Why I have this obsession with The Rookies

Since my first blog on this site, I've been thinking about why I have this obsession with this show. I really don't have a clear cut reason. I remember being 12 years old in the fall of 1972 when my regular TV fare was The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family and for some strange reason, Love American Style, although as a 12-year-old, a lot of the story lines were over my head. I remember watching most of the shows that my parents watched because it was before cable and before every kid in America had their own TV in their room. I didn't even start watching The Rookies until the episode 'To Taste of Terror.' There was just something about that particular episode that snagged me in big time. Even now I couldn't tell you what that something was. Maybe it was that something in my pre-adoloscent psyche that also wanted to be rescued. I don't know, but from that moment on, I lived for Monday nights at 7 p.m. I began writing stories shortly after I became hooked on the show. My stories always centered around the Danko's, mainly Jill. When we moved to San Antonio from Amarillo in the summer of 1973, I felt completely lost especially when I started school in the fall. Unlike Amarillo, most of my classmates in San Antonio were Air Force brats whose father's had served in Vietnam. My father was an LVN in a nursing home and my parents were on the verge of divorcing. I made a friend who shared the same obsession with The Rookies that I did, although her focus was Willie Gillis and not the Danko's, but we got along famously, talking non-stop on Tuesday mornings before school about the previous night's episode.

When my friend moved to the Dallas area in the summer of 1975 I was once again left without someone to share my obsession. My mother and step-father thought my obsession stupid and my writing a waste of paper, not to mention time.

I continued writing my stories even after the show was cancelled in 1976. I kept a lot of my stories for a long time and compared to the fan fiction I have posted on the net now, they were pretty laughable. My obsession with the show kind of waned due to real life intruding until I got my first computer in 1996. Using searches, I was able to find sites and people who are as obsessed as I am. When I was finally able to obtain 21 episodes on VHS in 1998, I thought I'd died and gone to Rookies heaven. Until that point, my only way of listening to the show was two very old audio cassettes I'd recorded in the mid-1970's. A tape of 'To Taste of Terror' I'd recorded when The Rookies re-ran in late night in the mid-70's and a tape of 'Journey To Oblivion' that I'd been smart enough to record when it was originally broadcast. Neither of these tapes were in great shape, so it was great when I got those first 21 episodes from a friend I met online.

I would love to hear from anybody and everybody who's as obsessed as I am. I have other obsessions now besides The Rookies, but that remains my first obsession. I have fan fiction posted on FanFiction.net and http://www.angelfire.com/tv2/rookies_fanfiction/ Read them and enjoy. I'm going to hopefully blog one or two episodes a week. My next blog will concern the pilot.

The Rookies--Pilot

The pilot originally aired in March of 1972. I didn't see it until about ten years later, thanks to cable TV, actually WOR-TV out of New York. I miss that station! Anyway, I did have an audio cassette that a friend made for me in the mid-70's, but it was really bad quality. For those of you who haven't seen the pilot, you're really not missing anything. It was okay as far as pilots go, but it wasn't awe-inspiring. I'm writing this blog tonight in honor of actor Darren McGavin, who played Sgt. Eddie Ryker in the pilot. Darren passed away last evening at the age of 83. I don't know why he didn't sign on to play Ryker in the series. I know he had a reputation for being difficult to work with, but I also know that he did Kolchak about a year after the pilot for The Rookies, so it might all tie in together. Another difference in casting has to do with Jill Danko. Jennifer Billingsley played Jill in the pilot and she's as different in looks from Kate as night is from day. Kate had another obligation, so she was unable to do the pilot. Jennifer played Burt Reynold's wife in the movies 'Gator' and White Lightning.' I haven't seen her in anything since. In the pilot, there are five Rookie cops. You have Danko, Gillis and Webster who went on to become the main focus of the series, but you're also introduced to Rookie Officers Jared Whitman and Kevin Lassitur. I think the number was probably trimmed from five to three to make everybody easier to remember. I do know that the actor who played Lassitur went on to play a character on 'One Life To Live.' I didn't care much for the pilot for the one simple reason they left too many unanswered questions that they failed to answer in the series. If the show had been on now, you can bet the questions would've been explored in some detail. The two main questions have to do with my favorite couple: The Danko's. What exactly did Mike do in the Air Force? In the pilot and a couple of the early first season episodes, he worked in the missile silos. In later seasons, he was a helicopter pilot. I was told by someone in the know that the Air Force did use guys in the missile silos, but the Army used helicopter pilots. This is why in my fan fiction stories, I have Mike in the Army. The other question is what was up with his and Jill's marriage? In the pilot, she is less than thrilled to see him when he finally shows up at the bowling alley before Officer Shaw's retirement party. He alludes to Terry that part of their problem might've had to do with his being a soldier. I don't know about any of you other ladies who might be reading this, but if my husband had been in town for at least six months before deciding to look me up, he could expect to see divorce papers in his future. In the series, everything seems to be just peachy between Mike and Jill. The only thing I can figure is there was absolutely NO chemistry between Sam Melville and Jennifer Billingsley. One thing I can say about Sam and Kate Jackson was that there was chemistry to spare. I think that's why the series worked out so well. Even after Bruce Fairbairn replaced Michael Ontkean, there was still chemistry among the characters. Anyway, back to the pilot. The main plot of the pilot were these five guys going through training with the tough Sgt. Ryker, who didn't agree with this 'new breed' of cop he was supposed to be churning out. There was a bad guy, a sniper who doesn't have a name. We don't even really find out what this guy is so pissed off about. He's just a grumpy old guy in a raincoat who lives alone with a really cute white kitten. Was the kitten supposed to show his softer side? He ends up shooting a bar up after Jared forgets to read him his rights regarding an earlier incident and he gets released. Jared, meanwhile, has this huge chip on his shoulder. He discovers that his wife is an illegally registered alien and gets blackmailed by some smarmy guy who works for the city to keep things quiet. I never could figure out exactly what Toby Loomis did, but he was smarmy as hell. Jared plays hero in the showdown with the sniper without a name and ends up getting killed. The end scene shows the funeral at the police academy where Ryker and the mayor's aide are discussing Whitman's death. I wonder if Whitman's wife got her alien status ironed out. Another unanswered question. I also wonder if Lassitur and his wife were supposed to have gone on to the series, because it sure showed more of them than it did Mike and Jill. I couldn't stand Lassitur's wife. Something about her voice grated on my nerves. Almost as bad as that 'Rabbits on The Runway' chick, but that's another blog. Anyway, please comment. And, I'm outta here.

The Rookies--Season One: Concrete Valley, Neon Sky

This is the episode that introduces us to Terry Webster, Mike Danko, Willie Gillis, Lt. Ryker and Jill Danko. This wasn’t one of my favorite episode, although it had some good moments and some good lines. It also introduces us to Terry, the speech maker.
I don’t want to get into recapping the episode. There are plenty of sites on the web where you can find recaps of the episodes. What I’m going to do is give my thoughts on the episode, favorite lines and favorite scenes. I want to get some dialogue going on the various groups, so feedback is not only wanted, but appreciated.
My main problem with this episode is Willie. I know he’s supposed to be from a small town, but come on! Grow up a little! I admire that he tries to get something going with Truck and the other members of the gang after Terry turns down the assignment, but these are supposed to be street tough punks. He’s lucky they didn’t kill him when he went in there wearing his department issued sweatshirt.
As I said earlier, this is the episode where we’re introduced to Terry, the speech maker. Terry loves to make speeches. But, a lot of his speeches are among my favorite pieces of dialogue. His speech in this episode is actually an argument with Mike after Willie gets the snot beat out of him by Truck and his cronies. Mike is angry about the fact that he feels that Terry left Willie hanging out in the wind.
BEST LINES:
Jill to Willie while cleaning his cuts: ‘I can’t see a thing in this light. You’ll have to come into the bathroom so I can get a better look. Besides, it’s where I keep the bullets for you to bite on.’
Terry (to Mike): Come on, man! Get off my back! I don’t need the weight! (This was during their argument after Jill had taken Willie into the bathroom)
Mike: Ryker wanted you for that job, not him!
Terry: That’s right, man! I’m a cop, not a social worker!
Mike (after Willie returns from the bathroom) Hey, you look great! Good as new, although that’s not saying much.
Terry (to Willie) But, the dumbest thing you did was to involved in the first place, because now I get sucked in.
Willie: You don’t have to do anything.
Terry: Oh yes, I do. As long as you’re coming up with half the rent, I needs you, William.
The one thing that really disturbed me about this whole scene was after Terry told Willie that he ‘needs’ him, Willie hands his beer over for Terry to share it. This is fine if you’re little kids, but frankly, it’s not something I’ve ever seen two grown people do and it’s something I’d never want to do. Can you say ‘EWWWW?’
Terry (to desk sergeant) He in?
Sarg: He is.
Terry: Good mood? Bad mood?
Sarg: His mood.
Terry: Encouraging.
Terry and Willie discover that Truck’s gang is going to rumble with a rival gang called The Blades. Willie thinks that Terry should inform Lt. Ryker of the upcoming rumble, but Terry disagrees. They argue loudly about this which leads me to my favorite scene in this episode. Terry and Willie are arguing loudly when Jill rings the doorbell.
Willie (answering the door) What do you want?
Jill: Well, I didn’t come over here to present either of you with the brotherhood award..
Terry: Sorry it got a little loud, Jill.
Jill: It didn’t get a little loud. It got a lot loud and Mike’s trying to do some studying. (For what we never discover. He never revealed if he was going to school or something.)
Willie: Why didn’t he come over and tell us himself, huh?
Jill: Because I’m here to ask you to dinner in half an hour when he’s finished.
Terry: Sorry, Jill, I just don’t feel like . . .
Jill: Terry, I’d really appreciate it if you both said yes. Because you can’t yell at each other with your mouth’s full and I don’t like to see nice people yell at each other, anyway. See you in half an hour.
During the rumble, Truck is shot and seriously wounded. Ryker gets upset when he discovers that the guys knew about the rumble and said nothing to him.
Terry and Willie round up the members of Truck’s gang into the gym and tell them that one of them is responsible for Truck being shot since Truck was shot in the back. To discover the shooter, the two cops are going to perform paraffin tests on all of their hands. The gun powder residue will adhere to the paraffin, telling the whole story. Bennie, the young man who was being thrown in the fountain at the beginning of the episode, tries to run away. He tells Terry that he was the one who accidentally shot Truck. He just wanted Truck to be proud of him. Terry tells Bennie he’s going to have to take him in since he’ll have a better chance with the police than with the rest of the gang.
All in all, this wasn’t an awful episode, but it also wasn’t of the better ones.
Final Grade: C+