gf1701

This is a BAD movie. It's preposterous. Its promoters portray it as some kind of lost gem, but in reality, it's little known because it was a box office failure and, as I said, bad. It's not exactly noir, as the only femme fatale is the murder victim, who is offed within the first few minutes of the film. People in this movie behave in ways no real people do, and do things they would never be allowed to in the real world. The acting ranges from mediocre (the two leads and secondary) to embarrassing (the murder victim). Scenes shift from the dark of night to the bright of day within minutes; time seems to have no meaning. I'm not detailing any of the preposterous plot points, in order to avoid spoilers, but if you're sufficiently forewarned to skip this film, some of the other reviews will clue you in. (By the way, although the film is inane, I didn't find it boring. That would be worth a couple of stars, if the whole thing wasn't so ludicrous. It could have made a great farce.)

Despite being one of the finest television dramas of all time, The Fugitive had many instances where the writers had Richard Kimble taking foolish risks that would be inconceivable for a man of his experience and intelligence. This episode stands out as possibly the worst example of this flaw. But this time, they also have one of the supporting characters take an action that is so horrendously stupid, that for the first time ever, I considered not finishing the episode. I won't get specific, so as to avoid spoilers (though I recommend that you skip this episode, which although the last one of the season, contains no cliffhanger or anything relevant to the following season). But the foolishness begins within the first few minutes. First, Kimble discovers that he is working for an underwater salvage company that may be guilty of either negligence or murder, and instead of high-tailing it for the road, he sticks around. Then he is warned by many to avoid getting involved with a local woman, so . . . You get the picture, but that's only the first few minutes of the episode. The worst is yet to come.

When the episode begins, Kimble has been spotted in Caspar, Wyoming, but he does not know that an alert is out on him throughout the state. He stops to eat at a greasy spoon in a small Wyoming town, but is spooked when he notices the owner's Constable badge, and immediately hitches a ride out of town-but not far enough. He sees a "help wanted" sign near where his ride drops him off, and hires on as a handyman for a single woman with a small child. The boy is very sensitive and insightful, and sees the world differently than others, both children and adults, and people consider him weird.

This episode of "The Fugitive" touched me more than any other. I first remember seeing it in the 1980's, and every time I make my way through the series, I look forward to watching it again. It's usually about once every 10 years, so I never remember the details of the episode, but the relationship between Kimble and the little boy, who no one else tries to understand, always sticks with me. Although there is, of course, a jeopardy situation for Kimble in this episode (when isn't there?), the boy, Kimble, and the worried mom are the focus, and what makes the show so special. With a surprisingly good performance by the nine-year old actor, and-as always-a top-notch supporting cast, this one is a gem.