‘CHiPs’ Retro Recap: ‘Destruction Derby’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

​One fascinating truth that I’ve come to learn in regard to television shows in general, is that often times once a series finds a particular format that brings in ratings and keeps fans happy, the series in question sticks to that formula, no matter what. That’s not an insult by any means because hey, I get the value of sticking with what works, but sometimes it is nice to see a show cut loose and try something new storytelling wise, regardless of how long it’s been on the air. Which is why I’m such a big fan of CHiPs, since this particular police serial always took risks, regardless of the potential consequences and while it didn’t always stick the proverbial landing, what it produced by trying something new, was fascinating in its own right.
 
Take for example the next episode in this storied franchise, ‘Destruction Derby’. Because this particular tale was quite the risk for certain, since it took Ponch and Jon off of the California highways and put them square into their civilian gear as they went undercover as off-circuit racing drivers, in the hopes of finding out who was moving some stolen auto parts, before shifting gears to bring down a drug ring. Which made this a vastly different episode indeed since the guys were in essence, becoming impromptu detectives in this story and had to work hard to keep their cover. And while they’ve gone undercover before, as was the case in the season two episode ‘Pressure Point’, this is the first time we’ve seen them deep in the thick of an investigation and fully removed from their uniforms and their bikes.
 
But unfortunately, while this was quirky and special in its own right, I made mention of how the experiments this show performed didn’t always click and that applies here. Simply because going this far outside of the box narrative wise, made for a confusing episode, thanks to some obvious interference when it comes to the script. Because it’s clear that while the powers that be, loved the idea of taking these guys off the road for a bit to do something new and exciting and hone their skills as gumshoes, they didn’t want the story to stray too far from what makes this series great and that’s where things got messy. For the crimes and subplots, they needed to unravel and navigate, were complex in nature and this story rushed them to their respective conclusions so that there was plenty of screen time available for thrilling race sequences and banter and that’s just a shame when all is said and done.
 
Because the mysteries in question were genuinely intriguing and watching Ponch and Jon work the case in smooth and methodical fashion completely sucked me into the story. Plus, every lead they followed revealed something new and exciting about the drug ring in question and it kept you guessing as to who exactly was the genuine Creep of the Week here, and what made this whole investigation sweeter was how the show revealed the truth about every single character that our dynamic duo were investigating. And had the story taken the time to scale back all that racing, we would have had a genuine ‘who done it?’ on our hands, and that would have made for a supremely spectacular episode, one that would have provided Ponch and Jon with some incredible growth.
 
If anything, I find it surprising that three years in, the show is still only willing to go so far with its storytelling experiments. Because every time they toy around with the formula, we are treated to a magnificent concept that falls short, and it is a tad annoying that another unique story was in essence wasted by concerns of straying too far. But alas, what’s done is done and while this episode may not be flawless, it does give us great insight into Ponch and Jon’s detective skill set, and this episode also found ways to have fun, too, since Jon’s improvisation on how to save his partner led to another wonderful gag involving Ponch’s Firebird. Either way, I did enjoy this one when all is said and done, and I do hope the show continues to tinker with the formula down the line because at some point, they’ll get these little experiments right, and when they do, it is going to be glorious. Until next time. 

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