Police Story (TV Series) Thanksgiving (1976) User Reviews

Rather depressing....

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 15 April 2017]

Sgt. K-Joe (Frank Converse) and Bunny (Fred Williamson) investigate a horrible case. It seems a psychopath shot into a car on the freeway and destroyed a child as well as her mother in the process. The child is left all but brain dead and the mother loses her mind following the senseless tragedy. The two detectives are naturally intent on capturing the person responsible. Soon they figure out a guy named Lewis (James Woods) is the shooter but they just can't get enough evidence to take the case to court. But he admitted doing it and, as a juvenile, shot two other people!! Clearly he is a menace but the police seem helpless and very frustrated in dealing with him.

I appreciate this episode because it shows the effects the case has on the cops...particularly K-Joe. Well worth seeing...and man, does Woods play a scary and loathsome character.

Killer on the freeway

[searchanddestroy-1 · 14 March 2015]

This episode is interesting because we have here one of the earliest performances of the young James Woods, as a lunatic guy who long range shots vehicles on the Los Angeles freeway. OK, it's a scheme already told in many episodes of shows taking place in the City of Angels, even novels. The second good reason to be careful to this tale is its screen player; take good care of who it is: no one else than Michael Mann, the future director of HEAT, THE THIEF and COLLATERAL. You have already got here L.A Streets atmosphere in which Mann is so fond of, nearly his own trade mark. For the rest, do not expect something exceptional, but only a very good piece of work. Routine investigation of two cops, already a buddy movie, as STARSKY AND HUTCH rose at the same time, a white cop and a black one - our good old Fred Williamson, a blaxploitation star. Worth seeing. Directed by Jerry London, another prolific TV director.

Too likely story of life in Los Angeles, and excellent performance by Fred Williamson

[morrisonhimself · 10/10 · 12 February 2020]

Fred Williamson just out-did himself in this episode.

He was surrounded by other superb performers, with an especially good Frank Converse as his partner, James Wood as the suspect, and the great Don Barry as a friend of the suspect.

This is a sad story of wanton and senseless violence and how victims are not just those who are struck by the random bullet. Powerful story, powerful performances, well directed, but the print at YouTube is so dark, it's sometimes hard to tell what's going on. I do hope a better version will be uploaded.