Greatest American Hero S1/E2 : The Hit Car

9:16 AM

"I'm angry because I'm flying into windows and walls. Everyone out of the pool, here comes Ralph!"

This episode has some witty banter and starts to establish the relationship between the characters. I like how they don't really get along, Bill has no respect for Ralph and doesn't really listen, and it just adds to Ralph's frustrations. He can't control the suit, and he can't control this person that he's been partnered with. And of course it's all very funny for Pam until Bill's attitude spills over onto her. It's also very funny watching Ralph try to cope with the suit in public: he looks like he could squirm out of his skin when he is caught in the hotel wearing it. There's lots of great one-liners between the characters, and sets up good groundwork for what's to come in the series.

Episode Synopsis
Gangsters girlfriend, Starlet Wild, has asked to be transported to a trial where she will turn evidence against the gangster. She specifically requested Bill Maxwell, but is instead transported by another agent. On route, the car they are in is attacked by the black Hit Car (featuring gun ports in the sides). The gangsters shoot and injure the FBI agent before leaving. Luckily Starlet escapes unharmed.

Ralph is telling Pam about his plans to get the class involved in a production of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. Ralph recruits Pam to help, but the class are less than enthusiastic. Bill arrives and interrupts to drag Ralph into the Starlet case. Bill has made plans for Ralph to come help him and totally disregarded Ralph's wishes. Pam has been designated 'third string utility man', backup for cokes and sandwiches when required. This doesn't go over well, and causes friction in the group. Bill is desperate to get Starlet to testify against Johnny DeMotti, and has been pursuing him for 15 years trying to convict him. They leave for San Francisco to pick up Starlet.

Johnny DiMotti gets the message that Maxwell is transporting Starlet. They arrange another attempt to kill them. Bill and Ralph meet up with Starlet at a hotel. Starlet starts coming onto Ralph, much to Bill's disgust. Bill wants to get underway, but Starlet refuses to fly because her astrologer says not too fly. When Starlet goes to the window, the hitmen start shooting. Everyone dives for cover, but Bill sends Ralph out in the suit. Ralph flies out the bedroom window, across the street, and crashes into the wrong room in the hotel. Ralph hastily excuses himself from the bedroom, and escapes down the stairwell. Utterly humiliated by people staring and commenting on the suit, Ralph steals a coat and flees the building. The hitmen escape.

Bill is disappointed that the hitmen got away. Starlet is adamant that she won't fly, and Ralph is pretty sick of it too. They drive to Los Angeles, and Starlet makes stupid blonde conversation all the way. Ralphs intelligence is a turn-on to Starlet, and she flirts madly with him. Bill wants to pull over and stop for the night at the safe house, but Starlet won't stop until Santa Barbara. Ralph offers a solution; they can stop at Pam's bosses house in Santa Barbara. Pam isn't happy but agrees to come to the rescue. She drives out to meet them at the house.

They eventually reach the house, but Bill isn't happy about the security of the property. Starlet and Pam don't get along very well, and Bill is disappointed that Pam didn't provide any food. Johnny gets a message from the hitmen who have followed them to the house.

In the morning, Bill has started eating the dog biscuits from the cupboard. Bill gives Pam permission to 'whacky smacky' Starlet if she comes onto Ralph anymore. Ralph receives a holograph from the suit warning him of the hitmen. He tells Bill who springs into action with a plan. Bill goes out the front door to draw their fire, while Ralph ambushes them from the back. Bill is shot, and Ralph chases down the hitmen's van on foot (at over 80 mph). Bill arrives and takes the hitmen into custody, and makes Ralph fly back to the house. Ralph screws up and crashes into the ocean.

Johnny is furious that his hitmen have wound up in the nuthouse. Johnny decides to personally go to Los Angeles to supervise the next hit himself. Meanwhile, the group arrive in Los Angeles at the courthouse. Bill congratulates the team, but Ralph refuses to fly ever again. Bill offers to take Ralph out to the desert to practice sometime. As Bill and Starlet go into the courthouse, the hit car makes an appearance and starts shooting at them. Bill gets shot in the leg while protecting Starlet. The hit car escapes, but Bill is happy that Starlet will finally be able to testify against Johnny. In the hearing, Starlet refuses to testify anything and pleads the 5th amendment not to answer any questions because they may incriminate her.

The district attorney is furious with Bill for wasting his time. Bill is confused, but Ralph figures it out: Starlet was simply a ruse to lure Bill out so Johnny could kill him and end Bill's interference in his business. Bill doesn't want to believe it, but really can't refute the argument and ends up laughing it off. Ralph and Bill have a discussion about partnerships, but Bill really isn't listening to Ralph. Bill says he's going to stop for cigars, but really wanders into an italian restaurant where Johnny and Starlet are. He makes Johnny so angry that he decides to get the hit car and wipe him out immediately.

Bill realises Johnny is following him, and Ralph decides to swing by the school to see how the students play is coming along. Bill thinks that's a good idea because the school is deserted on the weekend, but doesn't realise that the students are there. Bill walks into the auditorium and recognizes he's miscalculated: he tries to evacuate the students when the hit car starts shooting. Ralph and Bill slip out the side door, where Bill returns fire on the car while Ralph slips out of his street clothes. Ralph flies between the buildings, crashes onto the road and slides up under the hit car. He then turns the hit car up on its side, and shakes the gangsters into submission.

The class put on their play which Bill grudgingly attends. Ralph is happy that he made the effort to come, but Bill is really listening to a sports game on a radio earpiece.

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