Some Polish American Guy Reviews Things: Gemini Man Episode 5

Originally aired on October 28, 1976
Directed by: Charles Rondeau
Written by: Frank Telford

If one knows the history of Gemini Man, a certain pallor can tarnish this episode. I will give the history at the end of the review... feel free to skip to the end... but for now let me just say: Run Sam, Run is another very good/ excellent episode in the Adventures of Sam Casey. It's got action, some humor, a decent mystery at the start and a lovely deaf Christian woman who gets involved in a rather crazy car chase. Plus, of course, a lot of Sam Casey and a decent amount of Abby and Leonard this time. Although, the jerky side of Leonard does come out a bit here.

Leonard, the Jerk?

Sam wakes up in a seedy motel. He doesn't remember how he got there and he doesn't know why he feels so terrible. When he gets to Intersect, Leonard has Sam arrested for murdering Willie Henderson. Henderson was thrown out of Intersect by Leonard. (See previous reviews for Intersect Personnel issues.) Sam doesn't remember killing anyone but they have video footage. Sam enters a hotel room and shoots this guy. Leonard seems a touch unreasonable here (and also a little forgetful about how quick Sam can turn invisible). Abby doesn't believe a word of it. Sam has to go On The Run. Luckily, he meets Maggie, a really cute Christian woman who is willing to break a few laws to help him out. (Ladies, wouldn't you do the same?)

Did I kill someone last night?

Hobo Sam & The Nice Lady

The episode opens with Sam in a deeply confused state and things get worse from there. There are two very shady guys who have rigged some technological trickery to frame Sam. But, Maggie is a real charmer. She has a Mission that Sam wanders into. She conducts a band out on the sidewalk. All that good Christian stuff and she's deaf. Which is a strange moment... the previous episode had a blind woman, who didn't need to be blind. This episode has a deaf woman, who didn't really need to be deaf. Except for the fact that both of their handicaps actually save Sam's hide by the end of the episode. So, the handicaps make the characters more interesting, more nuanced, but they're also plot points. This doesn't happen again in the show so it must have been a coincidence. I wonder if anyone noticed that when it originally aired.

Sam is in both of these screenshots. (Invisible)

One note: My DVD has a glitch in it. So, there's about five minutes in the middle that I'm unable to watch. Which is too bad. But, it adds a little more mystery because I have to infer some shenanigans.

I do like a car chase

So does she...

However, despite the glitch, I did get to watch the car chase and it's fantastic! It's not one that has frenetic camerawork and lightning editing. It's one of those where the camera sits as the stuntmen drive in a crazy fashion by the camera. I'm not sure where they are in Los Angeles exactly. But, they tear down some streets and through a vacant lot. They smash up a fire hydrant and soak a street. Bad guy car, followed by Maggie (driving) with Sam, followed by dopey cops. It's several minutes of very good action. You should see it.

Jerks

Goofs

I'm running out of stuff to say about Gemini Man. This is another good/ great episode of the show. It's nicely paced. It's exciting. Sam is charming. And so forth... I may have said all that before. But, it's true. From the pilot movie to this one, the show has been consistently entertaining. I wish there was more Abby. (That wish will come true in the next episode.) But, I just don't have a lot of complaints. Apparently, however, the American Public either had troubles with the show or just didn't care.

A videotape in Sam's hand (top left, invisible)

There's Sam!

This is the final episode of Gemini Man that aired on NBC. The remaining six episodes are only on the DVD set. Apparently, the show also aired in France, as the DVD is French. And, apparently, it aired in England because I have a 1977 Gemini Man Annual from the UK. Plus, there's a Gemini Man Power Record out there too. But, in America, the series ends with a close-up of Sam playing the trombone. That's how everyone saw Sam Casey last (unless they caught Riding With Death).