This "Hunter" episode from 1989 called "The Legion: Part 1" is one highly memorable one as it had high paced action and drama with Hunter on the tails and trails of the bad guys! The story involves a prison break and escape when a long time bad guy that Rick put away named Lassiter escapes from the big house, the city and L. A. streets once again become in danger! In somewhat of a subplot and to complicate matters McCall's(Stepfanie Kramer) old training officer out of the academy(played by veteran Claude Akins) arrives in town out of retirement only wanting to get involved in current matters of the case. Well done episode that sets up well for the part two closer.
3 Reviews
Another Brilliant Turn By Richard Lynch
JasonDanielBaker4 September 2012
Warning: Spoilers
American Nazi leader Frank Lassiter (Richard Lynch) escapes prison but does not seek vengeance upon Hunter (Fred Dryer) - the cop who put him there. Instead he and some surprising accomplices heist $5,000,000 from an armored car.
Hunter's partner Dee Dee McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) reunites with her police academy mentor Andy (Claude Akins) - a lonely old man working as a security guard. Andy misses his days on the force and gives his unwanted advice to Hunter. Hunter captures Lassiter's younger brother after Andy's help/interference get in the way. Andy, feeling unwanted and superfluous, shoots himself in the head.
African-American characters were continually subjected to the kind of brutality that had become another trademark of the series. In the first episode the two-part "the Legion" storyline two Black guys are brutally slain. Criticisms of the tone the narratives of the show used in portraying Black people were pretty inexcusable and a major reason why the series was looked down upon.
But the biggest reason was the acting chops or lack thereof of ex-pro football player Fred Dryer who evidently thought of himself as the new Olivier just because his show found an audience.
Dryer actually appeared to be affecting an impression of Eastwood with an angry glare and clenched teeth sneering his lines early in the series. As the show progressed and Dryer gained greater control (as Executive Producer) he then tried acting the part instead of doing the Eastwood impression. It turned out to be a horrendous decision.
Dryer had a considerably higher opinion of his acting than anyone else. Of his contemporaries on TV at the time only Jan-Michael Vincent on Airwolf was worse and Vincent was power-drinking at the time unlike Dryer.
Helmed by Corey Allen - a director who couldn't be trusted to shoot a dog food commercial properly.
Hunter's partner Dee Dee McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) reunites with her police academy mentor Andy (Claude Akins) - a lonely old man working as a security guard. Andy misses his days on the force and gives his unwanted advice to Hunter. Hunter captures Lassiter's younger brother after Andy's help/interference get in the way. Andy, feeling unwanted and superfluous, shoots himself in the head.
African-American characters were continually subjected to the kind of brutality that had become another trademark of the series. In the first episode the two-part "the Legion" storyline two Black guys are brutally slain. Criticisms of the tone the narratives of the show used in portraying Black people were pretty inexcusable and a major reason why the series was looked down upon.
But the biggest reason was the acting chops or lack thereof of ex-pro football player Fred Dryer who evidently thought of himself as the new Olivier just because his show found an audience.
Dryer actually appeared to be affecting an impression of Eastwood with an angry glare and clenched teeth sneering his lines early in the series. As the show progressed and Dryer gained greater control (as Executive Producer) he then tried acting the part instead of doing the Eastwood impression. It turned out to be a horrendous decision.
Dryer had a considerably higher opinion of his acting than anyone else. Of his contemporaries on TV at the time only Jan-Michael Vincent on Airwolf was worse and Vincent was power-drinking at the time unlike Dryer.
Helmed by Corey Allen - a director who couldn't be trusted to shoot a dog food commercial properly.
McCall is reunited with her old mentor
jarrodmcdonald-115 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The show continued to evolve in the post-Roy Huggins era. And while season 6 wasn't quite as sharply written as the seasons that immediately preceded it, there were still some notable episodes. Like this two-parter from early in the sixth season, that is a bit more sensationalistic than other installments, but still riveting.
The first plot involves a violent white supremacist (Richard Lynch in scene stealing mode) who escapes from prison and remains at large. One thing I love about crime shows from the 70s and 80s is that they typically have some of the most memorable villains on TV. In this case, Lynch's character is completely deranged and out of control. At the level of a Batman supervillain. We don't really know much about what makes him tick, except he's a huge bigot and he's definitely not keen on improving race relations in Los Angeles.
Jerry Douglas, who at the time was in the midst of a long-running role as a doting patriarch on CBS' soap opera The Young and the Restless has a supporting role as the prison warden who's in cahoots with Lynch. Part of the story has Douglas helping to spring Lynch and then after Lynch is out, to help Lynch and Lynch's cohorts with some sort of criminal exploit. Douglas rarely did these types of roles, so it's a chance for him to stretch his acting muscles.
While the plot with Lynch and Douglas is certainly engrossing, I found the the other main plot much more interesting. It involves an old mentor of McCall's (Stepfanie Kramer), played by Claude Akins, who turns up for an unexpected reunion. We learn Akins' character had retired from the force and moved to Washington state but he didn't get along with his daughter and felt aimless. He comes back to L. A., looks up McCall and quickly decides to make himself useful by helping her and Hunter chase down the supremacist group.
A good twist has Akins' character going too far in his zeal to nab the bad guys. As a result of exercising poor judgment, he faces obstruction of justice charges. McCall is obviously torn, because she's fond of the old geezer but she also knows he no longer plays by the rules. There are some wonderful character-driven moments in this plot, and the final scenes of part one where McCall learns Akins threw in the towel and committed suicide are very powerful to watch.
The second part has McCall on her own mission to bring down Lynch and the other cons. She is still grieving the loss of her mentor Akins, and she makes a few errors in judgment herself. We see McCall putting herself at risk, then getting kidnapped and held hostage by Lynch's gang. Though part two goes a bit over-the-top, this is still a very gripping double episode of Hunter with smart performances from Lynch, Douglas, Akins and Kramer.
The first plot involves a violent white supremacist (Richard Lynch in scene stealing mode) who escapes from prison and remains at large. One thing I love about crime shows from the 70s and 80s is that they typically have some of the most memorable villains on TV. In this case, Lynch's character is completely deranged and out of control. At the level of a Batman supervillain. We don't really know much about what makes him tick, except he's a huge bigot and he's definitely not keen on improving race relations in Los Angeles.
Jerry Douglas, who at the time was in the midst of a long-running role as a doting patriarch on CBS' soap opera The Young and the Restless has a supporting role as the prison warden who's in cahoots with Lynch. Part of the story has Douglas helping to spring Lynch and then after Lynch is out, to help Lynch and Lynch's cohorts with some sort of criminal exploit. Douglas rarely did these types of roles, so it's a chance for him to stretch his acting muscles.
While the plot with Lynch and Douglas is certainly engrossing, I found the the other main plot much more interesting. It involves an old mentor of McCall's (Stepfanie Kramer), played by Claude Akins, who turns up for an unexpected reunion. We learn Akins' character had retired from the force and moved to Washington state but he didn't get along with his daughter and felt aimless. He comes back to L. A., looks up McCall and quickly decides to make himself useful by helping her and Hunter chase down the supremacist group.
A good twist has Akins' character going too far in his zeal to nab the bad guys. As a result of exercising poor judgment, he faces obstruction of justice charges. McCall is obviously torn, because she's fond of the old geezer but she also knows he no longer plays by the rules. There are some wonderful character-driven moments in this plot, and the final scenes of part one where McCall learns Akins threw in the towel and committed suicide are very powerful to watch.
The second part has McCall on her own mission to bring down Lynch and the other cons. She is still grieving the loss of her mentor Akins, and she makes a few errors in judgment herself. We see McCall putting herself at risk, then getting kidnapped and held hostage by Lynch's gang. Though part two goes a bit over-the-top, this is still a very gripping double episode of Hunter with smart performances from Lynch, Douglas, Akins and Kramer.
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