Airdate: 02/20/1985

Directed By: Michael Landon

For some reason, NBC skipped a week episode of Highway (likely because this episode hadn’t finished production yet). So, to make up for it, they aired a love assignment episode for the ages.

• Assignment

Of course, it’s a love one: Jonathan and Mark are assigned to get Scotty, a quadriplegic lawyer, fall in love with Diane, an architect who happens to be a relative of Mark. So, there are some things to point out: one, that it’s a love story, again, the second time in the season an assignment is exclusively about that, and without counting neither Hotel Of Dreams nor As Difficult as ABC, who had more than that. But, unlike those times, the love assignment now is for two familiar faces in the series: this episode features Scotty Wilson back from the two parter. This marks the first time in the series that the same character is featured in two different episodes (if you consider the two-part episodes as a single one, and if you exclude Jonathan and Mark); so, it’s first episode where they feature the same character back from another episode with a different assignment. And this won’t be the last time Scotty comes back: actually, he’s the most recurring character of the series. Not sure if that makes him any special though: he’s helped by an angel more times than any other characters in the series, but that also means that he’ll need help more frequently, unlike other characters who have a problem, then Jonathan and Mark get into their life to solve it and they have their happily ever after.

He’s happy he’ll always have a probationary angel and an ex-cop there to watch his back.

Still, he is the first character Jonathan and Mark help twice, and it won’t the last time either.

Also, this marks one of the few episodes in the series where Jonathan and Mark personally know who is involved in the assignment. In particular, they are already familiar with Scotty, the quadriplegic aspiring lawyer who helped Deke after that motorbike accident, but Mark also knows who Scotty is to be matched with: Diane Gordon, who is Mark and Leslie’s younger cousin (Leslie is not in this episode, but she’s part of the family all the same).

So, it’s the second time in the series Jonathan and Mark personally know those involved in the assignment (the first time was Plane Death featuring Mark’s colleague), and it’s the first time the assignment revolves around someone in Jonathan or Mark’s family (it won’t be the last time in the series Mark will have to help them out). Actually, there has already been one with Mark’s family, Going Home, Going Home featuring his grandpa, but that time the assignment revolved more around Mark than the Grandpa, and it was a very peculiar task which turned out to seemingly be just a dream or whatever. Instead, this episode won’t be that peculiar.

Finally, one curious reference: in the third season, there’s going to be an episode where Jonathan and Mark will be talking about their past assignments, and Mark will point out this assignment as the best one he and Jonathan as ever worked on so far (by then). It’s very random, and quite disputable in light of some future, very emotional assignment for Mark (such as the first episode divided in two parts of the second season), but still. Maybe he was just voicing the opinion French had on this show.

• Jonathan and Mark’s schedule.

This episode reveals something new about the time Jonathan and Mark work on each assignment: here, there’s a time compressing moment when Scotty and Diane hang out together while Jonathan and Mark never make any appearance, and when later Scotty breaks up with her after the accident, they pay a visit to her to apologize, saying there’s nothing thy can do about it and informing her they have to leave soon for working commitments.

Now, two things are to be noticed here: the first is that it’s quite of an odd excuse to leave; I mean, the assignment was getting Scotty and Diane together, they basically did nothing for much of the episode, now Scotty and Diane are drifting apart and right when they need him the most, Jonathan and Mark tell her they has “another commitment”, as if this weren’t his assignment anymore. This means that Jonathan and Mark do not have all the time they want to solve an assignment, but if another pops up, they’ve got to leave even though what they’ve been working on is still unfinished or incomplete in some ways.

However, there’s another important aspect: taking it that’s unclear but much likely this assignment spans at least a month, and considering that Jonathan and Mark are there at the beginning, get Scotty on a date with Diane and then leave them for much of the time, it’s likely they didn’t just stay around doing nothing for the time it took to Diane to eventually propose. Rather, it’s reasonable to believe they left at some point to take care of a different assignment. In that case, this will show that, in the series, there are some assignments that take place at the same time. Of course, if that were true, those concurrent assignments must follow some general rules: for instance, they can’t be both assignments where they work on specific job (it’s unreasonable they work two jobs at the same time), nor they can be set in two different places. Still, it’s a new, revealing feature that can be useful to determine when this series takes place.

• Background

It’s unclear when this episode takes place, except that it follows One Fresh Batch Of Lemonade of course, nor how long it lasts for Jonathan and Mark: it’s supposedly set in California because that’s where they had met Scotty the first time, Diane’s house is at Sherman Oaks, and also because it’s unlikely they moved the series somewhere else, at least in terms of production. There’s something that can be contested here: at the beginning of the episode, Mark is happy because he is going to stay with his cousin and tells Jonathan he hadn’t seen her in years; of course, considering they both live in Los Angeles, somebody may find it implausible you have a relative living that close and you don’t see each other at all. Actually, the entire setting of the episode can be seen as a mystery, because they never justify why they hadn’t seen each other so long, and why Diane asked him out right now.

But it’s not that problematic: I mean, as far as we know, maybe Diane was working abroad, or in a different State (which is exactly the same thing in the US), or maybe she was aware of Mark’s problems with alcohol and his suspension from the police (the backgrounds he talked about in the Pilot before meeting with Jonathan and beginning his mission with him), and she just didn’t want to be involved with that, until she was told of his newfound life purpose and recovery and decided to come back to him.

And whose fault is that?

Now, as for the time Jonathan and Mark work on the assignment, that’s definitely unclear: the first part of the episode takes place in three days, but then it’s followed by a time-compressing scene in which they eventually fall in love and she proposes to him. So, it’s quite unlikely that occurred just over a couple of weeks.

But, if it really were the case this episode were set at the same time as another one, it could be that it’s around January or February 1985, the same time it aired, but that’s unsure.

Anyway, if it really were the case this episode is set at the same the as another, then it can be worked out which one: so, excluding the assignments between One Fresh And Batch Of Lemonade (when they meet Scotty) and Going Home, Going Home (they happen too far back in time and too far away), there would be three different cases. One is A Child Of God, which takes place around Los Angeles, but it would be a mystery why they rent an apartment for a month in that episode if the assignment seemingly last for a week. Then, another explanation is The Banker And The Bum, the following episode: it’s set around Los Angeles too, and they do not take any job there; still, that assignment only lasts for a couple of days, it doesn’t stretch as far as to cover a whole month. At this point, all things considered, the most plausible episode is As Diffiuclt As ABC, for multiple reasons: it likely takes place in L.A. (it was the Boyle Heights on that occasion), they never show where Jonathan and Mark are staying (which makes it possible it’s the same apartment as here), and it also features a time compress moment that makes it unclear how long they worked on that assignment (but plausibly stretches for a month or more).

So, in that case it seems they worked on two love assignments concurrently: they must have liked that.

Actually, there is also another easier explanation that has already been used earlier in the series: maybe they do not show all the people Jonathan and Mark help out as their assignment, so even if they did work on something else around the same time as this assignment, they just skipped that episode.

• Characters

This episode features the two most recurring characters of the series (without Jonathan and Mark), both appearing in multiple future episodes in the following seasons, and it’s good to get used to them. The character of Scotty (played by real quadriplegic actor James Troesh) has already been introduced earlier (it’s better to check those two episodes out, where he was not the main assignment but was likely the real protagonist). Just a brief recap here: apparently, he is quadriplegic (the origin never specified in the series) and an aspiring lawyer. On part one, he was still a student, while on part two he eventually passed his test and became a lawyer, the job he has here.

Actually, there is a small problem with his future endeavor: in this episode, he appears to be quite successful in his job, with many important clients too (such as the partner of Diane’s former employer). However, when he comes back in the second season episode The Monster, it turns out he was just a bookkeeper, not a “lawyer” who attends hearing and assists the police and does everything they show on TV. Also, here he seems rather happy with his job, and there isn’t any slightest hint that he doesn’t like it. Of course, it’s possible that he’s unhappy but doesn’t tell anything because it’s not what the episode is about. But actually, it seems they just wrote this episode without considering the implications for a future season. And they had to change some details to make that second season episode more tragic (it will be one), while here they just made an idealized love story that exudes 80s atmosphere.

Instead, Diane is apparently an up and coming architect, and there is a problem with her too: in this episode, she seems rather happy with her job (and her career seems thriving, she’ll have a good workplace where she gets “to choose the furniture” and on and on). However, when she comes back in the same episode as Scotty, second season The Monster, it turns out she quit it at some point to be a housewife, something she doesn’t ever mention here. And she seemingly implies that, maybe, she didn’t even like the job in the first place. Of course, it can be that she liked it originally, but then as she was climbing up she found out it was too much pressure and didn’t want it anymore. But again, it’s likely they just didn’t consider her job and made that second season episode more tragic.

I mean, at this point, considering all the characters alterations in terms of attitudes and personal aspirations, it seems like this episode is actually useless for their biography except for the conclusion, when they get married and seems happy. Because, that’s literally what will be mentioned in the future of this episode: they are married and are such a pretty couple. Actually, even this last detail about them being happy will also be overlooked then, as they’ll be having some problems.

Still, the point is they fall in love and get married, and that’s the important part.

Also, one detail about the protagonists. One is about Mark’s family: apparently, his cousin Diane has “Gordon” as her surname (before becoming a “Wilson” at the end, of course), the same as Mark’s. It means that Mark’s father must have a brother, Mark’s uncle. Unless they implied that Mark actually has an aunt and Diane was adopted or something. Just a detail, again.

Instead, about Jonathan, there is some incoherent action with his punchline: during One Winged Angels, there was an instance where he went fishing with Mark and refused to give him some “juicy nightcrawlers” as bait, telling him that he didn’t want to be part of killing living creatures in the world. Now, that supposedly means that Jonathan won’t eat animals, and that’s entirely plausible considering angels don’t have to eat at all in the first place. However, in this episode he’s at some Chinese restaurant with Mark, Scotty and Diane, and even though what that food is might be unclear, it’s likely some meat or fish.

Actually, he’s not shown eating: there’s just Mark being fed by his cousin and then they are all out talking and walking. Still, it’d be quite unreasonable to think that he spent the rest of the night watching them eat. I mean, that would be weird, also because he’s the one who got to idea of having dinner together in the first place.

• Actors

The characters of Scotty and Diane will both come back, and they’re going to be played by the same actors. As for Scotty, it’s already been told he’s played by James Troesh, who became close friend to Landon and French: apparently, James’s character was originally supposed to appear just on that episode early on this season, but then (thanks to his friendship to Landon and an encouragement by French), his character was expanded for another episode (this show).

Instead, Diane is Margie Impert, who seemingly retired from acting in 1986, at the age of 39, and it’s unclear what exactly she’s been up to. Actually, Highway To Heaven marks her last work as actress; so she joins the list of actors who chose Highway as the send-off, last role of their career.

Also, one curious appearance: the actor playing the mysterious Jonathan’s friend at the conclusion of the episode is Alan Toy, an actor paralyzed from the waist down for polio. So, it’s not pretending like Deke’s actor was on his episode. There are not so many 1980s TV show featuring physically impaired actors.

• Production and Setting

The production of this episode took by the end of January 1985 in California. In particular, Diane’s apartment is in Sherman Oaks (the same block where they produced To Touch The Moon), while the church at the conclusion isn’t actually a church, but rather the structure of Pepperdine University in Malibu.

Very odd they couldn’t find any other church available for the episode. But it’s a Christian University, at least.

As for the production, it took place around the end of January for a week, as usual for the series, and it was written by Landon alongside James Troesh (also playing Scotty) and Theresa Troesh, his wife.

Actually, the whole story might be quite personal: as revealed in a 1984 interview with the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, Troesh credited his wife for turning him around completely. Basically, in 1974, he left home and was living with the accident’s settlement funds (the accident that made him quadriplegic at the age of 14), without any specific plan for the future; as he admits in the interview: “I was just mad, I didn’t care about anything“. Then, he met Theresa and moved in together in 1978, but only got married in 1980, two years later. After that, he confessed “Theresa helped me through“, using an old, reliable method: “She did a lot of yelling“. So, she encouraged him to attend college, where he found his passion for screenwriting and acting, setting to become one. He played a secondary role in a stage play and then, on August 1984, he got on Highway for the episode One Fresh Batch Of Lemonade, although it was originally just that.

In an interview to Troesh dated February 1985 (the night the episode aired) for the Arizona Republic, he revealed that the character of Scotty was supposed to appear only in that two part episode, and then be out of the series. However, upon learning that he was an aspiring writer, and that he was already in the process of writing an autobiographical book (which was never published, for that matter) — fellow actor on the series French (who was also a playwright) encouraged him to write an autobiographical episode for Highway. So, Troesh was convinced and wrote this episode’s script with his wife by September 1984, during the three weeks separating the production of One Fresh Batch Of Lemonade Part 1 and Part 2 (it was originally intended to be a one part episode, so Part 1 and Part 2 weren’t produced consecutively).

Then, after three months without hearing back from anybody, Landon called Troesh on December 29 and told him that he had officially selected the script and wanted to produce it, but that it needed some improvements here and there. Eventually, Landon took it upon himself to tweak it and sent back the final script in just 10 days (as confirmed by the draft date).

So, two things to consider: one, this marks the beginning of James ‘s career as TV writer, and the second collaboration between Troesh and Landon on the series — and not the last one either. Actually, in the same Arizona Republic interview, Troesh revealed that he was already discussing with Landon the premise for another episode with Scotty dealing with becoming parent. This idea would serve as the basis for a third season episode — although Scotty and Diane will also come back on a different two part episode before it, in the second season (unrelated to the parent assignment).

Then, this was the first episode of the series that is supposedly based on a true story—it’s actually the biographical account of Troesh and Theresa’s own marriage, though with the addition that an angel and his human friend were involved in it. Actually, they do not get much relevance in the episode: they appear at the beginning to get Scotty meet Diane for the first time, then they disappear for most of the time and only comes back when Scotty is having some problem. Maybe they are not involved in the assignment exactly because this was based on a true story, and Jonathan and Mark were added just for the show — so Troesh didn’t quite know how to make them fit in.

Either way, this won’t be the last biographical episode of the series: although most assignments are fictional ones, there are some of them that are actually based on true stories (not just about Scotty), and this was the first one (more details about the assignments based on a true story here).

Finally, one curious anecdote: in a Los Angeles Times article dated 1988, while shooting another episode in the fourth season, it seems that French apparently revealed one day he came back home to watch one Highway show “that had a quadriplegic actor in it” and he reportedly started crying, being glad to be a part of a groundbreaking series “in which that actor is able to do that“. Now, it’s unclear which episode he was referring to, but of course it was one with James Troesh (the only episodes with quadriplegic actors), likely in the early season — so, either One Fresh Batch Of Lemonade or this (although it could also be The Monster, because French directed that one). Maybe that’s why Mark would later admit in the third season this was his best assignment ever: that was actually French who had this opinion — or maybe he just felt deeply involved in this episode, being the one responsible for encouraging Troesh to write it in the first place.

Glossary

Blooper: when Diane proposes to Scotty and he accepts, she offers to drive him home in his special van, but they are involved in in an accident. However, the moment before that, they show the van, and it’s clearly visible that Diane is not the one doing the driving here.

I mean, that looks more like a man. Probably, a trained stunt driver who is preparing for the imminent accident.

“Cute“: this episode features two instances of Cute by Mark, finally. It’s been quite some episode now, considering that on Going Home it was used by Mark the Kid, not the adult, and for One Winged Angels it was actually Jonathan saying that. Anyway, the first time it’s when Mark, Jonathan, Scotty and Diane have dinner at a Chinese place and Mark of course has to play the part of the clumsy middle aged 1980s American who has never used chopstick. Eventually, Scotty invited Diane to feed Mark, and he thanks them with a Cute.

The second time is when Mark tells Jonathan he could eat a horse — and then he hears the sound of a horse behind him.

So, he turns around talks to the door, even though Jonathan wasn’t there.

Sunday Suits: actually, in this episode Jonathan and Mark take out their Sunday Suits twice. At the beginning there’s one, when they go out having dinner with Diane and Scotty for the first time, and then at the end, for the marriage.

Though they probably weren’t informed it wasn’t in a church, but some University.

References: of course, as this episode features a character that has already appeared in the series, there are some obvious references to that two parts episode earlier, and a clear one is when the fellow quadriplegic man drops Scotty a punchline of live in the minute, which should be familiar.

And he’s right: it’s the same punchline Scotty taught Deke on that episode.

Surely he’s quite annoyed that he was not the first one who had thought of it.

Punchline: so, excluding the punchline throwback to Deke’s episode, there’s one punchline to point out here. At the conclusion, when Scotty and Diane get married and leave on the van, Mark tells Jonathan he feels confident about their friends’ love.

In a bunch of episodes, it won’t be the case anymore: they’ll be having some problems.

But, Jonathan doesn’t want to ruin his friend’s enthusiasm and drops the title of the episode as punchline.

And it will turn to hell very soon.

The “Stuff” Powers”: at the beginning of the episode, Jonathan turns to a mechanic again. So, when Scotty’s personal assistant can’t get the van to work, Jonathan tells him to leave and uses the power to make it start, with a glance.

It’s odd, because he does that like one second after the assistant walks away, and it’s quite implausible nobody noticed that.

Assignment: Jonathan and Mark are assigned to help a quadriplegic lawyer fall in love with a woman.

While Jonathan and Mark are driving at night, Mark shares with Jonathan how excited he is because he’s about to meet his cousin Diane, whom he hasn’t seen in years. However, Jonathan tells him he’ll have to change his plans, as they’ve got an assignment involving Scotty, and work comes first.

Meanwhile, Diane quits her job as an architect after discovering her boss took credit for her designs, assuming a man’s name would sell better than hers. When Mark arrives at Diane’s house, Jonathan tells them he’s having dinner with Scotty, and asks them if they want to join him

That’s a bit impolite. I mean, your friend Mark has plans with his cousin for dinner, and you consciously schedule another dinner with another person that same night.

Anyway, they don’t mind joining Scotty and Jonathan; so, that night they all head out and it looks like Scotty and Diane hit it off. When Diane mentions her old job, Scotty reveals he has a meeting with her former client and offers to bring her original sketches up. The next day, Scotty calls to let her know the client wants to meet with her. As a result, Diane gets her project back with her credits on it, along with a promotion, and she invites Scotty out to celebrate.

So, Jonathan offers to drive Scotty in his special van, but when they arrive, he abruptly leaves, claiming he’s been summoned by his Superior for another job.

That’s odd: the way Jonathan says that makes it seem as if they know who he’s talking about. I mean, now Scotty and Diane must be thinking what he does all day.

Anyway, Scotty feels awkward, as he needs somebody to feed him, but Diane remains unbothered and plays it cool.

The next day, Mark visits Diane and asks her to have dinner, but she reveals that she already has plans with Scotty.

I mean, Diane, is it so necessary to have dinner with Scotty, like every time.

So, it’s been two dinners in a row, and third one coming now. I mean, you haven’t seen your friendly cousin in years and you still haven’t had the chance to spend time with him alone because you are busy hanging out with a man you met literally 2 days ago.

This understandably makes Mark a bit wary, believing she might be acting like this because she feels sorry for Scotty, who is just a lonely quadriplegic. Or maybe because he suspects he had done something wrong if she is avoiding him constantly.

Nothing, Mark, it’s just an excuse because she doesn’t want to see you.

Anyway, Diane immediately dismisses Mark’s questions and confesses she might be in love with Scotty.

Up next, the usual music montage that compresses indefinite amount of time as the two of them court each other.

And it all leads to Diane suddenly proposing to Scotty by the beach.

Actually, this isn’t exactly a great sign— I mean, remember there was another love story that blossomed on a beach, and well, it was Mark’s. Not really the happy one. It even seems the same beach, though it’s unclear.

Also, during this moment, Jonathan and Mark are completely absent. I mean, they just get them on the first date when Mark saw Diane after a long time, and then disappeared for an indefinite amount of time.

Now, Scotty accepts and they kiss there.

But the curse of the beach continues here as well: while on their way home, a drunk driver crashes into their van. So, they’re saved by a passerby who pulls Scotty and Diane from the wreckage before it’s too late, and they are taken to the hospital.

Then, Jonathan and Mark suddenly appear after being away for much of the episode and go to the hospital to visit Scotty. There, he tells them he’s changed his mind about the wedding, explaining he felt powerless during the accident and doesn’t want to be a burden to Diane for her life.

Nothing to say in here. I mean, it’s a reasonable argument, and Jonathan and Mark must have thought the same, because they remain quiet and leave him.

They ran out of punchline.

So, they just come back home, where Mark confesses to Jonathan how he feels about this whole assignment.

Now, they probably realized Scotty and Diane couldn’t make it without any help, so it’s time to work on this assignment: when Scotty is released from the hospital, Jonathan and Mark go to pick him up. Then, Jonathan tells him they’ll need to stop by and see “an old friend” of his before heading home.

That sounds spooky.

I mean, we all know what he means when he says “Friend“: the same one who gave him the bikes and the references and provides with all kind of information he needs for each assignment — he’s talking about his “superior”. So, what is that supposed to mean, that they are going to Heaven? I mean, even the title might point that.

But it turns out Jonathan is referring to Jack, a human friend he’s never mentioned before in the series. likely somebody he helped in his assignments prior meeting Mark. And this mysterious friend is quadriplegic but happily married, with a family of his own.

Eventually, this friend helps Scotty realize his mistakes with Diane by telling him that, even though their life will be rather different compared to those without a wheelchair, it’s still worth it. Then, Scotty resolves to go to Diane’s place, apologizes to her and proposes with a ring in his mouth. And they soon get married and live happily ever after

Or not really—they’ll appear again in the series, facing some marital issues—but that’s in the future.

Also, this episode wanted to show that quadriplegic people can have a good life as well, so let’s just go with that. For now.

Notice they bought Scotty a new van, which he will have changed by the time he comes back later on in the series.

Eventually, this episode aired on February 1985 but skipping a week from A Child Of God. It’s unclear why, because on that day they didn’t air anything special, nor there was any cataclysmic event such as a Football Game that would have overshadowed everything else. It seems more like the production was running late on the schedule and they couldn’t finish the episode in time for that week, so they just asked the network to have a break for a moment. Anyway, such mysterious delay usually damage the ratings, and it was the case: this it didn’t get the impressive audience the series began enjoying from One Winged Angels a month ago, it still remained as successful as most episodes before Christmas, so it’s not that bad. At least, people will already know Scotty and Diane by the time they come back later.