I don't know if I have the heart to watch all of Season 4. It's just so heartbreaking.
Again, this story could have been nice, like the previous episode. It could have been great. Starsky accidentally shoots an innocent bystander, which blinds her. Naturally, he is devastated. He wants to wallow in his guilt. Understandable at some level. But in the old scenario, Hutch would have been by his side and pushing for him to talk it out and express his grief and regret. And Starsky would have leaned on Hutch until he got his emotional strength back. And together, they would have found a way back for Starsky. Instead, Starsky keeps Hutch at arm's length and Hutch mostly stays away. Hutch bullies and badgers the bad guys while Starsky spends his time with the victim, trying to make amends. Again, like the first two episodes, they don't spend much time on-screen together. When Hutch does try to help, he lectures more than comforts. Starsky shuts him out and sends him away. It used to be a joy to watch them act and react with each other. There is no joy in any of these episodes. In Season 1, when Hutch needs to get off the heroin that has been forced on him, Starsky stays with him night and day and refuses to let him go. If we redid that story based on what's happening in Season 4, Starsky would just shut Hutch in the room and tell him he'd see him in a couple days, good luck, buddy.
I could have written this story better myself. I want a do-over for Starsky and Hutch. No one protected them. They just let them die. I seriously cannot remember a show that I've ever seen where the main characters changed so much and so negatively. (Bones comes close; the Temperence Brennen character has shifted in a very negative and not likable way. But the result is no where near this terrible). This relationship shift in Starsky and Hutch kills the very essence of what made the show valuable. Who did this to them? It's no wonder I abandoned the show forty years ago. It's no wonder that I put these shows out of my mind and only left the first two season in my memories. I'm almost afraid to watch anymore.
Again, this story could have been nice, like the previous episode. It could have been great. Starsky accidentally shoots an innocent bystander, which blinds her. Naturally, he is devastated. He wants to wallow in his guilt. Understandable at some level. But in the old scenario, Hutch would have been by his side and pushing for him to talk it out and express his grief and regret. And Starsky would have leaned on Hutch until he got his emotional strength back. And together, they would have found a way back for Starsky. Instead, Starsky keeps Hutch at arm's length and Hutch mostly stays away. Hutch bullies and badgers the bad guys while Starsky spends his time with the victim, trying to make amends. Again, like the first two episodes, they don't spend much time on-screen together. When Hutch does try to help, he lectures more than comforts. Starsky shuts him out and sends him away. It used to be a joy to watch them act and react with each other. There is no joy in any of these episodes. In Season 1, when Hutch needs to get off the heroin that has been forced on him, Starsky stays with him night and day and refuses to let him go. If we redid that story based on what's happening in Season 4, Starsky would just shut Hutch in the room and tell him he'd see him in a couple days, good luck, buddy.
I could have written this story better myself. I want a do-over for Starsky and Hutch. No one protected them. They just let them die. I seriously cannot remember a show that I've ever seen where the main characters changed so much and so negatively. (Bones comes close; the Temperence Brennen character has shifted in a very negative and not likable way. But the result is no where near this terrible). This relationship shift in Starsky and Hutch kills the very essence of what made the show valuable. Who did this to them? It's no wonder I abandoned the show forty years ago. It's no wonder that I put these shows out of my mind and only left the first two season in my memories. I'm almost afraid to watch anymore.
