Greatest American Hero S2/E3 : Don't Mess Around With Jim

10:17 AM

"Look at me Ralph, it's your chance to look forward. Remember what you see."

Another great episode, this time expanding the mythology of the suit and the green guys with the discovery of a previous owner of the suit. JJ providing a visual lesson of how the suit can be abused for personal gain is also an important item of character development, and part of the reason why I found the premise of the American Heroine so difficult to swallow. Given that they have faced first hand the reason for being vigilant against self corruption, to allow Ralph to forget that lesson and allow his ego to run wild still doesn't sit well with me.

Bill reacting to JJ's insulting comments about his middle-level, mediocre performance with the FBI is funny, since Bill thinks he's a great Fed, but deep-down probably knows he's not that great without Ralph and the suit. JJ is very similar to Bill in behaviour, and eventually Bill is big enough to admit that they're both a bit blunt. The introduction of the new Telekinesis power is good, Ralph's UFO turn with an jetliner, and Bill's terror when he realises the green guys will come for them in the end are some of the really good things in this episode.

Plot Synopsis:

Ralph's class are watching the news coverage of JJ Beck, a self-made millionaire with little formal education, that Ralph is using to encourage his kids that they can excel if they want too. Bill is watching the same news in a diner across town. When he leaves he is approached by two guys wanting him to sign a petition, but when he does, he's sprayed with a chemical and abducted. Ralph's class finishs up, and he tells Tony that if he doesn't work harder he's going to fail and miss graduation again. As Ralph is leaving, he's approached by two guys again wanting him to sign a petition, and he is drugged and abducted. One of the guys goes into Ralph's car and gets the suit case out of the tyre well where it was hidden.

They are both driven to one of Beck Industries hangars, and handed over to Marshall Dunn, JJ's partner. When they are taken inside the hangar, the find JJ Beck alive, but just barely. His business partners conspired to make him sick so that he would die and they could take over his assets. JJ faked his own death, and now wants Ralph to recover his will from his doctor, who is selling it to his business partner, Jordan. JJ seems to know all about Ralph and Bill and the suit, even going so far as to mention the spaceship approaching them. He forces them to help him, otherwise he will expose them to the world.

Marshall takes Ralph and Bill to Las Vegas, where the doctor is being paid off by Jordan in the casino. They have to use the suits Power of Telekinesis to disrupt the casino payoff, then they can retrieve the will. JJ wants to make sure all his millions are left to charity when he dies, atoning for his amoral attitude during his lifetime. Ralph asks Marshall how to use Telekinesis, and Marshall explains, much to Ralph's surprise. He starts to practice on the plane, and manages to throw and assortment of drink s and magazines at Bill.

In Las Vegas, as they are driving to the casino, Ralph holographs in on Marshall being captured at the airport. Ralph flies back to the airport, but strays into the flightpath of a commercial airliner, bouncing off its hull, and crashing into the bushes near the airport. Later, Bill berates Ralph for losing Marshall, and hopes he'll make a better go of it at the casino.

Inside the casino, they locate the doctor, and start trying to disrupt his game. Ralph is having a hard time concentrating because of all the distractions inside, but eventually manages to make all the slot machines pay off. The roulette table that the doctor is playing at is rigged to let him win, but once Ralph starts interfering with the suit the doctor starts to lose. Jordan quickly instructs his staff to throw Ralph out. Meanwhile, Bill has run into some old busts at the casino, and they all gang up on him, beat him, and drag him out to the desert to kill him. Ralph sees Bill being taken, and flies after them. There car hits him and flips over landing on its roof. Bill and Ralph try to hitchhike back to the city, but no-one will pick them up. The doctor's car drives past them and explodes, detonated by Jordan now that he has the will from the doctor.

Ralph reports back to JJ, and realises that JJ must have had a suit of his own. He admits that he did, and that Marshall was his partner. Unfortunately, the power of the suit corrupted JJ, and he used it to grow his business empire. Eventually Marshall left him, and the green guys took his suit away. JJ contacts a disbelieving Jordan and forces him into a face-to-face meeting.

On the way out to the meeting, JJ warns Ralph not to let the power corrupt him. Ralph admits to JJ that they lost the instruction manual. JJ thinks its probably for the best, since it will keep them from becoming too powerful, and corrupting them. Jordan arrives by helicopter, and attempts to kill JJ. Ralph stops the sniper, and Bill rescues Marshall. As Jordan tries to escape in his helicopter, the alien spaceship arrives and forces the helicopter to crash. Hovering over the desert, JJ and Marshall are taken inside, and leave with the green guys.

Back at school, Bill visits Ralph, but there is something bothering him. Ralph is happy that JJ has atoned for his past by giving his millions to help the poor. Bill is bothered that when their time comes to die, the aliens will return for them. Ralph thinks that would be a fantastic experience, but Bill isn't convinced.

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