The Rookies (TV Series) Cry Wolf (1973) User Reviews

Webster And Gillis Track Beach Front Burglars

[Jimmy_the_Gent4 · 1 February 2019]

Terry and Willie get sidetracked when they get a call about prowlers, the woman who called in has a reputation for false alarms and they feel guilty when she is injured in a real burglary.

An OK episode, it has more comedy than usual. Golden age actress Joan Blondell appears as the widow woman who is burglarized. Pat Harrington (most famous as Schneider on "One Day At A Time") has a small role as a reckless driver who writes children's books about a policeman character. One of the funniest moments is Lt. Ryker pouring pencil shavings on a hamburger, thinking it is salt.

Beachfront Patrol Assignment for Gillis and Webster

[tweezey · 17 April 2022]

In the opening scene, Lt. Ryker assigns Terry and Willie to patrolling the beach roads instead of their regular beat. While sitting in their car, they receive a call about a prowler at the home of Mrs Darrin, a lonely widow who habitually calls the precinct because she "hears things", hence the title "Cry Wolf". The officers answer the call, but a car speeds by, prompting them to call police headquarters to request another unit to respond to Mrs Darrin so they could pursue the speeder. However, the reception was spotty and the request for another unit never got transmitted. Ultimately, this time, Mrs Darrin's call was legitimate and she was attacked in her home by the beachfront robbers. Lt. Ryker understandably was angry with Terry and Willie, who feel guilty about what happened and set out to solve the beachfront heists. After investigating various angles, Terry and Willie solved the case and got back into Lt. Ryker's good graces. In addition, they were able to convince Mrs Darrin's daughter and son in law to let her continue to live in her beachfront home, instead of sending her, against her wishes, to an assisted living facility. I really liked seeing Lt. Ryker's more personal side when he was playing cards with Mrs Darrin in her hospital room. The part toward the end, where Terry and Willie were chasing the theives' ATV in their patrol car, was typical of their bending the rules of protocol when pursuing suspects. It brought some laughs when Willie called for a tow truck for their wrecked car and signed off when Lt. Ryker's voice exploded over the intercom. This episode was definitely less serious than some others but so fun to watch!