Directed by Bill Corcoran
Airdate: March 13, 1988
Guest Stars: Dann Florek (Jim Crawford)
Hanson is assigned to investigate book burning in a rural town "at the edge of the county." He goes undercover as a pious young man and befriends the son of the religious science teacher. Mr. Crawford insists on teaching creationism; he's deeply religious and distrusts Darwin's theory of evolution. He also believes his son was revived after drowning.
An offbeat episode, weaving between social commentary, spirituality in the Reagan era, even making nods to the fantastical. Hanson questions whether it's ok to teach religion and bring back school prayer. Fuller schools him that until the constitution changes, there's must be a clear separation between church and state. Although not referenced, after what Hanson's been through with losing Amy and the student (Harley) he bonded with who died of AIDS, it's not surprising he's questioning his beliefs.
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| Hanson ponders his beliefs |
The episode also nods to the growing influence of Christian fundamentalism during the Reagan era. Townspeople start to harass a science who insists on teaching Darwin; there's this overall sense that Christians feel compelled to force their beliefs on the unwilling, often in the name of "saving the children."
The episode tried to achieve a sense of balance. While there are religious people who take it too far, most believe in separation of church and state. The script goes out of its way to say religious and scientific worldview need not be mutually exclusive. Hanson manages to emphasize with both perspectives, which displays an arc from his indifference earlier in the episode.
If anything, the issues raised in this episode are hardly relics of the 1980s but have only become more controversial in the 2020s. Book banning is rampant, and Christian Nationalists want to impose their views on everyone - and they now sit at the highest levels of power.
Final Report: B+
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