In Defense of the Fourth Season
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| Title: | In Defense of the Fourth Season |
| Creator: | |
| Date(s): | April 1980 |
| Medium: | |
| Fandom: | Starsky & Hutch |
| Topic: | |
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| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
In Defense of the Fourth Season is a 1980 essay by an editor of S and H.
It was printed in the ninth issue of that letterzine.
Some Topics Discussed
- comments on several fourth season episodes
- "Give Huntley My Regards" is an old, alternative title for the episode, "Birds of a Feather"
- the character Kira, Hutch's Mustache, sloppy clothes, and his weight gain as symptoms, not the cause of a change in Hutch
- includes examples of how Starsky has matured as well
- the end of the essay includes: "Hi D! / Yeah, Kendra? / That should rattle a few cages. I surely hope so."
From the Essay
The development of characters as well as themes shows a strong improvement by fourth season. The four main characters have grown and matured as illustrated in such episodes as HUNTLEY, STRANGE JUSTICE, TARGETS and SWEET REVENGE. The coalescence of the S&H (or S/H depending, on your POV) relationship can be seen in BLUE LADY and that final scene from SNITCH. (So, all right already -- there are some real turkeys in fourth season, but let's face it folks, the primary function of American television is to sell soap. Quality is considered an unnatural by-product.)The development of Starsky and Hutch as well as Huggy and Dobey, from the stiff cardboard cut-outs of pre-FIX shows grows immeasurably. This is a direct result of the professionalism of the people involved, Had Soul and Glaser been indifferent, BAD CATS would have premiered in 1975.
Fourth season provided insight for S&H to view situations in which older cops found themselves -- situations that couldn't possibly be controlled. GIVE HUNTLEY MY REGARDS shows Hutch that someone he respects and admires can be forced to compromise his principals. Hutch watches Huntley and hears the words of Matt Coyle roar through his mind. If Huntley can be compromised, is Hutch any less vulnerable? What scares Hutch the most is that the answer is "no." He hates the compromising, but there comes a point when priorities must be evaluated.
The moustache didn't do it. Maybe it was a symptom, but definitely not the cause. Why the moustache? And the added weight? And the sloppy clothes? Maybe he was tired of being pretty. Maybe he had had all the harassment from the scum on the streets he could handle. The mature look might well have assisted him in his job (remember, Hutch is a cop and a damn good one.) and in his relationship with his fellow officers.
This outward change was accompanied by an internal relaxing in attitudes concerning minor things that had once been important but now have taken their proper perspective place, i.e. the health food, the jogging, even his remarks about the Torino.
He no longer flitted from woman to woman; there weren’t really any woman in his life. The COVER GIRL was only an assignment. So was Marianne -- even though he thought he was involved.
He is no longer the young dashing playboy, but instead a man with a more mature outlook on life and causal sex. And then there’s Kira. (We love Kim! Savvy Mel!) Just where is she coming from? Does Starsky really love her? Or is this Starsky’s version of the 'do you love me' game? And Hutch's answer: "Hey, I don't play these games."
Whereas in Hutch’s ultimate 'prove you love me' at the end of SNITCH, Starsky responds -- as always -- and throws his badge away. But it was not a game any longer. Hutch had finally begun to see what the system had done to him and had to do something -- anything, even if it was wrong.
A mature man, serious, moody, cynical (A cynic is a frustrated idealist.) At times he's cruel. But he's a man who has learned who he is, what he wants, and where he would like to go. By TARGETS and SWEET REVENGE, he has re-evaluated and come to the conclusion that what small contributions he could, he was making.
Whichever point of view, S&H or S/H one lakes of the relationship, countless examples of its existence can he found in fourth season. A relationship that has been cemented by critical life and death situations from heroin addiction and slow poison to gun shots and kidnapping. A relationship that has developed to the point of 'Me and Thee forever -- against the world'. But as all relationships go, they have their problems. Strife is obvious in BLUE LADY and STARSKY VS. HUTCH. Are they feeling the strain of their relationship and testing/protesting its strengfhs/limits?
Where to go from SWEET REVENGE?
Wherever they go, they go together, be it San Quentin, South America to rob banks, or back to Dobey and Metro.