The Aaron Ironwood School of Success

This episode was a decent start to the second season, and the formula for the show's success is getting better as the series progresses, even though I won't hide the fact that I'm not a huge fan of the early seasons. James Hampton(The Longest Yard)plays a major role of importance as an old pal of Rockford's, who happens to be a very wealthy franchise owner, or so it seems; it's funny to hear Rocky gush over Aaron(Hampton)and compare his son's questionable tastes to his more accomplished friend. When they go to meet Aaron at the airport, and much to Rocky's chagrin, Jim is forced to drive a VW bug which reads "Pizza Dan" on the roof, because he had to escape some goons, and the Firebird wasn't close enough to leave the scene. It turns out that Aaron hired Jim because the mob(I'm guessing from NJ)wants a piece of the action for various reasons, but he hides some facts from Jim, who agreed to buy the company from Aaron, a scenario which I didn't totally buy, no pun intended. Ken Swofford makes one of his many appearances, and there's a few, but separate filler scenes including Beth and Dennis, who didn't add that much here; Luis Delgado plays one of the goons, as he's usually one of Becker's cops in many other episodes. Look for a very pronounced limp by Rockford, as he says he got hurt either falling off a fishing pier, or falling off a skateboard; it's common knowledge that James Garner tore his knees up during the run of this show, and it's very noticeable for the entire episode. Regarding the conclusion, in a rather silly scene which would probably never happen in real life, Aaron fakes having a seizure, and one of the goons falls for it and leans over Aaron who kicks both feet into the guy's stomach, allowing him and Rockford to escape, then shortly after, the police arrive to save the day. This was a decent episode with some entertaining moments, save for a few, but I wouldn't have a problem recommending this anyway.

I can understand Jim Rockford being taken in the way he was in this episode. He and James Hampton have a childhood relationship, in fact as a kid Hampton lived with the Rockfords for a spell as a foster kid. But when Beth Davenport gives her OK on a deal Hampton is proposing, that's where I get a little suspicious. Gretchen Corbett is usually pretty sharp, she must have been having an off day.

Now Hampton is a successful businessman in the trucking industry which certainly making Rocky proud. And he's got a sideline as a motivational speaker. Now he wants to turn his company over to James Garner temporarily because he's getting a blackmail squeeze. And Jim Rockford becomes a business tycoon for a very short time.

Of course it's too good to be true. Hampton is up to his eyeballs in fraud and he's got both the Feds represented by Ken Swofford and the Mafia represented by Jerome Guardino after him. Now they've got Garner in their sights as well.

I couldn't quite wrap my mind around the fact that Garner could be so easily fooled in this one.