In this episode, David takes up work for a rodeo star at the sunset of his career, looking to go out with a bang. But old Jake has a younger brother to look after, and that younger brother tends to bring a load of trouble. David tries to convince Jake that his brother is more capable than he gives him credit for, to no avail. In the end, the black sheep bro nearly ruins Jake's chance at glory, but ultimately proves himself and earns his brother's respect.
Sound familiar? I wonder if it wasn't coincidence that both this episode and "Ricky" are named after one of the brothers. But while it's impossible to ignore the echoes of "Ricky" throughout this episode, the meat of it is very different, and "Jake" unquestionably stands as a worthwhile addition to the Incredible Hulk saga, not a repeat.
Leon's problems are both bigger and smaller than Ricky's. He's a capable adult with a job as a rodeo clown, but he's piled up a nasty gambling debt to a crew of cattle hustlers, and he's paying off his debt by helping with their work. The one problem I have with this ep is how little David is bothered by this bit of thieving; in a talk with Jake he implies that this is a perfectly acceptable way for Leon to solve his problem. But the hustlers aren't betting on David being so complacent, so they move to take him out of the picture, setting off a delightful scene in which the Hulk turns the tables and gives them a taste of their own medicine. Suffice to say it's one of the most fun Hulk outs of the series yet.
This episode again shows the series running on all gears, with L. Q. Jones turning in a riveting performance as the title character, Bixby and Ferrigno putting in an extra strong dose of their usual charm, and the writers hitting those strong emotional notes.
