"The Rockford Files" Gearjammers, Part 1 (TV Episode 1975) Poster

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8/10
Rocky's Secret Life
zsenorsock6 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of those great episodes where no one quite knows what's going on--except for the audience. When two goons show up at Jim's trailer looking g for Rocky and work him over, Rockford goes on a search to find his father and warn him...only he can't find him! In looking for Rocky he finds out how little he knows about his dad. He discovers Rocky's been working at the freight yards, has a couple of girlfriends (including Rosemary DeCamp as Mrs. Ramsey) he sees on a regular basis and is involved in union organizing of independent truckers.

When he finally finds his father, Rocky doesn't believe anyone's after him. He was just trying to sell tickets to the OOTA (Owner Operated Truckers Association) fund raising ball. He has no idea he's witnessed something he should not have seen.

This episode gives us a lot of good character development between Jim and Rocky and helps fully flesh out Rocky's character. We also get another brief appearance by Rocky's friend LJ (Al Stevenson) who's fixing Rocky's plumbing, the firebird blows up again and we have appearances by both Garner's brother Jack (as an obnoxious cop who won't let Jim in to see Dennis) and Beery's son Bucklind as Officer Mazurski.

There's a great scene where Rocky hits Jim with a skillet (then claims he doesn't know what happened, he just found him there like that) and Jim tries the trick of parking the Firebird on a used car lot to try and lose the goons chasing him (this time it doesn't work!).

Dennis delivers a great line laced with the irony of this episode: "What is Rocky into? He's your father, if anybody knows what he's up to, you do."
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9/10
Just when you thought season 1 was good it just gets better!
mm-3922 December 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Just when you thought season 1 was good it just gets better! Season 2 is just great. Great story where Rocky stumbles upon a trucking high jacking scheme and does not realizes what is happening. A great story! There is the character development between Rocky and Jim. We see the development between the father son bond. How the two interact between stress is great. Becker and Rockford interaction is just as intense. What makes Gearjammers great is the details. The minor character develop makes the story. Memorable scenes like when the heavy's lean on Jim coming home from grocery shopping and break Jim's eggs. Mean mean mean! The life guard thinks Jim had to much to drink after getting roughed up is hilarious. Rocky's friend tries to help Rocky out. Rocky can not shoot people all the minor details create a real life feel for Gearjammers. The back and forth between Rocky and Jim with the give and take builds the relationship with the I don't welsh out for dinner argument. The characters buildup create the will Rocky win the argument and get Jim out of the Trans am before the bomb goes off a memorable ending for part 1. The small details build and build for a bigger story. Will the thugs get to Rocky? What will Jimmbo do next? Makes the viewer wanting to watch part 2.
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7/10
Jim's most pathetic beat-down
MoneyMagnet1 November 2014
Warning: Spoilers
For connoisseurs of Jim Rockford getting beat up, this episode features perhaps his most pathetic beatdown ever as he returns home from the grocery only to find two hoods looking for Rocky at his door. They promptly drag him behind his own trailer and work him over, and Jim is only saved by a sneering lifeguard on Beach Patrol who mistakes him for a drunk and doesn't even know that he lives there. Classic.

When I first watched this 2-parter I found it a bit of a bore - a slim story extended to two installments - but on a second viewing, it's just a great Jim and Rocky episode. We find out about Rocky's secret social life, which comes as a shocker to Jim who discovers, among other things, that his dad has a steady lady friend in Beverly Hills!
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6/10
Rocky has some secrets
bkoganbing6 May 2015
In this first part of a two part story we discover that Rocky has some he's been keeping from his offspring. First off he has a girlfriend in Rosemary DeCamp who works on the docks for a trucking company. The second is that Rocky has been getting some off the books work part time in his old profession to supplement his retirement.

It's that second thing, he happens to see a meeting of two people that he shouldn't see. After that Noah Beery, Jr.'s life is in danger as there are many attempts to kill him which of course brings his son in on the case. James Garner at one point gets a nasty beat down from a couple of hoods who are trying to find Beery.

The end has Jim Rockford sacrificing something near and dear to him.
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