Gotcha! (Starsky & Hutch story)

Fanfiction
Title:	Gotcha!
Author(s):
Date(s):	1982 (spring)
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Starsky and Hutch
External Links:
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Gotcha! is a Starsky & Hutch slash story by Teleny that was printed in Hanky Panky #2. It has the subtitle: "(Or - That'll Teach You to Forget the Monopoly Board.)"

It is possible that this story was one of the inspirations for the controversial story Surrender.

This story was one of two in Hanky Panky which generated much discussion. The other story was In the Gym.

"Gotcha" by Tom Scott is also the name of the theme song to the aired show.

Reactions and Reviews

My favorite this time has to be "GOTCHA!", I just loved it. "Teleny" please hurry with the sequel. THERE IS GOING TO BE A SEQUEL, ISN'T THERE?

As for 'Gotcha!'... Pass the smelling salts someone...

With all the positive letters and comments over 'Gotcha!' last issue, I went back to read it over again. I didn't say the story was bad, just said I didn't like the situation.

The story 'Gotcha!' was a story I had a hard time typing. I did not agree with the premise or this story at all. In my mind there was no reason for this chapter in the lives of S&H. Starsky and Hutch were not on equal footing. Starsky deliberately set out to hurt (emotionally) Hutch through bitching and throwing a supposed lover into his face. We watched two children, bicker till their glands took over. Just my opinion. Right now I suppose you're so mad at me you could spit. I don't want that. But, I did want to make a point. Hanky Panky, like just about any other zine published, has its share of good stories and bad stories... Up to this point, there has only been one story in Hanky Panky that just about everyone didn't like. One out of 26 stories is not bad. Of course, I'm working solely on the feedback that's been given me -- if it's in error, you know who we can blame. I will not discourage our subscribers from contributors. Each story I receive gets weighed on its own merits. I do not compare stories -- I did not just not compare "Gotcha" with "In the Gym" --do not take me wrong, Terri.

"Gotcha" too showed a problem -- one they didn't even know they had -- and working it out, violence was almost inevitable. I'm not going to write an apology for this piece, however. I'm well aware of its shortcoming.

[From a fan's long, long letter which compares two stories, much snipped]: Both "Gotcha" and "In the Gym" cover only a few hours. Both make references to past occurrences that, have brought the characters to the events of the story. "In the Gym" gives the reader a handle on the story: Starsky is forty-five, he and Hutch share a home -- a rather large and expensive house -- and Hutch is head of Internal Affairs. Apparently, there have been a number of changes in their lives: they have survived the events of "Sweet Revenge" and have moved onward in their careers and their relationship. "Gotcha" only tells the reader that Starsky and Hutch have gone horseback riding, but not where or why. The reader is told that Starsky and Hutch are not living together but that, they are lovers, even though both are still dating women. There seem to to problems in the relationship but the reader is not informed or the specifics....Head of Internal Affairs is a strange position' for Hutch, but certainly a route he could have taken after the events of "Sweet Revenge". The author does not explain how or why Hutch attained this position, but it has no bearing on this story. If Hutch is now forty-five and took this job immediately following "Sweet Revenge" then he could have been in the position for as long as ten years. The reader can only surmise based on what is presented in the story, but at least an explanation is included. "Gotcha" on the other hand presents a jealous and possessive Hutch. It is my impression from aired S&H that Starsky is the one with these traits and that Hutch actually wouldn't you say? "What's supposed to happen here? When you grow up, I mean?" runs from imposed possession. "Gotcha" failed to present, a good reason for Hutch's behavior.... In "Gotcha," Starsky is bound without his consent and has no opportunity for freedom. It is not a game -- but at the end of the story the author attempts to turn the episode into such. I have no personal objections to "Gotcha" but I feel the writer failed to present her ideas so that I could accept what she was trying to express.

Oh, it's a temptation, of course, to throw one's immature efforts out to the four winds (or to HP) and wallow in the ego-boost of seeing the words in print. I know — it happened with GOTCHA! (Which, by the way, is the only non-universe S/H we have perpetrated so far. One learns by one's mistakes, hopefully.) That piece was not written with the intention of it over seeing print. Our mistake, that it did without a rewrite. [K's] points about p.o.v. are perfectly valid. So — we have improved since then.

...the point of GOTCHA! wasn't clear? But surely it, is established early on. Pg.28:line 3 - "I'm tired. Damn tired of being taken for granted..." and line 25 - "I've always got to be there for you, but it's a one way street in your book". The first line from Starsky the second from Hutch. Surely that's the whole point of the story. Two men, used to sharing everything, suddenly finding out that they can't have every thing their own way as they do with their women, that they belong together but that neither owns the other. It is a contest of equals, and one that could be played out for infinity. In this case Starsky submits, but next time?

...that story was a real problem for me -- it turned me on, while completely turning me off to the characterizations. Who can figure these things out!... Starsky's body has always turned me on a lot more than Hutch's so most of the bondage stuff that I write has Hutch as the dominant one. I also enjoy the stories where it's HUTCH who's tied down, handcuffed to the bed, whatever, but I've noticed they don't turn me on as much as the stories where it's Starsky who's held in bondage. Which is probably why GOTCHA! turned me on so much, even though I found the characterization of Hutch to be repulsive. Of course, I realize that all of this could go the OTHER way, too... we may fantasize about being "dominated" as well as being the "dominant" one, too. Is ANY of this making sense?

I do not find the bondage/domination theme appealing. At all. I don't want to see them hurting each other in anyway. Especially under the guise of lovemaking. For that reason, I did not care for GOTCHA or IN THE GYM. That is not meant to reflect badly on either author. The stories were both well written, but just not to my taste. As we have all said, one time or another, each of us have our own idea of who S&H are (In GOTCHA my Starsky once released, would've beaten Hutch to a pulp. End of partnership.) The idea of rape might be stimulating but the fact is anything but. It is a violation in the deepest sense of the word. Nobody has the right to take sex. No spouse, no lover, nobody. Period! Sorry, but the rape myth is one of my sore points. <

Perversely, my most frequently read story in HP is "Gotcha" I thought this story was incredibly erotic although it wasn't emotionally appealing. Still, I'd like to read the sequel.

[from the author]: GOTCHA! was meant to be erotic. Not emotionally appealing. Don't get cyanotic waiting for the sequel -- it's only two pages long so far, and may never get finished...