‘CHiPs’ Retro Recap: ‘Off Road’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

​When I was young, I remember it was quite the popular thing for television shows and movies to put the main characters on vacation, only to have them deal with their respective vocation whilst they enjoyed a little time away from home. Granted these tended to be throw away stories in their own right since nothing major happened outside of the norm in a different location, but I ate these stories up. I just thought it was cool to see characters I loved, doing what they do best in every phase and moment of their lives. And this is on my mind today, simply because the next episode of CHiPs turned out to be a story in this vein.
 
For ‘Off Road’ saw Ponch and Jon get a few days off, and what better way for a couple of tough motorcycle officers to enjoy their down time, than by participating in an off-road competition? So, our intrepid heroes headed off to the Mojave Desert to get a little fun time in and that’s where things quickly got interesting. For unbeknownst to our dynamic duo, foul things were afoot. Because a couple of gangsters, from a shady entity known as the Syndicate, were also entering this race in order to get their hands on something that belonged to their boss; gold coins. Which seems like an out of place thing to find in a story like this, but the magnificent script to this episode, found a way to make this work in seamless and wonderful fashion.
 
That was handled by the details. Such as the fact that one of our Creeps of the Week was a pilot, who flew these coins up from down south, and ran into a little trouble on the way back. Which means he crashed his plane and left the gold behind and even faked his own death in the process so he wouldn’t have to face the consequences of losing the treasure. But now was his big chance to strike it rich and help out a buddy in the biz and they tried their best to lay low during the race. Unfortunately for them however, an off-roading superstar got wind of the plot and joined up in this race for a chance to beat some thugs at their own game and get his hands on the gold as the ultimate prize as well, and as you can see, this episode is quite unique in its own right since it is perhaps one of the most complex stories CHiPs has ever assembled.
 
But aside from a grand mystery for Ponch and Jon to unravel, which they eventually did as the clues began to piece themselves together, at first glance it seems as though this story is one that is supremely out of place when it comes to the show’s style and direction. But in all honesty, everything here, actually works. In large part because there is a lot of racing and action to be found in this one, and of course it gives the audience what they want since the COTW’s eventually get their just desserts. But the fact that the story finds a way to switch between a juicy heist story and action-packed fiesta on a moment’s notice makes it a genuine treat through and through, one that sucked me in from the get-go and never let me go.
 
However, what truly makes this episode worth your while, is the sheer fact that it is just a lot of fun. Because we get to see Ponch and Jon away from the hustle and bustle of Central Division and they get to just let loose and have a good time for a change and there’s something quite welcoming about that. Plus, I really did dig the overall mystery and how our intrepid heroes solved it since it did take a little detective work and determination to make that happen. And to enhance this story further, we also get some colorful support characters as well and really in the end, this episode was just a delight to watch. Because it reminds one of everything they love about this series and I dunno, I suppose this one was just a good fashioned palate cleanser for a supremely cerebral season. Until next time.   

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