​If there’s one thing I truly enjoy about watching a brand-new television series in its freshman season, it’s being able to experience the moment when everything comes together storytelling wise. Because in that moment, you know that the episodes that follow are going to celebrate the best parts of the series, and bring the audience great joy, and I’m hoping that’s what audiences experienced back in December of 1977 when the CHiPs episode, ‘Highway Robbery’, aired. For this really was an important moment for the series since it offered up the perfect blend of character development, action and adventure and outright fun that you found in later seasons on a consistent basis, and the wonder of this story was definitely a refreshing treat for me, and really, of the elements I just made mention of, it’s that all-important character development that continues to stick out in my mind.
 
For this is really the first episode of the series to give the Creep of the Week some depth since our baddie was actually given a name in this tale, Leo Norrison, and he was even given an important backstory since he used to be high school teammates with Jon, and it was just supremely fascinating to learn more about Jon and see how his moral compass operates when he realized who he was dealing with and it was equally as amazing to see the depth the Writer’s Room provided Leo with. Because Leo, really had stumbled upon some hard times, to the point where he no longer gave a damn about anything or anyone, as was evident from the fact that he didn’t learn a single lesson after being arrested early on in the episode, since he went right back to his stealing ways and that was the other element that impressed me about this part of the story, in that Leo’s journey is bittersweet at best. Because this young man faces an uncertain future and is seemingly lost, and you just don’t see that on lighthearted T.V. shows all that often.
 
As for the action and adventure I made mention of, well that was definitely entertaining and worth my while. After all, the whole plotline involving a broken down circus caravan provided some delightful levity in this tale since Ponch and Jon came face to face with a well-trained pachyderm that put on a show for the poor folks stuck in the resulting traffic jam that the caravan caused, and it used Barizca’s cruiser as a couch for a brief moment. And there was the hilarious tire changing scene with the little old lady that took the time to break the fourth wall, and to top it off, there was an element of danger to be found in this episode as well. The kind that allowed for Ponch and Jon to jump into action and play the heroes after a brief high-speed chase with a bunch of irresponsible teens came to an end. For it turns out that these idiot kids put their good friends in the trunk of a car with a faulty exhaust line and had it not been for our heroes and their CPR training, those kids might not have made it.
 
But truly, the fun in this episode came about from the fact that this is the second story in a row where traditional 70s tropes, and Ponch’s Ego, elements that this series sometimes relied upon storytelling wise were both beautifully deconstructed by way of a grand crush that Ponch had on a girl that was predominantly featured in suntan lotion ads featured around Los Angeles. Because Ponch found out that the Sarge was friends with the young lady’s family and well, he went right into action in trying to score a date with her, something Getrear seemed hesitant to let happen. But you know Ponch, and he worked every angle and made every promise imaginable to the Sarge, who finally acquiesced and that’s when the big payoff came about. For it turned out that Janey, the model in question, was fifteen years old, and Joe made a point to reveal her age in front of Ponch’s fellow officers as well, giving him a fine lesson in the power of advertising and this really was a hilarious twist that spoke to the need for Ponch to cool his jets with the ladies, and ironically it worked to remind us how silly and weird the sexualization of women was in that particular decade.
 
But before we wrap up this particular Retro Recap, we do need to take a moment and highlight the fact that this is also an important episode when it comes to canon for the series as well. For this particular tale saw the official introduction of Officer Artie Grossman, who will be a staple on this series from this point on, and he even appeared in the 1999 sequel to this series that premiered on TNT and well, it’s just a joy to see the exact moment when he arrived on this series since he is a fan favorite that brought so much to this show. If anything, this episode really was a true delight to watch. It felt like an episode from the other seasons that I watched back in the day and that comfortability is what I’m hoping to find from here on out since this one, immediately brought me back to those wonderful summer mornings when I would kick back with a bowl of cereal and enjoy Seven-Mary-Three and Four’s awesome adventures. Until next time. 

Branding is quite the big deal when it comes to a television series. For it really allows for new viewers and old ones to know exactly what they are getting into when they settle in to watch said series, and it allows for a sense of comfort and familiarity when we all tune in. However, there is a slight downside when it comes to television related branding, in that, once a show has established what it is about and what it stands for, it is extremely difficult for the folks behind the scenes to try new things storytelling and direction wise, simply due to the fact that it may alienate its audience. Unless of course, that show happens to be, American Gods.
 
For a series about fictional deities allows for endless possibilities storytelling wise and for proof, look no further than last night’s episode of the show, ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’. For this particular tale ended up being an utter delight when it comes to the visuals it offered us since much of this episode felt akin to a dream, since every visual was jarring and haunted in this tale, as if the viewer was searching for something more within the confines of this world and while that was brilliant on its own right, it became clear as the hour rolled on that the story was indeed working to explore a great many things. But more on that in a moment because we do need to talk about the fact that this episode took quite the interesting shot at something mankind holds near and dear to its foundation, money.
 
Because that was the God that Wednesday and Shadow were in search of in this tale, for his power could put an end to the war before it started. But before they could speak with this Deity, they had to jump through a few hoops and that’s where some interesting commentary came into play. For while they waited to meet with Money, Wednesday was quick to point out that while money is indeed a fundamental part to our society, it only has worth because mankind gives it that power. And while that’s not exactly subtle commentary in the slightest, it is rare to see that kind of blunt philosophy play out in any T.V. series and it seemed worth mentioning. Plus, we were also treated to a fascinating moment between Wednesday and Shadow in this sequence, wherein Shadow tried to uncover why his new friend is, so hell bent on making it seem like Mister Moon has no meaning to a God. However, while all of this was a delight to watch, and despite the fact that Money brought both World and Wednesday face to face, Money wanted nothing to do with the war, so…it’s back to posturing for both men for the time being.

​Which brings us back to the fascinating design of this tale, specifically the fact that it seemed as though the story was lost and searching for something, because it turns out that all of that served as a grand setup when all is said and done. For it was not the story that was lost and searching for something more, it was the Gods we spent a fair share of time with in this tale. Because every last one of them needed to find direction and meaning as they stood on the precipice of bloodshed, and well, this search and all the powerful moments that came from it, also provided us with incredible commentary on our world and our lives since we too are often searching for meaning and direction, just like the Gods, and a tense but powerful meeting between Bilquis, Anansi and Ibis allowed for some profound words to come out of Nancy’s mouth regarding race relations on a planetary scale and how far humanity has to go to create true equality and this was simply an incredible sequence to watch and one that definitely gave me pause after the episode came to an end.
 
Yet, while those two elements alone would have been enough for this episode to stand upon, there was one more trick up its sleeve, one involving the God everyone loves to hate, Technical Boy. For in this story we saw his birth and his end, and much of his journey in this tale was one filled to the brim with uncertainty and fear, due to the fact that World was fed up with his failures and well, this is another one of those moments that reminded us of how human the Gods on this series really are, since Technical Boy was faced with the prospect of failure for the first time in a long time, all due to the fact that the only constant in this world is change, and even the New Gods aren’t immune to a society that continues to evolve. And despite his best efforts to right his wrongs and make use of the man that helped to create him, Technical Boy could not find redemption in the eyes of his master and was sent to a void of his own creation.
 
If anything, this episode truly proved to be quite the mental feast, because I feel as though I’ve only had the opportunity to skim the surface of what it stood for and what it wanted to accomplish. For there were also some fascinating points to be found in this one in regard to religion and what it has to offer mankind, and what exactly makes it worth our while, which I also found to be a surprising twist and really, I loved this episode through and through. It’s just a wonderful thing when a television series is able to take the time to provide its audience with so much to chew upon, and I really do appreciate the unique direction this episode embarked upon and how it told its tale and credit for that needs to go to writers Peter Calloway and Aditi Brennan Kapil for assembling an incredibly complex script and kudos are also due to director Stacie Passon for helping the audience to partake in the Gods’ emotions in this story. And also, we need to take a moment and recognize Orlando Jones’ performance in this tale, for he put on an acting clinic in this one, and I really am in awe of this episode, and I cannot wait to see what wonders await us in the second half of the sophomore season of American Gods. Until next time.