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: S4E26: "Blackout"

Written by Larry Barber & Paul Berber

Directed by Tucker Gates

Airdate: July 16, 1990

Guest Star: Peter Zapp (Mr. Gebbert)

"Wildling" was a term used during the 1980s and 1990s to describe violent youth crime, often fueled by media hype. "Blackout" was the closing episode of season 4, finding Hanson, Hoffs, and Penhall undercover at a geographically isolated high School where a group of students are suspected of engaging in gang rapes. 

Hoffs and Hanson are posing as students, and Penhall as the substitute gym teacher. When a powerful storm knocks out the power, all hell breaks loose at the school. Throngs of teenage boys start roaming the halls terrorizing teachers and other students. Order is restored just before Hoffs and Hanson are about to be attacked.

There's a real thriller/horror vibe to the episode, and an even eerier element is the students running for their lives in the hallways. One cannot think of the real-life terrors brought upon High Schools in the coming decades. 

I suspect this episode was kept on the shelf for some reason. It's a bit odd Fox waited until July to air it, a time when most shows were on hiatus. Perhaps the episode was considered too bleak. It's as if the Jump Street world is collapsing in on itself. 

"Blackout" was Depp's final appearance on the series, and it was an anti-climactic farewell. Depp haunts this episode like a ghost, barely present. He gets a scene pulling a prank in shop class and has a few interactions with Hoffs but that's about it. Modern TV would give the character a big send-off, but Hanson's character, once the central focus of 21 Jump Street, just slowly faded away.

21 Jump Street: S4E23: "How I Saved the Senator"

Written by Gary Rosen

Directed by James Whitmore Jr.

Airdate: May 7, 1990

Guest Star: Ray Parker Jr. (as himself)

"How I Saved the Senator" opens with a news crew barging in on the chapel - sending everyone for cover. Earlier that day, the Jump Street Unit was working security for a senator and foiled a plot. The reporter confesses she's actually a screenwriter and wants to get everyone's account of what happened. It's a fun take on Rashomon and a showcase for the entire cast. Appropriately, it would the final time all the principals appeared together. 

Ioki's fantasy imagines himself in a Bruce Lee film with elements of the 1970s TV show Kung Fu. Hanson pictures himself in a silent film with Depp doing a dead-on Chaplin imitation. Hoffs is a 1930s nightclub singer, evocative of the Billie Holiday biopic Lady Sings the Blues. Even Sal gets into the act, I guess he's in a slasher film? Penhall spins a 007 yarn, and Fuller reveals himself a fan of Westerns. 

It's hard not to get a little sentimental about this episode. One thinks back to the Pilot when Hanson reluctantly joined the unit, Penhall and the rest believed him too square to make it as an undercover cop. Jenko was the still the captain, lecturing Hanson on the genius of Jimi Hendrix. Seeing them all together one last time four years later, laughing and joking after they've been through the ringer together makes this the closest the series ever came to a farewell episode. 

21 Jump Street: S4E20: "Last Chance High"

Written by Michelle Ashford

Directed by Kim Manners

Airdate: March 19, 1990

Guest Star: Diedrich Bader (Paul); Sarah Trigger (Frances)

Hanson and Penhall take on their McQuaid Brothers persona for the final time for "Last Chance High." Both realize they are getting too old to be working High Schools but decide to anyway. They're undercover at a school for kids struggling to socialize. Future Drew Carey Show star Diedrich Bader appears as a gifted, but maladjusted student.

The main plotline follows Frances, an art student, and we learn she kidnapped her baby sister because of abusive parents. Hanson takes a personal interest in the case to Fuller's chagrin, but everything works out ok. 

The episode is mostly a middling melodrama but tempered by some comedic moments. Penhall adjusts to being Clavo's adopted father. Hanson seems fine after being held captive by a death squad in the previous episode! One major difference between the network and streaming eras of television - emotional stakes are taken more seriously these days. 

21 Jump Street: S4E18: "Awomp-Bomp-Aloobomb, Aloop Bamboom"

Written by Glen Morgan & James Wong

Directed by Jorge Montesi

Airdate: February 19, 1990

Guest Stars: Shawn Levy (Lance); John Waters (Mr. Bean); Jensen Daggett (Ashley)

One could argue the original premise of 21 Jump Street was a joke (undercover High School cops), but the show played everything straight. By season four, 21 Jump Street no longer resisted its own absurdity, it leaned into it. Many consider the fourth season to be the final one proper since it was the last with the principal cast. This episode would be the last carefree pairing of Hanson and Penhall, one last, strange road trip before the show leaves them behind. 

Everyone's uncharacteristically grumpy at the chapel, the squad pesters Fuller for more vacation time. Hanson and Penhall are investigating an explosion near a "radical" college newspaper run by student communists. They follow the editor Lance who hops on a bus to Florida for Spring Break, we learn he's chasing his ex-girlfriend Ashley - a swimsuit model. 

The bus is chartered by an esoteric self-help cult led by none other than cult filmmaker John Waters as "Mr. Bean." Depp had just worked with Waters on Cry Baby, making the cameo feel like an inside joke. They get kicked off the bus and hitch a ride to Florida. The spectacle of college students converging on Florida became a defining image of 1990s pop culture, and 21 Jump Street gets there early.

Spring Break Adventure

Penhall keeps an eye on Lance as they get caught up in a beer pong game. Hanson locates Ashley and they really hit it off, but she eventually reunited with Lance. And Sal shows up at one point - he's also partying at Spring Break? Wasn't he married with two kids, as we saw in earlier episodes. Sal appears almost as a specter, not unlike the way Depp exited the series. 

Morgan and Wong's script joyfully disrupted structure. We get random detours, Hanson and Penhall are drifting more than investigating. Scenes feel incidental, even disposable. The plot is more about movement than narrative. 

Shawn Levy would go on to a big directing career. Jensen Daggett as Ashley also exuded star power here, her claim to fame would be starring in Jason Takes Manhattan. 

Despite all the drift and absurdity, the episode ends on a serious note. Penhall plans on going to El Salvador to track down his estranged wife, a reminder the show still centered seriousness. 

21 Jump Street: S4E16: "2245"

Written by Michelle Ashford, Glen Morgan, and James Wong

Directed by Kim Manners

Airdate: February 5, 1990

Guest Stars: Josh Rickman (Ronnie); Rosie Perez (Rosie); Troy Mallory (Reggie)

In one of its bleakest episodes, 21 Jump Street focused on the death penalty. Young criminal Ronnie is on death row for murdering a cop (and member of the Jump Street Unit - Reggie). The character of Ronnie appeared in the two-part season 2 episode "Besieged" as an aspiring gangster. Since his imprisonment, Hanson regularly visits Ronnie who requests that he attend his execution.

We get flashbacks to the crime spree Ronnie and his girlfriend Rosie embarked on. We get scenes of his interactions with the prison chaplain - and his hopes of getting a reprieve. The actual sequence depicting the lethal injection is about as bleak as it gets. The episode ends with a visibly shaken Hanson staring into the camera. 

The script avoided being overtly for or against the death penalty, but one walks away feeling the entire process is barbaric and ghastly. Debates raged about the death penalty when I was in school, but it seems most American are fine with it these days. A bold episode at this late juncture in the series. 

21 Jump Street: S4E6: "Old Haunts in a New Age"

Written by Glen Morgan & James Wong

Directed by Jefferson Kibbee

Airdate: October 30, 1989

Guest Stars: Pamela Adlon (Dori); Ian Abercrombie (Lemieux) 

In the Halloween themed episode "Old Haunts in a New Age", the Jump Street cast gets to relax and lighten things up for a change. Written by Glen Morgan & James Wong, the episode is full of allusions to classic horror and Sci-Fi. The story follows Hanson and Penhall as they investigate a string of arsons at a high school, while the squad back at the chapel discovers a literal skeleton in the attic. 

The episode's cold open follows High School student Dori who seems to be present at all the fires, the sequence is stylistic and set to a New Wave soundtrack, very similar to how Millennium (1996-1999) would begin its shows (Morgan & Wong also wrote for that series). Hanson and Penhall observe goings on at the High School and find no clues, they rule out Dori but are intrigued by her claims of having visions. 

Nice homage to Spielberg

While driving at night Penhall is overcome by bright lights like Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters in a fun scene. After the skeleton is found at chapel, they consult a Ouija Board and invite a crank medium. No one seems to be around at the precinct, are we back to the clubhouse of season one?

The climax happens at the Halloween school dance. Hanson goes as Travis Bickle, I'm sure that was Depp's idea. Depp even seems to be having fun for a change. Even "Blowfish" makes an appearance, it's been a while. 

"Old Haunts in a New Age" is a treat for fans of the series. It taps into the absurdity motif running through the fourth season. The tone of this season is not unlike the senior year of high school; everyone can let loose and have some fun (although there will be serious episodes). 

Final Report: A minor Halloween classic of the 1980s TV canon. 

21 Jump Street: S4E3: "Eternal Flame"

Written by David Stenn

Directed by Mario Van Peebles

Airdate: October 2, 1989

Guest Stars: Thomas Haden Church (Tony); Tracy Griffith (Linda); Michael Des Barres (Gavin)

"Eternal Flame" is one of my favorite episodes of 21 Jump Street. Hanson is assigned to bust up a drug ring at a trendy club. He finds that his old flame Linda - is the boss's fiancée. Directed by Mario Van Peebles, the MTV aesthetic of the episode is all Dutch angles and late 80s neon. Depp's in full Miami Vice mode, stylish, remote, partially invested in the story. His engagement during late era Jump Street was often erratic, sometimes barely present, but focused if the story was right. 

Michael Des Barres plays the sly club owner taking on Hanson as his protégée, in the previous season Des Barres played an acting teacher in "High High." Tracy Griffith holds her own with Depp as Linda and the two rekindle their romance. Naturally, they go bowling and there's a montage sequence that could only exist in 1989. Hanson reveals he's a cop and confesses to Penhall he's ready to quit and start a new life with Linda, but, alas, in the end, Linda decides they are better off apart. 

Thomas Haden Church appears rocking an epic mullet in one of his early TV appearances. Holly Robinson plays Hoffs as a party girl looking for a score, totally committed to her undercover identity.

The episode has the narrative structure of Casablanca with the emotionally vacant vibe of American Psycho. It's more mood piece than procedural. Network television of the era was starting to experiment with cinematic techniques, Twin Peaks and Miami Vice being two examples. The medium was changing beneath the radar of critics. "Eternal Flame" lives in that space, soaked in late night neon and end of history energy. 

21 Jump Street: S3E16: "High High"

Written by Eric Blakeney and Bill Nuss

Directed by Mario Van Peebles

Airdate: April 23, 1989

Guest Stars: Michael Des Barres (Mr. Karst); Phillip Linton (Jimmy); Mario Van Peebles (Dana)

The Jump Street unit crashes art school in the fan favorite episode, "High High." Drugs at rampant at a local performing arts school so Hanson, Penhall, Ioki, and Booker are sent in to mix with art students (Hoffs as well, but she's not been given much to do recently).

Everyone manages to find their niche at the school. Hanson joins the rock band class allowing Depp to whale on his guitar for the entire episode. Penhall takes acting class but struggles until he finds his way through by reinterpreting Jackie Gleason. Booker has the most fun of all by joining the performance art troupe, he spews punk poetry and smashes televisions, considered one of his iconic moments from the series. 

Mario Van Peebles directed the episode with style and appears in one scene as a film professor. British rocker Michael des Barres is also memorable as the acting teacher who pushed Penhall to greatness on the stage. 

Wake up Penhall!

The only drawback to the script is the exhausted trope of drugs in schools. Apparently, everyone is getting high. Booker befriends Jimmy, a proto–David Foster Wallace type harboring a symbiotic relationship with substances. In a staged assembly, the entire school is arrested by the county judge! That was sort of awesome. Who's up for some community service?

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: S2E16: "Orpheus 3.3"

Written by Bill Nuss

Directed by James Contner

Airdate: February 28, 1988

Guest Stars: Art Hindle (Det. Stafford); Allan Miller (Dr. Enlow)

"Orpheus 3.3" continued to move 21 Jump Street into a more serious direction. The story follows Hanson as he deals with the aftermath of his girlfriend Amy getting killed in a holdup that went wrong.

We met Amy a few episodes back, this story begins with Hanson preparing to break up with her. On their night out they argue about where to eat and end up stopping at a convivence store where the crime occurs. A few days later Hanson reappears at work and seems fine, but Fuller orders him to speak with a therapist, Dr. Enlow. Hanson confesses, he didn't love Amy, but in the aftermath, he loves her more than ever.

Everyone's aware Hanson's internalizing his pain as he becomes obsessed with watching the surveillance video of the shooting, questioning why did not act sooner to stop it. He becomes isolated and discouraged about the detectives on the case who seem disinterested. His mental health starts to slip. He begins his own investigation and in a suspenseful sequence, manages to arrest Amy's killer. Hanson had the chance to shot, but he did not kill. Fuller compliments Hanson on going "good police work" and ask if the pain has gotten better, and Hanson simply says, "No." 

Bill Nuss wrote a strong script, gritty and even cinematic at times. It gave Depp a chance to deliver an intense performance, matched by Steven Williams who offers cautious guidance. Considered one of the best episodes by original fans, I would agree. I did find another blog complaining the episode was too "dark" for Jump Street, I would disagree, nothing's better than a TV show stretching its possibilities with strong storytelling.  

Final Report: A

21 Jump Street: S2E13: "A Big Disease with a Little Name"

Written by Patrick Hasburgh

Directed by Neal Fearnley

Airdate: February 7, 1988

Guest Stars: Phillip Tanzini (Harley); Gina Nemo (Dorothy)

"A Big Disease with a Little Name" is a historically important episode of 21 Jump Street. With an audience composed of mostly young people, a story dealing with the AIDS epidemic was a bold move. 

Capt. Fuller assigns Hanson to watch over High School student Harley Poolish who has AIDS and is being bullied by other students. Being a hemophiliac, a small cut could prove fatal. Hanson reluctantly accepts the assignment. I wonder if Fuller did this because of Hanson's interest in being a Big Brother a few episodes back. 

At school. Hanson's job is basically to be Harley's bodyguard and confidante. Hanson witnesses the bullying and social isolation must face at school and they start to form a connection. Harley loves to ride motorcycles and they bond over being adrenaline junkies. Hanson's also perplexed at why Harley's parents are so distant.

Harley bonds with Hanson

Later Harley confesses to Hanson he did not contract AIDS through a blood transfusion or a needle, although he never says, "I'm gay", that's the implication. Furthermore, he reveals to Hanson his plans to end his life by riding over a cliff. They have an intense talk about God and belief. Later Harley breaks down and simply asks for Hanson's emotional support. The episode ends with Hanson learning Harley died from pneumonia.

It would be easy to dismiss this episode as preachy, but I would disagree. Despite some clunky dialogue at times, and a silly subplot with Penhall getting back with his High School girlfriend Dorothy, it's important to consider the context. Clearly, Harley's story was inspired by Ryan White, a young boy who caught AIDS through a transfusion, and became a spokesman, informing and educating the public. Anyone who coming of age in the late '80s and 1990s was deluged with warnings about the epidemic. 

Depp took a humanistic turn in this episode. Hanson's willingness to accept Harley, providing emotional support and comfort with no judgement was important for young people to see. The pop culture of the 1980s was blatantly homophobic, and for TV audiences to see a heterosexual young man willing to hug and show compassion towards a young gay man was important. To its credit, the script pointed out Reagan's refusal to publicly acknowledge the existence of AIDS and the government's lackadaisical response to the crisis. 

Final Report: A

21 Jump Street: S2E12: "Fear and Loathing with Russell Buckins"

Written by Gary S. Hall

Directed by Kevin Hooks

Airdate: December 27, 1987

Guest Star: Angelo Tiffe (Russel Buckins); Marl Alaimo (Shields); Elizabeth Keifer (Debbie)

After Penhall and Hanson botch a case involving street racers (proto-Fast and Furious) they are sent back to the Police Academy. Fed up with being a cop and frustrated he never rebelled as a teenager, Hanson decides to go AWOL.

He meets up with his old buddy Russell who informs Hanson his crush Debbie from High School is about to get married. You see, Hanson and Debbie were supposed to meet over Christmas break the year after graduation, but it never happened. Tiffe as Russell brings an unusual energy to the episode, he's like a Drew Carey and Tom Arnold hybrid. He convinces Hanson to crash the wedding, on the road trip Hanson gets a tattoo and apparently wrestled a bear (don't ask).

Meanwhile, Penhall tries to mentor younger cadets to no avail, while the instructor (Shields) rides him relentlessly. Hanson eventually meets up with Debbie and even gets her to consider running off with him, but it's not to be. Hanson decides to go back and has a heart to heart with Fuller, who convinces him to keep going.

Debbie's getting married

Depp was pleading with the writers to step up their game, and they answered the call, continuing to allow his character to expand. The episode pays homage to Hunter Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - and Depp would later play Thompson in the Terry Gilliam film. A surprising amount of pop culture DNA can be found on Jump Street.

Final Report: A-

21 Jump Street: S2E9: "You Oughta Be in Prison"

Written by Bill Nuss

Directed by Kim Manners

Airdate: November 15, 1987

Guest Stars: Reginald T. Dorsey (Waxer); Tony Todd (Aaron); Tom Bresnahan (Jeremy) 

Hanson and Penhall go undercover as bodyguards to protect a young movie star (Jeremy Stone) who is filming a movie in the city. Meanwhile, 'Waxer" Thompson, the drug dealer Hanson put away in the Pilot episode, escapes from prison and seeks revenge. 

There's a heavy "meta" element to this episode with characters goofing on the movie business. Both Hanson and Penhall resent playing babysitter for an egotistical star who's been getting death threats and getting into scraps with the Paparazzi . Penhall observes, "all people do is stand around and do nothing" on movie sets, but he changes his tune when he gets his test his own acting chops - and nails it!

Tyrone "Waxer" is back in town

Meanwhile, "Waxer" has quite a journey. In Juvenile Prison he gets into a fight and kills another inmate, his warden played by Tony Todd, sends him to an adult prison. But the bus crashes Fugitive style on the transfer and he escapes. At his safehouse he happens to see Hanson on a news report and decides to pursue revenge. He manages to kidnap Hanson and Stone, but then Hanson manages to distract and arrest Waxer.

Hanson's evolving persona

There's a wackiness to the episode with its showbiz satire and the random callback to the first season. Peter DeLuise is especially comical here with his line deliveries, while Depp's cool detachment may signal his boredom with the character. Hanson's no longer the erstwhile rookie of the Pilot episode but now affecting a surly and jaded persona. The writing and direction are also much tighter and punchier than the first season. 

Final Report: B+

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: S1: Episodes 1 and 2: "Pilot"

Series Created by Patrick Harsburgh and Stephen J. Cannell

Written by Patrick Harsburgh

Directed by Kim Manners

Airdate: April 12, 1987

Main Cast for Season 1: Officer Thomas Hanson (Johnny Depp); Sgt. Judy Hoffs (Holly Robinson); Officer Doug Penhall (Peter DeLuise); Sgt. Harry Truman (HT) Loki/Vinn Van Tran (Dustin Nguyen) Captain Richard Jenko (Frederic Forrest); Captain Adam Fuller (Steven Williams)

Guest Stars: Barney Martin (Charlie Donegan); Reginald T. Dorsey (Tyrell Thompson); Brandon Douglas (Kenny Weckerle)

21 Jump Street would emulate both the procedural approach of Hill Street Blues with the issue oriented "After School" specials familiar to Gen X. Historically, 21 Jump Street is known for two things: 1) Becoming the first hit series for the fledgling Fox Network and 2) Making Johnny Depp a household name. The premise of the series, youthful undercover cops going into High Schools, Colleges, and gangs to solve crimes, may've seemed ludicrous on the surface, but it was embraced by young TV viewers, the hardest audience to reach for a Prime-Time series (airing from 7-8 on Sundays). 

Co-Created by TV legend Stephen J, Cannell, the writer-producer behind several hit shows that defined network TV during the 1970s and 1980s (Rockford Files, A-Team, Hunter), 21 Jump Street would define itself as a show that would tackle many controversial issues related to school crime, specifically the problem of drugs and violence in schools. But the show would expand well beyond merely busting drug dealers and gangs each week, episodes would take on issues of sexual violence, homophobia, AIDS, child abuse, mental health, academic freedom, and many others that still resonate today. As the series evolved, an increased moral ambivalence found its way into storylines, as all the characters would come to have mixed feelings and doubts about their line of work.   

While 21 Jump Street may be remembered as a "cheesy" show from the late 1980s, a notion popularized by the two films made based on the series, my goal is that hopefully a deep dive into the series as a pop culture artifact to unlock its strengths and weaknesses and hopefully spark some reevaluation on the show's legacy as a product of its time and how it still speaks to concerns of today. 

The Setting

It should be noted that 21 Jump Street at least in the first season was city in the city of Metropolis in the state of Evergreen but eventually would take the Hills Street Blues approach and leave the actual city unnamed. The series was filmed in Vancouver, Canada, which would become a hub of TV production in the years to come. Nevertheless, the fictional city on 21 Jump Street had a vast urban and suburban sprawl. 

The Pilot - Part I

Home Invasion

As would be the case for most episodes, the Pilot opens with an inciting incident for the plot. A suburban family (the Weckerle's) straight out of John Hughes has their family dinner interrupted by two gangbangers wielding guns and demanding money owed to them by young teenager Kenny. He promises to get them the money he owes them. Tyrell demands the keys to his father's Jaguar, and they take off. Kenny pleads with his parents not to call the police.

Then we meet Officer Tom Hanson on patrol with his veteran partner Chalie Donegan, played by Barney Martin (who would go onto fame playing Jerry Seinfeld's dad). Charlie has six months until retirement and seems weary of his young partner, who many believe looks too young to be a cop. They are called to the Weckerle house to investigate the home invasion.

Rookie and Veteran on Patrol

They learn little, and Hanson's attempt to get information from Kenny goes nowhere. Then Hanson and Donegan pursue a car that just robbed a convivence store, Hanson's reckless driving annoys Donegan. Once in custody, the perpetrators mock Hanson for his "babyface" as Donegan must find a payphone for backup (the car radio broke) and all but one of the suspects escapes. In the fracas, Hanson accidentally breaks Donegan's nose. 

Back at the station, the captain summons Hanson and bluntly tells him his looks are making him a liability as a patrol officer. But the Captain still believes Hanson has what it takes to be a good cop and transfers him to a secretive undercover unit known as the Jump Street Chapel Program (the mayor's baby) that investigates High Schools. Hanson balks at the assignment, calling it "Fast Times at Bust-Your-Buddy High." But the Captain quotes statistics about school crime getting worse and informs Hanson it's either Jump Street or a desk job. Hanson accepts, recalling his own days of being bullied in High School. 

Hanson arrives at the Chapel and meets Sgt. Penhall who mocks him for his haircut. Ioki is a young Asian American man who's also skeptical of Hanson at first. Then we meet Captain Jenko, an unabashed hippy who constantly drops counterculture references, his office is plastered with posters of 60s rock stars, he often pontificates on the genius of Jimi Hendrix. Jenko tells Hanson he must get in touch with the "Pepsi Generation" and lose his "Jack Kennedy" haircut. Jenko assigns Judy Hoffs, another member of the Jump Street Unit, to get Hanson up to speed on fashion, music, and slang. 

Hoffs schools Hanson on the latest music.

Hanson botches his first undercover assignment. Along with Penhall, he's assigned to help build a case against a drug/gang dealer known as "Jays." While Penhall's already gained the confidence of Jays, Hanson poses as his cousin to convince the gang they are legit, but Hanson quickly blows his own cover and then tries to arrest Jays. Jenko is furious with Hanson; he just screwed up a six-month investigation of a serious smuggling operation.

Meanwhile, Kenny is scene doing smash and grabs on jewelry stores.

Back at the chapel Hanson is assigned to Emerest High School, posing as a "problem" transfer student. He immediately gets into an altercation with Tyrell who happens to be a student at the school over a parking space. Hanson is disciplined by the principal and later sees Kenny at the school, making him question whether it was not a coincidence he was assigned to the school. Hanson later runs into Tyrell who threatens him again.

Confrontation with Tyrell

The Pilot - Part II

Back at the Chapel, Hanson is still not accepted by the group as they play a fake football game without him. Jenko gathers everyone for a meeting, annoyed by Hanson's buttoned up "Republican" attitude He connects his current case to the home invasion he investigated the week before, and Jenko agrees it was not a coincidence. Jenko assigns Ioki and Hanson to put Kenny under surveillance. On a stakeout they spot Kenny, supposedly on a paper route, starting to break storefront windows. They fail to apprehend him and even get pulled over by Hanson's former partner Donegan.

Back at school, Hanson finds himself getting unwanted attention from a female student Wendy who passes him notes in class. Hanson runs into Kenny at Drama class, who seems to recognize him as a boy his sister used to date. Later Hanson unceremoniously repels Wendy by claiming he's infected with herpes, she's clearly freaked out and leaves him alone. He later has another confrontation with Tyrell who is demanding more money from Kenny.

Jenko and Hanson discuss the possibility Kenny is part of a burglary ring, but something doesn't add up. Hanson and Ioki trail Tyrell to a lavish bar where he meets with a local drug kingpin. Tyrell manages to escape but he recognizes Hanson. Jenko puts out a warrant for Kenny, but not before Tyrell visits Kenny and offers him a deadly "speedball" to fuel his drug habit and eliminate him as a witness. The next day Kenny overdoses at school and nearly dies. Hanson confronts him at the hospital, demanding to know Tyrell's whereabouts.

Penhall and Hoff pose as potential buyers at Tyrell's hideaway (an abandoned garage), but the situation quickly escalates into a shootout. Hanson manages to apprehend Tyrell after a struggle, impressing the others and redeeming himself after botching the previous investigation.  Weeks later, Hanson meets with Kenny after being released from rehab and they reconcile. Back at the chapel, Penhall complains about Hanson's "beginner's luck" much to Hanson's amusement. Now feeling accepted by the unit, Hanson joins Jenson's rock band with his saxophone.

Jenko rocks out

Thoughts on the Pilot

From a plot perspective, the Pilot episode feels a bit convoluted at times. Tyrell is using stolen goods to facilitate drug deals for his boss, but the script takes a circular route to arrive at its revelation. The actor playing Kenny is never totally believable, more winey than threatening. Tyrell is also completely one-dimensional, playing into racial stereotypes of black men being violent drug dealers, made worse in this case by terrorizing an affluent white suburban family. 

The script is much better in tracking Hanson's character arc from straight arrow rookie to finding his way in the world of undercover work. Depp brought both the right innocence and maturity to the role. A big part of Jump Street's success would be the chemistry among the cast, which is only hinted at in the episode since the story is mostly focused on Hanson. As Jenko, Forrest makes his scenes pop as the likable ex-hippy mentoring his young officers. 

While the plot was meat and potatoes for '80s cop fare, focused on drug dealers and dangerous criminals, we also get some hints at the show's potential to explore youth culture from an interesting angle. The sheer strangeness of going back to High School (the one-joke premise of the 2012 movie) would provide both comical and serious possibilities. Not a brilliant pilot when compared to other great TV shows of the era, but the writers had clearly tapped into something with great potential. 

Final Report: B