Season 1 Overview

Finally, the series is back. After a very emotional episode, the creators needed to reassure viewers—or perhaps the networks—that things wouldn’t always be so heavy. So, they went for a ludicrously funny and ridiculous yet not thoroughly comic episode.

As it’s apparent from the title, this whole thing is likely meant as a tribute to old western TV shows but set in a modern, urban environment. How they convinced the network to go for it is a real mystery—just like Jonathan’s bag in the introduction.

Before we dive in, one thing to point out: that’s the first episode in the series not written by Michael Landon himself. This time, it is up by Dan Gordon, the show’s head writer.

That man has quite a biography: he was reportedly fired by Universal Pictures for allegedly stealing from an executive office, then he moved to NY to shoot his first film—unaware that he was being financed by the mafia. So, he fled to Israel and spent around ten years in the military, then returned to LA where he wrote a forgotten war comedy about tanks that even the main actor James Garner described as unmemorable. And Immediately after that, he was hired as the head writer for Highway. With those references. And an allegation of stealing by Universal. And an involvement with the Mafia. Well, at least Michael Landon agrees with Jonathan’s preach: references don’t prove anything to him.

Also, Dan Gordon has the same surname as Mark in the series. That’s quite a coincidence. I mean, assuming he hadn’t been hired yet by the time Michael Landon wrote the pilot, the name “Mark Gordon” for French character was chosen very randomly; then, Landon comes across this guy, Dan Gordon, who is an inspiring screenwriter. Landon must have thought it was like fate. Somehow, everything around this series has something to do with religion.

Assignment: Jonathan and Mark are assigned to help some former western stars and an up-and-coming boxing talent overcome their insecurities and stand up against the illegalities in their neighborhood.

So, after the aforementioned introduction, an ordinary day in America unfolds: in broad daylight, a petty criminal and his henchmen stop an elderly man dressed like a cowboy down the street and rob him of his medication.

Because, you know, healthcare is expensive in the US.

Anyway, they get to the neighborhood, and Mark cogently points out: “It doesn’t look like an Angel’s neighborhood.”

This may have been just a pun about Jonathan, but it could also point that the episode is set in Los Angeles. If that’s the case, it’s totally out of place—because remember, Mark was a cop in Oakland for 15 years. He experienced the city’s crime and corruption firsthand, otherwise the reason he provided in the pilot for his alcoholism and subsequent suspension from the police are just made up.

Anyway, the same criminals who robbed the elderly man earlier walk past Mark’s car and thump it with their hand—because, you know, they’re the bad guys of the episode.

Also, notice that one of them seems about to flip at them, but then he remembers this is a family-friendly TV show and just opens his palms.

They don’t say anything, just exit the car and head into the gym, where Jonathan and Mark’s assignment awaits.

Once they enter, Jonathan tells Mark they’ll be working as cut-man in a box gym. However, one of the thugs blocks them and asks where they’re going— and that man looks just like Michael Jackson.

No, really, they are definitely related or something. He even says that with a touch of Jackson’s flair.

Thrills arise.

It’s unclear what he was aiming for—other than to sound plain ridiculous. But here’s the magic: Jonathan remembers he’s an angel and telepathically breaks the knife.

Jonathan smiles and moves on. And Mark is totally cool about it.

Inside the gym, they meet the owner, Clarence, who turns out to be a former boxing champion.

Well, if you look closely, you might notice something: Clarence is actually played by Hank Rolike, who also appeared in Rocky — though not as a boxer, rather as the corner man of Carl Weathers’ character.

Still, Mark looks very excited to meet him, probably reflecting the actor’s own lifelong passion for boxing.

About that: French has practiced boxing for most of his life on his spare time, and in 1985—about a year after this episode aired— he even helped keeping open the struggling boxing gym he regularly attended, the Ten Goose Boxing in Van Nuys. Apparently, it was founded by Al Goose, a former cop who decided to open a place to help kids get out of the streets, and the gym takes its name from Goose’s ten children, all in some ways involved in working there as well.

However, on May 1985 it was facing closure following the sudden death of Al, and French (like Mark does in the pilot with the retirement home) personally decided to buy it — although he skipped the crazy gambling part, unlike the pilot. Eventually, he became its financial collaborator for the rest of his life.

Apparently, he also had a manger card that enabled him to walk to the ring and talk directly to the players during a match, an experience he described as making him feel important in an interview with the LA times. So, what it all boils down to is that he was apparently very into this discipline.

And that’s probably the reason why he looks so happy in here, even though he’s talking to a fictional boxer. Or an actor who played the corner man of another boxer

No, Mark, he was the corner man. But whatever.

Quick anecdote: besides his boxing manager career, apparently French was also the promoter for some of the boxers at the Ten Goose Gym, most notably former middleweight champion Michael Nunn and bantamweight champion contender Frankie Duarte. Specifically, Duarte once opened up during an emotional interview where he confessed he was struggling with a serious drug addiction around the same time he played as a boxer, and explicitly mentioned French as being one of the most important person in his life who never gave up on him to help him recover from this problem. Which is probably the truth, as French himself also hinted at something similar in the LA Times interview referenced earlier.

That acknowledgment sounds like French applying Mark Gordon’s teachings in his life — you know, helping somebody struggling with a problem for real.

And that goes to show it doesn’t take to be an angel to help those around us.

Duarte (left), Michael (right).

Back to the story: Jonathan and Mark are introduced to the owner’s grandson, Joey, an up-and-coming boxer himself.

Then, they leave the gym for a walk.

Cute, Jonathan.

As they walk through the filthy streets, they notice a man climbing an emergency staircase, preparing to jump.

So, they immediately rush up in a desperate attempt to talk him out of it. The man turns out to be the same elderly cowboy who was robbed at the beginning. He’s not moved by Mark’s optimistic “everything will turn out just fine” argument.

At least he did something.

Jonathan, instead, tries a different, more successful approach: he reminds the man of his past— revealing he was once a famous western star, now forgotten and with no money. As soon as Jonathan tells him that, Mark excitedly asks something.

Mark, whatever it is, don’t say it now. If you know yourself it’s probably a bad time to ask, then stop it.

And Jonathan is probably thinking the same with such an awkward smile like “Please Mark don’t say anything embarrassing now”.

Now Jonathan’s like “I’m going to disintegrate you”.

But it works, eventually.

The cowboy’s reaction: in the first, puzzled and thinking like “Boy, are you kidding me” and in the second chuckling like “An autograph? What are these, the 80s”.

And then they all bust out laughing, just like that. And it’s not just a guffaw. It’s not a chortle. It’s like the most ridiculous, boisterous, uproarious horselaugh you could ever imagine.

You know those moments in a TV show where people are casually talking and all of a sudden one of them start laughing and awkwardly everybody randomly laugh for a minute until it all gets black. That kind of horselaugh. It’s so implausible and out of place. But it’s so 80s as well. And it won’t be the last on this show.

Anyway, it’s revealed his name’s Morton Clay, and of course that should sound familiar: it’s likely a play on Clayton Moore, the famous western actor who starred in Ghost of Zorro and The Lone Ranger — the original 1950s one, not the 2013 remake, of course.

Actually, Clayton Moore did retire from the scene after the conclusion of The Lone Ranger in 1957, and his last TV appearance dates back to 1959 in Lassie. Then, he probably read Little House and settled in Minnesota, where he opened a ranch.

Alright, apparently he just wanted to stay close to his family, but who knows: maybe he did read Little House and felt compelled to follow Charles and Caroline’s footsteps. Either way, he remained there until his death in 1999, and only made some rare public appearances as The Lone Ranger, his most famous role.

Now, one thing to notice: the episode aired in 1984, when Clayton Moore was still alive — not sure how he would have reacted knowing Morton Clay is probably based on him, and depicts him as a broke, washed-up former western hero nobody remembers anymore.

But that was Clayton Moore’s story. Instead, this Morton Clay is not played by the Lone Ranger himself: rather, the actor is John Agar, who still had a solid career on his own.

He made guest appearances on western TV programs, including Death Valley Days, The Virginian and Rawhide, where he starred alongside Clint Eastwood as well. Seriously how old is Clint Eastwood to have starred in a 1950s TV program. That man is sure synonym of western.

But curiously, in all of these three TV shows also Victor French made one guest appearance, although he and Agar were in different episodes. But isn’t it something — it seems like there were two types of western actors: those who starred in their own shows (like Michael Landon in Bonanza) and those who mostly appeared as guest star in single episodes of those same TV shows (like French and Agar); the names in the credits are all the same.

Now, back to Highway: Jonathan and Mark saves Clay Morton (not Morton Clayton) and the man reveals he happens to live in the same neighborhood as several other washed-up movie stars— of course, names that only Mark actually remembers, and fictional ones too—so he leads them to his apartment.

As Mark, starts collecting autographs and bounce like a kid at Christmastime, Jonathan returns to the gym, where he witnesses a thug threatening Joey, the grandson. The thug warns him to throw the upcoming match or his grandfather will be kidnapped.

Jonathan then heads to the apartment to update Mark, who’s still fanboying over the retired actors. And French is a little too enthusiastic about it.

Well, about that (again): the actor French was very into the western genre as well. Apparently, his father (who was also a western stuntman) used to watch with him one western program every week when French was a kid, and he grew up looking up at the genre’s heroes (specifically mentioning Buck Jones), dreaming of becoming a western star.

Also, in an interview he explained he was an avid collector of western relics from the olden days. And he also told that he used to hang out with former western star like Roy Rogers, Monte Hale and Sunset Carson, all still alive at that times. In the interview it is even reported that, whenever he was not on set for Highway, French spent most of time either at the Ten Goose Boxing or hunting for some lost western props — or, his words, “Just go out and get drunk“.

So, the point was that western and boxing were his lifelong passions, and this episode actually features both. It seems like it was specifically written to please French somehow. And it explains why he looks so happy hanging around those old folks. Even though, again, they are not real western heroes, just fictional ones.

Anyway, Jonathan informs Mark of what happened at the gym with Joey, and Mark likely realizes he should spend more time helping Jonathan with the assignment rather than hanging around those folks, — because, you know, he’s been on the job for two episodes and there’s still a chance his superior might fire him if he doesn’t contribute to the assignment. So, Mark reacts by abruptly heading to the thugs’ hideout and confront them. Just like that.

I mean, how did you know that was their hideout? And what were you thinking by going there alone. So many things are wrong in this.

Now, Jonathan immediately gets there and kind of beg Mark to leave, but Mark is defiant as he believes Jonathan will use his power to protect them. Because Mark really thinks that’s what angels are for: underground fighting.

Eventually, the Michael Jackson–styled leader, Thumper, chooses to beat Jonathan up to punish Mark’s defying attitude.

You really don’t know who you’re putting up against, buddy.

So, what might happen: Jonathan uses his powers just like he did to teach a lesson to with those drunks in the pilot, maybe.

No. He gets beaten up.

You can tell from Mark’s reaction something went very wrong for his friend.

In the next scene, Jonathan and Mark are recovering in someone’s apartment. Jonathan is bleeding, and for the first time, the show gives us some rules about his mysterious powers: he can only use them when his superior allows it. And he would never use them to voluntarily get into a fight, because he doesn’t want others to fear the all-round almighty of his superior.

This point is of much importance, because it will be cited recurrently as a general rule in the series. And it will be broken, on a regular basis.

Also notable: this is the first time Mark officially names Jonathan’s powers as “The Stuff,” possibly because he didn’t really understand what they are or how they work— but it’s likely Jonathan doesn’t fully know pretty much about them neither. And they just activate at random.

Finally, since this is the first scene in which Jonathan is seen bleeding, it’s unclear whether he momentarily became a normal man when stripped of his powers, or if his powers simply prevent him from bleeding in the first place. Either way, the thugs get mad because they think Joey alerted Jonathan about their plan. So, they decide to abduct his grandfather anyway and keep him at their place until after they’re sure Joey will lose the upcoming match against one of them. The actual abduction scene isn’t shown, but it’s funny to imagine it anyway.

So, Jonathan and Mark decide they have had enough, and they resort to the most obvious procedure—which is not calling the police: they try to convince Morton and that group of old, washed-up actors to stand up against the Jackson’s impersonators and rescue the grandfather all by themselves.

Of course, nothing could go wrong with this plan. And the most hilarious part: they actually agree to go for it.

But Jonathan has been keeping his punchline just for this.

Jonathan, he actually didn’t jump off the building, you stopped him. Also, it doesn’t mean your plan is any better, neither.

But the point here is another: why wouldn’t you call the authority for this. I mean, everyone knows the thugs are criminals, and apparently everyone knows where their hideout is, yet no one wants to call the police. Maybe they’re afraid of retaliation, or maybe they think they don’t have enough evidence to get them arrested (despite the fact the thugs are constantly robbing people). But a man’s abduction should be more than enough to justify police action and ensure protection for the residents in case the thugs retaliate—that’s what the police is for, I think. So, you either call them and let them handle it, or just ignore the situation like always done before.

Really, there’s just no point in getting the situation into their own hands, going out there, a bunch of elderly, back-aching actors to risk their lives against younger, possibly armed thugs instead of alerting whoever is more competent to deal with this kind of thing. And Mark was a cop himself, he should have known better.

But again, this episode is one of the most ridiculous ones, so let’s just assume everything is fine. The only real explanation is that whoever came up with the episode was deliberately mocking the absurdity of golden-era Western TV shows. Both Michael Landon and French made plenty and accepted to do this episode, so they must have known better.

And what follows is otherworldly (no pun intended): the actors dress up in their old costumes and begin an epic march toward the Jackson’s dressing room. Or hideout. Whatever.

And they’re gradually joined by ordinary people curious to see what happens next.

They arrive at the hideout, call out the Jackson impersonators, and demand the return of the grandfather. And the impersonators have the most natural of all reactions: they all burst out laughing.

Exactly what everyone would have done at their place.

But Morton is pretty serious, so a thug draws a knife, and one of them heroes disarm it with a whip.

All’s well that ends well, you might think. But then, suddenly, just totally randomly, what follows is unbelievable.

Like, what is happening now.

The crowd charges the criminals, corners them, and brutally attacks them.

Ok, that’s a real problem with the authorities now. I mean, precisely how are they going to justify that to the police? On the one side, the thugs were outnumbered and disarmed. On the other side, some washed-up actors and random people in the crowd took justice into their own hands and gather at the Jackson’s place to attack them, instead of reporting the kidnapping to the police. I mean, those old actors should be held accountable for inciting a riot or something, and for collectively assaulting a group of Michael Jackson impersonators that weren’t doing any harm—just imitating their favorite singer.

That doesn’t even seem to remotely worry Jonathan or Mark, who just stand there and seem to be cheering them as well.

Anyway, the grandfather is saved, and everyone jumps on a bus for a thrilling ride to the club where the match is taking place.

I mean, those old folks needed some rest after their criminal and completely illegal rescue mission.

Meanwhile, Joey is “taking the dive” (voluntarily losing the match), and he’s not very pleased about it.

While Thumper is enjoying it.

But not for long, as the grandpa and his group of unlikely retired heroes get to the club.

And the situation is basically reversed now.

Eventually, Joey gets the upper hand and wins the match fairly.

Here, one curious thing: apparently, the boxing match was shot at the Reseda Country Club, which was a venue used in the 1980s for concert acts during weekends, and boxing on weekdays (it has become a church now). And it’s not a random one: apparently, it was the place French regularly booked for boxing matches during his career as boxing promoter, and he regularly secured his boxers from the Ten Goose Gym to boxe there. But, according to an article by the Los Angeles Times about the Club, occasionally Landon would join too. So, it seems they both shared this passion for boxing, among others.

Curiously, as reported in a Los Angeles Herald Examiner article, this scene of the match between Joey and the thug was shot during the real match between Danny Lopez and Mark Mahone, disputed on August 29, 1984 (the shooting of this episode began on August 23, and that was the last day).

Also, one curious thing: by the time this episode was made, French wasn’t yet a boxing promoter (he’d become one on May 1985, at the end of this season). So, if they chose this place, maybe it’s because French and Landon were already familiar with it, and it’s quite prophetic of what French would do next.

Actually, it wouldn’t be the last time at Reseda either: in the fourth season, there’s going to be a serious episode about boxing, with an assignment entirely about it — not a comedy washed-up actors too — and multiple parts of that episode will take place at Reseda, not just one final scene as in here.

Anyway, back to the Western stuff: as the match concludes and Joey defeats the thug, Morton realizes there’s someone missing there.

Wait a minute, Jonathan and Mark left without being noticed, or without telling anybody. Just like that. That’s not very polite of them. And unusual of Mark, as well. I mean, walking out of a match like that, considering how fond the actor was of boxing, that’s just not like him.

So, Morton is left thinking about their mysterious identity.

Morton, what about Mark, wouldn’t you thank him as well. They always forget about him.

This part feels quite out of place, especially because it won’t happen again (not Jonathan and ark being “quiet quitters”, but see the assignment’s subject left wondering about Jonathan and Mark’s identity and what they’ve learnt from them. It seems more like they added this because it’s a very early show in the series, and they had to remind the audience about its premise and background: the series is about a mysterious man called Jonathan who is dressed up as a convicted felony, but is actually a probationary angel sent to Earth to help people, alongside an ex-cop from Oakland. But nobody can tell for sure what’s his real identity (that’s because the producers hadn’t defined it either, and likely planned to keep it that way until the seconds season).

Anyway, Morton quickly dismisses any regret and he starts randomly laughing. Really, for no reason at all.

And they happily return home to their now clean neighborhood.

And to face the legal consequences of their actions. Then you won’t be laughing like this anymore.

But, there’s more. In the last moment, there is a sequence of a Mark’s car driving away, somewhere.

That’s where they are. Perhaps they were smart enough to leave early and escape any problems with the cops. After all, they were involved in the Jackson’s assault, and didn’t stop it; actually, they encouraged them in the first place. And this marks the first instance of “Quiet Quitting” in the series

No, seriously, this was very random, and how did they get to their car: I mean, they had to take the bus to go the club, so the car wasn’t just parked outside. Also, that background looks nothing like Morton’s or Clay’s block, it’s too fancy for that.

Actually, they probably planned this moment to be used as one of those interlude ones between the scenes. That’s probably why the setting is neutral. And, this will turn out to be correct in the future: they used this exact sequence in another episode later on the season, which was not set in a rough neighborhood.

So, just remember it from here.

But, despite everything that has happened in this episode, it still somehow earned some impressive ratings that night, with approximately 30 millions people watching it, higher than the previous one. One addition to the many mysteries of the show.

Episode Trademark Features: the official introduction of the “Stuff,” and the official introduction of the hilarious, embarrassing hosrelaugh moment. Plus, it was a fun venture into the good old classic Western campy atmosphere.