Home Is the Hunted

The doc returns home to Stafford, which was supposed to be in Wisconsin, until the writers discovered that Wisconsin did not have the death penalty. Fortunately, Stafford is a small town and not that hard to move. Imagine how hard it would have been to move Milwaukee. The reason Dick went back to Stafford was because he saw a story in the Stafford paper about his dad giving his medical library to the U of Wisconsin. So Dick suspected something was amiss with dad's health. Sister Donna is overjoyed to see him, but brother Ray is not. Ray's life is falling apart and he blames Dick. It was not easy growing up in the shadow of the massive goodness that was Dick. "This is our handsome, brilliant, perfect son Saint Richard. And this is our other son, Roy". "Ray. My name is Ray". Even Dr John admitted he liked Dick better. Complicating things is the fact that Gerard is poking around, suspecting that the doc might have come home.

Have you seen your brother?

Ray?

No. Richard.

Dick? (Gerard nods).

No, lieutenant. The only dick around here is you.

Ray says he can't hold a job or a woman because of being Richard Kimble's brother. He even thinks Dick might be guilty. He is racing on a dirt track and drinking too much and just living a careless, reckless life. Dick can't stand to see Ray in pain and doubting his goodness, and offers to turn himself in to prove his innocence. Ray then realizes how good and selfless Dick really is, and helps him escape and also turns his life around. He presumably stops drinking and starts a more harmless vice, like smoking. We don't see Ray again, although we do see Andrew Prine in S3 as a killer. But by then he is no longer Ray. Donna apparently marries two more men. All three of her husbands are named Leonard Taft. Her two boys are replaced by another son by the series finale, and he is not one of these two. Perhaps these two are with this Len, and the last boy is the son of the last Len. The racetrack is presumably abandoned by the end of the show, along with the stables, the amusement park, the warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse.

The next episode after "The Girl From Little Egypt" also gave us a look into Kimble's background by introducing his family. Kimble keeps track of what's going on in his hometown of Stafford, Indiana, (which was originally supposed to be in Wisconsin, thus the destination on the bus he gets off of is "Madison"), by reading the out of town newspapers wherever he is and reads a notice that his father, Dr. John Kimble, (ironically played by Robert Keith, the actual father of Brian Keith who played Kimble's antagonist in the premiere, "Fear in a Desert City"), is retiring and is donating his medical library to the University of Wisconsin, (not Indiana). Richard Kimble senses there's a problem with his father's health because he knows he never intended to retire. He's right: his father has had a heart attack.

Kimble decides to risk returning home where we meet, for the first time, his sister, Donna, (Jacqueline Scott), who will remain loyal to him throughout the show. We also meet his brother Ray, who resents Richard and believes his infamy has ruined Ray's life. He's lost jobs and romances due to being Richard Kimble's brother. Now he lives a reckless life, drinking too much and racing cars. He becomes the focus of Kimble's efforts after he sees his father is going to be OK, (for now). Meanwhile, Gerard comes snooping around. Donna has two kids, one played by Billy Mumy, who almost ruins everything when he finds Kimble's hair dye.

Dr. John Kimble would not be around to see his son cleared in "The Judgment"- neither would Robert Keith, who died the previous year. They wrote it into the script as Kimble heard his father had died. We also meet Donna's husband who will be played by three different actors over the course of the show. Here he's James Sikking, (of Hill Street Blues a generation later). Later he will be Lin McCarthy and then Richard Anderson.

Richard Kimble reads in the newspaper that his father Dr. John Kimble (actor Robert Keith) is donating his medical library to a university. Figuring that this means his father is in bad health, Kimble returns to Stafford for a visit.

This is the only episode that makes any mention of Kimble's brother Ray, played by actor Andrew Prine. It is not easy to be the brother of a convicted murderer on escape, and Ray has suffered many personal failures because of Richard's notoriety. Ray has taken up race car driving, and Kimble's sister Donna Taft (actress Jacqueline Scott) is afraid Ray no longer cares if he lives or dies.

Kimble's desire to see Donna's children David and Billy (played by actors Billy Mumy and Clint Howard), and to help solve Ray's problems, are complicated by the snooping of Lieutenant Gerard.

Leonard Taft, Donna's husband, is played by actor James Sikking. In "Running Scared" Leonard is played by actor Lin McCarthy, and in "The Judgment" Leonard is played by actor Richard Anderson. In "The Judgment," the Tafts apparently have a different child, Bobby, played by actor Johnny Jensen, and mention is made of his brother, who is not named.

In the middle of the first season of "The Fugitive", Dr. Kimble finally makes his way to his old hometown of Stafford, Indiana. It's a tough decision...since it's also the home of Inspector Gerard. But it's apparently been two years since he was convicted of murder and he's just dying to see his family...especially since his father is old and in ill health. Sadly, although his sister and father are thrilled for this short visit, his brother, Ray, is less than thrilled. He resents his brother...and even thinks he might just be guilty. So Richard needs to contend with this AND the ever-present Gerard in this bittersweet homecoming.

This is a good episode of "The Fugitive" because it helps build more backstory for the main character. You'll see more of the family, particularly his sister, in later installments. Well worth seeing and a different sort of pace for the series.