HILL STREET BLUES was one of those shows that grabbed you the moment it came on the air: that absolutely beautiful opening theme, over a montage of memorable characters- superb. The one and only problem I had with the Captain Freedom episodes was a tendency on the part of the writers and the directors to undercut arguably some of the most DRAMATIC moments in the history of the show with almost senseless tongue-in-cheek humor. This humor served as a kind of disclaimer, a "wink and a nudge," if you will, between the filmmakers and the audience. One can't help but be moved by Freedom's reasons for wanting to go out in costume and "make a difference;" it's one of the best throwaway speeches ever written for the show- but is a THROWAWAY speech because it's followed for no good reason by Freedom's reference to messages from aliens from outer space. Yuck-yuck-yuck... FREEDOM'S LAST STAND is STILL one of the highlights of the series and one of my favorite episodes- but it could've been greater still.
Review of Freedom's Last Stand
