‘CHiPs’ Retro Recap: ‘Firepower’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

You know, it truly is amazing how time flies. Because it seems like only yesterday that we started this grand re-watch of the police serial CHiPs. One that was designed to examine if a cop show from the late 1970s would hold up well in the early 21st Century, whilst also exploring what exactly brought his wildly popular series to its unfortunate end and well, this reviewer is suddenly nostalgic in regard to the journey… because not only have those important questions been answered, but also because the end of this grand re-watch is now in sight. For we are now in the home stretch of these Retro Recaps, since there are only a handful of episodes of left to re-watch and well… that’s a bittersweet prospect for certain.

Partly because, it means that we will soon have to say goodbye, once more, to a quality series that unfortunately lost its way. But also, because we are likely going to be treated to one wild rollercoaster ride storytelling wise, when it comes to these final episodes. Because clearly, desperation set in during this particular season since it relied upon gimmicks and over-the-top moments to try and keep the ratings up. And well, with the end of the season/series at hand, there is a fair chance that same desperation gave life to stories that were designed to end this season in a manner that would keep audiences and the networks interested enough in CHiPs, in order to grant it a season seven renewal. Which is both a good and bad thing since that could bring about quality stories that impress, or… it could bring forth some rough and gimmicky tales, the latter of which sadly describes the next episode to a tee.

For ‘Firepower is another chapter in this storied saga that offers up a lot of uneven moments designed to draw in new viewers. Such as the entire plot line involving Bruce Nelson. Because the decision to have him re-enter the racing circuit and romance up one of his fellow and hardened racers… was clearly to showcase Bruce's sex appeal and suck in folks that hadn't watch the show before and found him visually appealing and sadly… this all just falls flat. Because there’s nothing romantic or sexy about this plot line in the slightest and it is just... there. If anything, this is just the perfect example of an actual MacGuffin, since the only real benefit of having this plot line in the episode is to help move along Ponch and Bobby’s investigation, which was far more interesting to watch. 

Because our dynamic duo spent their time in this tale, working to solve quite the odd case. One that revolved around a tough-as-nails biker gang that stole explosives, in order to sell them on the black market and well, what made this particular segment so interesting; is that it attempted to explore Ponch’s past. Because a bar owner that he grew up with, was caught in the middle of this mess and that brought forth a measure of excitement, simply because, anytime Ponch was forced to navigate the rules of his youth with the reality of his present job situation in this series, we were treated some fascinating conflict and growth. But alas, that excitement quickly faded away, because that element is quickly glossed over in this particular tale, since the story instead opts to focus more on the villains and their machinations and the gags that come about from having Ponch and Bobby go undercover as bikers.

If anything, it is just best to declare this episode as supremely uneven. As though once again the writers’ room was trying to weave together another tale that mixed together the finest elements of the series with the stuff that the producers thought the audience was eating up and sadly, this odd mix just doesn’t jibe here. In fact, there’s so much going on that you aren’t able to invest yourself in this episode at all, which is a shame. Because the Ponch stuff could have been incredibly compelling if it was handled better and sadly, this scattered approach wastes a quality guest star in Miguel Ferrer. But this is what desperation brings to the table and it really is par for the course for this final season. Because up and down and all around is where it thrived and it should be interesting to see if this push to impress is going to end this series in a magnificent manner, or an outright embarrassing one. Until next time.  

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