i recall watching the show occassionally in the 90s and have now seen the first few episodes on DVD. do they actually ever clearly state that val died?
shareShe did die, but if your memory is a little foggy, you may have once caught an episode called, "The Road Not Taken" (season 4, episode 22) which was an "It's a Wonderful Life"-like story showing what would have happened if Reno had died instead of Val. It guest starred Johnny Cash and it was very sad.
shareShe did not die when she was shot. She dies a few years later. She was in aveg state. It became the plot of an episode later in the series. She dies, but Steven Cannell's charicter plants a story about her coming to and asking for Reno Raines. Reno then travels to her parents house and sees the checks theyve been writing to the hospital. He then sees that she died.
Very sad episode.
RedTornado's answer is the only correct one to your question until today.
Season 1, Episode 1 - RENEGADE. Vincent Black's (played by Lorenzo Lamas) fiancee, Valerie (played by Denise Brescia) was with him at a motel room when a paid killer breaks in and shoots at them. Black was not in a good position to react, and can do so only after the girl is shot badly; he subsequently shoots down the thug, but Valerie is sent to the hospital, where surgeons can't do more for her than keeping her alive by artificial methods, with a non functional brain. The corrupt cops extend a further net around Black, forcing him to go undercover as Reno Raines, bounty hunter for SixKiller Co., a brother-sister team (Bobby Sixkiller and Cheyenne Phillips) usually operating from a large caravan full of hightech.
Season 1, Episode 12 - VAL'S SONG. Val's heart stops beating at last, and despite prompt ressuscitation procedures by Dr. Susan Long (played by Lydia Hannibal), she dies. The hospital calls the police department, as Val was a victim of assault, and Lt. Donald Dutch Dixon (played by Stephen J. Cannell, the series creator) takes hold of the opportunity, twisting the arm of the medical staff to alter the date, and even the announcement of Val's death. Instead, he manipulates the media to announce that a miraculous recuperation of Val has occurred, and she's been transferred home. Black can't resist going to Val's place, where the cops have set an ambush, and arrest him. Eventually he escapes, and the episode ends with the sad, romantic Val's song of the title.
Actually Artemis-9, my answer was correct, I just didn't go into as much detail as other posters.
I stated that "she is in a coma for a few weeks or months, but yes, she does die eventually".
RedTornado said that she was in a coma for years, but if she was shot in episode 1, and died in episode 12, that is only about 3 months later, certainly not years later.
You are correct about me being off about the timeline. My wife and I just bought the complete series on DVD ($29.99 at Best Buy!) and I saw that Vals Song, was in fact in season one. I guess after all these years Im kinda confusing the timeline of what episode belonged in what season.
Pity this didnt have a final episode to wrap things up.
You got the names backward, Artemis-9. Reno Raines was his real name, Vincent Black was his alias, taken from a legendary old hand-built motorcycle.
Have fun. Lifes' too friggin' short.