Give most television shows enough time and eventually they will become a victim of their own success. Even very good ones like Emergency! Have a shelf life. Season 5 isn't bad or unenjoyable, but the cracks are definitely showing. In the case of Emergency!, it's mostly in the plot department. It's not the fault of the creators / writers, new ideas were simply becoming more and more scarce. But I honestly think the creative team recognized it and chose to up the ante in other ways. Emergency! Episode plots were (for the most part) always pretty thin. But by season 4 and 5, it was the quality of the firefighting / rescue scenes that would make or break an episode. Such is the case with "To Buy or Not to Buy." It doesn't spend too much time in Rampart and the action scenes revolve around Roy looking to buy a new home. Meh, not terrible but not that good either. It's the big rescue at the end that distinguishes this episode. I won't spoil anything but it involves a boy who climbs up a very VERY tall bridge span. Details emerge that time is of the essence. Waiting for a Ladder truck is no longer an option, so Roy and Gage go to work. It climaxes in a heart stopping moment that is both amazing and frighteningly convincing. No CGI back then and Randy Mantooth did all his own stunts. It's one of the most technically impressive scenes in the entire series. Check this one out.
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