‘CHiPs’ Retro Recap: ‘Satan’s Angels’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

​One thing that I am starting to notice when it comes CHiPs, is that the series is getting bolder as the seasons roll on, especially when it comes to stories that show a darker side to police work. Because slowly but surely, we’ve seen officers of the law in far more dangerous situations on the show, the kind that exude a genuine sense of realism, to the point where recently an officer was actually killed in the line of duty on screen. Yet while that was powerful and stunning in its own right, it would seem that the writer’s room wasn’t quite done with providing tough scenarios for officers of the California Highway Patrol to face, as evidenced by the next episode in this storied saga.
 
For ‘Satan’s Angels’ pondered upon what it would look like if an officer of the law was deemed to be a wonderful hostage for those in need of money and sadly, Bonnie Clark served as the focal point of this investigation. Because with her radio of out of commission, and people in need, she stepped into a hornet’s nest of trouble by telling a biker group that shares the namesake of the episode that the fun was over, and the time had come for them to stand down. Something they really didn’t want to hear from a cop, and well… they used their sheer numbers to overwhelm Bonnie and they straight up kidnapped her in the hopes of fetching a lovely ransom from the state.
 
Which of course, was a bad idea on their part. So bad in fact, that ninety percent of the gang wanted no part of this once the situation cooled down and split the first chance they could, and they were right to do so. Because the CHP was working round the clock to find her and of course, they eventually did. But what matters more in regard to this story, is the powerful atmosphere that it managed to evoke. Because Bonnie was genuinely in trouble during this tale, and the bikers surrounding her were desperate and scary since they really didn’t give a damn about anyone or anything. And that added a real sense of danger to the story, something that’s been missing from this series for some time now. But what was truly impressive about this tale, is that it pushed our characters like never before and taught us some new and important things about them.
 
Because this really allowed for us to see just how tough Bonnie really is. Because she didn’t crack or falter in the slightest when it came to the threats of physical violence she received. She played the game; she bided her time and did plenty to cause trouble and drive these guys up the wall and that was smart on her part and it was also refreshing to see a woman in a 1980s series, kick some butt and not put up with this kind of crap. Plus, this episode also provided us with a genuine understanding of how much this act got under Ponch and Jon’s skin and how little regard they had for people who wanted to play games involving her disappearance, and I honestly never thought I would see the day when both of them skirted the line between good cop and angry cop, but here we are.
 
If anything, this was just a fascinating episode when all is said and done. Because it really did go into some bold new territory for the series, and it really did challenge the characters in new and fascinating ways. Plus, this episode actually did the impossible and shook off more of the lighthearted moments that we tend to see, since the search for Bonnie dominated and honestly, I have to admit that I loved this episode. Because it really demonstrated the fact that this series can in fact be dark and bold if given the opportunity and really, I suppose the only question hanging on my mind after this one, is whether or not the series is going to try something like this again down the line, or if the folks behind the scenes just wanted to see if they could get away with a unique one off tale. Until next time. 

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