I recently watched two episodes of TJ Hooker and in both episodes the police officer known as TJ Hooker (played enthusiastically by William Shatner) was punched in the face. In one episode he was punched by his partner and in the other episode by his ex-partner. Apparently Hooker is as good at pissing off his co-workers as William Shatner! Shatner was, by all reports, hated by most of his co-stars on Star Trek.
The coolest part of this episode by far is that Hooker's ex-partner is played by Leonard Nimoy who played Mr. Spock on Star Trek. It's wonderful to see them together. I just wish it was on a better episode of a better show. TJ Hooker was, generally speaking, dripping with melodrama and full of cliches. On TJ Hooker suspects aren't suspects they're "scum" and "slime". And cops have a tough job. Did you know that cops have a tough job. That's right, cops have a tough job. And the justice system lets all the "slime and scum" get off without ever getting punished. We're told this over and over. We're told this even though the USA has more people in prison than any other country in the world! If all the scum and slime are always getting off all the time then who exactly are those people in our prisons? Just random people who did nothing wrong? Volunteers?
OK, back to the show. Let me just sum it up so this review doesn't get too long. If you're a fan of Shatner and Nimoy (like me) then you'll enjoy seeing them together. Just be ready for less than stellar writing on one of the most cartoonish cop shows of all time. It's a popcorn show. And that would be okay. But it's just a so-so popcorn show. Lot's of gloss, lots of women with fluffy hair, lots of men with fluffy hair (including Shatner himself and his co-star Adrian Smed), and lots of running and punching and shooting.
BTW, watch for the scene in which William Shatner rolls over the hood of a parked car - and humorously takes 5 minutes to do it. It's not a stuntman it's actually William himself, which is why it took so long. A stuntman would have done it much better and faster. But credit to Shatner for trying. When I worked at a car rental place in college we used to roll over the hoods of the cars before washing them. It's a lot of fun.
Bottom line: this episode is worth seeing because of Shatner and Nimoy teaming up again. But if you're not a fan of those two marvelous actors then you don't really need to see it. I gave it 7 stars, most of those stars going to Shatner and Nimoy acting together again.
The coolest part of this episode by far is that Hooker's ex-partner is played by Leonard Nimoy who played Mr. Spock on Star Trek. It's wonderful to see them together. I just wish it was on a better episode of a better show. TJ Hooker was, generally speaking, dripping with melodrama and full of cliches. On TJ Hooker suspects aren't suspects they're "scum" and "slime". And cops have a tough job. Did you know that cops have a tough job. That's right, cops have a tough job. And the justice system lets all the "slime and scum" get off without ever getting punished. We're told this over and over. We're told this even though the USA has more people in prison than any other country in the world! If all the scum and slime are always getting off all the time then who exactly are those people in our prisons? Just random people who did nothing wrong? Volunteers?
OK, back to the show. Let me just sum it up so this review doesn't get too long. If you're a fan of Shatner and Nimoy (like me) then you'll enjoy seeing them together. Just be ready for less than stellar writing on one of the most cartoonish cop shows of all time. It's a popcorn show. And that would be okay. But it's just a so-so popcorn show. Lot's of gloss, lots of women with fluffy hair, lots of men with fluffy hair (including Shatner himself and his co-star Adrian Smed), and lots of running and punching and shooting.
BTW, watch for the scene in which William Shatner rolls over the hood of a parked car - and humorously takes 5 minutes to do it. It's not a stuntman it's actually William himself, which is why it took so long. A stuntman would have done it much better and faster. But credit to Shatner for trying. When I worked at a car rental place in college we used to roll over the hoods of the cars before washing them. It's a lot of fun.
Bottom line: this episode is worth seeing because of Shatner and Nimoy teaming up again. But if you're not a fan of those two marvelous actors then you don't really need to see it. I gave it 7 stars, most of those stars going to Shatner and Nimoy acting together again.