Earthquakes Happen

David Banner(Bill Bixby) forges documents of safety expert Robert Patterson in order to gain access to a nuclear power plant's gamma ray equipment, specifically a gamma ray inversion laser that may finally cure him. Unfortunately, this ruse is discovered, but then by coincidence an earthquake also happens, trapping David and the staff in the damaged facility, forcing them to tunnel their way out to safety, but how is David going to get away this time? Contrived but entertaining episode at least makes good use of stock footage from inferior feature film "Earthquake". Rare case of David breaking/bending the law to get what he needs.

David (Bixby) impersonates a physicist in order to get access to a nuclear testing facility in which he intends to use a gamma-ray gun in the hopes of reversing his troublesome side-effect. But before he can complete the process, the suspicious scientist (Jackson) and an untimely earthquake stymie his plan, pitting a small group of survivors against the clock as they struggle to find a way out of the nuclear-enhanced maelstrom.

Two reasons to tune in: a lengthy earthquake scene (punctuated briefly by some concerning stock footage that shows a vehicle tumbling off a collapsing highway - hopefully unoccupied), and perhaps more significantly, one of the last screen appearances (to date) of bombshell Sherry Jackson. Here, Sherry shapes up as David's lab boffin equalizer as the two trade techno-talk sizing the other up on their nuclear fission (or is it fusion) factoids - curiously, the usually well-equipped David is found wanting.

The escape from the wrecked facility is the perfect vehicle for big Lou to flex his pecs, though without the traditional antagonist to goad the green man from his mild-mannered alter-ego, the Hulk-outs are borne more from panic than anger. Nevermind, there's still Sherry Jackson.

A nuclear power plant in California contains powerful gamma radiation equipment, and David poses as a physics scientist named Dr. Robert Patterson to gain access to it.

While experimenting with the machine, an earthquake occurs and causes massive cave-ins in the facility.

With the reactor about to explode, David leads a group of survivors through the facility, before transforming into the Hulk.

Decent episode finds David Banner accessing a gamma ray facility so he can reverse his hulking persona but then an earthquake strikes- sufficient tension in places, though a little less enjoyable than the others.

This is David's moment. With forged documents it's his change to enter a power plant as inspector Patterson. David only wants to enter the gamma ray room to give himself some radiation to cure himself but his disguise is uncovered by a suspicious scientist (Jackson). Not only that, there's an earthquake while he's at the power plant.

What makes it all look real is the use of stock footage of an earthquake. Back then it became one of the main issues over in Europe to discuss the use of nuclear power plants. Of course things go almost wrong with the power plant wasn't it for the fact that the hulk comes to save everybody.

This episode do work and David is almost cured. Due the stock footage it makes it more watchable.

Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 2,5/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

This is a decent survival-type story. Banner impersonates Dr. Patterson, a safety inspector, so that he can gain access to a nuclear power plant's gamma ray laboratory and try to cure himself. David is found out just in time for an earthquake to hit the plant, trapping him in the laboratory with three staff members and a wounded security guard and sending the reactor careening towards meltdown.

I like that the stakes are nice and high here. It's not just the lives of David and his companions that are at stake; it's the whole town. On the downside, said companions come off as hopeless jerks. Aside from the security guard, they all seem more concerned with hating on David for his little identity theft than with finding a way out of their predicament. Combined with their lack of real personality, it's hard to care about what happens to any of them.

David Banner's little espionage in the first act is engaging, and this is the first (and perhaps only) episode where he is never called "David" or "Banner"! There's not much to comment on with this ep, but it is a solidly entertaining if unexceptional watch.