Deadlock in Parma

Jim Rockford solves no more cases and gets in no more jackpots after this episode. We would not see Rockford again until some made for TV movies in the Nineties made their debut. A sad goodbye to one of the most inventive series ever done on television in terms of writing and character creation.

There's a nest full of characters in this last episode in the sleepy mountain town of Parma, California where James Garner has gone to do a little trout fishing. While enjoying a little of the catch over a campfire with Michael Cavanaugh whom he met on the trail Cavanaugh doubles over and says he has stomach pains. As it turns out he's one of 6 town council-members and he gives this total stranger his proxy for an upcoming vote in the town.

All I can say is that this was as slick a con job that even Angel Martin would be proud of. Garner is now involved in a city proposition fight to bring casino gambling to the sleepy town with all kinds of shady people on both sides. Cavanaugh himself winds up dead and then his body is hidden.

Two of the shadiest are these innocent country hicks Jerry Hardin who is town pharmacist as well as mayor and Henry Beckmann just a simple country sheriff, but nothing like Andy Griffith.

I could never quite believe that Garner could let himself get slickered so easily. Still these characters are quite up to the Rockford Files standard.

This is the very final episode of The Rockford Files series, where Jim (none of the other regular characters appear) is a proxy for a local councilman in Parma. It just happens over a decade later James Garner played Councilman Jim Doyle (another Jim!) in the underrated and short-lived series Man of the People.

Even though this wasn't intended to the series finale (the series was cut short because of Garner's chronic back problems), it has a nice finale ring to it, with Jim riding off into the sunset after sorting out crime in Parma.

It's a shame I cannot buy online the eight Rockford Files telemovies that were broadcast in the 90s.

Rockford's just fishing. But this odd fellow turns up and suddenly has appendicitis and gives Rockford his proxy vote on a city council deadlock. And Rockford finds himself caught between corrupt government officials and the mob.

Back then we had a few precedents for series endings; but, by and large, a series just went on until it got canceled. Hogan's Heroes never got out of the POW camp. The castaways never got off the island until the reunion movies. And James Garner was a fussy, litigious man. So the Rockfod Files ended.

It ended on a fairly routine episode. The episode itself isn't special, it doesn't tie anything up; but it's tense and funny and altogether not bad. But it doesn't have Angel in it.

Typical Big City in a remote town episode. Wish Becker (Joe Santos) or Angel (Stuart Margolin) and the Trailer would have appeared one last time but seeing Joseph Sirola is always a treat.

The series finale brought some things full circle not withstanding:car trouble, fun car chases,snappy dialogue and most of all Garner's Rockford fishing with his hat. That was more prominent in the series first few episodes (especially the ones with Lindsey Wagner!)

According to Ed Robertson's book 'Thirty Years of The Rockford Files' THIS was the final episode of the series to be filmed, not 'The Hawaiian Headache.' 'Deadlock in Parma' was shot the third week of November, 1979. Everyone took the following week off for Thanksgiving, and plans were in place for cast and crew to return in January and resume filming the remaining ten episodes to complete the sixth season. Unfortunately, James Garner was hospitalized in San Diego from injuries and exhaustion shortly after filming wrapped, and it was uncertain when he could return to work. On-going tensions between Garner and Universal subsequently reached critical mass, and production never resumed. I love 'The Rockford Files.' The writing was brilliant, and Garner was tops. This episode actually reminded me of an earlier, and much better, episode from season four entitled 'The Competitive Edge' but lacks that show's snap, crackle, and pop, not to mention Jim having some real skin in the game. 'Parma' is probably my least favorite episode of the entire series, and I still give it a passing grade. But no LA, no familiar supporting players, even the Firebird doesn't show up until the very end. Just Jim as a pawn, a patsy, a pigeon. Whether it was intentional or not, it sure looked and felt like the end.