes to a nun-owned santuary where David is working as a helping hand.  The criminals attempt to get the man back, leading the nuns to ask David to impersonate an absent priest in order to give their presence a bit more authority.

David certainly wanders off the beaten track during his adventures!  The titular domain is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, the location making for an attractive setting.  David's turn as a priest is not entirely convincing but it does give way to an interesting story development for a while (and you know that the tree they cannot uproot early on is going to find its way out of the ground one way or another in this episode...).

Hulk's angry first appearance momentarily almost reminds of the raging creature that he was supposed to be, however, overall this episode continues the mundane but watchable trend of season five.

Number of Fists: ***

78: Veteran (5.03)

1981; 48 minutes

Director of Photography Edward Rio Rotunno 
Written by Reuben Leder, Nicholas Corea

Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer, Jill Sherman, Karen Harris
Directed by Michael Vejar

A man, apparently suffering from combat shock, stumbles into the alleyway where David is putting out rubbish.  The latter foils an attempted mugging and helps the Vietnam veteran back to health.   Once Hewitt is back on his feet he locates a place where he can conveniently unfold an assassination attempt on a local politician, who he blames for 'killing' him back in 'nam.  This location happens to be a studio run by a woman who is forced to be held hostage until the shooting can take place.

Centering around a good performance from the veteran, played by German-born Paul Koslo (he also played Rivers in Long Run Home), there is some amusement to be had from Hewitt just staggering into the studio saying that he needs to use the place, but the character is clearly a complete psychological mess (something that is explained later in the story by deeper issues than him simply being a returner from the war, as if that wouldn't be enough!).

Some enjoyable small scale destruction from the Hulk in the first half, after David has been tortured in a rather disturbing fashion by authorities, keep this one moving along.  On the other hand, the good-looking, sympathetic dance studio teacher seemingly showing affection for the broken mess that is Hewitt is a bit of a stretch.

Number of Fists: ***

77: Two Godmothers (5.02)

1981; 48 minutes

Director of Photography Edward Rio Rotunno 
Written by Reuben Leder

Produced by Jill Sherman, Andrew Schneider 
Directed by Michael Vejar

While collecting laundry from a female detention facility, David - ever in the wrong place at the wrong time - is taken hostage by three escaping prisoners and forced to drive the van out into the middle of nowhere as the women aim to hold up for a night or two.  A bigger problem is that one of them is pregnant, with the birth not too far away as the shaking of the vehicle on bumpy roads stimulates movement of the new arrival.

The group are pursued by a fascist, trigger-ready warden controller while David himself is believed to be voluntarily assisting the group.  The drama is enhanced a little by the outlawed group's forced pause in a shack as the authorities close in, occurring simultaneously with the birth being underway, although on the whole this is a running of the well worn mill.

Number of Fists: **½

76: The Phenom (5.01)

1981; 49 minutes

Director of Photography Edward Rio Rotunno 
Written by Reuben Leder; Produced by Jill Sherman, Andrew Schneider 
Directed by Bernard McEveety

After befriending an up-and-coming baseball pitcher, David accompanies him to a couple of trials to support him in making it into the bigger games.  David is warned that an unscrupulous agent has his eye on the player but the distracted traveller inadvertently allows the agent's female friend to beguile the titular 'phenom'.  David of course runs into trouble with the agent's heavy associates.

A reasonable start to the ill-fated season five, featuring a moderately engaging story, a sexy femme fatale (Anne Lockhart) who unexpectedly becomes attracted to the man she's supposed to screw over (no pun intended of course), and a suitably nefarious bad guy (nicely played by Robert Donner, who was also in Sideshow the previous year).  Lockhart of course also brought additional appeal to season three's Captive Night.

Number of Fists: ***