There's a gaping hole in the story, and that's that two episodes previously we saw Ray good enough at blindfighting to take on an experienced sergeant. Here's he totally incompetent except for one fight sequence which at least gives us a decent line from Johnny ("You're good. Scary good.")
Speaking of which, Leo Rossi as Johnny is the best part of the episode. He plays an irascible character that starts as Ray's mentor (however unnecessary based on past continuity). But it soon turns out that he has more emotional problems than Ray does.
The rest of the episode is okay. The episode probably requires a more indepth knowledge of Vietnamese politics than I have. So Ho Chi Minh Story is in South Vietnam, but the police act like North Vietnamese secret police.. I suppose that all made sense back in '87, but in 2020 it's all a bit muddled. It also drags in such familiar faces as Kusatsu, Fujioka, and Hong, but doesn't give them anything to do. The writer doesn't even both naming Kusatu's or Fujioka's characters, and you can barely make out Hong's character's name the one time that it's shouted out in full. The script also doesn't give the much to do. Fujioka's "Grandfather Tran" (because he's the grandfather of Colette Tran:imaginative, eh?) hates Americans. Then he likes American and helps Ray. Granted, it's to rescue his granddaughter, but we get no indication of any depth of feeling between them.
Kusatsu as "Attending Surgeon" is probably the most entertaining, as he ha a little smirk on his face when the tyrannical police captain isn't looking. But otherwise the character is a pretty standard "Doctor who would rather deal in medicine than politics" type.
Speaking of Carlotte, where does she disappear to? She seems to have the deepest romantic relationship with Ray of any female character w see on the show. And Ray is ready to risk life and limb to rescue her. But... we never see her again after this episode. Granted, there's only two more episodes after this one. But still, Charlotte deserves better than disappearing down the memory hole.
So overall, "Anytime, Anywhere" is an okay episode.But it comes across as another season 2 episode to pick up on a trend (the 80s Rambo and Norris "Bring our boys back home from Vietnam" movies) and run with it.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?
Speaking of which, Leo Rossi as Johnny is the best part of the episode. He plays an irascible character that starts as Ray's mentor (however unnecessary based on past continuity). But it soon turns out that he has more emotional problems than Ray does.
The rest of the episode is okay. The episode probably requires a more indepth knowledge of Vietnamese politics than I have. So Ho Chi Minh Story is in South Vietnam, but the police act like North Vietnamese secret police.. I suppose that all made sense back in '87, but in 2020 it's all a bit muddled. It also drags in such familiar faces as Kusatsu, Fujioka, and Hong, but doesn't give them anything to do. The writer doesn't even both naming Kusatu's or Fujioka's characters, and you can barely make out Hong's character's name the one time that it's shouted out in full. The script also doesn't give the much to do. Fujioka's "Grandfather Tran" (because he's the grandfather of Colette Tran:imaginative, eh?) hates Americans. Then he likes American and helps Ray. Granted, it's to rescue his granddaughter, but we get no indication of any depth of feeling between them.
Kusatsu as "Attending Surgeon" is probably the most entertaining, as he ha a little smirk on his face when the tyrannical police captain isn't looking. But otherwise the character is a pretty standard "Doctor who would rather deal in medicine than politics" type.
Speaking of Carlotte, where does she disappear to? She seems to have the deepest romantic relationship with Ray of any female character w see on the show. And Ray is ready to risk life and limb to rescue her. But... we never see her again after this episode. Granted, there's only two more episodes after this one. But still, Charlotte deserves better than disappearing down the memory hole.
So overall, "Anytime, Anywhere" is an okay episode.But it comes across as another season 2 episode to pick up on a trend (the 80s Rambo and Norris "Bring our boys back home from Vietnam" movies) and run with it.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?