Episode 77: The Trouble with Warren

November 29th, 2020  |  1 hr 21 mins

1970s, 70s, beth, family, flute playing, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, rockford files, television, turkey, tv

Nathan and Eppy spend some quality family time with Jim, Beth and her annoying cousin in S3E11 The Trouble with Warren. When Warren is framed for murder, Beth turns to Jim for help. Despite his best efforts Jim ends up investigating the case, and then once another body surfaces he needs to solve it in order to save both their hides. We found this one to be a "meaty middle" episode, with a lot of things to like but nothing in particular to recommend it. That's the problem with this show, the episodes are all too good!

Episode 76: A Material Difference

October 25th, 2020  |  1 hr 29 mins

1970s, 70s, blue jeans, hit man, james garner, jim rockford, kgb, mr jones, p.i, rockford files, television, tv

Nathan and Eppy go under cover to talk about S5E19 A Material Difference. Angel has the perfect scam - pretend to be a hit man, take the half up front and move on. Unfortunately his first gig involves international espionage, and a chance meeting with Jim draws Rockford in against his will. This is a wild romp of an episode! We found it to not be totally solid around the edges but a joy to watch, especially for the focus on the Jim-Angel dynamic, one of our favorites!

Episode 75: The Dog and Pony Show

September 27th, 2020  |  1 hr 27 mins

1970s, 70s, bananas, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, rockford files, salvador allende, television, therapy, tv

Nathan and Eppy join Jim and Angel in group therapy for S4E5 The Dog and Pony Show. In lieu of a jail sentence for something Angel stole and hid in Jim's car, this therapy group is a pretty good deal, until fellow participant Mary Jo has someone actually break into her house. Jim agrees to help, and a couple of goons and one Firebird chase later realizes that something Mary Jo knows is putting them all in danger. A listener suggestion, we really enjoyed this David Chase-written episode - it has all the elements we love about the show, as well as a familiar face that delighted us upon his surprise appearance!

Episode 74: The Great Blue Lake Land and Development Company

August 30th, 2020  |  1 hr 20 mins

1970s, 70s, fast harry, helicopter, james garner, jim rockford, land swindle, p.i, rockford files, television, tv

Nathan and Eppy take a road trip to S2E6: The Great Blue Lake Land and Development Company. After Jim is ripped off in a small town, he needs to get his 10 grand back - but nobody is talking. He brings in Rocky and a fast-talking con buddy, but everything changes before they can run the con! While it felt to us like it didn't have the full Rockfordishness that we see in later seasons, this is a fun episode with a lot of individual points to like!

Episode 73: Resurrection in Black & White

July 26th, 2020  |  1 hr 30 mins

1970s, 70s, boat chase, james garner, jim rockford, math, oreos, p.i, rockford files, russ mayberry, television, tv

Nathan and Eppy talk about S2E8 Resurrection in Black & White. Jim is hired by a magazine reporter named Susan to help clear the name of a man who's been in jail for 6 years for a murder he says he didn't commit. The case is pretty cold, but with Jim and Susan's powers combined they manage to figure out what happened and track down the culprits - in a motorboat, no less! We really enjoyed this episode, especially the chemistry between Jim and Susan and the nuanced character work woven into their story. Plus, we get to talk about director Russ Mayberry, as this is his last appearance on our show!

Episode 72: Dwarf in a Helium Hat

June 28th, 2020  |  1 hr 23 mins

1970s, 70s, fruit cart, james garner, jim rockford, jimbo like bimbo, p.i, rockford files, romanov, television, tv, wrong number

Nathan and Eppy get a look at the wild party scene of 70s LA in S4E17 Dwarf in a Helium Hat. Jim gets a threatening phone call, but to the wrong number! His conscience can't let this sit, and in trying to track down Jay Rockfelt to warn him of the impending danger, he gets dragged in to a life-and-death situation with a jersey mobster who just wants to be taken seriously. Though this one has a bit of a thing plot, it's a fun episode with some particularly amazing dialogue!

Episode 71: Black Lives Matter (A Plus Expenses Special)

June 14th, 2020  |  1 hr 5 mins

1970s, 70s, black lives matter, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, plus expenses, rockford files, television, tv

Black Lives Matter. We support the ongoing uprisings against police brutality in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, and we wanted to both reflect on what this means for us and talk to our audience directly about how you can help. We start the conversation with our standard Plus Expenses-style check-in, and transition about half an hour in to talking about the protests and what we're currently grappling with as next steps towards a future without police.

Episode 70: Coulter City Wildcat

May 31st, 2020  |  1 hr 33 mins

1970s, 70s, country beef, james garner, jim rockford, oil, p.i, rockford files, television, tv, want to see my bunker

Nathan and Eppy go wildcatting with Jim and Rocky in S3E6 Coulter City Wildcat. Rocky is forced to sign over the mineral rights to a oil lease he won in a lottery he's been playing, and Jim is determined to find out why his dad was roughed up and what scam is at the heart of the matter. They take a road trip to Coulter City to unravel a stubborn mystery, and we have a great time riding along with them in their efforts. While we found the mechanics of the plot to be little obscure, this is a hell of a fun episode overall!

Episode 69: The Hawaiian Headache

April 26th, 2020  |  1 hr 26 mins

1970s, 70s, aloha-ha-ha-ha, be a tiger, hawaii, hound dog, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, ping-pong diplomacy, rockford files, television, tv

Nathan and Eppy take a sun-soaked trip to S6E8 The Hawaiian Headache. Jim and Rocky won a trip to Hawaii! Jim doesn't get to enjoy a minute of it before being brought into an issue of national security by an old Korean War sergeant. Things go from bad to worse as he juggles a missing agent, a briefcase with $10K, gangsters and a murder charge. A silly episode, without much mystery to speak of but a lot of good gags!

Episode 68: Star Trek DS9 - Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang

April 1st, 2020  |  1 hr 7 mins

1970s, 70s, ds9, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, rockford files, star trek, stretch, television, too many guys named paulie, tv, vegas, vic fontaine