My Top 15 Episodes of 21 Jump Street

21 Jump Street (1987-1991) aired for four seasons on the Fox Network and went into syndication for its final season after the star of the series Johnny Depp moved on to a movie career. Many know about the series now from the movies that were made in 2012 and 2014 starring Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill. Those films leaned into slapstick comedy, making light of the absurdity of the placing undercover police officers into a high school. They became iconic comedies of their era but bore little resemblance to the TV series.

21 Jump Street took on serious topics affecting young people during the late 1980s: school violence, drugs, gangs, social class, bullying, and alienation. The series became an early hit for the fledgling Fox Network and made Johnny Depp, playing Officer Tom Hanson a household name. But the entire cast was strong: Peter DeLuise as the amiable Officer Penhall, Holly Robinson as ever professional Officer Hoffs, Dustin Nguyen as Officer Ioki one of the Asian American actors on television at the time, and finally Steven Williams as Captain Adam Fuller, always a steady presence and moral center. Going through the episodes, one will find many guest stars who went on major careers in film and television.

The show evolved in compelling ways through its run. The first season focused on the novelty of the concept, while the second focused on group cohesion, most of the storylines focused on Hanson. The third season focused on the moral dilemmas of undercover police work. The introduction of Richard Greico as Dennis Booker added to the more self-aware nature of the season. By the fourth season, the series leaned into absurdity and moral exhaustion, making for some of the more memorable episodes. The final stretch on syndication saw Robinson and Williams as the only remaining members from the original cast as the series struggled to recapture the spirit of early seasons, not helped by lower budgets and less ambitious scripts.

21 Jump Street's place in TV history is more than Johnny Depp and the movies it inspired. It shaped the aesthetics of the Fox style, youth oriented, a more cinematic style than the major networks, use of pop music, and unafraid to embrace moral ambiguity. During the 1990s with shows like Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, The X-Files, The Simpsons, the Fox network shaped youth culture. Fox also embraced diversity in the 1990s, more so than the major networks, with shows like New York Undercover, In Living Color, and Living Single. 

Revisiting 21 Jump Street will surprise anyone with not only how well the show expressed the cultural angst of the late Reagan era, but how relevant many of the episodes remain in the 2020s. 

Here's a list of my favorite 15 episodes in chronological order.

S1E3 "America, What a Town"

Hoffs must supervise a Polish exchange student enthralled with American consumerism, the mall specifically. Meanwhile, Hanson investigates a car theft ring originating from a car repair class - shades of Christine in those scenes!

S1E13 "Mean Streets and Pastel Houses"

Hanson must infiltrate the suburban punk scene, a perfect story for Depp who began his career as an aspiring musician with his New Wave band The Kids. The episode also marked a point in Hanson's evolution from wet behind the ear's rookie to the edgy persona he cultivated throughout the series. 

S2E7 "Don't Strech the Rainbow"

A serious episode dealing with racial tensions ripping apart a High School. For anyone nostalgic of the 1980s, episodes like this show a country still deeply divided. At one point, Depp must chase a student through a boiler room recalling Nightmare on Elm Street.

S2E11 "Christmas in Saigon"

Ioki was a steady presence through four seasons, but he rarely got scripts with him as the lead. This story is told mostly in flashback tracing his journey from Vietnam to America. It was rare for network TV to tackle the refugee crisis after the Vietnam War, andthe immigration experience o those who came to America, and issues of assimilation. 

S2E13 "A Big Disease with a Little Name"

AIDS was no longer a taboo topic by the late 1980s, but the paranoia and stigma surrounding the disease remained a hot button issue. Hanson is assigned to protect a high school student being persecuted for having AIDS and must overcome his own prejudice in the process. A moving episode, also praiseworthy for taking a stand against homophobia during a time when it was running rampant. 

S2E16 "Orpheus 3.3"

Another Hanson episode, this one deals with trauma after he witnesses his girlfriend getting killed in a hold-up. Adding layers to the tragedy, Hanson was about to break up with her. In response, he watches the surveillance video obsessively wondering why he failed to save her.

S3E6 "Hell Week"

The Jump Street crew investigates a fraternity linked to hazing deaths. In the post-Animal House world of the 1980s, fraternity culture was all the rage, but this episode offered a sharp critique. 

S3E9 "Swallowed Alive"

Maybe the darkest episode of the series, with Penhall and Hanson going undercover inside a juvenile facility. Penhall quickly breaks and gets pulled out, while Hanson barely survives. Penhall observes, "this is where everyone goes after we arrest them, we send them to hell." Great scene with Hanson and Fuller at the end. 

S3E19 "Next Victim"

Richard Greico brought a new dynamic to the third season as Officer Dennis Booker. The character proved popular enough for Booker to have his own TV series for one season. In this episode he takes on the persona of a populist shock jock hosting a college radio show and finds himself courted by white nationalists on campus. Similar to Eric Bogosian's play Talk Radio, but with a college radio twist. 

S4E3 "Eternal Flame"

Maybe my favorite episode. Hanson goes undercover at a night club to investigate a drug dealer only to reconnect with a former girlfriend. Directed with flare by Mario Van Peebles, this episode is all late '80s style and panache. Think American Psycho meetas Miami Vice.

S4E6 "Old Haunts in a New Age"

An atmospheric Halloween themed episode with the unit investigating a supposedly psychic high school student causing fires at a school. Crammed with horror/sci-fi movie references, written by Glen Morgan and James Wong, who would go on to write for The X-Files, Millennium, and the Final Destination series.

S4E7 "Out of Control"

Hanson gets ensnared with thrill seeking rich kids. A couple of cool sequences, one involving a car chase and another one involving a roller coaster. Directed Mario Van Peebles. 

S4E16 "2245"

Hanson attends the execution of a criminal he knew from an earlier season, the episode provides the backstory of how the man ended up on death row. The execution scene was realistic for network television at the time, and the flashback scenes evoke Badlands.

S4E26 "Blackout"

The final episode with the core cast before the series went into syndication. When a thunderstorm knocks out power at a High School a group of students start terrorizing everyone and it plays out like a horror movie. It feels oddly out of tune with the rest of the series, making it even more interesting.  

S5E4 "Poison"

The fifth season saw the departure of most of the cast when the series moved to syndication. Penhall falls for an undercover agent dealing with her own addiction issues. A well-acted episode that rose above the lackluster stories of the final season. 

21 Jump Street: S1E10: "Next Generation"

Written by Paul Bernbaum

Directed by David Nutter

Airdate: June 7, 1987

Guest Stars: David Gregory (Hoagy Deleplant); Andy Romano (Tony Delaplant); Jason Lively (Davey Miller); Jane Windsor (Julie Bradley)

Hanson is assigned to a High School where a popular senior known as "Hoagie" is running a loan shark operation, the kid orders a beatdown on a teacher who owes him gambling debts. As it turns out, Hoagy's old man Tony is a respected business owner in the community, a regular Ward Clever states Hanson, but also runs rackets on the side. The son wants to be just like Dad.

Hanson goes full All-American in his assumed identity, earning a respected spot on the academic team and quickly finds a fanboy in Davey who nominates him for class president, which turns out to be another half-baked scheme. Things get complicated when the Academic Team is poised for a TV appearance, which would blow Hanson's cover. 

Fuller decides to up the stakes by staging of scene at the school when Hanson's expensive car gets repossessed, impelling Hoagy to set up an illegal loan to buy back the car (Hanson donned makeup to make it look like he was roughed up). At the bust, Fuller takes on an Isaac Hayes persona in his undercover guise. Hoagy's father refuses to cut a deal for his son, hoping he will learn his lesson and not follow in his footsteps.

There's also a comedic subplot with Penhall babysitting his neighbor Julie's infant. Julie's an attractive flight attendant with a posh English accent. Recently separated, Penhall sees babysitting as a way to impress Julie, but alas her husband returns at the end. 

Penhall is trapped in a sitcom.

"Next Generation" is an amusing but uneven entry in the series. The High School plot is convoluted, from the ridiculous loan shark schemes to Hanson's meteoric rise to popularity as a "quiz kid," at one point he's told "you sure know a lot about the law." 

Final Report: B-

21 Jump Street: S1E9: "Blindsided"

Written by Jonathan Lemkin

Directed by David Jackson

Airdate: May 31, 1987

Guest Star: Sherilyn Fenn (Diane Nelson); Sal Jenco (Sal Banducci AKA Blowfish)

"Blindsided" introduced the "McQuaid Brothers", personas Hanson and Penhall would use throughout the series. The brothers are a couple of knuckleheads, known for raising hell and spending lots of time at Juvenile Hall. 

Hanson and Penhall have spent a few weeks undercover investigating a High School drug ring. They set up a sting operation at a Burger Joint, allowing Fuller and Ioki to make the arrest. To maintain their cover, they continue attending the High School until the drug case is closed. Meanwhile, Hanson is approached by a shy student, Diane Johnson, believing him to be a dangerous criminal, and offers payment for killing her father.

Uncertain of how to respond, Hanson confides in Penhall who says they must take it to Fuller, or they could be implicated, since Diane committed a felony by making the request. Things get more when they learn Diane's father is a high-ranking cop on the force. When Hanson goes to Fuller, he's chastised for not going to him right away and arresting Diane when she made the initial offer. The noir lighting of the scene is used to great effect. 

Captain Fuller faces a dilemma.

Fuller discovers Diane's made many complaints about her father, but nothing's been done, and he suspects sexual abuse might be involved. He believes the only way to help Diane is to arrest her and then get her off due to mitigating circumstances. But Hanson's attempt to make the arrest goes wildly wrong; he accidentally shoots her dad in the stomach during a struggle. 

Internal Affairs takes away Hanson's badge, they suspect he was actually trying to kill a police officer. But Hanson is absolved of any wrongdoing after further investigation, and Diane will be freed from her father. Another drug bust is made at the school, in the restroom, where apparently all the deals go down. Hanson makes follow-up visits with Diane, which I'll interpret as a protective older brother instinct kicking in.  

Sherilyn Fenn as Diane Nelson

"Blindsided" is a solid dramatic episode with some comic relief, showing how undercover work can get messy and lead to bad outcomes. As Fuller says after the botched arrest, "we screwed up." Hanson also made mistakes by not going to Fuller sooner - and dodged a public relations disaster for the program. Ultimately justice was achieved, but through haphazard means. The episode also marked the first appearance of precinct maintenance man Sal Balducci, AKA "Blowfish," who will make become a recurring character on the series. 

Final Report: A-

21 Jump Street: S1E8: "Bad Influence"

Written by Paul Bernbaum

Directed by Kim Manners

Airdate: May 24, 1987

Guest Stars: Liane Curtis (Lauren Carlson); Scott Schwartz (Jordan); Byron Thames (Dylan)

"Bad Influence" splits the difference between a hard-edged storyline about a High School student engaged in sex work, while the other story follows two teens who steal $12,000 from a broken ATM and go on a spending spree. 

Hoffs and Ioki are assigned to the High School with the suspected prostitution ring. Boys at the school are gossiping about one Lauren Carlson, a girl who will allegedly provide sex for money. Hoffs befriends Lauren who seems focused on her studies. Meanwhile, Ioki revisits the humiliations of gym class and hears more rumors about Lauren in the locker room.

Hanson and Penhall are assigned to track down two missing teens Jordan and Dylan. Both latchkey kids, their negligent parents fear the worse. The episode follows them as they run up hotel bills, buy motorcycles, and attempt to enter a strip club. Eventually, they are located at an arcade impressing girls and are arrested for grand larceny (making them to even cooler to the girls). Back at home, a Hollywood screenwriter wants to tell their story. 

Busted at the arcade

Ioki confirms Lauren is involved in prostitution when he sets her up for a sting, while Hoffs connects her activities as a front for a burglary ring, she provides security codes to her stepfather who rob the houses, while enabling her mom's drug habit. Hoffs reveals to Lauren she's a cop and wants to help her out of her situation. They break up the burglary ring, but Lauren has left town. Hoffs reflects how Lauren was used by everyone, including her. 

Fuller and Hoffs discuss undercover ethics

The parallel story approach made for a fast-paced episode. Few of the stories so far have explored the ethics of undercover work. While the operation stopped the crimes, it also failed to help Lauren, an innocent teen forced into an awful situation. As Fuller tells Hoffs, "we're police officers, not social workers." Depp and DeLuise have comedic chemistry by this point, which would become one of the endearing hallmarks of the series. 

Final Report: B+

21 Jump Street: S1E5: "My Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades"

Written by Gary Winter

Directed by Bill Nuss

Airdate: May 3, 1987

Guest Stars: Josh Brolin (Taylor Rolator); John D'Aquino (Vinnie Moragan)

Hanson and Penhall go undercover at an exclusive Prep School after a young woman (Kim Morgan) was raped and murdered after a weekend parry. The episode dealt with class privileges and the ways the wealthy take advantage of those they consider beneath them. A young Josh Brolin guest stars as the ringleader of drug ring at the school, desperate to cover-up their crimes. 

"The Fun Club"

At the Prep School, Penhall and Hanson befriend the suspects (the fun club), who drink and do cocaine in their off hours. In a literature class, the sense of elitism and entitlement at the school come out in the competitive discussion on the novel All the King's Men. Hoffs interviews the victim's family who speak of their concerns about Kim attending the wild weekend parties, while her brother Vinny appears ready to take his own revenge. 

Meeting with Jenko, the unit express their doubts about whether Kim was murdered or simply overdosed, Jenko encourages them to continue the drug investigation. Penhall is used as a "mule" as he's told to take kilos of cocaine on a commercial flight, fearing he would blow his cover he went through with it. Meanwhile, Niles, a drug dealer working with the boys, comes to the unit's attention, believing he knows what really happened. Niles gets arrested for smuggling but is offered a plea bargain since they suspect he knows who committed the murder. 

Smuggler's Blues

Realizing Niles will get a soft sentence for drug smuggling and a cash reward from "fun club" afterwards - the interrogation goes nowhere, Hanson and Penhall visits Brolin and company as police officers, but the boys brazenly do cocaine right in front of them certain they're getting off. Hanson warns them Niles might confess in exchange for a lighter sentence. Taylor seems nervous after they leave and rats out his buddies for the murder, but then Vinny is found standing by his car after school, the episode ends with a gunshot. 

Justice Awaits

A tightly written episode that's mostly on point with its themes. A young Brolin (post-Goonies) shows off his acting chops as a villainous character. There was enough material for a longer episode, exploring more of the prep school's toxic culture or more scenes with Kim's family to provide more depth. Hanson and Penhall are still competitive with each other at this point, while Jenko shows he will go to bat for his unit. It should also be noted the cast appeared in an "Anti-Drug" PSA after the episode in a prototypical '80s moment. 

Final Report: B+

21 Jump Street: S1E4: "Don't Pet the Teacher"

Written by Clifton Campbell

Directed by Lee Sheldon

Airdate: April 26, 1987

Guest Stars: Leah Ayres (Susan Chadwick); Geoffery Blake (Jeffrey Stone); Mark (Albert Janowitz)

What if you're working undercover as a High School student and want to date your teacher? The 2012 21 Jump Street film got a lot of mileage out of the awkward situation, for its fourth episode the series also took on the time-honored subject of crushing on your teacher. 

Jenko assigns Hanson to investigate a series of robberies and vandalism at a local High School. On his first day he has a flat tire but no jack to put on the spare. Susan, an English teacher at the High School, helps him out and they have a flirtation. Things get awkward when Susan is greeted by Hanson as a new student in her literature class. Hanson takes a seat next to Jeffrey, because Jenko named him as a potential suspect. Hanson befriends Jeffrey, who sells him Van Halen tickets.

Tickets to Van Halen

Jeffrey's a loner and has a reputation for mischief. He's in grief over losing his brother, a basketball star who died "in Cambodia." Jeffrey spends his nights selling discount concert tickets and doing graffiti. Hanson is weirded out when he thinks Jeffrey is also stalking Miss Chadwick at night and always leaving her roses. But the burglaries continue, Jenko chastises Hanson for failing to find the culprit and getting distracted by his crush on Miss Chadwick. 

"I'm not who you think"

I also neglected to mention the school janitor Albert, who is always acting shady. Hanson has Jeffrey arrested after the stolen goods are found in his locker, but later realizes circumstantial evidence points to someone else. Back at school Jeffrey finds Albert the janitor removing his brother's trophy from its case (he blamed for getting benched when they played together), and they have a confrontation, then Hanson arrives to make the arrest. It was the janitor all along. 

The ending is "Scooby Doo" all the way, I was expecting the janitor blame the "meddling kids" for messing up his plans. Apart from The Breakfast Club, school janitors often get a bad rap in pop culture for some reason (class bias?). Depp was able to show off his charm in the episode, while a subplot with Ioki studying for his police exam was all filler. Perhaps if the script had explored Jeffrey a bit more as a misunderstood loner at a huge High School, the story might've carried more weight. Otherwise, the episode is mostly mediocre. 

Final Report: B-

21 Jump Street: S1E3: "America, What a Town"

Written by Bill Nuss

Directed by Larry Shaw

Airdate: April 19, 1987

Guest Stars: Billy Jayne (Mark Dorian); Steve Antin (Stevie); Traci Lind (Nadia); Ray Abruzzo (Mario); Robert Miranda (Mr. Landers)

"America, What a Town" follows two storylines: Hoffs is assigned to supervise Polish exchange student Nadia who is enthralled with American culture, while Hanson and Penhall investigate a High School car theft ring. The light tone of the episode combines social commentary on late Cold War culture, while the car theft plot allows Hanson and Penhall to display their skills. Ioki plays a peripheral role in both stories, romancing Nadia and getting his rental car blown up (it's a long story). 

When Jenko assigns Hanson and Penhall to the car theft case they balk at first, but he points out the millions of dollars of losses to insurance companies, eliciting no sympathy from Hanson who complains of the high premiums on his Mustang. Enrolled in a large car repair class with "garage philosopher" Mr. Landers, Hanson establishes a rapport with talented students Mark and Stevie who rebuild cars with ease. These scenes charmingly evoke Christine and Grease. 

Welcome to the Garage

Upon investigation of the car theft, it's discovered Mark and Stevie are stealing cars, stripping them for parts, giving them to used car dealer Mario, buying them at an auction, then rebuild and sell the luxury cars making a huge profit. Mark and Stevie have ambitious ideas of starting their own garage business after High School, using their scheme to finance the venture. 

The scheme is revealed

Meanwhile, Hoffs realizes supervising Nadia is presenting challenges. Nadia is aggressively flirting with every guy she meets, including a sports car dealer and a movie producer. When Ioki is brought in to help out Hoffs, he falls for Nadia's wiles. Nadia seems to have a genuine love of American culture, jousting with a history teacher on Cold War politics and being enthralled with the utopia of '80s capitalism - the Mall. Later, she confesses to Hoffs she wanted to meet an American man willing to marry her so she could stay in the country.  

Current Events Discussion

The glasnost nature of the Nadia's story captures a snapshot in time as the Cold War was showing signs of thawing by the late 1980s, coding American consumerism as the ultimate secret weapon. The auto shop class scheme storyline was clever, you almost feel bad when Penhall and Hanson had to make the arrest. Clearly those guys had skills, their knowledge of cars and astute business acumen portended a bright future, but indulging in car theft took it too far. If there is a link between stories, one a sort of triumphal view of Reagan era America, the other somewhat counters it with the entrepreneurial spirit running amok. 

Final Report: B-