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Serpico
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« am: 18. Juli 2006, 21:19:45 » |
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To Kill or Be Killed****
Original air date: 1/13/71
A very short yet effective teaser kicks off this episode, which ranks with the best of them for its fourth act, one of the most emotionally gruelling of the entire series. The score by music supervisor Don B. Ray introduces us to the "military theme," which will make numerous appearances in future shows. There are also variations on the "memories" theme. Five-O investigates the suspicious death of Vietnam war hero Jack Rigney (Peter Jason), who fell several stories from his apartment balcony. His father is the straight-laced World War II veteran Brigadier General Earl Rigney (John Anderson) whose other son Michael (Michael Anderson, Jr.) is thinking of skipping the country to avoid the draft. Michael visits the offices of the Hawaii Committee to Aid Draft Resistance, where Al "Doc" Eben is Max Heller, a counsellor. Posters like "War is not healthy for children and other living things" are seen in abundance. When Michael visits an underground newspaper and tells one of the hippie-like workers there he is going to flee to Canada, he is cautioned: "Don't get the idea that Trudeau-turf is a pacifist's Eden." To help solve the case, Danno goes underground as a potential deserter, not very convincingly. Ann (Brooks Almy), the sister of one deserter who's already in Canada tells him, "Don't tell me you're going to be inducted ... you look too old to be a draftee." When McGarrett grills Danno about his beliefs, Danno replies, "Like I'm splitting for Canada ... you know, Trudeau-turf, where it's cold and it snows eight months of the year ... and if I never feel the heat again, or hear the buzzing of flies, smell the stench of rotting bodies, it'll be too soon -- dig?" McGarrett says, "Danno, you should pass easily." In the scene with Ann, James MacArthur seems to be forgetting his lines: "Yeah, but, uh, [pause] Canada's [a very long pause] opening up [pause] to all kinds of protestors." When Danno is later busted with several hippie types, he grabs the arm of Matthews, their leader, in a cop-like move as they run outside their house, then lets go. Matthews was played by journalist Dave Donnelly, sporting a beard and sunglasses. He writes: "The scene was filmed in a shack in Kalama Valley which today is a thriving community, Hawaii Kai, complete with golf course." There is a good quote from Chin Ho in McGarrett's office: "How you like them pineapples?" (Some interesting trivia behind this line, sent to me by one of the actors in the show: The "nice pineapples" line was a result of an extra who was one of the hippies at the house. She was braless, wearing a see through blouse and had a body that demanded attention. The cast and crew were very entertained by her running from the house, so much so that about 15 takes ensued, most with no film in the camera.) McGarrett finds himself stonewalled by the military, who tell him, "cool your investigation." His response: "I'm not about to be pressured into cooling any or all of my investigation in this case. I work for the State of Hawaii, not the federal government." Glenn Cannon plays Col. Franklin, who throws more obstacles in McGarrett's path. Finally, General Rigney gets on the phone (202-545-6700) to Jonathan Kay (not identified by name, but played by Robert Dixon!) in Washington. The final scene where a tape (Sony reel-to-reel) made of Jack's final moments is played while his family, Col. Franklin, Michael's girl friend Gail Howard (Joy Bang, who looks about 14), McGarrett and Danno listen, is outstanding -- this should get five stars out of four! Jack's death is revealed as a suicide, a reaction to his having participated in a My Lai-like massacre: "We didn't care what we killed ... peasants ... gooks ... anything. We only cared about our body count, about our high kill ratio."
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General Rigney hat zwei Shne: Mike ist berzeugter Kriegsdienstverweigerer, Jack ein heldenhafter Vietnamveteran. Als Jack aus dem Fenster strzt, wird Mike, der vor der Army nach Kanada flchten wollte, des Mordes an seinem Bruder verdchtigt. Bei den Nachforschungen durch die Polizei kommt dann allerdings ein dunkler Punkt aus Jacks Zeit in Vietnam ans Licht. General Rigney muss zu seinem Entsetzen erkennen, dass sein Jack nicht der Held ist, fr den er ihn gehalten hat.
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