Counter Gambit

This is a good first-season episode. Why? It is entertaining! The actual mechanics of the story may seem a bit of a stretch,but they are at least possible. The solid cast all work together well throughout the show,and what a busy show it is. At the time this episode was made,the writers, cast,crew and so forth were just getting into a creative and productive groove,amongst some natural early fits and starts. This was episode 16 of 22 in the first season,and first aired on Friday January 24,1975.

This episode of The Rockford Files has James Garner making a visit to the old homestead, the state prison where a con played by Eddie Firestone wants to hire him to find an old girlfriend. Rockford says no, but in a week Firestone is out and brings money in the form of a cashier's check. Rockford as always is having cash flow problems.

Of course it's a given that there's more to why Firestone and his old running buddy Burr DeBenning want to find Mary Frann. It's a valuable necklace she has. I can't go into it, but they pull an elaborate sting like con game on Jim Rockford which he's just a tad too late to figure out and he's given a big headache and a police APB on him for a jewel theft.

Fortunately Rockford has a friend useful in situations like these. This episode proves why Rockford puts up with Angel Martin. Garner and Stuart Margolin pull their own sting to wrap things up.

Any Rockford File episode with Stuart Margolin is just that much more special. This episode is no exception.

The episode begins with Rockford visiting a very nasty inmate in prison. It seems this jerk, Moss, knew Rockford in prison and nearly killed him...yet he now wants to hire Rockford to find a missing girlfriend. Rockford wants to say no, as he rightfully hates the guy...but he has bills to pay.

In addition to Moss, someone else is looking for the same woman. An insurance investigator thinks she and Moss stole a valuable necklace and he wants to hire Rockford to find her. Now, Rockford is working both sides of the fence...working for Moss AND the insurance company! Not exactly ethical...but this is Jim Rockford.

This is an unusual episode because Angel (Stuart Margolin) is a guest star...and this is his first series appearance following the pilot. He'll practically become a regular over time. Also, it's not unusual in that his clients are liars! And, boy can these guys lie!

Overall, a very good episode. Not a great one but one which is well written and never dull.

I would probably have to say that this episode is the best from the first season of this usually great show, as the formula is rounding into shape and the writing is vastly improving. This story revolves around Rockford being hired, albeit forcefully, by a thug who tried to kill him, and he wants Jim to locate a woman(Mary Frann)who the man feels may steal these precious and expensive pearls. The problem is that the pearls may be real or "paste", as is mentioned a few times; therefore, an expert is needed to figure out which ones are the crown jewels, and that expert is Angel. There is a funny scene when Rockford and the woman meet Angel in a porno theater, much to the chagrin of her, and Jim pays off his prison pal to help with the scam, as the person who hired Jim ended up using him in order to find the woman and the pearls; there's also a crooked insurance agent involved, played by M. Emmet Walsh. There's a few nice scenes with Rocky and Dennis, and some nice shots inside the trailer, especially when Jim explains the tape recorder to his dad and how he can record the clicks to open a safe. It's easy to lose track, but eventually the pearls wind up with the woman, as this gets Jim of the hook, because he was accused to stealing them in the scam. This is really a terrific episode for which I highly recommend for the uneven inaugural season.

If I had to make one negative point of this particular episode, it would be the final scene, which has Valerie on the phone with Dennis. She's calling to tell him that her pearls are safe and Rockford is innocent of anything illegal. As she's still on the phone, Rockford walks up to her and starts to kiss her ear, for which she sticks her tongue out, and then kisses her lips as the show ends soon after. This is going on while Angel and the real pearl appraiser are in the room, as this scene seem slightly forced. This doesn't detract from this mighty fine episode, but I'm never a fan of when he kisses the girl to end the show.