#mikehammer

Mike Hammer 2x12 "Dead Man's Run"

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Barbra Horan. Unusual episode. The first to air after Stacy Keach went to prison. Several clips appear in the opening credits, so it must have been filmed early in the season. Yet, it was never finished. There’s no narration from Hammer. Instead, the gang meet in the bar and relate one of his cases. Don Stroud does most of the narration, filling in gaps. About a quarter of the runtime is spent in the bar with the supporting characters. The plot is an average one about a hitman out to get freedom fighters (from a small country) looking for support in America. There’s a lot more humour than a typical episode. The merry-go-round shoot out at the end is excellent. One of the best the show has had. Sat, Dec 29, 1984: Aired by CBS after Airwolf, before Cover Up. Against: The Love Boat (ABC); Gimme a Break! + Spencer (NBC). 7/10

Mike Hammer 2x11 "A Bullet for Benny"

★★★★★★★★★☆

Abe Vigoda, Michael DeLano. Story by Chester Krumholz (Doctor Simon Locke, Kojak, Airwolf). This one is clever. So clever that I wasn’t sure it actually made sense. I went back to check (because a couple of earlier scripts fell apart when I did this). I rewatched 2 scenes to get the twist straight in my head. And… I think… it works. It’s a little underexplained at the end, maybe. I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt because this is one of the best episodes. Sat, Dec 8, 1984: Aired by CBS after Airwolf, before Cover Up. Against: The Love Boat (ABC); Gimme a Break! + Spencer (NBC). 9/10

Mike Hammer 2x10 "Cold Target"

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

It employs several of the show’s very familiar tropes, such as Mike’s old friends dying, but this instalment is a welcome departure from formula. It opens with the murder of Mike’s reporter friend but, after a shootout, Mike immediately captures the killer! The episode then follows the trial, which Mike’s courtroom theatrics threaten to derail. Great guest cast: Marc Alaimo, Robert Colbert, Susan Strasberg, Timothy Carey, Dick Van Patten. Several scenes with Mike and Barrington actually being almost-cordial to one another! Several over-the-top shootouts, as various hitmen come after Hammer. CBS aired this on Saturday, December 1, 1984, before Cover Up. Against it, ABC aired The Love Boat while NBC aired Gimme a Break! and the first episode of Spencer starring Chad Lowe. 7/10