‘CHiPs’ Retro Recap: ‘Sick Leave’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

Admittedly, I was supremely critical of the season four premiere of CHiPs, but I honestly feel as though I had good reason to give it the business. Because this is a series that really was ahead of its time, and it challenged its audience on a regular basis with stories that left you thinking, since they covered some powerful topics. So, to see the series stoop to an after school special style of storytelling, is an insult to an audience that knows they’re going to enjoy thought provoking tales when they settle in to watch, and I really was hoping that the next chapter in this saga was going to offer something far better. Which, thankfully it did. But I have to admit, that I was woefully unprepared for the incredible story that ‘Sick Leave’ provided us with.
 
For this particular tale went to some supremely dark territory, the kind that more or less pondered upon the question, what would we do with our final days if we knew the end was nigh? But what made this story so damn impressive, is that at first, this particular theme didn’t seem to the be focal point of the episode in the slightest. Because it really seemed as though this parable was going to examine mental illness in an up close and personal fashion, and how it impacts family and friends. For an officer named Andy Stokowski was struggling on the job, and was erratic in his behavior, to the point where he was getting close to endangering lives, and rather than turn him in to Getrear and jeopardize his career by calling him crazy, when he might just be under some serious stress, the boys let it be.
 
But Andy’s continually aggravating actions made one wonder what was prompting him to collapse like this. Had he seen something horrible on the job recently? Did it engender a little PTSD? Did he finally snap under the pressure of being a highway patrolman? These are all valid questions that more or less added to the distraction factor that the show wanted to accomplish. Because as it turns out, the real reason that Andy was so reckless and so angry, was because he recently learned that he was dying. He had a terminal tumor in his brain, and the days were just whisking by, and rather than adhere to rules and regulations, he wanted to live life a little as he tried to comprehend the end, and this was just powerful stuff to watch. And this reveal also brought about quite the conundrum for Ponch and Jon in that, they had to figure out how to get Andy off the road before he hurt someone.
 
Because Andy made it clear, he wasn’t leaving the highways until his body gave out on him, for he truly believed he could still save at least one life before being forced into early retirement and well… that ended up being a powerfully prophetic notion. Because our Creep of the Week in this tale, a rotten college kid who didn’t understand boundaries, eventually caused a massive accident in the hopes of getting revenge on those who got him kicked out of school. And during a dangerous and explosive rescue, Andy took a hunk of shrapnel in the center of his back; and died as quite the hero. For no innocent lives were lost beyond his own and this was, one hell of a heavy and powerful way to end this particular tale. For I never thought I would see the day when CHiPs finally went bold in this fashion since lighthearted is what’s up on this show. But they did it, and it was sobering, and Andy’s end stays with you long after this story has come to a close.
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But while that ending is stunning in its own right, there’s a lot more to unpack in this particular tale. Because it really does harken back to a different era in America, where men had to be tough at all times and to be seen as ill or crazy would be an embarrassing show of weakness. Which made Ponch and Jon’s decision to not tell their boss about Andy’s condition sensical and infuriating all at once. For in this day and age, you let a boss know when your coworker is suffering, and you get them the help they need. But back then, you protected a guy, you made sure everyone knew he was tough and it is wild to see an antiquated norm play out on screen in authentic fashion. But in the end, I have to admit I really loved this episode. It was powerful, it was smart, and it was everything I was hoping the season four premiere would be. In fact, it should have gone first in year four. But nothing can change that now and for the moment, my hope that season four will be full of more thoughtful tales like this, is restored. Until next time.  

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