The Rockford Files (TV Series) Quickie Nirvana (1977) User Reviews

watched filming of part of this episode

[sissoed · 8/10 · 19 August 2014]

I first saw this yesterday and found out this is the episode I saw filmed, back in fall 1977. This episode is in Venice, LA, where I lived at the time, on Rose Ave. I went for a walk one afternoon and noticed some cameras: Rockford Files was filming a scene. But I did not watch television much in those days, so I never knew what episode the scene was in -- until yesterday.

The part I saw was the car-crash and capture of the bad guys. Rockford tells the bad guys to meet him at "Navy and Lincoln," a real intersection, and there is park "Ozone Park" practically right next to that intersection, and also near Rose Ave. I think it was shot at Ozone Park.

First: the scene as shown is late at night, but it was filmed in a slight overcast afternoon.

Second: James Garner was there, and there was an incident that showed he really is a nice guy. The cameras were set up at Ruth & Dewey, looking northeast up Dewey. The hot-dog stand that the car crashes through was in the park, where google maps street view shows a sandy enclosed play area for little kids, which was not at the filming site. The car was going to speed down Dewey toward the cameras and veer off into the hot-dog stand. Dewey was all cleared and they were about to shoot the action when, on the right, just about where Bernard dead-ends into Dewey, a homeless guy rolled out from under a bush where he had been sleeping all this time, stood up right in the middle of Dewey, and mumbled "Say, wha's going on?"

James Garner, standing beside the camera, happened to be the closest person. Rather than expect somebody else to deal with this, he casually walked over to the guy, put his hand on the guy's shoulder to gently turn him around, and said, with no irritation at all, something like "hey buddy, we're shooting a scene here, could you head off over there," and aimed him down Bernard Ave. The homeless guy sort of wobbled away in that direction, and Garner just walked back to beside the cameras.

While I was there I wandered over to the hot-dog stand and noticed that it was all pre-cut into pieces, like a giant three-dimensional jig-saw puzzle. This was to ensure that pieces would fly everywhere when the car hit it. I also noticed that along the curb, where the car was going to jump the curb and hit the hog-dog stand, they had put a long triangular insert, so that the wheels of the car would have a smooth path, rather than crash hard-on into the curb, and maybe bounce off, or blow-out the tire.

They got the car-crash-into-the-hot-dog stand in one take, and the car screeched to a halt on its mark. Now it was time to shoot the bit where the guy in the hot-dog-stand costume runs over, and Rockford gets out, and they have an exchange over the top of the car while cuffing the bad-guys. Since I knew nothing about the episode, I always assumed that the hot-dog-guy had been working in the stand that got smashed, and that they had already filmed a scene where he jumps clear. Now I know he was working in a fast-food place across the street from the hot-dog stand (but on the real filming site, there was no such place).

Somehow I knew that the hot-dog guy was an undercover friend of Rockford -- maybe somebody mentioned it while we were standing around. But I didn't know he was a cop, and I didn't know he was a regular character in the series. I couldn't figure out how or why Rockford would have a friend, with a gun, disguised and operating a hot-dog stand in Venice. I assumed he was a character just in that episode, played by an actor hired just for that episode.

The hot-dog-stand guy ran over to the far side of the car, Rockford (Garner) got out on the near side of the car, and the hot-dog guy was supposed to say a short line once Garner stood up and turned to look at him across the roof of the car. First take -- the actor blew the line. Cut! Re-set. Garner gets back in the car. Take two: hot-dog-guy runs to the car, Garner gets out -- hot-dog guy blows the line again. Cut! Re-set. Something like five more times, this happens. I felt so sorry for the hot-dog-guy actor. I was thinking, "This poor guy, his career in Hollywood is over. Word's going to get around, he's never going to be hired again." And poor James Garner -- the number of times he had to get out of the car, stand up, turn, and then: blown line from the other actor, Cut, back in the car -- Garner was so patient, he never got angry. Finally the hot-dog guy got it right and they finished the scene. I had no idea, until yesterday, that the hot-dog-guy actor was actually one of the vitally-important series regular actors, Joe Santos, who has had an excellent and long career. I must have just caught him on a bad day.

The Venice scenes in the episode are all real Venice Beach locations; I could have been in the background of any of the outdoor scenes. When they showed the front of an apartment building I thought: I think that's my apartment building (I checked google street view, no it wasn't). The dingy interior hall of the apartment building was a bit worse than my place, but the apartment where the witness lived was a bit bigger and better than mine -- except that my apartment did not come with a dead body in it ....

Entertaining, hilarious, and a hidden lesson to boot!

[CoastalCruiser · 8/10 · 19 April 2012]

As I go through the entire series in chronological order I really appreciate the couple of reviewers who have commented on most every episode. Most of what needs to be said gets said in those reviews, but sometimes an episode has some unique quality that I am compelled to comment on further... and this is one of those episodes. It is actually quite educational to take a retrospective look at this episode's point of view regarding the new age spiritual movement taking place in the 60s and 70's.

I would like to politely disagree with the reviewer who stated (in an otherwise strong review) "I especially enjoyed the exchange because I believe the writers were fair and respectful to both sides of the debate".

No. The episode totally made fun of the entire new age spiritual movement. Period. Rockford cuts to shreds every statement, platitude, spiritual philosophy and belief that comes out of Sky. As to whether the writers actually were trying to make a statement criticizing the new age movement, or simply couldn't resist using new age as the perfect grist for Rockford's always pragmatic mill, I cannot say. However, I trust writer David Chase, and regardless of what his personal points of view may be on such matters, he created a very poignant story that stands up even today. Perhaps especially today. If you stay away from being offended by Chase's searing indictment of the new age movement you will be quite entertained... and perhaps be given something to think about.

Again, setting aside the merits of Krishna / sensory deprivation tanks Buddhism / karma / vegetarianism / non-violence / cults ET. AL. ... this episode documents how so many people picking up on the new age movement of that time somehow got it wrong. Whatever the movement started out to be... along the way it got tuned into something else. And those that came along who were so lost and/or desperate to latch on to a higher truth (who could blame them for looking?), that rather than question and test the validity of what was coming at them they instead surrendered themselves to what they were told by the local guru. And Sky personifies the consequences of that kind of blind faith.

Jonie Mitchell commented on this phenomenon in a song from her 1972 album, 'For The Roses', entitled 'Woman Of Heart And Mind':

"All this talk about holiness now It must be the start of the latest style Is it all books and words Or do you really feel it? Do you really laugh? Do you really care? Do you really smile When you smile?"

A contemporary 'guru', who claims not that title, but who does demonstrate advanced consciousness, refers to the trap of taking a spiritual precept and bending it to fit the person's innately selfish instincts as "spiritual ego" (author Dr. Davide R. Hawkins). It is a huge trap indeed, and most all organized religions long ago fell into it.

Wow. Who would have thought the Rockford Files could be fodder for examining the meta-physical?

Space Cadet

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 14 May 2013]

I'm not sure the number of Rockford Files episodes where James Garner just does a simple favor for a friend and winds up in a jackpot. This one has to be one of the best of them.

Valerie Curtin plays a neighbor of Rockford's who asks that her job's last paycheck be delivered to him as she's moving up to some commune. Seems like she missed making a payment that her boss Kip Gilman asked her to make on some Venice pier and the money's gone too. Now two nasty dudes come calling on Rockford asking where their loot is.

This episode truly belongs to Valerie Curtin who has taken up Buddhism in a big way mostly as Garner remarks to avoid responsibility of any kind. She is one true space cadet.

Anyway those thugs and Gilman who is a record producer and attorney tie into an R&B artist played by Dick Anthony Williams who was doing a little blackmail payoff to silence a witness who saw him run down someone deliberately in a parking lot. Later on said witness gets silenced the old fashioned way.

James Luisi as Lieutenant Chapman is his usual hostile self to Garner and Joe Santos is upset that Garner is blowing a potential stakeout on an unrelated incident. All in a day's work for the California coast's number one PI.

very good episode

[stones78 · 5 January 2011]

This particular episode has many aspects of what I enjoy about the Rockford Files, namely several shots of Jim's trailer(both outside and in)and many great outdoor scenes filmed in sunny California, even though I'm in wintry Pennsylvania at the time of this review. I also enjoy seeing Jim's cool Firebird traveling along and near the beach, especially when others pursue him. This turn has Jim helping, though not exactly enjoying it, a hippie named Sky, who also has other aliases. Somehow she's involved with a missing $30,000, and she's either too dumb to realize why she's in trouble, or simply blacks it out in her karmic state of mind, for which Rockford argues with her about. It turns out that she's devoted to some false hippie guru for which his name escapes me at the moment, and he turns out to be involved in the stolen money. Add a crooked lawyer of an angry musician who's searching for the stolen cash, and another hippie cook who's real last name is Aquarian, and what we have is a quality episode. Just about the only negative comment I have is that Sky's hippie/karma antics get somewhat annoying, as I bet it got on James Garner's nerves as well, as he's clearly perturbed.

I'll disagree with the other reviewer about the final scene between Jim and Sky, who's once again changed her name because of a new devotion to Jesus instead of her fallen guru. It appears that Rockford felt sorry for this woman and offered to buy her coffee, and is clearly disappointed she turns him down. Jim gives us some solid human emotion during this scene, even if the scene appears slightly forced.

Valerie Curtin steals the show!

[bscottcork · 9/10 · 14 October 2019]

Just saw this episode on Antenna-TV and usually, I turn the station after a few minutes, but the hippie-chick, played totally on point by veteran character actress Valerie Curtin (cousin of Jane) stole the show for me. Her mid-70's granola eating, new age -hippie enlightened , self-involved air-headed Sky frustrated Jim to no end and their back and forth banter written deftly by David Chase (of The Sopranos fame) kept the show at a fast clip. I thought I'd seen all 250 episodes of "Rockford", but this one slipped under the radar and I'm glad I saw it 40yrs later.

R I P, James "Rockfish" Garner.

"That's the sound of one hand clapping."

[vdoman-22321 · 9/10 · 21 October 2020]

Classic Rockford episode. Has all the elements of a near perfect show. Jim is paired with a polar opposite to his personality. He gets caught up in a situation he never wanted to be in. Gangsters, musicians, fights with goons, cops who don't want to help him... and he's not even being paid! All that is missing is a car chase. This show is in its groove and enjoying itself.

Rockfish The Philosopher

[soup831 · 10/10 · 8 February 2013]

"Quickie Nirvana" is a perfect integration of plot, acting, theme and dialog, a hilarious, fast-paced, sharp-witted, satire of the New Age movement (whether in 1970s America or ancient Rome).

Sky Aquarian: I'm into my consciousness. Rockford: You're never conscious!

There's something about the Rockford Files that made it a sharp concretization of the ideas of its time. I know its fiction but its characters seem real to me. Rockford is usually considered a Pragmatist but he's usually the only one whose mind is consistently focused on the long-run. He's not philosophical but he's rationally practical.

The next time I'm on the Coast, I'll amble over to 29 Cove Road and leave a taco and jellyroll for Jimbo.

Great '70s flashback of new ageism

[jimabe-1 · 10/10 · 4 January 2012]

I enjoyed watching this episode on reruns today for the first time. Not only is the episode a pretty faithful representation of the new age ideas of the time, the dialog between Sky and Rockford delves into the mainstream vs. the new age spiritualism debate without becoming too far removed from the plot movement. Watching the episode made me appreciate the "time capsule" effect of the writing of Rockford Files and gives the viewer a sort of idea what it was like to be living at that time.

Although Sky is portrayed as a social dropout, loser, brainwashed cult follower her constant viewpoints expressed so many of the new age philosophies of the time. Apparently, she was into Krishna, sensory deprivation tanks, Buddism (one hand clapping), karma, vegetarianism, non-violence, cults, lived a non-materialistic/nomadic life, dropped out of society (no job), Jesus and so on, I believe the writers crafted her as the embodiment of all the new age lifestyles and philosophies prevalent at the time.

Sky played the naive, idealistic follower. The dynamic of being exploited by some materialistic spiritual leader was also portrayed, as was typical of those days. The climax of the show comes when Rockford practically knocks the hamburger out of Sky's hand and goes on a tirade against Sky's moral ramblings. He tells her of her annoying spiritual impracticalities and hypocrisies while she attempts to defend herself. I especially enjoyed the exchange because I believe the writers were fair and respectful to both sides of the debate. Clearly Rockford's common sense and practicality prevailed over the new age hippie because her idealistic views clouded the fact that she was being exploited. However, her defense of her spiritual quest could not be denied by Rockford, and, for that, we, the viewer, could find some sympathy for the character, albeit not a whole lot because she was a blind follower and needed a wake-up reality check which he, as the practical, down-to-earth protagonist, tried to provide. This scene began the part where Sky begins to rethink her rationale, and she becomes more reflective and less pontificating. In a literal stroke of genius by the writers, Sky's comeuppance comes when she is slapped in the face by her so-called leader. Rockford takes the opportunity of a stunned Sky to say that "THAT, is the sound of the one hand clapping." Tragically, what Rockford attempted verbally, and what this so-called leader attempted physically did not cure her of her inability to think for herself. She is seen some time later after several months following another cult--this time a Jesus cult--selling books and denying herself any human emotional feelings as seen when Rockford invites her to go get a Danish for a few minutes. It appears as if she is even more ensconced in some type of self-denying religious fervor and as Rockford turns away, an expression of pity, irony and sadness wipes over his face as Sky feverishly pitches her book sales to strangers on the street.

Reach for the Sky

[zsenorsock · 7/10 · 10 January 2007]

I guess every show in the late 60's through the 70's had their hippie/Krishna new age show and this is "the Rockford Files" one.

Jane Curtin's cousin Valerie plays Sky Aquarian, a new age Krishna type who has been meditating and staying in a shelter on the beach. After Jim agrees to let her have her last check from the latest job she's been fired from sent to her at his trailer, he suddenly gets in the middle of a murder, blackmail, and a missing $30,000.

The script is very typical David Chase, and that's a good thing. He always does a good job showing the motivations and reasoning of the bad guys (which probably lead to his work on "The Sopranos"). He also gives us some nice moments like the one where Rockford takes on a couple of goons who are following him (one with the name Dijion!) and actually seems to manage to beat THEM up fora change, and then disengage their parking brake so their car rolls away downhill!

Curtin is actually pretty solid as Sky. She's pretty whiny, but that's the character. Watch her scene in the trailer as she subtly plays the whole thing constantly standing a little too close to Garner--in the body bubble as it were. This episode seems to be loaded with writer- actors. While Curtin wrote a lot of TV episodes including the "Marfy Tyler Moore Show" and the Robin Williams movie "Toys", Quinn Redecker, who plays Gordon co-wrote the story for "The Deerhunter" among other projects.

Dennis finally gets out of the office and out of running plates to work an undercover stakeout. He demonstrates his marksmanship while Jim figures out a way to use the stakeout to his own advantage (more inspired writing!). While Sky actually takes a cookie from Jim's cookie jar and doesn't notice the gun!

The final scene though it defines Sky's character, comes off a bit flat. She's given up her Krishna lifestyle and now changed her name to Hester and is now deeply involved in a Jesus cult with a charismatic preacher. It just feels unsatisfying, especially after the clever ending involving the stakeout.

Outstanding episode

[MoneyMagnet · 8/10 · 16 August 2014]

This episode was nominated for a Writers Guild of America award for 1977. It was written by David Chase (of The Sopranos fame). One of Jim's casual beach friends, a not so young woman named Sky, winds up in trouble after she's asked to drop off a suspicious amount of money for her boss. Naturally Jim gets sucked into her troubles and gets drawn into her New Age spiritual cult (and her guru is also involved in this mess). During the course of the episode, Jim becomes more and more impatient with Sky's weak grasp on reality, as he attempts to solve the crime (and winds up tracing it back to her corrupt guru). He clears up the matter with the money, but is unable to jar Sky out of her self destructive, cultish tendencies.

This episode has everything you normally would like in a Rockford Files story (car chases, fist fights, and criminal intrigue), and also a lot of humor... but the undertone is surprisingly serious and, I think, the ending of the episode is quite sad. The actress playing Sky, Valerie Curtin (yes she's related to Jane Curtin), is really outstanding and does not play her character too broadly even though there is humor.

Although it's clear that the brainless New Age lifestyle of some people is being criticized (not the beliefs, just the laziness of certain people who get involved in cults), it is definitely not some sort of indictment of liberal values, as Sky is shown at the end involved in a conservative religious cult. (by the way, it is not a criticism of Christianity either, since Jim says he has known about Jesus "for many years now" implying he himself holds some kind of private religious faith). The point being, cults are cults, no matter what their politics. And some people will just never change. (Jim relents and tries to be kind to her at the end, but she just cannot free herself from her own tendencies... and Jim finally has to walk away, losing his friend.) A heavy dose of keen insight into human nature... part of why this show really was so good, and probably part of why it won the Emmy Award for Best Drama for that season.

Rockford rips into hippies

[ArtVandelayImporterExporter · 7/10 · 8 January 2023]

The plotline isn't unusual for The Rockford Files. Friend/client comes to Rockford for help and before you know it, client/friend AND Rockford are knee deep in trouble.

This time around it's some hippie woman with a package containing $30,000. She speaks like Ben Stiller's character in Zoolander, spouting a bunch of New Age gibberish.

There are car chases, fight scenes, and corpses. All standard stuff for The Rockford Files.

What sets apart this episode is how episode writer David Chase gets to tee off on New Age weirdos. On their fake piety. Their feeble physical condition. Their cult-like devotion to charlatans. Their naivete. Their vegetarianism-of-convenience.

In sum, an episode with above-average comedy value without sacrificing any of the elements that make The Rockford Files great.

Jim and the New Age.

[Resurgum · 9/10 · 15 May 2013]

It is obvious looking at this episode of Rockford, and Chases' other productions (Sopranos) (Northern Exposure) that Chase is interested in spirituality and philosophy. However, this episode of Rockford makes it clear he is not a "New Age" fan or a fan of any quick fix when it comes to spirituality. I'm certain Mr. Chase considers spiritual enlightenment to be a long arduous process, and there is no "Quickie Nirvana," and there are many spiritual frauds out there.

I found this episode to be very funny with all the New Age dialogue. However, the end of the show turns serious. The swami that the New Age character Sky Aquarian has been following ends up being a fraud. Furthermore, Sky ends up following a Christian fundamentalist TV evangelist who supposedly has the answers. In the end, Jim tries one last time to talk some sense into Sky, but to no avail.

This is the only episode I know of where the audience gets a glimpse into Jim's spiritual beliefs. Sky asks Jim if he is familiar with "Jesus." Jim states he has been for quite some time, but does not elaborate. I think Jim via David Chase thinks spirituality has to fit into a pragmatic framework to be valid.

Sad commentary

[mm-39 · 7/10 · 17 February 2019]

Sad commentary we have a very Liberal women who's ideas probably fit into today's politically correct climates, but not back in the 70's is an interesting character. Jim being a realist of what really happens gets tied up in a pay off scheme and is at odds with the liberal women. The moonbeam character just blindly goes with the people are good, good vibrations, it's how she feels not facts just compounds the problem. There is a few jabs at the cons, and peeling back the falseness of the peace and love West Coast cult movement which comes down hard on the poor women. A few good stunts and car chases, which ties up the ending. The poor moon beam character just crashes when reality crashes in which is just sad. A character driven episode, where the writers must of interjected a real life feel to it. The ending hits hard with the poor women sucked into a religious cult and just needs someone to think for her. 7 out of 10 stars.

Great episode; not about politics or religion.

[rkhen · 10/10 · 18 March 2023]

I loved this episode when I saw it first-run in high school, and it holds up very well. Much of this is due to Valerie Curtin's great performance, and of course, as always, James Garner's.

Until I dropped in here I was unaware than Jim Rockford is one of those characters rightwingers have since claimed as their own. (Along with Hank Hill, Andy Taylor, and a few other apolitical classics from pre-2016 America.) So it just needs pointing out that Jim was not in any sense rightwing, nor did he espouse conservative values. All the reviewers here crowing about how he "rips into hippies" in this episode apparently turned the show off before the last scene, where our girl joins yet another in her long series of cults -- Evangelical Christianity.

And that's entirely consistent with Jim's values. He's a perennial sceptic who has a sharp professional nose for a con. That's all that's happening here. Nobody in 1977 said, "Woo-hoo! The Rockford Files just owned New Agers!" when this show aired. That was just an over-marketed fad in the 70s, as Evangelicalism would be in the 80s and Q is as I write this, and Jim's reflexive tendency is to reject dippy shallow self-glorifying movements like those. (Now that I think of it, the fact that Jane finally ends up in fundamentalist Christianity was scarily prescient, since that would in fact be The New Hip Thing in just 3 years. Seems like the writers must've done some research into developing trends when they wrote it.)

So there you go. It would be sad if well-meaning potential viewers were scared off by the ranting Right here. The guy in this episode is the same Rockford we know and love. He's not out to get anybody, not out to expose whole demographics as stupid or inferior, not trying to do anything but rescue (yet another) friend in need. One whose final line - as a Christian - is the funniest in a very funny show.

Watch it with no axe or grindstone, and you'll enjoy it.

A meditation of cults and Christianity

[safenoe · 8/10 · 4 August 2020]

This episode, broadcast a year into the Carter Presidency, is quite ahead of its time with its mature mediation of cults and Christianity in California.

Jane Patten / Sky Aquarian / Gopi / Hester is played by Valerie Curtin (I don't she's related to Jane). Anyway, what's touching is that Jim really cares for Jane, even at the very end of the episode when Jane converts to Christianity handing out books in a street outreach.

This episode was directed by Meta Rosenberg