Hill Street Blues (1985) – You’re in Alice’s, and Grin and Bear It

We wrap up season five this week and there’s a lot going on, Goldblume (Joe Spano) doesn’t have time to grieve for Gina’s (Jennifer Tilly) very public murder, because he’s too focused on getting involved in the investigation, and executing her will. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg on the precinct this week….

Hidden Pictures (2022) – Jason Rekulak

Jason Rekulak delivers a wonderfully creepy ghost story with Hidden Pictures. Filled with familiar ideas and tropes, Rekulak keeps it fresh with his engaging story, delightfully layered characters and the drawings that fill the novel. Mallory is fresh from rehab, she’s trying to get her life together, and with some help she lands a summer…

The Punisher (1989) – Mark Goldblatt

The same year that Micheal Keaton donned the cowl and became the iconic Batman for a generation, Dolph Lundgren brought Marvel’s dark antihero, Frank Castle, to life in the low-budget adaptation of The Punisher. If I say ugh will that be enough? Lundgren has never been known for his thespian abilities, and in a role…

Star Trek: Invasion! First Strike (1996) – Diane Carey

Diane Carey launched a cross-generational story that swept through all four of the then-existing series, The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. Each novel featured a standalone story that connected with the other tales, and the first featured Captain Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise. Set a very short…

Hill Street Blues (1984) – Fowl Play, and Bangladesh Slowly

Fowl Play opens with the reveal that Swan (Tim Robbins) took his own life after what happened at the rookie party in the previous episode, and all eyes are on Buttman (Micheal Biehn). Lucy (Betty Thomas) is determined to bust him, and Washington (Taurean Blacque) and Coffey (Ed Marinaro) are right there with him. The…

Hill Street Blues (1984) – Watt a Way to Go, and Rookie Nookie

Joyce’s (Veronica Hamel) client is about to face the electric chair unless she can find another witness to come forward and Goldblume (Joe Spano) gets violent when his ex-wife is assaulted and raped in her own apartment. Watt a Way to Go was written by David Milch and Robert Director from a story by Steven…

The Equalizer (1989) – Endgame, and Suicide Squad

Endgame is a tale of manipulation, and revenge, and seems to almost sneak up on the fringes of Saw territory, as the episode finds two sisters pitted against one another. Written by Coleman Luck, the penultimate episode of The Equalizer aired on 10 August, 1989, well after the season should have finished in May. McCall…

The Equalizer (1989) – Prisoners of Conscience, and The Caper

Even as the series closes in on its ending, we continue to get peeks into the character of Robert McCall (Edward Woodward), and this time he’s joined by his actual son, Tim Woodward, who takes on the role of McCall’s father, seen in flashbacks. Prisoners of Conscience was written by Robert Eisele and debuted on…