The Countess

Season 1, Episode 4, Aired
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Episode Summary

Jim has been hired to stop a man who is blackmailing a rich socialite over information from her past. But when the blackmailer is shot dead by a sniper, Jim finds himself accused of murder...
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Fan Episode Reviews (1)

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  • Rockford has been hired to stop a man who is blackmailing a rich socialite over information from her past. But when the blackmailer is shot dead by a sniper, Jim finds himself accused of murder. Not as good as it could have been...moreless

    7.0
    "Good"
    By Jay-Spacedust, Oct 26, 2011 Report Abuse
    This review contains spoilers.

    Although not one of 'The Rockford Files's weakest episodes by any means, I certainly didn't enjoy this one as much as the Pilot and the first two episodes. So I was very surprised to see that, at time of writing, it is amongst the three highest rated episodes of the first season here on TV.com; don't get me wrong, it does have it's merits, but I certainly wouldn't give it the 9.1 rating it presently holds.

    Straight off is one of my gripes, the Countess herself. Reading up on this episode around the Net, most people seem in awe of her, but I have to say, personally I found her neither particularly interesting nor convincing.

    I perfectly understand the need to set the scene and introduce the guest characters, but to be honest I found the first 15 minutes of this one pretty boring. When the blackmailer, Bergo, is shot dead by a sniper during a brawl with Jim, things do start to liven up a bit. But even so, I probably wouldn't regard this as one of the most gripping episodes; It just didn't seem as sharp as it had the potential to be, which is unusual considering it is penned by Stephen J. Cannell (co-creator and my favourite writer for the show).

    There are moments of interest later on, such as when Jim is grabbed by the mobsters and makes his escape (complete with conveniently awaiting car with keys in), and the climax isn't too bad.

    The final scene, with Jim and the Countess, is nice, but I wish they had added some of these touches earlier in the episode.

    All-in-all... Many people seem to love it, but I find this one for the most part an average instalment I'm afraid; I just feel that more could have been done with it. I give this one a 7/10, raised by the odd good scene here and there.moreless

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  • Trivia

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    • At the end of the show, Rockford is forced into a car at gunpoint. The car is a black Mercury with the hidden headlights similar to the type McGarrett always drove on Hawaii Five-O. When the car goes over the cliff and Rockford bailes out, the car is suddenly an old Lincoln with the suicide doors and of course the headlights are showing. Edit

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  • Quotes

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    • Beth has just got Jim bailed from the Police Station; Jim notices where she's parked Jim: "Uh... you're parked in a red zone." Beth: "Oh I always do that. They never give tickets in front of the Police Station; it's kind of a psychological neutral zone." Jim: "I gotta get a new attorney." Edit

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