User Reviews

Susan Strasberg ("The Countess") returns to the series as a different character, Karen Styles, an old girlfriend of Jim's who asks him to do her a innocent little favor. The little favor of course ends up getting Jim in jail with federal counterfeiting charges. The lovely Beth Davenport (the fetching Gretchen Corbett) appears but before she can work her magic, Jim is released from jail, freeing him to track down Karen and find out what she's got him in to.

Rockford and Styles have a real Sam Spade-Bridget O'Shaunessy ("The Maltese Falcon") relationship here. He likes her even when he knows he can't trust her. Styles is constantly on the con. It's played very well.

There's an interesting bit of tension between Beth and Rockford here. He has to spend the night in jail because he can't find her. And she's a little jealous/suspicious of Jim's relationship with Styles, while at the same time saying they're free to see other people. It sounds like this episode actually was supposed to have taken place BEFORE "Portrait of Elizabeth". It would have set that episode up nicely.

This installment also includes another appearance by Gordon Jump (WKRP), this time as Appley, a jewelry fence. He was better cast last time as Jim's long suffering body shop man ("Just By Accident") but is always a pleasure to watch. Jack Colvin plays "the Preacher" a new source for Jim that he goes to for information (was Stuart Margolin unavailable?). He would later find success as reporter Jack McGee on "The Incredible Hulk". Veronica Hamel makes her first appearance on the series as Mrs. Letterer, John Lupton makes his first of three appearances as Mr. Letterer and we get to see Dennis out of the office playing a little basketball.

All in all, a good episode.

This episode was a bit far-fetched by way of Jim Rockford's strange lack of common sense or good judgement here at the very beginning.

A previously unseen old flame of Rockford's shows up with a glib story and in need of a small favor,ie can Jim deliver a briefcase full of 'escrow papers' to an office for her? Without any thought Jim agrees to do this small favor. It turns out that unbeknownst to Rockford,what he actually delivers is $100k in cash to this particular office. Which would be great,but the money turns out to be counterfeit and Jim is the one that is being blamed for this fact. Things get worse from here,this lady is a real snake. She ends up getting what she deserves but it is a rocky road along the way!

This is one of the very few episodes where I felt Jim was acting dumb for no compelling reason. Yet another one of Jim's serious ex-girlfriends (Susan Strasberg) shows up, bats her eyes and suddenly our streetwise Jim is so besotted that he doesn't even check the contents of a suitcase he's asked to deliver? Shame on you, Rockford! This script-imposed lapse of judgment remained a big distraction for me during an otherwise fairly entertaining episode, which featured an unusual amount of characters for Jim to encounter (bookies, fences, and a rival private eye who Jim can't fool). Although honestly, Susan's duplicity was never in doubt and I can't believe Jim was even fooled when she was "kidnapped" at the tennis club.

As almost everyone else has already said, it's hard to believe that Jim would be as stupid as he is in this episode. It's obvious from the moment Karen ( the yummy Susan Strasberg) asks him to deliver some "documents" for her that she's using him for something. And that's before we, the viewers, even know that she's a professional conwoman. Jim does know what her trade is, yet he still keeps on falling for her lies just because he still has the hots for her.

Jimbo, why keep on chasing after the totally untrustworthy Karen - cute as she is? Any other man would have dropped that like it's hot and focused all his efforts on the soon-to-be-ex-Mrs Lederer. (I've always thought that Veronica Hamel was one of the most beautiful women in the world ever since Hill Street Blues. It's good to see, in this episode that aired about six years before HSB began, that her looks haven't been ravaged by youth.)

The most unbelievable part of the whole story, though, is when we get to see the guy who managed to land both of these babes. Come on! I know it's only fiction, but at least try and make it somewhat credible.