MovieChat Forums > CHiPs (1977) Discussion > Journey to a Spacecraft

Journey to a Spacecraft


One of the better episodes of Season 6. Going by the title I feared the worse (Ponch and a Nelson having to take on invading space aliens), but instead the silliness and cheese was reined in. The Dog napping subplot was enlivened by Natalie Schafer (aka Mrs. Howell) and the main plot about a kid with a liver disease who loves NASA was quite effective. A bit hokey and obviously meant to tug at the heartstrings, but the kid, Estrada and the actors playing the parents all did a fine job. Bobby Nelson didn't have much to do in this one, as the writers seem to be giving Bruce Nelson more of a push as he was involved in both storylines.

reply

I thought this ep was boring! It was fun seeing Natalie Schaeffer, and did you know the dog grooming salon owner was Vito Scotti the same guy who was in the Gilligan's Island ep. as the Japanese sailor "You steam glasses"! Other than seeing them the ep was a snoozer IMO!!!

reply

Can someone help me with a line of dialogue I thought I heard. When the phone marked "Only for Kathy Lenihan" rings, Grossman says something about a possible suspect for the dognapping calling, and I thought I heard Lenihan say "Let's see which b*tch." Now, I know that can't be right, but if anyone dvr'd it can they tell me what she said?

reply

That is what I thought she said too!!!! I was like WHAT??????

reply

Setting your tv or dvr to Closed Caption should help clarify what was said before pushing the play button, also!!

CC is great when you have loud company that don't know the meaning of "Shut up!!"

reply

Unfortunately I don't have that episode on dvr. LOL, I can't imagine that line getting past the censors though. If anyone has the episode saved, maybe they can try the closed captioning.

reply

Grossman said "It looks like you got a bite, Kathy"

Kathy responded "I wonder which fish?"

reply

Thanks, lol.

reply

The subplot with Natalie Schafer was very good. I loved the scene where she was measuring Bruce for a sweater. Hilarious. And it was nice seeing Kathy in civilian clothes when she went undercover.

The main plot did not work for me. It was like they couldn't decide if the boy had a stronger connection to truckers and other CB radio enthusiasts or with astronauts and the space program. Those elements did not go together very well. Also, the sequence where the boy gets lost in the crowd during the last act dragged on too long.

reply

The guy that was knocked down trying to stop the "dognapper" and Mrs. Howell said "You were a lot of help" should have decked her and laid a Blues Brothers line on her to the effect of "You're going to look funny trying to eat caviar with no front teeth." 

RIP Ron Swanson. Writers created your awesomeness in S1 and killed it in S7

reply

Plot holes galore. KZ1000 superbikes being outrun by a small dirt bike? If you watch that scene, you see another bike catch up to the cops- what were they doing, like 25 MPH?

The kid sets up a ride with a trucker buddy, who not only gives him a ride (he did ask about the kid's parents, but even in 1983 I don't see him buying what the kid said*) but then drops him off in the middle of nowhere? Ditto the subsequent adults.

*Adam Walsh was murdered two years earlier in 1981, and this provided a greater awareness for parents and adults in general to keep an eye on kids.

Gina, who was parked adjacent to the Rolls Royce saw Mrs. Howell and the fuss she created when the dog was stolen, yet had completely forgotten about her a few days later when Mrs. Howell turned up at the dog store looking for the same type of dog?

I'm not even commenting on things like the mega-range hand held CB radio working from the desert or the Mach 6 (76 miles/minute) shuttle taking several minutes to cover 150 miles.

Interesting trivia:
Initial TV appearance of Brigitte Burdine, who played the bad girl Gina. Her next role was Mike Hammer: Too Young to Die. The actress was killed at age 48 in a hit and run crash in Los Angeles.

This episode like so many of the later season (5/6) ones sucked because it departed in a huge way from what the CHP actually does. There was not one plot line that actual CHP officers would have become involved with. Yes, they would have chased the dog thief (as noted above they would have caught him due to having more power). The case would have been worked by local law enforcement. That made the sick kid/CHP plot line irrelevant.

RIP Ron Swanson. Writers created your awesomeness in S1 and killed it in S7

reply