This episode of SIMON & SIMON deals with the two detective brothers going undercover at an amusement park to catch a would-be saboteur of the parks' rides. The theme of the amusement park are 'Gnomes' (hence the title of the episode) and Rick Simon (Gerald McRaney) goes undercover as a costumed Gnome in the park. However, the undermining subject matter is a lot more serious than the title of the episode, as it deals with Vietnam and Vietnam Veterans. Rick Simon must confront a fellow Vietnam Vet who might be the amusement park saboteur. However, in one of the episode's lighter moments, Rick Simon/McRaney must go to "Gnome School". It is a training class on the amusement parks' facility to learn what it takes to be Gnome. All who attend are the costumed Gnomes of the park (with mask/headgear off). During one scene in the class, the instructor,Lori Lightbody (played by Anne Lockhart) asks Rick, "What's the most important thing to being a Gnome?". A strait-faced and serious Rick answers, "Oh, I don't know...SEX?". The response gets a laugh out of the other 'gnomes' in the class (and a laugh from this reviewer). Good episode from a very good 80's action/mystery/adventure show.
3 Reviews
Simon & Simon Deal with Vietnam Issues Despite Lighthearted Title
rodney-reynaldo2 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Gnome Versus Phantom At Fire-base Middle Earth
JasonDanielBaker30 December 2018
Warning: Spoilers
A Southern California amusement park is prey to persistent attacks of sabotage in advance of its season opening. Park Operations Manager Denise Carol (Judith Chapman) hires San Diego private investigators the Simon Brothers - Rick (Gerald McCraney) and A.J. (Jameson Parker) to try to find out what has been happening and put a stop to it.
But she wants them to go in undercover and offers them cover jobs so they can blend in among the workforce. Rick doesn't want to go in as a maintenance tech because he always goes undercover as some kind of menial worker and wants a change. So A.J. happily agrees to be the maintenance tech while Rick agrees he will work in guest services as a host not knowing precisely what that will entail.
Lori Lightbody (Anne Lockhart) the soft-spoken but perky and peppy public relations rep who oversees the hosts trains a class of men, including Rick to portray gnomes - the costumed mascots of the park. Rick, instantly regretting what he has gotten himself into, proves not only to be a poor student but recalcitrant and disruptive to Miss Lightbody.
While far from the biggest role Anne Lockhart ever got her hilarious turn here remains my favourite of all the performances I have ever seen her give including those on the original Battlestar Galactica. Perfectly cast, she plays a kind of overly-enthused happy person that makes for a near perfect foil for world-weary extrovert Rick. Their scenes together are among the most classic of the entire series showing the humour the show had and tying it in with Rick's arc so well.
The actual mystery explores the darkest theme of the series i.e. the horrors and criminal acts of war and the impact it has upon the best and brightest that fight in them. Such a nuanced message against such a polarizing issue made for profound social commentary which was in no way effected by the light-hearted gnome-related stuff. The heroes of the show again have to confront the notion that they aren't always on the right side.
But she wants them to go in undercover and offers them cover jobs so they can blend in among the workforce. Rick doesn't want to go in as a maintenance tech because he always goes undercover as some kind of menial worker and wants a change. So A.J. happily agrees to be the maintenance tech while Rick agrees he will work in guest services as a host not knowing precisely what that will entail.
Lori Lightbody (Anne Lockhart) the soft-spoken but perky and peppy public relations rep who oversees the hosts trains a class of men, including Rick to portray gnomes - the costumed mascots of the park. Rick, instantly regretting what he has gotten himself into, proves not only to be a poor student but recalcitrant and disruptive to Miss Lightbody.
While far from the biggest role Anne Lockhart ever got her hilarious turn here remains my favourite of all the performances I have ever seen her give including those on the original Battlestar Galactica. Perfectly cast, she plays a kind of overly-enthused happy person that makes for a near perfect foil for world-weary extrovert Rick. Their scenes together are among the most classic of the entire series showing the humour the show had and tying it in with Rick's arc so well.
The actual mystery explores the darkest theme of the series i.e. the horrors and criminal acts of war and the impact it has upon the best and brightest that fight in them. Such a nuanced message against such a polarizing issue made for profound social commentary which was in no way effected by the light-hearted gnome-related stuff. The heroes of the show again have to confront the notion that they aren't always on the right side.
this episode was total B.S.
gunny-9648528 February 2016
I just saw this episode for the 1st time on retro TV and it is B.S.. Number one the Corps had pulled out of Vietnam well before the story line of 1972. Number two I never met a combat CO in Nam who was such a liar in the Corps, Army and Air Force yes, but not a Marine Corp command officer, and I was there for 14 months in 1stMAW I-Corps March 66 through May 67. I never heard of a Marine airborne battalion numbered like an Army unit. And who ever heard of a Marine Master Sgt. with less than 8 years active service as the single hash mark on MC Raney's uniform at the cemetery showed. That hash make indicates 4 years active duty with good service. Also the blues belt buckle was a standard buckle for lower rank than a SSgt.. A Staff NCO and above buckle has an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor emblem on it, not plain or slick. If MC Raney is/was such an advocate of veteran's and especially the Marine Corps he should have demanded that the series filming be helped with such blatant errors be stopped by a representative of the Corps. Just like some of the women I have met over the years who said their husband's, brother's, Dad's were drafted in the Corps and in Vietnam after 1970, they are LIARS. and such discredits and questions the whole damned show and its premise. I get so tired of these TV and movie blatant portrayals of Vietnam and why we were there and who got us there and escalated the quagmire and tell total lies of what we went through both there and especially at home. Semper Fi brothers, D.H. Gilmour Sgt. USMC 4/16/64-7/22/68 active and a volunteer Marine forever
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews