Paul (Robert Hays) and Scott (Christopher Daniel Barnes) have been on the road for a while, we’re seven episodes in (!) and they’ve grown tired of it and may enjoy one place for a while in One for the Road.

Written by Michael Marks this episode was first broadcast on 7 November, 1986.

Scott is settling in and even being given a chance to be a real teenager at a local high school, and Paul has a job interview at a local newspaper. They are all ready to take a break and kick back and relax for a bit.

When the paper tags Paul’s photo with his name, against his request, Paul knows trouble will be on the way again in the form of George Fox (Michael Cavanaugh). Paul wants to move on, he knows they have to go on the run again, and continue their search for Jenny Hayden.

Scott has other things in mind, wanting to stay, and have something like a normal life especially after he has a bit of a blossoming romance with Kelly (Ami Dolenz). But when Fox shows up during Scott’s track competition, the teenager realizes that they have to leave, not only to keep themselves safe, but their new friends.

It’s a nice episode, it lets Scott be a teenager for an episode, and Hays tones down the broad performance of his earlier episodes to deliver a lot of his lines with a real earnestness. Yes, there are moments still played for comedy, but overall, this one works like gangbusters.

Peregrine was written by Geoffrey Fischer and first debuted on 14 November, 1986.

Paul and Scott find an injured peregrine falcon. Paul is able to calm the bird enough to collect him, and they begin a hunt for a veterinarian, something that could put them at risk. Scott asks a valid question, why can’t he just heal the bird with one of his spheres? Paul tells him that he doesn’t know what’s wrong with the bird so he can’t help him.

Of course, the vet is a lovely young woman, Casey (Margaret Klenck) who recruits Paul to help out when she sees how he has a calming effect on all of the animals. She offers a bit of room and board for the father-son duo in exchange for help.

Casey takes the bird to a bird foundation that she isn’t a big fan of but needs the help. Paul realizes there’s something morally questionable going on at the foundation because he seems to have a connection with the ill bird. Casey catches Paul using one of his spheres to heal the bird now that he knows what is wrong with it, and like everyone else they bump into along the way, begins to get curious about Paul’s true nature.

But was it the right thing to do healing the bird? It’s an endangered species and may need help, something that could be seen to with captive breeding. All of this plays out as Fox continues his hunt for the pair.

Of course, Fox is on their trail and interacts with Chief Galley (wonderful character actor Jason Bernard).

There are more stories of humanity and compassion coming as I continue to explore more of Starman: The Complete Series in 4K, a fantastic extra on John Carpenter’s Starman found in Sony’s Columbia Pictures 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 4.