‘CHiPs’ Retro Recap: ‘Rally ‘Round the Bank’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

Admittedly, I was pretty harsh on the last episode of CHiPs that we sat down to discuss and well, there was good reason for that. Because ‘The Matchmakers’ really did see this brilliant series take a step back storytelling wise, which is a shame for certain since season two has offered up some incredibly enriching and thoughtful stories, and as I settled in to watch the next chapter in this series, it quickly became apparent to me that I’m not the only one that felt that way about the prior episode. Because ‘Rally ‘Round the Bank’ was clearly designed to be a bit of an apology episode from the powers that be, since it took the time to immediately return the series to what it does best by giving Ponch and Jon some formidable Creeps of the Week to contend with.
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For in this particular tale, we were introduced to a pair of bank robbers who set up the perfect crime. Because shortly after relieving a drive thru bank teller of the cash in their drawer, they would immediately head to a pre-selected area in order to change the look of their vehicle before re-joining a rally race that was making its way around the greater Los Angeles area, allowing for them to blend in and get away, and what made them so formidable, is the sheer fact that they always found a way to escape Ponch and Jon’s clutches. That’s thanks in large part to their thinking ahead, since they delicately cased the area surrounding the bank they stole from, but our dynamic duo didn’t know that in the slightest, meaning that the pressure was on from Sergeant Getrear to catch these guys and quick.

But what made this episode so incredibly interesting, is the sheer fact that it found a way to add immediate levity to this storyline, by bringing an unexpected visitor into the mix; Ponch’s mom. Because as Ponch and Jon worked the case, Maria Poncherello stopped by to see her son and see how he was doing and this, honestly made for some wonderful television. Because it was nice to see Ponch interact with his mom and see how much he loves and respects her, and it was equally as touching to see a mother drop in to check in on her baby boy and make sure he was happy with his life and his career choice and it is these more intimate moments that always made this show worthwhile since this kind of character development is just rare in police serials.

However, while that was lovely in its own right, the California Highway Patrol needed to catch these guys before the Rally Race came to a close and while Ponch and Jon were pondering upon the case with some of the Rally members and their co-workers at a Disco Rodeo, which…apparently was thing back in 1979, Ponch’s mom came up with a great idea on how to bring these guys down. Because if they were hitting banks along the route, why not place officers at potential targets? And that idea prompted the CHP to map out any banks on the last leg of the race, and do as Momma Poncherello suggested and well, her plan helped throw the thieves off guard, allowing for the Sarge, Ponch and Jon to eventually corner them and it also allowed for mom to leave Los Angeles with a sense of pride that her son was truly doing something special.

If anything, this was quite the feel-good episode when all is said and done. Because we got all kinds of warm fuzzies from the whole ‘visit from mom’ plot-line and honestly, it really worked like a charm in this tale, and that’s thanks in large part to the acting chemistry present between Anna Navarro, who played Maria, and Erik Estrada, because it really did feel like a mother and son were interacting in genuine fashion and well, that plot thread, and the return of the traditional Creeps of the Week, made this episode feel like old times. Plus, we were also able to learn that Ponch’s twice burned car is still in action, which is nice because hey, you want the man to get his $83 bucks worth out of it. But, while this was a joy to watch, I am hoping that the series wasn’t spooked by the prior episode and is going to play it safe for the remainder of season two. Because it’s onto something special here and backing away from juicer plot lines, would just be a disappointment when all is said and done. Until next time.   

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