Though this episode follows the usual "Adam-12" routine of multiple police call storylines, it is one of the very best. It has drama and it has comedy. It has action and it has heart ache. It has terrific writing, directing and of course, great acting. Especially from the two leads, Martin Milner and Kent McCord.
It's a blast watching as the originally timid and cautious Reed (in the earliest episodes) now gets totally ticked-off and nearly blows his top when he sees that the order is out for Officers to wear their "hot and unbearable" Class-A uniforms on a day on which the temperature is forecasted to reach 90 degrees. But Reed is also surly because his neighbors had thrown a party the night before which lasted til 3am. And he attended the party!
We're treated to some nice scenary at the Griffith Park Recreation Center and the surrounding area. Seems there is a bad guy selling illegal substances at the park. Though the bad guy is long gone, Malloy and Reed discover that the baddie rides a bicycle and had an Air Pump loaded with narcotics! There's a lesson for viewers right there. You'd never guess criminals could come up with such a devious idea.
Later, Malloy wonders why the air conditioning in the squad car is so weak. Probably because Reed has all the blowers aimed at himself. Hysterical!
Viewers then learn the lesson that if you decide to have a Yard Sale, don't accept items on consignment from nice, trustworthy looking young men. Also, don't have the always delightful actor, Scatman Crothers, for a neighbor. He'll call the cops on you!
It's nice to see M & R, along with Police Brass, recognizing that not everyone in possession of stolen goods is necessarily a bad guy. The police see that the man holding the Yard Sale is disabled and also quite sweet and trusting. A little later, they see that the supplier of the unknown stolen goods, comes across as just as sweet and caring as well toward the disabled gentlemen. Well, he's a little bit grumpy with the partners for arresting him, but then offers up information on a truly nasty criminal. Interesting how one thing can lead to another. A complaint from Scatman to a kindly man having a Yard Sale to a caring low-level criminal to a mean heavy wanted for multiple murders.
That's where actor/writer Leo V. Gordon enters the picture. This guy looks like he could scare off Clint Eastwood and his 45 Magnum. Besides that though, Gordon wrote this episode! Top notch action and excitement here. There's also what appears to be a brand new Cherry Red Chevrolet Caprice 4-door parked in front of the murderer's motel room. Classic!
Then there's fun to be had back at Police Headquarters where Sergeant MacDonald gives M & R the business for them still wearing the hot and unbearable Class-A uniforms long after the ok was given via the 2-way radio, to go to the light and cool Class-C uniforms. Fun writing here, having Malloy and Reed telling Mac that they were enjoying a nice swim in a pool when the call went out. The squad was parked too far from the pool for them to hear the radio. A terrific relationship has formed between these professionals. Funny stuff.
Then there's a moment back on patrol in which Reed asks Malloy to come over for dinner the following weekend. Malloy loves a free dinner. But dinner at 3 in the afternoon? Oh, did Reed forget to mention that the invite involves tearing down a nuisance 60 foot Pine tree? Gee, what a swell guy Reed is turning out to be. Smiles all around!
Then it's back to Griffith Park where the sad part of the episode takes place. M & R come across a mid-aged house wife sitting in her car. Terribly distressed, it turns out the woman is experiencing severe withdrawal from illegal drugs. Seems that guy with the bicycle and the drugs in his air pump, is hours late delivering the goods. It most probably was quite shocking for viewers in 1972 to see that even a classy looking, beautiful adult woman could get hooked on drugs. A change of pace when one would expect a withdrawal victim in a 1970s police TV show to be a long-haired freaky young person. Nice work there from the production.
While an ambulance later shows up for the sad woman, the partners spot a fine, decent looking gentleman walking his bike through the park. One of the bike's tires is low on air. Malloy asks him why the guy doesn't use his air pump to add air to the tire. Most likely because there's no room in the air pump because it's loaded with drugs. Malloy gets in a fierce snarl as he tells Reed to read "the creep" his rights.
An episode which follows the usual formula, but is absolutely excellent in it's Far and Above execution. 10 Stars!
It's a blast watching as the originally timid and cautious Reed (in the earliest episodes) now gets totally ticked-off and nearly blows his top when he sees that the order is out for Officers to wear their "hot and unbearable" Class-A uniforms on a day on which the temperature is forecasted to reach 90 degrees. But Reed is also surly because his neighbors had thrown a party the night before which lasted til 3am. And he attended the party!
We're treated to some nice scenary at the Griffith Park Recreation Center and the surrounding area. Seems there is a bad guy selling illegal substances at the park. Though the bad guy is long gone, Malloy and Reed discover that the baddie rides a bicycle and had an Air Pump loaded with narcotics! There's a lesson for viewers right there. You'd never guess criminals could come up with such a devious idea.
Later, Malloy wonders why the air conditioning in the squad car is so weak. Probably because Reed has all the blowers aimed at himself. Hysterical!
Viewers then learn the lesson that if you decide to have a Yard Sale, don't accept items on consignment from nice, trustworthy looking young men. Also, don't have the always delightful actor, Scatman Crothers, for a neighbor. He'll call the cops on you!
It's nice to see M & R, along with Police Brass, recognizing that not everyone in possession of stolen goods is necessarily a bad guy. The police see that the man holding the Yard Sale is disabled and also quite sweet and trusting. A little later, they see that the supplier of the unknown stolen goods, comes across as just as sweet and caring as well toward the disabled gentlemen. Well, he's a little bit grumpy with the partners for arresting him, but then offers up information on a truly nasty criminal. Interesting how one thing can lead to another. A complaint from Scatman to a kindly man having a Yard Sale to a caring low-level criminal to a mean heavy wanted for multiple murders.
That's where actor/writer Leo V. Gordon enters the picture. This guy looks like he could scare off Clint Eastwood and his 45 Magnum. Besides that though, Gordon wrote this episode! Top notch action and excitement here. There's also what appears to be a brand new Cherry Red Chevrolet Caprice 4-door parked in front of the murderer's motel room. Classic!
Then there's fun to be had back at Police Headquarters where Sergeant MacDonald gives M & R the business for them still wearing the hot and unbearable Class-A uniforms long after the ok was given via the 2-way radio, to go to the light and cool Class-C uniforms. Fun writing here, having Malloy and Reed telling Mac that they were enjoying a nice swim in a pool when the call went out. The squad was parked too far from the pool for them to hear the radio. A terrific relationship has formed between these professionals. Funny stuff.
Then there's a moment back on patrol in which Reed asks Malloy to come over for dinner the following weekend. Malloy loves a free dinner. But dinner at 3 in the afternoon? Oh, did Reed forget to mention that the invite involves tearing down a nuisance 60 foot Pine tree? Gee, what a swell guy Reed is turning out to be. Smiles all around!
Then it's back to Griffith Park where the sad part of the episode takes place. M & R come across a mid-aged house wife sitting in her car. Terribly distressed, it turns out the woman is experiencing severe withdrawal from illegal drugs. Seems that guy with the bicycle and the drugs in his air pump, is hours late delivering the goods. It most probably was quite shocking for viewers in 1972 to see that even a classy looking, beautiful adult woman could get hooked on drugs. A change of pace when one would expect a withdrawal victim in a 1970s police TV show to be a long-haired freaky young person. Nice work there from the production.
While an ambulance later shows up for the sad woman, the partners spot a fine, decent looking gentleman walking his bike through the park. One of the bike's tires is low on air. Malloy asks him why the guy doesn't use his air pump to add air to the tire. Most likely because there's no room in the air pump because it's loaded with drugs. Malloy gets in a fierce snarl as he tells Reed to read "the creep" his rights.
An episode which follows the usual formula, but is absolutely excellent in it's Far and Above execution. 10 Stars!
