Episode Archive

146 episodes of Two Hundred A Day since the first episode, which aired on December 23rd, 2016.

  • Episode 122: Claire

    July 30th, 2023  |  1 hr 23 mins
    1970s, 70s, dummy theft, j-turn, jackie cooper, james garner, jim rockford, linda evans, p.i, rockford files, television, tv

    Nathan and Eppy head back to the first season to meet another of Jim's old flames in S1E17 Claire. After a rough breakup and years of separation, Claire calls Jim for help. Of course he agrees to do what he can, but she isn't being straight with him and he needs to figure out who's life is in danger and why before it's too late. Co-starring Linda Evans and Jackie Cooper, this episode hits a lot of our "classic" themes, though maybe lacking a little something to make it stand out from similar plots.

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    Episode 121: Heartaches of a Fool

    July 16th, 2023  |  1 hr 28 mins
    1970s, 70s, a real one, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, rockford files, sausages, television, triads, tv, willie nelson

    Nathan and Eppy continue to tour the William Wiard-verse with S5E1 Heartaches of a Fool. After a truck accident lands Rocky in the hospital, Jim is determined to find out who caused it and hold them accountable. His quest leads to a country music star, a sausage-smuggling operation and a brewing war between corrupt union officials and a Chinese gangster. This might be the perfect episode for our show, even without considering the two Willie Nelson songs on the soundtrack. Highly recommended!

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    Episode 120: The Return of the Black Shadow

    June 25th, 2023  |  1 hr 19 mins
    1970s, 70s, bo hopkins, coop, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, physics jokes, rockford files, television, tv

    Nathan and Eppy go back to their old ways in S5E17 The Return of the Black Shadow. This was a hard one for us, folks! After a biker gang assaults Jim and abducts and sexually assaults his date, Coop's sister Gail, Coop relives his past as a biker to infiltrate the Rattlers and get revenge. Content Warning: this episode hinges on Gail's rape, and we talk about that as well as all the Rockfordishness that we do like in this episode.

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    Episode 119: A Deadly Maze

    June 11th, 2023  |  1 hr 26 mins
    1970s, 70s, broken nose, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, pina colada, rockford files, tartar sauce, television, trans am, tv

    Nathan and Eppy join Jim as he reluctantly takes on a missing persons case for an unemotional client in S4E13 A Deadly Maze. The money is good, but the case is just weird, and even after Jim finds the client's wife, he can't let go of the feeling that something else is going on. This is an episode with a meaningful reveal, which made the overall very fun story a little less scintillating than it might be going in cold. Certainly recommended, it's an off-beat script with a fantastic proportion of Rockfordishness. Piña Colada!

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    Episode 118: The Fourth Man

    May 21st, 2023  |  1 hr 32 mins
    1970s, 70s, detroit, fishing buddies, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, read you your rights, rockford files, sharon gless, television, tv

    Nathan and Eppy take a flight into the start of the third season with S3E1 The Fourth Man. Jim's friend Lori, an airline booking agent, can't figure out why she's being stalked by a seemingly up-and-up rare coin collector. The menace escalates as Jim calls on the expertise of everyone in the main cast to discover the secret he's willing to kill to conceal. This season opener features a fun blend of action, mystery and tradecraft as we re-enter Jim's world for a third year.

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    Episode 117: Trouble in Chapter 17

    April 23rd, 2023  |  1 hr 30 mins
    1970s, 70s, ascot, feminism, james garner, jim rockford, marriage, p.i, publicity, rockford files, tacos, television, tv

    Nathan and Eppy enter the publishing world in S4E2 Trouble in Chapter 17. "Feminity not feminism" author Ann Louise Clement wants to hire Jim as a bodyguard, which isn't his beat. But after witnessing an apparent attempt on her life, he can't not look into it. Unfortunately for Jim, Ann Louise is more interested in publicity than preservation, and he begins to suspect it's all a farce - until her agent is killed in an apparent case of mistaken identity. This snappy Juanita Bartlett episode isn't an "issue" episode, but we appreciate the chance to talk about how she uses the show to contrast progressive and retrograde ideas about feminism, as well as enjoy all of the Rockfordishness we know and love.

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    Episode 116: Star Trek DS9: Our Man Bashir

    April 1st, 2023  |  1 hr 24 mins
    1970s, 5 million francs, 70s, bashir, bond, ds9, garak, intelligence agent, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, rockford files, star trek, television, tv

    Welcome to Twenty Dollars a Day, the podcast where we explore our favorite holodeck adventures in the Star Trek universe! Nathan and Eppy join the crew of Deep Space 9 for some thrilling spy action in S4E9 Our Man Bashir. Doctor Bashir is enjoying his new holo-adventure as a Bond-esque superspy when Garak crashes the party. Unfortunately, a transporter accident puts the patterns of the bridge crew into the story, and suddenly Bashir and Garak have to contend with the possibility of their actions having real-life consequences. An homage to James Bond, of course, this episode features a refreshing twist on the "stuck on the holodeck" trope while also grounding the romp with nods to long-running DS9 storylines.

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    Episode 115: Love Is the Word

    March 26th, 2023  |  1 hr 28 mins
    1970s, 70s, blind, james garner, jim rockford, kathryn harrold, megan, p.i, relationships, rockford files, roller disco, squish magazine, television, tv, wedding

    Nathan and Eppy finish the Megan Dougherty cycle with S6E5 Love Is the Word. After a lengthy absence, Jim finally returns to Megan only to find that she's gotten engaged! Fair enough, but when her fiancé is accused of murder, of course Jim is going to help find out what's going on. This episode isn't really about the mystery, but it gives us an incredible look at the complicated relationship between Megan and Jim, and how they both process it coming to an end. We find this one a great, if bittersweet, way to say goodbye to Megan.

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    Episode 114: Black Mirror

    March 12th, 2023  |  1 hr 54 mins
    1970s, 70s, anxiety music, blind, double-breasted suit, james garner, jim rockford, kathryn harrold, meet cute, megan dougherty, p.i, psychology, rockford files, television, tv

    Nathan and Eppy go to the first appearance of Megan Dougherty (Kathryn Harrold) in S5E9 Black Mirror. This double-length episode, split into two for syndication, gives us plenty of time to learn about Megan and see exactly why she and Jim have such a unique connection. Despite the length, this one flys by as the story turns from discovering a mysterious stalker to handling a serious psychological case, all while showcasing one of the most memorable relationships we've seen on the show. The chemistry on screen, the tight script and the deft handling of complex characters gives us a lot to talk about!

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    Episode 113: A Plus Expenses Special

    March 5th, 2023  |  59 mins 50 secs
    1970s, 70s, bunnies, james garner, jim rockford, merch, p.i, plus expenses, rockford files, sabbath, shirts, television, tv

    In this Plus Expenses we talk about: We have Shirts! Plus, recordings and noise, sheep, deer, the Langley Bunnies, our public Plus Expenses, New Year's Fray 2022, fun trading cards, Epimas, buying and selling PDFs, holiday theming, publishing calendars, hype cycles, jgarf.org, the Two Hundred a Day audience, reflections on the show, detective fiction in general, and criticism as opposed to being critical.

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    Episode 112: Punishment and Crime

    February 26th, 2023  |  2 hrs 6 mins
    1970s, 70s, 90s, assistive devices, bryan cranston, buddy the dog, family, james garner, jim rockford, kathryn harold, p.i, rockford files, russian ex-kgb, television, tv, tv movie

    Nathan and Eppy return to the 90s for the sixth Rockford Files TV Movie, 1996's Punishment and Crime. A chance encounter with a woman from Jim's past, blind psychologist Megan Dougherty, leads to a reunion! However, Megan's cousin Patrick is in some trouble with Russian heavies, and Jim is, against his better judgement, drawn in. There's violence, romance and humor woven throughout this David Chase produced, directed and written effort. It definitely feels like one of the high points of the movies so far! As chance would have it, it's also our introduction to Megan, and we're looking forwards to going backwards to her original appearances.

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    Episode 111: The Family Hour

    January 29th, 2023  |  1 hr 33 mins
    1970s, 70s, big mac, good goons, james garner, jim rockford, mastadons, p.i, rip stuart margolin, rockford files, television, tv

    Nathan and Eppy learn a lot about family in S3E3 The Family Hour. Jim and Rocky find Marin, a young girl, seemingly abandoned on Jim's doorstep. They can't help but try to find her family, but are quickly drawn into some kind of scheme centering on Marin's father involving creeps, death threats, narcotics and a cattle prod. A patron suggestion, this episode also finishes our look at writer Gordon T. Dawson, who delivers another great script that is matched by compelling performances from both series regulars and guest stars. Not really a mystery, not really a whodunit, this episode really ramps up the tension while keeping a solid emotional backbeat. It's a good one!