User Reviews

Fascinating decision to give a husband and wife team of "freeway thieves" no audio dialogue, a frat boy hearse chase, the search for a missing kid, Ponch asked by his once disapproving principal at Polytech to speak on "career day" in an auditorium, and Jon having to throw around the word jail in order to convince models and their on- a-deadline photographer to leave because they are causing traffic to build up on the freeway all make up a busy plot in this lively episode of CHiPs. So the thieves move in two vehicles, the wife in a car and the husband in a van. The van is left on the side of the freeway as the husband sneaks down to an unoccupied home in a suburb, cutting a fence and crowbar-opening the back door. After wrecking his bike because he didn't park it properly, Ponch avoids desk duty by joining a chopper cop to patrol from the sky! He helps to find a child who embarked on an odyssey from home, winding up a great deal distant. Jon's talk with the kid is endearing. The hearse chase, as a coffin slides out causing a near traffic pileup containing a frat goof, is one of those surreal scenes that comment on just how unpredictable the bike patrol can be on the highways of California. The wonderful character actor, Richard Deacon, has quite the amusing part as Ponch's former principal. Deacon causing Ponch to get all nervous and uncomfortable is hilarious. As is often the case, Getraer must scold Ponch once again, this time regarding the wrecked bike debacle. Despite being a subplot that is established as the chief crime the patrol will have to undermine, the freeway thieves get just enough emphasis for the nifty freeway chase at the very end. Ponch's speech at the end, which initially is accosted by his inability to speak (stage fright!), receives an assist as Jon gets him going, only for blather and exaggeration to take over, with him boring the audience! Once again, the show's setting of action is a star in itself: getting away from being cooped up in buildings where the cast work on studio sets, the highways of California and all the stops along LA among other places is refreshing. Ponch the butt of jokes and Jon often either embarrassed by him or taking him is stride never grows old. Neither does Getraer having to endure another day of Ponch's messing up as only he can.