Ballad For A Blue Lady

DVD, Starsky & Hutch S4 (Ballad For A Blue Lady) (2)

That time in the season had rolled around when they let loose Paul Michael Glaser on directing duties, his artistic temperament given free rein to seize the opportunity of another episode's potential to express his interests and style, and this time he got in on the writing, too, co-credited with the teleplay. It also means a slower than average story filled with meaningful shots, creative decisions and a ponderous delight in turning the show into a film noir. If you love noir then seeing Glaser's name in the directing role is probably cause for celebration, but I've never been fond of that style of story or filmmaking, with its emphasis on depressing, hard-bitten lives filled with alcohol and smoking, the only part I can appreciate is the greater contrast in lighting and dramatically framed shots. I was surprised to find that this one actually featured some good moments of action, Glaser ably demonstrating an ability to keep things slick and exciting in these scenes, it's just that the episodes he does always end up heavy with slow, arty shots when the series wasn't designed to be like that, and it stands out in a negative way when an alien style is forced upon it by the creative wishes of one of its stars.

Typical examples are the scenes with Marianne Owens singing: the camera up close and personal with her, she takes the time to swig from a glass, take a drag from a cigarette and only then does she start to sing those old songs you'd expect in a noir. Why not go the whole hog and actually film the episode in black and white, it would at least take the artistic direction to its logical conclusion. Whenever S&H are together, which isn't much (another reason I'm not so keen on Glaser directing because he tends to be in it less, and if an episode doesn't feature the titular pair it generally suffers), they're either getting angry with each other or playing heavily on each other's innate understanding of the other so they don't need to say as much verbally, but the joy of their partnership is in their banter and sparring. Yes, their deep friendship is very important, but in the same way that we've seen the series at the extreme end of comedy this season (I don't need to repeat the episode titles, you know what I'm talking about), this is at the opposite end, seriousness taken to the max, little room for fun or lightheartedness. It also usually means that Dobey and Huggy barely feature, except in short, snappy moments because Glaser likes to create a busy atmosphere at crime scenes, full of people hurrying about, Dobey barking, or, whenever S&H are driving he has to have the radio spewing out background chatter as if that's normal for the series.

They're creative choices, and I'm not saying they're bad, but they're not in the house style. I liked the scene with Huggy on the roadside ('Fitch is offering five big ones for a line on that blond brother'), where Starsky never even comes to a stop, but keeps driving along while Hug leans in his window, jogging along while he gives him an update on Hutch's situation. That kind of directorial decision works quite well, and I wonder if some of this is in reaction to feedback he got for his other episodes which were very much slower, rarely featuring any action. Or maybe Glaser wanted to flex his directing muscles more and do more action to balance out the noir-ish scenes. If you didn't know it was directed by him (and the credit comes up right after the opening montage, so you'd have to not be paying attention to miss it), you could guess it was his handiwork right from the opening scene with Charlie Baron escorting Marianne into his apartment, her standing near the door in the half light and emotionally requesting him not to turn on the light. Then you get the contrast with Joe Fitch and his heavy, Casey, storming in, with all the flurry of activity and the stark visual of Casey's shadow on the wall repeatedly beating Charlie as Marianne makes a scene. Then you cut to the police examining the room, all handheld, people flooding the area, getting in each others' way, while S&H talk details.

None of this is a bad start, it's just tiresome when so much time is spent gazing at Marianne as she sings, like some femme fatale, except she's the victim. Suddenly everything's about the nuance of performance, looks and gestures, and it just doesn't feel right for a series that is much less restrained and restricted, and doesn't tend to do subtlety well. It just slows the pace and makes it noticeably out of the norm, while the story is another that had been done many times before: Starsky, or in this case, Hutch, find themselves getting close to some woman in order to get to some bad guy, or they have to protect some woman, or… whatever, so while the style of direction is radically stylised, the content of the story is not, so there's some jarring there. The argument could be that the story is what makes the series what it is, and how you present it is where the director has the control, but if they were going to use such a different genre in one area I feel they should have made the story more surprising and pushed the envelope in that regard as well. Then I'd probably be complaining that it didn't feel like the series at all!

Some of the characters are well done, with Malachi Throne (another 'Star Trek' actor for his work on both 'TOS' and 'TNG,' right after Ray Walston in the previous episode), menacing and totally believable as Joe Fitch, this guy who would do anything to protect himself in his upcoming trial (Baron, and the unseen Benny Paycheck both getting paid in full for being witnesses against him), and even more, Harry Owens, Marianne's brother, in partnership with Fitch, but in absolute fear of him, especially for his sister's safety. His wide, bulbous eyes portray so much and he was certainly the most effective guest star, completely selling his position as a lesser partner, in over his head, but unable to escape until Hutch gives them the option through his undercover work. He really wasn't at his best in that - I know Stanton said he'd been at it for over a week, and we come in when he's already become a familiar face at the club where Marianne sings, but he didn't seem to be trying that hard, his cover is that he's a songwriter from Nashville called Ken! Then when he's finally got Marianne away from her minders in a well filmed chase through crowded streets, he takes her to his place and when she makes a wild stab in the dark that he's a cop he doesn't try to disabuse her, but lets it sink in, completely ruining his chance to get close to Fitch. I suppose there always had to be a moment when he revealed his true intentions were not towards her, but her boss, but he almost ruined the whole case in the way he did it!

David Soul is good, given some dramatic scenes to play, as we've seen so often before, and I prefer this level of acting to his ridiculous turns in parodic undercover roles of recent episodes, but it's just that there's far too much emphasis on the blue lady of the title, Marianne, and I don't really care about her, and neither did the writers apparently, because after the confrontation at the end, where Fitch and his heavy, Casey, take Marianne and Harry to have them killed, and S&H intervene, we don't hear what happened. About the only moment where you really feel the danger is when Harry, with orders to bring his sister to 'the warehouse,' instead warns her to get out, and is clearly going to face the consequences alone, a brave choice, though he was probably half deluding himself that he could convince Fitch she'd run out on them. But the questions remain: did Fitch get convicted (it was Casey who shot Harry); were the Owens' persuaded to testify against him; was Marianne ultimately thankful to Hutch, even though her brother was killed; did she leave town for a new life? All these and more are completely ignored, and after a few episodes where the tag scene has been used reasonably effectively to give some closure to the episode, they throw one in that could just as well have been placed at the end of any episode: S&H are in Hutch's greenhouse talking about life, looking through the paper, Hutch is happy that a pay hike is on the way, then Starsky informs him that it's been cancelled. Yes, it's a touch of the old S&H that was missing for most of the episode, but it doesn't end the story effectively.

I do feel that Glaser's sensibilities were wasted on a cop show, and I wonder if he ever got to direct again after the series ended, as he clearly had a love for it, considering he always managed to get one or two shots in a season. I wish he'd tried something more straight up action, away from the noir-ish influences, because in the fast stuff he did do there was a certain flair. This may be a more rounded example of his work, much less extreme compared to 'Deckwatch,' for example. Did Glaser have a thing about names? It's just that 'Deckwatch' had character names Chicky and Harry, and now this one does, too (Chicky the piano player, and Harry the brother), which seems like more than coincidence. There's also a bit of oddness in the character names compared with the actors: in this we have Sandy Baron playing Harry Owens, then we have a character called Charlie Baron. And finally, the actor with the shortest surname in the entire series, Bobby 'A' playing Steve the Bartender! Amazingly, not one of the guest cast had been used in a previous episode, which must be a first for the season. There's also almost nothing of the usual things to look out for: Hutch tells Marianne she looks like Billie Holiday, the American jazz singer, and she sings some blues songs, and that's about it. S&H get angry with Stanton, a fellow detective who's not happy with them, so there's a bit of friction, though not, technically, with authority. I wondered if the house where S&H rush into the porch was the same one used in 'Discomania.' No question where the episode lies: it's at the serious end of the spectrum.

When an episode focuses on either Starsky or Hutch it just isn't as involving. I can see why they do it, to change things up a bit, have a guest take the other major role, usually female, but it had been done so many times. We want to see S&H doing their stuff, dealing with the tough job they have, and supporting each other through rough times, but it's never the best idea when one of them has to direct, taking him away from the majority of the episode. If that was one reason that kept them on the series for four years, then fair enough, everyone needs to develop their creativity in new ways, and a handful of episodes a season was a small price to pay, but I'm in two minds about whether a series' stars should be allowed to split their focus by directing, especially when Paul Michael Glaser tended towards something that wasn't in keeping with the series. He wasn't finished this season, either, as he'd be back to direct the series finale!

**

Homecoming

DVD, Smallville S10 (Homecoming)

It's high school reunion time at Smallville High, and this leads to a jaunt for Clark into It's A Wonderful Smallville courtesy of ghost computer of future yet to come himself, Brainiac, complete with magic time-travelling ring from the Legion, which he's a part of now. Or then. There's so much good in this episode it's difficult to keep it all in mind, a joy to watch, and at heart, a genuine old-fashioned episode of the series like we hardly ever see. It has the draw of the best episodes of Season 9, namely that whenever it's about Lois and Clark it tends towards what the series should be, but it also sets things up along a path you think it's going to go and confounds expectations, but making it better than you think it's going to be: it seemed they were preparing to do the typical Smallville High meteor-infected redo, with added Brainiac to make it even tougher on a more experienced Clark, who's dealt with far bigger problems than the freak-of-the-week, as he used to do in his student days. Greg Arkin (played by the same actor, Chad Donella!), the very first meteor-infected enemy Clark had to sort out, who changed into a spidery nightmare, shows up looking sinister, there's the school counsellor bent on revenge for all the messed up students whose lives have been ruined by their meteor issues she associates with Clark (including a bio of Alicia Baker of Seasons 3 and 4), and then, when James Marsters does show his face you assume it's going to be full of the technobabble waffling that he begins with.

But not so, the early delights of unashamedly sentimental nostalgia, with little encounters jogging Clark's memories of meeting Lana in the pilot episode where he dropped his books, or meeting Chloe as she explains the Wall of Weird to him, give way to apparent present danger when Arkin is about to make his move on Lois at the reunion, leading Clark to overreact and grab the Legion ring, throwing himself into his own future (October 2017, and it's almost here - not sure how Jimmy Olsen is still taking photos for the planet, though, as he died!). It's explained to him by his future self, the attentions of Lois, who's successfully keeping his secret, and Brainiac, when he eventually catches up, that the 'darkness' that's been talked about within him is his own past. Like Captain Sisko of 'DS9,' the past is holding him back, his fear of the future stunting his existence, and the message of the episode is that things will work out in time. It's wonderful to finally meet Superman, even if he is dressed in his official 'Clark Kent Disguise' of raincoat, suit and black specs (weirdly, I thought the clip of Welling from the pilot made him look much more like Christopher Reeve than his ultimate appearance in the role he was destined for!), but it's all about reassurance. Clark sees himself rush off and save Metropolis, and even does a little saving himself, in a partial recreation of the helicopter scene from the first film, where Lois goes over the edge as her chopper is about to fall. It's not quite the same (did she need to elbow the pilot in the face?), but it must have been a tribute.

If the trip to the future evokes good feeling all round, it's nothing to what happens as the present progresses, where Arkin, against expectations, asks Lois to thank Clark for what he did for him, rather than turning out to be harbouring evil plans for vengeance. Brainiac took care of the counsellor, who gave Clark a hug instead of something sinister, and even the minor B-plot concerning reaction to Oliver's unmasking as Green Arrow turns out for the best when the experience helps Clark to realise that he needs to support his friend, showing up at his TV interview where his presence spurs Queen into speaking up for himself. I could have done without so much mush in the final scene of Clark and Lois dancing in his barn, but even I must admit that it's very much in the tradition of the early episodes this speaks to and is a genuine joy to see a story that has no villain, no violent confrontation, no need for sacrifice and destruction, no secret plans and conspiracies, just a peek into how Clark's life will eventually pan out for him, the right way, his place assured, an encouragement as much to the audience as to the character. And we even get a reference to the BBC, which I never expected on an American TV series!

There are ways the episode could have been better, truly a great one, such as having a host of familiar faces at the reunion (either ex-students or teachers), which seemed tailor-made for this season's apparent mandate of bringing past cast back. I was half expecting Pete, maybe even Lana, and it was all a big surprise with their name in the closing credits, but it was asking too much. As it is we got two returnees (Brainiac and Arkin), saw past clips of Lana, Chloe, Jonathan Kent's fight with Lionel that provoked his heart attack, and close to an appearance of Martha Kent, whom we see the back of at Jonathan's graveside (though it must have been a stand-in as they never show her face), so it was a beautiful tribute to the series' past, while also reminding us not to hold on to that past, but move forward. An inspiring message, and I only hope that the finale of the season and series has as much weight to it, because this has set the bar for the season now, and if they fail to live up to this standard of storytelling and integration of the past, present, and coming future, it will be a letdown. It is full of irony that this episode, with such a clear message about letting go of what's passed, should be in a season that, while preparing for destiny, is also very much about looking back, and unless they're saying there's not going to be any more references and returning characters from this point on, might be undermined quite significantly. But perhaps it was a message for the audience, too, that the series is ending, but we can keep going forward and living, not dismayed at the end of the past?

At the same time, you can't beat the past for good times, when nothing can change the experiences or joys of something frozen in amber. If that's true in general, it's particularly true of 'Smallville,' because it rarely got to this level of goodness after the first two seasons, so for that reason it's so much fun returning to a place that, frankly, became a bit of a bore before they were done with it around Season 4 or 5, visiting that hallway, and especially the Torch (even though no mention is made of the Torch being torched, so it's not actually the exact same room with exact same Wall of Weird since all that went up in flames), but there's no talk of the fact it's not that strange for Clark because he still resides in Smallville, unlike many, I'm sure. The mini Chloes that appear to claim the mantle of oddness could have been called The Irritation Twins, but even there we had a nice moment with them at the end when we see a message from 'CS' congratulating them on carrying on her work. It's the old saying, 'if you're going to steal, steal from the best,' in action, with 'It's A Wonderful Life' played loud. If it's true that Clark is finally moving on from the guilt of his Father's death, it will be sad, because that probably means no more guest appearances for Mr. Kent, but at the same time it was a moving moment in an episode of such scenes and it seems as if the series is stepping up to the podium ready to accept what it has to do. I'm sure there'll be plenty of mindless stupidity still to come, idiotic plotting and false character moments, but if they throw in one of this quality every few, it will be a season well worth watching!

***

Jurassic Park

Amiga, Jurassic Park (1993) game

Games in olden times were tough. They were made tough to increase the lifespan because developer teams were a lot smaller, as were budgets. So the makers wanted players to be beaten back more than they wanted them to succeed or they'd see the limitations of the game, and if they completed them quickly and easily they wouldn't have got their money's worth. Over the years, as teams and budgets increased, along with expectations, they realised that the carrot approach worked better than the stick, and so games became a mainstream pastime, the encouragement of the games improving vastly on the old formula of challenge-reward ratio. Consequently, like a number of similar games I played on the Amiga back then, I was never able to complete it, and with a newfound attraction to the old computer after getting a scandoubler and unlocking the Amiga's potential once again, I was looking for another 'Elf' or 'Alien Breed II' - both games I never had the skill or patience to complete as a youngster, but have subsequently beaten in recent years. 'Jurassic Park' was a prime candidate as it wasn't one of those you had to finish in one sitting (such as 'RoboCod'), but had a password save system. And it was a game I'd enjoyed, but had simply been beaten into submission by, as well as having completed the Game Boy version and considering that to be one of the better games on the handheld console.

The appealing thing about this game, and many of that era, are the pixel graphics, and while I wouldn't say this was a standout in that regard, they are varied in their depictions of different kinds of rock and foliage that was the restriction of the story's setting. The sounds were good, as you'd expect from the Amiga, while the music (which some levels didn't even bother with), was fine, especially the atmospheric theme in the last levels as you hurry through the darkened corridors of a 3D bunker, and the use of context-sensitive music to announce the proximity of deadly Velociraptors both added to the tension, but also provided sufficient warning to prepare you for the encounter, so if anything, it might have been better to avoid music in those levels, if anywhere. Not that the themes were memorable, they were basic fare, and what was really missing was the film's famous score, strangely absent for a film-licenced game. But for a licence it was pretty good - so often you used to get a poor game disguised in pretty visuals, banged out quick to hit the lucrative window of the film's release, as has become the staple pretty much ever since. The difference with this game is that, while it was praised at the time for its graphics (you only have to read the box to see that), it was also a large, challenging game.

At heart it's a simple shoot-'em-up from a top-down perspective, something that allows it more scope than the more common 2D platform shooters, with more directions to move in. There's an impression of freedom that you can go anywhere (within the paddock fences), so that's a big plus, and there's an element of collecting, too, with first aid kits (oddly featuring a black 'X' rather than a '+' though rectified in the 3D sections), ammo, and the occasional piece of equipment to find, such as keycards or dynamite, berries or embryos. You're constantly beset by nasty little Compsognathus' (or 'compys'), that nibble away at your health (neatly represented by a spinning DNA strand), and causing general annoyance, though the worst creatures for that were the irritating dragonflies that would buzz around your head nipping at you. The simple task of getting from A to B was broken up by levels with differing objectives, such as the need to collect as many berries as possible to distract the adult Triceratops for long enough you could dash past without being crushed under trunk-like foot. The section I got stuck on in my original play-through twenty years ago was the Stegosaurus paddock where you had to traverse rocky hill areas using moveable blocks to get up or down the maze-like structure, all the while being dogged by the Pteranodons or dragonflies, and the rocks bouncing down on your head, caused by the Stegosaurus' tails beating upon the cliff faces.

Back then I didn't have the patience to explore the area enough to work out the solution was as simple as dropping two rocks onto each other to provide a tall enough platform to jump down onto without dying, and when I had so many games to play back then, and less of a mentality to finish everything, I never did get up the impetus to keep going, feeling lost when I tried to push the rock over to the broken rock bridge, every time confounded by it falling into the abyss because that wasn't the solution. It didn't help that it was extremely tedious to get to that part of the level because first you had to go through the Triceratops paddock in which the berries had to be collected, then one Triceratops bypassed, then a second Triceratops dodged while it repeatedly rammed you, slowly disintegrating the wall you needed it to destroy so you could get past! It was all too easy to be crushed underfoot at this point (until I discovered a glitch where you could hide in the corner and it wouldn't be able to touch you), so to go through all that before you even had a shot at working out the rock block puzzle was just too much. Especially as you only get three lives before having to go right back to the start of the last password point.

I felt elation at finally defeating the level, but was quickly stuck again when I came upon the Tyrannosaurus Rex paddock - the fleeing Gallimimus were a delight to see, but when repeatedly eaten by the T-Rex I was back to despairing of finishing the game. Again, the solution was simple, though requiring a greater degree of skill to accomplish, and this is where I should add a note of excuse: I was using a CD32 controller, ideal for these kinds of games and far superior to the blister-inducing joysticks I used originally, but earlier in the year something under the control pad broke, meaning every so often the wheel holding the directions twists round, completely ruining the control. I had to quickly twist it back to the correct orientation before it would work again, resorting to rubber bands to hold it more firmly in place. All this is relevant for the simple fact that defeating the T-Rex was a case of getting every one of the sticks of dynamite you had at your disposal for maximum impact: running left-to-right you had to chuck it behind you as the T-Rex approached, but throw it too soon and you'd have less time to get to the end, too late and he'd catch and gruesomely gobble you up, and the sting in the tail was you had to have pushed an oil drum off a cliff at the start of the level, enabling you to use it as a bridge across a small pit, then throw your last stick in there to fire the pit, separating you from your ugly predatory nemesis. It was all too easy to misjudge the timing, throw the dynamite in a diagonal direction by mistake, so the blast would miss, and anyway, it wasn't true to the film, because you learned there to stand stock still so it wouldn't see you, the way the encounter played out in the Game Boy version.

Fortunately for me, the approach to that part of the level wasn't as tedious and convoluted as the Triceratops' so I eventually achieved victory, but the last outdoor levels were a big maze of paddocks which you ended up going round in a circle through, especially the last little bit (though I enjoyed the rafting down the river section), because the map was mislabelled, so the exit gate seemingly wasn't on the map, but it was actually designated the same letter as another part of the key, forcing me to go back round before I eventually got it. Often the challenge with these kinds of games would be unfair, getting stuck was expected, but it was only these three occasions (if you count the Stegosaurus paddock which didn't hold me back for long), although one thing I did find unfair was that the code for a level would be up on screen for so short a time you had to rush to get it down (a jumble of letters and numbers, not memorable), so that I eventually resorted to taking a photo of the screen! It was also true that the weapons in the game were basic and not fun to use. The standard taser was my weapon of choice because you only really had to worry about a dino when it came near you, and a blast of this was sufficient, plus you weren't going to miss at close range, whereas the only other weapon was a gun you could pick up ammo for, but to turn and face an enemy behind you, you had to move in their direction, meaning you'd often nick some of your health in the process and could even miss because you didn't have a steady stream of bullets like the electric charge of the taser. I think there were two different types of ammo, but I avoided those pickups to stick to the taser. It was probably truer to the film, Dr. Grant wasn't a gun-toting Schwarzenegger, but it would have improved the game to have a variety of arsenal to play around with. That's an example of where a licence can curb the fun.

In the final levels, creeping round the bunker, it became a first person shooter, and an entirely different game. Usually games don't have great last levels as all the effort's gone into the opening, but this was a worthwhile reward for getting so far. From the box you could see that such a level was there to find, and early on you get a taste of the gameplay when you traverse an empty bunker, so I, and I'm sure everyone else that played the game, were encouraged to look forward to taking on raptors in a 3D environment which was impressive for the time. It took some getting used to at first, after the precise graphics of the majority of the game gave way to blocky, low-res, inferior imagery. But it dripped with atmosphere and once the eyes adjusted, it was pretty good. I often found myself focusing on the small top-down map, rather than the main game window, anyway, to get around quicker. And, like the paddocks, it wasn't a small area, with even some outdoor sections I didn't expect, though with extreme pop-up and poor textures. But there were also some nice graphical attempts at flourishes, such as the dinosaur mosaics on the wall in the visitor's centre, or the blocky figures you meet of the characters, like Hammond, just about recognisable, so it was clear that work had gone into providing a memorable conclusion, even if it was like playing two separate games.

It's worth noting the impressive graphics of the main dinosaurs: the adult Pteranodons that would scream as they flew over the screen, hurling boulders at you as they went, were quite intimidating. The Triceratops' dark, mean faces and thundering charge; the T-Rex and its rumbling chase; even the passive Brachiosaur in the river, the herd of charging Gallimimus and the tail-smashing Stegosauruses, all gave the game a scale that dwarfed your little Grant and the tiny children he's out to rescue. For that, I was glad to be able to return to it after so many years, another uncompleted game firmly under my belt, but it didn't stop it from being, in the majority, a test of patience and resilience rather than a fun challenge, one of those that's a relief to complete rather than one I'd want to revisit again. For the time it has some impressive attempts at going beyond the most basic, with 3D levels, large dino sprites, and a sprawling layout, but I don't feel they did enough with the levels they created: what if they'd added collectables into the mix to encourage exploration, rather than it being a chore to find the exit. I would also say that it ends abruptly, as many games did, with some animated video that recalls the film's finale, and a 'The End,' where I'd have liked the film's rousing theme to come in, cycle the credits, give me time to come to terms with my accomplishment. Taken as a whole, I couldn't recommend it now, and judging from the fact I gave up on it originally, I wouldn't have recommended it then (even though I have a happy memory of having a mate round to play this game after school, while drinking Coke!), but at least it's done and I can retire from the Park. Except it does make me want to see the films again…

**

The Golden Angel

DVD, Starsky & Hutch S4 (The Golden Angel) (2)

The kind of melodramatic, cartoony acting that both Starsky and Hutch have exhibited in some recent episodes finally gets its rightful outlet: in the wrestling ring. Just think how much better 'Dandruff' and 'The Groupie' would have been if they'd played out in the ring, where the exaggerated mannerisms and off the wall characters would have been in their element! It's not like the series had never shown an enthusiasm towards the most American of sports, with both Seasons 1 and 3 featuring episodes about the fine sport of wrestling, or ring-related entertainment. S&H had to fight a wrestler in 'Texas Longhorn,' featuring an actor by the name of Butcher Brannigan, took on Hammerlock Grange himself (well, the actor who played him), in 'Lady Blue,' Hutch had a bout with The Omaha Tiger from the episode of the same name (and it's good to see his athleticism and history with such things coming back to the fore, such as when he says the 4th Street Gym reminds him of where he used to work out), and memorably, 'The Heavyweight' from Season 3, although technically that was a boxing episode, but along the same lines. I like that they went back to wrestling again, and this time it's the whole package, not just the business end, an actual full-on match in a stadium of screaming people - an excellent way to shoot the fight, too, because you can tell it's not really a huge stadium, as when they focus on one of the stands they just show the same one with people throwing rotten veg, cheering or booing, but in the dark, smoky haze of the auditorium, lights glaring down on the combatants, the atmosphere is sold and it seems bigger and full of people.

The direction all round deserves praise. Pulling off a televised wrestling match on a weekly budget for the Seventies was one thing, but good use is made of handheld camerawork in the gym scenes (and the match), and I especially loved the evocation of the heavy atmosphere of Buzzy Boone's dippy New Age ex-wife, Camille: the camera lazily tracing the intricate woodwork in her front room, framing the drowsy Hutch, who mumbles out his questions to her, while she sits or moves, repeating every last word like some kind of mantra, Hutch so hypnotised that he almost finds himself repeating the final word of his sentence! You can't smell incense or feel draining warmth, but the way it's directed, and the way Hutch is so lethargic in her presence provides all the scene setting you need for this strange, estranged lady. It was a stretch for her to be this gun-wielding, anti-wrestling hater, and she was never allowed any development: one moment she's mellow muesli (or 'space chicken' as Hutch mutteringly dubs her), then she's at the fight on Saturday night trying to blast her ex-husband. And we know what it means, it's not necessary to spell it out: she must have been jealous of Buzzy's affection for Candy and it bubbled up into a rage against his profession, but when we've seen characters with a little more nuance and depth in recent episodes, such as 'Starsky's Brother' or 'Black and Blue,' it would be nice to have that more often, especially when it comes to villains.

The way I used to order episodes was whether they were in the camp of portraying the city in a negative aspect, with its griminess and the moral ugliness of its people to the fore, as opposed to the positive of opulent surroundings and kind people, but this season it would make more sense to make the dividing line whether its a serious story or a wacky comedy fun time. Even then I'd have a hard time defining this episode because it begins as a bit of a mystery: who shot Buzzy Boone? There are the tricks and traps, threats and attempts on his life, but then there's the public persona he presents for TV and in his match, which is as over the top as possible, running around in a sparkly golden suit, from head to toe, a gold mask, and large, white angel wings! Starsky doubling him was a masterstroke because he always plays the extroverted characters, while Hutch takes on the more introverted roles, and here that continues with Starsky as the 'real' Golden Angel, and Hutch as Louie 'The Nose' DiCarlo (I had to get that from the subtitles because you can't hear his full introduction over the roar from the audience), the NWA Official Referee, complete with fake bald pate and extended stomach! In this part of the episode it's definitely in the farce category, but most of the episode is a serious business, not just the business of wrestling, but because Buzzy's life is threatened by an unknown enemy.

More could have been made of the mystery (is it a disgruntled fan, someone from his past, or even a jealous fellow wrestler?), but like Camille Boone it doesn't receive much development, though it does lead to some dramatic moments, such as the bloodied skull on a spring bouncing out of Buzzy's locker screaming "Die Saturday night!" in a most unnerving way. I have to wonder if Camille had the technical skill not only to put something like that together (or the dummy with a door-triggered blasting cap that is the first locker surprise - I only remembered the skull so I was expecting that, not some mannikin in Golden Angel outfit!), but also to be able to creep into the gym, break into his locker (she could have had a spare key from the time they were married, if we're generous), and get out again without being seen. Mind you, she was a master, or mistress, of disguise, getting in to shoot Buzzy with a silencer at the beginning, which was as unexpected as it was shocking, and showing up in dark wig and glasses at the fight, so perhaps all her pent up energy was spent on creating gadgetry and obsessive schemes - she also clearly knew how to handle a gun, although that point could be disputed since she only grazed his arm with the first attack, then in the sequence where she lures him to the phone at the window she fails to hit him at all (it's all very much in a 'Mission: Impossible' style, what with disguises, and the ringing phone on the wall as a decoy, and S&H putting a trace on the incoming call), and at the match she's firing wildly all over the place, but her fury may have ruined her aim.

The story really isn't about the mad ex-wife, it's a snapshot of history that gives us an idea of how wrestling was perceived in this period - rather than the multi-million dollar extravaganzas and pay grades to match, with ridiculous levels of pizazz and pyrotechnics that became the norm, this is quite a primitive, old-fashioned affair, as simple as two large brutes mouthing off in costumes and going for each other. At heart, that's what wrestling's all about, that's its charm, so you could say this was its purest form, although they do touch on the showmanship aspect when Tommy Reese is excited that wrestling is being talked about again, since it's become unpopular - even Starsky hasn't been keeping up with it. He doesn't care what they say about it as long as they say something, and cites the sport's four thousand year history that all those other conventional sports don't have, but there's a definite sense of it being on the decline. Candy even concedes she'd like to breathe some life into it or let it fade away with dignity. Starsky mentions the circus is dying, vaudeville is dead, nightclubs are turning into discos, and it's true, but like a lot of entertainment, it goes in cycles - wrestling has gone through surges and drops in popularity in the decades since, and appears to be back in the popular zone again (even I watch some 'Impact Wrestling' on a regular basis). Circuses changed, becoming more focused on the athletic displays of skill than animals and weirdness, nightclubs stopped being discos as that fad died out, and I do find it fascinating to see this moment in history where this particular brand of entertainment seemed on the way out - it shows you never know what the next phase will be or what will attract the crowds.

If the character has less nuance than some episodes (Huggy and Dobey an example: here they're around, but it could have worked just as well if they never appeared, even if it's funny seeing Hug in Starsky's corner), and if the story is shallow (the mystery is supposed to drive the plot, but it's debatable whether it works, since there's only one suspect, it's not like Tommy is ever considered likely to be shooting his own wrestlers to drum up interest), it does at least make up for its inconsistencies by giving us a rollicking view into the world of wrestling, both in front of, and behind the camera. There's the pre-show publicity where Golden Angel and his nemesis, bad Hammerlock Grange, dissolve into a shouting match, then have to be restrained by police, while Tommy Reese gleefully tries to keep control and give out the fight details. But it's the actual match that is most fun, with all the glitz, glamour and scale they could muster. Hutch is good fun as the biased ref who demonstrates all the foul moves they can't make by doing them to Hammerlock, then gets involved in the match by tripping him up. It's the same idea as in those wrestling moments of other episodes, this time Starsky the one to be thrown in at the deep end, unprepared. There's none of the calling foul about the fakeness of wrestling this time, that had been done, they just revel in the rumpety-bumpety bash-about and it becomes high drama when Starsky removes his mask after Buzzy's shown up as a second Golden Angel, and Candy runs on to show that Starsky's the 'real' one, enraging Camille into her firing spree.

The idea of a woman pulling out a gun and going crazy in the midst of a show could have been a chilling horror if this was another series, but by this point everything's become farcical so it gets lost in the general panic and confusion and she's taken down without much trouble. About the most violent thing that happens is Hutch getting tangled in the ropes while Dobey tries to pull him up, half-strangling the poor guy! Again, the threat wasn't really driving the story, it was almost second fiddle to the chance to stage a wrestling episode, and I'm glad they did do one - it fits the mould of the series, and S&H, though not quite as athletic as they once were, are ideal for that world. You can see how much has changed, too, with Buzzy scoffing burgers at The Pits rather than being on the kind of strict diet and regime I imagine most wrestlers are nowadays to keep their edge in an over-populated arena. Often when you see actors eat they'll take tiny bites or barely touch their food because they have to do multiple takes, but Buzzy tucks in good and proper in true character. You still get the mountains of blubber like Hammerlock Grange, if perhaps not as hairy (the 'jelly-bellied missing link,' as Buzzy calls him), but I get the idea that conditioning was much more relaxed in those days! Still, Hammerlock manages to make a fool of the unsuspecting Starsky when he wants to see what happened in the initial murder attempt and is shown, forcefully and firsthand!

The episode may have been running short, since there are occasional scenes that go slower than you'd expect, the most notable being S&H in Dobey's office when they're discussing the fact they have no clue who's making the threats. I say discussing, but there's not much dialogue, the camera plods round the office over to Starsky at the door in an unnaturally long time, only for him to say something completely obvious. It just looked like they were padding it out, which is strange since most of the episode is well paced, even busy and punchy when we get to the fight end. A running gag helps to add a little something: this time it's the prospect of Starsky becoming a millionaire as his rich Uncle has just died, so he's unwisely vocal about his prospects of inheriting ten million dollars (or fifteen million by the time he's told Huggy!), looking at Ferrari and Cartier catalogues and held back from giving Dobey a piece of his mind by the sensible advice of Hutch, after the Captain's been his usual rude self, barking out orders and treating them like cops. Interesting that he'd be into Ferraris, but maybe he just goes for red cars? Starsky looks a bit of a fool several times in the episode, but none more so than at the end when his measly $224.98 inheritance (he's last in a very long line), isn't even enough to cover the party he's holding for the wrestlers at the gym, with a particularly grumpy (and large), caterer glaring over his shoulder. I do find it a bit odd that they came up with another family related plot when we'd only just met his brother - maybe that was what inspired it? But we all knew Hutch's reminder of his partner's place on the four-lane highway of life was a true one, and so it proved.

We're surprisingly short on eccentrics for the episode, because though the wrestlers go crazy, when they're out of character, they're pretty normal guys (even if Hammerlock has a fantastic voice!), so you could only put Camille in that category, and even then she was more of an insane fury than a cosy crazy. Stella, who owned a thrift shop might have qualified, but she's not really that odd and never comes back into it again. Tommy, in his persona as announcer, especially when he's live on TV for KBEX Spotlite on Sports, goes for the role wholeheartedly, but is a straight-laced businessman in real life. Nor was there much to note in character traits or familiar situations, outside of the wrestling: Hutch has some trouble shutting the door of Starsky's Torino when they visit the gym, but it's not a big deal; Starsky calls Tommy 'wrestling's answer to Howard Cosell' (though the reference went right over my head as I've never heard of him!); and Huggy calls Starsky the West Side J. Paul Getty, who was a wealthy US industrialist. That's your lot, and we only get one returning face: Richard Karron as Hammerlock Grange, who'd played Slow in Season 1's 'Lady Blue.' It was a big deal for me to have Ray Walston as the Special Guest Star as he's more famous to me as Groundskeeper Boothby in both 'TNG' and 'Voyager,' and has a special place in 'Star Trek' history.

***

Supergirl

DVD, Smallville S10 (Supergirl)

Small-time anti-immigration radio host Gordon Godfrey becomes the host of the mysterious black cloud that came through a tear in the Universe at the beginning of the season and, continuing the trend of the first two episodes, we have our third returning character in as many episodes with Clark's cousin Kara, aka Supergirl (title gives it away!), who has returned to Earth sent by Jor-El to mop up this dark mess as he has no faith in his son. So she's there, and her plan is to reveal herself to the world, thereby attracting the evil to her so she can battle it, only it doesn't work out that way. Taken at face value, especially with a jaunt to a creepy club that wouldn't have looked out of place in 'The Matrix' trilogy, full of chains and shiny black leather, you'd think this was a very basic episode, but it does in fact go a little deeper and have things to say, and pertinent things, too, for Clark: should he give up keeping his abilities a secret and become a beacon of hope that is fully public, as Kara has done? And is his self doubt what is holding him back from being who he should be?

Godfrey is inspired under possession of the blackness to wage a media war against vigilantes and their special powers, and doubts begin to creep in to the general population. Not that there weren't already doubts, it's always been a battle to keep saving people in spite of their blind ignorance and stupidity that can make them laud one day and condemn the next, but the issue isn't simply about super-powered people: Lois is back from Africa (so we never did get a single scene of Perry White!), and on full reportage mode, going after Godfrey to discredit him so his actions won't harm The Blur, or Clark, as she knows he is. I was surprised that Godfrey, even under the control of some weird alien creature wouldn't have recognised Lois was his chauffeur, or when she dresses up in leather as a patron of the dodgy club, why he didn't instantly realise who she was, especially as she'd made herself and her agenda known to him in close proximity! Her plan backfires and she ends up literally tied in knots as bait to draw in a superhero for the darkness to take over, and with Clark still feeling the doubts over his ability to carry off the destiny he's always trained and sweated for, it would have succeeded in preying on him since it was able to use doubt as an entry, if not for Kara stepping into the breach.

I liked that idea in the story, as doubt is something everyone feels, no one is really, truly 'pure of heart' as Kara is, with no wrong, no ulterior motive and completely selfless, but there were touching moments when she and Lois discuss such things, and even more when Kara tries to teach Clark to fly on top of the windmill in Smallville - it's like the scene in 'Star Trek: Insurrection' where Anij teaches Picard to slow down time and live in the moment, this time a butterfly the emblem for Clark to concentrate on instead of trying to block out all the noise super-hearing curses him with. It's a beautiful moment, but it is just a moment that he's soaring up into the air, because like the apostle Peter walking on the water, he suddenly looks down and loses faith, plummeting through the roof of the barn and proving he's not yet ready to face the evil. The person really affected by this week's theme of identity (and if they hadn't already used that title it would have been perfect for this one), is Oliver Queen, who, like Lana Lang, talks to his dead parents, recognising a resolve in himself that he can no longer accept others risking themselves for him. It culminates in his announcement to a group of reporters that he is, in fact, Green Arrow, much to Lois' surprise, since she went to all the trouble of setting Godfrey up to prevent the final chapter of his book (where he unmasks Arrow), from being published. But Oliver feels that it's the only way, although I have to suggest that the whole purpose of having a secret identity is to protect those around you!

Still, it is a touching decision to reach, mainly from his experience with Chloe - Lois thinks Chloe will be back, and I, like Oliver, hope so too, as it wouldn't be fair to finish out the series without her. There are things that prevent the episode from quite reaching its potential, with some convenient shortcuts for Clark and Kara to come to Lois' aid: they don't know that Godfrey is the host of the darkness, but they see him talking on TV and can hear that his voice sounds evil, or something! Then they look on news feeds and find a shot of him going to a club and it just so happens that Clark sees a shot of Lois as the chauffeur! Totally ridiculous, and they could have come up with an organic way for them to discover her situation and Godfrey's. Not that taking easy shortcuts is a new thing on the series, it's all about that, one reason it's rarely satisfactory. But even saying that I'd give this the accolade of being the best of the three episodes so far, even though by a small margin, for its good character scenes.

That doesn't mean I didn't notice the poor quality of the CGI, which definitely has the air of being done on the cheap this season, whether it was Kara holding up the sign (which almost turned into a fabulous save by Clark), to the cloud of ravens smashing through Godfrey's window, to Clark and Kara on top of the windmill - it all looked fake, and I don't think it's just the time it was made. It's probably also why the main cast has been stripped down to four (Tom Welling, Erica Durance, Cassidy Freeman, who doesn't appear this episode, and Justin Hartley), which I at first thought was so they could have recurring characters more often, but now I suspect is also a budgetary move to make a tenth season viable. You can tell that things, which they're trying to do big, are looking ever smaller, like the rally for Godfrey's book with its small audience, Clark and Lois talking off to the side so as to disguise the scale of it, and a number of scenes like that where things were very focused in. Ironic, then, that it's the small, personal moments that make this close to being a good episode: Clark and Kara on the windmill, Oliver talking to his parents, and Lois and Kara discussing whether a super-person needs anyone else. If they concentrated on these moments instead of being tied up with bombast and the expectations of fights and large scale action, the series would be much improved.

**

Star Trek: Discovery - Cornucopia of Detail

Star Trek: Discovery - Cornucopia of Detail

It's no longer possible to write posts on individual bits and pieces, those tiny tidbits released in a slow dribble over months at a time, because of the sheer deluge of pictures, information and reveals. As much as I like hearing new things about 'DSC' I'm wondering if it's too much now, as so much plot and character detail, not to mention visuals, have been freely loosed as the day approaches when 'Star Trek' finally returns to TV, more than twelve years since it last graced the airwaves. At this stage I don't even know how I'm going to watch it, which is a slight hitch - it's difficult to review episodes without actually seeing them (although some people…). I don't have continuous internet access, so Netflix isn't really for me, and after discovering that it excludes Mac OS users from downloading its content (even though Windows and iOS users are fully catered for!), it was even more disappointing. I'm hoping there will be a DVD release since the makers know Trek followers love to collect things, but as to when that's likely, well, let's just say it could be quite a wait (mind you, if you've already waited over a decade, what's another year or so?). Despite this unfortunate oversight, it hasn't dampened my anticipation for new Trek. Other things have, slightly, but not that!

Where to start? I've already written about the uniforms and the apparent leaning away from established onscreen canon, but it's worth revisiting the issue again now that so much more information has gone public. I have to say, regarding the exterior ship design of both the USS Shenzhou and USS Discovery, I'm liking them. I'd already found the initial design of Discovery had grown on me, in spite of (or perhaps in part because of), all the negative comments about the mock-up trailer last year, and while it hasn't really changed much, I still think it's not bad - I always like a good long nacelle. I'm really hoping the Shenzhou doesn't bite it early on because I actually like that design more, an attractive continuation of the NX-Class of 'Enterprise.' The pair of ships together seem to bridge the gap between time periods of the chronological series' 'Enterprise' and 'TOS,' which is reassuring to a point, but I'm still not thrilled about the internal design looking so foreign and advanced compared to the NCC-1701. I still fervently hope that they don't go down the route of redesigning all the 'TOS' design ethics to suit modern viewer expectation, especially since all the other series' have been very careful to pay tribute and shore up the reality of this era's style of technology. I also hope the series lives up to its initial promise of ships and crews, not just concentrating on one, as that has the capability to be something different than just another crew on another ship, boldly going it alone.

Equally, I hope it doesn't turn into some big galactic issue, because as we saw with the Delphic Expanse and the Xindi, you can do that, but ultimately you have to undo it all, and the bigger you go, the more you have to undo to fit into established history. Suggestions like Burnham's actions affecting the entire Universe (or the latest marketing slogan: 'At the edge of the Universe, discovery begins'), for example, are a bit cringe-making, since how can anything that happens in our small Galaxy affect the rest of a continually expanding Universe? I get they're just colloquial terms to get across the magnitude, and it's not something to be overly concerned about, but attention to detail is important. Very important. In some areas that detail sounds like it is bearing out what they've been promising: the idea that we'll be getting Klingon-only scenes where the aliens converse in their own language with subtitles for us puny humans, is magnificent, and something I always wished for more of in past incarnations. The design, or I should say, redesign of the Klingons themselves is still a bit of a sore point, but hope has returned now we know for sure that T'Kuvma and Kol don't have the ugly domed heads of the Klingons we first saw. This suggests that there will be more than one type of Klingon, and I really hope some of them don't have this shaving craze, and sprout a little of the iconic hair. It also remains to be seen whether flatheads will be part of this Empire. They've announced that there'll be twenty-four Houses (I always think it's unwise to give such exacting numbers, as canon needs to have a little wiggle room in future), so it's possible there will be some Houses of those that were genetically altered, which I would love, but it's equally possible that at this time the flatheads are in disgrace and have yet to gain a firm foothold on Klingon society. Even if they were outcasts that would be enough for me!

Kol is apparently of the House of Kor (fantastic - but how are they going to deal with Kor himself, who was initially a flathead, but later reverted to traditional bumpy, assuming they show him?), there must be a House of Duras, and of course, a House of Mogh. But will there be a House of Martok? It's surprising how little of these Klingon Houses have been revealed in Trek history, so it is a ripe area to explore, but I hope they keep to the few established facts that we know: namely the head ridges of a family are all similar. If they can get that right it will go a long way towards my acceptance of the look of their clothing and ships, which I find overly detailed and not in the Trek 'clean' aesthetic that they've always had. The 'Torchbearer,' which brings to mind the Uruk-Hai Berserker in 'The Two Towers,' if not in the suit design, is extremely intricate, and the costumes don't exactly look like good fighting gear, which is what the Klingons care most about. But if you look at the model that was on display you can see d'k tagh daggers, or some variation (sadly, looking rather more ornate than the functional and favourite later Klingon weapons), and further evidence that Klingons do remember what they looked like with hair - just as with the sarcophagus, you can see an old-style Klingon head with flowing locks. They seem proud these designs are so complex they couldn't be made without 3D printing, but as Mr. Scott said, the fancier they are, the easier to gum up the works, or words to that effect.

I've never found the Klingons to be scary. Fascinating, yes. Deeply cultured. But not frightening in and of themselves, so I don't see why they're going down the route of trying to make them scary, as sounds like the intention with the weird coloured eyes, very dark complexion and stripping away of hair so their pointed ridges stand out more starkly. Why not make a new race that hasn't been seen before if you want a nasty, scary enemy (and sadly, they've also said they won't be exploring other established races, something which shows how little you can do in a season if it's one continuous story, as opposed to a smattering of standalones - they also said it will be more serialised than even the later seasons of 'DS9,' so the likelihood of actors returning as their characters from other series', time travel, or those episodes where they deeply explored specific races or characters, look less and less likely). It's the name recognition of brand Klingon, obviously, they're using as the draw, which is why I still have some trepidation over the guiding decisions behind the series, with no single person there who was handed the Roddenberry torch, as Rick Berman was, to carefully oversee what can and can't be done, knows what has and hasn't been done, and can keep an overarching vision for all aspects of the franchise. I also hope they don't choose to redesign familiar aliens just for the sake of spending money, because so much of what has gone before is iconic. 'Enterprise' updated some 'TOS' aliens, but they were done in a respectful way that added to the look, and were the culmination of over a decade's continuous development in makeup. I still would've liked to see trotters on the Tellarites and deeper-set eyes, but in so many ways Michael Westmore and his team did an incredible job defining the look of the aliens and I don't want to see them undo that because they feel this is 'their' Trek. It isn't, they're just the current torchbearers and they need to respect the shoulders they're standing on.

Of all the Klingon Houses, the most famous is Worf's, the House of Mogh. It still feels sad to think we could have had Michael Dorn reprise his 'Star Trek VI' role of Colonel Worf, which would have been absolutely amazing to see. Hardly unprecedented, either, since he happily moved from 'TNG' to 'DS9,' but as we know the contract negotiations prevented an artistic delight from happening (though there are rumours that Captain/Admiral/President Archer could be in the pilot to keep up the tradition of a character from a previous series appearing to send them on their way, though this is pure rumour and as far as I know has absolutely no basis in fact, beyond wishful thinking - my own as much as anyone else's). On the one hand I can see it from Dorn's perspective: he was offered a pittance compared to what he got for his last Worf appearance in 'Star Trek Nemesis,' the tenth film in the series, fourth in the 'TNG' series, and sadly, the one that bombed and put the Prime Universe films to bed. He was a big star of Trek, I would even say the fifth best known character of all (after Kirk, Spock, Picard and Data), and certainly one of the absolute greatest. At the same time I can see it from the other perspective, that this is a business, and as much as it's unfair, you're only as good as your last film, and Dorn hasn't had any mainstream effect in anything since 'Nemesis,' and in that his character wasn't very well used.

The trouble is, that pull between value of an artist and recognition of short memories, often decides the outcome of such things. Just look at the effort to get William Shatner to guest star in 'Enterprise' which fell through again on financial negotiation, but also on creative ones. If you pay an actor enough then they'll probably be willing to do most things. It makes sense, that's how they earn their bread and butter and the stock market of actors is always rising and falling based on the success or failure of their latest venture, so they must choose wisely and well. Navigating the vagaries of such a business must be a tough part of the job, especially if you only want to make good art. The thing with Shatner and Dorn is that they've had their successes and they probably don't need to act. It's also true that they're older men now. All this means if you want someone of that stature in the Trek world, and you want them in your Trek, you need to make it worth their while. Still, I wish Dorn had been so excited to come on board a new Trek that he'd accepted the demands of falling stock and made a new name for himself among a younger generation. The irony is that if you don't get out there you do get forgotten. It makes me think of Harold Lloyd and his famous position in the silent films canon, and that because he didn't need the money and held onto his films, rather than selling them off, they were kept in a vault for years and not seen until much later, so generations weren't exposed to his brilliance and subsequently he isn't the first name most people would think of: Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin reel out of people's mouths, when Lloyd has as much right to be remembered by popular culture.

I'm not saying that Dorn will be forgotten, his Worf will live on in 'TNG,' 'DS9' and the films, as a permanent monument. I'm just saying he could have taken an even greater position. Part of it probably has to do with his failed campaign (much like George Takei in the Nineties), to get himself a Trek series based around his character, and the subsequent rejection of this proposal. The thing is, if his character in 'DSC' had been as wildly popular as Worf there could have been the possibility of a spinoff, but we'll probably never know now. The reason I suggest this is because of a new interview with Bryan Fuller that has recently come out, surprisingly laying some new facts into the light about what happened with him as show-runner: one of the most fascinating revelations is that his original premise was for the rumoured anthology series. It just shows that sometimes rumours are true, and this one was shot down in favour of one straight up series, but it turns out he wanted to do seasons in each of the main time periods: pre-'TOS' (basically what 'DSC' became), during 'TOS' (I'm not sure I would have liked that, especially if they had done what they did with 'DSC' in changing the technological look), and much more excitingly, the 'TNG' and post-'TNG' eras! Just imagine having a season set in the heart of the Dominion War, or the aftermath or buildup to the destruction of Romulus… The potential is wonderful.

The studio wasn't having it, they wanted the success of the Kelvin Timeline films transferred to TV, and it's interesting to note that Fuller even wanted uniforms that were closer to 'TOS' than a complete departure as they are now (I'm still hoping the explanation will be that these are special ships and so have a different uniform to the Starfleet standard - easily explainable, much more than going from Pike-era to 'TOS' with these inexplicably in-between!). I'm not saying all his ideas were gold, it was, lest we forget, Fuller that wanted to alter the Klingons' image, and I was both excited that a known Trek name would be in command of the production, but also wary with his comments that suggested he wanted to include more 'adult' content than Trek has traditionally contained. Trek has always been on the edge of family viewing, for the most part, with plenty of moments unsuitable for younger viewers, and more complex issues that would go over the heads of children, or that they'd find boring, but it's generally stayed (with the odd exception), clean and acceptable family viewing. It's interesting to hear that Captain Lorca actor Jason Isaacs ad-libbed a word that has been deemed inappropriate, since people of this time wouldn't use blasphemy because there are apparently no human religions then. That's patently untrue, there are plenty of references to Christmas, chapels and other religious festivals like Divali - I think Worf's adopted human parents were even Jewish! If they do clamp down on language like this, I'll be very pleased, whatever rationale they give, because it is offensive and unthinking, especially in this day.

It is sad to hear that CBS were against Fuller's ideas which included a more complex narrative. I wonder if it was he who wanted a large cast, because that's one thing I'm not so keen on. It fits that they are mostly human (or Klingon), since having half the cast as aliens as 'DS9' and 'Voyager' did wouldn't feel right for this time period where you expect to see more humans. I can't help thinking the era was chosen partly for its being closer to our own, the same reason Berman and Brannon Braga wanted 'Enterprise' to be set in the 22nd Century: so the characters can be less idealised Starfleet officers and more like the people viewers would expect from contemporary TV series'. Personally, as much as I've been glad to see the Trek timeline fleshed out with other centuries, I think all Trek produced in the 21st Century as being generally inferior. Not every episode, as there are some crackers in 'Enterprise,' and the last couple of seasons of 'Voyager,' but in general I prefer that which was made in the 20th Century, and that goes for the films too. I like the eleventh film, despite its multifaceted flaws and antithetical choices, but the others are merely passable viewing. It remains to be seen if going back to the prequel era of 22nd/23rd Centuries is really the wisest course to take Trek back to success or whether this series, too, will flounder as it fails to deliver the complexity, moral outlook and detailed characters in favour of the Kelvin films' action-over-substance style.

I'm not in favour of producing characters for the point of killing them off in a dramatic moment, because I don't think death is the best drama. It's harder to live and stay the course than have an easy way out. Not to say characters couldn't go out in a wonderful way, but it's always been Trek's way to create a family that you want to sail the heavens with, and part of the reason I like that is for its security and comfort. 'TNG' isn't my favourite Trek, but I do love it for the reason that it's like a warm bath you can sink into. Its 24th Century sequels I prefer, but then they require active engagement. I like to experience their world, too, but I miss the sense of familiarity and ties that 'TNG' gave us, and which has generally fallen away this side of the Millennium, with 'Enterprise' failing to be that very thing - while there were friendships, some characters were forgotten and poorly used. I don't want to see that happen again, as it's the characters, at its core, that keep us coming back to Trek, even after the effects are no longer state of the art, and the stories familiar: it's the characters we want to spend time with as if they're our real friends, and constantly being on the edge of your seat for the cheap dramatic potential that any episode could be a character's last, doesn't encourage me. I'm not saying Trek has to play it safe, and many have complained about its style since other genre fare has come along, like 'BSG,' but as much as I can enjoy a number of episodes of that series, I don't enjoy its bleakness and distress, playing with horror and hatred, depression and dark days, where Trek should be light and sure.

I'm not one of these that complains about war being in Trek - I couldn't, since 'DS9' is my undeniable favourite of them all, the war only serving to heighten the brilliant conundrums and challenges the crew faced. I was fully anticipating the Romulan War that should have arrived if 'Enterprise' had gone to a Season 6 (and even now I hope that one day, perhaps even in 'DSC,' we'll have flashback episodes to that time and conflict as the aborted eleventh film once promised). So a war with the Klingons isn't a concern of mine, as long as it's done well, and as long as it doesn't become merely an excuse for lots of running down corridors shouting as the camera careers wildly about (like the Kelvin films), blasting enemies and zipping about firing phasers. Not that that can't be an exciting time, but I want more than just that, nor even a focus on that. Moral depth and characters facing up to personal and professional challenge. The way I always describe Trek is to say that it's good people solving problems, and a cathartic problem-solving team is just what we need, especially if they're going up against the bloodthirsty and the ruthless, not just alien culture and attitudes. I can see the Klingons being used as terrorists are in our world today: the unknown enemy that we don't fully understand, and if we do, must oppose because of their destructive will. But I'm also all for understanding the Klingons as every major threat to the Federation has been eventually, whether it was the Dominion or even the Borg, there were always examples of those that we could trust, not band them all together under the same banner for simplification and greater security.

Although I'm yet to warm to any of the characters (unsurprising, considering I've only seen pictures, watched trailers, and read comments), I am intrigued by Lieutenant Saru, the Spock, the Troi, the Odo, the EMH, the Dr. Phlox, the odd alien out of the mix that we don't know and have never encountered before, giving them plenty of space to explore with him. He's been named as a Kelpien, a prey species (some internet wag mentioned the Hirogen, a hunter species, should show up!), the only one in Starfleet. He has the very alternate physicality to humans and even other aliens we've seen, in the same way Phlox was more extremely alien with CG enhanced smile and tongue, but we've rarely seen a very tall, thin alien and I suspect he could be the character with greatest potential to be the breakout. One thing I'm not keen on is the news (that had been circulating for many a month), that the comics and books based on the series will be considered canon. Now, though they have the reins, it's not for the 'DSC' makers to decide to change the rule that has always been so about only live-action on film and TV being canon, so I very much hope they don't go too far down that lucrative route that is obviously only aimed at taking as much money from viewers as possible (once again we're back to the business side of it). I'm happy for there to be spinoff merchandise, but not that it should be considered essential, nor that the 'DSC' writers should feel bound by any other artists outside their group, bar what has been made as episodes and films.

I was pleased to hear mention of a theme tune being worked on, and an orchestral one at that, which suggests to me that the series will have an opening credits sequence as all the others have. I had my doubts they would keep to such an identifiable Trek staple simply because it's become the norm to eschew this in favour of a few seconds of displaying the logo on screen, then the actors' names appearing over the opening scenes, post-teaser, which I always find distracting (even though I don't mind it when it's the comparatively fewer guest stars, writers and directors, but when added to the main cast as well…). Quite apart from the fact I feel it's a necessary part of a Trek series' identity, I also find it helps me get in the mood for the episode and I've never understood the argument that time will be saved for the episode, especially as these episodes don't need to have a set time since most won't be aired on conventional TV. Of course I could have got the wrong end of the stick and they were referring to end credits theme music, but I have faith (of the heart…), that they'll do right by this.

Though the interior design of these Starfleet ships isn't pleasing in the way they appear to have abandoned 'The Cage' style, which is the only episode to occur at this time in history, there are a couple of little things they've got so right: the Communicator and the Phaser. First, the Communicator I'm not that bothered about, but I'm pleased it looks so similar to the classic 'TOS' model, but it's the Phaser that really impresses: just like 'The Cage' and its 'lasers,' there's a cap on the front which looks like it can be twisted to each of the three nozzles as we saw in that episode, which is exactly the kind of detail you'd want in a series bridging the gap between that time and 'TOS.' It's an amalgamation of 'Cage' design and classic Phaser, and though I wish the transparent style of 'Cage' Communicator could have been extrapolated to the other equipment, it's one of the few things I give a big thumbs up to. They've yet to release a Tricorder, which could be trickier to do now, since 'TOS' had bulky versions like a solid satchel with a shoulder strap, but who knows. With so many other areas looking inspired by the ugly modern design of the Kelvin Timeline (the Discovery Transporter is the worst - even 'Enterprise' had a little alcove that was reminiscent of 'TOS'!), it's gratifying to see one or two little details done right (that and the use of the Klingon emblem please me a lot!).

The only other big issue to come out so far is that Michael Burnham is not just a protege to Sarek's mentor, but his adopted daughter, so of course there's been all kinds of furore over canon violation, while on the other side people have been citing Sybok's reveal so late in 'TOS' continuity, and I'd have to agree. I don't mind this addition to the story because we've seen so often that Vulcans don't discuss things with people, they keep quiet about their personal lives - it's another facet of their discipline and self control, as it is so much of an emotional race's need to talk about what's in their minds, but Vulcans don't need to, or it's another aspect of their nature they suppress, an admirable quality, especially in this age when so many people feel their private lives should be splashed about all over social media, with an attitude that everyone should know everything about everyone, and have an opinion on the subject! Once again, Vulcans lead the way with their suppressed attitudes, something else that makes them one of the best races in Trek. And if they want to throw in the occasional reference to Sybok (whom I've always considered a truly fascinating character), or even have him show up, I'd welcome it.

I still await a proper cast photo, since we've had so many released, including a comedy one with them larking about on the (frankly, Kelvinverse version of the Enterprise), Transporter pad (they would never have been allowed to do such a thing in my day, shock, horror!), but then it's still uncertain who are considered to be part of the main cast, and who are merely recurring characters. Maybe the distinction doesn't exist any longer and I'm still thinking like a human! But it would be nice to know who are considered the core cast. Will Captain Georgiou last the pilot and will we genuinely have two Captains and two ships? I still feel sure that Gabriel Lorca will turn out to be a Section 31 operative - why else cast Jason Isaacs, who so often plays bad guys, not to mention he's English and Americans like to cast English people as villains, although this time he's doing an American accent. The plot thickens, I just hope I don't know everything about the series before I eventually get to see it (whenever that is…). And I thought it was tough back in the days when it was just one 'Star Trek' magazine to worry about. Now it's the whole internet!

Anticipation Rating: ***

Starsky's Brother

DVD, Starsky & Hutch S4 (Starsky's Brother) (2)

The words 'family' and 'history' aren't part of the series' remit, they weren't attempting to create a canon, to create character arcs or flesh out the main characters with detailed backstories, so whenever anything associated with Starsky or Hutch's lives, outside of what we see, is broached, it adds a rare flavour to an episode. We've heard about Dobey's partner, we've seen his family, and Huggy's cousins, but there's been precious little for the two main characters in that regard, beyond girlfriends (many), or associates/snitches. It simply wasn't the era of recurring faces (except in different roles, a standard for the series that continues as normal here), and filling out the past, but the casting department needs recognition for getting John Herzfeld for Nick (or Nicholas Marvin Starsky as he doesn't like to be called), because he is as you'd imagine a younger brother of Starsky would be! They have a similar look about them, Nick has the same cockiness, though less tempered with experience, and the same open, fun-loving attitude to life as his older brother. He also has a huge chip on his shoulder he's walking around with, and the episode doesn't really come into its own until Hutch observes that he's come to visit because he's crying out to Starsky, and then it goes from being a fun opportunity to have one of S&H's relatives visit and make a dent, to a deeper, more personal drama.

We're not talking soap territory, thankfully, and it's not that Nick has any great secret, aside from being on the opposite side of the law to his successful career cop brother, it is that he feels David was never there for him, and Starsky doesn't have a response, so we have to assume it's true. We also find out that Nick has been on his own a long time, so we can extrapolate they don't have any siblings or relatives he could turn to (Starsky himself introduces him to Dobey as his only brother), and you wonder what happened to their parents and whether they became estranged, or there's tragedy in the Starsky family past, because you really get a sense that Nick looks up to his big bro and feels the need to justify himself and the choices he's made. It's a bit of the same impression as we'd see in Huggy's trip back to his old neighbourhood later in the season (another good, characterful episode), with an attitude towards the person that left as being 'too good' to stick around. So Nick's teachers became the guys on the street with names like Tony Markona, 'Big' Billy Hayes and Spider McGuinness, the guys Starsky 'left behind,' as if that was a deliberate act to escape them rather than a natural progression of life. Maybe he did leave to escape, we don't know and we're not enlightened - as much as this is a deeper dive into Starsky for the series, it still leaves most questions unanswered because it was at heart just another episode in an episodic series. Nothing wrong with that, but you rarely even get a callback to anything that's happened before.

There was one thing that piqued my interested: early on Nick makes reference to two years, and I thought that had been when he and Dave had last met up (off camera, obviously), but later Hutch says Starsky hasn't seen the kid in four years (making it before the start of the series). Going back to check, Nick is referring to the girl, Marlene, they've just been charming at the airport, saying, "Two years and you're still trying." The only thing that brought to mind was the previous episode with Starsky in the title, 'Starsky's Lady,' in which his intended dies in tragic circumstances, and was one of, if not the, best episodes of the entire series. It seems harsh of Nick to refer to something like that in a bout of levity, and Starsky doesn't react in a sad way, but it's the only thing I could think of that would make sense, that this could be the first woman he's properly pursuing since then, or that Nick's suggesting it is. Also, as important a moment in his life as it was, and memorable, it's such an obscure way to reference something like that that it leaves me completely uncertain whether it was the intention or not. I'd like to think the writers were paying that much attention to the details that have built up over the series, but the general rule is they don't bother too much in that regard and just deal with new things, new people and don't make vague callbacks.

In a story so heavily concerned with the Starsky brothers you'd expect the S&H dynamic to fall by the wayside, not to mention Huggy and Dobey being immaterial to the plot as they had been in some recent episodes, but in fact it's this that provides strength to the story, and support for Starsky as he has to face the implications of his brother's attitude to money and life: there are clues early on, from the way Nick wants to bet about which of them Marlene's more interested in for a fifty bucks stake when Starsky meant fifty cents. Or his new wardrobe of expensive clothes, and the fact that he foots the bill for the disco night with Hutch, Marlene, and her friends without saying much about his job prospects back home. Even the way he dismisses Starsky's way of life as wearing him out with chasing, fighting, being shot at, though David counters by saying it's the opposite, that's what keeps him sharp. Starsky must sense something's not right, but it's his brother and he trusts him and backs him when this week's Federal agent drops his suspicions on S&H in Dobey's office. Usually the feds are shown to be pretty unpleasant, sneery, and generally an authority for S&H to bump up against, but Weldon and the doomed Bronson seem like level-headed types. Sure, they still come out looking stupid since the villain of the week, Frank Stryker, knows they're watching him, they keep losing whoever they're trailing, and eventually lackey Jake blows up their surveillance room across the street - there's even some sympathy for the guy that bites it since Bronson had a family, and Weldon isn't as gung-ho and authoritarian as some from his organisation.

Hutch is the one that cuts through all the emotion with his direct and pertinent observation on the reason for Nick's visit, but there's time for him to carry on with the duo's detecting, even if he remains more muted than usual, Starsky's ire turned on Stryker, so that Hutch literally has nothing to say - he even turns to speak, then changes his mind as he walks out. Stryker was one of the better than average villains, and that always helps. That he's willing to kill a Federal agent shows he's a dangerous man, but also a bit foolhardy, the type that expects his way. He gets more depth than the usual gangster in a suit pushing a drugs empire: the scene where we see him beaten at draughts (or checkers as they probably call it), by his own heavy, Al, who finds it most amusing, especially when Jake agrees with his boss' quick-tempered response to the loss that he would have beaten him if he hadn't done that and that he's going to beat him soon, and you can see they're both smirking at the bad loser, so he's not the sort to command absolute respect despite his connections and money. One thing about him that stands out is the name. We had a big bad guy in Season 1's 'Snowstorm' (again, a drug empire - I used to confuse the guy with another one in the pilot since they were the same actor), and although it could be a common enough name, that guy was responsible for killing Dobey's partner, so again, I wondered if it was a deliberate callback. It's not the same character because that Stryker was arrested (and much older), but it would have been fantastic if it had turned out Frank was his younger brother and could have been a brilliant parallel for him to get revenge on S&H by corrupting Starsky's brother.

The fresh exuberance of Nick did actually put S&H into a different light, and although it was only four years after they started the series, they actually begin to seem older, no longer the young bucks eager to get the criminals. Starsky's tired, Nick says he looks tired, and while such banter is par for the course, I think there was some truth to it, that the job probably does wear them down a bit. Hutch is starting to look a little podgy compared to how he used to be, the hair's receded a little, and it wouldn't be that noticeable, but Nick demands comparison at twenty-eight, which I suppose would have been around the age S&H were at the start of the series, and now they're approaching the mid-thirties. Starsky even comes across as old-fashioned when he offers one of Marlene's young girlfriends his arm to go on the dance floor and she completely ignores it. And he doesn't want to think about going out the next night, when, after the disco Nick starts talking about what they'll do then. But in case you felt the series was showing up its stars, Starsky gets the last laugh on his errant brother. Not only is he up and ready to go a mere five hours of sleep later, while Nick slobs around on the couch (dragged there by the hair when he dared to try and take Starsky's bed for himself!), he's also alert, shown to be better mentally, and, in the best lesson of the week, he rubs it firmly in little bro's face when they arrive to rescue him from Stryker and find him tied to a chair while Starsky is 'free as a bird.'

I'm not sure how Nick got away without getting a criminal conviction and is allowed to saunter off back to his old life back East, but as I keep pointing out, this is episodic television at its most episodic, so of course he was going to either die (too harsh), or return from whence he came, because that's the way you reset the status back to quo. It would have been nice if he'd been able to hang around for a few episodes and cause some headaches for his sibling, and he is one of the characters I would most have liked to see return (again, that Season 5…), but it's such a good, heartfelt story, without pushing the morality into your face, just gently showing what a life of drug-dealing and irresponsibility will get you (rather than, say, 'TJ Hooker' which is much more heavy-handed and preachy in the way it delivers its messages about society). I say gently, but there was a rounded content to the episode, with action spectacle (S&H blasted off the stairs as they ascend to check on Bronson just at the moment Jake blows the explosives in a flurry of carpentry and dust), personal drama (the great scene in Starsky's kitchen as Nick tries to justify himself and his brother stands like a rock against the fridge, not even letting him grab a beer as he paces about, then stalks off into the sitting room), and there's room for the series' trademark brand of dotty comedy (the opening with Mrs. Krupp; the disco night with the girls), so it's a pleasure all through. What I always find myself asking after such an example of how the series should be done, is why didn't they manage to do this every time?

I've often found that watching episodes with a view to writing a review afterwards can make a poor episode more enjoyable if it's full of threads to pull at and details to speculate over, but can also work in the opposite way: a good episode that doesn't have much speculative potential or isn't filled with the little nuggets to mentally mine can seem a lesser experience than before. This one holds up as both a deeply detailed store of analytical prospects, and is also a strong episode in dramatic terms, close to being the best so far, though 'The Avenger' has a greater edge that puts it a notch above. It deals fairly with all four main cast while making it about five people, and the various interactions work well so that I'd have to put this up there towards the top bracket of episodes on the series. I particularly enjoyed Huggy Bear's explanation of how he got his name, told in inimitable style by himself:

"Huggy's the name,
and my game is the same,
the ladies they love me,
'cos they all wanna hug me."

A bit of series lore laid down right there!

The episode is rich in its conventional memes, from the typical Red Carpet of Villainy that covers Stryker's club, The Velvet Slide; to Dobey chowing down (a tin of chilli this time), while his weight is rudely called to attention (after Nick's been sucking up to him, Hutch retorts: "The man said heavy, Captain, not overweight"); to the usual competition between S&H over a girl being adjusted to S&N; and pop culture references (Starsky calls his brother Sleeping Beauty when he doesn't want to be woken; Nick makes his introduction to Ken with: "Dr. Hutchinson, I presume"; and Nick sees himself as a regular Robin Hood which Starsky calls him ironically), and when S&H&N meet Marlene's friends at the disco they get the ladies names mixed up, which could be a reference to the times when S&H used to be confused with each other. They do like their discos, it was obviously the in thing at the time of this season because they keep going back to it so Starsky can perform his wacky dance moves (another episode that must have provided inspiration to the 2004 film). I think the generic disco music had even been used before on the series, and it certainly was reused in the episode: when we later visit The Pits (which is 'near the station,' according to Starsky, though whether that means the police, bus or train isn't clear), it's playing there, too! While the music in general wasn't memorable as it has been in some episodes, the slightly sad violin that plays as we zoom in on Trans World Airlines where Starsky goes to pick up Nick is like a marker preparing us for the tragedy to come of things not being all nice and dandy, and returns again when Starsky's giving Nick what for about his crooked ways.

I like that Huggy makes contact with Nick even before he knows he's Starsky's brother, later admitting he thought he was familiar when S&H show up to enlighten him. Familiarity in face and clothing style (even if Nick is a bit more flamboyant than his more casual brother), isn't the only thing familiar about the episode, as it has several of the same story pieces as the preceding one or two: another use of a bomb activated by radio frequency; another angry encounter for S&H with the feds (admittedly it was more of a snide, competitive one in 'The Groupie,' but we've seen many times when S&H have shown their lack of respect for such figures - it's usually one of them defending the other from accusation or suspicion, this time it's Nick); and Starsky pays a visit to threaten the villain again (just like 'Cover Girl'), while another motel room (Buena Vista Motel), plays an important part in proceedings (they tracked down the assassin to his motel hideout in 'Cover Girl'), as Nick visits to pick up his drugs package, getting deeper into the mire - the female courier seems to take some kind of pity on him, seeing him for the young, green guy he is and giving him some advice. Whether it was because she knows how many Nicks have been used by the likes of Stryker or she just took a fancy to his naivety, seeing something of her own past in him, I don't know.

The use of eccentrics is kept to a minimum, which is how it works best or the whole thing turns into a farce of 'Dandruff' and 'The Groupie' proportions. It begins, just as 'Cover Girl' did, with Hutch dealing with a crime of a humorous bent, which, just like that other opening scene, could have been some padding to bulk out the episode a little before we get to the actual story (though it's fun, and it's always a laugh to see Dobey get outraged, this time for Starsky's absence, though you'd think he'd be used to his men off following leads individually and wouldn't think anything of it). Mrs. Krupp is being held for whacking her husband with a baseball bat, but it's all done in such a jovial manner, and she's clearly such a wacky type that it is funny. I can't imagine why she was allowed to keep hold of the offensive weapon in question, and it's bizarre that Hutch makes up a charge of First Degree Husband Beating to scare her, rather than taking it seriously and charging her with GBH, but it's another sign of the Seventies when I suppose it was deemed ridiculous that men could be injured by their wives. It doesn't stop Hutch's interactions with her from being amusing, nor the poorly hidden nervousness of Officer Sweeney, who's left to deal with her. That's about it for characters exhibiting eccentricity, except for Marlene, who is more than feisty: first meeting being chatted up by Nick, then her attention switches to Starsky when he butts in, and then when introduced to Hutch she latches onto him, but keeps talking about the others! Her friends, Katie and Carol, aren't eccentric, except for being friends with such a changeable sort!

I have to wonder if the moment S&H bring Nick in to see their office and Hutch suddenly stops in front of the door, making Nick bump into it, was deliberate, or just something that happened on the day of filming. It's just one of those little things you see crop up here or there, but in this case it could equally work as a bit of teasing. I also noticed the cab driver that picks up Nick from The Velvet Slide looked like he could be the bulging eyes extra that is seen occasionally on the series, though it was hard to tell at that distance, in a cab, with a cap on. And the ongoing saga of what exactly is outside Starsky's front door, continues: this time we see a wall there with bushes in front… The question of whether the place S&H work in is a city or a town gets further discussion when Weldon notes that of all the bars and coffee shops 'in the city,' Nick went to Stryker's, and yet Stryker himself notices he's 'new in town,' as if the kind of expensive jacket he's wearing couldn't have been bought except in a big city. It's a slim difference, Stryker could have just meant it as a manner of speech, but it does make me question whether Bay City is in fact a city - as far as I can remember it's never even been named in dialogue. And it's surprising how rough Paul Michael Glaser was allowed to be with the actor playing Stryker at the confrontation at Carmelle Printing and Engraving where he violently throws him around before cuffing him!

Anthony Ponzini must have known what he was in for, though, as he'd been in the previous season's 'The Trap' as Trayman, though here he gets Special Guest Star billing. Fittingly, the only other returning actors were also two of his goons: John O'Leary as Victor, his crooked attorney (previously Steinmetz in Season 3's 'A Body Worth Guarding'), and Nicholas Worth, the draughts champion, Al (who'd been both Barnes in Season 1's 'The Omaha Tiger,' and Denny, Amboy's goon, in Season 2's 'Bust Amboy'). It's like they knew these guys would work as heavies! While hiring experienced actors was one way to ensure the episode worked (although I wouldn't have said the bad guys were among the best of the series, just above the average), the episode also benefited from good directing with the occasional flair: I was enamoured with the uncommon use of slow motion (as seen so effectively in 'The Avenger,' though directed by a different Director), in the explosion on the stairs - they've really done well at not making the stunt guys obvious this season, you can barely tell it isn't actually S&H. I also liked the shot at the bar where we're focused on Stryker talking, then his head moves and we see in the mirror he's talking to Nick.

Where the episode triumphs is in its widening of the Starsky legacy through excellent casting, successful chemistry, a solid story and a good moral. We learn about Nick's life being so different to Starsky's, despite them growing up only a few years apart, he has the typical brotherly competitiveness, the looser approach to life that puts Starsky into a difficult position (like when he can't be bothered to find his ticket at the airport and tells his brother to just flash the police badge so they can get through), has some charm in the way he sucks up to the boss (prompting Dobey to appreciate his manners and upbringing), but has that restlessness about him that denotes an unsatisfied inner life, still carrying bitterness and resentment for how he feels Starsky treated him and the way things have gone in life that makes you warm to him, but also see the maturity in Starsky by comparison. Starsky's friendship with Hutch means they can talk beneath the facade that Nick puts on and further confirms their great mutual understanding, Nick a catalyst or magnifying glass on that. And it is fitting that Nick gets something of a last laugh when he hustles Hutch and Huggy for higher odds on their farewell pool game, admitting afterwards that he's left-handed, the usual freeze frame playing out, while the sound of balls plunking into pockets continues! It's a really nice, homely scene to cap the episode, the four of them hanging out at The Pits after hours (whenever after hours would be - must be the morning!), like a little family group.

***