Two Hundred A Day - Episode 140: Paradise Cove

Episode Date: August 18, 2024

Nathan and Eppy take a little tour through Malibu in S6E1 Paradise Cove. Mariette Hartley joins James Garner in this final season premier episode as Althea, a court-appointed adjuster sent to audit Jim in the wake of a lawsuit he lost to fellow Cove resident C.C. Calloway. Calloway wants to get Jim, or at least his trailer, out of the way because of a 50-year search for literal buried treasure, and once Jim figures that out he's able to get Althea on his side of the treasure-hunt. A Stephen Cannell written, produced and directed episode, it's a Rockfordlishess romp - highly recommended! We have another podcast: Plus Expenses. Covering our non-Rockford media, games and life chatter, Plus Expenses is available via our Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/twohundredaday) at ALL levels of support. Want more Rockford Files trivia, notes and ephemera? Check out the Two Hundred a Day Rockford Files Files (http://tinyurl.com/200files)! We appreciate all of our listeners, but offer a special thanks to our patrons (https://www.patreon.com/twohundredaday). In particular, this episode is supported by the following Gumshoe and Detective-level patrons: * Richard Hatem * Bill Anderson * Brian Perrera * Eric Antener * Jordan Bockelman * Michael Zalisco * Joe Greathead * Mitch Hampton's Journey of an Aesthete Podcast (https://www.jouneyofanaesthetepodcast.com) * Dael Norwood wrote a book! Trading Freedom: How Trade with China Defined Early America (https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/T/bo123378154.html) * Chuck Suffel's comic Sherlock Holmes & the Wonderland Conundrum (http://whatchareadingpress.com) * Paul Townend recommends the Fruit Loops podcast (https://fruitloopspod.com) * Shane Liebling's Roll For Your Party dieroller app (https://rollforyour.party/) * Jay Adan's Miniature Painting (http://jayadan.com) * Brian Bernsen's Facebook page of Rockford Files filming locations (https://www.facebook.com/brianrockfordfiles/) * Brian Cummins, Robert Lindsey, Nathan Black, Jay Thompson, David Nixon, Colleen Kelly, Tom Clancy, Andre Appignani, Pumpkin Jabba Peach Pug, Dave P, Dave Otterson, Kip Holley and Dale Church! Thanks to: * Fireside.fm (https://fireside.fm) for hosting us * Audio Hijack (https://rogueamoeba.com/audiohijack/) for helping us record and capture clips from the show

Jim, this is Cal from the Leave the Whales Alone Club. Our protest crews leaves from the pier, Saturday at 3am. The whales need you, Jim. Welcome to 200 a Day, the podcast where we talk about the 70s television detective show, The Rockford Files. I'm Nathan Paletta. And I'm Epidaire Rapshaw. I don't know why I giggled at that.

Are you? Are you? Yeah, am I? Am I? And we are coming to you today with the second to my recollection of our lost episodes. Season 6, episode 1, Paradise Cove. It definitely was a lost episode because I'm watching this very familiar. Very fresh in my brain. It was fun. Really enjoyed this one. It's a fun one. Podcast done.

Yep. You're welcome, everyone. Yeah, I did not have notes saved for this one. So I did a little spelunking. I don't know if it's because we did it while I was still taking handwritten notes, which is possible. I feel like it was later, but also who knows. You know, I guess it's possible that I took notes not in Google Docs for some reason and they're just gone. But yeah, I don't know. So this one I did not have extra notes to refer to. Well. So I had to take them all fresh.

And I didn't either. So, but I didn't last time either. Alright, before we get into it, we have just a couple things that have come into our answering machine that I wanted to log so that we do not forget them going forward. Our usual sporadic schedule has continued to be sporadic, so I feel like sometimes when there's enough time in between recordings, I'm like, I want to make sure not to forget the thing that I wanted to do, which is bring up a couple of these. There were less than I thought, but that's okay because they're pretty meaty In our last episode I did mention some feedback on this case is closed because of our speculation about What was added for the two episode for this first indication, etc We also had another note about this case is Closed from listener Scott via our website. Just adding a comment about one of the guest stars mentioned in your episode, This Case

is Closed, which is 137 for the record. James McEachin. So he is the guy who played the federal agent who is trailing Rockford to lead him to the mobsters and then when they kidnapped him that was the... I mean he's kind of playing coy about what he knew etc. He is still alive and not only did he guest star on dozens of TV series, including Columbo as mentioned, he appeared in his own short-lived TV detective drama called either Tenafly or Tenafly. I don't know how else you would say that. Tenafly? Probably Tenafly.

T-N-A-F-L-Y. Well, it ran for only five episodes in the fall prior to Rockford's debut. I've only been able to find the pilot online to view and continue to search for other episodes. He was a wonderful actor who I always enjoy watching perform. I agree, he is a fun actor. I also enjoy watching him perform in the few things I've seen him in. He appeared also on David Jansen's two-year detective drama, Harry-O, which I recommend to you both as a possible follow-up project. Rockford and Harry-O debuted the same year, just one day apart. Oh, wow. Thanks for the entertaining show. Well, thank you for the comment, Scott.

Yeah, thank you. Appreciate the lead to this possibly mysterious five-episode TV detective drama. I'm definitely going to hunt down that pilot. That's one thing I know. Yeah, and Harry-O, I know almost nothing about about Hario other than it is a credit that a lot of people on Rockford Files have. Yes. Maybe, yeah, we'll put that in the hopper for our post-Rockford consideration. And then we also have a comment from Patron FJ on Patreon regarding our episode 121, Hardaches of a Fool.

Oh yeah. Oh yeah. So you'll recall that they go out to Arkansas to go to the sausage factory location. Right. And it turns out it's just like an answering machine and a trailer. Yeah. Unconfirmed trivia, because I haven't been able to find out for sure, but as a Southern Californian for many years, I have a feeling that the rundown mobile home of the Arkansas

sausage factory is the same mobile home we see briefly in the aerial shot of Charlie's truck driving on a country road at the end of the episode. This is probably an area outside of Calabasas or Malibu Canyon in the western part of the Santa Monica mountains. Oh, all right. Yeah. Local eagle eye reporting. Yeah, I imagine they did not go, you know, go to location and go to Arkansas for an on location shot of that. But yeah, that's always super interesting to hear about the little twists and turns of the production logistics of the show. Another fun episode too.

Yeah, that one's another all-timer. It's good brawl. It's got a good brawl in it. Little dust up. Little dust up. Very good. Saus good brawl. It's got a good brawl in it. Little dust up. Very good. Sausage related plot. Thematically slightly linked with this one. Oh yeah. Sausages, hot dogs, you know. Yeah I could see that. Those are the remaining things on our answering machine that I rounded up in my latest look. If you...

Wait, wait. Is this the sausage hot dog thing. Is this what you meant by meaty? You got me. You got me again. Yes. But yes, if you too would like to leave feedback on our recent episode or even an old episode, we always welcome feedback from patrons. We also have a contact form on our website as well as a comment section on each individual episode at 200aday.fireside.fm and the occasional email to 200adaypodcast.gmail.com is also welcome.

Alright, that all said, it is time to go to Season 6 and go to Paradise Cove! Yeah! By the time we go to Paradise Cove. Yeah, by the time we got to Paradise Cove. I know. Finally. We're getting some good Paradise Cove lore in this episode. Yeah. So this one is a what I think of as a triple cannel. It is directed, written by and produced by Stephen Cannell. Cannell cubed.

It's Cannell cubed, which feels pretty good. I feel like we get... We see it. We see it in the episode. Yes. He only directed three episodes of the show. This one, Beamer's Last Case in season four, and White on White and Nearly Perfect in season five. Yeah. So, wait, are we now...

Are we rapping on Cannell? Other than... It's because he was a co-writer for the pilot. Oh, OK. All right. So he's in the script. So he's he's he's still in the mix for our last set of episodes. But this is the final episode for which he is the sole writer. OK. And final acting or final director. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. So I think as close to a rap on on panel we're going to get before finishing the show. Yeah. Yeah. And there are some choice turns of phrase that really, really feel like it. Yeah. So season six, you know, it's been a minute since we did a season six because there are so few of them because it is basically just a half season. Makes it easy for me to pull out the proper DVD on the first try, though. Just grab that last one. Well, second to last one in this case.

But yeah. So I guess if you have not been with us since the last time we went over a season six one. Well, there's a combination of factors. The original contract with NBC for the show was for five seasons. And Garner thought that they were going to be wrapping up after five seasons. The studio wanted to do another season. In 30 years of the Rockford Files, there's a good write up about it, kind of hitting all the high points. But Ed Robertson says, coming off a season in which it finished last among

the three major networks for the first time in its history, NBC really couldn't afford to cancel the Rockford Files, one of the few established shows the network had. After all, Rockford was still a Friday night staple. Those overall audience figures were 10% lower during his fifth season. That decrease was directly attributable to the show's temporary relocation to Saturday nights. So for that reason, NBC decided to make Rockford the anchor of the network's Friday schedule. And then there's some quotes about that. This coincides with a earnings report from the studio showing that the show was in the red after five seasons. Right. Which Garner was not happy to hear because he made such an effort to make an economical show that delivered on time and under budget.

I think he's quoted as saying that they ran seven days late over the entire run of the show. Wow. Which is like unprecedented. Yeah. From their shooting schedule, you know, they only had an overage of seven days. I run seven days late any given week. Right, right. You know, he had his company, Cherokee Productions, provide like trailers and transportation and stuff so that they wouldn't have to rent those things from Universal so that they could save money.

Right. Like all kinds of stuff. But, you know, Hollywood Accounting's reared its ugly head and I think and led led to the lawsuits and falling out with the studio, etc. After all this, James Gardner is also very injured at this point after five seasons of this very physical show. I was going to say, I think they ran through his running budget in this episode alone. I have at least three notes where I'm like, his knees. There's one shot that's a far them. I'm sure that must be a stunt double, like going down some stairs or something. There's a lot of running. There's one shot that's a far that I'm like, I'm sure that must be a stunt double, like going down some stairs or something.

There's a lot of running. There's a lot. There's a rundown in the book here. By the end of the fifth season, the actor, James Garner, had undergone three knee operations, sustained a broken spinal bone, suffered two broken knee caps, and endured broken ribs, broken knuckles, a dislocated disc in his back and knee and various other dislocations, sprains, torn ligaments and tendons since commencing production in 1974. It's like a pro wrestler's rundown really. Yeah and he had, because he had, I think it was a

knee injury from playing football, from college football I think think his brief football career. So his physical acting career was already on top of, you know, he wasn't working with 100 percent in the beginning. I think it said he had three knee knee surgeries. I think somewhere else in the book, it says he basically had a knee surgery after each of the first three seasons. Oh, wow. Yeah. So wild. And so one reason or I guess the main reason there's only half of this season is because basically midway through the season, he collapsed while while shooting. The quote is that he had an ulcer. He had an ulcer that came back. That was so bad. He was like bleeding like out of orifices. It sounds really bad. And they shut down production. You know, he was like, I cannot continue shooting this show.

Yeah. Hence why there's only the half season. So you hate to hear it. Yeah. It sucks. It sucks so bad, which is unfortunate because some of these episodes are really good. You're at a fully mature. This is a fully armed and operational Rockford files. So, yeah, so that's the rundown of the season. Steven Cannell, we know him, we love him.

I'm sure we'll talk about we'll probably do a recap on the Huggins Cannell partnership situation when we get to our final set of episodes. But yeah, he's in the driver's seat here. And we I think are good to go right into our very brief Yes. Preview montage. Yeah, this is good. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think most, if not all,

of this montage is just letting us know that Althea, an attractive woman, is going to show up and go over his books to see how much money she can take away from him, the court can take away from him, and clearly there's going to be some chemistry between the two. Because I mean, how could there not be given that situation? I know when you get into audits, I mean, that's one of the most romantic things. Exactly, yeah. I think it is also showing our viewing audience tuning in on Friday night, oh hey, look, we have Marriott Hartley in this episode.

She's the one that you know from the Polaroid commercials with James Garner. This is, I don't know if it counts as stunt casting necessarily, because I mean, she's great. But through the 70s, there was a well-known Polaroid ad campaign that had Garner and Hartley, you know, hawking Polaroids, Polaroid cameras, I should say. And they were super fun. I'll probably, I'll find one, I'll cut one in as a as a representative sample. I feel like most people who listen to our show probably saw these commercials.

Right. Or these commercials. I did look them up because I was like, OK, yeah, no, I see where they're going with this. Polaroid's one step is the world's simplest camera. It's America's biggest seller. You just press the button. Sharp color develops in minutes. America's biggest seller. So you made it to the top.

Well, the camera did. I just went along for the ride. I thought the one step was your idea. I made a few suggestions. The camera you never focus? No, they thought of that. The motor that hands you the picture? That was theirs, too. What did you do?

Why don't you ask me about the little red button? Red? You thought of red? They have great chemistry and people thought they were married, thought they were an item based on those commercials. There's a trivia point that at some point, Marriott Hartley had shirts made that said, I am not married to James Garner that she can wear around. It's wonderful. So that's wonderful. So that's fun. But yeah, they obviously have, you know, lots of chemistry on screen.

And the person who's like, I recognize this couple from the Poynter commercials. I'm excited to see them in the Rockford files or excited to see her in the Rockford files. Right. Yeah. So I think that is really the main reason why there's so much focus on her. I mean, she is a co-star in this episode, but, yeah, it's very much a season debut. This is the guest star kind of orientation. We're going to obviously get more about her characters as we go along, but I want to just preface this by saying she's I don't know if this is like a type of character. I guess it is. But like, she's one of my favorite types of characters

Which is a person who gets it like she gets giddy at times over Detective stuff and it's it's great. It's just great. She's excited to be involved Uh, it's it's a real not in the sense of a big romance necessarily though There is romance but there's like a big we get to see her seduction into Jim's world. Yeah, because of Jim, but because of all the stuff that Jim does and how that's like really attractive. It's fun to watch. And that does end up being a little bit of a theme in this episode, which is fun too.

We get it a couple of times of people who are like, yeah, no, you got a weird job, but we like it. You know, like, this is great. 200 a Day is a 100% listener-supported show, thanks to our patrons. In addition to our gratitude and editing access to the 200 Files Files spreadsheet, patrons receive exclusive episode previews every month and plus expenses, our bonus podcast where we talk about media, work and our lives. In addition, every episode we say thank you to our Gumshoe patrons. Brian Berntzen has a Facebook page where he drives his Rockford tribute car to shooting locations from the show. Facebook.com slash Brian Rockford Files. Chuck Suphel's one-shot

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Well, we start off our episode right with our credits as we watch an old beach comber checking out the sand underneath and establishing sign saying Paradise Cove. We pan over happy beachgoers until we discover Jim and Rocky pulling up in Rocky's truck. Jim isn't happy. They had a bad breakfast. Yes. I think like it was your first bad breakfast you ever had. Rocky has a I thought this might come up as a plot point. I don't think it does.

But Ronnie has his foot in the cast. Let's try to figure that out, too. I mean, it's it's played for some fun laughs. I don't know if if Noah Barry had his possible. Yeah, I wasn't able to find that out. It's just because a lot of the plot of this, as we also learn, revolves around car accidents. So, yeah, I thought maybe that was also a plot point,

but I think it's just a coincidence. Rocky is walking around with a cane. Jim sees this beachcomber gets irate all over again. And we get our our backstory filled in as Jim and Rocky get into the trailer. So this guy is C.C. Calloway, enemy of surfers, who's in fact scolding a couple for bringing surfboards on the beach. So he's a member of the Paradise Cove Homeowners Association.

Yes, as is Jim. Apparently, Jim hit him with Rocky's truck at some point. The circumstances are never gone into, but he sued Jim and Juan based primarily on claiming that he had a back injury and other, as Jim calls them, unexerable injuries. Yes. I wonder how he was able to tote around that 10-pound metal detector with his ruptured vertebrae and pinched nerve.

So this guy, Calloway, has secured a $35,000 judgment against Jim, which, even not accounting for inflation. Yeah, yeah, that would not make me happy. And I kind of you know what? I actually should at some point figure out how much inflation is increased since we started. I think we looked at that recording a year ago and it was wild. Yeah. But what is this?

This is 70. This is 79. All right. Let's just do it. Let's just do this inflation. Nineteen seventy nine thirty five thousand. A hundred and fifty one thousand four hundred sixty one and seventy eight cents. That's that's a lot. Mm hmm. Well, Rocky is, I guess, the voice of reason.

Like you did hit them with the truck. There's nothing you. Mm-hmm. Oof. Well, Rocky is, I guess, the voice of reason. Like, you did hit them with the truck. There's nothing you can do about it. You got to move on. He does want to make Jim feel better by cooking him a better breakfast with eggs soft the way he likes them. I mean, we don't need to get into scrambled eggs unless you want to. But I'm on Team Jim on this one.

You want a nice soft scrambled egg. You don't want to to personally you want to go and slow on your scrambled eggs. Give them really light and fluffy That's the good way to do it Anyway as Rocky's reaching up in a cabinet to find maybe something to go with it like some of those English muffins he stumbles and starts to fall and Jim runs over and catches him and is in an emotion that I Have felt myself. I am so mad at you for doing the thing I told you not to do that put you at risk. Right. Yes.

Yes. Just sit down. Tension is running high in Jim. And I think we see that through this episode where everything's very, very close to the skin with him right now, which makes sense. But Jim's like, okay, you know what? I'm going to change my attitude. You're right.

He's like, from this day forward, said something about staying positive, taking steps forward, not backward. Let's go fishing. Let's just you and me. Let's go do it. Rocky starts to say no because of his leg in a cast and then sees Jim's face and goes, you know what? Great idea, Sonny. You go get those poles and reels. Jim goes to the door and leaves on a.

They can't hurt us anymore. We're on top of it now. Cut to. You all right? Immediately almost getting hit by Marriott Hartley in her seafoam green sedan as she screeches to a halt right in front of the trailer. Just got this great.

Yeah, I used to dodge cars for a living then I took to running over other people. It's not as profitable, but at least I get to do it sitting down. So yes, her character is Althea Morgan. She is the court appointed receiver to inventory his possessions. They want to know, can his business support a $35,000 judgment, or if they should recommend liquidation? Jim's, he's said this a couple times, he's had a bad year. Can this wait till after the first?

No, but it can wait till after a cup of coffee. And so Jim, extremely sarcastically, oh, well, I'm so sorry to be rude. I'll see if I can scrape some off the bottom of the pot. So Jim comes in, Rocky. Well, Sonny, they can't hurt us no more, can they? Oh, sure they can. They can? And then Althea comes in. She's coming. It's just a quick audit.

Jim obviously is unhappy, but the courts made his judgment. He lost. If he was the aggrieved party, he'd want to know about solvency too. She's just doing her job and he shows her the aggrieved party, busily digging away on the beach with a big shovel despite his back injuries. Yeah. There's another moment where Rocky almost falls. Jim is very close to losing it because they're both trying to get the door at the same time.

He makes Rocky sit down. both trying to get the door at the same time. He makes Rocky sit down. Jim is being summoned to a HOA meeting and he's being reminded to attend. You get the sense that maybe someone has told him about it like 30 times in the last day, right? Like you have to come to this. Now, okay, before we get into this,

cause I love this scene, I do want to mention, like, you know, we've said before that this is a one of our lost episodes We've we've watched it. It was fresh enough in my brain I didn't remember all the twists and turns in there whatever but like my notes I have this moment where I think in I think when she introduces herself She hands him her card or a card that says you can call the court to make sure I am Yeah, I see I am and my note, call the court, Jim, and then I realize, wait, I believe her.

I can't tell if I believe her. Like, is this, a court-appointed audit is exactly the kind of scam that would show up in a Rockford Files, right? It's the kind of thing he would do to get in the door somewhere. Right, yes, exactly. So this is a very, it just had, I just had this like moment of part of these like in the realm of the Rockford files, I should be suspicious, but I am not. Yeah. So yeah, I just wanted to comment upon that.

Like, I don't like this is the right thing to do. Give him the card. She probably also runs into this all the time, where someone tries to get her to not believe by saying they don't believe her or something. And then my other question before we get into this, because this is actually related to what we're getting into here. Do we think, okay, at one point,

when my parents were living in Wisconsin, they built a house in like an area where like a bunch of houses went up right right next to a bunch of farms and the farmers all Put up signs. So my parents didn't build their house They bought it but like it it was they bought it right after it was built Like, you know, like some developer built a bunch of houses the farmers all put up these signs and say you smell that That's what it smells like here or built a bunch of houses, the farmers all put up these signs that say, you smell that? That's what it smells like here. Because it's the budgetary farms and stuff like that.

Just to let people know, you know, they don't want people buying houses there that then try to use the authorities to stop the farms that were there to begin with from smelling like farms, right? I feel like there's something like that going on here with Jim in that like I don't know if When Jim moved here this community existed I I get the distinct feeling that they grew up around him not because of him But just it's prime locate. It's a prime location like Like, he just happens to be one of the first in the area. Yeah, it's not stated really.

And I think there's not like the Paradise Cove HOA is not a character that we've met before. Yeah, exactly. I mean, he has neighbors, right? And every so often there's a neighbor involved in this. I think they mention they mentioned something that was three years ago, but that's still more recent than the six years that Jim has been here. Yeah, that's a good I hadn't thought about that, but certainly possible. But yeah,

we'll get to the main bone of contention. So they're having their meeting. It's a it's outdoors and folding chairs with a little lectern. You love to see it. And there's a first order of business where C.C. Calloway, he's the head of the Keep the Cove Quiet Committee. When his name is called, there's exactly one person applauding and that turns out to be his nephew, Cliff. Oh, it's good business with Cliff. Good business with Cliff.

Anyway, he takes the stage to start off with. We're gonna get an image. Maybe. Okay, well we skipped over one, which was the expression on the faces here of Jim as he's trying to stop Rocky from breaking himself. Oh yeah. Yeah. Rocky's got a good expression there too. And then our villain of the piece here, C.C. All right. So the Keep the Cove Quiet committee has done a good job of keeping the surfers, dopers and acid heads off the beach.

But now there's some a new some new business. The problem of unnecessary and hazardous activity by the residents. And now I'm speaking of Mr. Rockford in particular. Callaway knows about this kind of stuff. He's an ex-sheriff and a former bodyguard of the mayor who he name drops, I think, in a manner of like, this is a famous person I'm associated with. Yeah. But he's been recording incidents around Rockford's trailer and adding time stamps as evidence.

So he plays a tape. So good. December 24th, Christmas Eve, 746. We end with with an explosion and he says, I think most of us remember when somebody placed three sticks of dynamite in Rockford's trailer that night. Like, I don't know, I'm remembering the time someone threw a grenade in his trailer. Like, yeah, I feel like these all map to other episodes if we really wanted to figure it out. The there is one moment in it, I think it's like during the second one, where Jim is, I suspect

Jim's counting out the gunshots, and that one. He's remembering them all. Somebody's getting shot at on all these and it's usually Jim. Jim gets up, he speaks at his defense. First of all, everyone knows that Calloway has been trying to get Jim kicked out of Paradise Cove. And forget what he says, but he's like, no, you're absolutely right, mister, or something like that.

Yeah, yeah. Nothing here is underhanded. This is all, you know, we all know what's going on here. At least one of those incidents was Jim saving another of the homeowners from robbers. Yeah. It's not all not all bad, I guess. Jim makes a specific point that Calloway, Calloway? Calloway.

Leave Erickson. The first European to set foot in America is also playing C.C. Calloway. Oh, Erickson, not Eric. Anyways, C.C. Calloway, he makes a note that C.C. Calloway, you know, he makes it, he makes a note that CC Calloway had time to record it, but didn't have time to keep somebody from being robbed. Yeah. Because CC makes a lot of hay about, uh, having been a sheriff. Was it sheriff? Yeah. Sheriff.

He's, he's constantly like trying to place people under arrest or just use this authority as, as a sheriff that he just isn't anymore. Callaway wants to put it to a vote to kick Jim out of the HOA and Althea stands up. Oh yes. She has a suggestion. Jim says that I don't need any help, but she blows right past him. You're all concerned about security.

How about you, the HOA hires Jim as a security officer for the Cove. You'll patrol. And if you contact your insurance companies, you'll see and see what a positive effect a regular security patrol will have on your premiums. And so there's a separate guy who's like the president of the HOA or whatever. Yeah. Like, how much will this cost us? And she's like, I think $200 a week is a fair price. I will point out that that would take Rockford

35 years to pay off his debt at 200 a week. Like I just like this doesn't solve Rockford's problem. You know, they'll have to set up some key stations and you'll have to carry a meter and punch in. I think they say, oh, we still have those from three years ago when we had a security service. Jim is irate. Carry a meter. But the the general body thinks it's a great idea.

And we see that Cece and Jim are the two disappointed faces for very different reasons. I think if she gives like the times when he should hit the meters. Let's say 10, 12, like 2 a.m. 8, 10, 12, and 2 a.m. No problem. I do appreciate, I mean, yes, this is to get our plot going, but also I appreciate how she is viewing herself. She is starting off from a position of like, I'm trying to help you. She's here to resolve a conflict, a financial problem. And she's like, no, I don't want to have to liquidate everything you've got. You know, like the way she approaches it is quite interesting because like as she's going through his books is like giving him tips on how to better run his business. Yeah, it's fun. It's fun. She does have it's in the first scene, but she does have a good quip about like,

you know, I'm sure you keep some kind of financial records, maybe scribbled on the back of the funny pages like she does have a good sense of humor. Yeah, which is great. So she's running the numbers on his desk. He's lying on the couch distraught. I just want to point out this chunky four pounder of a calculator I love it. I love it. I didn't screenshot it, but it is a good one with a different color keycaps

Yeah, yeah, it's I mean it doesn't do anything. I it probably has I think it has a tape. It doesn't it's not electronic Yeah, I think it's an adding machine kind of style. Yeah, so big and industrial and all it does is plus minus times maybe divide who knows. Yeah, she is using said chonker to run the numbers on this business. So there's a couple of things that happen here. One is we get Jim's response to her proposal. Why do you have to butt in? I don't want to be a security person and I make two hundred dollars a day, not a week. How much you making right now this instant?

How much you make yesterday? That's not the point. When I work, I make two hundred dollars a day plus expenses. The point is Mr. Rockford that you don't work a hell of a lot of the time. She says, look, you stay up a little later, you make some rounds and you generate a fixed income to cover your overhead. So yeah, she's not saying like this is going to solve all your problems, but right, an issue that I also feel deeply, which is, is there some kind

of recurring stable revenue that you can use that you depend on while you're having these big swings in your income from your, you know, your real business? And at this point, I'd like to thank our patrons. You know your real business and at this point I'd like to thank our patrons Patreon had existed. Yeah. Oh man. Can you imagine the Jim Rockford patreon? Hey everyone, this is Jim. Yeah What's up? Hey guys, what's up? Hey guys remember to ring that Bell Going out to Pasadena today. Oh my god.

Okay, so the Jim Rockford Patreon is just ride along videos of him and the firebird. It would make a million dollars a month. Every so often the phone, because of a turn he takes, just falls into the bottom and the rest of the video is just squealing tires and the gunshots that we heard. Oh, that would be so good. rest of the video is just squealing tires and the gunshots. It was a great response that Jim has to this where he's just like it lacks a certain romance that I've always associated with my kind of work and it's great. It is a lovely impractical line for him to draw in the sand right like he's like but one of the reasons why I do this job is because it has a certain romance to it right like

this is what I enjoy. This because I specifically don't carry a meter like that. Yes. Yeah. And the rest of that exchange is that she says romance belongs in the backseat of a convertible. Yes. And that is and Jim gives her a fun look. Yes. Like some of some of the facial expressions in this episode are excellent. And this is a moment I think where we see him be like, okay, you know, their chemistry starts to

twine out. The other bit here that will come back later kind of, she wants to know what this undescribed asset that he has on his book is of $2,000. And after some back and forth, he finally says it's a German made sound activated recorder with multi directional mics. And she says, so why is it undescribed? It's in Hock. So it should be an asset securing a loan. Yes. And he's like, it's in Hock. It's been been in Hawk for over a year and I don't think it's ever coming out of Hawk. So who cares how it's listed?

So yes, again, that conflict of like, here's how you should be running your business. And he's like, yeah, it's at the pawn shop. What do you want from me? Yeah. So two thousand dollars. So that's what a ten thousand plus dollar device. Right. Yeah. Today's money that he pawned because things are not great. And he needed the money. Oh, that is an expensive piece of equipment. Yeah.

The blow. Well, he's going to go out on patrol on his way out, says, and let me know if you find any assets with feathers on it. An awkward but evocative phrase. Yes. All right. He closes the door. She gives him a big. Yeah. A little raspberry. And then he goes, yeah, on the other side of the door. So we know they're going to get together is what I'm saying.

Yeah. We have a Jim punching in montage. Punching the clock. The image I had of him when you said that was like Jim like, oh, like, like doing some boxing moves. Like shadow boxing. to the work. Yeah No, no, he's he's doing his little however that meter works. Yeah, it's an extremely 70s device I think there's like keys stationed in different spots, and then he turned he used the key in his meter Yeah, that tracks the time probably right he was there so he can register that he was there.

He gives the meter to the insurance company and they record where he punched it, you know, whatever. You know, it's an app. It's just an app now. But at the time it's this big circular monstrosity that he has to carry on a shoulder strap. But yes, it comes upon our next villains, our set of three dudes digging by the hot dog stand Frank's Frank's Such a great name. It's a good name for a hot dog stand. No clown at this hot dog stand. Unfortunately, you'll Remember her way back. We had a good hot dog stand clown when he went to Vegas in one of us I was just remembering that no, it's just so good. No Billings was the taco. Yeah. Yeah Well these so these three guys see his flashlight kind of hide behind the corner of the stand when Jim comes close They jump out one wangs him in the stomach with the shovel

Awful. Yeah, and they jump into this like blue van Jim pursues. He jumps in the firebird There's a brief chase, but he's at a disadvantage and they manage to block him out of the like the driveway into the parking lot so that he goes crashing into the guard post that they began constructing. They get away and he's in the car slamming the steering wheel going dump, dump, dump, dump. And two things, and we see Callaway recording out the window. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So that's one thing. And the other is, this feels again like a very raw moment. There's absolutely no reason I should have let that happen. Right? He's been so disconcerted and discombobulated and frustrated. He didn't even do his actual job right. So it's not really that they got away necessarily.

It's that he let an amateur mistake basically take him out. Yeah, a slip up. A little slip up. Next morning is where we learned that that was in fact a guard post that was getting constructed. And Jim has a bit of banter with one of the construction guys where he says they go up we learned that that was in fact a guard post that was getting constructed and Jim has a bit of banter with one of the construction guys where he says, they go up slow, but they come down fast.

We see that the firebird is wrecked, like it didn't just crash. It's like totally busted. It's real. It's like it's like at a 90 degree of where it's supposed to be. The first of many spoilers. He talks to one of his neighbors who says that Cece's gonna have a field day with this. And Jim's like, you know, maybe, maybe he's right. You should just take a vote. If you don't want me here, you know, I'll leave.

Six years has been a good run. And he says, no, we don't want you to leave, Jim. The only thing wrong with you is you're in a kind of a strange business. Which I think is what you're getting to with like like they don't not like him. Yeah. Yeah In fact, yes got a dog with a Mac and he's like Mac and I like having you around and Mac Clearly does not right like having Jim. Oh, I see that there's a screenshot incoming. That's like the sign Oh the silence is golden side. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So everything has these like, please be quiet.

Silence is golden. The ions all over the place, which are clearly CC's work. Yeah. The guy does say you might want to think about paying for the rebuilt thing, the shack. And Jim says, Suze, I'm square with CC. That's my next big push. Althea arrives. Unfortunately, she has some bad news for Jim. He gets in her car while she, I guess, drives over to where his trailer is. Calloway called his lawyers and they petitioned the court

for an immediate liquidation, not least on the grounds of he's 77. Right. He could die. He's not going to wait around for this judgment, etc. Wait 35 years for it. The judge reconsidered and Althea is supposed to start pricing his assets for sale. She parks. Suddenly, Jim spills coffee on his pants. Oh, I'm sorry.

Oh, don't mention it. I was thinking about washing them anyway. All right. Jim calls our good friend, Dennis Becker. He's he's he's gotten mad and now now he's gonna try and do something about it. Dennis Becker, now a lieutenant per previous events. He has his own office. Oh, sent another image. The fit on this man is impeccable.

I don't know if he has Riz. I don't know if that's appropriate term. Right, right. No, but this is good. For Be. But like for like the maroon are those felt pants? Those look like felt pants to me. I mean they do they look they look they look soft Yeah, they do they do have the whole thing I mean obviously it's sewn room, but it's got like this really nice cushy chair and yeah, it's yeah And is the big tie? And yeah, it's yeah and is the big tie

It's so good lieutenant looks good on you Well, he but he wanted to see she was a sheriff who wanted to know if Dennis could dig anything up on him or help him out There is a our Billings appearance of the episode comes in with the report that Becker wanted. Hold on a minute. We Jim Here's a report you wanted, Lieutenant. Go get yourself a haircut. Yes, sir. Love to see it.

All right. The main thing with CC, who's involved in a shootout, this was in the 30s when he was an active, you know, sheriff. He's involved in the shootout where he took a slug in his spine. And Jim's like, oh, that could help me. in the shootout where he took a slug in his spine. And Jim's like, Oh, that could help me. That's like it was in the 30s. I don't know how many people you're going to get to testify. Yeah. Maybe I could get a doctor to dig it out of there

and show that he had an old injury or something. It's like, it's kind of a reach. But if it helps any, he also had this nickname back then. C.C. stood for come with the cash Calloway. Yeah. He was handed everyone's pockets, including politicians and crooks. Makes sense. Cut to the newspaper office with a voiceover of Angel. I got you here like you wanted. Where's my 50 bucks? And Jim, shut up, Angel. This is a good Angel episode, in case you're hoping for a good Angel episode. That's true. And he was in the preview montage, so. He was. Alright, so we're looking at the newspaper records. The story is there was a notorious bootlegger, I think Samuel Wing is the name that he has,

smuggling 50 cases of whiskey and associated money into California via the beach north of Malibu. Local vandals got wind of it and tried to take it on one particular night. The story, the news story is that C.C. Calloway was on patrol, heard gunfire and took a bullet in the back, quote, attempting to restore order. There was it was rumored that the smuggler worked only in Gold Bullion and the beach north of Malibu was known as Paradise Cove.

Angel, the treasure of Paradise Cove, we're going to be rich. as Paradise Cove. Angel, the treasure of Paradise Cove, we're gonna be rich. The moment gold is mentioned, Angel's entire, like the whole time he's like... Well he's complaining, he's like, when you say you're gonna pay gelt, you gotta pay gelt. That's how business works. But the moment gold is mentioned, Angel's 180. Yep. Jimmy's his best friend. We're gonna be rich. Jim says that was 50 years ago. He wants Angel to see if he can find any follow-up stories or anything else about Cece. In the newspaper, Jim's got to stop a woman from selling his trailer. Ends with, I'll see you at nine at the gangster name that I just didn't note. Yeah.

It comes up later. Ragland. It's pretty clear how that how it unfolds, but I just was like, oh, that's probably where they first mentioned this guy's name. Yeah. Same with me. I didn't catch it the first time around, but like figured that's exactly where. Yeah. So we cut to our shovel in the dirt. Our three ne'er do wells are digging under Frank's Franks again. Then we hear the squeal of poorly maintained machinery as Angel pulls up in his rusted out purple convertible. This car. I know nothing about cars, but this car is amazing. It's it's purple. It's rusty.

It's got fins. It's got fins. Well, I think he says it's a does he say it's rusty. It's got fins. It's got fins. Well, I think he says it's a 59. Oh yeah, something he does mention it later on. Yeah. Angel is clutching a newspaper to his chest, runs into the trailer. Jimmy, Jimmy, I said they never found it. And then he sees Althea in there and goes, they never found the picnic basket.

He clams up because there's someone else involved. Hathia's almost done. She offers to buy Jim a drink. He makes another wisecrack. Then he does apologize. I haven't been very much fun to be around. I know this hasn't been fun for you either. He has a date with five wooden posts. There's his rounds, but in about 15 minutes he can meet her at the sandcastle. So he leaves to do that.

Angel is still there, looks at her. I lost my picnic basket. I'm trying to paper train my parrot. I guess because he's holding newspaper. I don't know. Yeah, I guess so. But he goes out to talk to Jimmy He can't find him. He has to talk to him They never found it the gold is still down there

And then angel takes a shovel to the gut from around the corner of Frank's Frank's lots of good Setup, I guess what's the word I'm looking reincorporation. Mm-hmm Like the second time we've get the shovel here we get like digging is a theme that keeps coming up in it. Yeah, this is good stuff. Just good structural Yeah, things coming back like three times and yeah that kind of stuff. There's just enough of a question I think at first there's you know I have a little question like are these three guys connected to CC and I think it becomes pretty clear that they're not so now We're like, yeah. All right now we're on the lookout for the other interests and you know, yeah, it's pretty good good tension Speaking of pretty good

Jim starts swinging his time clock Around he uses his he gets at least he gets to use his meter as a weapon. Yeah This is all underscored by angels pathetic Jimmy Waiting huddled on the ground. But three on one, it's still too much for Jim. They managed to take him down and they run to their van. He runs and jumps in Angel's car and pursues. The back of the van is open and they dump a wheelchair and the wheelchair has a sign

as marked with the name of the hospital, Hill Haven Hospital, that does get in Jim's way, which is just enough to push his pursuit to the side and he goes right into the pile of construction stuff for the guard post yet again. Althea comes out, what are you doing? And Jim, this is from the preview montage, what does it look like? I'm on patrol and he shakes the meter at her. And then we see that CC is watching this whole thing unfold yet again.

It's time for us to take our traditional intermission as we all need a little break to head out to the lobby, take a little stretch, get a snack, a drink, reflect on what's come before and anticipate what's to come in this episode of the Rockford Files. We also like to take this time to remind you of where else you can find us on the internet. Epi, where can our listeners find you? Well, you can find me at my website dig1000holes.com. That's 1000 the number. Or you can find me as Epidia on the Macedon instance, Dice.Camp, or on Co-host.

Where can our listeners find you, Nathan? All of my games, zines, podcasts, projects, and other work are at NDPdesign.com. You can also find me at NDP on Co-host, and over on Instagram at NDPdesign.Games. And of course, you can always find this show, 200 a day, at 200aday.fireside.fm. And now we return to the continuing adventures of Jimmy Rocco. I think there's a commercial break here, and then we go right to Cliff telling Rockford to get in the cruiser, we're taking you in.

There's various neighbors and other passersby are assembling at the scene of the crash. Jim says to Cece, I always wondered about you and that metal detector. You think that there's some kind of buried treasure around here. Cece gives him a significant look. Yeah. And then he's like, waves off like, who told you to call the cops? He like, waves him off from doing that.

Um, Jim sees the hospital name on the wheelchair. Angel is still whining. Jimmy! Jimmy! Hey. Hi. Wanna come out now? Jimmy! Oh, they hit me. They to come out now? Jimmy!

Oh, they hit me. They hit me. Jimmy? Yeah, that's what it looked like to me, too. You okay? I don't know. Maybe I ought to talk to my attorney before I give a quick answer. Like balls his fist, like, ah, and then sees what happened.

Jimmy, you hurt Lucille. She's a collector's. It's like, my 59 Chevy, whatever. So funny. She's a collector's item It's like my 59 Chevy, whatever. Yeah. She's a collector's item. Yeah, you might collect about 50 bucks. Ask Althea to look up the hospital while CC and Cliff want to talk to Jim in here. And they go into the bathroom. They have good banter here.

Or Jim's basically letting CC know that he thinks he knows what Cece's up to. He likes to treasure hunt, etc. He says, we gotta talk, and Jim says, sure, but not right now. There's a couple things I want to run down first. It's like, well, if you won't talk, then I'm gonna take you in. Jim says he wouldn't get in that cruiser with you if you were giving away free ice cream. He knows Cece was on the take in the 30s, old come with the cash Calloway. And then we have the first of a couple standoffs with Cliff, the nephew.

I ain't afraid of you, mister. What has that got to do with anything? This is a real cannibalism. You go missing our deal here. I just might have to grind up your sombrero. I love Cliff. That first part of that exchange is so good where he's like, I ain't afraid. He keeps saying this throughout the episode. He has like 10 lines and six of them are, I ain't afraid of you. Yeah. And Jim's reaction to it was so good.

It's like we're playing different games here. Yeah. Yeah. That's not the moment we're having. What are you doing? Yeah. It's like you're you're trying to face me down and over here on the checkerboard and like I'm playing chess with Cece over here. Yeah. Yeah. It's similar to kind of how he like in in not in just a couple of guys, but in the first or in in the one where the couple of guys come to yeah la yeah where it's just like jim just is not intimidated by

these like yes the partying the partying guys it's a similar thing here where he's like i don't even have to fight with you yeah the only reason you're telling me you're not afraid of me is because you're afraid of me yeah oh so good jim says he's through fooling around if you or your pet squirrel here get in his way Gonna end up carry it carried out on a stretcher He leaves and we have a brief moment with cliff and cc where cliff says he knows and cc's like, I don't know But even if he does i'm the only one who knows where I think I think he says and he's not going to figure it out In 24 hours, which i'm not sure where that number comes from. I guess I guess he says and he's not gonna figure it out in 24 hours. Yeah, I'm not sure where that number comes from I guess I guess that's how we're gonna liquidate his assets. So yeah, okay

That's probably what it's either that or like Jim said he would come back on tomorrow or something. Yeah, or something like that Yeah, no, you're right. So Jim Angel and Althea to the hospital Just three great tastes that go great together here. This is so good. I tried to find the most representative set of facial expressions. Yeah. I think I did a pretty good job. Oh, that is good.

So in this scene, Althea is, it cannot contain her excitement. She is just absolutely giggling. One thing, like in the previous scene where Jim is like, look up this hospital, that's the moment she's roped into it, right? Yeah. That's when she's in. And her job, to be fair, is investigatory, right? Like that's a thing that she's doing an audit. Yeah, that's a skill that she has.

Yeah. So this is in her wheelhouse, but it's got the romance Talking about complicated only by sticking angel in between them Yes, and she cannot contain herself and it's it's infectious right like yeah, just you excited to it's so funny And part of it is that she's laughing like she's cracking up Yeah And it's great because both Jim and Angel are being the straight man, like in their own way. And then she gets to have fun and a little bit.

I wonder if she's breaking a little bit, like a little bit seems like. Right. Seems like Mariette is having just a ball in this scene. So, you know, yeah. So it's infectious to us as watchers, like that there's a lot of fun happening mainly through the great Jim and Angel banter. Listen, I got a plan. I listen to this, Jimmy, you and the skirt, you're going inside, you prowl around, see if you can find this guy. I'll take up the point here and I'll guard your back. The guarding my back means taking off at the slightest hint of trouble.

As per our previous episode, 100% fair. Yep. We end with Jim insisting that they both stay there in the car and stay here. I mean, stay here. He gets out and we go into our gag from the preview montage. He's a sucker. Yeah, but he's a nice sucker. Yep.

I love, I love how angry Angel is throughout this episode like he says the gold He just wants the gold he sees it Jimmy can't keep his eye on the prize In the hospital, there's a really great piece of camera work as Jim comes up to this to like the reception counter Yeah, we go to a reverse shot that pulls back to show a vaguely familiar custodian Who we I think pretty soon recognizes one of the goons from the beach who is like, you know, working hears Jim's voice, peeks around the corner and sees him and then ducks back.

And so we know he's overhearing this conversation when we cut back to the close shot with Jim, which is fantastic. Jim is talking to a nurse who could not care less. Just just couldn't. Yeah. Um, it's a nice twist on how Jim, you know, Jim barely even has, he doesn't even have to lie. Like he basically could have been like, Hey, can I see what patients are here? And she probably would have been like, sure. But he has this whole line. Yeah. Pretty grim too. I like, I don't remember the exact thing of it, but it's

basically he's, he wants to get his dad committed. I guess it's a mental. Committed. Yeah. So he wants to get his dad committed, but he can't convince him to go to the hospital. So he wants to see if one of his dad's friends who he thought might have come here is here because I could be like to convince him to visit and that could get him in the door. First step over the threshold. And then she's like to commit him.

He's like, well, I was trying to put it a little bit more delicately. She just goes, sure. And he didn't even have to run a con. Oh, it's so good. And yes, he in fact finds the name, a name that he recognizes Roscoe Ragland. And we know that because his finger stops next to Roscoe Ragland while he says, I don't recognize any of these. Well, thanks for your time and heads out to the other part of the hospital where he finds this this Ragland fellow. So he was involved with the shootout in Paradise Cove, right?

I guess it's implied. I don't remember if it's in the story. He was like the goon that that tried to take the gold or whatever from the from the bootlegger, I think. So, you know, this is a very brief scene with a man in a bed who says two words, which are hot dog dog. But he he seemed familiar. So I looked him up. He's a character actor named Peter Bracco, who has been in a million things. However, we are this is our last appearance of Peter Bracco on our show. He's unaccredited in this appearance, unfortunately, but he was also in Gear Jammers Part 1 and he was in White on White and Nearly Perfect, which means that he might have the most 100

out of 100 minor appearances ratio of episodes that we like. Yeah. To total episodes. I mean, we like all the episodes, but I mean, come on. Yeah, no, that's a good, that's a good, that's a good resume. Yeah. So Jim's like, what about Samuel Wing? What about the treasure? Do you remember about the treasure? We go out to the hallway where we see our three goons all in their like orderly outfits basically. So we know clearly they're all here from they all work together at this hospital. It's the same Goomba from the beach. This one another real can of this dude's gonna spit in our

hole. A turn of phrase which is I wouldn't say it hasn't aged well but it has aged differently. Yeah, yeah. It means something now where it probably meant nothing then. Dave- It meant the same thing as grind up your sombrero. Jim- Yeah, yeah, or climb your tree. Dave- Yeah, exactly. Jim- Feed me an ice cream sandwich. Dave- Exactly. Jim is asking, where's the gold? And yeah, we get the mumbled hot dog, hot dog. And then the three guys come in.

Jim responds instantaneously, manages to get a good punch in and run out the doorway they pursue. This is, I think, the second time because he was also running. He's been running earlier to run to his car and stuff. So I think this is, you know, one of my many notes of, oh, your knees as we watch running through these hallways. Yeah, a pretty pretty hard one to watch because of that. Like, he's he doesn't make it look hard.

You just feel for him. They pursue him down to the parking lot where they jump in an ambulance, jumps in Althea's car. This is a part where I'm like, these guys are being really aggressive. But I guess part of it is for comic effect. And I think part of it is to show that they are not smart. Right. So he backs up and then the ambulance shoots at them and rams into the passenger side corner of Althea's car. Well, she yells, but they're not out of commission.

He's able to push the ambulance into a dumpster and get out of there while and I'll cut this in just because of the sheer rage in Jim's voice. Oh, you did it again! Yeah, it's so good. I think hearing the clip, you hear the emotion that he is. Yeah, yeah. Oh, it's so good. He is so frustrated in this episode. Yeah, like he is now over three on things he should be good at,

which is car chase. Yeah. We cut to a older map of the area where Jim is looking at it with Althea, Rocky and Angel saying, well, here's where the sandcastle is now. There's not much on the beach from that time. There is a structure here right where my trailer is now. There's not much on the beach from that time. There is this structure here right where my trailer is now. It's too small to be a house, maybe a food stand. And then the three of them all go hot dogs at the same time.

And Rocky says hot dogs. This time of night, I was thinking about maybe some coffee and ice cream. Yes. Big vibes from Rocky. Well, this this scene's got good lines from Rocky good lines from angel good lines from Althea Yeah, it's just good across the board. Rocky does want to lie down and Jim sends him to his bed He does say like I'm gonna go home and just like no no stay here I thought maybe there'd be something important or relevant about Rocky like I mean, I mean they need this truck

They do need his truck. That's true Right, but that's about the extent of yeah, but angel old Joe moves like a cat Can't tell if he's being sarcastic or not Yeah, the three mop swingers have been digging under Frank's Frank's Frank's but that wasn't here in the 30s Obviously Althea. Are you trying to say that you think your trailer is over the gold? Did you hear what I just said? In a quiet, reasonable voice, I just asked if your trailer was over gold. Bullion, oh, I think I'm going a little crazy. I think I need some air. She, yeah, her descent into the romance is complete.

There's also a good bit in here where I think is Angel. Angel's like, what do you think, Jimmy? You're thinking about something. What do you think, Jimmy? What do you think? And then he starts quoting the treasure of the Sierra Madre. Yes. Good movie. But yeah, this is the score. This is the big one. It's so good.

Jim refers to how everyone at the end of that movie gets, you know, gets a bullet in them. Yes. But he says they should sleep on it. Invites Althea to go for a walk. Angel. Nobody leaves here without me. Jim just kind of rolls his eyes and they leave and Angel hesitates and then says, someone should stay to keep an eye on old Joe. And then says someone should stay to keep an eye on old Joe There's also this this uh, what is the angel is something about what they're gonna do with our gold Makes me want to puke. Yeah

He already owns. Yep. Yep. Yeah, we go out and have our emotional heart of the episode with Jim and Althea as they wander past the yard of smashed up cars that Jim has generated over the course of the episode. She says, I come out here looking for a deadbeat and I find treasure. And he says, alleged treasure. They have a little bit of discussion. It's hard to believe there's gold down there. Maybe it's just a story. Maybe it was paved over a long time ago, but it could be there. They walk arm in arm with romantic harmonica.

As Althea says, you know, you can't forestall the court. They're going to sell everything you own and Jim. Well, I've been here for six years. Maybe it's time to move on. And I think that that hit me unexpectedly just because, like, of the arc of our show and knowing this is the last season, like when this was written, they probably didn't know they only had half a season, you know, etc. And yeah, it just feels like a little bit of a not ominous, but a little prophetic. Yeah, yeah. No, it's good. It's good. There's another good line she has in here where she's

like, you know what the best part was? Hitting that ambulance. Yeah, yeah, she's got a taste for it. Althea believes him. She thinks he was faking and the court was wrong. Mm-hmm. And he appreciates that and says that, uh, well, you came out here is all cold and crisp, but now you're a soft touch. Well, maybe you hit me at the right time. Maybe I'm ready for a treasure hunt this time of my life. She had five years of business school. Parents starve to put her through it. Every moment has to count and pay off.

And not a lot of fun for a little Althea. Jim listens with a, like, I know exactly what you're saying kind of attitude. Like, I hear you coming into my world. Yes. But, you know, he's sympathetic. Like, it's a good moment. They're they're tender together. And that leads up to the best part was hitting the ambulance. And that's when they go in for the big kiss.

She asked, what was that for? You hunt your kind of treasure and I'll hunt mine. A true romantic and not a convertible in sight. And that's interrupted by Angel yelling, Jimmy, Jimmy. Of course, it's aici on the phone. He wants to talk to Jim. We cut to Cici's end of the conversation where we see him loading a pistol while we say, I'm going to park under the bridge. No lights. Come alone. Wonderful Rockford response really encapsulates the character. Perfect little bit of the show where do you get that stuff the late show I'll see you at the sandcastle in ten minutes both CC

and cliff are like they're selling themselves as big villains and Jim just no sells them right every step of the way just like no come on just like I've dealt with the real version of what you are trying to be. Yeah. Who you think you are. All right. We have our big not really a showdown, but our big confrontation with C.C. at the sand castle. Cliff comes in with him more banter with Cliff about how he's not scared of Jim. I think he ends with like, you're not you don't scare me. And Jim says, sure, I do.

Yeah. And C.C. sends him back to make sure no one takes off with the cruiser. So now that the adults are talking, Jim knows about the gold bullion. He knows where it is. It's under his trailer. CC is like, what are you talking about? Like trying to kind of draw him out a little bit. Jim shares the story that I think he has put together, which of course is confirmed by CC's reaction, that CC was on the take

with this with Ragland and his crew, and he wasn't just happening upon the this this this throwdown, he was working security. CC says, well, statue limitations run out. So who cares if I was working security? Yeah, Jim has a deal. I don't want the treasure, you can have the treasure. I'll move my trailer. You can go for it in exchange for a signed withdrawal of his complaint in the lawsuit and an affidavit that he doesn't have a back injury. You know, has no grounds to sue Jim. Yeah. And 10% of the treasure if he finds anything. CC takes the deal. You move the trailer. I'll be there at 2 a.m. with the pickaxes and anything. Cece takes the deal. You move the trailer.

I'll be there at 2 a.m. with the pickaxes and Jim. And I'll bring that for David and cucumber sandwiches. A real comedian. So good to Rocky backing up the truck. And I think this is the first time we've seen the trailer get moved in the show. I think so. I was trying to think of that, too, because, I mean, obviously this is one of our last episodes. So I do remember the trailer being moved, but probably

might be from this one. Yeah. Yeah. Again, someone will probably remind us if we're forgetting one of the other events. But yeah, yeah, it's so you know, iconic. Love that they can move the trailer with Rocky's truck. So good. I also like how the I know you call it, but the the thing that he has to to whine to screw in the hitch like seems really like rusty, like hard to move. It's good. Inside Jim is loading a shotgun. That's what it looks like. And I guess he picked up one of those at some point. Heavy artillery he doesn't normally have. Takes the pistol out of his cookie.

I wrote down out of his cookie gun. Takes the pistol out of his cookie jar. He wants Althea to witness the signature and then her and Angel to leave with Rocky, get in his truck and go to Rocky's. Angel isn't leaving without the treasure. Jim's like, there's not going to be treasure. You know, there's some back and forth here until Jim shows him the affidavit that he's having Cece sign or he gets the gold and Angel can't believe it.

I'm staying, Jim. No, you're all right. You want me to witness that? I'll witness it if you promise me I can stay. Well, well, well. We got the honey all hotted up, didn't we? You're chasing the skirts and you're not concentrating on the gold. You end up giving it all the way to this loony tune sheriff. I'm staying anyway. I'm staying too, sonny. Well, you can count me out. Althea is not leaving and Rocky's not leaving either.

Yeah. So she's supposed to come back in the trailer right after the deal is done. Rocky is supposed to stay at the payphone so he can call the police in case something happens. We have atmospheric fog as Cece and Cliff arrive. Yeah, my notes are like, a lantern in the fog. This is great. The fog machine off camera is really, really putting in the work. I too have a note about it being iconic. Doing paperwork by Lantern Light. Now that that's the Rockford files. Here we go. Yeah.

Oh, it's a good image. Got the fog. Oh, even Cliff looks good in this image. Yeah, he's holding the shovels. So good. So there's a gag here that gets paid off later, where CC's bent over signing his affidavit. He glances up, Althea standing there, and when he gets up, he says, you got great legs. Right. And she says, how sweet of you to notice, sarcastically.

Jim is staying to keep an eye on his interests. Well, then you swing a pick. Jim is staying to keep an eye on his interests. Well, then you swing a pick CC had something is is at some point his Metal detector had detected something underneath the trailer and he put a nail in the asphalt So he finds the nail Like how all this is also a long con for CC to get Rockford out of there You know that he could dig up and get the treasure, right? The whole keep the cove quiet campaign is probably just to get Rockford out so you can dig up the treasure, right? The whole keep the cove quiet campaign is probably just to get rock bird out so you can dig up the treasure.

Right. Exactly. Um, so they start start picking away, but then they hear some other noises and those three guys are digging at the hot dog stand again. Cece's like, I will scare them away. I'll give them the spotlight. Uh, it seems like you haven't seen these guys. I forget what he says. Like you haven't seen them in action or something.

And Cliff, I ain't scared of these guys, Mr. Cliff just ain't scared of anyone. Jim tells Cece not to do anything stupid, but they get in the in his his old cruiser and go over there. He spotlights them and yells that they're under arrest and they start shooting with like an automatic rifle. Yes. It's like it goes like full auto shooting at at CC. It takes shelter behind the cruiser.

I was like, ah, this escalated quickly. Yeah. But then they pull out and get it. I think this is the third different unmarked ambulance that they've used to come do this. So they pull out Jim jumps to the driver's seat of Cece's cruiser, chases him down, finally gets him on the right side, bumps him off the there's like a little bridge over a gully or something, bumps him off, they fall down into the into the water and they are finally taken down by Jim's superior driving and Jim with the most gut felt. I did it. You see that? I finally caught him. I finally caught him!

Where are these men at prison as a sheriff? Carl Cote and Calloway of Malibu. Ex-Sheriff Calloway. Yes. Cut two shots of gold bars with Cece's voice, I've been rooked. It's day, there's bystanders, there's cops. There's a guy in army fatigues handing these bars one by one out of the out of a. Sure enough, there's gold bullion in boxes. Yeah. I don't care what the government says.

I've been waiting 50 years for that gold and it's mine. Jim, you got to help me. It's your 10 percent. So Althea explains again. The gold was stolen by the bootlegger from a military vault. So it's theirs, not yours. I love Angel is. How do you think I feel? I got 50% and 10% of nothing, not a nyenthing. You have two options. You have a painless 2% or you get 50% and 10% of nothing. Those

are your two options with Angel. 50 years of climbing up and down sand dunes. Look at it this way, Cheryl. All that exercise wasn't a total waste. You got great legs. If the government decides to pony up a finder's fee, Jim will get 10% of that, and that'll be enough to clear up his debts. So we guess it's Jim's lucky day.

It is not stated that this is what happens, but, you know, Jim seems relatively solvent in the next couple episodes. So maybe that's how it goes down. Yeah, we're looking up. Althea is saying me too. It is also her lucky day. Asked to stay the weekend. He thinks that's a good idea. And they have some, I don't know, double entendre banter here. We can dig for something more reasonable, like clams.

I cook them in lemon and butter. Mm hmm. Sounds delicious. They stroll arm in arm as Jim says, I'm off my cold streak. They can't hurt us now. As we see the army truck back up directly into the front corner of Rocky's truck. Yeah. Jim and Althea come around the, you know, come into the gap between the two cars. He gives a distraught frown. She gives a big grin and we freeze frame on the two of them watching Jim never get a real break. End of episode. Yeah, that was a fun one. Quite,

quite enjoyed it. I do like the key. He he makes that scene comment at the beginning, right? They can't hurt me now. They can't hurt me. Yeah, they can't hurt us now because he's talking to Rocky in that first scene. Yeah, yeah. And of course they can. They can always reach out to Jim. You can always get your Jim. Yeah. Marriott Hartley got a Emmy nomination for this episode.

Oh, really? Yeah, that's good. Well deserved. I love to see it. The classic cast, just 110% every moment that they're on screen. We missed it, but there was this one line where I don't remember what Angel says, but he's somewhat threatening to Jim and Rocky's like, old Joe will stove your head in. Yeah, yeah. It's good. It's good. Yeah.

Yeah. Great angel. Great rocky. The we get only just like a tiny, tiny look into Dennis's new life, but I love it. Absolutely love it. But he looks like he's thriving. So yeah, I mean, it tells Billings to get a haircut, like in there like get a haircut Billings. Yeah, this is a high a high Rockford ishness episode as you would expect I think but yeah, just like it's really satisfying really fun You know has a lot of twists on the formula I would say if I were a reviewer at the time and thought that the Rockford Files

Were over five seasons in mm-hmm. I would I would absolutely call this a triumphant return Like that that's how I would like if it had been up in the air and they're like guess what Rockford Files is coming back I'd be like great. You did it. You see this episode. You're like, yes the Rockford Files are back. Yeah Yeah, I mean season six again We still have I think we have we have one more episode of season six before we get into our last episode So season six may we'll talk about it after that one, but it's a yeah, I mean, I don't know they're all good episodes but Yeah, I mean, I don't know they're all good episodes but

Season six is bangers. I mean we go from this one The next one is the Lauren Bacall one lions tigers monkeys and dogs also got an Emmy nomination for that role Oh, yeah, the Megan Doherty one return is in this one the Lance white sequel is in season six. Yeah Hawaiian Hawaiian headache where they go to Hawaii. Super fun. Yeah. So the next episode, just a couple of guys, which is interesting. If not, not great. Yeah. Just a lot of bangers in this episode or in this season. Yeah. Yeah. It is fairly straightforward in that it doesn't have like there's not like a lot of story stuff that we had to pick apart.

Right. Yeah, yeah, we weren't too wrapped up in the mystery, which is good, I think, for this. This is a romp thing. Yeah, it's a romp. I think there's a there's a little bit of mystery of like, what's the relationship of these of these? Treasure hunters. Yeah. But also it's a good like again, classic Rockford good script feature where we have that third interest that complicates the story. Yeah. It's not just Jim versus C.C.

Because we see how Jim and C.C. get on the same side at the end. Right. And then they still have a confrontation with those guys. So that's it's good. It just keeps the keeps the action going, keeps the pace up. Yeah, high, high quality, but not a whole lot of like additional commentary, I think that I have. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's tightly written.

I feel I like a story where the hero like survives because they're just a little bit smarter than the than all the other highly motivated idiots in the story. That's basically what happens here, right? Highly motivated idiots is a good, I don't know what that's the title of, but it's a good title of something. Because that's essentially what's happening here, is that none of them are in possession of all of the details, and Jim is like, I'm just going to Jim is like I'm just gonna I'm just gonna put together I'm just gonna figure out what's happening and then once I figure out what's happening I'll make my play you get this feeling from from the

where he sells the gold to CC for the affidavit that Jim already knows there's yes matter like nobody's getting gold yeah he's like I'm Jim Rockford. Nobody gets the gold Yeah, yeah, I've been through this a number of times and nobody gets the gold So how do I use the promise of the gold to get what I want? Which is you not to sue me So yeah, and that's great and you know, it doesn't it comes across in the moment as a legit thing, right? Like he's he's like I just want out from underneath this debt So I will give it to you to get out from underneath this debt I feel like he's happy either way right like yeah, because if CC honors the 10% that's free money. Yeah

Yeah, and if CC doesn't get to keep the gold that's fine. Cuz that wasn't yeah. Yeah is good stuff. Um doesn't get to keep the gold. That's fine, because that wasn't the. Yeah. Yeah, it is good stuff. So we have one more regular season episode, which will be our next episode, season six, episode eight, the return of Rita Katkivic in No Fault Affair. Nice. And after that, we get into our movie pilot first episode finale sequence. Yeah. Can you believe it?

We are we're dangerously close to watching some Rockford Files that I may have never seen. I don't think I've seen the final movie and I'm not entirely sure if I finished season six. I don't think I watched the finale. Yeah, I did not. So, yeah, that's very exciting. We will also have our draft episode in there somewhere. We still need to work out exactly where we want to put that and record it. And maybe some other special. There might be another special thing or two along the way.

But yeah, our our penultimate, our penultimate regular season episode before we get into our finale chunk. Yes. Oh, I'm looking forward to it, though. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, good stuff. regular season episode before we get into our finale chunk of the show. Oh, I'm looking forward to it though. Yeah, yeah. Oh, good stuff. Okay, well, I think that that puts a... We found the buried treasure.

Yeah, that puts a nail in the asphalt underneath our trail. Yes, that's a good one. I like it. But we still get to say it. We'll be back next time to talk about another episode of The Rockford Files.