‘CHiPs’ Retro Recap: ‘The Watch Commander’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

​I think it is safe to say, that each and every one of us, love the feeling that comes with being respected. For there really is something warm and fuzzy about walking into a room of our peers, armed with the knowledge that they respect who we are and what we do. Yet while that is a wonderful feeling in its own right, what makes respect so fascinating in general, is how many people crave it and how far they are willing to go to get it. These are the people who demand it at every turn, and never work to earn it from the people they expect it from, and these are the same people who are often the first to be humbled when they realize they don’t have an ounce of what they desire, and it just so happens that a man that fits this bill, served as the focal point of the next episode of CHiPs.
 
For ‘The Watch Commander’ brought a new Lieutenant to Central Division, who held the title that matches the namesake of this tale and he was, quite the handful. Because Harold Bates wanted to quickly improve Central’s already incredible record and that meant he quickly made life hell for every officer on his watch. Even the best of the best, such as Jon and Grossie, were not immune from his wrath since they received disciplinary action for not setting a good example on lunch breaks, and the new Lieutenant felt they did a poor job in corralling our Creeps of the Week and his repeated badgering and minute by minute demands quickly made him nothing more than a figurehead at HQ, one that indeed demanded respect on the merit of his gold bars over anything else.
 
But as is often the case when it comes to guys like that, they lose a team, and it didn’t take long for the officers at Central to turn their backs on him and revolt in unique ways. For Ponch and Jon were quick to push back on just about any negative decision that Harold brought their way, and Grossie even went so far as to get a little mischievous when it comes to his brand of insurrection, since he took the time to syphon gas from the Lieutenant’s car in order to embarrass him. Because such a move would allow for Bates to eventually fail at a fuel conservation plan, one that he expected everyone to excel in. Yet while it was incredible to see a show of resistance from this group of fine officers, the pushback that impressed me the most here, came from the Sarge. Because Getrear quickly realized that Harold was losing the support of the team and tried his best to teach the man the lesson he was missing.
 
Which obviously related to how respect is earned but hammering home that point and that point alone would be far too easy a task for this series. Which is why I’m glad the show took the time to remind us, through Harold’s journey, that life isn’t always black and white and that professionals know what they’re doing, and that great leaders are admired because they trust their associates and aren’t afraid to get into the trenches with them. And it was delightful to see Harold do just that as the episode rolled on and play a big part in bringing down the electronics thieves that were giving everyone at Central fits and this was, quite the delightful episode when all is said and done. One that thankfully wiped away the bad taste of ‘Drive, Lady, Drive’ with its commentary on respect and teamwork and one that also oddly enough; put most of the leads on the backburner by making Bates the focal point of the story.  
 
In fact, I have to admit I was quite taken aback with how much screen time Lieutenant Bates received in this story since usually a character in that vein is handled in quick and brisk fashion on this show. But it was nice to see an antagonist be fleshed out in such quality fashion for a change. Plus, it was equally as intriguing to see one of the Creeps of the Week be arrested early on in this tale since they’re normally brought to justice at the end of the episode and honestly, I really enjoyed all of these little twists and turns. Because they really did serve as a nice change of pace, and everything here worked on screen, and it’s wonderful to see this series display a little versatility in its storytelling and give us something new in a season where the greatest hits lead the way storytelling wise. Until next time. 

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