51: The Lottery (3.17)

1980; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
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, 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 (even the leftover crumbs at one point) so as to leave 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; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
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.  Naturally getting himself into trouble in the process. 

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).

On a note regarding the more efficient aspects, the sadness faced by unwanted children does shine through (particularly via one who wants David to take her away with him, i.e. adoption).

Number of Fists: **

49: Long Run Home (3.15)

1980; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Alan Cole & Chris Bunch

Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer & Jeff Freilich;
Directed by Frank Orsatti 

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.  Features Ricky himself, Mickey Jones, who also appeared as yet another character some time later in Triangle.

Number of Fists: ***

48: Sideshow (3.14)

1980; 48 minutes

Director of Photography Vincent A Martinelli
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 (the actor 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; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
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).  The conclusion of the story also sweetly provides some hope for the wayward reporter on a personal level.

Number of Fists: ****

46: Broken Image (3.12)

1979; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Karen Harris & Jill Sherman

Produced by Robert Bennett Steinhauer & Jeff Freilich
Directed by John 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 McPherson's cinematographic style of this episode (adopted by others across the series) whereby minimalistic lighting produces a starkly contrasting effect.  McPherson of course himself (once again) adopted dual roles here, directing as well as lighting.

Number of Fists: ****½

45: Captive Night (3.11)

1979; 49 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
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.  David's colleague , Helen (Anne Lockhart, who later also appeared in the season 5 episode The Phenom), is additionally of significant appeal.

Number of Fists: ***

44: Babalao (3.10)

1979; 48 minutes

Director of Photography John McPherson 
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 sometimes 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: **