Episode 57: Guilt

September 29th, 2019  |  1 hr 32 mins

1970s, 70s, explosion, guilt, helicopter, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, rockford files, television, the cocked hat, tv

Nathan and Eppy talk about S5E15: Guilt. The woman that Jim almost married calls him out of the blue - someone is trying to kill her! Jim has to handle not only the puzzle of her mysterious assailant, but also how Valerie uses their past relationship to get what she wants out of him. The title of the episode is indeed the main emotional theme, and we find it to be a well-told but, in some ways, difficult story. It does have perhaps the most spectacular vehicle chase we've seen so far, though!

Episode 56: A Plus Expenses Special

September 15th, 2019  |  44 mins 54 secs

1970s, 70s, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, plus expenses, rockford files, special episode, television, tv

This is our latest Plus Expenses episode, the show we release to our patrons over at our Patreon. Plus Expenses is our pre-show chatter, where we catch up with each other and talk about other media we've been into and what's going on in our lives as self-employed game designers. In this episode, we talk about: Amazon and capitalism, pricing games, Youtube radicalization, the Star Wars Minute podcast, Godzilla, meat shields vs jobbers, pro wrestling in Japan, a book of essays on David Chase, the cultural influence of television, location as character, place in RPGs, psychogeography, the World of Darkness "By Night" books, "I lived in New York for 5 years" stories, Mill Creek DVD collections, and of course the value of public libraries.

Plus Expenses is a free podcast available to all of our patrons. If you like what you hear, please consider joining them in supporting the show for only $1 an episode!

Episode 55: Profit and Loss (Two-Part Episode)

August 25th, 2019  |  1 hr 54 mins

1970s, 70s, chili thing, fraud, james garner, jim rockford, ned beatty, p.i, rockford files, television, tv

Nathan and Eppy take a look at the first two-part episode from the first season, Profit and Loss (E12 and 13). Starring Ned Beatty as the villainous CEO of a fraudulent investment firm, this two-parter is very much one linear story through both episodes. Though it features a number of wonderful Jim Rockford moments, and gives us a lot of good Rocky material, we can't help but feel like the big climax is a bit of a let-down given the extensive buildup. On the other hand, it does have perhaps the greatest 3-minute hot-dog related scene in all of the Rockford Files!

Episode 54: Gigi Garner Interview + Q&A Special

August 4th, 2019  |  1 hr 50 mins

1970s, 70s, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, rockford files, television, tv

Nathan and Eppy are super excited to welcome Gigi Garner, daughter of James Garner and animal rescuer, to the show! We talk to Gigi about the James Garner Animal Rescue Fund she recently launched, get some of her reflections on the Rockford Files and her father's legacy, and hear some great stories! We then answer questions from our patrons and listeners, including the monumental task of picking a favorite episode!

Episode 53: The Reincarnation of Angie

July 28th, 2019  |  1 hr 33 mins

1970s, 70s, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, rockford files, television, tv

Nathan and Eppy talk about S2E12 The Reincarnation of Angie. Jim gets a call from the panicked Angie, concerned about a mysterious call from her now-missing brother Tom. Things escalate after they find half a million in cash in Tom's wall safe, and Jim calls in a friend from the FBI to help track down what happened to Tom, and why someone is now after Angie. A curious episode that showcases Jim's tradecraft, we found that it has a bit of a mismatch between the emotional beats and the narrative, both of which are very strong on their own.

Episode 52: The Paper Palace

July 14th, 2019  |  1 hr 31 mins

1970s, 70s, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, rockford files, television, tv

Nathan and Eppy talk about the first appearance of Rita Moreno on The Rockford Files in S4E16 The Paper Palace. When a pair of French-speaking tough guys assault Moreno's character, Rita Capkovic, the police don't seem very interested in helping out a known prostitute. While Dennis is a friend, she ends up hiring Jim to find out why anyone would want to hurt her - and when one of her only other friends, an elderly woman, is killed, it ups the stakes of the mystery. This episode shines as a nuanced portrait of a woman who lives her life unapologetically in the face of judgement, and the character work throughout is fantastic - overall, one of the great episodes of the show!

Episode 51: Drought at Indianhead River

June 30th, 2019  |  1 hr 32 mins

1970s, 70s, angelo, anger, james garner, jim rockford, mob, p.i, rockford files, snails, television, tv, wawa

Nathan and Eppy discuss S3E5 Drought at Indianhead River. Jim gets a tip that Angel's life is in danger, but "Angelo" is too high on his newfound success in real estate to take the threat seriously. Determined to save Angel despite himself, Jim drags him along as he fends off both the mob and the cops to try and figure out why his friend is on a hit list. A wonderful showcase of the Angel-Rockford relationship, focusing on just how much Jim can take, we really like this one! It has some unexamined plot devices and uses institutionalization for comedic effect, which aren't our favorite elements, but in terms of watching Jim and Angel at their best, it's hard to top!

Episode 50: If The Frame Fits...

June 16th, 2019  |  1 hr 43 mins

1970s, 1990s, 70s, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, rockford files, television, tree with lips, tv, tv movies

To celebrate our 50th episode, Nathan and Eppy discuss the third 90s Rockford Files TV movie: If The Frame Fits... This feels like the first true reunion movie, as it features not only Angel and Dennis, but Chapman, Diehl and, triumphantly, a returning Beth Davenport! Jim has been framed for the murder of another PI, and this movie hums right along just like the best of the 70s shows as he figures out what's going on while on the run from the law. Our favorite so far!

Episode 49: Second Chance

May 26th, 2019  |  1 hr 32 mins

1970s, 70s, dionne warwick, gandy, isaac hayes, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, rockfish, rockford files, television, tv

Nathan and Eppy discuss S4E4 Second Chance. Following up on our last episode (The Hammer of C Block), we visit the final Gandalf Fitch episode to see how the character has been handled since that debut. Gandy seems to have found a niche for himself bouncing at nightclubs, but when he decides to manage the career of a promising lounge singer (played by Dionne Warwick), he ends up hit on the head and chasing down ghosts from the past - and, of course, turns to Jim for help. Also featuring a complicating Angel appearance, this episode is both action-packed and very funny, paying little attention to Gandy's tragic origin story and leading us to the conclusion that the show essentially treats Gandy as a different character in the subsequent episodes, not a continuous one. This one gave us a lot to talk about, and we really enjoyed watching it!

Episode 48: The Hammer of C Block

April 28th, 2019  |  1 hr 31 mins

1970s, 70s, gandy, isaac hayes, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, rockfish, rockford files, television, tv

Nathan and Eppy discuss the first appearance of Isaac Hayes as Gandolf Fitch in Season Two's The Hammer of C Block. Gandy has been in prison for 20 years for a murder he swears he didn't commit, and since Jim owes him money from their time together in the slammer, his first stop is Rockfish's trailer. The plot of this one revolves around discovering the truth behind the murder of Lila, Gandy's ex-girlfriend; but what we struggled with as we watched is how Gandy is, at root, the actual villain of the piece. Content warning! This episode (and thus our discussion) include direct focus on emotional and physical abuse, and suicide. It's an engaging, effective episode that isn't reducible down to a clear "yes, watch it" or "no, don't."