21 Jump Street: S3E13: "A.W.O.L"

Written by Glen Morgan & James Wong (Story by Peter Dixon)

Directed by Michael Robinson

Airdate: March 19, 1989

Guest Stars: Harrison Page (Sgt. Larry Wilcox); Patrick Labyorteaux (Pvt. Jack Weaver)

After a former army buddy of Captain Fuller's asks him to help locate a recruit that's gone AWOL, Hanson and Penhall are assigned to find the Private and return him to his base. 

They find Private Weaver at a local High School and then must drive him back to his base. Along the way the three of them bond, but Weaver runs away at a rest stop, then Hanson and Penhall get lost looking for him in the woods, Penhall injures his leg, but they eventually realize they were on the base all long.

An episode of missed opportunities. Recruitment efforts during the Reagan era escalated, especially at High Schools. A story about a kid who enlisted, was mistreated, and tried to leave had potential to comment on 1980s militarism. But the story avoids the issues, devoting most of the episode to being lost in the woods. Sgt. Wilcox promises to treat Weaver right - and that's that. At times, this felt like an homage to The Last Detail, but the script focused more on action.

It should be mentioned this was the first episode written by Glen Morgan and James Wong who would write many more for Jump Street. They would play a big part in 1990s pop culture, working on The X-Files, Space: Above and Beyond, and Millennium. You can read my Millennium Blog here.

Final Report: Malaise continues to afflict the third season. 

21 Jump Street: S3E12: "The Dreaded Return of Russell Buckins"

Written by Marc Abraham & Paul Bernbaum

Directed by Rob Iscove

Airdate: February 26, 1989

Guest Stars: Joseph Campanella (Hunt Samperton); Jane Sibbett (Louise); Angelo Tiffe (Russell)

Hanson's old chum Russell from the previous season, this time causing trouble after he wrote a magazine expose on the Jump Street program. Hanson's placed on suspension and must track down his friend to clear his name.

Buckins is tracked down to San Francisco where Hanson finds him courting a rich heiress, Louise. Hanson also takes a liking to Louise, leading to some plot hijinks. Hanson convinces Buckins to clear his name.

A lackluster episode on many fronts. Buckins is more annoying this time around and brings little to the table, while Hanson seems detached even though his career in on the line. The farcical tone of the episode works at times, but it feels like it belongs in another series. TV veteran Joseph Campanella provides some charisma as Louise's wealthy father. 

21 Jump Street: S3E11: "Wooly Bullies"

Written by Bruce Kirschbaum, Eric Blakeney, and Bill Nuss

Directed by Bill Corcoran 

Airdate: February 19, 1989

Guest Stars: Dom DeLuise (Uncle Nick); Michael DeLuise (Young Penhall)

"Wooly Bullies" is a stock episode from the network TV era, one of those where the characters sit around and relate stories from their past. Jump Street had already done that with a Valentine's Day themed episode the previous season, "Chapel of Love." 

Penhall is working undercover as a computer geek and is getting bullied by one of the jocks. It brings up painful memories from his past. All the characters relate stories from childhood about peer pressure and dealing with mean kids. A girl bullied Hanson in grade school, Fuller was pressured to shoplift. Booker punched out his tormentor. Penhall had to deal with losing his mom and bad guys at his school who humiliated him.

A family affair episode, Peter DeLuise's famous father Dom played his uncle, while younger brother Michael also appeared. But most of the flashbacks are forgettable and they never pursue the issue of bullying too far; it's all a bit tongue and cheek. 

21 Jump Street: S3E10: "What About Love?"

Written by Michelle Ashford

Directed by David Jackson

Airdate: February 12, 1989

Guest Star: Bobby Hosea (Marcus)

Hoffs is dating her co-worker Marcus but breaks it off when she discovers he's married. In response, he continues to corner her at work, repeatedly calls, and writes a negative report of her job performance. She wants to accuse him of sexual harassment, but fears revealing details about her personal life. In a desperate move, she tapes him trying to coerce her, and he gets removed from his job.

In other storylines, Dorothy and Penhall finally break up, forcing Penhall to find a new residence. Ioki reluctantly takes him in but is disgusted by Penhall's sloppy habits. They also must work a case to nab a flasher. Hanson and Jackie are still dating; she's pushing him to be more ambitious. 

Holly Robinson carries the episode, delivering both a strong and vulnerable performance. The sexual harassment theme is handled with subtlety, as Marcus has the facade of being a "nice guy" and is not the typical workplace creep. The more comical subplots provide some balance. Robinson and DeLuise also have a nice scene reaffirming their friendship. 

The script emphasizes the group's dynamic in a more of a callback to the previous season, taking a breather from the moral ambiguity running through season three. 

21 Jump Street: S3E9: "Swallowed Alive"

Written by Eric Blakeney

Directed by James A. Contner

Airdate: February 5, 1989

Guest Stars: Michael Champion (Facility Director)

After the unit's sent into a juvenile facility, Penhall observes "we send these kids to hell."

We also learn they sent in without Fuller's permission to investigate a murder and the drug trade going on inside. Booker and Ioki are pulled out quickly, while Penhall cracks up. Hanson is left going solo in the most dangerous environment yet. 

The episode is like a hybrid of Midnight Express and Bad Boys. Left alone, Hanson establishes himself as "the hammer" after he takes down one of the enforcers. He looks on with indifference during a bloody fistfight and even stays on longer to finish the case after Fuller offers to get him out. There's also a sex trade going with a girl's reform school nearby and he almost decides to partake but instead collapses in tears.

At the heart of the episode is the idea that incarcerating teens only makes their problems worse. The institution is a microcosm of a criminal underworld with violence, drug trade, and sadistic guards. By the end Hanson is seriously questioning his line of work. Fuller calmly tells Hanson their job is to enforce the law - and the reality of that can get ugly. 

Another strong episode because it interrogates the basis of the series. Penhall is pushed to the edges of sanity, while Hanson takes his undercover persona to its extremes. "Swallowed Alive" might've been the grittiest entry of 21 Jump Street.

Final Report: Jump Street continues to take the series in more morally ambiguous direction. 

21 Jump Street: S3E8: "The Blu Flu"

Written by Clifton Campbell

Directed by Bill Corcoran

Airdate: January 29, 1989

Guest Stars: Art Metrano (Larry Stubbs); Robert Romanus (Gary); Kevin Dunn (Reed)

More division hits the Jump Street Unit after the police union rejects the new contract. Hanson observes negotiations, while the others consider their options. Hoffs and Booker join the picket line, Penhall is under pressure from Dorothy to find a new job, while Ioki resents the work stoppage. Captain Fuller, being part of management, must keep working. The 1980s was a shaky era for labor unions, and the script deserves credit for not going corporate.

Penhall attends to household chores.

Booker bonds with veteran Officer Stubbs over baseball and even stepped in to deescalate a tense confrontation during the episode's climax, and even takes the blame for a tire slashing incident to prevent Stubbs from losing his job. Hanson is mostly absent this week, while Penhall deals with Dorothy being the only breadwinner. Ioki views the strike as more of a hinderance to his stock portfolio, he clashes with Booker. Eventually, both sides agree to a contract. 

Booker holds the line during the strike

If there's an all-star for this episode it would be Fuller, he keeps working and stays calm in a stressful situation, including being partnered with an incompetent rookie. As usual, Fuller exudes balanced leadership during a crisis. While Depp was the "star" of the series, Steven Williams was the glue that always held things together. I would point to this episode as a prime example. 

Final Report: Williams and Greico hold morally complicated positions in the episode, lifting the material.

21 Jump Street: S3E7: "The Dragon and the Angel"

Written by E. Paul Edwards

Directed by Jefferson Kibbee

Airdate: January 15, 1989

Guest Stars: Russel Wong (Locke); Kelly Hu (Kim Van L); Danny Kamekona (Van Luy)

Ioki infiltrates a Vietnamese gang known as Pai Gow who are linked to several heists, creating moral dilemmas about his identity and line of work. He befriends the gang's leader Locke who wants to bring prosperity to his community and take advantage of the opportunities offered by American capitalism. In opposition to Locke is Van Luy, a businessman who also runs a newspaper that critiques American foreign policy. To add more intrigue, Locke is in love with Luy's daughter Kim.

The script does a great job of cross-examining notions of American identity. As of the 2020s around 1.3 million Vietnamese refugees live in the United States. The episode draws on tensions of assimilation and the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Nguyen's performance expresses his ambivalence on going undercover within a culture he's a part of and shares many common experiences. He understands Locke is trying to do good for the community, but also realizes his job requires him to enforce the law. In a discussion with Fuller, Ioki opens about his conflicted feelings about the case.

Ioki leads a sting operation on Locke, despite his conflict. He visits him in prison, and they have a bitter confrontation. Much of season three has dealt with the moral certainties of previous seasons coming under more pressure. The episode also deserves credit for dealing with the Vietnamese American community and its complexities. 

A subplot with Hanson getting shot in the behind in a friendly fire incident allowed for some strained comic relief. Penhall goes to outrageous lengths to compensate for his guilt, following a long tradition of TV tropes with a comical "b" story. 

Final Report: Another strong episode, dealing with identity and moral dilemmas.