Starsky & Hutch: The Trap originally aired Wednesday, February 1st 1978.

Consummate 1970s tv cop duo Starsky & Hutch was a huge hit after first hitting the airwaves in 1975, it seemed like nearly everyone in America had to get home every week as to not miss any of their high speed exploits. Undercover police detectives Dave Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) and Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson (David Soul) couldn't have been more different. Starsky was a loud, extroverted, junk food eating hard street cop. Hutch was a more refined and sophisticated type of guy than his partner, he was also more cautious than Starsky but more than able to handle himself in the difficult situations that they often found themselves. Despite (or maybe because of) their differences they made for a great police team, both were smart and tough and not afraid to bend the rules to make sure that justice was done. They came thru many adventures using their fists and brains to put the bad guys away. With the help of their streetwise informant Huggy Bear (Antonio Fargas) and boss Captain Dobey (Bernie Hamilton) they were able to keep the mean streets clean of crime for four entertaining seasons.

Joey Carston (Kristy McNichol) is a spoiled little rich girl who has a lot of time on her hands and no adult supervision. Since her mother (Ann Prentiss) doesn't care what she does she makes up cute little things to do herself, like shoplifting. That is where she runs into Starsky and Hutch, Starsky is at the store to buy a watch when they see her steal an expensive lighter. They both pursue her but are unable to catch up to the wiry teen, but it won't be the last time they see her. In the meantime they get a call from Huggy Bear. Someone has beaten him, trashed his place and left a message for the guys; they want to meet with them later that day. As they are killing time, waiting for the mysterious meeting they happen to come across their little thief again "casing" a new place to rob. This time they catch her only to discover the shop owner (Pat Morita) won't press charges because her mother is a good customer. Since they have the time they decide to take the youngster home and to give her mother a talking to. Joey's mother doesn't have the time to bother with her daughter stealing expensive jewelry, she has much more important things to do, she just tells her to "go to her room", which of course she doesn't. She sneaks right out and for laughs hides in the back of the guy's car. Starsky and Hutch speechless leave the mom of the year and head for their mysterious meeting. What they don't know is that their meeting is with criminal Johnny Bagley (Bill McKinney), he and some hired killers (including Anthony Geary) are setting up the guys to be murdered. Through a set of circumstances they lead the guys out of town to an abandoned barn, Bagley's brother was killed by Hutch and he intends to see them all die in the same way that his brother did. Now Starsky and Hutch have to get out of this desperate situation that is difficult enough without having to deal with their unwanted passenger.

This is an average episode of this show, the story itself is a little weak but it is interesting enough to keep your attention. Glaser and Soul have their usual great wordplay, but the episode itself is feebly set up and seems rushed to a conclusion. Kristy McNichol is good here but her part is small and has none of the depth of her previous appearance on this series in the episode Little Girl Lost. Bill McKinney plays his standard bastard part while the always entertaining Anthony Geary has a role of a psycho bad guy.

Buying note: This episode is available as part of a 5 disc boxed set that includes the entire third season of Starsky & Hutch.

5-20-2006