Local Man Eaten by Newspaper
JJ
Newspaper' is maybe the worst Rockford episode that I've seen to
date. In fact, season 5 in general seems to pretty poor.
This particular episode had: Rockford taking a job as a tabloid
reporter to dig up some clues (sorry, at $200 a day, I'm just not
buying it). Comically generic 'mob guys' in the role of bad guy. But
the topper to this stinkfest was Coop trying to look cool and just
looking like a really poor actor, smirking and slouching his way
through each scene. Why was he even in the episode?
RNeill
doesn't bother me, though. It's the angst-ridden gangster family I find
unbearable.
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AlbertClarkson
Agree. Jaunita off her game in this ep. Rose Gregorio (misspelled by
Ed Robertson in the ep guest cast as "Gregorrio" on p. 164 of the 1995
edition of "The Rockford Files") is one terrific character actress,
and she tries valiantly in "Local Man" but the weird, unintendedly
funny character role does her in. She is superb in a fine movie, "True
Confessions," screenplay by Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne, in
which she plays an aging hooker and stands out in her acting
performance in a cast that includes DeNiro, Duval, and the great
character actor, Charles Durning, an actor I think no one has ever
upstaged in a scene--he's one of those actors you're always looking at
in a scene no matter who else is in it with him. Anyway, as I recall,
she and Durning don't appear together in any scene in "True
Confessions"--I guess wisely since these two character actors are so
good that pairing them in a scene might cause professional injury to
lead actors.
BAH
wrote:
>I agree that this is one of the tougher TRF episodes to sit through. Coop
>doesn't bother me, though. It's the angst-ridden gangster family I find
>unbearable.
Agreed. The plot was completely unbelievable, as were the scenes
themselves. C'mon, why would any newspaper, even a rag, have a
bodyguard standing by in the newsroom?
Garner's Rockford saved this episode. If not for his clever lines and
acting, it would be a complete waste.
Nothing worse than a wimpy, hen-pecked gangster.
Brian
wrote:
The one that bothered me was the episode where Rockford was on a date
with Coop's sister and she was raped by the motorcycle gang.
Adam H. Kerman
>The one that bothered me was the episode where Rockford was on a date
>with Coop's sister and she was raped by the motorcycle gang.
"The Return of the Black Shadow"
I agree with you. That was merely a typical potboiler, a poorly done
revenge for victimization story unworthy of "The Rockford Files". It
really had nothing to do with Coop's character.
I'm one of the few who doesn't like "The Jersey Bounce" either, so I'm
three for three on the episodes with Coop. I like portions of the
episode, especially Sorrell Brook's scenes, but the plot is awful. I
cannot stand the Two Morons from Jersey.
BAH
<a...@chinet.com> wrote:
>Brian <drmorri...@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>>The one that bothered me was the episode where Rockford was on a date
>>with Coop's sister and she was raped by the motorcycle gang.
>
>"The Return of the Black Shadow"
>
>I agree with you. That was merely a typical potboiler, a poorly done
>revenge for victimization story unworthy of "The Rockford Files". It
>really had nothing to do with Coop's character.
>
Well, it seemed to be more of an attempt at character development for
Coop, so we could learn how rough and tough he used to be.
Unfortunately, there were far too few episodes with him afterwards.
>I'm one of the few who doesn't like "The Jersey Bounce" either, so I'm
>three for three on the episodes with Coop. I like portions of the
>episode, especially Sorrell Brook's scenes, but the plot is awful. I
>cannot stand the Two Morons from Jersey.
I didn't like the plot, but this was Rockford/Coop at their best.
Their dialogue alone was worth the price of admission.
Rockford: "Coop, these geniuses committed murder on spec!"
Coop: "Abbot and Costello meets the Godfather."
And it was great at the very end when Coop was trying to get money out
of Rockford and Jim was trying to work out a services trade.
BTW, none of these episodes can be the worst, as they didn't have the
god-awful Jesse Welles in them.
AlbertClarkson
> On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:11:26 +0100 (CET), "Adam H. Kerman"
>
> <a...@chinet.com> wrote:
I hear Welles and Butkus just got engaged. Brian called me with the
news.
deniz...@yahoo.com
I could never get by the first two seasons anyway, but even they're
soiled by several insufferable episodes.
bcnmason
exceeds more than 6 months at a time, and is generally less than that for
the most part. It usually has to do with scheduling differences.
Anyway, that being said, I watched "Local Man,..." back some time in
spring. After taking a break, I sometimes come back and view an episode
that perhaps, I didn't find all that entertaining to begin with. In this
regard,...knowing that it's an episode I haven't viewed too often, or
lately, I just may take on a new appreciation for it.
Not really so with this one. Like squeaking chalk on a chalkboard, the
Natalie character gets to me. I don't know, sometimes as good as a
character is portrayed, if I simply don't like the character, I'm not all
that interested in viewing it all too often. Hey, how many despise the
Rita, or Lance characters? Watch many of their episodes lately?
I can buy the premise of "weakness" in a mobster playing against him, and
that others would hone in on his action, and perhaps, eventually take
over. This storyline is a little over-used, frankly. But, it can be done
in so many different ways. Ways that are far more entertaining, as in
"Chicken Little is a Little Chicken".
Despite the decent cast here, Scott Brady was IMO, lackluster, and Bo
Hopkins was just along for the ride. Rose Gregorrio who played Natalie
was wonderful (performance wise),....unfortunately, I hated her character!
To me, the story was flat and boring by Rockford standards. Some good,
typical Rockford moments and dialogue show up, but the way this story
evolves, rotates and ends, really hasn't impressed me, yet. But, I do
keep trying.
Al, rumour has it, King Sturdevant finally bagged his own "broad", (as in
Jesse Welles). Quel surprise, right? Butkus caught them in the act.
Yep,...he was reminiscing about his so-called football career, while Jesse
was giving him a 101 crash course on pelicans. Needless to say, the
planned wedding is off. I got wind that the Boyajian brothers were going
to see to that, anyway.
Brian
AlbertClarkson
> More information athttp://www.talkabouttelevision.com/faq.html
Brian, after they get rid of that wedding, we could use the Boyajian
brothers in DC to get some attitude changes in our legislative branch.