MeTV's SuperSci-Fi Saturday Night

[Christopher]

Watching the TIH episodes now makes me wish Marvel would do a comic series based on the show that incorporated more elements of the original comics, like DC has done with their Batman '66 and Wonder Woman '77 comics.

As long as it weren't too much like the comics, to the point of not really feeling like the show. Some of the later Batman '66 comics, and all of the Wonder Woman '77 comics I've read, have been like that -- looking like the TV versions, but written all but indistinguishably from generic Batman or Wonder Woman stories. I don't really see the point of doing it that way. I'd prefer something that feels more like a continuation of the show. It could be interesting to see some aspects of the comics introduced, but only if they could be done in a way that felt organic to the show's universe.

Like maybe a followup to "Prometheus" where a General Thaddeus Ross is assigned to search for the creature that escaped from the government facility therein, and McGee gets wind of his efforts and starts investigating a la "Bring Me the Head of the Hulk." Or maybe Ross brings McGee in for questioning about the Hulk and they clash over Ross's intention to either kill or exploit the beast. And maybe, unbeknownst to them both, a fellow named David B-something has started work at a genetic research facility headed up by Ross's daughter Betty...

And I certainly wouldn't mind seeing a comic crossing over the TV Hulk with the Nicholas Hammond Spider-Man, which is something they actually considered doing at the time.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Regardless of the semantics, it was a dramatic attempt by David to resolve his situation. I think that fits in the "cure-related" category.

Well, a cure can also involve an amputation or other surgery or extreme treatment that does not lead to a normal life. Some people would consider death, looked at as an end to suffering, as a cure. Although in this case, since Banner isn't actually suffering, but is dealing with the equivalent of chronic mental illness, you'd think that his next step would be turning himself in rather than ending his own life.

But a clinical cure (which is what David seeks throughout the series) does not end in death, as the object of a cure is to remove an issue with the intent to restore a normal life (or as close as can be achieved). Under normal circumstances (one where he's not thinking he's a murderer), he's seeking a real, medically-based solution.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

I was disappointed that it wasn't more format-breaking than it was...say, have the entire episode without showing the Dynamic Duo in costume.

The '66 audience would not appreciate that.

But we got to see Dick on a date!

Yes--at last, Dick acting like a normal teenage guy, instead of being ready to solve crimes / kick ass most of the time.

I like how they didn't pull the already-tired "repentant moll" schtick for the female trio. They were emphasized as being hardcore criminals more dedicated and ruthless than the blackmailed Chandell.

Season two's Catwoman protégés (Eenie & Pussycat), along with Astin-Riddler's Anna Gram were also unrepentant, among others.

I have to wonder if Liberace did much character acting elsewhere. His attempt at playing the gangster twin brother is so bad that it's good.

He was a sideshow--his "character" could not hold up playing even one of his two roles.

She did get a substantially meatier role here...but you didn't have an issue with her actually brandishing a firearm (whereas, jacket aside, Bruce was shown with a fishing pole)?

Harriet with a gun made perfect sense; as a 1960s elderly woman who lives with a millionaire, her possessing a gun would not be out of the ordinary--even on Batman. It was a nice change from the non-superheroes (Gordon & O'Hara) behaving like they could not put one foot in front of the other without approval from the Dynamic Duo,

It really stretches suspension of disbelief in the first part when the Commissioner talks to Alfred via Batphone hookup from Wayne Manor, right after Alfred leaves the room. And we learn that Bruce's ultra-private study not only has an outdoor entrance, but that Bruce leaves the curtains open, such that any henchpeople of the week can walk up to it and see the Batphone sitting there, or eavesdrop while they use the Batpoles.

Yeah, but how many henchmen ever attempt that? The Joker was the only villain to ever enter the study, and he was so frantic in his escape attempt, he completely missed the significance of the (unmarked) Batpoles.

 

[RJDiogenes]

But a clinical cure (which is what David seeks throughout the series) does not end in death, as the object of a cure is to remove an issue with the intent to restore a normal life (or as close as can be achieved). Under normal circumstances (one where he's not thinking he's a murderer), he's seeking a real, medically-based solution.

Well, there is a broader definition of cure, as in to remedy a situation, and looking at it from the perspective of a character in deep despair, suicide falls into that category. As you say, in normal circumstances this is not the case.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Well, there is a broader definition of cure, as in to remedy a situation, and looking at it from the perspective of a character in deep despair, suicide falls into that category. As you say, in normal circumstances this is not the case.

Suicide is not a cure for anything--its a deliberately lethal, emotional act with no intention of restoring normal life. For David, restoring normal life would be ending the Hulk, and returning to a life as a regular person...not a corpse.

 

[Christopher]

Sorry I'm late on the Irwin Allen shows and Kolchak... I had a novel deadline.

Land of the Giants: "The Chase": The first-season finale superficially looks like a big event befitting a finale -- Kobick and the Little People working together for a common cause -- but it turns out to be pretty much more of the usual, with Kobick devious as ever and a whole bunch of table-climbing and pipe-crawling from the Spindrift gang. It's kind of a mess of a story -- given that we had a plot about a terrorism panic a few weeks ago, a mere counterfeiting ring hardly seems adequate as a threat great enough to make Kobick desperate and willing to deal with the LP. Also, Mark hits his head for no story reason (unless the head wound was real and the injury was thrown into the script to explain it), and when he finds out the counterfeiters are really the good guys, it's entirely off-camera, which is bizarre. Plus we have another instance of this supposedly 50-years-behind civilization having super-advanced science, in this case the force field cage -- and in all their efforts to disrupt the field, it never occurs to the LP to climb up to the wall switch and just turn it off!

The Time Tunnel: "The Death Merchant": I realized I kind of remembered this one, at least the scene of the characters encountering Niccolo Machiavelli in a Civil War log cabin. Once again, they're adding a sci-fi twist to make it more than just a straight historical. It's also a very caricatured version of Machiavelli as an amoral figure who sees war as a game to be studied. The real historical figure was far more complicated, and many believe his The Prince was actually a satire or a subversive critique of the methods it described. Still, Malachi Throne does a good job as the debonair villain that the character is written here to be. There's a decent attempt to do a dramatic story about the horrors of war, and George Duning's score is impressive.

This is also the second week in a row that the possibility of history being changed by time travelers is implied, unlike the fixed-timeline model the show usually uses; last week, it was the 1 million AD hive people wanting to spread their civilization back through time, and now, it's the good guys being afraid that Machiavelli would make Gettysburg a far bloodier battle. Yet at the same time, it takes the silly conceit that someone from the past and "already dead" in the present is indestructible. When General Kirk said that about the pirate a couple of weeks ago, I thought he just meant that they shouldn't kill him because it would alter history. But here we see explicitly that someone brought forward past the date of his death is physically impossible to kill -- which is a bad idea for the show, because it means Tony and Doug would never be in any danger if they traveled to the future.

Speaking of which, Tony's amnesia was a rather silly plot device. It's absurd how wholeheartedly he embraced the role of a Confederate lieutenant based on nothing more than being told that was who he was. He even miraculously developed a Southern accent! And it was unclear how he recovered his memory -- it just seemed to happen as a result of the fistfight with Doug. (Or did seeing Doug about to fall off the bridge shock him into remembering? I was some distance from the screen, doing the dishes, so maybe I missed a moment.)


Kolchak: Let's see, if last week was "Firefall," this week should be “The Devil’s Platform,” right? A pretty good one, with another fairly distinctive supernatural threat -- even if it is sort of a variant on the werewolf idea they did more conventionally two weeks before. Oh, and speaking of that, they seem to be going backward in time. The werewolf episode was on a Christmas cruise, “Firefall” was in September, and this is in August, though that seems early for an election-related episode.

It did bug me that two different characters made the perennial mistake of telling a bad guy that they had dirt on him and failing to do anything to protect themselves from being murdered, e.g. arranging to have the dirt released if anything happened to them. That always strikes me as a lazy plot contrivance. Also, I wonder if Palmer would’ve been better off if he hadn’t killed so many of his political rivals or inconveniences -- that would just attract suspicion.

There’s a really fascinating bit of music from Jerry Fielding in the part where the dog is tailing Kolchak through the streets. (It gets reused a lot as stock music later on.) Interesting percussion in the wine-cellar scene, too.

If Palmer had been granted the ability to turn into a hell-hound, could it be that his deal was not with Satan, but with Gozer?

 

[The Old Mixer]

It's the midnight hour board time...and as this isn't a leap year, that's as close as I'm going to come to the 37th anniversary of...

This week, on The Incredible Hulk:

"A Rock and a Hard Place"
Originally aired February 29, 1980

In Atlantic City, David is caught between the FBI and a gang of thieves. He has no choice but to work with both because each side knows of one of his identities.

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Sorry, gotta get this outta my system.

Events in the news that week:

February 25 – A coup in Suriname ousts the government of Henck Arron; leaders Dési Bouterse and Roy Horb replace it with a National Military Council.
February 27

• M-19 guerrillas begin the Dominican embassy siege in Colombia, holding 60 people hostage, including 14 ambassadors.
• Iran recognizes the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).

March 1

• The Commonwealth Trade Union Council is established.
• The Voyager 1 probe confirms the existence of Janus, a moon of Saturn.

New on the U.S. charts:

"Any Way You Want It," Journey

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(#23 US)

And because we've got room this week, some noteworthy previous singles, all from the era of the show:

"Wheel in the Sky," Journey

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(Charted Apr. 8, 1978; #57 US)

"Lights," Journey

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(Charted Aug. 19, 1978; #68 US)

"Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'," Journey

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(Charted July 21, 1979; #16 US)

 

[RJDiogenes]

Sorry, gotta get this outta my system.

Not a bad song by any means-- in fact, it's really good by most standards-- but the Stones are definitely past their peak now. Their persistence is remarkable, though.

"Any Way You Want It," Journey

"Wheel in the Sky," Journey

"Lights," Journey

"Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'," Journey

I think Journey is the Neil Diamond of the 80s. We always used to make fun of Steve Perry and his sincere warble, but all of their songs are pretty entertaining. "Lights" is my favorite.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I think Journey is the Neil Diamond of the 80s.

Heh...think that's gonna stick....

 

[RJDiogenes]

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

The Incredible Hulk
"A Rock and a Hard Place"--

David Braynard is a handyman & driver for the elderly Lucy Cash--apparently a model "kindly old lady," and all seems well, if not for the presence of her surly nephew Randolph. Transporting family heirlooms to Atlantic City, David is stopped and arrested by FBI agents DeKalb & Garnett; searching Cash's van, DeKalb finds what he expected: gas grenades and dynamite....

David's qualifications as a driver and potential partner are debated by Lucy & Randolph, with the headstrong woman insisting that she--as the boss of their criminal crew--will make any decisions about David's place, going so far as to threated Randolph with expulsion from the crew.

At the Federal building, DeKalb is getting nowhere fast questioning David. The mature agent reveals Lucy once worked as a FBI agent in the 30's, infiltrating the Weissberg gang, and was--at one time--a close friend, until she adopted a life of crime and married Weissberg. Noting his impending retirement, DeKalb is Hellbent on capturing Lucy as the capper of his career, until...

Garnett: "Congratulations. We just set a legal precedent."
DeKalb: "What are you talking about?"
Garnett: "We arrested a dead man. Dr. David Banner."

David is left speechless while DeKalb studies Banner's file....

DeKalb: "Doctor, research scientist. A list of awards a mile long. Killed in a laboratory explosion. Well, I guess you aren't a hood, but I would hazard to guess you are a man with something to hide."
David: "I want to see an attorney."
DeKalb: "I'll make a deal with you, Doc.
David: "I want to see an attorney."
DeKalb: "No, you hear me out. I think you'll go for this. I don't care a rat's derriere, Doc, who you are, or why you want to be dead. What I care about it collaring Lucy Cash. Now, you help me do that, I'll burn this. I'll forget I ever saw you."
David: "What do I have to do?"
DeKalb: "Go back and work for Lucy. You listen. You write down what you hear, you put it in the mailbox."
David: "I'm not an informer."
DeKalb: "Doc, you'd be doing a public service. Lucy Cash is a criminal."
Garnett: "We could bust you for possession of explosives."
DeKalb: "And we could take a very interesting story to the press. I think you're going to take this deal. And don't get any ideas about trying to take off. I'm gonna have enough agents staked out around there to keep the houseflies from leaving."

With no way out, David returns--with the explosives--to Lucy. Feeling David is trustworthy, she reminisces about her charitable late husband, but hits a sad note when speaking about her daughter...

Not fond of being an informant, and sympathetic to Lucy and her lost past, David decides to break his FBI deal and vanish, until he spots what he believes to be too many fake service people working on a normally quiet street. In truth, the budget-strapped bureau only allowed DeKalb & Garnett to run surveillance on the Cash home. David eavesdrops on Lucy & Randolph's plans to use the explosives to break into a safe, but is seen sneaking away. Increasingly edgy, David gives his information to DeKalb, but the agent is not through using Banner--and threatens him with opening his case again.

Inside Lucy's home, Randolph lures David to the basement, and proceeds to beat, then lock him in a freezer, where David breaks out as the Hulk. The freezer door strikes Randolph in the head, knocking him out; the Hulk grabs the man's limp form, but getting no response, destroys various novelty machines, until the music from a jukebox calms him enough to return to his Banner side...with Lucy witnessing the entire event.

Lucy: "Oh my God, David--you're that man that becomes that thing. I read about that in that rag, The Register, but I didn't believe it! I mean, who would believe it? But its for real!"

David explains his FBI situation, and refuses to help Lucy commit a crime. Lucy tears up, telling Banner about her daughter who needs bypass surgery--the reason she's needs to carry out the heist. If David continues to resist, she promises to tell the Register who and what David is. Checking in with DeKalb and Garnett, David learns Lucy has a daughter, but she's healthy & financially secure. Moreover, despite DeKalb's admitted personal feelings for the woman, she's still a criminal with a record of planning several successful bank robberies.

Elsewhere, Randolph enlists the help of a criminal named "Russky" (get it?) to help in the heist--including killing Lucy & David, then splitting the profits....

David calls out Lucy about her daughter, moving Lucy to reveal that she's not the master planner of DeKalb's file--she based her knowledge on spending years listening to her husband, then choosing crime when facing great financial problems as an elderly woman. Again David refuses, and again, Lucy threatens to contact the Register when Randolph and Russky walk in--enforcing their hostile takeover by holding them at gunpoint. Randolph forces David to give DeKalb a false lead--which the agent follows, while the gang head to the port of New Jersey's Parnassus Import Company. While Randolph deals with the guards, Lucy blows the safe and collects the expensive jewels within.

Elsewhere, DeKalb & Garnett's scope tracked the gang moving in a different direction. so they follow the device, instead of David's false lead. Against Lucy's protests, Russky tosses a chained up David into the water, triggering a Hulk-out; the creature emerges from the water in time to prevent Randolph & Russky from dropping Lucy into the water. Randolph fails to stop the Hulk by dropping a suspended stack of bricks on him, and ends up (with Russky) in the water. The Hulk frees Lucy, running away just as DeKalb & Garnett speed to the scene, only this time, Lucy is more than happy to see her "old friend" DeKalb.

At the federal building, Lucy discovers she's been remanded to DeKalb's custody (instead of serving time) in order to "rehabilitate" her, which includes her (through the local police) counseling juvenile gang members. While that's the official handling of Lucy's case, the truth of the matter is that it was his way of being close (as he retires) with the woman he obviously loves. David (found by Garnett at a bus stop) finds himself in DeKalb's office, but is relieved to see the agent honor his part of the deal by shredding David's file. Banner hits the streets.

NOTES:

This is not a cure related episode.

Jack McGee does not appear in this episode.

A rare event in the series--David Banner is positively identified by law enforcement. Usually, a few will learn he's the Hulk, and, as in "The Psychic," Annie sensed he was Banner, but to the world of law enforcement--the agents believing Banner was killed by the Hulk--this is a special occasion that (under darker circumstances) could have set a new direction for the series--or at least added another road (for anyone hunting him), but that would have turned up the Fugitive influence.

It appears that Dr. David Banner is THE man; as early as "The Beast Within" (S1/E4) we knew others were aware of Banner's signature research, but now we learn he's the recipient of numerous awards. Not the average TV superhero alter ego.

The exterior of Lucy Cash's residence was best known as the home of The Munsters (CBS, 1964-66), and appeared in endless Universal productions long before and after the 1313 Mockingbird Lane gang's time using the façade.

The plumbing part of the Wapniarkski Brothers Plumbing van (used by DeKalb & Garnett) was a then-well covered reference to the White House Plumbers, or White House Special Investigations Unit involved in the Watergate break-in. Since that time, "plumber" has been used (by popular media) to refer to negative covert government agents and/or actions.

Braynard--not the most common of "David B." names.

Lucy is now a member of the "Discovering David is the Hulk and Live to Not Talk About it" club.

DeKalb and Garnett join a select few including Helen & D. W. Banner, Annie Caplan and Caroline Fields in knowing beyond the shadow of a doubt that David Banner is alive.

More reused pilot transformation shots of David during Lucy's discovery.

The Lonely Man ending originally appeared in "Final Round"--the first regular episode of the series.

GUEST CAST:

The career Jeanette Nolan (Lucy Cash) dates back to the Golden Ages of film, radio and TV--in short, she was one of the most seasoned actresses working up at the time of this episode's production--with an impressive list of fantasy credits to top it off--

• Steve Canyon (NBC, 1959) - "The Search"
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents (CBS, 1957-61) - "The Young One" / "The Right Kind of House" / "The Morning After" & "Coming Home"
• Thriller (NBC, 1961-62) - "Parasite Mansion" & "La Strega"
• The Twilight Zone (CBS, 1962-63) - "The Hunt" & "Jess-Belle"
• The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (NBC, 1964) - "Triumph"
• My Blood Runs Cold (Warner Bros, 1965)
• The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (NBC, 1965) - "The Gazebo in the Maze Affair"
• Chamber of Horrors (Warner Brothers, 1966) - screenplay by Stephen Kandel
• The Invaders (ABC, 1967) - "Nightmare"
• Rod Serling's Night Gallery (NBC, 1970-71) - "The Housekeeper" & "Since Aunt Ada Came to Stay"
• Circle of Fear (NBC, 1972) - "The New House"
• The Sixth Sense - (ABC, 1972) - "Shadow in the Well"
• The Manitou (Avco Embassy, 1978)
• Goliath Awaits (Operation Prime Time, 1981) - with John McIntire

John McIntire (Preston DeKalb)--

• Alfred Hitchcock Presents (CBS, 1958 / 60) - "Sylvia" & "Hitch Hike"
• Psycho (Paramount, 1960) - as Sherriff Al Chambers
• The Twilight Zone (CBS, 1960) - "The Chaser"
• Goliath Awaits (Operation Prime Time, 1981) with Jeanette Nolan

J. Jay Saunders (Garnett) first worked with Bixby in "The Illusion of the Cat's Eye," a 1974 episode of The Magician. Other fantasy roles--

• The Bionic Woman (NBC, 1977) - "The Night Demon"
• Salvage 1 (ABC, 1979) - recurring as Mack
• The Incredible Hulk (CBS, 1978) - "747"
• Nomads (Cinema VIII, 1986)
• Beetlejuice (Warner Bros., 1988)

Eric Server (Randolph) made his TIH debut in the 1977 pilot--as the policeman who informed David that his car had been destroyed. Additional credits--

• Search (NBC, 1973) - "Countdown to Panic"
• Kolchak the Night Stalker (ABC, 1974) - "Horror in the Heights"
• Tales of the Unexpected (NBC, 1977) - "The Final Chapter"
• The Hardy Bays / Nancy Drew Mysteries (ABC, 1978) - "Arson and Old Lace"
• Battlestar Galactica (ABC, 1978) - "The Magnificent Warriors"
• The Incredible Hulk (CBS, 1977 / 78) - "The Incredible Hulk" & "Ricky"
• Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (NBC, 1979-80) - recurring as the voice of Dr. Theopolis
• The Greatest American Hero (ABC, 1981) - "The Best Desk Scenario"
• Bring 'Em Back Alive (CBS, 1982) - "The Best of Enemies"
• Whiz Kids (CBS, 1984) - "Watch Out!"
• Automan (ABC, 1984) - "Death by Design"
• Starman (ABC, 1987) - "Grifters"
• Werewolf (FOX, 1987) - "A World of Difference: Part 1"
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Syndicated, 1993) - "The Circle"

 

[The Old Mixer]

"A Rock and a Hard Place"

Should've saved my Stones video....

DeKalb: "Doctor, research scientist. A list of awards a mile long. Killed in a laboratory explosion. Well, I guess you aren't a hood, but I would hazard to guess you are a man with something to hide."
David: "I want to see an attorney."
DeKalb: "I'll make a deal with you, Doc.
David: "I want to see an attorney."
DeKalb: "No, you hear me out. I think you'll go for this. I don't care a rat's derriere, Doc, who you are, or why you want to be dead. What I care about it collaring Lucy Cash. Now, you help me do that, I'll burn this. I'll forget I ever saw you."
David: "What do I have to do?"
DeKalb: "Go back and work for Lucy. You listen. You write down what you hear, you put it in the mailbox."
David: "I'm not an informer."
DeKalb: "Doc, you'd be doing a public service. Lucy Cash is a criminal."
Garnett: "We could bust you for possession of explosives."
DeKalb: "And we could take a very interesting story to the press. I think you're going to take this deal. And don't get any ideas about trying to take off. I'm gonna have enough agents staked out around there to keep the houseflies from leaving."

On the subject of how aware the authorities are of the Hulk...notice that the involvement of a green monster in David Banner's death doesn't come up.

Not fond of being an informant, and sympathetic to Lucy and her lost past, David decides to break his FBI deal and vanish, until he spots what he believes to be too many fake service people working on a normally quiet street.

That whole sequence reminded me of:

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Inside Lucy's home, Randolph lures David to the basement, and proceeds to beat, then lock him in a freezer, where David breaks out as the Hulk.

-29:29. I'll consider it an ineffectual FHO because the Hulk never even gets out of the basement, but at least it serves an important plot purpose, however contrived.

Against Lucy's protests, Russky tosses a chained up David into the water, triggering a Hulk-out

-06:23.

I found Lucy to be pretty charming and likable in spite of myself...she reminded me of Esther Rolle's character in "Behind the Wheel".

A rare event in the series--David Banner is positively identified by law enforcement.

Definitely an interesting and memorable plot point...though one that might have been put to better use in a story more significant to David's situation.

The exterior of Lucy Cash's residence was best known as the home of The Munsters (CBS, 1964-66), and appeared in endless Universal productions long before and after the 1313 Mockingbird Lane gang's time using the façade.

Huh!

Braynard--not the most common of "David B." names.

Yet it's the second time he's used it this season.

DeKalb and Garnett join a select few including Helen & D. W. Banner, Annie Caplan and Caroline Fields in knowing beyond the shadow of a doubt that David Banner is alive.

And probably the only ones who learn that without also learning that he's the Hulk.

The unspoken possibility here, which could be considered a plot hole, is what if Lucy and Preston ever compared notes about David?

 

[Christopher]

So we're jumping the gun on “A Rock and a Hard Place”? Very well...

This is a much better take on the idea of David falling in with a sympathetic crook than “The Lottery” was. Jeanette Nolan is fun as the elderly thief determined to make one last score. And it’s the second episode in a row where someone has discovered both of David’s secrets -- that he’s Dr. Banner and that he’s the Hulk -- but this time different people discover each. It’s the one time we see David caught and identified by law enforcement, and he’s lucky both that his captors weren’t interested in him and that the system wasn’t as computerized and interconnected as it is now. I noted that the file on Dr. Banner said he had Level A security clearance, so I guess his prints were on file as part of the process for getting that clearance. It suggests that he worked on some government project at some point -- too bad we never got that story. (Note that this is one of the continuity details that the later revival movies will ignore. The Trial of the Incredible Hulk claims that David’s fingerprints aren’t on file.)

There would’ve been a nice bit of continuity if this episode had aired before “Long Run Home,” with David learning the one teabag, two cups trick from Lucy and then reusing it with Carl. Surprisingly, though, this episode was both filmed and aired after that one -- though maybe it was written first?

It’s odd that the Hulk had so much trouble getting out of the freezer, but I guess he had a hard time getting leverage in such a cramped space.

 

[The Old Mixer]

So we're jumping the gun on “A Rock and a Hard Place”?

We've been doing the reviews on Friday for some time now. If it makes you feel any better, it looks like the original airings skipped the next week, so I won't be doing the preview post on Tuesday to sync up with the leap year dates....

(Note that this is one of the continuity details that the later revival movies will ignore. The Trial of the Incredible Hulk claims that David’s fingerprints aren’t on file.)

The bastards! But we're fanboys, we can rationalize this. Let's see...how about: Every time Don Blake summoned Thor, it altered reality in subtle ways, making the world that David lived in a little dumber?

 

[RJDiogenes]

That whole sequence reminded me of:

Needs more cowbell.

Every time Don Blake summoned Thor, it altered reality in subtle ways, making the world that David lived in a little dumber?

He must have been summoning him on a daily basis all these years. It would explain a lot.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

"Lights" is my favorite.

I know the song well though I realize I never knew the title! lol

 

[RJDiogenes]

That has happened to me a lot over the years. Who knew "Train In Vain" was called "Train In Vain?"

 

[The Old Mixer]

^ Have you been peeking? That's coming up real soon.

 

[David Bixby]

The Incredible Hulk
"A Rock and a Hard Place"--
Against Lucy's protests, Russky tosses a chained up David into the water, triggering a Hulk-out; the creature emerges from the water...

...displaying his incredible ability to become instantly bone dry for the second time this Season.

 

[Christopher]

The bastards! But we're fanboys, we can rationalize this. Let's see...how about: Every time Don Blake summoned Thor, it altered reality in subtle ways, making the world that David lived in a little dumber?

Trial is actually my favorite of the three movies, even though it's really more a Daredevil pilot than a Hulk story. It has some continuity issues, but so does the original series (like, whatever happened to all those police warrants that were out on the Hulk in season 1?). And I think adding Thor to the Bixby-Hulk universe is already altering its reality. As I've mentioned, the most fanciful non-Hulk-related things we ever got in the original were precognition and some vague martial-arts mysticism.

Let's see... Hypothetically, what other Marvel heroes that were around in the '80s would've been a good fit for TIH's relatively grounded universe? Daredevil fits because he has fairly subtle powers that were radiation-induced like David's. If they'd done the crossover with Nicholas Hammond's Spider-Man that they'd planned at the time, that would've fit the radiation-powers theme too. She-Hulk is an obvious possibility. Captain America and Iron Man could both have worked -- I can definitely see Lonely Man David Banner hitching a ride on Reb Brown Cap's motorcycle as he rides around trying to Find America. Non-powered characters like Black Widow and Hawkeye would be easy -- I could see a story about Soviet spy Natasha Romanoff on a mission to capture the Hulk but ending up bonding with David and defecting. Nick Fury and SHIELD could've worked by the same token, although without the Helicarriers and LMDs. Heroes for Hire could've worked -- imagine if Rick Springfield's character in "The Disciple" had been Danny Rand -- but the show had a mixed record writing black and inner-city characters, so their handling of Luke Cage might've been problematical.

Maybe some of the X-Men ("Children of the Atom," more radiation-induced powers, but inborn) could've worked, if their powers were dialed down. The existence of psychics like Annie allows for Charles Xavier or Jean Grey, and the existence of the Hulk allows for the Beast. The Hulk's accelerated healing in the show allows for Wolverine -- who's a natural choice, since he debuted as a guest star in the Hulk comic. But others like Storm, Nightcrawler, etc. have powers that are too implausible.