User Reviews

David Banner(Bill Bixby) finds himself working in a struggling resort community in Antowuk California for a difficult man named Harlan Bates(played by Bill Lucking) who resents the attentions of his young daughter to him, as well as his educated manner. After the Hulk makes an appearance in town, Harlan gets the brainstorm of using it for publicity purposes in order to attract tourists, which first amuses then alarms David when Harlan dresses up as a monster, and Jack McGee(Jack Colvin) shows up... Interesting episode which does take an amusing notion of a hoaxer using the Hulk for his own purposes, which would likely happen in real life, given human nature.

Interesting premise to this first season episode in which a small economically depressed town on the verge of bankruptcy actually benefits from the appearance of the Hulk by turning it into a bizarre tourist attraction. Local bully (Lucking) employs David (Bixby) to perform some general maintenance work but takes a dislike to his obvious rapport with his pre-adolescent daughter. The goading eventually brings about the expected transformation, which unexpectedly turns into a entrepreneurial coup for the struggling town.

Lucking is a trademark bully (he played a similar role in a season 3 episode), his buddy Lance LeGault will be a familiar face to many ("The A-Team") while veterans Dennis Patrick (as a former trophy hunter fallen on hard-times) and Myron Healey (the sheriff of Antowuk) give the episode some added casting clout.

Overall, the innovative storyline and capable cast deliver an action-packed episode with two hardcore, set-destroying Hulk-outs that should please more than just the avid fan.

One might expect a big drop in quality after "Married", but this first regular-length episode of Season 2 is pretty darn good. It bears mention that it is the first episode of the series written by Nicholas Corea, who eventually wrote and directed "The Incredible Hulk Returns". Jack McGee, on the trail as ever, is approached by an aging big game hunter who he's associated with in the past. Seems he's a has-been and wants to get back in the papers by nailing the Hulk. This scene is a rare glimpse of some humanity in McGee, and it's all the more worthwhile because he actually gets a decent amount of screen time in this ep.

Rather curiously, the role of attractive female is taken by a preadolescent. Even her dialogue makes her sound like a typical love interest for David. This is explained by the fact that her mother is dead, and her father is a sad loser who is still taking out his grief over his wife's death on other people (his daughter and David), so she's matured before her time. Even so, it's a relief that David clearly does not return any romantic interest the girl may have in him.

I really like the premise of this episode, and though some points of the plot don't make sense, it basically delivers on that premise. It all ends on a perhaps unrealistic happy ending for everyone, but after "Married", that's a nice change of pace.