SEASON 4
EPISODE
1
MRS.
DAISY HOGG
Daisy falls in love with Boss'
nephew, Jamie Lee. When he proposes, Daisy accepts; but is he all that he
seems?
A very enjoyable, strong episode to launch the fourth
season.
Jamie-Lee is a likeable, sympathetic character who seems
To have
found himself out of his depth and his resulting plan to marry Daisy is
plausible and clever. Jonathan Frakes
delivers a well-judged performance and it's a shame his character
never re-appeared.
As a
bonus, the climactic chase is extremely well handled and hilarious and is one
of the best action sequences The Dukes ever produced. It’s a pity the rest of
the season was largely unable to live up to the standards set here.
ROSCO
MOMENT His perfectly timed and wholly understated,
"somebody scuffed my vehicle!" line is wonderful.
BEST
STUNT The gradual diminution of Rosco's car is a terrific sequence and without doubt a
classic moment in the series.
****
EPISODE
2
DOUBLE
DUKES
Boss
hires Bo and Luke look-alike's to rob a money shipment.
As befits
a Paul Baxley episode, this is extremely well paced and full of terrific
stunts.
However,
it suffers from the same problems that bedeviled many a likely episode in the
third season: namely, wind everything up very quickly in order to fit in a
musical act at the end. Boss' scheme is truly despicable and a few extra scenes
lingering on his villainy would have made it all so much stronger. The central
idea of evil doubles (not just Bo and Luke, but the General as well) is a curiously
American staple of their TV series’, but it works well enough here. And the
Two-General Finale is certainly exciting.
ROSCO
MOMENT Mistaking the real
Dukes for the phony ones.
BEST
STUNT Many to choose from, but the scene
where the General leaps over
***
EPISODE
3
DIAMONDS
IN THE ROUGH
After
inadvertently discovering a cache of diamonds, absolutely everyone chases after
Bo and Luke.
James
Best's directorial debut clearly shows the influence of Paul Baxley. It’s a
wild and frenetic piece of escapist TV, but the storyline is thin even for the
Dukes and the constant chasing gets a little wearing after a while. The
character of Lisa is interesting and a welcome change from the usual bland male
thugs. Interestingly, some of the footage in the 'teaser' sequence is never
shown in the episode itself.
ROSCO
MOMENT His leap through the 'better driving' sign is
a classic.
BEST
STUNT The
aforementioned leap. Although occasionally seen in bigger budget movies, its
appearance on TV shows was rare and is welcome here.
***
EPISODE
4
COLTRANE VS. DUKE
Rosco fakes a crippling illness in order to win the Duke farm in
a Court hearing for damages.
This is another
really splendid Rosco show, full of creativity,
brilliant comedic performances and superb physical comedy.
The
interplay between Boss and Rosco is so inspired it
almost qualifies as comedic legend (the storytelling sequence is wonderful),
and the episode achieves that perfect blend of story, action and comedy. In
the absence of Rosco (whose immobility is the
episode's reason for being) the role of Sheriff Little
is brought into greater prominence (he was also seen briefly in Double Dukes)
and he is now fully accepted as a member of the 'troupe'.
ROSCO
MOMENT The whole episode; also funny is the
clearly improvised scene of Boss throwing the grape.
BEST
STUNT Sheriff Little
wiping out his car in the final chase is spectacular.
****
EPISODE
5
THE FUGITIVE
A
college student overhears Boss Hogg hatching another scheme and goes on the run
as a result.
Pretty
lame stuff, although Mindy Lou is rather fetching. Much of the dialogue seems
out of character and the sight of Boss on a Motorcycle (with terrible
back-projection) is rather horrible and laughable for the wrong reason.
ROSCO
MOMENT Boss takes the 'clowning' honors
from him in this one, although Rosco's "going
down with the ship!" cry is worth hearing.
BEST
STUNT Cletus' car hitting a tree is spectacular,
but the final motorbike jump of Luke(with Mindy Lou
riding pillion)is really impressive.
**
EPISODE
6
THE GREAT
BANK ROBBERY
When a
disgruntled Bank Teller absconds with money from Boss Hogg's bank, it’s up to
the Dukes to devise an ingenious plan to break into the bank and return it.
A
terrific story from Fred Freiberger and the
direction, performances, action and comedy don't let it down. Denver Pyle
controls this episode in a distinctly 'on' mode and creates one of the finest
episodes of the fourth season. The comedy is warmly played; the action is funny
and well presented; the characters (particularly Clarence Stovall) are lovingly
drawn; and the entire episode is beautifully paced. Is Clarence related to
Dewey Stovall from Freibergers only other episode?
ROSCO
MOMENT His constant haggling with Boss over
very small sums of money that he's never going to see. Does he never learn?
BEST
STUNT The General sideswiping the tree. Very painful.
****
EPISODE
7
SADIE
HOGG DAY
During
the annual 'women change places with men' festival, Boss decides to rob his
bank and make Daisy take the blame.
A typical
'dirty trick' scheme from Boss and a very funny one at that. His villainy has
now become so pantomimic that it's in no danger of gaining an edge and his
inevitable downfall is always certain from the start. Not so much from the
Dukes campaigning (although they are certainly essential in maintaining a
strong balance between right and wrong), but from his over-ambitious nature and
his constant reliance on Rosco to bring his scheme's
about. In this instance, Rosco's bungling of even the
simplest task is absolutely hilarious; and Boss' inability to understand that
(because of this) his plan has absolutely no chance of succeeding, is the icing
on the cake. There are also some
brilliant scenes with Cletus and the wonderful Miz
Tisdale; and the action sequences are of a very high standard.
ROSCO
MOMENT His confusion over the two ledgers
is inspired. This is classic vaudeville material.
BEST
STUNT Loads here, but Rosco
losing his front wheels is priceless.
****
EPISODE
8
THE TEN
MILLION DOLLAR SHERIFF: PART 1
Rosco inherits $10 million from his late Uncle Josiah and becomes
the richest man in Hazzard. Boss determines to win it
all from him at Poker; loses and becomes Rosco's
Deputy as a result.
A tremendous storyline, but there's an awful lot of plot to
tell here and not a lot of time to do it AND build up to a cliffhanger (Jessie
suffering a major accident). The introduction of several new characters (including
Steele's reclusive victim, who’s importance is built
up and then abruptly forgotten) slows things down considerably. Rosco's transformation is funny, but his whole character
matures a little too much, leaving you regretting the absence of the 'Child' he
left behind. The use of his dog, Flash, in the Poker scene is extremely
inspired, however. A
rather sedentary episode, which leaves you hoping that Part 2 will be a winner.
ROSCO
MOMENT His yellow Rolls Royce with a siren
on top and a TV showing cartoons (road-runner?) in the back is inspired and
quite apt.
BEST
STUNT The General jumps the Lawyer's car. Quite unnecessary, but spectacular.
***
EPISODE
9
THE TEN
MILLION DOLLAR SHERIFF: PART 2
Rosco falls foul of Bounty-hunter Jason Steele, when his
inheritance turns out to have been miscalculated.
Although
the first ten minutes are fabulous (Boss performing Cletus' patrol car duties
and bungling them as badly as Cletus and Rosco always
do) and expectations are raised, this is an extremely disappointing episode.
Although the story has been well thought through and cannot be faulted in its
telling, there’s simply too much plot to fit in to such short a time-frame (as
also happened in Part 1). Rosco must involve Boss in
a dirty scheme (thus proving that you're better of with the Devil you know);
incriminate the Dukes in a trumped-up charge; employ Jason Steele; find a way
to rid himself of all his new-found wealth; get Jason Steele off his back and
behind bars AND make sure that everything's back to the old cosy
version of 'normal' (having Boss back in control) by episode's end.
There's
no time for anything extra, such as comedy and action. An ambitious story (and
certainly memorable and worth telling), but it doesn't really work.
ROSCO
MOMENT His recruitment of Boss as his Deputy is
lovely and very funny.
BEST
STUNT Not much here. A rather half-hearted
General Lee jump is the best thing on offer.
**
EPISODE
10
TROUBLE AT COOTER'S.
Crooks
attempt to steal fur coats from a building adjacent to Cooter's
garage.
It's good
to see Cooter figuring prominently in a story, but
surely it didn't need to be as bland and unmemorable as this?
Colleen
Camp is very pretty and sexy and it's no wonder Cooter
is attracted to her; but Boss' attempts to muscle in on the crooks activities
and the sheer predictability of the whole thing, ends up making for one dull
episode. Even the action sequences are rather uninspiring.
ROSCO MOMENT His attempt to extricate his little fat baddy from a tight
squeeze.
BEST
STUNT The first car jump of the episode
was to be re-used countless times over the next 3 1/2 seasons (puzzling, as it
wasn't particularly spectacular); but the final jump resulting in the apprehending
of the crooks car is worth waiting for.
**
EPISODE
11
GOODBYE,
GENERAL LEE
Luke
is hypnotised by Boss into selling the General.
A super little episode, full of humour
and excitement.
Denver Pyle once more proves himself as a fine director and gives the story
some heart, which it might otherwise have lacked. The plot itself is rather
implausible, even by Dukes standards, but the viewer quite happily puts any
doubts on hold, as they're inevitably pulled along by the fast pace and very
good character playing.
The
renegade NASCAR drivers are handled well; the stunts are absolutely top-notch;
the episode has an interesting atmosphere throughout; and it's a tribute to
Denver Pyle that the old "snap my fingers and you wake up" gag is
made to seem so fresh.
ROSCO
MOMENT The owl scene is funny, but his line
"That would have killed ten ordinary men!" is hilarious and apt.
BEST
STUNT A generous selection, but the
impromptu flight of "ol' yello"
is quite superb.
****
EPISODE
12
CLETUS
FALLS IN LOVE
When
Daisy says "I love you" to Cletus as an instinctive reaction to his
not giving her a speeding ticket, Cletus becomes convinced that it's true.
Rick
Hurst gets his own episode and rises to the occasion very well. His
performances weren't always pleasing, as he tended to rely too much on mugging
for much of the time, but he handles himself admirably here, using pratfalls
only when they're appropriate to the story. The fake cheque
seems like an afterthought to give the story more impetus than it would otherwise
have had, had it remained merely a simple story of unrequited love (and it must
be unrequited, as Daisy's heart was always for Enos).
However, the scenes with Boss and Rosco and a cake
delivery are some of the funniest the duo ever performed; and Sheriff Little makes another fine appearance.
ROSCO
MOMENT His disclosure of Boss' rubber duck is
brilliant.
BEST
STUNT The river-jump
sequence is superbly presented, but Sheriff Little's dunking is the most spectacular and the
funniest.
***
EPISODE
13
HUGHIE
HOGG STRIKES AGAIN
Hughie
returns, this time with a 'moonshine instead of
petrol' scam, to frame the Dukes and Cooter.
No Hughie
Hogg episode can ever be dull and this one certainly isn't. But, yet again, the
hi-jinks are abruptly cut down in order to shoehorn a musical act into the
show's Finale. On the plus side, Hughie’s accomplices are rather despicable and
effectively portrayed; Cletus has another excellent moment (involving mimicry);
and the first few minutes are extremely exciting.
You just
feel that it's an affront to Hughie Hogg to edit down his special brand of
villainy, in order to showcase some bloke playing a guitar.
BEST
STUNT The General taking a bath at the
start is terrific, but the honours must go to the
spectacular and destructive 'jumping the boxes' sequence.
It's
disconcerting, however, to see blatant repeating of earlier stunt footage. Rosco's patrol car diving into the pond is an exact replay
of Cletus' dive from season three's "Hazzardville
Horror". Presumably, the producers never predicted someone collecting all
their shows on DVD!
***
EPISODE
14
DUKESCAM
SCAM
Boss devises an extremely elaborate scheme to frame the
Dukes, but ends up locking himself and Jessie in his Bank's vault.
The first
two-thirds of the episode involve an extremely intricate and cunning scheme;
which is then jettisoned in favour of a 'get them out
quick, before they run out of air' plot. Both storylines work well, but don't
really fit together and Denver Pyle is unable this time to work his usual
directorial magic. Although fairly interesting, this is not one of those
episodes that grabs you; and the cheeky repetition of the same jump from
different camera angles seems more of a cost-cutting exercise than a comedic
touch.
Good to
see Boss eating raw liver again, though.
ROSCO MOMENT His reaction to Boss' culinary
pleasures. This
is one foodstuff he won't try to nibble when Boss isn't looking.
BEST
STUNT The General's jump was fun the first
time, but it does get a bit repetitive after a while.
**
EPISODE
15
THE SOUND
OF MUSIC - HAZARD STYLE
Crooks
chase after bootleg song recordings.
A rather clumsy title for an extremely clumsy episode. The first half is all chases and
crashes and no storyline; the second half is just dull. Even if you like
Country music, this story quickly palls; and if you don't
like Country music, give it a very wide berth indeed!
The whole
episode also has a curiously improvised feel.
ROSCO
MOMENT His obsession with Horoscopes is
quite fun, but comes across as more of a gimmick to pep up the leaden story.
BEST
STUNT At least the
action doesn't dissapoint. There are lots of commendable stunt sequences
here, but by far the most impressive is Rosco's car
flying head-on into a tree.
**
EPISODE
16
SHINE ON
HAZZARD MOON
Boss
tries to steal Jessie's recipe for Moonshine
This is
one of those instantly forgettable episodes that bedeviled the fourth season
(and which led to the audience dissatisfaction that caused the ratings to slump
dangerously in season Five, after the arrival of the new Dukes.) Although the
Moonshine references are pleasing, everyone seems to be playing this one on
autopilot; as if they knew (as, indeed, they did very well) that forgettable
storylines such as this were only going to leave their audience dissatisfied.
Only the
stunning 'triple-jump' sequence makes the episode worth watching.
ROSCO MOMENT His reaction to the awful moonshine
at the start.
BEST
STUNT Despite the story's utter
predictability, the stunt sequence involving the triple jump is absolutely magnificent
and remains one of the best action sequences ever to appear on US TV (rivaling
the jumps in "Double Sting"). If nothing else, you could always rely
on 'The Dukes' to provide amazing action!
**
EPISODE
17
PIN THE
TAIL ON THE DUKES
An old
friend of the Dukes is determined to wreak revenge on Boss Hogg.
Another
terminally bland episode, recycling a story we've seen countless times before
and adding nothing to it. Attempts to inject humor (Luke's Tarzan gag; the
Hairdryer sequences) are contrived and fall flat; and even the Finale is a dull
repeat of an old piece of jump footage. The most interesting moment is
Catherine Bach's statement that the Truck has stalled; clearly not scripted and
a line that should have been cut.
ROSCO
MOMENT James Best works as hard as he can to make
the hairdryer gag funny.
BEST
STUNT The General jumping Jessie's truck is actually
one of its finest moments. It’s a pity most viewers will have slept through it.
**
EPISODE
18
MIZ
TISDALE ON THE LAM
Boss
cooks up a phony Mail Order scheme and frames the Postmistress for it.
Having
given Cooter a story of his own, Miz
Emma Tisdale is allowed her turn in the spotlight and it's just as bland an
outing as "Trouble at Cooter's". Throw into
the mix a dreary selection of action scenes (many of them involving re-used
footage); predictable storytelling (Boss hires two men from out of Town to pull
off the scam; frames the Dukes; then relies on them when the two men pull a
fast one on Boss); and a horrible racist portrayal of an Asian;(it's not good
to poke fun at a black man in America, but an Asian is apparently fair game).
Only Diane Lander as the postal investigator is worth watching.
ROSCO
MOMENT His desperate attempt to eat Boss'
popcorn while it erupts.
BEST
STUNT Despite the copious amount of
chasing, there are very few stunts, per se. Cletus
spinning his car through 180 degrees is rather good, though.
**
EPISODE
19
NOTHIN' BUT THE TRUTH.
Boss
is inadvertently injected with a truth serum.
A fine
story premise is rather wasted in yet another bland episode, which tries to be
funny but yet again lapses into the Season Four malaise of 'sameness'. Sorrell Booke really tries hard (and Lulu is terrific), but it's so
predictable that you find it hard to enjoy it as much as the writers and
performers clearly want you to. Under these circumstances, Daisy’s bikini
moment seems to have been included to wake the audience up. At least it gears
itself up to a fine action Finale.
ROSCO
MOMENT It was his truth serum that started
the whole thing.
BEST
STUNT Bo and Luke's fall onto the Pool
Table is impressive; but it's the climactic jump of the General that really
impresses. The landing was clearly going to be painful, so a separate stunt was
staged depicting the second half of the General's flight.
**
EPISODE
20
DEAR
DIARY
Rosco's Diary (which contains records of all of Boss' scams) is
stolen and Boss will do anything to get it back.
Marginally more interesting than its immediate predecessors,
but still a rather insipid outing. At its core is the somewhat contrived revelation that Rosco has been keeping a detailed Diary all these years and
yet this is the first (and, as it turns out, the last) time that we'll ever
hear about it. However, the 'running
around searching for something that's actually under their noses' plot is
neatly worked out and some of the action is rather fine. It's still another
example of the fourth season 'utility' plot, though. (So succinctly defined by
Tom Wopat as "bad guys show up")
ROSCO
MOMENT His attempt to do a 'Bo Duke' jump
over his car's bonnet.
BEST
STUNT Not altogether sure about the
'exploding car in mid-air' sequence. Is it common for cars to do this while
airborne? (It never happens to the General!). Surely, it’s more likely to explode
when it hits the ground?
The
telegraph pole landing on Rosco's roof is just the
thing, though.
***
EPISODE
21
NEW 
Boss
(as well as Bo and Luke) is delighted when a new female Deputy joins the Hazzard Police Force. But is she all she seems?
A round
of applause to Denver Pyle who (yet again) takes over the directing chores and
subsequently makes a real effort to lift the series out of the doldrums. This
is (for the first two-thirds of the episode) a really nifty little story with
some excellent character moments (Boss being caught by Lulu while he's
canoodling with Deputy Linda May Barnes is a terrific moment) and some
genuinely
good quality villains. It all shifts into neutral toward the end, but that was probably unavoidable; although kidnapping Lulu was a
nice touch. Pyle also doesn't stint on the action, adopting Paul Baxley's
"if we've not had a car chase for five minutes, it’s about time we put
another one in" directorial style. This is no classic episode; but, amidst
the slush of the fourth season, it certainly stands out.
ROCOE
MOMENT His line "you'll have to stand
in line with the rest of us, then" is hilariously delivered.
BEST
STUNT Rosco rolls his car. A
good old-fashioned, honest-to-goodness car crash. No frills,
just roll it end over end. Can't beat it!
****
EPISODE
22
BIRDS
GOTTA FLY
Daisy
decides to leave Hazzard to drive on the racing
circuit.
After a
well-paced Denver Pyle episode, comes a really fast-paced Paul Baxley installment.
This is a decent story (although it ought to have been Bo and Luke who entered
NASCAR) delivered with a great deal of pace. It's ultimately no more than a
fast and straightforward action episode, but it was what the series needed at
that point in time although the character moments are also well handled. The
chase Finale is a real classic, too.
ROSCO
MOMENT Driving his car merrily through the pipe and
yet still enthusiastically carrying on the pursuit.
BEST
STUNT The pipe sequence, it’s aftermath and the gently spinning car is hilarious and
superbly staged.
****
EPISODE
23
BAD DAY
IN HAZZARD
While
most of its citizens are held captive in the Boars Nest, a suave master
criminal attempts to pull off a meticulous and well-planned robbery. He's
overlooked Bo and Luke, though. It's now
up to them to thwart his evil scheme.
Did the
producers/writers of Die Hard watch this episode years
before they made the Bruce Willis movie? If not, it bears a striking
resemblance. This is storytelling of the first order and quite where it came
from (Raynor and Wilder were not known for their
innovative plots) is anyone's guess, but it's certainly one of the best
episodes in the Dukes history. It's beautifully constructed, paced and acted. In
fact, it’s an object lesson in how to put together a terrific story in 45
minutes flat.
The
series was not known for its scenes of suspense, but the sequence where Bo and
Luke attempt to tunnel out of the Boars Nest's cellar under cover of the
frenzied dancing up above is quite gripping. Also noteworthy is the way in
which old enemies band together in order to defeat a far more evil and powerful
adversary. As the latter, Tim O'Conner as the suave Thackeray is perfect
casting and gives a masterful performance.
Only the
too obvious use of a stunt double for Tom Wopat at
the end lets the episode down; but it's a very slight complaint.
A mini-masterpiece.
ROSCO
MOMENT Actually, the best comedy moments here are
shared between everyone; especially during the dancing scene.
BEST
STUNT Cletus' car jump is most impressive!
*****
EPISODE
24
MISS
TRI-COUNTIES
Daisy
enters the local beauty contest, but Boss is determined to fix it.
It being Hazzard, the beauty contest involves taking part in a car
race as one of its categories!
Clearly,
Paul Baxley was attracted to the car race concept and the opportunity to film
Catherine Bach in a swimsuit; and those are undoubtedly the best reasons for
the viewer to watch the show as well. Although Baxley maintains the expected
fast pace, little else is memorable and his re-use of car crash footage from
one of his earlier episodes is a good indication of the cost-cutting that was
clearly needed as the season drew toward it's close.
Sheriff Little puts in another welcome appearance,
however; and there's some astonishing over-acting by one of the villains while
he's attempting to shoot at Daisy.
BEST
STUNT The car race is handled with Baxley's typical
aplomb.
***
EPISODE
25
SHARE AND
SHARE ALIKE
Boss
devises a 'fake credit-card' scheme and attempts to
implicate Bo and Luke.
A bad misfire for Director Denver Pyle, who delivers a truly
dull and stagnant episode. The close of a Season ought to see it's
most interesting and audience pleasing episodes in order to guarantee a renewal
for the upcoming year and the retaining of a loyal fan-base. As a consequence,
it may be noted that the appearance of this clunker at such an important moment
may well have had long-lasting effects; all of them negative.
It's the
usual story of double crosses and characters running around chasing each other;
but it's all totally listless and without any proper excitement. Even the 'one
on top of the other' car stunt is a cheat; created in the editing stage, rather
than performed for real.
ROSCO
MOMENT After landing on top of Cletus' patrol car,
his reaction to his plight is funny, although a little too over the top.
BEST
STUNT Although the depiction of Rosco's car landing on top of Cletus' is entirely faked,
his subsequent collision with a tree isn't. That particular stunt is the one
decent piece of action in the episode.
*
EPISODE
26
THE LAW
AND JESSE DUKE
When Rosco and Cletus go on strike for better pay, Boss appoints
Jesse as his new Deputy and orders him to arrest Bo and Luke for a crime they
didn't commit.
A neat little episode, which was what the series needed. The story is fun, the action
sequences well staged and often impressive and the female villain is a good
creation. It's bright, fast moving and enjoyable to watch. In
short, the sort of episode that should have comprised this entire season.
ROSCO
MOMENT Only he could drive into a paint shop
and emerge with a multi-coloured patrol car.
BEST
STUNT ...only to throw it through the air
moments later and have it cleaned off in a lake.
****
EPISODE
27
DUKES IN
DANGER
Two
crooks hole up at the Duke farm and take the Duke family, Boss, Rosco and Cooter prisoner.
A curiously sedentary, but nonetheless quite gripping,
episode to end the season and probably not a good idea; although it was certainly
another clever break with tradition. Suspense is once again pushed to the fore, here; and the
shootout scene is quite gripping. You get the feeling that the producers were
reaching for another masterpiece along the same lines as "Bad day in Hazzard", but weren't able to come up with anything
that could properly fit the bill. This is a good try, nonetheless. And the brilliant action-packed opening ten
minutes contains as many stunts as would normally be found in a whole episode!
ROSCO
MOMENT His Traffic-light gag is funny and
actually rather clever.
BEST
STUNT Although the
wiping out of the Prison vehicle is a splendid piece of stunting, Rosco's backwards crash tops it effortlessly for
originality and stunt-driving skill
****