Cliffy

This one is about Cliffy, a mentally challenged person who witnessed a murder.

This is a very tedious episode as the whole focus is on Cliffy and I was already tired of him after a few lines and to have to watch him for a whole episode is just torture. The episode is all talk and no action except for a brief shootout at the end, which was nothing exceptional. This is the most boring episode I've seen yet. It's a total bust.

This is the worst episode I've seen yet. It's an absolute bomb. I hated it.

The previous two reviews for this episode fall on opposite ends of the viewer spectrum. One person found it very touching; the other person thought it was the worst episode of the entire series. I think my feeling about it is somewhere in between.

If I had to be completely frank, I'd rate it a 5 or a 6...the reason I am giving it a score of 7 is because I feel Tyne Daly's acting saves it. The actor playing Cliffy (Mark Slade) thinks the way to convey a mentally handicapped person is to shout his lines and present the character as a loud speaker, while applying sympathetic looks. I don't know what school of acting teaches that, but if you spend any time around people who are mentally handicapped you know they don't really behave that way. It's a silly portrayal from start to finish and almost defeats the purpose of the script.

The main issue I have with how the story is written is that every plot angle is devised to trigger compassion for Cliffy and his sister, instead of showing them as people with human faults who have a unique situation. This is not about presenting a thought provoking thesis on justice for handicapped people and their caregivers...it is about presenting a mawkish premise that is supposed to make the viewer feel as if he or she has a heart when it comes to these kinds of people. I can see why the person who considered it the worst episode of the entire series had such a negative reaction to what ended up on screen, because it's a very manipulative premise that doesn't ever allow the viewer to look at the whole scenario objectively.

A very moving story dealing with "The Rookies" and their kindness to a mentally retarded young man and the sister who takes care of him. I saw this as a boy and, just over thirty years later, still remember it. Mark Slade is very effective in the title role of this episode. His shyness at being quizzed by Kate Jackson when she is tutoring him, calling her "Miss Jill" is touching and not cloying. The actress playing Cliffy's sister (guessing from the IMDb cast list is that it is Tyne Daly) also delivers a strong performance. At one point she breaks down, confessing to Jill how difficult the sacrifice of being Cliffy's caretaker has been, and how she longs "to be held and comforted, instead of being the one who holds and comforts" was especially powerful. Here is hoping that this episode may one day be available on DVD.