#90 "Diplomas For Sale" (Season 5 #9)

 Original Air Date: Dec. 8, 1990

Writer: Thomas Perry & Jo Perry

Director: Randy Bradshaw

Production Code: 16508

Opening Theme: Season 5 theme with Hoffs, Mac, J. Penhall, Fuller & special appearance by D. Penhall

Closing Theme: Normal instrumental closing theme

LOD: Joey to Burton, when they stop him from robbing a store: "You have already done one incredibly stupid thing tonight. Don't do another one."

Regulars: Doug, Joey, Hoffs, Mac, Fuller

Friends, Family & Guests: Jayeson Boyd, Alex Bruhanski, Channing Mitchell (Unknown - David Burton, Mr. Austin, Mr. Paxton); Leslie Carlson (Professor Gray), Venus Turzo (Melinda), Anna Hagen (Dean), Noah Beggs (Steve Campbell), Richard Newman (Store Clerk), Mitchell Kosterman (Cop #1).


Episode Summary from The 21 Jump Street Episode Guide:

Doug and Joey enroll in a college where good students are mysteriously being turned into criminals.


Detailed Episode Summary:

(NOTE: I am doing these from the FX repeats. Email me with missing scenes & I'll add them).

Accidental Opening Scene/Teaser That Should Be Edited Out: Scene from later in the show when Professor Gray first accuses Burton of plagiarism.

Opening Scene: A boy, Steve Campbell, is walking down the street and puts on a ski mask. He commits an armed robbery, yelling for the clerk to hurry and not look at him. The clerk gives him the money and secretly pushes an alarm button. Once out of the store, Steve walks down the street, nervously carrying his bag, and a police car drives up, lights flashing. He begins to run, and they activate their siren and tell him to halt. He starts crossing the street to get away from them and is fatally hit by a truck.

At the Chapel, Fuller shows them a picture of Steven Campbell and tells them that he was the valedictorian of his high school class and expected to graduate from college with honors this spring. Mac, Hoffs, Doug and Joey are all in there. They pass around the picture. Mac is surprised that someone like that would walk into a truck, and Fuller says he was also holding up liquor stores. Hoffs says she already has her degree and he's not going to send her back to college, is he? Doug teases her and calls her "Miss Sarah Lawrence." Joey, who has been standing aside throughout the conversation so far, speaks up and says seriously that he would like to see what college is like. Doug grins and says Joey would like to see what high school is like. Fuller says they read his mind - he's placing the Penhall brothers in the dead kid's room, with Hoffs and Mac as backup.

In a student housing neighborhood, Doug and Joey get out of Doug's truck and go up the steps to the door of a house. Just as Doug's getting ready to knock, Joey grabs his hand to stop him and ask if he doesn't think renting a dead guy's room is kind of creepy. Doug takes the "Room To Rent" sign down off the door and says somebody's going to do it - it may as well be them. A kid, David Burton, comes to the door, and Doug introduces himself as "Doug Hersh," and also introduces Joey. Inside, Joey looks at some cassettes , compliments the collection and asks if he likes Depeche Mode. Burton says actually they belonged to his roommate, and would he mind not looking through them? Joey, embarrassed, hands them back. Burton tells them he doesn't mean to be a pain, but his roommate just died a week ago. Joey asks if that was the guy who...and Burton, saying yes, it was the guy who robbed the liquor store. He continues that it was him, but it wasn't. Doug offers to come back if this isn't a good time, and he says no, he needs the rent, and his parents can barely afford his half. Joey walks off to explore, and the kid says if they want they can move in today, and their half will be $250 a month. "$250 a month!" Doug yells to Joey, and Joey yells back that they'll take it. Later at college, Joey leaves the administration building, chatting up a girl, saying that he's flabbergasted and left miffed at the whole existentialism of it all - it's going to be just him, her and a couple of fake fur coats. Doug is waiting for him, and as the girl walks off, Doug trips as he watches her. He asks Joey who she is, and Joey holds out his arms and yells "Melinda!" She looks back and smiles as he yells that he loves her attitude. Joey tells Doug that she's an informant, and Doug can't believe it. He asks if she knows anything, and Joey stops, exasperated, saying "Yeah." Doug says Joey's wasting taxpayers' money, and Joey tells Doug not to start with him. Doug asks how she could know anything, and Joey says that she told him if he takes Bonehead English he can sleep in and have his evenings free. Doug says that's not an informant, and Joey asks what classes he's taking. The same as Steve Campbell, Doug replies - Chemical Engineering, Renaissance Thought, and Calculus. "I," he informs Joey loftily, "will never sleep again."

At the Chapel, Mac and Fuller are arm wrestling, Mac chewing gum the whole time. Fuller asks Mac to tell him again why they are doing this. Mac says that they were talking about Fuller's next birthday or something. Fuller says no, it was that Mac was saying that he couldn't see Fuller as a power forward. He says no, he could, it's just not the first thing that pops to mind, and Fuller says "College league champs, bro, I was the meanest man in the Key." Mac says "I believe you, sir," and Fuller says Mac doesn't have to call him sir - he's not that much older than Mac, who says "Yes, sir," to that and then apologizes. Mac begins to overpower him, and Fuller pushes back, saying "yes!" when he gets back up to equal footing. Mac apologizes and says that he was fixing his shoelace. Fuller almost gets him down and then Mac pushes harder - and wins. "Woohoo," he says softly and then looks at his watch, saying he's got to go, it's late. Fuller rubs his arm ruefully and watches him. Mac goes over to get his bag and coat, and Fuller says Mac must lift a lot at the academy gym. Mac says no, lifting and gyms aren't his bag. Fuller asks how he stays in shape, and Mac says sports. Fuller asks what sports, and Mac says basketball, roller skating, darts - "anything to get me off my butt. See you." He leaves, and Fuller continues rubbing his arm, calling after him, "It's time for you to start calling me "sir" again, too." Mac leaves, saying "Ooh...yes, sir."

Doug gripes about his assignment of a 15-page paper on the role that the Medici family had on classical knowledge. He clears a spot at the table for Burton, who says that he's going to meet with his study group and already has his paper done, adding that Doug just needs to apply himself. Doug says he noticed that Burton's pre-law. Burton says that his dad's been saving up for law school ever since he told him he wanted to be a lawyer. Doug asks if his dad's a lawyer, and he says no, his dad's a cop. Doug registers this and continues - asking if Steve was pre-law. Burton says yes, that he and his dad were going to ask Steve to join in with them. Doug says there's something he doesn't get - how does a pre-law student wind up robbing a store? Burton says that the cops already asked him that and he doesn't know - he lies awake at night worrying...uh, wondering. Doug notices his slip but says nothing, and Burton says he's going to be late and has to go. He wishes Doug good luck on his paper. The next day, the professor is lecturing about the medieval tradition continuing into the Renaissance and mentioning various authors. As he walks toward the board, we see that he has drawn a huge "Why?" on it. He notices that the hour is up and tells them that as they hand in their paper on the Medici's, they can pick up last week's essays. Doug stretches sleepily. Burton hands in his paper slowly and says "Professor Gray, I don't see my paper." Professor says that he'd like to speak with him in his office. Melinda, who is also in this class, meets Burton's eyes and looks distressed. Doug hands his paper in.

In Professor Gray's office, Burton asks if there is something wrong with his paper. "Other than the fact that you didn't write it?" Gray asks. He says it's brilliant but betrayed a certain onanistic quality - that it displayed a certain dearth of verisimilitude in comparison to Burton's last two papers. This goes right over Burton's head. Professor Gray asks if Burton knows what he's getting at, and Burton says he doesn't. When Professor Gray asks him to use "onanistic" and "verisimilitude" in a sentence, Burton says he can't right off the top of his head, and Professor Gray firmly states, "you didn't write that paper." Burton becomes defiant, insisting that he worked hard on that paper. Professor Gray says that he may be more lenient if Burton confesses what he has done, but Burton denies everything. Professor Gray says he knows he is lying, and Burton challenges him to prove it. Burton leaves Gray's office and Melinda asks if Gray knows. Burton says that he knows something, but he doesn't know it. She walks off, and Doug comes up to Burton, grinning at him and asking him how he knows Melinda. Burton says she's in his study group, and when Doug asks him how he did on the paper, he says "Good." Doug congratulates him and asks why Gray wanted to see him, looking back to catch another glimpse at Melinda. Burton says Gray just wanted to clarify a few things and said that, overall, the paper was "brilliant." Doug claps him on the back and says he didn't know he had a brilliant roommate and announces to everyone in the hallway that his roommate is brilliant.

At the house, Joey is listening to a Walkman and reading. The phone rings, and Burton, coming past Joey to get it and looking annoyed, picks it up. Joey continues grooving to the music but watches Burton's every move. Burton tells the person on the phone, "No, I'll get it!" and then says it again in a muffled yell. He walks toward the door, and Joey yells, "Ho! Yo! Thought we were going for pizza!" Burton says he's not hungry and leaves. Joey yells for Doug. Outside, Doug and Joey quietly follow Burton. He walks toward an ATM, and Doug grouses about getting out of the shower early so that they could watch him go get some cash. "Let's see what he's gonna do with it," Joey suggests. Burton veers away from the ATM when someone else is already there, looks around to see if anyone's looking, puts on a ski mask and gets out a gun. Doug and Joey perk up and then take off running to him. Doug takes the gun away over Burton's protestations that it's not even loaded. Doug says if a cop sees the gun, it won't matter, he'll shoot to kill. They hustle him off, demanding an explanation. He breaks free and stands there, asking Doug, "who are you, my old man?" Joey tells him not to do anything else that would be stupid, and Doug tells him to come on, and they walk with him back to the house. Doug asks him what happened, and he says that he bought the paper to turn in - that's how he got it done so fast. Doug asks if he needed the money to pay for it, and he says no, someone found out he had done it and is blackmailing him. Doug asks if that's what happened to Steve, and he says yes, that he started getting calls that said to pay $500 or your professor will know. He needed the money tonight. Joey says if he tells the professor, Burton will flunk one class, big deal. Burton says he'll get kicked out of the school. Joey suggests that he could just go to another school, and Burton says strongly that they'll just call and find out why he was kicked out - no law school, no admission, his life is down the drain. Joey finally realizes how serious it is. Burton says he doesn't want to even think about his old man. Doug says to take it easy and start with where he got the paper. He said Steve told him about it - they sell everything - Chadway Academic Research. Doug looks at Joey.

At Chadway, Doug leans back to look up at the sign and then goes in. He puts on a goofy act and finally manages to ask, whispering, for a paper. The guy at the counter, Mr. Austin, says he can barely hear him and gets up. Doug says every time he sits down to write, his mind goes blank. Austin says that somehow he can believe him and asks what the topic is. He says it's 15-20 pages on the role of the Medici family on the preservation of classical knowledge and thought. Austin checks the computer for the topic and finally finds an A paper, as Doug plays with everything on the counter. Doug asks how he knows that the guy didn't sell the paper to everyone else in his class already. Austin says it's on the computer and offers to double check - he says it got an A at the University of Ohio in 1989 for a History of Western Thought class and it has never been used at this school. Doug continues mindlessly playing with the stapler and picking staples out of it, until Austin takes it away from him. Doug asks if he has anything a little less good, that he's only doing a 2.0, and he wants a B or C paper so his professor won't get suspicious at a sudden A. Austin says Doug's not as dumb as he looks. Doug grins and thanks him, acts like he just got the insult, decides to overlook it and thanks him again. At the morning briefing in Fuller's office, Doug turns in his credit card receipt and conveys his surprise that they just sold him the paper and let him put it on his credit card. Mac says it's clean, let's make the bust. Fuller says they can't bust a company for selling term papers. Doug points out that they're doing it in broad daylight in the middle of town, and Fuller says that's because it's perfectly legal. Mac asks how it can be legal, and Fuller says that term papers are like books - the author can sell to whomever he wants to, and the company can re-sell to whoever they want to. Doug asks if he's telling them that they don't have a case, and Fuller says the only thing illegal is the kids turning the papers in with their names on them. Doug says that he wanted them to find out what kind of trouble Steve Campbell was in, and this is it - that he was being blackmailed and someone is blackmailing Burton right now. Mac says blackmailing is still illegal, isn't it? and Fuller says yes. Doug asks who's going to write a term paper to get in tight with the company, and just then Hoffs runs into the office, apologizing for being late. They smile at her.

Hoffs turns up at the term paper company and asks if they would be interested in buying her paper. She begins to tell him what it's on, and he says he doesn't care any more than the students who buy it care and asks what it got. She tells him it got an A, and he says they want it. Mr. Paxton yells for Cooper and tells him they need a copy of this paper, and it's Mac. He comes up to the counter and says "no problem, coming right up." Hoffs says she heard you could make more money writing papers on order, and he asks her if she does custom work. She nods, and he says they can always use more statistics papers. She says that would be great because she over-charged her credit card last month. He goes to the computer and says they have a request for Statistics 305: "Construct a multi-variable contingency table using analysis of variant technique," the usual stuff. Hoffs says, right, looking a bit disconcerted. Mac tells Paxton there's a computer problem to get alone with Hoffs for a minute and tell her he found a list of credit card numbers, but no names. She asks if they match with students buying papers, and he says he doesn't know yet but he's going to try. Try what, Paxton asks, and Mac says he's going to try junior college again. Paxton says he's so glad he got out of the teaching business - he used to spoon feed information to students, and now he just sells it outright. He tells Mac that his copier is going, and he says "Yo, right. Yo, later" and walks off. At the college, Gray asks Burton one more time, did he write the paper, and is it his original work? Burtion once again says it is. Gray takes a paper out of a drawer and says he received it last night at his front door - it's identical to Burton's, and it was used at the University of California in 1987. He says that he called the professor, who remembered the paper. Burton tries to explain that he needed the good grade for his GPA to get into law school, and offers pleadingly to take the class again, totally straight. Gray says he gave him that opportunity two days ago. Burton begs him not to kick him out, but Professor Gray has already talked to the dean and the case will be heard before a session of the Academic Standards Commission on Friday.

At the chapel, Joey walks through with a newspaper and coffee, and Mac bounds in, saying hi to everyone and making Joey spill some of his coffee on the floor. They meet eyes, and Mac raises his arms apologetically, but Joey walks off like it's not a big deal. Fuller, a pair of inline skates around his neck, stops Mac and tells him that downtown got a list of names to go with the credit card numbers Mac found, and they might be victims of the blackmailer. He tells Mac to get close to one of them and find out. Mac agrees and begins reading the names aloud, beginning with Melinda Cross. Joey interrupts him and asks to see the list. He says he met Melinda, and she doesn't seem like the type to be cheating. Fuller says none of them are the type - they're not dumb, they just do it to stay at the top of the grade curve. He walks off, and Mac goes to the phone. "Whatcha doin', Mac?" Joey asks innocently, and Mac says he's making a phone call. He calls the registrar's office to get her schedule. Later, Mac stands outside as Melinda's class is letting out and asks loudly if anyone knows her or is her. Melinda comes up and says she's Melinda Cross. Mac says "Melinda Cross with the 3.91 overall?" and she says yes, why? He walks off with her and says he saw her name on the dean's list and needs a tutor. She tries to brush him off, but he says he takes direction well, and she says no, she's uncomfortable with him following her. He says if she'd stop walking he wouldn't be following her anymore. He admits that he should have gotten an introduction but didn't know anyone she knew and he figured he could talk her into it, or maybe he could just absorb her knowledge by osmosis. He just keeps blabbering, and she interrupts him to ask if he always talks this fast. "Only when I'm desperate," he says, adding that he could really use five hours a week, and he'll pay whatever she charges. They make a deal for Friday night, because she really needs the money. She says she can't because she has Student Court. He asks about doing it afterward, at her place and admits, when she asks, that yes, he does already know where she lives.

At Burton's house, he's packing, and Doug asks why. Joey points out that his hearing is not for a few days. Burton says he wants to be ready when they say it. Doug says he can't just lay down and play dead because of a little bit of lousy judgement - he's gotta fight this thing and pretend like it's his first case. Burton walks off, saying he's going to work on his defense. The phone rings, and Doug gets it - it's for him, and it's a voice whispering the blackmail threat. In the other room, Burton is listening, but Doug doesn't know it. The voice says to drop off the money in a bag at the South Quad, tomorrow at noon - drop it and go. Burton hangs up, and so does Doug. Joey asks if he recognizes the voice, and Doug says no, but they'll find out who it is soon enough. Burton sits in his room. At the Chapel, Fuller counts out five hundred dollars. Hoffs says that she and Mac will be at Chadway to tail whoever comes to pick up the money. Joey says he and Doug are handling the drop and why do they have to double up? Fuller says "One - so he doesn't get away. Two - so the DA doesn't turn him loose - blackmail is very hard to prove." Doug says "Let's do this," and they leave. At the South Quad, Doug walks over with his small paper bag and sits on a bench. He sits it between his feet and shoves it back slightly with one foot. Joey is watching from across the quad. Doug gets up and leaves. Meanwhile, at Chadway, Mac is making copies, and Hoffs delivers her paper. Paxton tells her it had better be an A, and Hoffs says it's gonna be a best-seller. Austin says he's off for lunch, and Paxton says he has a reservation at noon sharp. Austin tells Mac to watch the store, and they leave. Mac comes up front and Hoffs says to meet her outside. He begins to put the closed sign on the door and lock up, and Melinda comes to the door. She asks "You work here?" and he says yeah, he does some copying and move boxes and stuff. Hoffs goes to her red Jeep, waiting for Mac and watching Paxton and Austin. They get in separate cars and leave, and she looks back for Mac, who is still talking to Melinda. They drive off, and she gets in her Jeep. Mac tells Melinda that he's got something to do and has to go, and he'll see her tomorrow after the hearing. Melinda walks off, and Mac comes over, explaining that he couldn't shake her. Hoffs says irritably that she didn't know which one to follow. Back at the South Quad, Doug and Joey are still hanging out, and a guy comes up with a big dog. Doug asks if Joey thinks that's him, and Joey says no, you notice a guy with a dog.. Doug says you notice a girl with a dog, if it's a guy, you just notice the dog, and he asks what kind of dog Joey thinks it is. Joey notices something and says hey, it's the bald guy. Doug says it's too obvious. The guy ties his shoe and finds the sack. Opening it, he grins and looks around. Doug and Joey prepare to take off after him as he gets up - and suddenly the guy is tackled - by Burton, who is yelling at the guy and berating him for causing Steve to do what he did. Doug pulls Burton off and Joey cuffs the guy, saying they're police officers. Burton is shocked. Doug says "Yeah, that's right, big surprise!" and tells Burton that he'd better be a lawyer with all the trouble he gets into. Joey pulls the guy up, and they take him away.

At the Chapel, Joey asks why Fuller cut the bald guy loose, pointing out that he took the money. Fuller says that the guy was in the drunk tank last night and didn't make any phone calls, that he just stumbled into the sting. Doug asks if Hoffs & McCann showed up, and Fuller says, annoyed, that no, they didn't and that's his next phone call, and this one had better be good. Doug and Joey go back over to Burton, who is sitting at a desk. Burton apologizes for screwing up the drop and wants to get his hands on the guy who drove Steve to do what he did. Doug says that's their job. He asks them to come to his hearing tomorrow. Joey says they will but tells him to be cool about them because the case isn't over yet. Burton agrees, saying that he just wants them to get the guy. Doug wishes him good luck at his hearing. Later, in conference with Fuller, Hoffs says it's her fault, and Mac says no, it was his, he couldn't shake Melinda. Fuller listens to them, lifting a small hand weight. Hoffs says she should have followed one of the cars. They argue over whether Austin or Paxton has more motive. Hoffs says that Paxton was a professor before and might be suffering from sour grapes. Mac asks why she didn't follow Paxton, and she says that she thought he might and then neither of them would follow Austin. Mac says that's why neither of them followed either of them. Fuller doesn't reply and they watch his hand lifting the weight up and down, finally beginning to grin. Fuller asks if Mac told Hoffs that he is old and that he beat him at arm wrestling so maybe he's losing it in every other department and hence will be easily confused. Mac says no. Hoffs, amused, says Mac didn't mention anything about arm wrestling. Fuller says he's looking for his sport and that they can just get their young butts out and do their jobs, and don't come back with any story remotely like the one they just told him. Mac and Hoffs, grinning at each other, say "yes sir" and leave.

At school, the dean points out that this is not a court of law, but they will decide if David Burton did plagiarize and if so how much he should be penalized. Doug and Joey are sitting in the audience. Prof. Gray explains the situation and how he compared the two papers. Burton says that Prof. Gray doesn’t have to present his case and admits his guilt. Melinda says that Burton has admitted and publicly apologized and his crime hurt no one but himself. Gray contradicts her, saying that Burton has hurt every student who has worked and toiled long and hard to hand in their own work. Melinda asks if Burton's life should be ruined and that it might mean no other college, certainly no law school, will accept him. She votes that they give him another chance. The dean gives her verdict - Burton is to be officially expelled and his transcript will bear the stamp "Registration Terminated Due To An Academic Indiscretion." Everyone is silent. Joey asks if Melinda is okay, and she says it doesn't seem fair. He asks if she wants to talk about it, but she just wants to be alone. Doug and Burton come out, and Doug waves Joey off so that he can talk to Burton. He says it was a tough break. Burton says he can still pick up the pieces and at least he's still alive, unlike Steve. Doug asks if he needs a ride back to the house. Burton wants to go see Steve's parents and tell them what really happened. Doug suggests that Burton bring his father along and says it might make it easier on everyone involved. Burton agrees to do so and thanks him. They shake hands, and Burton leaves. Prof. Gray comes up to Doug and says that he needs to see Doug in his office, and Doug flashes his badge, introducing himself as Officer Penhall and says somebody has been blackmailing these kids. The professor is shocked that someone has been using him to blackmail his students, and Doug asks if he recognized the voice. He says it was just a whisper and could even have been a woman, and Doug says they are smart and asks him to let him know if he hears anything else. Prof. Gray says he will, walking off.

At Melinda's place, Mac's new gray Jeep is parked outside, and he goes in and knocks on the door. She opens the door, saying "I should have known it would be you." She turns away from the door and begins to unbutton her blouse. Mac asks if there is something wrong, and she says "I hope you don't think I'm gonna enjoy this." Mac comes in, puzzled, and she turns to him, holding her blouse slightly apart and asking angrily "isn't this what you wanted?" Mac says no, he meant books, and she closes her shirt, aghast at what she has just done and saying, "Oh my God, you're not him, are you?" Mac says he's a cop, Officer Tony McCann, and she turns away, saying she thought Dave Burton was in trouble. Mac says, "I take it you bought a term paper?" She says she is carrying 18 hours and has 2 part time jobs and just ran out of time, adding that she just doesn't have the money. Mac guesses correctly that she was going to have to pay up with sex. Melinda says that she thought he was the guy - that he had just called and was on his way over. Mac calls Fuller, who is playing darts, to tell him that the person is coming to collect at 506 University Place, Apt. 14. Fuller says it will take a few minutes to send backup, and does Mac want black and whites? Mac says no, it will just scare him off. Fuller says that this doesn't fit the guy's M.O. and he doesn't understand it, and Mac says he does and hangs up. Someone knocks on the door, and Melinda stares at Mac, frightened. Mac hushes her and tells her to answer the door, and he goes to hide behind it as it opens. It's Austin, in full slime mode. He tells Melinda that he hopes she doesn't mind him telling her that he's glad she doesn't have the money. When he walks in and says she has a nice place, Mac jumps him from behind, but Austin fights him off and is able to break free. Mac chases him out of the apartment and down the hallway, and Austin knocks over a bike, making Mac trip over it. Mac is able to get up and chase the guy down the stairs, and then he catches him at a locked door. He throws him up against the wall and cuffs him, saying "selling term papers wasn't enough?" The guy mutters that it's never enough. Mac walks him outside, saying he can let him know how he likes punching license plates. Outside, Doug and Joey pull up and asks if Mac is okay. Mac says yes and asks if Doug can give them a ride to the station house. Joey calls Austin scum. Doug yells "Blackmailing out of your own company! You're dumber than you look." They take him away. Back at school, Mac waits for Melinda outside an office. She comes out and says that she has to take the course over for no credit, but there will be no record of her plagiarism except for an F. He says that turning herself in was the right thing to do, and she says, yes, it would have been. She kisses him quickly and walks off, and Mac watches her leave, smiling and saying "Osmosis."

Closing Scene: At Chadway, Hoffs comes in. Paxton asks if she has more pearls of wisdom to drop off, and she says that actually, she wants to buy her paper back. Paxton calls her up by the name "Judy Harris" and we see that she had written a paper called "Incidence of White Collar Crime In The Insurance Industry." He asks her if she is sure, and she says yes, and he deletes the file. Hoffs is curious how someone who used to be a college professor could come down to enabling plagiarism. He laughs and asks if she's trying to get him to quit, and she says no, she wants him to come with her for coffee and talk about it. He asks if she's a cop, and she says yes, she is. He tells her that this is legal, and she asks if it is right. He says with a cynical grin that she's still trying to save the world. She asks him when was the last night that he slept all the way through and begins to leave, but he stops her, saying that coffee sounds good and he'll buy. The last thing we see is the computer screen with the confirmation that Judy's paper has been deleted.


Commentary:

Cyndi Glass: All around, this is a good episode, with plenty of interplay between all the characters, a humorous subplot about Fuller's need to have more physical activity in his life, and all kinds of little touches that make 21JS so good. We see a hint of Mac and Joey's future camaraderie, we see Hoffs still in the leadership role as she is paired with Mac, and we see Doug and Joey in a less stressful situation where they can just hang out, work together, and get to know each other better. There are a couple of unexplained things, like how does Professor Gray know what the caller's voice sounded like if the way he found out about the paper was that it was dropped off at his house anonymously? Not to mention that the entire Melinda involvement is way too coincidental at all stages. I like Hoffs' philosophical curiosity about Mr. Paxton and the way she tries to get him to take a look at what he has become. Doug's goofy act fools Mr. Austin completely, and I like seeing both him and Joey being attracted to Melinda. This is also the first episode in which we see Mac's gray Jeep instead of Hanson's Mustang.

 


Main 21 Jump Street Page * Season page * CucFan’s Page * Email CucFan

This page ©1998 by Cyndi Glass, constructed with Microsoft Office/Word 97