A Televisual Feast

Here’s another decent episode–actually, it’s kind of cool, following Rockford on a case with a limited cast (his client, the people they talk to, and a foil), but it’s real problematic. First, the relationship between Jim and the female client has at least two, probably three, scenes where the client’s writing is almost no different than if it were pseudo-regular Beth (Jim’s attorney).

Other problems stem, as usual, from Stephen J. Cannell not having enough content for an hour (or fifty minutes). The case starts boring, gets interesting, goes boring, and proceeds to alternate between the two. The big resolve is barely noted towards the end (because it’s not really the resolve, of course). Another problem is, again, the skimping on the investigation. Possibly interesting time is spent instead on pointless bickering between Rockford and the not-Beth Beth.

The episode has its ups and downs–spending a long time, third act, in the dumps–but it’s all right in the end. A little too cute (and way too unrealistic, given Beth and Rocky’s absence and Jim’s gunshot wound to the head), but all right.

2.5