‘CHiPs’ Retro Recap: ‘The Killer Indy’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

The beginning of the end. That’s an ominous phrase that’s been thrown around these Retro Recaps for a little while now, simply because it’s something that all of us have been dreading when it comes to this glorious six-season journey through the wonderful world of CHiPs. Because it was only a matter of time before season five unleashed the behind the scenes drama by introducing a new cast member into the mix while Erik Estrada and his representatives made their stand, and that change in the cast is one that this reviewer has theorized would signal a decline for this proud series and it as it turns out, there is indeed truth to that particular line of thinking. 
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For ‘The Killer Indy’ is the first episode to introduce Officer Steve McLeish and well, having him take Ponch’s place on the highways made for one vastly different episode, one that tries to hold true to the standard set forth by seasons of quality storytelling, but falls short in the end. Which is a shame because the plot is indeed in line with a lot of what the series stands for. After all, in this particular tale we’re introduced to a roving gang of underground street racers who don’t care about safety, just thrills, and that puts them in a direct battle with law enforcement on a consistent basis. Plus, it puts McLeish in a tough spot since one of the racers wants nothing more than to get a piece of Steve’s older brother on the road, since Toro McLeish is the reigning underground street racing champ. 

But that’s about as status quo as the series gets in regard to this particular tale because it takes on a whole new vibe as the episode rolls along. For example, there’s a real 1950s feel to this particular tale, since the whole racer theme feels like an old school story involving Greasers from broken homes who race for pride and glory in a world that seems to reject them and honestly, that’s so out of place here it hurts. Because this series was always about contemporary criminals and contemporary problems and shifting storytelling styles in this manner is just awkward for certain and it wears on the audience at times with it’s over the top nature and sadly, the issues with this story don’t end there.

Because a fair chunk of the characters are simply not themselves in this tale. After all, Jon Baker suddenly transforms into an undercover cop, and it is weird and out of place to see him trying to play hardball with criminals. Not because he isn’t capable of doing so, but because it is forced here, and his actions are straight up out of character. Plus, even the Sarge acts strangely in this story since Getraer is inconsistent in his decision making. Since once minute he’s the ‘by the rules’ guy we know and love and the next… he’s telling Jon to handle this case off the books, and to make matters worse, at times he straight up doesn’t seem to give a damn about his officers since he more or less trash talks Steve behind his back and that’s just not Joe and it is an unpleasant twist.

If anything, this is just a strange episode. One that tries to experiment with the formula and quite frankly fails in doing so. Because CHiPs was never designed to be a gritty cop show. It was always designed to be a lighthearted and fun affair, one that only dabbled in darkness from time to time and one that always had its characters use their collective minds to solve crimes, not brute force and well, this experiment is unsettling for certain. For there’s a fair chance we might see more episodes that go into strange territory as Steve’s tenure on the series continues and well, make no mistake about it. This really is the pinpointed moment when things change for the worse in regard to this series. Because once you toy with the formula in this manner, there is no going back, and who knows what kinds of strange and awkward stories are going to await us as season five continues along. Until next time.      

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