TV and Movies

[Oznell]

2:00 a.m. Eastern MeTV --  The Fugitive "Corner of Hell" David Janssen, Barry Morse, Bruce Dern, R. G. Armstrong Sharon Farrell, Dabbs Greer, Sandy Kenyon

As with last week's episode, "Scapegoat",  ironies abound in this one.  Kimble, escaping police and Lt. Gerard in what appears to be an Appalachian or Ozark setting, runs straight into the turf of local moonshiners. 

While the ever- pursuing Gerard runs dangerously afoul of the ill-tempered clan, Kimble at least manages to somewhat blunt their instinctive mistrust of "foreigners".  Again, the heavy irony is, that he's put in the position of trying to help Gerard out of a situation in which he is blamed for another's actions...

While Kimble remains true to form in this one, and is an eloquent exemplar of selfless behavior, much of the rest of the cast is forced to embody, and to voice, some of the worst possible stereotypes of any group I've seen on the show.  Even Dabbs Greer, the local sheriff, is portrayed as a cravenly lazy excuse for a lawman.  And most of the others are shown to be ignorant, malign, loutish yahoos with not a spark of true wit or much humanity among them.

So, although the script comes through with some pointed statements about the relative positions of Gerard and Kimble vis a vis the legal universe, the episode's crude caricatures leave a sour taste, to me.

Oh, as you can well imagine, Bruce Dern as a toothy, despicably amoral backwoodsman makes the most of his flamboyant role.  R. G. Armstrong is predictably good as the "patriarch" of the group, "Tully".  And at the end, we do get to briefly see Gerard's superior, level-headed Captain Carpenter, (Paul Burch) who is an amusing counterpoint to, and always seems a bit baffled by, the fiercely obsessive Gerard.

Edited to add--  and here's the live streaming episode:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6KP0F5sHGY

[twinsister]

@Oznell - It sounds like this week's cast of characters are unlikeable as last week's bunch!!  

My DVR is set.

[Pearlee]

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@twinsister wrote:

@Oznell - It sounds like this week's cast of characters are unlikeable as last week's bunch!!  

My DVR is set.

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@twinsister You're going to watch the chopped up (edited) MeTV version? 

[Pearlee]

I just watched this, which I wouldn't have again but for our film class since I've never liked it much.  Interesting that it said it's from 1964 at the beginning when we've been watching ones from 1965!  And as @Oznell  stated in her OP, Bruce Dern sure is toothy! 🦷🦷🦷

Of course when I first watched this epi I had no idea who Bruce Dern was.  I'm surprised that I didn't dislike this epi as much as I remembered I had. I still don't like it much but as I say. It's not as bad as I was remembering it.

@twinsister  I remember Gerard's model of car when those were on the road. 

[twinsister]

@Pearlee - If I get a chance today, I'm going to watch it on the Youtube link Oznell provided.

[Pearlee]

@twinsister. There were a couple of sound skips on her link but they only lasted a couple of seconds. And no commercials YAY.

[Pearlee]

By the way, this week's title was quite right.

And DJ never came close to cracking a smile. He looked very handsome but also pretty grim throughout.

[drizzellla]

Now I know why I don't like Lt. Gerard. He juts his chin out when he talks. Like he's Mr Hot Stuff.

I want to have a car just like Lt. Gerard. The car was smashed into a tree and damaged on the right side. Then in the final scene it was in pristine condition again. I could have used a car like that a few times in my life.

[Oznell]

Agreed, @Pearlee ,  he looked appropriately grim (but nevertheless, appealing, natch ).

Ha, @drizzellla ,  that is funny about the "restored" car-  I didn't even notice that.  I've found that with the episodes I don't particularly care for, a lot of that kind of interesting detail often escapes me...

Perhaps you also noted as I did, a certain, conceivably chastening, if not humiliating, request that Gerard had to make of Captain Carpenter at the end--  that might have been good in "taming" his rather inflated view of himself, ha.

[twinsister]

I liked this episode more than I thought I would.  

@Pearlee - thanks for pointing out about the sound quality in the link.  I would have thought it was my laptop.  I do remember those cars back then.  You are so right about the title - perfect for this one.

Anyone notice the stunt double when Kimble jumped out of the truck?

Evie made me laugh when she tried to doll herself up to impress Kimble.  When she woke up from the concussion seeing him brought a smile to her face.

The dialogue between Kimble and Gerard was very ironic.  When Gerard said "there was a man" and Kimble responded "but you couldn't prove it" I thought turnaround is fair play.

I was surprised that at the end Gerard didn't offer Kimble at least a nod or some kind of acknowledgement that because of him,  Gerard was alive.    I thought that after being falsely accused, that might have chipped away at Gerard's steadfast belief that RK was guilty.  Maybe think to himself if it happened to me....