The Incredible Hulk (TV Series) Dark Side (1980) User Reviews

The evil David Banner

[ODDBear · 7/10 · 29 June 2008]

One of David's self experiments goes wrong while he's boarding with a family with it's fair share of problems and he inadvertently triggers the primitive side of his brain. Now if David gets mad he'll unleash a powerful Hulk that's ready to kill and good ol' David is pretty nasty himself.

Solid episode, could have been even better but it's still very entertaining. Bixby obviously has fun with playing a meaner version of David Banner but top credits go to Ferrigno who makes the Hulk here look very scary.

The Hulk scene at the bar is great and the buildup to it is fantastic (with David jokingly "warning" a few guys that they won't like him when he gets angry). I just feel it could have been a little better, the conclusion is not satisfying and Bixby overdoes the mad laughter thing a bit. Still, for a fan of the series it's great entertainment.

Meet Evil Banner

[flarefan-81906 · 8/10 · 30 November 2017]

For the first time this season, David has a possible cure: using a pharmaceutical drug to suppress the right side of his brain (the irrational side, for those who missed high school biology). It backfires, creating an enzyme which periodically turns him into evil Banner, and makes the Hulk more aggressive. This further embroils David in the problems of the family he's staying with: Daddy just got back from 10 months at sea, and 18-year-old Laurie doesn't take kindly to his prolonged absences.

The three IMDb reviews preceding this one all say the same thing: This is a very good episode, but it could have been a lot better. That echoes my own take on it.

The chief problem is that evil Banner is so lacking in subtlety that he's often ridiculous rather than menacing. Surprisingly, this is less due to Nicholas Corea's script than to some very hammy acting from Bill Bixby. While Bixby does deliver a few moments with the villainous brilliance he showed in "Broken Image", overall he tries too hard, even forcing out several cringe-inducing "Mwah-ha-ha-ha"s. He turns in a much better performance as normal Banner, particularly in the sequences where he struggles to keep his evil side from taking control.

Evil Banner does more than just wreck a little havoc: He sets his lustful eyes on Laurie. Laurie's amorous response to his attentions, and his lust for a girl half his age, give this episode a genuinely disturbing note. Bill Lucking plays the brutish overbearing father, and his performance in the role is significantly better than when he did it in "The Antowuk Horror", mainly because he has better material to work with. The final scene with him and Laurie is genuinely touching. And really, it's an interesting twist to see David inflaming the problems of the supporting cast instead of solving them.

One of the series best episodes!

[davidchisholm · 8/10 · 15 October 2013]

The season 4 episode entitled Dark Side is one of my personal favourite episodes from the series where we see David Banner working for a pharmaceutical company where he steals certain drugs to complete an experiment on himself to help find a cure for the big green guy that dwells within him. When he injects himself with the serum he's developed it brings out the primal side of his brain slowly turning Banner evil not to mention making the hulk a potentially more deadlier creature. Primal Banner also develops a disturbing relationship with the teenage daughter of a neglectful sailor father and his wife who Banner is boarding with. what I liked about this episode is it was one of the few times the show derived a little from the comic book universe. In the comics there have been times when superheroes have turned evil for some reason with no control of there actions and the consequences of those actions. Although Banner doesn't do anything heinous giving the running time he had to be cured up by the end of the episode but it was interesting seeing him going to a nightclub and starting a fight with a couple of guys getting them to beat on him and turn into the hulk who also has become evil who tears up the club almost killing a few people. He later grabs a piece of frozen meat from a butcher and when he can't bite into it he chases the butcher in what looks like an attempt to feed on him - luckily he turns back into Banner again. Even though this was about David tapping into his dark side the core of the episode was the complex father daughter relationship where the father had to learn to stop being selfish and be there for his daughter and seems David's involvement in their lives triggers all this as well as bring them together. A good episode although with more time they could've developed a lot more with the premise.

The Evil

[AaronCapenBanner · 8/10 · 21 November 2014]

David Banner(Bill Bixby) is boarding with a family while holding down a job at a chemical plant. He is conducting a risky experiment on himself that he hopes will eliminate the dark side of his mind that he feels creates the Hulk. Unfortunately, this utterly backfires as it instead does the reverse, unleashing David's hidden evil that causes trouble at a bar, resulting in him becoming the Hulk, who causes more destruction than usual. Even worse, the teenage daughter in the home develops a crush on David that his dark side decides to take full advantage of... daring episode is both well-written and acted, with Bixby up to the challenge. Only nitpick is the irresponsibility of David to conduct such a dangerous mind experiment while staying with a family(big mistake) but at least all is forgiven by the end. Also some amusing self-aware humor when evil David utters the famous line "You won't like me when I'm angry!" before turning into the Hulk.

Interesting take

[spdamon · 9/10 · 14 January 2024]

This episode, though the acting is questionable (at best) and bill plays the role as "evil banner" in a light which makes the episode a little ridiculous, I enjoyed it and it's odd charm. It reminds me a bit of Prometheus, and I say that in the best way possible! I did notice the recurring actor, but I think he played his role much better, and the way the family dynamic is portrayed is exceptional. In terms of structure, it jumps around, and in terms of a menacing and truly evil character, I am both interested and surprised. I was definitely expecting him to play the role like he played the gangster in broken image. Though it's definitely a different take, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Once again, this show proves it can stand the test of time.