Rockford/Beth relationship
Lizzie Hayes
In article <19970908152...@ladder01.news.aol.com>, JStrongbow
<jstro...@aol.com> writes
>Having not seen all Rockford episodes, I am ignorant of certain details.
>Is there in fact an episode, or episodes where Jim and Beth become lovers?
>Someone told me this but had no other facts to support the contention.
>I was also told that in a later Rockford movie, Beth returns seeking his
>help, and she is married. (Not to Jimbo)
>I saw one episode where she declares her love for him, and tells him she
>waited for him to pop the question, or declare his love for her, and when
>it never happened she settled for 'friends'. It seems to me that he uses
>her for legal assistance, and if he got involved with her it would change
>the dynamic of the relationship and he could no longer use her in a 'legal'
>capacity.
>Does anyone have the answers?
>Also, another thing that bugs me is that no matter how many times Jim
>saves the day, captures the criminal, doesn't take credit, gives credit to
>the police, solves crimes FOR the police, etc., he never gets any respect
>from the police. Even his friend Dennis treats him like a pest, and he's
>save Dennis's bacon from the fire on many many occasions. Is this just the
>way the writers were told to write? Or do the cops hate Rockford not
>because he's a pest, or a scummy PI, but because he does their job better
>than they do?
>In Seattle now, they air Rockford only at 4:00 AM, but the good thing is
>it is 7 days a week! My schedule is a little weird. I must resemble a
>zombie during the workday.
>
"They only air Rockford at 4.00am". Lucky you, we haven't had a Rockford
episode on air for years. Don't knock 4am, I'd be estatic!
--
Lizzie Hayes
JStrongbow
Dtrain3434
In article <19970908152...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
jstro...@aol.com (JStrongbow) writes:
>Also, another thing that bugs me is that no matter how many times Jim
>saves the day, captures the criminal, doesn't take credit, gives credit to
>the police, solves crimes FOR the police, etc., he never gets any respect
>from the police. Even his friend Dennis treats him like a pest, and he's
>save Dennis's bacon from the fire on many many occasions. Is this just the
>way the writers were told to write? Or do the cops hate Rockford not
>because he's a pest, or a scummy PI, but because he does their job better
>than they do?
I think this is simply a plot device. In a way, if the police thought Jim was
a great guy, they'd act on all his tips, put their superior manpower on the
job and solve the case without him. If they disbelieve him because of this
ongoing distaste, it allows the writers to put him in situations that normally
would be police calls.
Plus, there have been instances on the show where Jim blatantly uses the
cops. Once, he arranges a dangerous exchange in an area where he knows
Dennis will be part of an elaborate stakeout, so that he'll be recognized and
help in case of trouble. Of course, that eventuates and Dennis rips him for
blowing a three-week long undercover operation. So, there is some data
to back up the cops distaste for Jim, though, you're right, probably not
enough to justify the weekly hatred the writers put into the show.
-Dave
James Downhour
JStrongbow <jstro...@aol.com> wrote in article
<19970908152...@ladder01.news.aol.com>...
> Is there in fact an episode, or episodes where Jim and Beth become
lovers?
> Someone told me this but had no other facts to support the contention.
> I was also told that in a later Rockford movie, Beth returns seeking his
> help, and she is married. (Not to Jimbo)
I am not sure of their pre-show history, but I don't think that during the
show that Jim and Beth ever became any more than friends.
In "The Rockford Files: If the Frame Fits," Jim once again gets in trouble
with the police and has Dennis call in Beth. By that time, Beth has
stopped practicing law (although she still holds her law degree and is
current with the bar) and is a professional writter. She is also married
to another gentleman (named VanDamme). We later learn in the movie that
Jim and Beth have not spoken in a wile (years) because Beth had asked Jim
to read her first book and when he did, he did not like it, and didn't know
how to tell her.