‘CHiPs’ Retro Recap: ‘High Octane’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

​If you take a moment and think about it, it’s quite fascinating how the world views television shows. Because there are some who see the boob tube as just that, a device designed to waste time that offers nothing of substance with the noisy programming that comes out of it. Yet there are plenty of other folks who view television as poignant and important, and there are others who live and die by it because the stories it presents, gives them meaning and purpose. But personally, I think that television’s greatest gift to humanity, is the sheer fact that it manages to capture a moment in time.
 
Because classic shows often worked to tackle something relevant to the times, giving us a touch of insight into that era and how society was reacting to the situation in question and that is just fascinating. Because it really is akin to living through a little slice of history when you watch stories that voyage back in time, and it just so happens that the next episode of CHiPs managed to take us through an important moment that I honestly didn’t know a heck of a whole lot about; the oil shortage of 1979. Now, for those unfamiliar with this as well, when the Iranian Revolution went down back in ’79, oil production slipped, supply went down and prices skyrocketed, leading to long lines in America and ‘High Octane’ made this particular crisis a focal point of its story, with a little twist thrown in for good measure as well.
 
For this is a police serial, one that needs a little crime to drive the plot and well, in this story we were introduced to a couple of scuzzy dudes who were taking advantage of the crisis by stealing gas at every turn so they could sell it to chosen clients at a beautiful price. And the only reason these guys went on the CHP radar was because they took Sergeant Getrear out of active duty, and they continued to be bold in their actions and were getting greedier by the day, which led to some serious effort on Ponch and Jon’s part to catch these guys. Which of course they were able to do with some fine detective work, but what matters more here is how cool it was that the writer’s room managed to weave this blip in American history into a compelling story and I’m fairly certain it was a tad surreal for audiences back then, to get an uncomfortable slice of everyday life in a show that usually stayed away from that.
 
But while this storyline had its dark moments, since it was pretty bleak to watch the Sarge wipe out and end up in the hospital, this episode did manage to pepper some lighthearted stuff into the mix. For Getrear’s temporary replacement ruffled some feathers around headquarters with a little friendly West L.A. rivalry, and that led to quite the fluffy set of subplots involving roller hockey and while this wasn’t exactly something that was supremely compelling, unless of course you’re a big fan of roller hockey, this part of the show did have it moments. Because there is joy to be found in watching Ponch talk trash and push buttons and try to put his money where his mouth is, and that aspect of the story and the friendly competitions that came out of Ponch’s bravado definitely lightened the mood.
 
In the end however, I really was impressed with the fact that this series managed to teach me a little something about history, since my vague familiarity with this gas crisis prompted me to do a little reading once the episode came to a close, and I will always praise a series that motivates someone to learn. But outside of that, this one was a pretty standard affair, with the usual Creeps of the Week that do their thing with impunity and while they were worth rooting against, I do hope we start seeing more cerebral villains once again. Because the series truly impresses when it gives the baddies, depth. I suppose time will tell if we are going to get back to that or not. But in the meantime, this episode was a solid watch and with this story now in the books, it’s time to enjoy another. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to roll call before hitting the highways with my two favorite motor officers. Until next time. 

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