Hot Summer Night offered only the second story of the season that
was worth watching so far. This story finally gave us a new face to look at as well as youth to perk things up. With all of
the other cast members being a lot older, the show badly misses its youth plots.
Although the script had reminders of the second season's The Trouphy/parts
1 & 2, it was nice to see the old father/son relationship format return. The show misses this badly as well. It's
sad that the show has moved away from its original base. It also lack action plots so far this season.
The Mitch/Hobie plot set things off nicely here. They both shined tremendously
on screen together and were just wonderful! David was just glorious to support Jeremy. For this one episode David returned
to the Mitch Buchannon that I fell in love with seasons ago. He was loving, caring and highly emotional. Mitch has never been
one to avoid showing that he could cry when hurt badly enough. He demonstrated that the critics were wrong when they pointed
out that his acting skills were questionable. The flashbacks of Mitch and Hobie brought back memories for most of us.
One point that I couldn't understand though was why Hobie was cuffed and
in a prison uniform when he was allowed to speak to Mitch. Usually, those taken into custody are allowed one phone call
and are held in a cell with others awaiting for someone to post bail and get them out. They are given a court date. You'd
think that Hobie was a prisoner! He hadn't even seen a courtroom yet to prove his innocence.
And it's time that Hobie got some new friends! It's just horrible to think
that Brad would be that jealous of Hobie over a girl. That he would actually lie and see Hobie go to prison just to get
him out of the way. With friends like that, who in the world needs enemies? A girl's actions speak for itself. If she has
no interest in a guy, he has no chance even when the boy she wants is out of the way. There are so many other good ones out
there. I could see why this little girl didn't want Brad. He just wanted to get his hands on her. He was showing how he was
lusting after her and she was just avoiding him. Josie (Opal Anchel) would make a nice regular girlfriend for Hobie since
the casting department finally found a girl that was actually young enough to be cast opposite him.
The actor who portrayed Brad (John Stevenson) looked a lot older than all
of the other young actors here. His face or physique did not look like that of a teen's. As a matter of fact, he
looked old enough to run for U.S. Senate.
The second plot wasn't very strong, but it couldn't hurt the episode. It
too was pulled from an earlier one. Who could forget Summer and her fear of the water because of flashbacks and couldn't figure
out why she was having them. The water was always the color green. Jessie, who had been the phantom lifeguard
with no problems rescuing victims now had a serious case of patrol fright. She was afraid that something
bad would happen as it had to April. April had been patrolling the beach when she got aquainted to a vacationing couple. The
man went into the water only to perish in the conditions of the ocean. April was devastated. In Jessie's case, her imagination
got the best of her to the point where she just shut herself inside of her tower. She was found later by April.
April informed Jessie that they had to pick up ghost net.
Two women had dived into the water nearby and one got caught into the net. The other swam back to the surface to get
help. April jumped into the water, but Jessie froze. April needed a knife and yelled for Jessie to hand it to her. Jessie
just whimpered and the woman, who was a friend of the victim had to find it to hand to April so that she could complete
the rescue. Later Jessie stated that she was quitting.
Well, with all of her outgoing luminousness, I found the story a bit too
unbelievable for the Jessie character. We're talking about a girl who had great hopes of becoming a stunt woman.
She easily braved a lot of filmed stunts that lifeguards just don't attempt for her reel, which is why lifeguards
work in teams.
A group of teens were at the pier near a boat looking for a good time. Although
they were drinking beer, they planned on a boat ride. Brad, whose father woned the boat was trying to make unwanted advances
toward a girl named Jessie. She kept avoiding him. One of the kids spotted Hobie. he waved and ran toward them. Josie seemed
very happy to see him and made her way in that direction. Brad saw this and openly displayed a jealous expression. Hobie noted
the beer bottle in Josie's hand and warned her to go easy on the stuff because they had training the next morning. She told
him that she only had a couple. Josie wanted to make it to Rookie School. It meant too much to her to ruin her shot
at it.
One of the boys talked to Hobie about his planned sports career for when he was college
bound after graduation. The plotting Brad came over and deliberately spilled beer on Hobie. Hobie took the jacket off,
which got the brunt of the brew. They all wanted to go out for a ride in the boat. Since Brad was driving, Hobie told him
that since he had been dirinking, it would be a good idea if he would do the driving. He had been diving a boat all day at
work. Brad, still jealous wanted to drive and ranted on how it was his dad's boat. It got them there and it would get them
back. Hobie held his ground and everyone agreed that he should drive.
While out on the boat, Josie snuggled under Hobie while Brad still looked on with jealousy. Hobie
put his free arm around her. Josie wanted to go faster, so she just suddenly pulled the throttle. There was no time to react.
It just took two seconds for them to go off center and flip over. This caused all of them to get tossed from the boat. Since
they had been drinking, it made it for them to swim. Hobie was all right since he had not consumed any alcoholic beverages.
he immediately started rescuing the others. He got three of the boys up to the surface and told them to hold onto the boat.
The accident had been reported and soon Jessie and April answered the call. April asked if everyone
was O.K. Hobie told her that there were more people under. She jumped in and began to help, resurfacing with one of the girls.
Hobie found Jessie.
When they got back to land, the ambulance and police appeared. Brad and Hobie seemed to
be the only ones without injuries. A cop asked Hobie questions as to whose boat it was, who was driving and was he drinking.
Brad told the officer that it was his dad's boat and he was going to kill him. Hobie said that he was driving and that he
was not drinking. The officer smelled alcohol, but Hobie said that one of the guys spilled on him. When he tried to get Brad
to verify his story, the jealous teen just sat there in silence. Hobie had to be taken in custody to be given an alcohol test.
he was not even allowed to see Josie being carried on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance. hobie was handcuffed and forced
into the police car.
Hobie was brought into the visitor's room. After being uncuffed, he sat with his head lowered.
He had to place his hands on the table where they could be seen. Mitch, who stood in the darkness asked if he was all right.
Hobie assured him that he was. Mitch then asked Hobie if he had been drinking. Hobie told his father no. With that
he asked Hobie what happened. Hobie explained and when he got to the part where Josie wanted to go faster Mitch just
blew up before his son could finish. Banging his fist on the table, he couldn't believe that he would do some stupid
stunt just to impress a girl. Hobie told him no. He admitted that it was then that Josie pulled the throttle. Mitch told him
that he was covering for hre with tears starting for fill his eyes. Hobie told Mitch that Baywatch would never let her become
a lifeguard if they found out that she caused the accident.
April came inside the room to give them the status of everything. Hobie's bail was $300,000.
Josie was hospitalized in a boma. If she dies, Hobie face going to prison. When they took Hobie away, Mitch whined, telling
his son about how he would get him out of jail. Hobie had to stay in jail overnight because the blood tests wouldn't be back
until the next day.
The next day, Jessie had switched assignments with Sheryl. Mitch told her to switch back. Sheryl
was injured and he didn't want her in a tower. Jessie looked at April. She offered to let her have her assignment...switchboard.
Mitch, who was a bit tense this morning told them that they would all have to take their own assignments.
Jessie asked April how she delt with the frowning that happened recently. She thought she had
the victim and then the next minute she lost him. April advised Jessie that she can only do her best.
Later, Mitch was on the phone trying to gather up the money that he needed to get his son out
of jail. April came into his office and handed him a check for $25,000. It was her first royalty check from her designs to
help make the bail. Mitch was very grateful and accepted. He used it as well as the deed on his house as collateral.
Hobie stopped at the hospital to see if Josie's condition had improved. She was still in a coma. Josie's father was also there
along with Brad. They stopped by Josie's room and confronted Hobie. He tried to explain to the angry man, and tried to get
Brad to tell what happened because he was there too. Josie had caused the accident. the man refused to believe that his daughter
caused the accident and he asked Brad what happened. Brad made up a lie and said that Hobeie was showy and was hot-dogging
it to speed along and caused the accident. Hobie growled in disbelief and said that Brad was lying. He tried to get at Brad,
but Mitch had to restrain him. Josie's father threatened Hobie with further action.
The next day, Hobie showed up at work only to find out that he had to take a temporary 'leave
of absence' until the matter was cleared up. He had discussed it with the Chief. Hobie left angry, feeling alone.
Jessie was shaking uncontrollably in her tower. She was afraid that something bad may happen
to her as it did with April. She daydreamed that people on the beach were drowning and calling her. they all resembled zombies.
they pooped out of the water, the sand, etc. and headed toward her tower. To escape, she sought the safety of her tower, locking
herself inside. They all pressed against the window. She scrunched down in a corner with her head resting on her folded arms
to cry. She was found by April, who awakened her. Jessie was unnerved by her daydream. She and April must go out to pick
up a 'ghost net.' Two women dived into the water nearby and one of them got caught into the net. The other managed to
swim back to the surface to get help. April jumped into the water, but Jessie froze. April needed the knife to cut the trapped
victim out of the net. She yelled out to Jessie to give her the knife. Jessie just whimpered. the woman found it and handed
it to her so that the rescue could be completed. Afterward, Jessie stated that she was quitting.
Hobie tried to cool off the anger by going surfing. Brad and a friend taunted him and wouldn't
stop saying that he caused the accident. Hobie tried to walk away peacefully and stated to Brad that he is a liar. Brad was
angered by the remark. he and the other boy started a fight by attacking Hobie. Hobie defeded himself against the two. Mitch
saw this and broke it up. He ordered Brad and his buddy off the beach. Mitch told Hobie about his immature behavior. He gave
Hobie a warning that if he put their lights out he could get fired. he goes on in a more softened tone telling his son how
he put up their house up as collateral to bail him out of jail and about April's $25,000 that helped. hH had a lot of people
believing in him. Mitch got a call from the hospital concrening Josie. She had
come out of her coma, but her angry father and Brad were there and demanded why he came. Josie was happy to see Hobie and
told her father that he was her friend.
Hobie asked Josie to tell her father what really happened to cause the accident. She was confused
and asked him if he had already told her father. Hobie told Josie that he did, but her father didn't believe him, but maybe
he would believe her. Hobie went on saying that Brad told her father that he caused the accedent. Josie was shocked as to
why would he lie about a serious incident like this. Brad tried to leave the room, but Mitch held him forcibly so that he
could be there when the matter got cleared up. Josie confessed to her father that she was the one who caused the accident.
After the confession, Brad was allowed to leave. Josie's father had misjudged Hobie before really viewing all sides and apologized
to him. Hobie readily accepted with no hard feelings and the two shook hands. He looked at Mitch who nodded with approval.
Mitch tried to talk Jessie into staying. She stated that she would give him an answer by the
end of the day, but Mitch did not accept her resignation. She was to report to Headquarters early the next day.
Later with everything back into place, Hobie who was now back on duty thanked Mitch and April
for their help and for believing in him. Josie was standing several feet behind him. Mitch told him to turn around. He ran
over to Josie to greet her. Mitch and April smiled when the two kissed.
