About the show
Two Hundred a Day is a podcast by Nathan D. Paoletta and Epidiah Ravachol. We are exploring the intensely weird and interesting world of the 70s TV detective show The Rockford Files. In each episode of Two Hundred a Day, we watch an episode, recap and review it as fans of the show, and tease out specific elements that hold lessons for writers, gamers and anyone else interested in making better stories.
Two Hundred A Day on social media
Episodes
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Episode 15: 2 Into 5.56 Won't Go
August 13th, 2017 | 1 hr 25 mins
5.56, 70s, james garner, jim rockford, korea, mystery, scam, scheme, tank stealing, the rockford files, tv
Nathan and Eppy discuss S2E10 2 Into 5.56 Won't Go. Jim's old commander from the Korean war has been killed - but not before leaving a mysterious message on Jim's answering machine that leads the Colonel's daughter to Jim's door. This episode leans a little harder on some generic tropes than we generally expect, but does feature great dialogue and a lot of fodder for our second-half discussion about handling villains, dramatic irony and metaphors in your stories and games!
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Episode 14: Pastoria Prime Pick
July 23rd, 2017 | 1 hr 28 mins
70s, corruption, james garner, jim rockford, mystery, scam, scheme, the rockford files, tv
Nathan and Eppy discuss S2E11 Pastoria Prime Pick. Jim's car break down in New Pastoria, and a series of coincidences quickly turn into a plot to charge him with a serious array of crimes - and the whole town is in on it! This episode features great pacing and Rockford character moments as the plot unfolds, revealing an all-too-relevant tale of government corruption.
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Episode 13: Our Second Discussion Special
July 16th, 2017 | 57 mins 20 secs
70s, analysis, angel martin, detective, episodic, jim rockford, special episode, the rockford files, tv
To celebrate going to a two-episode-a-month format, Nathan and Eppy take on some listener questions and comments about the show so far! We consider questions about some of our favorite episodes, including The Farnsworth Strategem and Chicken Little is a Little Chicken, and then tackle an existential question: what is a "typical" episode of The Rockford Files?
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Episode 12: The Girl in the Bay City Boys Club
July 9th, 2017 | 1 hr 27 mins
70s, car chase, james garner, jim rockford, murder, mystery, the rockford files, tv
Nathan and Eppy discuss S2E13 The Girl in the Bay City Boys Club. Jim goes to Bay City to investigate a crooked poker game, but quickly gets caught up with a rogue DA, his idealistic assistant Kate, and the mob. The only episode directed by James Garner, this one surprised us with subtleties as it delighted us with dynamic chases!
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Episode 11: A Portrait of Elizabeth
June 11th, 2017 | 1 hr 35 mins
70s, analysis, beth davenport, con game, criminal mastermind, detective, jim rockford, the rockford files, tv
Nathan and Eppy discuss S2E16 A Portrait of Elizabeth. Beth brings a new client (and her new boyfriend) to Jim to get some help, but it turns out that Dave has a nefarious scheme of his own. This episode effortlessly weaves together the emotional connection of Beth and Jim, Jim's efforts to discover Dave's plot, and Beth's professional skills - it's truly a gem of an episode that's shot right to top of our "must-see" list!
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Episode 10: Chicken Little Is A Little Chicken
May 14th, 2017 | 1 hr 31 mins
70s, analysis, angel martin, con game, detective, fake death, pizza, the rockford files, tv
Nathan and Eppy discuss S2E9 Chicken Little Is A Little Chicken. Angel asks Jim Rockford for a little help collecting some money - but before he knows it, Jim is orchestrating a way-too-complicated shell game to keep two rival mob bosses from planting both him and Angel at the bottom of the LA river. This episode has it all and we really highly recommend it!
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Episode 9: Gearjammers (Part 2)
April 16th, 2017 | 1 hr 29 mins
70s, analysis, detective, the rockford files, tv
Nathan and Eppy discuss S2E4 Gearjammers, Part 2. Jim's car has exploded, Rocky is still being targeted for death and just why were those trucks hijacked anyway? It's a race against time for Jim and Dennis to figure out the mystery that started last episode and save Rocky's hide. This is the second in a two-parter, see our last episode (#8) for our discussion and analysis of Gearjammers, Part 1.
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Episode 8: Gearjammers (Part 1)
April 9th, 2017 | 1 hr 35 mins
70s, analysis, detective, the rockford files, tv
Nathan and Eppy discuss S2E3 Gearjammers, Part 1. Jim's dad Rocky sees something he shouldn't and makes himself a target of assassination - can Rockford track him down before the killers do? In addition to the mystery, the joy of this episode is the reveal of Joseph Rockford's personal life. Plus a great car chase! This is our first two-parter, our next episode will cover Gearjammers, Part 2.
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Episode 7: Our First Discussion Special
March 17th, 2017 | 50 mins 29 secs
70s, analysis, detective, special episode, the rockford files, tv
We hit our first goal on Patreon! Thank you backers! To celebrate, Nathan and Eppy discuss their experience doing the podcast so far, and how training our critical Rockford eye just keeps revealing more to enjoy. Plus, Eppy shares the benefits of what we've discussed in our narrative elements sections to his ongoing tabletop game of Urban Jungle!
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Episode 6: Just Another Polish Wedding
March 12th, 2017 | 1 hr 33 mins
70s, analysis, detective, the rockford files, tv
Nathan and Eppy discuss S3E17, Just Another Polish Wedding. Gandalf Finch (Isaac Hayes) and Marcus Hayes (Louis Gossett Jr.) team up to race against Jim in an effort to be the first to find the heir to a buried fortune - but of course nothing is quite as it seems! This is a real gem of an episode on a number of levels, and we have a lot to say about the character dynamics in particular.
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Episode 5: Charlie Harris at Large
February 12th, 2017 | 1 hr 25 mins
70s, analysis, detective, the rockford files, tv
Nathan and Eppy discuss S1E19, Charlie Harris at Large. Rockford's old prison buddy "Charming" Charlie Harris is in some deep trouble, and comes to Jim to help him find the mystery woman that can save his bacon. This episode features some great character writing as well as a classic Rockford-style nested mystery, both of which we really enjoyed!
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Episode 4: The Farnsworth Strategem
January 15th, 2017 | 1 hr 32 mins
70s, analysis, detective, the rockford files, tv
Nathan and Eppy discuss S2E2, The Farnsworth Strategem. This episode features Rockford running a confidence game on behalf of his friend Becker, and contains a number of recurring characters as well as an in-depth look at how he uses his okie oilman character Farnsworth to swindle the mob!