The Incredible Hulk - 5th & final season--
"The Phenom"
Heading to Miami's Cotton Labs, David
Bedecker is on the road to Florida with semi-pro baseball pitcher Joe Dumming. Considered a "phenom", Dumming has captured the attention of many, hence the reason he's travelling to the West Palm Beach (spring) training camp of the New Jersey Roosters. Stopping for the evening, Joe convinces David to stay, at least to watch his tryout at the spring training camp. Joe is worried that failure means a return to laborious jobs like driving tractors, etc., and could use the encouragement to show his best.
At spring training, Joe's pitching impresses--particularly Bernard Devlin and Audrey (sports agent & bait), and aging, drinking sports reporter Cyrus T. McCormack, who has been tailing Joe and David since their arrival in West Palm Beach. McCormack advises David to keep Joe away from Bernard and Audrey, as they are utterly unethical, and would lead the young man to a life of being ripped off and generally corrupted.
Devlin intercepts McCormack, trying to play into his light alcoholism with a new bottle, softening him up to help push Joe his way. McCormack angrily rejects the request, adding David into the mix as Joe's partner, but Devlin reminds the writer that he owes him for providing years of insider information that boosted McCormack's career. Realizing he's in a bind, McCormack agrees to help the manipulative Devlin.
That evening, Joe opens up to David about his apparent lack of a formal education, thanks to his father abandoning the farm, leaving Joe to leave school to work--and sharpen his pitching skills. As David leaves to get a bag of ice, he comes across McCormack--drunk and sitting in the motel parking lot--the distraction Audrey needs to visit Joe's room. Banner helps McCormack back to his room, where the drunk man rattles off the fact he was once in the running to win the 1954 Pulitzer prize, but his editor calls, threatening to fire this once prominent writer if he fails to file his story in two days. Too drunk to complete his story, McCormack begs David to use his notes to flesh out the story. Davd reluctantly agrees, spending all night writing...leaving the inexperienced Joe to the lascivious plans of Audrey.
At spring training, David (with bag in hand) looks o say goodbye to Joe, and runs into a grateful McCormack, who was so impressed with his journalistic skills that he offers David $200 per ghost written story for the month-long spring training period while McCormack dries himself out from his drinking problem. David agrees, finding the offer irresistible. McCormack comes clean about Devlin's screw-turning set up of Joe--who happens to be with Audrey after a night of drinking and other (implied) pleasures. The young man is so taken by her act that he professes his love for her--exactly the mental state needed to fall into Devlin's hands. McCormack (knowing where Audrey lives) sends David to prevent Devlin from ruining Joe's life.
When Banner shows up at Audrey's hotel, Joe excitedly runs to Banner, spilling all of Devlin's attempt to sign him to an exclusive (bad) management deal. Unfortunately, Devlin's influence has a hesitant Joe (who also claims he's "almost married" to Audrey) ask David to leave. With that, Devlin's henchmen twist Banner's arms, finally tossing him head first down a stairwell, ending with Banner's face crashing through a glass door. As you might expect, this triggers a Hulk out, and soon, the creature yanks the hallway carpet out from under the men, sending them crashing into a planter. Breaking into Devlin's room, the Hulk grabs the agent (as Joe protects Audrey with a chair) and sends him out of the window, falling a few stories into the hotel pool before running away.
Audrey is touched Joe placed his life on the line for her, remarking that his act was the first time anyone treated her in such a way. Joe mentions the attack on David, and her tricking him, leading Audrey to say--
Audrey: "But I've also been tricking myself for a very long time."
As Joe leaves to track down Banner, David--as usual--prepares to leave, despite McCormack's pleading on Joe's behalf. Back at the hotel, Audrey announces her desire to leave Devlin's operation, only for the man to remind her of how unintelligent she is, and just how involved she was in her chosen, lowlife profession.
Devlin: "I saved your soul, honey!"
Audrey: "I sold you my soul."
McCormack bumps into a frantic Joe, who learns Banner is on his way to Miami. McCormack tries to reason with Joe--to participate in the evening's showcase in front of the Roosters' general manager, but Joe--feeling guilty--is determined to atone for his earlier behavior with David.
Devlin--although through with Audrey--tells her to warn the "little hayseed" (Joe) against showing up at the training camp...or else. On the highway, the apologetic Joe catches up with David, realizing that he was caught up in the promises and sleaze of Devlin's world. Joe agrees to make the game--only if David is there for moral support. That evening, everyone--Joe, David, Audrey, McCormack...and Devlin's crew make their way to the stadium; Audrey tries to question McCormack, but is rebuffed, as he believes she's still working for Devlin.
In the parking lot, Joe & David head toward the stadium, but are attacked by Devlin's henchmen. Joe's valuable arms are twisted behind his back, as David is beaten and tossed in front of a car, triggering a Hulk-out. In moments, the Hulk hurls the bruisers into a row of parked cars, then carries Joe to the field...
Days later, McCormack finishes his story on Joe--who has been signed to the New Jersey Roosters. Joe--now with support from legitimate girlfriend Audrey. McCormack promises to introduce Joe to a decent agent, and asks Audrey to help him learn how to read. Joe's only regret is that he cannot thank David, who is on some random road, reading McCormack's article on the investigation of Devlin.
NOTES:
This episode is on the outer fringes of being cure-related, since David mentions Cotton Labs, but never reaches the facility, or speaks of its importance to him, though viewers can just assume there might be a cure interest behind it all.
Jack McGee does not appear in this episode.
Audrey's
"But I've also been tricking myself for a very long time." could be taken literally, but if one considers the nature of her services for Devlin, "tricking" could be a slightly veiled reference to prostitution.
Banner has another skill: Undercover Journalist. or Ghost Writer, whichever you prefer.
McCormack is a bit surprised David does not know anything about the well-syndicated writer's column, which is realistic, as David--being a fugitive--is either always on the move, or only pays attention to news stories related to Hulk incidents.
The coach mentions that a player named
Jesús might be the best hitter in the league,
"even if he can't speak English" -- a timely nod to the early wave of non-English speaking players from Puerto Rico the Dominican Republic, Mexico and other regions, that would soon change the ethnic and public face of MLB like never before.
The game announcer names "Alan Cassidy" & "Craig Schiller" as two of the players. Of course, Cassidy & Schiller were
The Incredible Hulk's associate producers.
GUEST CAST:
Brett Cullen (
Joe Dunning)
- V - The Series (NBC, 1985) - "The Littlest Dragon"
- Freddy's Nightmares (Syndicated, 1989) - "Cabin Fever"
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (USA Network, 1989) - "Night Creatures"
- Tales from the Crypt (HBO, 1989) - "Only Sin Deep"
- Prehysteria! (Full Moon Entertainment, 1993)
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Syndicated, 1994) - "Meridian"
- The Omen (FOX, 1995) - TV movie pilot of an unsold series
- The Killing Jar (Paragon Pictures, 1997)
- Levitation (Tenth Muse, 1997)
- From the Earth to the Moon (HBO, 1997) - TV miniseries
- The Outer Limits (Showtime, 1998) - "Final Exam"
- Ghost Whisperer (CBS, 2006) - "Melinda's First Ghost"
- Ghost Rider (Columbia Pictures, 2007)
- Beneath the Darkness (Raincreek Productions, 2011)
- The Dark Knight Rises (Warner Brothers, 2012)
- The Shallows (Columbia Pictures, 2016)
Anne Lockhart (
Audrey) returns to TIH after season three's
"Captive Night" (1979). As noted in that review, she could be called the "first daughter" of bad TV sci-fi--she was a supporting cast member of
Battlestar Galactica (ABC, 1978-79) while her mother June was the matriarch of the Robinson clan on
Lost in Space (CBS, 1965-68). Her first role opposite Bill Bixby was in the pilot for
The Magician (NBC, 1973). Other fantasy roles--
- The Sixth Sense (ABC, 1972) - "Dear Joan: We're Going to Scare You to Death"
- The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries (ABC, 1977/'78) - "The Mystery of the African Safari" & "The Last Kiss of Summer" (2 parts)
- Project U.F.O. (NBC, 1979) - "Sighting 4019: The Believe it or Not Incident"
- Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (NBC, 1980) - "A Dream of Jennifer"
- Earthbound (Taft International Pictures, 1981)
- Darkroom (ABC, 1982) - "Exit Line"
- E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (Universal, 1982)
- Tales of the Gold Monkey (CBS, 1982) - "The Lady and the Tiger"
- Voyagers! (NBC, 1983) - "Merry Christmas, Bogg"
- Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (NBC, 1981-83) - as Storm, Lightwave & additional voices
- Automan (ABC, 1984) - "Death by Design"
- Troll (Empire Pictures,1986)
- Dark Tower (Forum Home Video, 1986)
- Freddy's Nightmares (Syndicated, 1989) - "Heartbreak Hotel"
- The Highwayman (NBC, 1988) - "Road Lord"
- Wishman (1992)
- Quantum Leap (NBC, 1992) - "Star Light, Star Bright"
- Bionic Ever After? (MCA Television, 1994)
- Bug Buster (Prism Leisure, 1998)
- Level 9 (UPN, 2000-01)
- Route 666 (Lions Gate, 2001)
- The Time Traveler's Wife (New Line Cinema, 2009)
- Lockhart: Unleashing the Talisman (2015)
Dick O'Neill (
Cyrus T. McCormack) returns to TIH after guest starring in
"Fast Lane" (1981) from season four.
- Gamera the Invincible (Daiei, 1966)
- The UFO Incident (NBC, 1975) - with James Earl Jones
- Wonder Woman (CBS, 1978) - "Pot of Gold"
- Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (NBC, 1980) - "The Ghosts of Buxley Hall" (2 parts)
- Wes Craven's Chiller (CBS, 1985)
- Timecop (ABC, 1997) - "Public Enemy"
Robert Donner (
Bernard Devlin) is yet another returning guest; his first TIH role the unstable Benedict in
"Sideshow" (1980) from season three.
- The Spirit is Willing (William Castle Productions, 1967)
- Circle of Fear (NBC, 1972) - "Creatures of the Canyon"
- The Six Million Dollar Man (ABC, 1974 / '75) -"Stranger in Broken Fort" & "The White Lightning War"
- Damnation Alley (20th Century Fox, 1977)
- Voyagers! (NBC, 1983) - "Buffalo Bill and Annie Play the Palace"
- Allan Quartermain and the Lost City of Gold (Cannon Films, 1987)
- The Rocket Boy (1989)
- Alien Nation: Dark Horizon (FOX, 1994)
I like most of their stuff, especially the first album. There's also an interesting version of this by Fun Boy Three that has quite a different tone.
