It almost makes me sad to see an episode like this one that works so well, because it makes me wonder why the series couldn't have stayed at this level for its entire run. There is nothing fancy about this particular episode, but it just lets PMG and DS do their stuff and be these cops, and it all just flows effortlessly.
To me, this episode is reminiscent of the pilot. Starsky and Hutch start out looking for the killer of a go-go dancer and are going in one direction, until the evidence leads them on a new path. Just when they think they have the answer, things change direction again and the case is still not wrapped up; there is more to discover.
The dead woman is also a former girlfriend of Starsky's, and he must sort through a lot of emotions and "what ifs" during the search for her killer. I thought that was done well in the script and by PMG; it could have been overdone and very melodramatic, but it was mostly handled in a quiet, introspective kind of way. DS makes Hutch the perfect supportive friend for a shaken Starsky.
Starsky is almost a little too understanding when he finally discovers the identity of the woman's killer. We are confronted with that common scenario of the 70s; an emotionally damaged person not responsible for his actions. But even so, the episode just seems to come together as Starsky and Hutch follow their instincts and do what they do best. They can't right every wrong, but that doesn't mean they can't try.
And Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul are at their best when they let these characters work like this. They were totally in the groove on this one. I have not yet figured out what sometimes moves them out of the pocket and into la-la land. But when they are on, they are darn near perfect.
To me, this episode is reminiscent of the pilot. Starsky and Hutch start out looking for the killer of a go-go dancer and are going in one direction, until the evidence leads them on a new path. Just when they think they have the answer, things change direction again and the case is still not wrapped up; there is more to discover.
The dead woman is also a former girlfriend of Starsky's, and he must sort through a lot of emotions and "what ifs" during the search for her killer. I thought that was done well in the script and by PMG; it could have been overdone and very melodramatic, but it was mostly handled in a quiet, introspective kind of way. DS makes Hutch the perfect supportive friend for a shaken Starsky.
Starsky is almost a little too understanding when he finally discovers the identity of the woman's killer. We are confronted with that common scenario of the 70s; an emotionally damaged person not responsible for his actions. But even so, the episode just seems to come together as Starsky and Hutch follow their instincts and do what they do best. They can't right every wrong, but that doesn't mean they can't try.
And Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul are at their best when they let these characters work like this. They were totally in the groove on this one. I have not yet figured out what sometimes moves them out of the pocket and into la-la land. But when they are on, they are darn near perfect.
