21 Jump Street: S4E13: "Research and Destroy"

Written by Gary Rosen

Directed by Jefferson Kibbee

Airdate: January 8, 1990

Guest Star: Ping Wu (Sangwa); Grant Heslov (Elliot)

The Jump Street unit investigates synthetic drug production at a high-tech university in this fourth season episode. The cold open shows how the university is producing potent drugs that are hitting the streets, more common than you think.

Hanson's struggling to be convincing as a science whiz, Ioki uncovers a Chinese spy ring, while Hoffs must fend off nerdy students. Penhall must've been on vacation. 

The campus setting worked well for the episode. Hanson gets the attention of a CIA recruiter who lurks around campus. Meanwhile, Ioki helps a Chinese student avoid trouble for speaking out against the Tiananmen Square crackdown the year before. He threatens a female Chinese student with arrest for espionage if she refuses to leave the country - harsh. Meanwhile, the synthetic drug plot moves in a predictable path.

Despite the serious moments, the comedic turns are the highlight of the episode. By this point, Depp was probably counting the days until he could be freed of the series.

21 Jump Street: S4E12: "Things We Said Today"

Written by Glen Morgan & James Wong

Directed by Tucker Gates

Airdate: December 18, 1989

Guest Star: Keith Coogan (Kyle DeGray); Shannon Doherty (Janine DeGray); Lisa Cutter (Cheryl)

On "Things We Said Today" 21 Jump Street seemed to anticipate LOST by 15 years! Of course, I write in jest. The episode uses a flashback structure to provide more of Ioki's backstory, specifically his early days on the Jump Street squad.

The cold open has Ioki getting help up at a gas station by a young man demanding, "Do you remember me?" The young man is Kyle, who a few years before, explicitly dated as 1986, had his life derailed after Ioki befriended him while working a High School drug case. Kyle and his sister Janine were suspected of dealing drugs, but as it turned out, their parents were the masterminds. Kyle turned his parents in, then he and his Janine were put under foster care. He felt manipulated by the justice system as his entire family unraveled

Fuller demands Ioki close one of his early cases during a flashback. 

Three years later, Ioki manages to fight off Kyle who holds him at gunpoint. Afterwards, Kyle is convicted of assaulting a cop. Ioki feels guilty and responsible for Kyle's dilemma, tries to help, but nothing gets resolved. We learn that in 1986, Ioki was in a serious relationship with Cheryl, but he ended it due to his own insecurities. Now in 1989, he attempts to contact Cheryl only to learn she's now married and expecting a child. There's even a bizarro dream sequence with imagery of street violence, Reagan, the Challenger explosion, and the Vietnam War. 

"Things We Said Today" resembles the third season episode "Swallowed Alive" when Hanson and Penhall had to reckon with the consequences of undercover work. It was good to see Nguyen get a strong storyline, a tale full of resigned remorse. Glen Morgan and James Wong consistently delivered strong scripts for all the characters. 

Fans of the series nitpick this episode because it skewed the series timeline, suggesting Fuller took over the program in 1986, a year before the series debuted on air in 1987, although Captain Jenko (Fredrick Forrest) is also referenced. I attribute this to writer's laziness, TV in this era was less concerned with canons and making sure timelines squared up correctly. 

21 Jump Street: S4E11: "Parental Guidance Suggested"

Written by Sam Bushwick, Glen Morgan, and James Wong

Directed by Jeffrey Auerbach

Airdate: December 4, 1989

Guest Star: Jay Underwood (Rob Daniels); Lenore Kasdorf (Pam Daniels); Paul Gleason (Mr. Daniels)

The Jump Street squad is on stakeout duty in the heart of suburbia trying to nail a theft ring. But during the stakeout, Hoffs notices some possible domestic violence at the house next door. The episode's a hybrid of Rear Window and Disturbia.

The story weaves between the hijinks of Penhall and Ioki trying to steal free cable to relieve their boredom, as Hoffs and Fuller agonize over what to do about the abuse. Paul Gleason (Breakfast Club, Die Hard) is the violent father, while his son Rob must deal with the brunt of his physical and verbal abuse. Hoffs befriends Rob at the school, and tries to persuade Fuller to do something, but ethically they cannot interfere.

After Mr. Daniels goes missing, Fuller decides to ger involved. They suspect Rob might've murdered his father, after he confessed to having such fantasies to Hoffs. When Mr. Daniels returns, the abuse starts again, but Hoffs and Fuller stop Rob when he attempts to drown his father after he passing out. 

The episode takes a turn into psychological melodrama, as Fuller reveals he grew up with an abusive father, leading to his distant relationship with his own son Kip. The script avoids getting into whether Hoffs and Fuller committed an ethical breach by getting involved in a case they were not assigned. But the Hitchcock influence on the episode makes this a curiosity in the 21 Jump Street canon.

21 Jump Street: S4E10: "Wheels and Deals Part Two"

Written by Thana St. John

Directed by Jefferson Kibbee

Airdate: November 27, 1989

Guest Star: Mickey Jones (Bobo); Ray Baker (Raymond Crane)

Back in the network era, "crossover" episodes were more common, shows in the same universe joining forces for a story. "Wheels and Deals" began as a story on the ill-fated Booker series starring Richard Greico that aired for one season on Fox. Working as a fixer for a Japanese conglomerate after leaving Jump Street, Booker was on the trail of corrupt billionaire Raymond Crane, who's left a litany of crimes in his wake. Hitting a dead end in his investigation, Booker returned to Jump Street to call in some favors. 

Crane was traced to a motorcycle gang he runs for kicks so Penhall, Fuller, Ioki, and eventually Hoffs joins as a tough talking biker girl. If the Booker episode was a grim tale of betrayal and murder, the second part takes a comical left turn. Crane takes a racial swipe at Fuller, which was a bonehead move. Ioki does some dirtbike racing and wipes out, while Penhall seems to be channeling Brando from The Wild One. Booker makes a token appearance in one scene. 

"Wheels and Deals" plays mostly as a lark. Apparently, the crime rate is declining in Metropolitan since the Jump Street Unit has time to work on a sideline case. Hanson holds down the fort at the Chapel and works on his pinball skills. Not a memorable episode and the crossover execution felt off, but the interplay between the characters makes up for it. Also, always nice to see Mickey Jones appear, character actor and legendary drummer for the likes of Bob Dylan and Kenny Rogers. 

21 Jump Street: S4E9: "Mike's POV"

Written by Glen Morgan & James Wong

Directed by Jorge Montesi

Airdate: November 20, 1989

Guest Star: Donovan Leitch Jr (Mike); Robin Lively (Helen); Vince Vaughn (Bill)

21 Jump Street experimented with the procedural structure of the series. "Mike's POV" is told from the perspective of a student doing contract kills for money. The episode's cold open has Mike killing the wife of a teacher. Mike simply wants to be popular, have a cool car and a girlfriend. Hanson and Penhall are working the case, but we only see them in their undercover guises, no scenes of them discussing the case. 

Penhall saying farewell to the 1980s.

The episode maintains a chillier and pulpier tone than usual. Penhall tries to offer counsel Mike as a coach at the school (getting too old to be believed as a student), while Hanson's adopted a dark poet persona. It's as if Depp is prepping to work in a Tim Burton film. Like teen movies of the era, Say Anything or Pump Up the Volume, the episode marks a shift from the erstwhile films of John Hughes to the more jaded landscape of the 1990s. There's a well-choregraphed fight at the end when Hanson must arrest Mike, adding to the cinematic atmosphere.

Been hanging out with Tim Burton?

Vince Vaughn makes an early appearance and Robin Lively of Teen Witch and Karate Kid III fame plays Mike's crush. 

Vince Vaughn and Robin Lively

A real gem of an episode from late period Jump Street, totally in synch with the changing attitude of youth-oriented films associated with the multiplex generation. 

21 Jump Street: S4E8: "Stand by your Man"

Written by Michelle Ashford

Directed by Daniel Attias

Airdate: November 13, 1989

Guest Star: Ken Olandt (Evan)

The episode begins with Hoffs being promoted to Detective as the unit is pursuing a designer drug lead at a prestigious medical school. When one of the male students sexually assaults Hoffs, her career is put into jeopardy.

Hoffs was always the most professional officer in the unit, and she had to deal with vulnerabilities her male colleagues never had to face. There were many episodes when she was working undercover and a student would develop a crush on her - usually played for laughs. 

When Hoffs develops chemistry with medical student Evan, they share a brief kiss, but she makes it clear she's only interested in being friends. At a party later that night he assaulted Hoffs, claiming she gave consent. But she did not. The issue of consent is at the center of the episode, rare for the 1980s. It also deals with the judgement and intrusive questions Hoffs faces, any woman faces, after making a rape accusation. Why did she wait so long? How did she conduct herself with Evan, giving him the wrong idea?  

Hanson proves himself to be a worthy ally in the episode, offering quiet emotional support. Fuller also tries to support Hoffs, but his fatherly manner towards alienates more than it helps. When word gets out about the rape accusation, everyone acts differently towards Hoffs, either patronizing or awkward. 

'Stand by your Man" refuses a neat conclusion. Evan gets a slap on the wrist for his sentence due to his wealthy connections. Neither does he seem to believe he did everything wrong. Holly Robinson gives a good performance, given a rare moment in the series which required a complex performance. Credit must also be given to the script written by Michelle Ashford. Most fans prefer Jump Street when it's a good time show, but the questions and themes in this episode remain relevant over 30 years later. 

21 Jump Street: S4E7: "Out of Control"

Written by Thania St. John

Directed by Mario Van Peebles

Airdate: November 6, 1989

Guest Stars: Christine Elise (Quincy)

Hanson is assigned to investigate a string of robberies connected to a group of thrill-seeking students. Mario Van Peebles returned and once again brough a cinematic style to the episode. 

Hanson bonds with student Quincy, played by Christine Elise who leaves an impression, the de facto leader of the group. There are two tense scenes: students swap cars while speeding on the road and they like to play chicken with a rollercoaster.

Fuller chastises Hanson for going along with these stunts. Even Penhall and Ioki feel he took things too far. Once again, Hanson talks about quitting. We also learn Ioki is struggling with pain pill addiction.

The story's a bit thin, but the stylistic sequences more than make up for it.