User Reviews

This episode starts off with a comic scene between Starsky and Hutch who are trying do deal with Starsky's car that won't move and is blocking traffic. But after that this episode is dead serious. Even the unshakable Captain Dobey is badly shaken up as they all find out about the cop who was killed and where he was found and in what circumstances.

This episode is obviously meant to break ground and educate, with the theme being gay men, and of course also entertain. It has solid writing and solid acting, but for me the stand out was the director. He really did an outstanding job. Some of the scenes are superbly laid out and shot. The episode never drags at all except for when the drag queen is on the screen. I found that character very grating and just wanted him to leave as soon as possible. Without that character I would have given this episode a higher rating.

The closing "tag scene" right before the credits at the end explores the theme of the episode as experienced between Starsky and Hutch and I won't tell you what conclusion they come to as to their relationship.

Police Captain John Blaine (Art Fleming), the epitome of machismo to all the other guys on the force and a distinguished veteran of 20 years, is found dead in an ultra seedy no-tell hotel/drug den. Thus a bright light burns out in a dark corner.

The circumstances are far from flattering and it is clear he was murdered whilst intoxicated. A notorious male prostitute was seen with him there and picking him up at a nearby gay bar beforehand. Unless people who care intercede, the way Blaine was found will be the only issue rather than if he was murdered and who might have done it and why.

Detectives Ken Hutchinson (David Soul) and David Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser), friends of Blaine, of course plead with their superior Police Captain Dobey (Bernie Hamilton) to be given the case to try to sort things out not only in the interest of justice but for the sake of the reputation of a man they respected and worked with for years.

They come to realize there was a lot about Blaine they never knew and begin to question their attitudes and perceptions. By the time they apprehend the most obvious suspect they are ready to focus on whether they got the guy who really did it. They also begin to factor in what else may have been going on at the hotel - a place where even the cockroaches probably had some kind of a racket cooking.

But the police department wants to bury the case altogether, mostly for superficial reasons rather than insidious ones. Nevertheless Starsky and Hutch soldier on not only without the cooperation of the rest of the department but likely with little enthusiasm from the network and sponsors for exploring what remains controversial subject matter.

This more serious episode was ahead of its time in its choice of subject matter which is something the series almost never was. The depiction of gay people here might be deemed offensive by those that object to them being portrayed as every different kind of bland.

Homosexuality is handled very well in this perfect episode.

The director of sutton roley is so perfect, the story is beatiful handled.

This convoluted episode is filmed by Sutton Roley mainly from behind swinging wood and sequin curtains. If you are motion-sickness sensitive, this is your trigger warning. Because of that, I had to put my hands up to cover the screen over 50% of the show. It is that bad! Also the camera lingers on those wildly swinging beads, after people have exited through them. It's not artsy, it's overkill. This is as bad to me as flashing lights commercials are to those prone to seizures. The little of what I listened to with my hands up and watched of the episode was unremarkable. No humor here. Best to skip it. I now understand why many countries in Europe just said no to this one. Let's hope we can go back to the fun and the quality of Murder on Voodoo Island. It was the best! As Papa Theodore said it best: Boombaya Bombay!