MeTV's SuperSci-Fi Saturday Night
- Thread starter JD
- Start date
Well, of course they're not the same. Hamburgers are unfinished cheeseburgers. 
A root beer stand chain in my original neck of the woods in Indiana calls its chili dogs "coney dogs".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B&K_Rootbeer
https://www.facebook.com/BK-Root-Beer-Drive_-In-269738220094/
I don't remember the coney dogs having ketchup and mustard on them....
And this thread is making me hungry!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B&K_Rootbeer
https://www.facebook.com/BK-Root-Beer-Drive_-In-269738220094/
I don't remember the coney dogs having ketchup and mustard on them....
And this thread is making me hungry!
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Add mustard and we're good...and definitely different than cheeseburgers..I like hamburgers, preferably with relish and pickles and onions. Not cheeseburgers. They are not the same thing, damn it.
Thanks for making me hungry before bedtime!!!!
Not officially, but by 1979, the Hulk was seen as being "in the tradition" of the Universal monsters (sort of a superheroic Wolf Man--sympathetic man transforming into a monster) and added to Universal Studios' "Castle Dracula" show, while making appearances around the tour areas--
I will get into the TV series' effect on a show building on the then-new Frank Langella Dracula movie, and what a strange mix that was (I attended the show on two occasions).
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In Oklahoma in the 80s, our late night horror guy was "Count Gregor"
From the way you describe it, 'm guessing you're watching the syndicated versions, which were badly edited, with scenes replaced with stock footage or music from other Universal productions (and not with the approval of Serling, or producer Jack Laird), or cut to the point of strong episodes rendered incomprehensible. The series has suffered from this mistreatment since first syndicated in the early 1970s. The only way to watch it is on DVD (or Hulu, if they're carrying it), as most packages for commercial TV were junked beyond repair.
Rod Serling's Night Gallery was (for the most part) well budgeted, and enjoyed so many innovative story and cinematography benefits that put much of its contemporaries to shame. In my view, its the last, great anthology ever produced for TV.
In my home city (Los Angeles), I had almost every major horror/general schlock host, from Seymour (Fright Night & Monster Rally), to Commander USA's Groovie Movies, to Movie Macabre with Elvira. Once cable expanded, Creature Features--the John Stanley hosted version, not to be confused with the local, KTTV (now Fox) host-free program of the same name.
Combined, those programs provided a rich fantasy film education about work from every corner of the world. Loved it.
In the early 70s, in Boston, we had The Ghoul, a guy named Ron Sweed. He was actually from Cleveland, but our Channel 56 was owned by the same people as his station in those days. As far as I know, he's still making personal appearances as The Ghoul, but I don't think he has a show.
You may be right. I did watch a lot of them first run, but that was a long time ago and I'm more familiar with the syndicated versions.
Did you open your eyes? There are some things man was not meant to know.
"Rainbow's End"--
Back to cure-related episodes, and it takes the polar opposite approach to David's usual means of addressing his problem.
David "Bishop" guzzles beer at a bar, and watches a newscast about the horse Rainbow's End--so good he might qualify for the Kentucky Derby. David's attention is captured by the revelation of assistant trainer & Native American (Sioux) Thomas Logan's development of a racing commission approved "natural nutritional supplement" alleged to calm down the wild, unpredictable side of horses.
While David rides a bus to see Logan (and reading the National Register, of all papers), a fellow traveler spouts racist doubts about Logan's treatment, calling it "fire water," only for David to say it has an effect similar to the drug Benzodiazapine, or a "tranquilizer" --watered down for the racist to understand.
David arrives at San Remos Race Track, and after an incident with Rainbow's End getting "spooked." meets Jimmy Kelly, his daughter (and jokey hopeful) Kim and owner Larry Carroll III. Logan's herb mix was handed down in his family, once used to make attacking wolves "docile as the family dog." David discovers that a kind of acid used on Rainbow's saddle creates an unbearable burning sensation as he becomes active (explaining his "bad" behavior). Logan tells Jimmy about the sabotage, but Jimmy curtly tells him not to bother Carroll over "bad saddle oil."
...er...yeah, Jimmy...
By the way, Logan's treatment mix contains (in addition to vitamin B) Chamomile, Horehound, Ginger and I think Logan also said Garum. If that last element is true, there was a medicinal use of it in ancient Greek culture.
David offers himself as a test subject, but Logan is very skeptical. Later, Kim shows David her father's invention: a mounted, electronic sensor / timer that promises to end up at every race track in the country. The problem is that her bitter father sold the patent to Carroll, but wants it back.
Of course, Kim has some interest in Don Juan Banner, and asks him to a get together held that evening, which is disrupted by angry dad Jimmy accusing Carroll of stealing his invention, money, etc. In a drunken huff, he sets the stable on fire (man, just 4 episodes in this TIH season, and boozers have caused trouble in at least three!). David (promising Kim to make sure Jimmy made it home) sees the fire, races to save the horses, but in the chaos--and getting hit by one of the animals, he Hulks out, but still leads them to safety. Logan looks for Rainbow, and finds him--along with the Hulk returning to his David side.
The next day, Logan gets a call from Jack McGee (I wonder why), but Logan is not interested. This is followed by a nice (but frantic) exchange:
Logan: "You posses a powerful force!"
David: "No! It possesses me! And I can't control it. It even happens in my sleep!"
Clearly, the sleep reference was a nod to the scene from "Married," but David really has no belief that he has any kind of conscious control over his transformations, and sadly, he's given up on the approach Caroline Fields taught him.
Logan agrees to treat David, who asks if he was frightened by the sight of the Hulk. Logan's interesting reply:
Logan: "My grandfather's tribe would have treated you like a god."
Quite the opposite of the then-modern, in-universe world, where Hulk encounters inspire absolute fear or disbelief in anything not bent to surface-y perceptions.
Logan: "If you could control it, you would have a great power."
David: "I don't want that kind of power."
Today, too many would LOVE to have a power like the Hulk at their command, and for purely selfish reasons of control, intimidation, revenge, ego--all the desires of petty people, but here, you have a man who rejects that even if (as Logan theorized) he could control it. Another great character defining moment for David.
David (with some hesitation) takes the first treatment, and during his sleep, dreams of Caroline--including all of their trials together up to that last afternoon--shocking David out of his sleep...but this time, he did not Hulk out. The treatment seems to be successful.
Elsewhere, Jimmy Kelly--still bitter--cleans his rifle, and aims it at TV footage of Rainbow.
The following day, Logan asks how David's felt since taking the treatment 12 hours earlier; David wonders if his experience is the power of suggestion, but admits he feels calm.
No one knows angry Jimmy Kelly's whereabouts.
David will run the timing device for the 16th San Remos Stakes (with a $50,000 purse); Jack McGee pops up, doing his thing, just missing Jimmy, who heads up to the top of the stadium...with his collapsible rife in a bag. Unbeknownst to Jimmy, Rainbow's End (his intended target) has a change in jockeys--Kim, replacing the ill Andy (who was tossed on his head earlier in the episode). As the race is starting, David spots Jimmy on the rooftop, studying the area with his rifle scope, tries to push through the crowd, but is knocked to the ground, stomped, triggering a Hulk-out. The Hulk rages through he startled crowd--McGee spotting him--and heads to the rooftop, where he rips the guard rail from its foundation, tossing Jimmy to the ground, then hurling his rifle to parts unknown.
Kim and Rainbow's End win the race--a start for Kim to fulfill her dream of being a pro jockey.
Sometime later, Logan suggests if David sticks around, perhaps he could increase the B complex component of the tonic; David passes on it, as the experiment could take weeks he cannot afford, thanks to McGee always on the hunt.
Kim tells David Mr. Carroll will help her ingrate father, and David says his goodbyes to Kim, hitting the road.
NOTES: The Incredible Hulk was decades ahead of its time in seriously profiling natural nutritional treatments or cures, and giving it due respect. Up to that period in TV history, the use of vitamins, herbal remedies, powders, special natural diets was usually treated as a fringe belief served eye-rolls, doubt, or frowns about consuming "that junk," or was pigeonholed as the extreme interests of counterculture, fad dieters and iron-slinging bodybuilder types. "Rainbow's End" made it clear that medicine and health has ancient roots & solutions beyond the Merck & Co. sort of commercial laboratories.
Is the first time David consumed beer on the show? Is that safe considering his condition? Or did he find out long ago that the effect of alcohol had no influence on triggering the other side?
The big takeaway question is: David knows the ingredients to the tonic. Even if he had leave to avoid McGee & the police, why not ask Logan for a list, so David could settle somewhere and try again? The first treatment was successful, so unlike so many would-be cures before, this would be worth pursuing until he--a "physician, scientist" found the perfect mix.
Of course, from the production end, David cannot find a cure, but in-universe? David uncharacteristically dropped the ball on this one.
GUEST STARS:
Craig Stevens (Carroll) catapulted to a permanent place in the annals of TV history in the title role of Peter Gunn (NBC / ABC, 1958-61). His fantasy credits included Alfred Hitchcock Presents ("The Deadly"), and was a regular on the Harve Bennett co-created The Invisible Man (NBC, 1975-76) which starred David McCallum.
Stevens also had run-ins with less than friendly insects, starting with one of the more remembered "giant insect" films from the 50s, The Deadly Mantis (Universal International, 1957) and the TV movie Killer Bees (ABC, 1974) with co-stars Gloria Swanson and a post-Dark Shadows / pre-Charlie's Angels Kate Jackson.
Ned Romero (Logan) should be familiar to Star Trek fans from nearly every generation. His first trip to the ST universe was as Krell, the Klingon supplying the villagers with flintlocks in TOS' "A Private Little War" (1967), decades later, he appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Journey's End" (1994) as Anthwara and Star Trek: Voyager's "The Fight" (1999) as Chakotay's Great-Grandfather.
Additional fantasy credits include Land of the Lost ("Medicine Man"), and The Six Million Dollar Man ("Divided Loyalty" & "The Thunderbird Connection").
Michele Nichols (Kim) missed acting in any other fantasy TV series or movie, but managed to guest on many of the biggest TV hits of the 60s and 70s, such as The F.B.I., The Mod Squad, Mary Tyler Moore, Kojak, Emergency!, Happy Days and Charlie's Angels.
Back to cure-related episodes, and it takes the polar opposite approach to David's usual means of addressing his problem.
David "Bishop" guzzles beer at a bar, and watches a newscast about the horse Rainbow's End--so good he might qualify for the Kentucky Derby. David's attention is captured by the revelation of assistant trainer & Native American (Sioux) Thomas Logan's development of a racing commission approved "natural nutritional supplement" alleged to calm down the wild, unpredictable side of horses.
While David rides a bus to see Logan (and reading the National Register, of all papers), a fellow traveler spouts racist doubts about Logan's treatment, calling it "fire water," only for David to say it has an effect similar to the drug Benzodiazapine, or a "tranquilizer" --watered down for the racist to understand.
David arrives at San Remos Race Track, and after an incident with Rainbow's End getting "spooked." meets Jimmy Kelly, his daughter (and jokey hopeful) Kim and owner Larry Carroll III. Logan's herb mix was handed down in his family, once used to make attacking wolves "docile as the family dog." David discovers that a kind of acid used on Rainbow's saddle creates an unbearable burning sensation as he becomes active (explaining his "bad" behavior). Logan tells Jimmy about the sabotage, but Jimmy curtly tells him not to bother Carroll over "bad saddle oil."
...er...yeah, Jimmy...
By the way, Logan's treatment mix contains (in addition to vitamin B) Chamomile, Horehound, Ginger and I think Logan also said Garum. If that last element is true, there was a medicinal use of it in ancient Greek culture.
David offers himself as a test subject, but Logan is very skeptical. Later, Kim shows David her father's invention: a mounted, electronic sensor / timer that promises to end up at every race track in the country. The problem is that her bitter father sold the patent to Carroll, but wants it back.
Of course, Kim has some interest in Don Juan Banner, and asks him to a get together held that evening, which is disrupted by angry dad Jimmy accusing Carroll of stealing his invention, money, etc. In a drunken huff, he sets the stable on fire (man, just 4 episodes in this TIH season, and boozers have caused trouble in at least three!). David (promising Kim to make sure Jimmy made it home) sees the fire, races to save the horses, but in the chaos--and getting hit by one of the animals, he Hulks out, but still leads them to safety. Logan looks for Rainbow, and finds him--along with the Hulk returning to his David side.
The next day, Logan gets a call from Jack McGee (I wonder why), but Logan is not interested. This is followed by a nice (but frantic) exchange:
Logan: "You posses a powerful force!"
David: "No! It possesses me! And I can't control it. It even happens in my sleep!"
Clearly, the sleep reference was a nod to the scene from "Married," but David really has no belief that he has any kind of conscious control over his transformations, and sadly, he's given up on the approach Caroline Fields taught him.
Logan agrees to treat David, who asks if he was frightened by the sight of the Hulk. Logan's interesting reply:
Logan: "My grandfather's tribe would have treated you like a god."
Quite the opposite of the then-modern, in-universe world, where Hulk encounters inspire absolute fear or disbelief in anything not bent to surface-y perceptions.
Logan: "If you could control it, you would have a great power."
David: "I don't want that kind of power."
Today, too many would LOVE to have a power like the Hulk at their command, and for purely selfish reasons of control, intimidation, revenge, ego--all the desires of petty people, but here, you have a man who rejects that even if (as Logan theorized) he could control it. Another great character defining moment for David.
David (with some hesitation) takes the first treatment, and during his sleep, dreams of Caroline--including all of their trials together up to that last afternoon--shocking David out of his sleep...but this time, he did not Hulk out. The treatment seems to be successful.
Elsewhere, Jimmy Kelly--still bitter--cleans his rifle, and aims it at TV footage of Rainbow.
The following day, Logan asks how David's felt since taking the treatment 12 hours earlier; David wonders if his experience is the power of suggestion, but admits he feels calm.
No one knows angry Jimmy Kelly's whereabouts.
David will run the timing device for the 16th San Remos Stakes (with a $50,000 purse); Jack McGee pops up, doing his thing, just missing Jimmy, who heads up to the top of the stadium...with his collapsible rife in a bag. Unbeknownst to Jimmy, Rainbow's End (his intended target) has a change in jockeys--Kim, replacing the ill Andy (who was tossed on his head earlier in the episode). As the race is starting, David spots Jimmy on the rooftop, studying the area with his rifle scope, tries to push through the crowd, but is knocked to the ground, stomped, triggering a Hulk-out. The Hulk rages through he startled crowd--McGee spotting him--and heads to the rooftop, where he rips the guard rail from its foundation, tossing Jimmy to the ground, then hurling his rifle to parts unknown.
Kim and Rainbow's End win the race--a start for Kim to fulfill her dream of being a pro jockey.
Sometime later, Logan suggests if David sticks around, perhaps he could increase the B complex component of the tonic; David passes on it, as the experiment could take weeks he cannot afford, thanks to McGee always on the hunt.
Kim tells David Mr. Carroll will help her ingrate father, and David says his goodbyes to Kim, hitting the road.
NOTES: The Incredible Hulk was decades ahead of its time in seriously profiling natural nutritional treatments or cures, and giving it due respect. Up to that period in TV history, the use of vitamins, herbal remedies, powders, special natural diets was usually treated as a fringe belief served eye-rolls, doubt, or frowns about consuming "that junk," or was pigeonholed as the extreme interests of counterculture, fad dieters and iron-slinging bodybuilder types. "Rainbow's End" made it clear that medicine and health has ancient roots & solutions beyond the Merck & Co. sort of commercial laboratories.
Is the first time David consumed beer on the show? Is that safe considering his condition? Or did he find out long ago that the effect of alcohol had no influence on triggering the other side?
The big takeaway question is: David knows the ingredients to the tonic. Even if he had leave to avoid McGee & the police, why not ask Logan for a list, so David could settle somewhere and try again? The first treatment was successful, so unlike so many would-be cures before, this would be worth pursuing until he--a "physician, scientist" found the perfect mix.
Of course, from the production end, David cannot find a cure, but in-universe? David uncharacteristically dropped the ball on this one.
GUEST STARS:
Craig Stevens (Carroll) catapulted to a permanent place in the annals of TV history in the title role of Peter Gunn (NBC / ABC, 1958-61). His fantasy credits included Alfred Hitchcock Presents ("The Deadly"), and was a regular on the Harve Bennett co-created The Invisible Man (NBC, 1975-76) which starred David McCallum.
Stevens also had run-ins with less than friendly insects, starting with one of the more remembered "giant insect" films from the 50s, The Deadly Mantis (Universal International, 1957) and the TV movie Killer Bees (ABC, 1974) with co-stars Gloria Swanson and a post-Dark Shadows / pre-Charlie's Angels Kate Jackson.
Ned Romero (Logan) should be familiar to Star Trek fans from nearly every generation. His first trip to the ST universe was as Krell, the Klingon supplying the villagers with flintlocks in TOS' "A Private Little War" (1967), decades later, he appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Journey's End" (1994) as Anthwara and Star Trek: Voyager's "The Fight" (1999) as Chakotay's Great-Grandfather.
Additional fantasy credits include Land of the Lost ("Medicine Man"), and The Six Million Dollar Man ("Divided Loyalty" & "The Thunderbird Connection").
Michele Nichols (Kim) missed acting in any other fantasy TV series or movie, but managed to guest on many of the biggest TV hits of the 60s and 70s, such as The F.B.I., The Mod Squad, Mary Tyler Moore, Kojak, Emergency!, Happy Days and Charlie's Angels.
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The Incredible Hulk
"Rainbow's End"
Originally aired October 13, 1978
Yep, keeping 'em competitive in the tally at this point....
What do you mean by that? That it wasn't conventionally "scientific"?
Our first new alias of the season! Also, I think this is the first time that we see David get a lead on a potential cure of the week onscreen. As for the drinking...well, alcohol is a depressant...so I guess we'll have to assume that David is a happy drunk.
Who becomes the first character to join list of those who learn that David's the Hulk and live not to tell about it since "Death in the Family"!
Makes sense that he'd keep up with what McGee's got on him...and it helps to establish why McGee happens to be in the episode for non-Hulk-related reasons again.
Our second racetrack in as many weeks...but overall, the showmakers are certainly going out of their way at this point to keep each episode's setting colorful and different...racecar driving, horse racing....
-28:29, falling earlier than average, but not dramatically so.
I got the impression from Logan's side of the conversation that it was because McGee just happened to be covering the Rainbow's End story (confirmed by the close-up of the paper that David was reading)...I don't think anyone saw the Hulk the first time but Logan.
And it turns out there's a story-specific reason that they dropped that reference.
Perhaps the first time the series suggested the idea of controlling the Hulk in a way that involved using his power, rather than just preventing transformations....
The first, but not the last, use of "Married" in flashbacks...reinforcing that it wasn't just another episodic incident in David's travels, but a cornerstone of his psyche rivaling Laura.
"Why didn't you say something sooner?"
"I can't afford to get involved with the police."
Gee, that never stopped David from nosing into people's schemes before....
-5:23...falling only 22 seconds earlier than our record-holder for latest Second Hulk-Out. But you forgot what put David over the edge--hot coffee! If David hadn't been so motivated to keep his true identities secret, he could have cleaned up with a good lawyer!
We get a good look at Ferrigno's unpainted ear poking through his Hulk wig at -3:09...and the Hulk who runs away from a lingering camera in the parking lot looks distinctly like a double just based on the proportionate size of his head/hair compared to the rest of his body.
In a situation like this, you have to wonder why David doesn't just lay low long enough for McGee to move on, then go back and pursue the treatment some more. Because, series premise.
The guest protagonists and antagonist in this one seem relatively unengaging to me...maybe in part because the episode doesn't focus as much on them as on David's cure-related activities.
Ah....didn't know that. And in the "One Letter Away from Being a Trek Series Regular" category:
("Michelle" as credited in the episode.)
"Rainbow's End"
Originally aired October 13, 1978
Yep, keeping 'em competitive in the tally at this point....
What do you mean by that? That it wasn't conventionally "scientific"?
Our first new alias of the season! Also, I think this is the first time that we see David get a lead on a potential cure of the week onscreen. As for the drinking...well, alcohol is a depressant...so I guess we'll have to assume that David is a happy drunk.
Who becomes the first character to join list of those who learn that David's the Hulk and live not to tell about it since "Death in the Family"!
Makes sense that he'd keep up with what McGee's got on him...and it helps to establish why McGee happens to be in the episode for non-Hulk-related reasons again.
Our second racetrack in as many weeks...but overall, the showmakers are certainly going out of their way at this point to keep each episode's setting colorful and different...racecar driving, horse racing....
-28:29, falling earlier than average, but not dramatically so.
I got the impression from Logan's side of the conversation that it was because McGee just happened to be covering the Rainbow's End story (confirmed by the close-up of the paper that David was reading)...I don't think anyone saw the Hulk the first time but Logan.
And it turns out there's a story-specific reason that they dropped that reference.
Perhaps the first time the series suggested the idea of controlling the Hulk in a way that involved using his power, rather than just preventing transformations....
The first, but not the last, use of "Married" in flashbacks...reinforcing that it wasn't just another episodic incident in David's travels, but a cornerstone of his psyche rivaling Laura.
"Why didn't you say something sooner?"
"I can't afford to get involved with the police."
Gee, that never stopped David from nosing into people's schemes before....
-5:23...falling only 22 seconds earlier than our record-holder for latest Second Hulk-Out. But you forgot what put David over the edge--hot coffee! If David hadn't been so motivated to keep his true identities secret, he could have cleaned up with a good lawyer!
We get a good look at Ferrigno's unpainted ear poking through his Hulk wig at -3:09...and the Hulk who runs away from a lingering camera in the parking lot looks distinctly like a double just based on the proportionate size of his head/hair compared to the rest of his body.
In a situation like this, you have to wonder why David doesn't just lay low long enough for McGee to move on, then go back and pursue the treatment some more. Because, series premise.
The guest protagonists and antagonist in this one seem relatively unengaging to me...maybe in part because the episode doesn't focus as much on them as on David's cure-related activities.
Ah....didn't know that. And in the "One Letter Away from Being a Trek Series Regular" category:
("Michelle" as credited in the episode.)
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I wasn't expecting much from "Rainbow's End" -- I figured it'd probably be gamblers trying to fix the races or something, just a formulaic episode. And I was afraid of a stereotyped portrayal of Ned Romero's character. But it actually turned out pretty well. While characters in-story (including McGee, disappointingly) rode hard on the "Injun" stereotypes, Logan himself largely subverted them. There was a bit of the old "My ancestors possessed ancient wisdom of medicines and spirits" cliche, but not to an exaggerated degree. And the directing by Kenneth Gilbert (in his swan song on the series) was excellent. The intensity of the sequence where Logan passed the stein of tonic to David was quite effective. The dream sequence, for all that it was put together from stock footage, was cut very effectively, building to a potent climax -- culminating in the relief of a non-Hulk-out. And when Kelly was climbing to the roof with his rifle, the picture and sound editing deftly conveyed his inability to hear the jockey change that put his own daughter in his crosshairs. (Though I'm disappointed we didn't get a scene of his reaction when he discovered he'd almost killed her.)
I do feel the cure narrative proceeded a little too quickly; typically David can go through an entire episode without a triggering nightmare, but here he conveniently has one immediately after trying the tonic? Although I suppose they did set it up with his earlier agitation and his line about how nobody could rest easy that night. It's not completely unbelievable that his anxiety about the treatment brought his recent tragedy to the front of his mind. (And it's a nice bit of continuity that his recurring nightmare about Laura has given way to a nightmare about Caroline.) But I wish there had been some effect on the climactic Hulk-out, maybe a delay in the transformation kicking in, or the Hulk being weakened enough that he almost failed to stop the shooting.
Really, the Hulk didn't do anything very impressive, perhaps due to budget limitations. In the first Hulk-out, he basically just led a horse out of a barn -- okay, he kicked through one wall -- and then got tired and changed back after one of the shortest Hulk-outs ever. And in the climax, he just scared the crowd, ran up the stairs, knocked down a door, pulled out a pipe, and tossed a rifle away. Couldn't they have had him super-jump up to where Kelly was? Kenneth Gilbert had directed two Bionic Woman episodes, so he probably knew how to do the thing where the stunt performer jumps backward off the roof and the film is run in reverse.
I wonder if anyone thought it odd that this rampaging green monster had an official admission pass pinned to the front of his ragged shirt. I was kind of hoping the security guard would let him run by unaccosted because, hey, he had a pass! You'd think that if the cops or McGee had been informed of that detail, they could've figured out that someone on the official admissions list had transformed into the creature. Once again, McGee fails reporting forever.
This is the first of nine episodes, all in the second season, to be scored by Charles R. Cassey. Cassey is the only person other than Joe Harnell to have a composer credit on this series, unless you count the revival movies, which were scored by Lance Rubin. Cassey does a fairly good job, especially with the nightmare sequence, but I don't like his action music as much as Harnell's.
Interesting detail: In the final shot just before fade-out, you can see a peacock perching on the stable roof above Kim. It's also visible in the end-credits freeze frame.
The first treatment might have been successful. As David said, it might've been the power of suggestion. No scientist would ever take a single, uncorroborated trial as proof, because there could be other variables affecting the outcome, or the appearance of correlation could simply be coincidence. And despite my earlier musing, maybe the ease with which he transformed the second time was proof that his Hulk-free night's sleep was little more than a placebo effect.
Alcohol interferes with the activity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, and can, among other things, inhibit sexual performance (so it's ironic and rather counterproductive that so many people use it as a social lubricant leading up to sexual performance). So I can believe that alcohol could disrupt the nervous-system triggers that induce a Startling Metamorphosis. On the other hand, though, alcohol is infamous for heightening aggression. A very high percentage of violent crimes take place under its influence. So I could see it provoking a Hulk-out too. Hard to say, really. (He'd probably be better off using cannabis, legalities aside. You want an herbal remedy to stay mellow, well...)
Granted, David is a doctor, so he probably has a better understanding than most people of proper dosages. Getting drunk is the result of an overdose of alcohol, taking in so much of the drug that it becomes toxic (which is why it's called intoxication). As long as one's usage remains moderate, its harmful effects are minimized, as with most any other drug.
I was wondering about that. I thought maybe Logan was the first, but I forgot about the two from DitF. I think we have another coming up in just a couple of weeks, though.
Although it's still a coincidence that McGee happens to be the reporter covering Rainbow's End, given that David initially heard about the treatment from a TV sports report rather than from reading the Register.
Exactly. The reason Logan was so unfriendly toward McGee was because of the latter's portrayal of his work as "Indian Hocus-Pocus," along with a photo sticking a feathered headdress on Logan. Although, in McGee's defense, he probably wasn't responsible for the headline and photo.
The same reason comic-book villains never attempt the same plot twice.
Still, there's some sense behind it. If he stays in one place, he'd probably Hulk out more times, and that would bring more investigation and increase the risk of being discovered. It might be worth risking that if there was a good chance of a cure, but if the cure fails, he could be increasing the danger.
There's also the fact that, despite all evidence to the contrary, David still fears that the creature could hurt the people he cares about. He actually did hurt Caroline when she took the skin sample from him. So part of the tragedy of his situation is that the closer he feels to someone, the less willing he is to risk staying around them. Although that's an angle the series infrequently explored.
I do feel the cure narrative proceeded a little too quickly; typically David can go through an entire episode without a triggering nightmare, but here he conveniently has one immediately after trying the tonic? Although I suppose they did set it up with his earlier agitation and his line about how nobody could rest easy that night. It's not completely unbelievable that his anxiety about the treatment brought his recent tragedy to the front of his mind. (And it's a nice bit of continuity that his recurring nightmare about Laura has given way to a nightmare about Caroline.) But I wish there had been some effect on the climactic Hulk-out, maybe a delay in the transformation kicking in, or the Hulk being weakened enough that he almost failed to stop the shooting.
Really, the Hulk didn't do anything very impressive, perhaps due to budget limitations. In the first Hulk-out, he basically just led a horse out of a barn -- okay, he kicked through one wall -- and then got tired and changed back after one of the shortest Hulk-outs ever. And in the climax, he just scared the crowd, ran up the stairs, knocked down a door, pulled out a pipe, and tossed a rifle away. Couldn't they have had him super-jump up to where Kelly was? Kenneth Gilbert had directed two Bionic Woman episodes, so he probably knew how to do the thing where the stunt performer jumps backward off the roof and the film is run in reverse.
I wonder if anyone thought it odd that this rampaging green monster had an official admission pass pinned to the front of his ragged shirt. I was kind of hoping the security guard would let him run by unaccosted because, hey, he had a pass! You'd think that if the cops or McGee had been informed of that detail, they could've figured out that someone on the official admissions list had transformed into the creature. Once again, McGee fails reporting forever.
This is the first of nine episodes, all in the second season, to be scored by Charles R. Cassey. Cassey is the only person other than Joe Harnell to have a composer credit on this series, unless you count the revival movies, which were scored by Lance Rubin. Cassey does a fairly good job, especially with the nightmare sequence, but I don't like his action music as much as Harnell's.
Interesting detail: In the final shot just before fade-out, you can see a peacock perching on the stable roof above Kim. It's also visible in the end-credits freeze frame.
TREK_GOD_1 said:
The first treatment might have been successful. As David said, it might've been the power of suggestion. No scientist would ever take a single, uncorroborated trial as proof, because there could be other variables affecting the outcome, or the appearance of correlation could simply be coincidence. And despite my earlier musing, maybe the ease with which he transformed the second time was proof that his Hulk-free night's sleep was little more than a placebo effect.
Alcohol interferes with the activity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, and can, among other things, inhibit sexual performance (so it's ironic and rather counterproductive that so many people use it as a social lubricant leading up to sexual performance). So I can believe that alcohol could disrupt the nervous-system triggers that induce a Startling Metamorphosis. On the other hand, though, alcohol is infamous for heightening aggression. A very high percentage of violent crimes take place under its influence. So I could see it provoking a Hulk-out too. Hard to say, really. (He'd probably be better off using cannabis, legalities aside. You want an herbal remedy to stay mellow, well...)
Granted, David is a doctor, so he probably has a better understanding than most people of proper dosages. Getting drunk is the result of an overdose of alcohol, taking in so much of the drug that it becomes toxic (which is why it's called intoxication). As long as one's usage remains moderate, its harmful effects are minimized, as with most any other drug.
I was wondering about that. I thought maybe Logan was the first, but I forgot about the two from DitF. I think we have another coming up in just a couple of weeks, though.
Although it's still a coincidence that McGee happens to be the reporter covering Rainbow's End, given that David initially heard about the treatment from a TV sports report rather than from reading the Register.
Exactly. The reason Logan was so unfriendly toward McGee was because of the latter's portrayal of his work as "Indian Hocus-Pocus," along with a photo sticking a feathered headdress on Logan. Although, in McGee's defense, he probably wasn't responsible for the headline and photo.
The same reason comic-book villains never attempt the same plot twice.
Still, there's some sense behind it. If he stays in one place, he'd probably Hulk out more times, and that would bring more investigation and increase the risk of being discovered. It might be worth risking that if there was a good chance of a cure, but if the cure fails, he could be increasing the danger.
There's also the fact that, despite all evidence to the contrary, David still fears that the creature could hurt the people he cares about. He actually did hurt Caroline when she took the skin sample from him. So part of the tragedy of his situation is that the closer he feels to someone, the less willing he is to risk staying around them. Although that's an angle the series infrequently explored.
Yes. Up to this point, he's tried several medical treatments, but no nutritional remedies.
We can only hope. I wonder if a drunk David was upset enough to become the Hulk, would the alcohol's effect carry over to any degree?
Rare company, but this club will add member this season...
...but reading stories about yourself in the Register is like...Googling your name--you're bound to read something unpleasant!
My "I wonder why" was more tongue-in-cheek, since McGee always seems to turn up to haunt David in one way or another.
It is; even Caroline's therapy was about David--not the actual Hulk--controlling entire process, with no real participation with the Hulk.
...along with other major events from the pilot, that will reappear in dialogue and/or flashback.
..and being rich, he could have changed his purpose in life..like bump into TV Cap, convince him to road trip (in that patriotic van) to recruit TV Spider-Man & Dr. Strange to form some kind of team to fight the battles too big for regular humans to handle...Cannot think of a name for this group right now...
I thought it was a double, and with the different wig, it almost looked like reused shot from the conclusion of season one's "747"....hmm.
That why I said David uncharacteristically dropped the ball (for in-universe purposes), since this was a successful treatment. His days of running would have ended....but on a related thought, what would he do with his life? Live with one alias, or try to return as David Banner?
Probably. In the end, it was all about David finding another kind of cure, so the human interest element took a back seat, unlike the A story of last week's "Ricky."
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Plus, Logan foreshadowed unintended effects on a human...the remedy itself may have triggered his intense dreams.
Far from it...all it took was somebody spilling some hot coffee on him!
You and Stark may be on to something....
Not necessarily...once the Scheme of the Week had played itself out, he might have had a better chance to stay out of trouble in a steady environment...an idea reinforced by The Return of the Incredible Hulk, which established that he'd settled down in one place and managed to avoid Hulk-Out-triggering incidents for two years.
Now that's a good point.
The Affenders...or maybe the Devengers...something like that....
You mean The Incredible Hulk Returns, right? The Return of the Incredible Hulk was the original title of "Death in the Family" (in its initial TV-movie broadcast).
And given that David is as much of a trouble magnet as any other weekly-series lead, I doubt he could avoid dangerous situations for long even if he stuck around.
